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Missing sheet metal features

Craig_34Craig_34 Member Posts: 1 PRO
I've been waiting for sheet metal on Onshape since it started. I've been having a play around with some of the features to see if we can start a migration from Solidworks. I have a few questions, maybe I'm missing something or the features are not there yet.

1. Can you add filets to sharp edges?

2. I can't seem to add holes? I can cut extrude circles but our panels/assembly's can contain 100's of holes/slots. We use solidworks hole wizard extensively. Cut extruding circles would take forever.

3. As well as a K Factor, can you also use a bend deduction value?

4. The closed corner treatment is great, (we tig weld all corners) however it produces a non uniform radius in the corners in the flat, while great for laser cutters, it's not ideal for our punching machines, in fact we would need a special tool for it. Soliworks has an option to flatten or square off small radius sections in the flattened state, is there an option for this? We can post process this in the dxf, it's just means one less step.

5. I see we can add forms to a part if we finish sheet metal. Can we have the outines of the form on the exported on flattened sheet in dxf? Markers are needed to place the forming tool on the sheet, Solidworks has an option on dxf export to include forms. Other wise it's another tricky post process.

6. Also on DXF export, can we export the flat directly to a clean part only dxf file? Rather than have to make a drawing? Again it's just about reducing the post process.

7. I can't seam to mirror a SM part? 

Apart from this we really like the work flow, building a part studio with many sheet metal parts, and then being able to take them into an assembly, mix and change the parts around to make alternative designs is very exciting for us. We use multibody assembly's in Solidworks, but it is painful to try and export the multibody into an assembly/individual parts.

Looking forward to the next updates, its just not there yet on SM for us to start paying.

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Answers

  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    1) The fillet tool now works with SM as of 2 updates ago
    2) Hole Feature (Along with many other features) are not yet compatible with SM, Give them time to add SM to those features, I'm sure it's coming.
    3) Unsure what you mean
    4) Try Rectangle corner instead and change the relief scale
    5) Any feature added after "Finished Sheet-Metal" will not show on the flat pattern.
    6) To export the flat directly open up the tab on the right to see your flat pattern (see above image)
    then right click on the flat pattern to export to DXF
    7) Same problem as Hole (see item #2)

    Sheet metal has a good start, but it is lacking in some areas yet, I have hopes for the future that we can use ALL of the standard features (mirror, extrude add, pattern, etc.)

    I hope this answered most of your questions
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