How to make Onshape IMPORT awesome ?

3dcad

Currently it is not easy to use Onshape to see what dwg / step file someone sent to you by email.
You need to save file to local folder, log in to Onshape, create document, import, try to find that folder, upload file, import file.
With traditional cad all you need is double click and program opens and converts the file for you.

What would be your ultimate set for Onshape to work together with email attachments and file systems in general?

Some thoughts:
- Drag area into document list which automatically creates new doc and upload&import file
- Drag directly to tab area to upload
- Allow copy&paste from file system similar to drag above
- Have favorite link to windows so that any copies made to that automatically imports
- Add upload to Onshape into windows RMB menu
- Connect to dropbox, googledrive etc. folders
- Have 'open with Onshape' option into android / ios

And the one to fix the problem where free users can't work for you anymore:
- Allow anyone with link to upload into your shared doc -option. This would mean that if you allow upload and share doc link to your supplier/customer they could upload files without having account.

abefeldman

@3dcad great discussion topic.  Many of those are already improvements we're considering and I'll add your vote to them.

On iOS and Android you should be able to import directly from Dropbox/GoogleDrive/iCloud, or from your mobile device directly.  Are you imagining a different workflow there?  

What do you mean by connect to dropbox, google drive, etc folders?  Would that be a live link such that anything added to those folders are automatically pushed to Onshape?

With regards to the workflow you describe, at the end you say you need to upload the file and then import it as well?  Onshape should be importing the file automatically for you if it's something we can translate.  Can you file a ticket next time you see this so we can investigate?

DavidvanderMeer

The type of import I'm most interested in is STEP files, and would love the following capabilities (not too interested in the file system / email attachment aspect of it):

1. Allow choosing a default material to be applied to all parts upon import. Typically I deal with assemblies that consist of 99% steel components. It would be a real time saver if I could make them all Steel upon import, only to change the remaining 1% to some other material (rubber, poly, etc)

2. Assign a random colour to all parts upon import. Spaceclaim has this wonderful 'randomise colour' option, which is great for imported assemblies that have the same colour. One button press and you get much better definition between various parts in an assembly. I think the standard Onshape colours are pretty nice, and to have that assigned randomly to parts in imported STEP files would be a nice time saver. 
If there was simply a 'randomise colour' button in Onshape that might even be better, so you can apply as needed after import, and would be handy in other situations as well.

3dcad

@abefeldman
With dropbox connection I mean direct connection from Onshape to dropbox so that credentials are saved into Onshape account and provice access on every computer without additional apps/programs installed.

About android/ios, I use only for inspecting models but wanted to get power users into this discussion too.

3dcad

@david_van_der_meer
1. You can easily box select everything and apply same material for whole model
2. This should be optional because many times step models have already colors assigned (step ap 214 and up). This could be separate feature to add random colors to selected parts.