What do you think every new Onshape user should know?

jon_hirschtick

As we try to develop better onboarding, training, and tips for users I want to ask you: what would be the top few things you think every new Onshape user should know?

I'll start:

General:
Onshape Documents can have many Tabs: each Tab like a Part or Assembly file, you can upload/download *anything* (PDF, SolidWorks file, etc) to/from a Tab

Type "?" to see Onshape keyboard shortcuts. Click on the arrow to make it a floating window you can keep visible.

'P' will hide/show all planes

Uploading and translating a file creates at least two Tabs: one for the original data file, and one or more for the Onshape Parts and Assemblies that are the results of translating

Onshape Part Studios:
Are designed to let you make many parts in one Part Studio

You need to Sketch before you Extrude

Extrude can make add material, cut material, or make a New Part (or of course Intersect -- powerful but not common -- or is it?)

Extrude can extrude *faces* not just sketches -- very handy

Onshape Assemblies:
Use high-level mates that often allow you to mate two parts using one mate instead of two or three

Use *Mate Connectors* that are a bit like reference coordinate systems

You can create Mate Connectors in advance in the Part Studio, in the Assembly, or on-the-fly while creating Mates


Your thoughts?

gal_raz

Jon, Regarding 'Extrude can extrude *faces* not just sketches ...' , When you extrude a "face", the reference geometries are not following and because OS can't have relations between features, it can mess up the design. I will recommend to use it only with imported body

Ben_

Multi select is not done using CTRL or Shift is a big one for me to wrap my head around

scott_harris

Hi Gal... When you said "the reference geometries are not following and because OS can't have relations between features", what do you mean?

/Scott

gal_raz

@Scott‌ , OS don't support relation between faces at the same body, only edges. When you can apply relation between faces, distance for example then, direct editing is more valuable

caradon

If parts don't move relative to each other and if there are no multiple part instances, keep your entire design contained within one Part Studio.

Dries

stevehess

Every new Onshape user should know that the key to collaboration is the "Share" button. Sharing with another designer unlocks a power that no other CAD tool can offer.

gal_raz

@SteveHess‌ , For the "Share" to be more productive, OS should provide tools to manage contacts the social networks do.

stevehess

@Gal‌ - yeah, that is definitely coming. Let me ask you this, how do you envision OS getting and keeping track of your contacts? Reading your email contacts like LinkedIn or FB do; creating and maintaining a separate list in OS, or something else? Could it be as simple as just keeping track of the people you have already shared with?

jon_hirschtick

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I am going to try to write this up into some sort of Things Every New Onshape User Should Know. I know we are doing all sorts of other documentation and training tools, but I kind of want to have my own view on what's most important. Keep the suggestions coming.

gal_raz

@SteveHess‌ ,For adding and importing contacts, LinkedIn way is good. For managing contacts and relations, please don't take notes from FB or Google. I would like to see you caring about contacts the same way you care about PLM.

jon_hirschtick

More things new users need to know: Onshape has version control built-in, tracks all changes you make in the activity history, and can easily be used to Share with others.

stevehess

I have shared a document called "Boat Pump Version Graph 9-30-2014" which contains a version graph with a base design and three alternative branches. Each branch has a number of saved versions (closed node on the tree) including one called "Released".

The Properties have also been set for each release including part#, description, release "state", etc. See Properties under the gear/action icon for the version. Note that "State" may only be set on a saved version. The State of a workspace is always "In Progress". All properties (meta-data) are transferred from the workspace to the version on Save.

The process for setting properties/meta-data is:
1) Set all the part/assy properties in the workspace
2) Save a version
3) Edit the properties of the saved version and set the State as necessary.

Eventually we will wrap the properties in a workflow with privileges to control changes. The properties of a version are not immutable.

This document is public as:
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/559b9a459ca348529d9f4761/w/1a1b32a12ea147c99f1a0672/e/afe404dadfb243718c9e2a15

Comments and feedback on versions is greatly appreciated.

Phil_Hertel

SteveHess said:

@Gal‌ - yeah, that is definitely coming. Let me ask you this, how do you envision OS getting and keeping track of your contacts? Reading your email contacts like LinkedIn or FB do; creating and maintaining a separate list in OS, or something else? Could it be as simple as just keeping track of the people you have already shared with?

I'm a big fan of multiple methods.

jon_hirschtick

Adding: rollback bar and split bar

kevin_quigley

I would like to see material on creating static assemblies...think steel framed building. Still an assembly, just no movement.

Jim_Anders

New users and those tasked with trying to explain Onshape to others (i.e. management) need a conceptual model/diagram/description on the basic constructs.  What is a document, tab, part, part studio, assemblies, etc. Perhaps some kind of Venn diagram or chart that shows the relationships of each construct?

Traditional CAD users are coming from the "part is a file that can be placed in an assembly and both can be nested" paradigm.

Is there any resource here that covers this?

