Most productive setup in Onshape

emagdalenaC2i

Talking with @philip_thomas and @NeilCooke in another post, I came up with the idea of sharing some of my settings with Onshape and recording a small video. This will be part of a more complete post in our blog. What do you think?

PD: No keyboard has been mistreated in the production of this video 



Please, share your setup options and ideas to improve the setup and the design workflow in this sample,

I have used a 3Dmouse (3Dconnexion SpacePilot) and a Mouse with some extra buttons (3Dconnexion CADMouse)

Here you can see a brief summary:

• Mouse clicks:48 (left 37, central "Show the Shortcut toolbar" 7, extra left "Acept the feature" 3)
• 3Dmouse clicks: 7 (View normal 1, Show NumPad 3, View ISO1 2, View ISO2 1)
  
• Keystrokes: None

And here the complete workflow:

1. Select the Front plane (Mouse left)
2. Show the Shortcut toolbar (Mouse central)
3. Select the Sketch feature (Mouse left)
4. View normal (3Dmouse key)
5. Show the Shortcut toolbar (Mouse central)
6. Select the Line feature (Mouse left)
7. Hide planes (Mouse up buttom) - I could avoid this, but I usually work this way
8. Select the Origin (Mouse left)
9. Pick the second point (Mouse left)
10. Show the NumPad (3Dmouse key)
11. Enter the value 100 and Intro (4xMouse left)
12. Pick the other points (3xMouse left)
13. Show the Shortcut toolbar (Mouse central)
    
14. Select the Equal constrain (Mouse left)
15. Capture to select the horizontal and vertical lines (2xMouse left)
16. Capture to select the angular lines (2xMouse left)
17. Show the Shortcut toolbar (Mouse central)
18. Select the Dimension feature (Mouse left)
19. Select the lines an place the dimension (3xMouse left)
20. Show the NumPad (3Dmouse key)
21. Enter the value 15 and Intro (3xMouse left)
22. Show the Shortcut toolbar (Mouse central)
23. Select the Extrude feature (Mouse left)
24. Select the Depth textbox in the Extrude dialog (Mouse left) - @ilya_baran I could avoid this if you add the new UIHint "INITIAL_FOCUS" in the extrude feature 
25. Show the NumPad (3Dmouse key)
26. Enter the value 100 and Intro (4xMouse left)
27. Acept the Extrude feature (Mouse left extra button1)
28. View ISO1 (3Dmouse key)
29. Show the Shortcut toolbar (Mouse central)
30. Select the Fillet feature (Mouse left)
31. Select 3 edges (3xMouse left)
32. View ISO2 (3Dmouse key)
33. Select the last edge (Mouse left)
34. View ISO1 (3Dmouse key)
35. Acept the Fillet feature (Mouse left extra button1)
36. Select the face (Mouse left)
37. Show the Shortcut toolbar (Mouse central)
38. Select the Shell feature (Mouse left)
39. Acept the Shell feature (Mouse left extra button1)

john_mcclary

Never seen anyone work so hard to not use keyboard shortcuts

I try to use them as often as possible.
Much more tactile in my opinion

1. Select Front Plane (Left click)
2. Create Sketch (Shift+S)
3. Make normal to (N)
4. Hide Planes (P)
5. Start Drawing lines (L)
6. Place First vertex vertical with origin (Left Click)
7. Place Second vertex on origin (Left Click)
8. Place Third vertex horizontal with origin (Left Click)
9. Place Fourth vertex  (Left Click)
10. Place Fifth vertex on First (Left Click)
11. Cancel Commnad (ESC) (located on mouse pressed with thumb)
12. Window Select angled lines (Left click + drag)
13. Make Equal (E)
14. Window Select straight lines (Left click + drag)
15. Make Equal (E)
16. Start Dimension Command (D)
17. Select angled line and bottom line (Left Click x2)
18. Enter value with your left-handed 10key (<1> <5> <enter>)
19. Select bottom line and enter value (<3> <enter>)
20. Click extrude while still in sketch (Left Click)
21. Enter depth (Left Click, < 3> <enter> )
22. Confirm (Left Click)
23. Start Fillet Command (Left Click)  {should have shift-f but I'm not used to that one yet}
24. Window select all the edges (Left Click + drag x3)
25. Enter value (Left Click, <.> <1> <enter>)
26. Confirm (Left Click)
27. Select front face for shell (Left Click)
28. Start Shell command (Left Click)

https://youtu.be/CYHgdS8iNFM

emagdalenaC2i

Awesome ;-)

I really use a lot of keyboard shortcuts... mostly configured from a button in the mouse or 3Dmouse  

Thank you very much for take the challenge and create that awesome video.

