Improvements to Onshape - December 3rd, 2019

cody_armstrong · November 2019

It's December already and 2019 is nearly over. It's our last update of the year, but rest assured we are already hard at work on the next release for the new year. This update focuses on improvements in all areas including surfacing, assemblies, drawings, and much more. Let's get into it.

CAD IMPROVEMENTS

MERGE SURFACES

You can now merge surfaces using the Boolean feature. In the past, the Boolean feature was limited to merging solid parts, and the only options to merge surfaces were within individual features.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/evh5fkhgjm

BOOLEAN IMPROVEMENTS

You can now subtract solids from surfaces using the Boolean feature in Onshape.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/6pbbx792hw

REPLACE IMPROVEMENTS

The replace command in Onshape assemblies now allows you to replace parts, assemblies, sketches, surfaces, and composite parts. In the past, this feature was limited to only parts. You can also replace any combination of parts, assemblies, sketches, surfaces, and composite parts.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/c5evqkceve

TOP-LEVEL ASSEMBLY HANDLES

You will find a top-level assembly handle at the top of your instance list in Onshape Assemblies. This makes it easy to select everything in the assembly for things like interference detection, and calculating mass.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5022071/uploads/editor/h1/70n47g1zcdul.png

DOCUMENTS PAGE IMPROVEMENTS

You will find a new Properties flyout and Revision History flyout when using Advanced search in the Documents page in Onshape. This means you can view the revision history and view/edit the properties of a part/assembly or drawing without needing to open the Document.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/jcifj23f88

ADD NODE TO LEADERS IN ONSHAPE DRAWINGS

You can now add Nodes to Leaders in Onshape Drawings. Simply right-click the leader, and you will see the new option to "Add node." Additional leaders can be created from nodes by right-clicking a node and choose the option to "Add leader."

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/owi3dg8t1g

SHEET FLYOUT IMPROVEMENTS IN ONSHAPE DRAWINGS

You will now see the Bill of Materials listed in the Sheets flyout. This makes it easy to edit the BOM or move it to another sheet.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/lz5eknpt8x

ENTERPRISE IMPROVEMENTS

ALLOW ACCESS TO THE APP STORE

As an admin or owner of an Enterprise in Onshape, you will find a new global permission that allows you to define who in your company can access the Onshape App Store.

Please take a moment to try out these new features and improvements and leave your comments below. For a detailed list of all the changes in this update, please see the changelog.

Remember: The updates listed here are now live for all users when creating new Documents and over the next few days these features will also be available in Documents created before the date of this update.

dean_atkinson · December 2019

So is this why OS has been acting wonky all day?

john_rousseau · December 2019

Hi @dean_atkinson. The deployment happened only a few minutes ago. Can you open a support ticket and describe what you are seeing?

Ed_McGuire · December 2019

Awesome, Love Onshape!!!!!!

john_mcclary · December 2019

More replace options in assembly, sweeet.
Top level assembly handle, heck yea!

Like the BOM handles in the drawing tree

I was hoping for one more last minute update for a Christmas present. Oh well, there were many great improvements this year! Can't wait to see what 2020 brings

HuguesLessardWRI · December 2019

A lot of great stuff in this release. Replacement now applying to assembly is awesome and improvement to drawing tools are the best, to my opinion

MBartlett21 · December 2019

Cool improvements!
Now my Boolean FeatureScript will only be needed for editing meshes

PS: Could you make it so that the top-level assembly handle can be collapsed?

john_mcclary · December 2019

MBartlett21 said:

Cool improvements!
Now my Boolean FeatureScript will only be needed for editing meshes

PS: Could you make it so that the top-level assembly handle can be collapsed?

I was gonna ask why, then I figure you meant to get to mates quicker than scrolling right?

EvanReese · December 2019

Nice! I always love seeing improvements that make surfacing workflows better and hint at robust surfacing as a priority. I'm also stoked about the "replace" updates. I've definitely gone into that dialog a good number of times hoping to replace an assembly.

brucebartlett · December 2019

Awesome, The improvements for the replace command will be spot on. I am always want to interchange parts for assemblies.

brucebartlett · December 2019

Also, the addition of the nodes on the leader is a big one, as it a regular one I go looking for when detailing drawings.

3dcad · December 2019

Replacing assemblies is huge!

