Editing parts generated by featurescript

paul_berry

I have a spline curve that is generated by the CSV spline feature.   Works fine except that I cannot edit the curve except by changing the CSV file.  There is no sketch associated and none of the spline points appear when edit is selected.  I can made a plane that is coincident and open a sketch on the plane,  but the spline is not part of the new sketch.  Once the spline is generated,  can I dissociate it from the script and edit it? 

NeilCooke

Hi @paul_berry  - glad you're using the script

FeatureScript builds individual features, so the spline is created from the CSV file which creates a curve as a feature. That means that the curve can only be edited by modifying the feature, which can only be modified by changing the CSV file. Hope that makes sense.

If you can let me know what you are trying to achieve I may be able to come up with a solution, but if you want to create a spline from a CSV file as a starting point then modify it manually then that cannot be done using FeatureScript.

NeilCooke

Hi @paul_berry  - glad you're using the script

FeatureScript builds individual features, so the spline is created from the CSV file which creates a curve as a feature. That means that the curve can only be edited by modifying the feature, which can only be modified by changing the CSV file. Hope that makes sense.

If you can let me know what you are trying to achieve I may be able to come up with a solution, but if you want to create a spline from a CSV file as a starting point then modify it manually then that cannot be done using FeatureScript.

paul_berry

Hey Neil.   The script solved the basic problem,  so I can move forward.   However some additional features would be a nice thing.

It turns out that the geometry of the curve has only a very few variants based just on the number of members that are used for the structure.  The size of the structure is not relevant.  So I would like to build a few different curves, then be able to scale or constrain as needed using only the endpoints.  As it is,  I have to generate the points for each case.  It's a slow process and difficult to space the endpoints exactly to fit other features.

Also, I can place some spline points at structurally significant attachment points,  so once added to the assembly,  I can use them to constrain to.  As it is,  I only have endpoints,  so have to recreate any other points.

paul_berry

Neil,

While I have you here,  a couple of other questions.... 

When I click the feature button,  the curve appears.  However it appears even if the code is not in the current document.   So how do I mange that feature studio code tab... Where do I need to keep it, and how does an instance of the code relate to the toolbar button that I have added if I should link code tabs to different CSV files?

Your name appears as the owner of the document.  Does that mean that it is not private to me and I do not have full control? 

Thanks, 
Paul

NeilCooke

Hi Paul,

If you link in a FS feature using the plus button top right then it is linked to a particular version of the feature which will point to a particular CSV file. 

The current method for referencing different input data is not ideal since it needs to be hard coded in the script. So to do multiple different splines in one document would require multiple copies of the script on your document. We could alter the script to read one CSV file that has all the splines in it. We would just need to put a line in the CSV file to delineate each spline. Let me know if I understood the issue correctly and I can edit the script to make this happen. 

What was the doc called? Can't seem to find it unless I made you owner?

paul_berry

 B

paul_berry

I thought you did make me the owner.  Which is why I'm confused about you being listed as the owner of my document.
I'll stick with the script as it is now for the time being.  By the time I really need more versions, I hope to be able to edit the script myself.

Was this a design choice, or a limitation?
"FeatureScript builds individual features, so the spline is created from the CSV file which creates a curve as a feature. That means that the curve can only be edited by modifying the feature, which can only be modified by changing the CSV file. Hope that makes sense."

It would be useful to be able to generate points in another application (Excel) to create a feature, but still be able to have access to all of the points and to manipulate the FS feature as any other feature in the document.