Jim_Anders

SteveHess said:

I have shared a document called "Boat Pump Version Graph 9-30-2014" which contains a version graph with a base design and three alternative branches. Each branch has a number of saved versions (closed node on the tree) including one called "Released". The Properties have also been set for each release including part#, description, release "state", etc. See Properties under the gear/action icon for the version. Note that "State" may only be set on a saved version. The State of a workspace is always "In Progress". All properties (meta-data) are transferred from the workspace to the version on Save. The process for setting properties/meta-data is: 1) Set all the part/assy properties in the workspace 2) Save a version 3) Edit the properties of the saved version and set the State as necessary. Eventually we will wrap the properties in a workflow with privileges to control changes. The properties of a version are not immutable. This document is public as: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/559b9a459ca348529d9f4761/w/1a1b32a12ea147c99f1a0672/e/afe404dadfb243718c9e2a15 Comments and feedback on versions is greatly appreciated.

Steve,

In just about every company I've worked for there was a need to document "as-built/shipped" products. Unlike mass produced products that rarely change, there are many companies who build custom machines. Imagine a complex machine built for a customers. Over time, the design will change and evolve. Components once used may no longer be available as time goes on.  So it is desirable to identify and "freeze" a design at a given point in time to represent what was shipped to the customer (i.e. for field servicing) - even though now the machine has been since updated and evolved.

Is this the kind of scenario that OS branching can address?

-Jim

pete_yodis

@Jim_Anders I think you may have something important there.  I don't know how much the every day user of Onshape is going to "get it" when it comes to what's different and why.  Maybe a clear explanation of what is different and why (the advantages) will go a long way to get them thinking in the way that Onshape functions and not in the way they were used to.  The sooner they see the light, the better they will adapt, be excited, and flourish.

Jim_Anders

PDY said:

@Jim_Anders I think you may have something important there.  I don't know how much the every day user of Onshape is going to "get it" when it comes to what's different and why.  Maybe a clear explanation of what is different and why (the advantages) will go a long way to get them thinking in the way that Onshape functions and not in the way they were used to.  The sooner they see the light, the better they will adapt, be excited, and flourish.

@PDY  I am just getting started with OS so I am trying to stay in-tune with my initial questions in anticipation of what the initial reactions of others might be.

There's an interesting parallel that can be drawn from the Apple iCloud offerings.  You have four Apple apps; Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheet), Mail and Keynote (presentations).  These can read/write MS Office docs too.  There are iOS and Mac OS X versions of these apps - as well as a web-based interface.  I use these personally in my day-to-day work (while everyone else trundles along with classic PCs and MS Office.

I record test data into Numbers from my iPhone - save it to the web and then process and massage these data from my web browser on my PC. I then show people the graphs/charts in person on my iPad.

I have been surprised at the slow-uptake of the power (and low-cost) of this combo by my peers.  What seemed self-evident to me - required a bit of explanation and demoing before the light bulb finally went off.

-Jim

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old condition, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.   

- Machiavelli, 1513

caradon

@Jim_Anders‌
Amen to that! And loving the Machiavelli quote...

Dries

john_mceleney

@Jim_Anders‌ : wrt branching and documenting "as built", you can create a branch and name it "as built" and then if you have additional changes later, you can further branch to "as built rev a", "as built rev b"....

John

Jim_Anders

JohnMcEleney said:

@Jim_Anders‌ : wrt branching and documenting "as built", you can create a branch and name it "as built" and then if you have additional changes later, you can further branch to "as built rev a", "as built rev b"....

John

John,

And just confirm, those saved branches will not update unless one takes specific actions to do so?

-Jim

pete_yodis

@Jim_Anders I have had the same experience with cloud related items.  Lots of folks are so fearful that they stay away.  I have been playing around with some cloud offerings for a while.  I don't use the Apple cloud tools - I use the Microsoft system of tools.  Very neat stuff indeed.  Just recently in showing folks some of the things you can do - your're right the light bulb went off for them.  They have been stigmatized by the fear the cloud mentality long enough that they haven't been able to realize some really good benefits.  I would say the trend seems to be changing and more people are coming around - although slowly.  The younger crowd will probably embrace Onshape more easily than the older crowd, but its largely the older crowd that may have the decision capability in the organization.  Those are the ones that need some clear examples to bring them around to see the light.

I love the quote, too.  I just added it to my list of quotes that is saved on my OneDrive account, hah!

lougallo

Hi @Jim_Anders - welcome to the discussion.  I remember some of the discussions on eDrawings threads... anyway, when you save a version in Onshape it is immutable.  This means that is history that cannot be changed.  When you begin a design you can save a version (Shift + S) to capture that point in time and know that it cannot be changed.  At any point you can branch that version to make a variant to it and move forward.  We have done some webinars on this and it is unlike anything else out there in the CAD space.  

Jim_Anders

LouGallo said:

Hi @Jim_Anders - welcome to the discussion.  I remember some of the discussions on eDrawings threads... anyway, when you save a version in Onshape it is immutable.  This means that is history that cannot be changed.  When you begin a design you can save a version (Shift + S) to capture that point in time and know that it cannot be changed.  At any point you can branch that version to make a variant to it and move forward.  We have done some webinars on this and it is unlike anything else out there in the CAD space.  

This really solves so many problems for so many.  Not long ago we used to save hundreds of PDFs in a folder to capture an as-built/shipped version.

MBartlett21

caradon said:

If parts don't move relative to each other and if there are no multiple part instances, keep your entire design contained within one Part Studio. Dries

@caradon

Unless you have lots of sheet metal, in which case it will take a while to finish regenerating.

owen_sparks

To be fair that suggestion was made approximately three years before sheet metal was introduced 

Owen S.