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how can i mirror a part in assemblies?

andrew_gormanandrew_gorman Member Posts: 1 ✭✭
I'm working on a simple knife project and want to mirror the handle scales in the assembly...can't see how to do this right now? Any advise?
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Answers

  • brucebartlettbrucebartlett Member, OS Professional, Mentor, User Group Leader Posts: 2,137 PRO
    You Can't, Yet.
    Engineer ı Product Designer ı Onshape Consulting Partner
    Twitter: @onshapetricks  & @babart1977   
  • brucebartlettbrucebartlett Member, OS Professional, Mentor, User Group Leader Posts: 2,137 PRO
    Further to this, you can mirror in the part studio, which may be acceptable for this project but the parts will be a different instances from side to side, unlike what you expect from an assembly with the same instances repeated. The pattern tool works in the assembly and in the future I expect to see a similar mirror tool. 
    Engineer ı Product Designer ı Onshape Consulting Partner
    Twitter: @onshapetricks  & @babart1977   
  • owen_sparksowen_sparks Member, Developers Posts: 2,660 PRO
    If you have an assembly made from parts from different sources then a workaround is to do an in context edit of the sub-assembly, then mirror the whole thing then squirt it back.  Sounds a bit convoluted but works well for now.

    Owen S.
    Business Systems and Configuration Controller
    HWM-Water Ltd
  • mark_williamsmark_williams Member Posts: 6
    You Can't, Yet.
    Is this still the case?
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    Yes, Both methods mentioned above are still true.

    I need mirror assemblies often, What I did was similar to Bruce's suggestion.
    But I added a mate connector on the origin, then mate all the parts in the assembly with that mate.

    Although when i do this, my intent is to have it mirrored around the origin, you should consider all methods and choose one that fits your project best.

    Owen's is good for a sales drawing, but like they said, each instance will be a new part, so not very viable if you want a parametric BOM.
    Bruce's is good as it creates a part in a logical place that you can choose while inserting, you  will just need to rebuild/replace your parts manually in the assembly as needed.
    The mate connector can be tied to a configuration which allows you to use the "replace parts" in the assembly and get your mates for free.
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    @mark_williams
    Here is a video showing the workflow, It can be very tedious if you need to do an entire assembly, but for a few parts in a larger assembly, this would be fine.

    As you see in the second half of the video, full assemblies are faster to just re-insert and mate the normal way.

    Each part that I do a "replace part" and choose the CCW configuration, is a mirrored part in the part studio, with the mate connector being re-defined in the configuration.

    Even though all the mates will be attached, you may need to edit and rotate them here or there, as you can see, I only had to do it to the bottom shingle 180°

    Hope this helps


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHrFI727kOw
  • bill_schnoebelenbill_schnoebelen OS Professional, Developers, User Group Leader, csevp Posts: 109 PRO
    Is this still not a feature?
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    Not yet
  • andy_cateandy_cate Member Posts: 5 EDU
    When will this feature be added?
  • SoramaSorama Member Posts: 1 PRO
    May I know the status of this feature?
  • n_schoemaekern_schoemaeker Member Posts: 28 PRO
    Hum, just a ping to the OnShape team: mirroring a part in an assembly is very well needed and pretty basic for a CAD software.
    Patterning doesn't do the trick, and the other solutions are tricks, which make it impossible to have correct BoM.

    Please, we need simple mirrors
  • JanikJanik Member Posts: 3 EDU
    Sorry for the bother, but the feature would be very nice.

    Thank you,
    Janik
  • ryan_smith460ryan_smith460 Member Posts: 6 EDU
    In the assembly toolbar you can select "Create Part Studio In Context" then you should be able to create a new plane half the distance in the direction you are going, and then mirror. This is the way I did it, but a feature to do this for you would be great.


    This is what it looks like when you mirror it in the context assembly.

    The tool is the part studio icon with the plus.

    I hope this is what you are looking for.
  • Paul_PelaPaul_Pela Member Posts: 9 PRO
    Is this still not a feature?
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    correct
  • Axel_KollmenterAxel_Kollmenter Member Posts: 410 PRO
    :(
    correct


    Best regards,

    Axel Kollmenter
  • rogerroger Member Posts: 8

  • TimmyTimmy Member Posts: 6 PRO

    How is this still a thing? I just duplicated the part studio and mirrored the parts that needed it, then placed it in assembly again. Quite a pain as it required organising, repositioning and adding mates again. Please add this feature already.

