Import procedures

3dcad

Just wrote an improvement request and thought I would share it with you people..

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Most of cad files I wan't to import are received by email or by some file share system. Neither of these channels are visible from import dialog so I need to first create local copy (and memorize this temp folder) and delete after import not to mess up with possible future versions.

Most of text / image / spreadsheet data I need to import comes in through clipboard (source web, emails). Same temp file story with these.

Request 1.
Support drag and drop import directly from email + file share viewers + local file system.

Request 2.
Support paste text / image / spreadsheet into tab directly from clipboard.

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If you feel the same need, use feedback to join the request. (ticket: #38279)

michael3424

3dcad said:

If you feel the same need, use feedback to join the request. (ticket: #38279)

Sory to be dense, but how I can join the request with that ticket number?  I don't see any place to search for it.

3dcad

If you use feedback and mention ticket number I'm pretty sure they'll find it. I didn't wan't to add another ticket of same issue into voting area.. 

michael3424

OK, I tried that but suspected that just adding that ticket number to a feedback on a random document would have been confusing to the feedback receivers.  I searched for your user name and that ticket number in the IR page but came up blank on both.  It would be nice if improvement requests could be assigned ID numbers to make it easier to find them.

3dcad

@michael3424
I think the problem making them public is that same system is used for 'private' feedback which should remain between Onshape and customer..

I have put in tickets like, please add me to ???'s request about somestuff and had reply that it's been done. That's why I added the ticket number, to make it easier on the other end.

3dcad

Does anyone else have any ideas how to make import awesome?

lni64

Yes. Would be great to be able to import directly into a part studio. Currently I have to use a single tab for each and every bearing, screw, nut etc.and then deriving from those tabs into the part studio where I need it. In addition to the unnecessarily timeconsuming workflow it clutters my documenents with pointless tabs.

I'd love to have an extended "Derive" where you could choose from "Current Workspace", "Browse Documents" and additionally "Import from File"

owen_sparks

lutz_niggl said:

Currently I have to use a single tab for each and every bearing, screw, nut etc.and then deriving from those tabs into the part studio where I need it. In addition to the unnecessarily timeconsuming workflow it clutters my documenents with pointless tabs.

Personally I use one document to hold all my common components.  Then  use a fresh document for the project and derive the parts from the common file directly into the Part studio I'm working on.  The project doc stays clean and tidy. The derive function doesn't care how many tabs there are in the common file and just presents a nice list to pick from.  Add in (hopefully) derived via tag and we're away.

I agree it'd be nice to import into current PS.
Owen S

lni64

Good idea, definitely better than importing everything into the working document. The only problem I see is that one has to be very diciplined in not changing the common file since such changes might break existing documents using parts from the common file.

ml

Request 2.
Support paste text / image / spreadsheet into tab directly from clipboard.

exactly what I need also. mentioned here: https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/comment/19016/#Comment_19016

ended in an improvement request: https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/4112/text-based-notes-tab-in-document#latest
perhaps you could give them an additional vote....

3dcad

@ml Just added +1 for your suggestion.

@lutz_niggl and owen, Instead of creating new tab for each file import, I would like to see 'imports' tab which would be like file explorer with all imported files on one tab. I know this messes up with current tab RMB functions but those functions could be transformed into RMB filename/icon menu.
I would still create separate doc for common parts but sometimes project has a lot of imports that should live in same doc.

dave_cowden

What if you could select a list of dxf files, and then a Featurescript was automatically added into your part studio that has all of the choices, and can dump them into a sketch or directly extrude them? Essentially, an app that allows you to input a list if dxfs and output a FS that looks a lot like the 8020 profile generator?

I think I could do that. I've got some code that can parse dxf, and produces compact, fixed FS code with no tolerance issues into a single feature studio. 

3dcad

I have mostly mixed content: dwg, step, images, spreadsheet etc.. and usually all these are just information for creating models with Onshape.

dave_cowden

@3dcad ok yeah then its not much help. its only cool when you have a big library of drawings you use frequently.

tyler_pope

I would actually like to send that email with the attachments to Onshape and review and/or import items to add to the workspace. A line of code in the message body could also help tell Onshape what you would like done when it's received.