FeatureScript User Community Spotlight

NeilCooke · July 2016

Have you written a cool custom feature in FeatureScript and want to share it with the Onshape community?

We have introduced a new section on the FeatureScript web page called User Community Spotlight where we can showcase impressive and imaginative uses of Onshape and FeatureScript. It doesn't matter how simple or complex your feature is - if it's a feature that would benefit some or all of the Onshape community then we are interested to hear from you!

If you are keen to show off your custom feature creation skills, please contact me by clicking my username above then clicking "message" on the next screen.

Happy scripting!
Neil.

fastwayjim · July 2016

Let the flood gates open!

coleman · August 2016

We need to light a fire to smoke out all of these folks who have written a cool feature script...

3dcad · August 2016

Yep, this would be a good place to show off your skills and maybe lead to contract coding for companies who doesn't have the right person to write scripts they need.

dave_cowden · August 2016

Just so everyone knows, I've written quite a few FeatureScripts, but I've been working with Onshape about which ones qualify for the User Community Spotlight, based on the nature of the code ( closed/open ), and their commercial nature ( free/for sale).....

I don't think it qualifies as a flood, but I definitely have a few at this point -- all of which of course I think are cool, but only some of which probably actually are

http://store.parametricparts.com/products.html

fastwayjim · August 2016

You've got some nice features, @dave_cowden! I definitely just made a copy of the 3D points one. I envision a little Simscale CFD on a NACA profile in my future... Also, you beat me to the "embossed text" feature, but admittedly yours is better than mine would have been - on a curve! One option to add to yours that I was playing with - adding draft from within the dialog box.

dave_cowden · August 2016

Hi @fastwayjim

Yeah the 3D points one is not so good right now, but there are BIG improvements coming for it.

I have an in-development version that allows auto-creating profiles for you from the points ( to do this, I can automatically detect the sketch plane by fitting a plane to the points ). I'm also experimenting with ability to auto-match the number of points on successive profiles, so that lofts work reliably.

3dcad · August 2016

Does anyone have quick thread creator? I only need threads for cosmetic reasons (assembly instructions) so whatever comes simple and fast will do for me.. I would like to select cylinder (inside or outside), add pre-set thread, done.

ps. Nice stuff @dave_cowden , as you get more and more stuff done your site adds great value for FS feature.

dave_cowden · August 2016

Hey would you guys find it valuable for me to host a place where we can list all of the features? I know eventually, Onshape is going to have a proper store. But in the meantime, i'd be happy to come up with a way to make it easy to find all of the 'cool' features out there.

It can be done very easily-- just a website with a short description, a link, and the author. The main question becomes-- what qualifies a feature for inclusion. maybe what would work is a nomination and second process. Any feature that is proposed, and then +1'ed by two people who are not the author makes the list.

Would that be helpful? Then at least there would be one place to go to find all of the cool features. I know there are a bunch of really cool ones that Onshape has made, and also cool ones that others have made too.

mahir · August 2016

That sounds useful. Or at least a sticky forum post that keeps a running list.

dave_cowden · August 2016

i'd run it on a separate site, so that i can support reviews and comments. I think that's a pretty key feature: it is important so that people can see which ones are the quality ones, and easily see a list. It's not a big deal to put up a site like that.

michael3424 · August 2016

dave_cowden said:

Hey would you guys find it valuable for me to host a place where we can list all of the features? I know eventually, Onshape is going to have a proper store. But in the meantime, i'd be happy to come up with a way to make it easy to find all of the 'cool' features out there.

Yes, please!

fastwayjim · August 2016

dave_cowden said:

Hey would you guys find it valuable for me to host a place where we can list all of the features? I know eventually, Onshape is going to have a proper store. But in the meantime, i'd be happy to come up with a way to make it easy to find all of the 'cool' features out there.

@NeilCooke - Is this what you intend to do with https://www.onshape.com/featurescript? FS should have some sort of marketplace. Easy to browse existing features, easy to submit requests, a trustworthy nomination process, perhaps even an "auction-style" marketplace? Kind of like "Github meets the eBay App store".

3dcad · August 2016

@davecowden
Nice idea and that might be useful if you caught the attention of script writers. Eventually, The list should be accessible directly from cad since that's the place where you need features.

