Mate Connectors in sketches

MBartlett21

Is there any way to have a mate connector owned by a sketch except in assemblies

NeilCooke

No, it has to be a solid part. I agree it should be possible so please kindly create an improvement request. 

NeilCooke

You can mate to the assembly origin while adding a mate - admittedly it's not easy, but it can be done.

konstantin_shiriazdanov

can hardly understand what is the reason for origin point in assembly, because you can't actually do anything with it. if there was mate connector in the origin by default it would be much more useful

philip_thomas

@mbartlett21 - it's actually easier than Neil is making it out to be - he has farmer hands with fingers like carrots
To orient the mate connector wrt any default plane is really easy;

• Select the mate connector tool
• Move the cursor to the origin
• You will see a preview of the mate connector and three gray lines emanating from the origin
• Moving your cursor from gray line to gray line orients the primary (blue) axis with the gray line under the cursor
• Click when the mate connector is correctly oriented

BOOM!

robert_morris

There is a mate connector at the origin, it's just not visible by default. If you hover over the origin while in the mate dialog, it will show up. Moving your mouse closer to one axis or another will let you switch which "side" it will mate to (top, bottom, right).

Here is an example of mating a part to one side of the origin with a 20mm offset.
You can see as I hover over the origin, the blue axis changes. The blue axis of the mate connectors are the primary axis that get aligned together.

michael_mcclain

I wish I could invite that response more than once! How have I not known of that mate connector!?!?

NeilCooke

@philip_thomas how very dare you - they're more like parsnips.

brucebartlett

konstantin_shiriazdanov said:

can hardly understand what is the reason for origin point in assembly, because you can't actually do anything with it. if there was mate connector in the origin by default it would be much more useful

If needed I use the origin to auto-create a mate connect from in the orientation required, this works for well for me, a mate connect at the origin would be painful as it would probably be pointing the wrong way, with the current system you have the ability to hover and chose the direction of the Z-axis. 

NeilCooke

No, it has to be a solid part. I agree it should be possible so please kindly create an improvement request. 

MBartlett21

@NeilCooke

Here's the improvement request: https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/8162/mate-connectors-in-sketches/p1?new=1

MBartlett21

@NeilCooke

I also think it should be possible to mate to planes in assemblies, especially the right plane.

As of now, the only way to do that is to create a mate connector on the origin in the part studio, assign it to a part that's been modelled in the correct position, import it into the assembly, fix it, then you have a mate connector to mate to.

NeilCooke

You can mate to the assembly origin while adding a mate - admittedly it's not easy, but it can be done.

MBartlett21

@NeilCooke

How would i get it facing to the right or front or whatever??

Could you give me an exaple of how this could be done in an onshape assembly please?

-Morgan

konstantin_shiriazdanov

can hardly understand what is the reason for origin point in assembly, because you can't actually do anything with it. if there was mate connector in the origin by default it would be much more useful

philip_thomas

@mbartlett21 - it's actually easier than Neil is making it out to be - he has farmer hands with fingers like carrots
To orient the mate connector wrt any default plane is really easy;

• Select the mate connector tool
• Move the cursor to the origin
• You will see a preview of the mate connector and three gray lines emanating from the origin
• Moving your cursor from gray line to gray line orients the primary (blue) axis with the gray line under the cursor
• Click when the mate connector is correctly oriented

BOOM!

robert_morris

There is a mate connector at the origin, it's just not visible by default. If you hover over the origin while in the mate dialog, it will show up. Moving your mouse closer to one axis or another will let you switch which "side" it will mate to (top, bottom, right).

Here is an example of mating a part to one side of the origin with a 20mm offset.
You can see as I hover over the origin, the blue axis changes. The blue axis of the mate connectors are the primary axis that get aligned together.

michael_mcclain

I wish I could invite that response more than once! How have I not known of that mate connector!?!?

NeilCooke

@philip_thomas how very dare you - they're more like parsnips.

MBartlett21

philip_thomas said:

@mbartlett21 - it's actually easier than Neil is making it out to be - he has farmer hands with fingers like carrots
To orient the mate connector wrt any default plane is really easy;

• Select the mate connector tool
• Move the cursor to the origin
• You will see a preview of the mate connector and three gray lines emanating from the origin
• Moving your cursor from gray line to gray line orients the primary (blue) axis with the gray line under the cursor
• Click when the mate connector is correctly oriented

BOOM!

@philip_thomas

Thanks for the information

brucebartlett

konstantin_shiriazdanov said:

can hardly understand what is the reason for origin point in assembly, because you can't actually do anything with it. if there was mate connector in the origin by default it would be much more useful

If needed I use the origin to auto-create a mate connect from in the orientation required, this works for well for me, a mate connect at the origin would be painful as it would probably be pointing the wrong way, with the current system you have the ability to hover and chose the direction of the Z-axis.