How to change the x,y,z coordinates in an assembly

rick_chapman

How can I change the coordinates in an assembly?  All of my individual parts look normal but once assembled the relationship is not correct.
Thanks

rick_chapman

Thanks for the help.  I ended up deleting the assembly drawing that was causing the issues and creating a new one.  It seems to have all of the proper relationships this time around. Go figure..

3dcad

I don't fully understand your question but try these buttons:

And check out help section for mates

Remember also that if you desing static parts in correct position in part studio, you don't need other mates than 'Group'

rick_chapman

I can't seem to make that work for me.  In the Parts Studio each of the parts have the correct position but once thy are joined in the Assembly they are off at some odd angles.

3dcad

Can you post some screenshots or maybe even share public link to your (public) document?

kevin_o_toole_1

In the Parts Studio each of the parts have the correct position

If the parts don't need to move with respect to each other and are already in the correct position, a mate group sounds like a better tool for the job than manually creating mate connectors.

https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/mategroup.htm

rick_chapman

Thanks for the help.  I ended up deleting the assembly drawing that was causing the issues and creating a new one.  It seems to have all of the proper relationships this time around. Go figure..

brian_brady

I have had issues when importing a subassembly that contained grouped parts, specifically a ball bearing assembly. After fixing the outer race to its location, the group of balls did not remain in their imported position, nor did they end up with the outer race. I had tried multiple times and ended up not being able to use a group for the balls in the subassembly. I had to use an assembly pattern and fix the pattern to the outer race. I had hoped that grouping outer race and balls would be the right thing to do but it was not. I am currently very leery of groups in subassemblies because they have not worked correctly for me yet.

malay_kumar

brian_brady said:

I have had issues when importing a subassembly that contained grouped parts, specifically a ball bearing assembly. After fixing the outer race to its location, the group of balls did not remain in their imported position, nor did they end up with the outer race. I had tried multiple times and ended up not being able to use a group for the balls in the subassembly. I had to use an assembly pattern and fix the pattern to the outer race. I had hoped that grouping outer race and balls would be the right thing to do but it was not. I am currently very leery of groups in subassemblies because they have not worked correctly for me yet.

Hi @brian_brady  Can you please report the group issue through feedback tool or share a document with the issue? Was the group in subassembly or top assembly?

brian_brady

malay_kumar said:

brian_brady said:

I have had issues when importing a subassembly that contained grouped parts, specifically a ball bearing assembly. After fixing the outer race to its location, the group of balls did not remain in their imported position, nor did they end up with the outer race. I had tried multiple times and ended up not being able to use a group for the balls in the subassembly. I had to use an assembly pattern and fix the pattern to the outer race. I had hoped that grouping outer race and balls would be the right thing to do but it was not. I am currently very leery of groups in subassemblies because they have not worked correctly for me yet.

Hi @brian_brady  Can you please report the group issue through feedback tool or share a document with the issue? Was the group in subassembly or top assembly?

The group was in a subassembly. I will report it if I see it again. 

3dcad

Just wan't to confirm that 'FIX' parts behaves exactly like you describe but GROUP should remain unchanged if inserted into higher level assembly. I use grouping a lot, never had any issues with that.

brian_brady

3dcad said:

Just wan't to confirm that 'FIX' parts behaves exactly like you describe but GROUP should remain unchanged if inserted into higher level assembly. I use grouping a lot, never had any issues with that.

I have to think. Did I fix the parts them group them or just group them? I don't recall. Why should parts fixed in a sub move when placed in a final assembly though? The fixing should stay relative to the parts in the sub's coordinate system, not the final assembly's coordinate system. Does grouping essentially fix the parts? Should one "base" part be fixed in every assembly? In Creo you cannot have motion (revolute, slider, etc) if the first part is not fixed (default). I am still trying to figure out best practices for assembly in OS. I do like mate connectors a lot better than Creo's approach though. 

3dcad

If you have say a cabinet with door where door with hinges is subassembly.

In door assembly I use mates to connect hinges (subsub-assembly which have the motion and limits for hinges). I don't need to fix anything since I don't move and examine stuff there.

In cabinet assembly I use 'group' for whole frame which often comes from single part studio AND 'fix' one part so that cabinet frame stays in place when I mate door-assembly in. This way door is the one which always moves when I grab to see inside.

When I add this cabinet assembly to 'room interior' assembly, frame is grouped and door is mated but 'fix' doesn't apply so I can freely move the cabinet in room. One mate to any of parts or 'fix' in room assembly lock the cabinet in place.

If room is subassembly for house, then 'fix' is not the way to lock cabinet because it doesn't apply in higher level assemblies.

I hope this example helps to define when to use fix (into world in current assembly) and when to group (into other parts like mate). 

brucebartlett

I really like the way Onshape assemblies work, once you get the hang of them and @3dcad has given a great workflow. Building on this; 

When fixing alway remember the fix is only related to that assembly and will not flow to assemblies above as inserted as a sub assy. 

Sub assembly alway come is as sub assembly in their natural flexible state, minus any fixes.

If you have any more that 1 fix in the sub assembly to fully lock it down, it will not be locked in the top assembly.

Try to added as much working (mechanical) detail as posible on a sub assy's, ie if it's a gas strut or hydraulic piston have a slider mate with limit's to show retraction and extension.  When inserted in as a sub assy a group mate could be used to lock in a desired position in that is required.