General Assembly Questions

StephenG

From what I can determine a "Workspace" can only have 1 assembly tab. However that assembly can instance other assemblies from other "Workspaces" in the same document, or other from other "Document". 

Note: This also appears to be true with "Part-Studio", but is not with with "Drawings". (While I do not see a direct way to create a new "Part-Studio" tab within the same document I noticed that when I accessed parts from the 3DX Certified Model app it created a Part-Studio for every part I downloaded.)

In my normal design process there are various common scenarios that I do not see how to effect in Onshape.

Scenarios:

1) While working on a design in an assembly context I discover a need to create an assembly of instances within the current assembly and have it be an instance, i.e. a "sub-assembly". (This is essentially as "Top-Down design process.")

2)  While working on a design in an assembly context I discover a need to create "new" assembly where the active assembly becomes an instance in the new assembly. (This is essentially as "Bottom-Up" design process.)

Note: #1 and #2 together support the concept of "Inside-Out" design where the product (assembly) hierarchy evolves into a final form.

3) While working on a design in an assembly context I discover a specific instance of a part instanced multiple times in the assembly needs to be "tweeked". I want to to create a new unique part of that instance and tweak it.   (I am not talking about part modeling changes that exist only in an assembly context, ex. modifications that reflect matched machining operations.)

4)  While working an assembly I discover a need to do a whole sale replacement of all instances of a specific part/assembly with a completely different one.

I would be surprised if Onshape does not support these common design scenarios. I just cannot see the process steps in Onshape to effect them.

raj_Onshape

When you have a workspace open you can use the bottom left plus button to create more part studios and assemblies

NeilCooke

@stephen_gertsch a workspace is not the tabs (or elements) you see at the bottom, workspaces are for when you have multiple people working on different branches of the same design. Add more tabs using the + icon bottom left. 

To answer some of your other questions:

1) right click parts in instance list and select create assembly. 

3) if you want to mod a part without reassembling best thing to do is create a version of the part and swap it out for the new version

4) there is no way to do this. How common is this workflow?

We have plenty of tutorials on the website and webinar recordings on YouTube that will help you to learn Onshape. Hope this helps. 

Jake_Rosenfeld

In regards to #4, assembly swap is on our radar (at least for a single instance).  It will help us prioritize if you add an improvement request (from the menu on the right ->)

StephenG

With respect to creating additional assemblies, part-studios I completely missed looking in the "+" menu; I used to looking/finding functions in the tool bar at the top.



In my defense I did try on-line Help using and searched using "create assembly" and after inspecting the 1st 6 hits I didn't find anything that would help me. I went back and dug deeper and YES I found my answer on the 20th hit: "Document Tabs".  

Thanks to everyone that responded.

raj_Onshape

When you have a workspace open you can use the bottom left plus button to create more part studios and assemblies

NeilCooke

@stephen_gertsch a workspace is not the tabs (or elements) you see at the bottom, workspaces are for when you have multiple people working on different branches of the same design. Add more tabs using the + icon bottom left. 

To answer some of your other questions:

1) right click parts in instance list and select create assembly. 

3) if you want to mod a part without reassembling best thing to do is create a version of the part and swap it out for the new version

4) there is no way to do this. How common is this workflow?

We have plenty of tutorials on the website and webinar recordings on YouTube that will help you to learn Onshape. Hope this helps. 

Jake_Rosenfeld

In regards to #4, assembly swap is on our radar (at least for a single instance).  It will help us prioritize if you add an improvement request (from the menu on the right ->)

Ben_Misegades

For #4, having to replace all instances of a specific part/assembly with another can happen quite often. Think fasteners, for instance.

StephenG

With respect to creating additional assemblies, part-studios I completely missed looking in the "+" menu; I used to looking/finding functions in the tool bar at the top.



In my defense I did try on-line Help using and searched using "create assembly" and after inspecting the 1st 6 hits I didn't find anything that would help me. I went back and dug deeper and YES I found my answer on the 20th hit: "Document Tabs".  

Thanks to everyone that responded.