I would also like to see small simple features which probably won't get much up votes but can be very handy for some segments - like simple thread maker can easily burry under 'bolt design studios'.

dave_cowden · August 2016

@3dcad what I could produce would be a stop gap until onshape integrates with cad.

But still I hope I could ad value.

Sice there is a little bit if interest I will see what I can do.

3dcad · August 2016

3dcad said:

..The list should be accessible directly from cad since that's the place where you need features.

dave_cowden said:

@3dcad what I could produce would be a stop gap until onshape integrates with cad.

I'm the sort of guy who usually skips ReadMe, Sample, Tutorial -type of stuff unless I'm especially digging into something totally new for me.
This happened also with adding custom feature script functions into docs, there is already library accessible directly from cad:

-->

@dave_cowden and other coders
This is the place where you need to get your features. There should be area for beta and another for 'use at your own discretion - not tested for production use'. WITH decent description / tips for use

dave_cowden · August 2016

I agree, that should like to a store where you can choose features of all kinds. But Onshape will have to do that, i cannot control that.

dave_cowden · August 2016

Ok, everyone: i've started a list of all of the featurescripts i know of ( I didnt exclude the samples that show up in the built-in samples list).

Let me know if i'm missing any.

https://github.com/dcowden/featurescript

mahir · August 2016

Here's some of mine not already on your list.

Radial Pattern - circular pattern with option for radial second direction
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/57acdd79e4b01d53a1caf1f5/w/71a5841922caf49ccdf9c965/e/0aa03a35bf16af9cd999451b

Parametric Surface - generate surfaces with equations
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/57a62df8e4b03de4c9fcf154/w/f6d71f3d862b522902efcd68/e/ece65382fcd820281a9ee704

Multi Plane 2 - same as Onshape's Multi Plane but with a rotated plane array option
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/578d3ba3e4b0fe44cbff7c02/w/2d7c55bd5d5ed951e86c0b0c/e/566edf8fb019ed25389d7d92

dave_cowden · August 2016

@mahir, thanks, added those!

https://github.com/dcowden/featurescript

I'll wait to see what others I get and then i will categorize them

lemon1324 · August 2016

Good start!

"Adaptive Finger Joints -- create finger joints from overlapping geometry" has since been renamed and made into a separate document, here:
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/578830e4e4b0e65410f9c34e/w/d04a088a0a8ab8361a2aa65c/e/7af109b2f1cead90850525ae

dave_cowden · August 2016

Thanks Arul-- changed title to "Featurescript Laser Joint" and updated link! Let me know if you know of others too, i'll add them.

NeilCooke · August 2016

Hi Guys, I've been on vacation so coming late into this discussion.

The FS page at https://www.onshape.com/FeatureScript is intended for listing custom features created by the community, for the community. The examples listed can be used for learning FS or to add as custom features to your toolbar for use in production work. I will add features to this page as they are submitted as described above (although I am a little behind on this), so there should not really be a need for a separate page. Of course you are welcome to maintain one if you find it useful.

The FS page is not intended for use as a commercial marketplace so all features should be free to use. Monetising custom features is something that we are looking into, but there is no timeline for this at present.

The only thing that is missing from the FS page is a request/vote system for custom features. That should probably be done through the forum for now. Any features that are submitted to me will be reasonably QA'd to ensure they are robust enough for use in production work, but all features are really classed as examples and no warranties are implied.

Hope this helps.

rocky_vezeau · October 2016

lemon1324 said:

Good start!

"Adaptive Finger Joints -- create finger joints from overlapping geometry" has since been renamed and made into a separate document, here:
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/578830e4e4b0e65410f9c34e/w/d04a088a0a8ab8361a2aa65c/e/7af109b2f1cead90850525ae

Awsome script! It would be great if you could update this to make dado joints as well. Just the ability to not cut completely through the "receiving" piece.

lemon1324 · October 2016

@rocky_vezeau not to hijack the thread here too much, but that's why it was renamed to "laser joint"; it's fundamentally written for laser-cut workflow, so not cutting through doesn't make sense, and won't be part of any updates. Honestly, in most cases I can think of, a dado is just a boolean subtract, and likely won't need FS unless you want to combine other functionality like dowels/screw holes.