    Couldn't put it any better:
    Hum, just a ping to the OnShape team: mirroring a part in an assembly is very well needed and pretty basic for a CAD software.
    Patterning doesn't do the trick, and the other solutions are tricks, which make it impossible to have correct BoM.

    Please, we need simple mirrors

  • Phil_AngileriPhil_Angileri Member Posts: 3 PRO
    This post was a helpful work around. Plus 1 for mirror in assembly.
  • uldemauldema Member Posts: 10 ✭✭
    You Can't, Yet.
    Is this still the case?
    yes, six years in now :D
  • phares_blankphares_blank Member Posts: 12
    This is a basic feature like linear pattern. I'm sure there are difficulties to implement this feature, but it should be a high priority. Coming from Solidworks, not having mirror is super frustrating.
  • Yam_SYam_S Member Posts: 45 PRO
    +1

    it's by far the most voted improvement request.
    so much more important for the users than the stuff that are being presented in the latest updates.


    I have a more detailed question about it, I'll post it in the improvement request thread.
  • Cooney_South_DesignCooney_South_Design Member Posts: 4 PRO
    This needs to be implemented - its a basic function of CAD software like - point, and line outside of a sketch....
    Neither of which onshape can produce...
  • Louis_Simon_MaloLouis_Simon_Malo Member Posts: 6 ✭✭
    I'm a solidworks user and I follow this post since 3 years... I think I will be ready to switch when this feature will be there...
  • shawn_crockershawn_crocker Member, OS Professional Posts: 798 PRO
    I never really liked the mirror feature in solid works.  Yes, I used it to position a symmetrical part in a mirrored position within an assembly.  I did not really like having the mirror feature actually create the mirrored version of the part.  I always found at some point, the link to the original part would break and things would stop updating.  In fact, I never really liked having a solid works assembly create new part geometry at all.  Something always seemed to get messed up during editing and revisioning.  Now, features that modify geometry within the assembly but do not push the geometry changes down to the part level are features I did really like and hope to have in onshape.  ah...like extrude cut in the assembly...
  • Gerard_BotermanGerard_Boterman Member Posts: 20
    At the origin, create a mate connector. Use circular pattern (360 dgr, qty 2) and select the parts or sub-assembly you want to mirror. This will mirror the parts.
  • tindantindan Member Posts: 3
    At the origin, create a mate connector. Use circular pattern (360 dgr, qty 2) and select the parts or sub-assembly you want to mirror. This will mirror the parts.
    At first I thought that this worked. But all it does is rotate the part. Am I missing some step?
  • Rhett_RobinsonRhett_Robinson Member Posts: 88 PRO
    tindan said:
    At the origin, create a mate connector. Use circular pattern (360 dgr, qty 2) and select the parts or sub-assembly you want to mirror. This will mirror the parts.
    At first I thought that this worked. But all it does is rotate the part. Am I missing some step?
    @Gerard_Boterman this will not mirror a part, this will create a circular pattern. @tindan to create a mirrored part you currently have to create it at the part studio level.
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    At the origin, create a mate connector. Use circular pattern (360 dgr, qty 2) and select the parts or sub-assembly you want to mirror. This will mirror the parts.
    Rhett is correct, this is not a mirror

    One more thing to note @Gerard_Boterman

    If you reference the origin in an assembly. Be sure to mate that reference to your fixed part is some way also.
    Otherwise, the patterned part will float around in a higher-level assembly. Sometimes this is what you want, but I assume by default this will cause confusion coming from other CAD systems. Where Assemblies are always static.

    Typically, I try to avoid referencing the origin unless I'm mating the "Main Body" to it, rather than using "Fix".


  • Pattabi_KakumanuPattabi_Kakumanu Member Posts: 39 PRO
    There are many of doing it. One simple way is by creating an in-context part and creating the mirrored version of it. Check the detailed explanation with the video here

    Even in SolidWorks the better way of mirroring is at the part level not in the assembly because if something happens to the assembly still the mirroring is correct if you do it at part level. (For example later you want to do Pack&Go and use only the parts in somewhere then it helps). If you can derive the part into a new part studio there you can simply create the mirrored version and import into an assembly later.
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