How to clear history?

3dcad

If I create new model with copy/paste part studio from existing doc to new document and make certain changes, it's all there in history list.
This is good, right - in most cases.

But if original document is made for customer 1 and part studio name is customer1_secret-product and then I take a copy and modify it suitable for customer2.
Then I share a model with customer2 and they look into history - there is line 'Insert tab(s): customer1_secret-product' and each step of changes are there to investigate / reverse..

And same thing if you wan't to make something public to get help and create a copy and make some changes not to share your intellectual property..
Edit: Public documents don't seem to carry history

So how do one clear history and make document non-traceable?

lougallo

@3dcad When you copy you will not have history or versions.  You copy the workspace only.  What are you looking to do?  We currently do not have a way to purge the history in an existing workspace or document.

stevehess

@3dcad
We are very aware that Onshape users will want to share geometry without sharing history; any history, including the document and feature histories. We are working on a variety of methods (stay tuned) which will allow you to share just a part (think derived part) or assy or document and hide the histories from the consumer.  We know that right now it is difficult or impossible to do it cleanly unless you want to copy the workspace (as @LouGallosuggests). For now, that is the only real way to remove document history.

The only real way to remove feature history is to export and import as a neutral format (eg. parasolid)

3dcad

Thanks to everyone for answers. And to be more clear, I never meant the feature tree when talked about history - just Onshape's great feature which is called History.

Summary:
1. For clearing all the history (including feature tree), I think export (+import) is reasonable way of doing it. I don't need or ask for more on that.
2. For clearing workspace history I would like to see some 'Purge selected' -button at some point.

If you wan't to use existing workspace as template to new one, but don't wan't it to be traceable back to original here is the workaround:
- Copy original tab to clipboard
- Create temp document. Paste tab, rename and make all the changes.
- Copy finished temp tab to clipboard
- Create final document and paste temp tab in

This way feature tree and other structure is there ready for collaboration with client/partner but there is no way to trace it back to your template.
It will be still visible that you didn't create model from scratch in this particular tab but rather imported something -  this shouldn't be a problem.

andrew_troup

@3dcad : the history is there, but only becomes accessible when the other user makes a private copy

lana

One possibility is :
a) make a version and a workspace off it in the customer1 document,
b) re-name all elements, make workspace copy,
c) delete the workspace in original document.
Change history is accessible only from workspace, if workspace is not there, customer1 would not see history of renaming. 

onshaper

I sug

onshaper

I suggest exporting, importing, translating.

But I wouldn't worry about people seeing how you drew it. Just about anyone who is decent at CAD can figure out how to draw a part. The critical bit is the geometry and dimensions and especially tolerances. Luckily, CAD files usually don't have tolerancing data!

3dcad

Andrew_Troup said:

@3dcad : the history is there, but only becomes accessible when the other user makes a private copy

Are you sure? I made a copy of public document and history has only 1 line: Created document.

3dcad

Onshaper said:

I suggest exporting, importing, translating.

Can't do, I need feature tree as I'm not big fan of DM tools and modifying is usually changing sketches dimensions and adding/removing some features..  

3dcad

@lana

Pretty much workarounds, which needs extra work making multiple copies and renaming..

I would like to see something like 'Copy without history' or 'Use as template' in TAB RMB menu to be able to copy/paste tabs without trace. 

lougallo

@3dcad When you copy you will not have history or versions.  You copy the workspace only.  What are you looking to do?  We currently do not have a way to purge the history in an existing workspace or document.

andrew_troup

3dcad said:

Andrew_Troup said:

@3dcad : the history is there, but only becomes accessible when the other user makes a private copy

Are you sure? I made a copy of public document and history has only 1 line: Created document.

Sorry, I must have misunderstood your OP: when you talked about the part studio's history, I took it you were referring to the feature list.

onshaper

I misunderstood as well.

stevehess

@3dcad
We are very aware that Onshape users will want to share geometry without sharing history; any history, including the document and feature histories. We are working on a variety of methods (stay tuned) which will allow you to share just a part (think derived part) or assy or document and hide the histories from the consumer.  We know that right now it is difficult or impossible to do it cleanly unless you want to copy the workspace (as @LouGallosuggests). For now, that is the only real way to remove document history.

