Developing a custom feature in Onshape starts by answering 2 basic questions: what is the input, and what's the output? The output is usually pretty easy to answer, the feature needs to make some geometry. Designing the inputs for a custom feature takes a lot of experience and experimentation. A balance between holding the hand of the user and giving them flexibility. Knowing what FeatureScript supports can help designers discuss with developers their requirements to make sup

FeatureScript is one of the defining features of Onshape that make it stand out from the rest of the CAD industry. Unlike macros, Onshape custom features are fully parametric. Updating upstream features in the tree ripple down through the rest of the design. This ensures that custom features seamlessly integrate into design workflows. An opportunity this opens up is for data-driven features. Features driven by calculations rather than human input. In traditional desktop CAD,

The question that comes up time an time again is: what is the best part numbering schema? The answer is - depends on the company. But more specifically, I get asked "Sequential or Intelligent Part Numbers" In simple terms A sequential scheme is a fixed number of digits - maintained by a central database (such as Onshape, Arena, or an ERP). When a new number is required, it is assigned in the database and the "next number" is incremented. Example: 1000052 1000053 1000054 A "S

In my previous post Hidden FeatureScript Functions , I talk about a few hidden functions within FeatureScript and show how they can be used. I'm back with a few more examples. All the example code can be seen here Want to get the most out of Onshape? SmartBench Software can help. Visit www.smartbenchsoftware.com to learn about our custom feature and integration development services. Construct Paths Construct Path is very useful, but what if it was even more useful? construc