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how can I have a single set of configs across parts studio, assembly, and drawings
david_lang457
Member Posts: 87 ✭✭✭
I have a fairly simple document that has configuration variables for the parts studio, and I would like to have the parts studio, assembly, and drawing all show the same parts
I can give the assembly it's own set of configuration variables and use those to have it pass them to the parts that it shows. But there does not seem to be an easy way to do so in a drawing. I can set the configuration for each part in the drawing, but see no easy way to have them both reference the same values.
I also like the way that the configuration variables are available to non-logged in users for the parts studio and assembly (I just wish I could sync them)
any thoughts
Comments
Ok, that sounds like there is no solution at this time.
I did poke at using a variable studio, and that could work, except I want this to be usable for people without having to clone it (they need edit rights to change the variable studio)
@david_lang457 I think I get what you want to happen. Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that you want to be able to change the config of a part or assembly and then go into the drawing and have the drawing just automatically be referencing the same config you were just viewing in the part/assembly. Or your looking to some way change one set of inputs and have model and drawing change at the same time. It does not work that way and for good reason. The system as a whole is very stable because it does not work that way. Drawing's reference a certain configuration of an item and will not reference any other one unless explicitly changed. When I started digging into configs and using configured items in drawings, I too was slightly baffled at first and had to do a double take at finding how best to set myself up. I think it is best to view this problem by always starting at the top ie. drawings. I usually do not ever use the configs setup in an assembly or part directly but usually start at the drawing and change the drawing to reference the config I want. When the drawing is finished processing the change, one can start digging down. You can double click a drawing view and then switch to the item represented in the view by clicking the blue item link. When the model opens up, onshape will have set it to the same config referenced in the drawing. So generally, you can just duplicate a drawing, change it to reference a different config and then use the drawing as your master starting point to reference down into the correct config of the models. You do not actually need to change configs of anything but the drawing because the drawing will changed the child items configs for you as you start referencing down into them.
If you were to setup your drawings into a different document than the ones where the models are, users do not need edit rights to the models, just the drawings and then can duplicate or they can copy and paste them out into what ever document they may want to put them in. All the while, they are still able to open up the model to be viewed automatically having the config set correctly by the system.
yes, like GAR_LucFurn above, the configs make a significant difference in the result.
In my case, I'm making utilities for other hobbiests to use. I don't know who they are, and they may or may not have an onshape account. For parts studios and assemblies, I can set things up so that they can set config options, and the parts will change accordingly, but I can't use drawings as they won't have the ability to edit the drawing, and giving the entire world edit rights on a drawing (in the same doc or another doc) is not something that would end well :-)
Yes, I can tell them to create an onshape account and clone my doc, then give them instructions on how to edit it to change the configuration variables for the drawing. But then when I make a change to the document, there isn't a way for them to update their clone, they have to delete their document and clone it again.
It may be possible to turn my document into a featurescript and then use that in a doc so that it could be updated, but that would only handle the part studio, not the assembly and drawings.
Giving this thought, about exporting sheetmetal flat patterns (assuming the drawing config is our destination config). Is the logic to "switch to reference" then export flat patten from "edit in context"?
If the drawing is directly referencing the part, you would arrive in the part studio where you could export from the flat pattern flyout. If the drawing is of the assembly, you would arrive at the assembly where you could right click on the part from the assembly tree and select "switch to reference" or "open linked document"
Wow ok, so when we right click in the assembly tree "switch to part studio" it actually changes the part studio configuration "settings" to match that assembly and thus the drawing.
Kind of bizarre, perhaps this topic could use better documentation or visibility, maybe an icon or notification that the current config is referenced from xyz drawing (or maybe a way to lock it as a match).