The only real way to remove feature history is to export and import as a neutral format (eg. parasolid)

r_paul

SteveHessLouGallo, @3dcad
This is a classic case of a "good" feature having an apparent, "sometimes/occasionally a down side".
I like the history approach found in Onshape for various reasons. However it must be kept in mind there is a difference (commercially) in doing a job for somebody and training.
In my experience, I have been contracted to design/model components where the sole intention (of the customer) was to deliberately use that/those models as a tool to learn the complex "how to" techniques & methods in preference to using me to train their people.
Seems like a pedantic small issue but, for some contractors, it is important to be able to separately manage those two (business) functions.  The work around(s) in Onshape are an option but by being able to remove the (models construction) history, as an inbuilt/selectable function, is an important consideration for the future.
Many of us like to help others to learn, Onshape and this forum is a testament to that fact ("free" 3D CAD being the most generous component), but for others commercial realities relating to other forms of IP (knowledge) also has its relevance.

andrew_troup

For my purposes, being able to save as parasolid into a separate document (which we can currently do) in order to defeature (which I quite often need to do),  is a plenty good-enough solution, with the added benefit of simplicity.

To me (but there's every chance I'm missing something) this hardly merits the slightly disreputable label of a "workaround".

I would personally always want the original model, with features intact, so an "in-place defeaturing" would not be useful to me, but I'd be interested to be persuaded how the added complexity of a solution along those lines would meet some specific needs.

3dcad

Thanks to everyone for answers. And to be more clear, I never meant the feature tree when talked about history - just Onshape's great feature which is called History.

Summary:
1. For clearing all the history (including feature tree), I think export (+import) is reasonable way of doing it. I don't need or ask for more on that.
2. For clearing workspace history I would like to see some 'Purge selected' -button at some point.

If you wan't to use existing workspace as template to new one, but don't wan't it to be traceable back to original here is the workaround:
- Copy original tab to clipboard
- Create temp document. Paste tab, rename and make all the changes.
- Copy finished temp tab to clipboard
- Create final document and paste temp tab in

This way feature tree and other structure is there ready for collaboration with client/partner but there is no way to trace it back to your template.
It will be still visible that you didn't create model from scratch in this particular tab but rather imported something -  this shouldn't be a problem.

walter_steffe

In my opinion an other reason to clean the hystory (apart of hiding it to some people/customers) is to clean/remove wrong steps in the design process.

It may happen that the designer makes an undesired operation just because it doesn't know very well the CAD tool.

In this case he will probably use an "undo" or a "restore" command  to correct the mistake.
It does'nt any way make any sense to have all these missteps permanently registered in the hystory list.

The problem could be solved by providing a command that deletes all the actions following the restored configuration. It would be a simple way to clean the cluttered hystory list.


walter

 

gz

Need the equivalent if git's "squash", which is kind of like copying a workspace I suppose.  But that is really, really clunky.

mateusz_perlak

I would love to clear the history, it stores a lot of changes in sketches which can take a lot of space.
I have a file that copied few times more complex sketch, I did many time removing it and adding - moving, etc. each time the file size rose very fast and it grew above the private free limit 100MB.
Clearing cache would allow private hobbyist to have files smaller then 100MB, specially those that learn to use onshape and want to erase mistakes that can take a lot of file size. 

dan_butler

mateusz_perlak said:

I would love to clear the history, it stores a lot of changes in sketches which can take a lot of space.
I have a file that copied few times more complex sketch, I did many time removing it and adding - moving, etc. each time the file size rose very fast and it grew above the private free limit 100MB.
Clearing cache would allow private hobbyist to have files smaller then 100MB, specially those that learn to use onshape and want to erase mistakes that can take a lot of file size. 

I have the same problem. I have one part which I have made many changes as I was learning the tool (on top of needing to restore previous due to software lock-up issues) and I am pushing 100MB with basically a cylinder with two helix based features

rkagerer

Still learning OnShape here, but my initial thoughts are that pruning of version history is badly needed, if for no other reason than to reduce clutter shown to the user.  I often use the feature to do quick and dirty checkpoints as a way of saving progress before embarking on risky, wholesale changes to my model.  Once I've settled on an approach, I'd like to be able to clean up the old temporary checkpoints which are no longer needed (while keeping others I may still want to maintain).

If an intended use case of the version feature is to provide a lightweight manner for creating history checkpoints, it seems silly that those checkpoints would be permanent (i.e. "heavyweight").  It makes the feature a little less friendly from a user's perspective, as they now might pause and think "Jeesh, every time I hit this button it creates more garbage in my history I can't clean up.  Do I really need a checkpoint here?"

My expectation would be to allow version pruning so long as you aren't deleting one that's been published to the wild.

milly_delevingne

OPTIONS command's OPEN/SAVE tab and set the File Open Recently Used Files list to zero perhaps?