Different view modes?

mirshko

Will we be seeing the addition of new view modes, such as XRay, Textured, Wireframe, etc to view and work on our models?

john_mceleney

Jeff,

I don't think we'll have this for our initial release, but it should probably be available shortly after.

John

lougallo

This has been marked as an improvement. When it is implemented we will update this post.

mark_biasotti

Wow, with only one view mode and no sectioning view, that is going to make modeling/editing Part to part or Part in assembly very difficult for initial release...

lougallo

@mbiasotti‌ We are getting a log of input on this specific need and tickets are stacking up on this improvement. I will add you to it as well.

andy_morris

As Lou mentioned we've had a lot of input about view modes via the feedback tool. In particular the need for the following view modes beyond just shaded with edges:

- Hidden lines removed
- Wireframe
- Shaded without edges

Are there any more view modes you would like?
Also how many of you use perspective and when?

kevin_quigley

For me, wireframe and shaded are essential. The rest I can live without for modelling and editing. XRay is very handy as well.
For surfacing, zebra stripes, reflection maps and curvature maps are essential.
For drawings you need hidden line and ideally a shaded mode with vector linework overlay.

kevin_quigley

I should say shaded with edges for modelling. Rarely use shaded alone if I am honest.

andy_morris

Thanks Kevin. SW displays tangent edges solid as default, but there are options of phantom or removed - which setting do you use?

pete_yodis

In SolidWorks I really like the phantom edges setting. It allows me to see the tangent edges in the phantom display -without getting in the way and making the whole display too busy. This is very nice for casting drawings and models where there are a lot of tangent edges from radii/fillets. In SolidWorks, my default tangent edges are set to phantom. I rarely change from it. Tangent edges as solid is just too busy and clutters the display and confuses folks looking at the drawings. Tangent edges as removed hides too much information and is also challenging to folks looking at drawings.

I rarely use perspective. It seems un-natural and gimmicky to me.

kevin_quigley

Solid in modelling, phantom/ in drawings

lougallo

Today we shipped 2 additional view modes, wireframe and hidden lines removed.  You can find them under the view menu.

caradon

Yes! Now that is a neat tangible improvement! Dries

caradon

'Hidden lines removed' looks incredibly clean. Edges are rendered silky smooth. Much cleaner than the jagged edges with HLR in SolidWorks.
Which got me wondering...
I would love to see:
*Thinner tangent edes
*Thick part contour edges
*Possibility for solid colors in HLR mode

Are you planning on adding screenshots or the capability to save the graphics area contents to image and/or vector format?
Together with 'Align view with vertical axis', this would be KILLER for technical documentation and manuals!

Dries

lougallo

@DriesV Submit those for sure.  The other options would probably be when settings come the the mix since many of those will be dependent of the user.  As far as screen caps or image export, you can currently "print" using the hamburger menu in the upper left of OS:


In the browser there are a number of great apps for rastered screen capture but export to svg/eps would be a good export option for sure.  If you can submit the settings options as a ticket and I will mark your last comment for vector image export. ~Lou

caradon

Will do later tonight!
I will say this... conversion from CAD to documentation content (line art and images) AND keeping track of revisions is one of the most painful routines in our office.
Onshape as a direct stepping stone to technical documentation would be awesome! At least for us. What do you guys think?

Dries

kevin_quigley

What I want is a live link from 3D CAD to Indesign or Illustrator or Photoshop, preferably all three. In the graphics app, import the native CAD file, choose your view and render style in same way you set up a drawing view. When parts update, update the link in Indesign, views update. Also include a live rotate/orbit and explode in Indesign. In Indesign, double click the placed image, to directly edit the part (rotate to new view, change render style, explode, perspective, standard views etc etc).

Adobe nearly had this years ago. I used to be on the closed Acrobat beta list when they introduced Acrobat 3D. That product could do most of that. Then they canned it. Missed opportunity.

technical documentation is something every single CAD using company does. There is NO valued priced product available that handles multiple file formats for 3D CAD and offers links to professional graphics tools like Creative Suite (as opposed to Word). 

