Configuration Titles

Logan_5

I am starting a u-bolt part studio and want to use configurations to have all the u-bolts in one place.  First off, is this a good idea or practice in Onshape?  Second, I have figured out how to add features into the configuration builder, but have not figured out how to rename them to a meaningful name.  Right now they are Radius, Distance, Length, Distance, and Distance.  I'd like to rename them to a custom name.  Can someone help me with this?

https//cad.onshape.com/documents/a7f18e86cfb1619764bfa464/w/6c4fffd6a6fba7b6c43b5ce7/e/65647ca1b55354c866df2bbe

Logan_5

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/a7f18e86cfb1619764bfa464/w/6c4fffd6a6fba7b6c43b5ce7/e/65647ca1b55354c866df2bbe

The link doesn't seem to work in the first post.  I hope this works.

Thanks,
Logan

Logan_5

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NeilCooke

It’s not currently possible to rename column headers in configurations. Please vote on or create an improvement request in the category on the right —>

Logan_5

Can a table or spreadsheet be imported into the configuration tab in order to recreate multiple different part numbers with different geometry?  I have only found a way to export the table created.  This would be a huge time saver for someone or a company looking to migrate over to Onshape.

NeilCooke

Please take a look at the video on copy/paste here; https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/8556/improvements-to-onshape-march-2nd-2018/p1

Logan_5

Thank you Neil, that fixes part of my issues.  I have submitted a formal improvement request on editing table headers and rearranging them.

owen_sparks

To get around the current headers limitation this is my preferred workflow.

(1) Set up standard partstudio variables.

(2) Use those variables to control sketches or features.

(3) Use configurations to control the values in the variables.

That way to you get sensible names in the headers, ie the variable names you set.

Hope that helps.

Owen S.

tom_auger

Does anyone know whether renaming headers is on the roadmap? Owen's workaround is great but.... it's a workaround and kinda a waste of effort... I find myself in the exact same use case as Logan - driving multiple "distance" dimensions within the same sketch. I had hope that the configuration table would be a much more elegant solution than setting up a whole army of variables at the top of the Features stack...

EDIT - looks like Configuration Variables kind of fulfills the need but in an awkward sort of way. That tabular layout of regular configuration values really makes the most sense... all you need to be able to do is rename those column headers and we're good to go!

tom_auger

Ugh just tried (and abandoned) configuration variables. It's even more cumbersome as it isn't tabular and doesn't expose the variable value until you inspect the individual configuration variable. I'm just going with variables in the feature stack for now, and just moving them to the "top" of the stack for greater visibility.

tom_auger

Oh wow. Just had the perfect use case for Configurations and once again had to abandon because there's no way to make it user friendly. Did a search on the forum, and lookee here. I'm baaaack!

Just so we're clear on the use case. You're making a part and you know there are going to be variations - in my latest example, a bunch of lids for bottles. Each bottle has a different neck diameter, a different flange height and width, etc - all of this expressed in the sketch dimensions. So now I want to be able to grab a bottle and some calipers, measure all the things, create a new row in my configuration table and pop all the measurements into that new row.

But I'm just faced with "Distance", "Distance", "Length", "Distance" etc. I would like to see "Neck Diameter", "Flange Height", "Flange Width", "Glass Thickness" etc.

As an amateur user I'd like to see this implemented. As a professional software developer I'm really curious what the use case YOU were thinking of was when creating this software feature? Like, how did renaming columns NOT get onto your MVP roadmap for this feature?

tim_hess427

@tom_auger - In the bottle use case, could you create variables with your descriptive names and then add then add those to your configuration table? 

Edit: I'm just seeing that this is basically what Owen suggests up above. Is there a reason that method doesn't work for your use case?

EvanReese

I just want to chime in here that using variables just so you can name things in a configuration table isn't ideal for me. It works, and I'm glad it does, but I'd like to be able to rename config columns. 

michael3424

FWIW, I'd also like a way to sort rows in a configuration table.  Sorting by "Name" works for me but others but prefer to sort by other column names.  I'm in the middle of using configurations to design customized designs for Schaller bins to store tooling in my home shop cabinets and there are enough instances now that sorting manually with "Move Up" and "Move Down" to move a row one at a time is getting really tedious.

gavin_lewis

Just discovered that you can't rename columns in a configuration table. How is this not possible?