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Sketch Profile inspection for open contours

bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭
It would be nice to have a command that you could execute inside a sketch that would highlight open profiles. 

When a profile is closed, Onshape shades the profile. However sometimes when you believe a shape is "closed" it is hard to find the open contour because the open contour is so small you have to draw temporary lines all over the profile to find the area and then you have to zoom in to the smallest of areas to close the profile. I find this issue rises the most with imported non native .dxf files. 

Simple contour profile, temporary lines are an easy work around to find open profile. If importing something like a complex logo from a customer, that you are making a custom sign for, then the temporary lines and zooming in can be a big time consumer.
Bryan Lagrange
Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

Comments

  • MBartlett21MBartlett21 Member, OS Professional, Developers Posts: 2,034 EDU
    I think there is a connected edges option in the create selection dialog that might help.
    mb - draftsman - also FS author: View FeatureScripts
    IR for AS/NZS 1100
  • lougallolougallo Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 2,001
    @bryan_lagrange You have this when there is no filled region shown as well.
    Lou Gallo / PD/UX - Support - Community / Onshape, Inc.
  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @MBartlett21 could you show an example? 
    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • MBartlett21MBartlett21 Member, OS Professional, Developers Posts: 2,034 EDU
    @bryan_lagrange

    See image below that shows a closed sketch:

    All the edges are highlighted due to their being connected
    mb - draftsman - also FS author: View FeatureScripts
    IR for AS/NZS 1100
  • tim_hess427tim_hess427 Member Posts: 648 ✭✭✭✭
    I think @bryan_lagrange is asking for a tool that highlights the "gap" that results in an open contour. If there's only one gap between line segments, the selection tool will still be able to select all connected edges, even if they don't create a closed loop. 

    On the bright side, if there is more than one gap between line segments, the selection tool would show you the two gaps closest to your selection. 

    First image - 1 gap. Selection tool not useful.  :/
    Second image  - 2 gaps (circled in red). Selection tool useful.  :smile::smile:



  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 792 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That is what I am looking for @tim_hess427
    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • MBartlett21MBartlett21 Member, OS Professional, Developers Posts: 2,034 EDU
    @tim_hess427
    @lougallo
    Would the create selection tool be able to highlight the ends of the loop it selects when 'Loop/chain connected' is selected?
    This should make finding one gap easier to do
    mb - draftsman - also FS author: View FeatureScripts
    IR for AS/NZS 1100
  • Toshimichi_OdaToshimichi_Oda OS Professional Posts: 53 PRO
    Highlight of the ends is a good idea.

    But I propose another:
    'create selection' searches one side direction from selected edge instead of both sides.
    When chain of edges is not closed, You can find the end at stopping 'create selection'.


    If you zoom in clicking a edge, without zoom out you can see either edges' chain closed or not.


    It may have a option to select one of three:
      * one side  (longer side)
      * another side  (shorter side)
      * both side

    Or it is better than the above option, to have a part-of-chain 'create selection':
    Click an edge =A=, and click an edge =B= which is on longer or shorter chain from =A=, then it selects part-of-chain edges from =A= to =B=.
    This part-of-chain can be used in edges of face.



  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    edited January 2022
    I like it. This would be very useful either way

    beats sketching a line and sliding over the sketch until the shading goes away.

    Tim's method would probably be better, that way you don't have to click a line first, and you can zoom out and see 'all of the problem areas'
    especially when you have an imported DXF with hundreds of gaps
  • Greg_KeosayianGreg_Keosayian Member Posts: 26 PRO
    I would greatly appreciate this tool. Right now I am having to play detective drawing lines and narrowing down the small gap culprit in a sketch which greatly reduces my productivity when I would love to simply extrude this quickly and move on. 
  • Greg_KeosayianGreg_Keosayian Member Posts: 26 PRO

  • Greg_KeosayianGreg_Keosayian Member Posts: 26 PRO
    Wouldn't it be nice to click a button and the gaps are highlighted in red to save the user time
  • S1monS1mon Member Posts: 2,320 PRO
    @Greg_Keosayian

    I assume you know about the divide and conquer approach (aka binary search) where you add a line in the middle and see which side closes up, and then move the line to the 1/4 or 3/4 point to keep narrowing down the search. Also displaying constraints can help see where the points are coincident.

    All that said, a red highlight like we can turn on for open edges of surfaces would save a lot of time.
  • shawn_crockershawn_crocker Member, OS Professional Posts: 798 PRO
    I recognize I may not have fully read everything here but this is how I usually get to the bottom of this issue.


  • richard_foster236richard_foster236 Member Posts: 2 EDU
    Thank you @jon_sorrells, that script was extremely useful. I have no idea if it's possible or not, but one small enhancement would be to track the zoom level so the indicator remains visible as folk get closer to the problem. I had a file where the mismatch was extremely small (does 0.001m seem plausible?) and for the last few steps the indicator was no longer visible to help guide me to the exact location of the problem.
  • S1monS1mon Member Posts: 2,320 PRO
    0.001 m is one mm. Onshape goes to 1 µm (or 0.000001 m). One micron is enough to be a mismatch. It's also enough to work around the zero thickness Parasolid issue.
  • ben_ferguson976ben_ferguson976 Member Posts: 2
    Well, that script is a life saver --- imported a dxf that was converted from a png, and without the script, I dont think i could have possibly found all these gaps. haha

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