The purpose of this post was share a different way to work, with some tricks and know setups and tricks from other users.

Sketching, create extrudes and fillets are tasks we run maybe hundred times a day. If we can improve that workflow a 10%... well you can get an extra time to take a coffe ;-)

1) Love the way you select the edges in the fillet feature ;-)

2) Keyboard shortcuts are very, very fast... but sorry, I don't give up.

As you can see I have only used specific buttons in the 3Dmouse to change the view and input values
I have 9 available configurable buttons while sketching, and 9 available configurable buttons in a Part Studio...
So maybe I will create a second video ;-) and an extra one that (I think) you will love

And a few things maybe you like to know:

3) john_mcclary said:

10. Place Fifth vertex on First (Left Click)
11. Cancel Commnad (ESC) (located on mouse pressed with thumb)
12. Window Select angled lines (Left click + drag)
13. Make Equal (E)
14. Window Select straight lines (Left click + drag)
15. Make Equal (E)

You can improve that if you select Equal first (or any constrain), even you don't need to cancel the line command:

10. Place Fifth vertex on First (Left Click)
11. Make Equal (E)
12. Window Select angled lines (Left click + drag)
13. Window Select straight lines (Left click + drag)

4) As you mention you can use Shift + f to start the fillet feature
But also keep in mind Shift + e to start the extrude feature

5) Confirm and Cancel

john_mcclary said:

22. Confirm (Left Click)
26. Confirm (Left Click)

Instead of cancel (ESC) with that mouse button pressed with thumb, you can change that button to Intro (Confirm or OK). I think that you use more times confirm that cancel, and you always can press the ESC key.

And even better, remember that you can start the next feature without confirm the actual one.

john_mcclary said:

20. Click extrude while still in sketch (Left Click)
21. Enter depth (Left Click, < 3> <enter> )
22. Confirm (Left Click)
23. Start Fillet Command (Left Click)  {should have shift-f but I'm not used to that one yet}
24. Window select all the edges (Left Click + drag x3)
25. Enter value (Left Click, <.> <1> <enter>)
26. Confirm (Left Click)
28. Start Shell command (Left Click)
27. Select front face for shell (Left Click)

john_mcclary

good tips i didnt know i could start a new command while a dialogue was open!

As i was writing that out i found a few innefficientcies i need to improve.

Also i neei to configure the mouse for onshape yet. Lots of room for improvement. 

I'm glad to know i'm not the only click counter in this field

emagdalenaC2i

 
"Measure --> Control --> Manage --> Optimize"
That's one of our main rules ;-)

PD: The other one is "Adopt, Adapt and Improve" from the Monty Python 

brucebartlett

Here's my effort. Sorry, I haven't itemised each but narrated on my video. https://goo.gl/FPEHb7

I also missed some of the fillets, ideally, I should have window selected all 4 edges. I have been playing with various buttons on my programmable mouse but haven't really seen a big productivity improvement, I think however I do need to get a 3Dconnexion SpacePilot rather than using the keyboard although having to lug extra gear around is a drawback for me as I spend lot of time on the road. 

emagdalenaC2i

Thanks @brucebartlett

The point of this post is to share your setup and workflow to create a simple part, don't worry about write down all the steps, create a perfect video or skip some fillets or steps. Thank you very much, I apreciate it.

I have been playing with various buttons on my programmable mouse but haven't really seen a big productivity improvement, 

That's the idea, see what people use to know the best ways to work

I think however I do need to get a 3Dconnexion SpacePilot rather than using the keyboard although having to lug extra gear around is a drawback for me as I spend lot of time on the road. 

As I mentioned before, I will create another video with the full setup of my 3Dconnexion SpacePilot so you can see if that will be a real improvement to you. Also I will show you an extra video that I call "Going crazy with Onshape", say no more   

1) Have you set the "Document units --> Length display decimals" to 0?

2) 0:22 Do you know you don't need to hove over or click the box?. You can write the dimension directly

3) Do you use the Shortcut toolbar (shortcut S)?

