Rectangle Tool - what construction geometry should Onshape provide?

andrew_troup

I was disappointed "back in the day" when Solidworks chose to add diagonal construction lines as an option. Of the three possibilities I can think of, it's the least useful.

One of the other two possibilities has recently been added to Sldwks (about a decade late, to my way of thinking): a full width construction line in conjunction with a full height one.

I would personally prefer (in most cases) a half-height line meeting a half-width one at the geometrical centre of the rectangle. I don't think I would ever have a use for the diagonal style. 

The same options should be available for round-cornered rectangles when they put in an appearance (nudge, nudge !) and obround slots. I reckon.  

aaron_digulla

I'm missing an "angle" tool where I can select two lines and specify the angle between them, for example when I need to put two columns near a corner and I want to place them at 22.5° and 90°-22.5° and a certain distance to the corner.

3dcad

@aaron_digulla  Just select dimension tool and select lines which are not in same angle and you will see angular dimensioning.

aaron_digulla

@3dcad Damn  I'm still not 100% in the "Onshape has one tool for everything" mindset. Makes sense that the dimension tool can also measure/set angles. My guess is that this is triggered when the lines intersect? Or when they are not parallel?

3dcad

@aaron_digulla When they are not paraller, they don't need to intersect.

andrew_troup

Ahem .... anyone have any thoughts on the question in the original post? 

traveler_hauptman

I have always used a single construction line on the midpoints of two opposite sides, using the midpoint of the construction line to center the rectangle. I don't feel the need for Onshape to provide any rectangle construction geometry, it takes me less than a couple seconds to add when I need it.

aaron_digulla

It feels a bit odd though that I can use the center of a circle as a construction point but not the center of a rectangle.

I understand that the center of a rectangle isn't a point that you clicked (unlike the circle) but the center of a line is also implicit.

3dcad

aaron_digulla said:

It feels a bit odd though that I can use the center of a circle as a construction point but not the center of a rectangle.

I understand that the center of a rectangle isn't a point that you clicked (unlike the circle) but the center of a line is also implicit.

You can use center of a rectangle if you create rectangle by center point, not by two corners.