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Is there a way to automate the following: copy and resize
tracy_payne
Member Posts: 6 ✭
I have just started using Onshape and I love it. I am trying to take a part, a rectangular soild, and replicate it and then resize it. I want to have this happen over and over making each part smaller and smaller in length. If that is not enough, I would link to be able to rotate each new piece around its center by a chosen amount.
I have created various variables (some unused at this time) and was able to have the linear patern make the parts, but I have not figured out how to resize it and rotate it without doing it to each part one at a time.
Any ideas?
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/ca1a9c0f1d40c0a36e262517/w/0aee81f8c1d9cc533bc77d9c/e/d966263ceac4205b7ed17ebc?configuration=List_D2yj94tfKNlJbW%3DDefault&renderMode=0&uiState=67574d9808f11169786a690a
Answers
Look at these videos, they should give you all you need to set that up (I think "part1" should actually have all you need):
It does take a bit of practice to setup but satisfying when you get it working!
Actually you were most of the way there… Still needed to actually use #i in your sketch, and also add it to the pattern as well as the sketch…
Also, you really want to get in the habit of locking down the position of your sketch relative to the origin…
Looks cool
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/5c507a497309c59b7c0be6e8/w/487b56cfd92825bc1f90a0f2/e/0152be803e18d9de11a74ad7
This has been so helpful. Thank you.
I have another question that you may be able to help with. Is there a way for OnShape to create a cut list from a part studio automatically and efficiently? Meaning, will it fit the shapes on a piece of material that can be entered?
There's a featurescript called autolayout that might help (I haven't really used it myself though…)
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/1a6c3c8eb3badcf72461a02b/v/e14dfc4b9eb6610cfbae03b3/e/81ad3ffdfc14fb05d1d8c68c
I will try it out. I would like to ask about the spiral you completed for me. I was able to figure everything out except the rotation you show in sketch 2. I am not familiar with that tool. I have tried the transform tool, but when I choose rotate, it will not allow any variables. Am I using the wrong tool?
The rotation is done in the sketch with just an angle dimension it's a bit hard to see because it's 0degrees.
You can also do it with a transform, you just have to do a rotate transform by #i*#Rotation and add the transform to the pattern.
Okay, I admit defeat. I have been trying to get the "angle dimension" you have in your drawing. I have figured out that it will make my sketch fully defined. I have every constraint that you do with the exception of the angle dimension constraint. Is that the dimension tool? If so, what two pieces do I choose to get the angle? Do I draw an extra line I am not seeing in your drawing? I have been racking my brain, trying, what I think is, everything and noting is working.
I have gotten the transform that you used to work, but it ends up with two slats per level. If you look at the original shared file, you can see that I have the tree with two slats per level. I have to keep asking, but I really want to understand this.
Can you explain it like I am in 6th grade?
Thanks again for all of the help.
Yes it's literally just the dimension tool. The only "trick" is that you can't add an angle dimension between two things that are parallel so maybe that's the issue you are having…
The first thing I did to your sketch2 was to use the sketch transform tool (not the same as the transform feature) to rotate your base slat rectangle (which you can also do by just removing the one horizontal constraint on the top edge of the rectangle by the way), I wanted to make sure it didn't have any odd constraints and the transform is a good way to do this.
I then just added a dimension from between the top plane and the edge of the rectangle.
Alternatively, I could have picked the right plane and the long edge of the rectangle, which would have over-defined the sketch, and remove the horizontal constraint.
However the alternate method of using a transform feature is probably easier to follow. Not sure why you are getting two of each, maybe you checked the "copy part" option in the transform feature (you don't want that because that would, well, create a copy of the part…)