Named dimensions, using in equations

Tome

What a great start to a CAD system.  Love the collaboration and mobile capabilities especially.  Keep up the good work!  

I would like to see named dimensions and the ability to use them in equations to define geometry.  This, and projecting geometry to planes and other geometry are two features I commonly use and find lacking in OnS.  Thanks,
-Tom

3dcad

I'm sure we will have this and even global parameter control as time goes.. According to other threads on this matter, OnS seems to know it's important feature and will implement when possible.

brucebartlett

I hoping for a simple link from the current expression editor.(My Ticket is 1948)
 Something like =D1, =(D1+2) I did go looking with the new release. Current I am doing this by manually inputing into the expressions, was very excited to see the "change to driven dimension" turn up in the latest release, thats a step in the right direction.

nav

brucebartlett said:

I hoping for a simple link from the current expression editor.(My Ticket is 1948)
 Something like =D1, =(D1+2) I did go looking with the new release. Current I am doing this by manually inputing into the expressions, was very excited to see the "change to driven dimension" turn up in the latest release, thats a step in the right direction.

+1 vote for name dimensions using equations

andrew_troup

I agree that we need the things being requested, and that it's only a matter of time before we get them.
 
And although it's clearly not a case of the glass already being half full, I think the existing embedding of input mathematics in dimension entry is elegantly minimal.

I reckon it's a great example of one of the guiding principles of Onshape's interface design: doing more, and doing better, with less.

christopher_owens

@andrew_troup : I was just searching for this. I was wanting to do just this DIA1=X  (DIA2=DIA1-0.25). I there an update?

andrew_troup

christopher_owens said:

@andrew_troup : I was just searching for this. I was wanting to do just this DIA1=X  (DIA2=DIA1-0.25). I there an update?

No sign of it yet

As a workaround, you can add a sketch to do maths with, using lines, equal relations (both within the sketch, for addition and multiplication, and to bring data into or out of the sketch), symmetric constraints, similar triangles for proportion, right triangles for trig etc.

As well as using the fact that multiplication is just repeated addition, it may also be useful to reflect that division is no more than repeated subtraction with (usually) a remainder. 

traveler_hauptman

@andrew_troup This is a great technique. I also use it to clean up sketches in cad that doesn't allow layers or hiding dimensions. A group of dimensioned straight lines in the corner with equals constraints to geometry whose meaning would be obscured if directly dimensioned.

3dcad

Mostly I'm missing separate parameter list (of dimensions) where to make the changes rather than opening sketch after another..

andrew_troup

Actually it's not necessary (although often it might actually be conceptually simpler) to do trig using triangles, given that trig relations can be embedding in dimensions in the extra "maths oriented" sketch I suggested above.

aaron_gebauer

I just started reading this forum, and coincidentally had the same two suggestions in mind.  That's mostly because I was in the middle of making a parametric gear model when I came across OnShape.  I used equations to make the involute curve and build the rest of the gear.  I made the gears in SolidWorks, and imported them into OnShape to build the rest of my assembly.  I think it will only be a matter of time before those features (or features that will work just as well) are available. 

Aside from those things, and hoping some day I can use OnShape on my Android tablet, I really enjoy OnShape!  Love it!

Aaron

andrew_troup

Tome said:

What a great start to a CAD system.  Love the collaboration and mobile capabilities especially.  Keep up the good work!  

I would like to see named dimensions and the ability to use them in equations to define geometry.  This, and projecting geometry to planes and other geometry are two features I commonly use and find lacking in OnS.  Thanks,
-Tom

Regarding the second "feature" you mention, I imagine you're aware of the workarounds using "extrude", as a surface?

For instance, to project a sketch to another sketch, or a set of faces, or a surface... 

alesandro

I'm just going to add my support for this feature (named dimensions and equation driven geometry).