We need solutions for Print  AND digital. 

Oh. 1 more render style required. Thick and Thin black and white hidden line. No CAD company offers this, yet it is THE required style for technical documentation.

caradon

@KevinQuigley‌
Wow. Exactly my thoughts. Do our brains suffer from quantum entanglement?

My major frustrations with current desktop CAD workflows are not about CAD creation itself, but rather about how CAD data is used for various purposes outside design & engineering. A big chunk of this are technical illustrations, especially for instruction manuals).

Creating good instructions is an art and craft. Currently, turning raw CAD drawings into clean, clear and publishable (digital and print) graphics is an extremely laborious job. A job that is never finished too, because with a major design change you find yourself starting all over again...
Don't get me wrong, I like doing illustrations. However, there's always that nagging feeling of "there has to be a way to do this 100 times more efficiently"...

If Onshape could offer a process for creating and version controlling clean, web-ready/print-ready vector graphics that are automatically updated with design changes, I think it hits the jackpot for a great many companies.
in fact, version controlling documentation content (line art, images, instruction manuals, factory instructions...) and notifications upon design changes, were the prime motivations for implementing EPDM in our organization.

With Onshape being cloud-based, I truly believe there is a huge opportunity here to dramatically improve the process of reusing CAD data for documentation outside D&E.
Adobe's focus is on the cloud too nowadays. Maybe Onshape and Adobe should make a beautiful baby. Eventually.

I digress... This topic is about view modes...  

Dries

caradon

FYI, I own Moment of Inspiration for personal stuff.
Since V3 it has some truly impressive vector export options.

http://moi3d.com/3.0/whatsnew.htm
See section "Hidden line removal".

Here is some user feedback.

So it can be done!

Dries

kevin_quigley

Yes we use MOI as well, for getting quad polys from Rhino to Modo! I need to check out that in more detail. Thanks Dries

brucebartlett

KevinQuigley said:

What I want is a live link from 3D CAD to Indesign or Illustrator or Photoshop, preferably all three. In the graphics app, import the native CAD file, choose your view and render style in same way you set up a drawing view. When parts update, update the link in Indesign, views update. Also include a live rotate/orbit and explode in Indesign. In Indesign, double click the placed image, to directly edit the part (rotate to new view, change render style, explode, perspective, standard views etc etc).

Adobe nearly had this years ago. I used to be on the closed Acrobat beta list when they introduced Acrobat 3D. That product could do most of that. Then they canned it. Missed opportunity.

technical documentation is something every single CAD using company does. There is NO valued priced product available that handles multiple file formats for 3D CAD and offers links to professional graphics tools like Creative Suite (as opposed to Word). 

We need solutions for Print  AND digital. 

Oh. 1 more render style required. Thick and Thin black and white hidden line. No CAD company offers this, yet it is THE required style for technical documentation.

I'd love to see Onshape produce a simple parts manual, e.g. just a multi page drawing with exploded views and BOMs, only extra thing you would need is a auto contents/index. Nothing worse than creating the veiws and boms on a drawing sheet then exporting to Word or Indesign and BOM's to excel and then recompiling and exporting to a pdf then formatting the pdf.
I vote for .pdf parts manual straight from the source. 

andrew_troup

driesvervoort_caradon said:

<BIG SNIP>...

Are you planning on adding screenshots or the capability to save the graphics area contents to image and/or vector format?
Together with 'Align view with vertical axis', this would be KILLER for technical documentation and manuals!

Well blow me down if Onshape haven't snuck a little Easter Egg into the latest upgrade!
Try picking a line or (straight) edge in a sketch or solid model, and RMB.

Hey, presto:  'Align view with vertical axis'

Bravo, Onshape ! Fantastic !

(ON EDIT: also a quick way of checking if a given edge is analytically straight)

andrew_troup

A suggestion to make it even more awesome:

(especially for models with no straight edges)

If no prior selection is made when the command is invoked, take whichever of the construction (x,y,z) axes is currently closest to vertical, and make that vertical