4) There is'nt a shortcut for the shell feature right now... but you can set it in the 3Dconnexion SpacePilot

5) Finally, I understood that you have 2 programmable mouse buttons: Normal to and delete, Is it right?

3dcad

When sketching I like to keep left hand on keyboard to have access to more shortcuts than I can fit into my 3dmouse.

But for quick sketches I have set there N, D, L and S for other features + it has esc, shift, etc. Mouse thumb only bounces me back and forth on docs using standard browser back/forward.
One button I also use is to lock turning so I can use 3dmouse to travel long distance in sketch without accindentally turning out from normal, this is way faster than continuous zoom out and back in if you need to fix/close imported dxf.

For numbers I have to let go of mouse and use numpad with RH, it's just too built in function in me. And usually I have to think the dimension for a moment so it's not slowing me down anyway.

I try to fine tune the usual tasks but I don't blame myself if i don't remember short cut for something I use rarely. Few days ago I had an idea how to refresh memory using ultra cool game keyboard which has programmable color leds in each button, if I succeed I'll try to post something about that later from work.

Optimizing clicks & mouse mileage, good stuff!

emagdalenaC2i

3dcad said:

When sketching I like to keep left hand on keyboard to have access to more shortcuts than I can fit into my 3dmouse.

I don't think so... I am more or less in the middle of a semi-holidays now but in a few days I will try to prove that you can get more and better shortcuts in a 3Dmouse (3Dconnexion SpacePilot)

3dcad said:

For numbers I have to let go of mouse and use numpad with RH, it's just too built in function in me. And usually I have to think the dimension for a moment so it's not slowing me down anyway.

Actually that's the ugly part of using a 3Dmouse... I don't like the virtual numpad very much

3dcad said:

I try to fine tune the usual tasks but I don't blame myself if i don't remember short cut for something I use rarely. Few days ago I had an idea how to refresh memory using ultra cool game keyboard which has programmable color leds in each button, if I succeed I'll try to post something about that later from work.

I never try to memorize the shortcuts, and in the Onshape courses I teach, I always tell students not to memorize the shortcuts... Just look at the tooltip in the feature icon you want and press the key. Once they did it 5 - 10 times there is no need to memorize nothing ;-)

emagdalenaC2i

Here is the video with the complete configuration in Onshape of the CADMouse and the 3DMouse (3Dconnexion SpacePilot)

https://youtu.be/0UFoJ-dJ7ho

As you can see:

• With the SpacePilot and the CADMouse you can set a RadialMenu with 4 shortcuts (Actually I don't use the RadialMenu shown to hide the planes)
• You can access all the keyboard shortcuts of Onshape and more features
• You can create small scripts, like in the first radialmenu shown in this video. I pick the radialmenu sS+N+L = Sketch + Normal to + Line just pressing one button
• There are more than 10 buttons that you can configure
• The buttons can get different options in Sketch, Part Studios, Assemblies and Drawings

john_mcclary

That's my favorite feature of the 3d mouse with OS is the radial menu. Unfortunately from the 3D mouse thread you would know I tend to have connection issues with web browser and that radial menu tends to go to default settings on me depending on it's mood that day (3D connection issue).

It would be nice if OS added the radial menu to OS as a standard as it is in SW. It's one of my most common work flows in SW.

In fact I needed to change OS's default orbit to be middle mouse button (as is in SW) because I would instinctively try to get the radial menu by holding right mouse button and whipping my mouse towards the command I expected to be there. But all I would achieve is taking my camera for a ride  

3dcad

@john_mcclary
When did you join us by getting the useless left-hand joystick? 

john_mcclary

You mean my enter-key macro?





A while back once I saw the radial menu it had (that i really wanted for OS).
But I still have to force myself to remember to use it. Too many years of mouse only that i'm trying to break.  It has some benifits but I find myself mostly ignoring it <_< 

I do like how it can smothly rotate even a slow choppy model though.

emagdalenaC2i

Nice paperweight!!! 

3dcad

It's also cool night light

After a while, it feels like you can't even take a single measure if you're on machine without 3d mouse.. Same thing as when begun working with multiple monitors, there no going back..

emagdalenaC2i

True... I work with 3 monitors and 2 desktops and sometimes I think I need more 

emagdalenaC2i

You can look at my configuration of the 3Dconnexion Spacepilot in this public project in GitHub.

You can copy the Onshape xml files and change whatever you want