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"Copy with Mates" Option? Replicate?
Michael_Coffee
Member Posts: 90 ✭✭✭
Maybe I'm thinking about this too hard and the answer is staring at me in the face. I don't know, so here I am.
I have a configured panel that is used multiple times along the side of something and they're bolted to each other (think planks of wood side by side to each other for the same visual). I could easily create this with a linear pattern, but the problem is that each instance of the panel could be swapped out with a different panel. Say I have seven panels in a row, and the third panel needs to change because of an altered hole arrangement. With linear pattern, I can't just do that, and I don't see any option to "dissolve" a pattern. In SolidWorks, you can create a pattern, dissolve it, and have the parts remain, but no mates between them. Just floating pieces until you move them. For my situation, I need both the series of panels and the mates between them. Once that's established, I can change configurations all day and it won't move from that arrangement.
I tried using Replicate, but I'm not sure if I'm using it in the manner it was intended to be used. For example, I am not sure if I have to have two separate parts, or maybe I'm choosing the wrong option in it. I have used "Copy With Mates" in SolidWorks more times than I can count and it serves the exact purpose I need, but I'm at a loss of how to get there. If there isn't a straight forward method of doing that, I can simple copy each panel and mate manually, but that's the long way around.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Best Answer
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john_mcclary
Member, Developers Posts: 3,897 PRO
You're on the right track, Replicate is Onshape's version of "Copy with mates" but with one exception; It can only copy One mate.
You can grab multiple parts in a stack, but only the base mate will be able to replicate.
For example, make a bracket, mate a flat washer and bolt. Then select all the parts and replicate, Whatever your bracket was mated to is now the replicate-able feature. Basically it will check if a mate is connected to a part "NOT" in your selected set. So it will fail if there is more than one external mate.
This also does not work on slot centers unfortunately.
With practice it is a good tool, but lacks functionality that Solidworks has. But it also works a thousand times faster than SW too... so there's that
Tip: Don't worry about the rotation or filpped side of the replicated parts until you are finished selecting your faces/edges. Once you are done replicating, press "J" (show all mates) and right click-edit each of the flipped/rotated mates, then hit "A" (Flip) and "Q" (Rotate) to reorient each mate followed by "Enter". then press "J" to hide all the mates when you're done.
7
Answers
You can grab multiple parts in a stack, but only the base mate will be able to replicate.
For example, make a bracket, mate a flat washer and bolt. Then select all the parts and replicate, Whatever your bracket was mated to is now the replicate-able feature. Basically it will check if a mate is connected to a part "NOT" in your selected set. So it will fail if there is more than one external mate.
This also does not work on slot centers unfortunately.
With practice it is a good tool, but lacks functionality that Solidworks has. But it also works a thousand times faster than SW too... so there's that
Tip: Don't worry about the rotation or filpped side of the replicated parts until you are finished selecting your faces/edges. Once you are done replicating, press "J" (show all mates) and right click-edit each of the flipped/rotated mates, then hit "A" (Flip) and "Q" (Rotate) to reorient each mate followed by "Enter". then press "J" to hide all the mates when you're done.
Then you can quickly mate them all up with shift-enter after each mate to repeat command.
That's what I do for my spiral chutes, you can mate up 100 parts in 5 minutes without patterns
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https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/comment/60757#Comment_60757