Haven't had time to test yet - can someone recall if replacing somehow preserves mates and configurations? I wish there was longer video to dive into stuff like this, testing this type of feature requires a lot of time and don't wan't to hassle with production stuff so it needs testing environment too. Would be easier to watch half hour video in the evening.

Onshape puts a lot of effort into new features but I have found myself drag slightly behind as I'm not exactly sure how things work and if they can do what I need --> usually being in hurry I just do it the way I already know. I think this is not what Onshape wishes for. Solution would be longer descriptive videos on larger / new type of features.

A lot of good stuff including smaller things like adding node and leaders to make drawings easier to read - very good.

gerhard_swanepoel · December 2019

As always - nifty improvements!

Konstantin_Sh · December 2019

It's nice that you finally added into oficial features functionality from your own standard library

possibly someday we'll see "surface cut" capability added into split feature

miczech · December 2019

Great updates!

great too see how responsive you guys are!

BMcGaffey · December 2019

Awesome improvements! Keep it up

tim_hess427 · December 2019

Perfect timing. I had to replace an assembly within another. I logged in specifically to do that yesterday, not knowing I wouldn't have been able to without the update.

Please keep reading my mind if it makes my job easier.

emagdalenaC2i · December 2019

I love Boolean features. I always believe that in other CAD systems they are underestimated and even underused.

Great improvements!!

NeilCooke · December 2019

It's also worth pointing out that the Add option during surface creation now works in more cases. Previously, a new surface could only be joined to adjacent surfaces if the edges of those surfaces were used as a reference. Now a surface will merge with any adjacent surfaces as long as the edges are coincident. This should reduce the number of Boolean/Union features required to merge surfaces. Here's a simple case to demonstrate:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5022071/uploads/editor/29/lnm1bjkeoqge.gif

bruce_williams · December 2019

The surface improvements are great. And thanks @NeilCooke for pointing out the creation boolean robustness.

oto_inša · December 2019

Very good improvements! I a very happy Onshape user, keep up the best work!

MBartlett21 · December 2019

@NeilCooke
Are we going to be able to directly cut surfaces with the extrude feature rather than having to extrude and then boolean?

EDIT: Fixed cust -> cut

NeilCooke · December 2019

@MBartlett21 - it took me a while to work out what you meant by “cust”

It’s entirely doable but I doubt it’s high on the priority list (unless you make an IR that is).

francois_boulet784 · December 2019

I love every improvements you make on Drawings, but my top priority for drawings is Hatching (poor spacing & material differentiating).
Hope you'll come up some day with a Christmas gift for me ...

PeteYodis · December 2019

@francois_boulet784 We agree hatching is important and want to handle it as automatically as possible in drawings so you likely don't have to fuss with it very much. This will not come in time for Christmas, however. Sorry to be the Grinch.

francois_boulet784 · December 2019

Of course it's a good thing that it is automatic, and it is working well (for spacing) when it is on small assemblies or parts.
But when it comes to big assemblies with small parts, it is a disaster. (see exemple below)
If you could base the spacing on the smaller surfaces, we would be closer to a solution.

Finaly, let me tell you that though we always want more from the beast, we see all the work and dedication that the Onshape team give to always improve it.
Merry christmass & Happy new year to you and all the team !

PeteYodis · December 2019

@francois_boulet784 Thank you for the example - and yes the shortcomings become more exacerbated in sections with more parts and a greater range of aspect ratios to those parts. I've created a ticket for you and tied you to the needed sets of improvements.

konstantin_shiriazdanov · December 2019

@PeteYodis adding manual hatching control you would solve the problem of satisfying different drawing standards, for example according to our GOST you can have only hatchings at 45 degrees. Which I don't think ever be supported specifically, because of a little number of customers working in GOST, but more general solution with manual settings would be helpfull for everyone.

PeteYodis · December 2019

@konstantin_shiriazdanov Yes, a manual set of tools for various reasons is needed and will also be an effort of ours.

Effendi_H · December 2019

Hi Dev Team,
Awesome...finally the replace assembly implement and it's valuable for me during CADing. Thanks so much.

3dcad · December 2019

I wish there was something to help with recreating mates when replacing part/subassy in assembly. Maybe checkbox (to use or not) on replacement insert to go through each mate automatically so we could just select single mating points from replacement to put it in same position as the old one?

I suppose replace is mostly used for similar stuff that goes into same place..