Me: i’m designing a flip up straw water bottle. i now have 3 bodies, the straw, the cap with threading, and the bottle with threading. what mates do i need so that the straw can rotate, and so that the cap can twist open and move up to show the inside of the bottle
NotebookLM: Based on the sources provided, here are the mates you would need in an Onshape Assembly to achieve the desired motion for your flip-up straw water bottle.
An Onshape Assembly is the environment where you define the hierarchical structure of parts, their degrees of freedom, and how they move in relation to each other using mates.
Fixing a Base Part
First, it is recommended to fix one part in your assembly so that all other parts are mated relative to it. This removes all of its degrees of freedom. For your design, the bottle would be the logical choice for the fixed part. You can do this by right-clicking on the bottle in the graphics area or the instances list and selecting ‘Fix’. A fixed part will have a specific icon next to it in the assembly list.
Mates for the Rotating Straw
To allow the straw to rotate, you need a mate that permits rotation around an axis while constraining other movements.
• Revolute Mate: This mate is a strong candidate. It allows for simple rotation around a single axis.
• Cylindrical Mate: This mate allows a part to rotate about an axis and also move linearly along that same axis. If you want the straw to only rotate (like it’s hinged) and not slide up and down, the Revolute mate is the more appropriate choice as it removes more degrees of freedom than the Cylindrical mate.
To apply this mate, you would select either the Revolute Mate or Cylindrical Mate from the Assembly toolbar. Onshape uses ‘Mate connectors’—points on faces or edges that define a coordinate system—to establish mates. You would select a Mate connector on the straw (for example, on a cylindrical face) and a corresponding Mate connector on the cap where the straw pivots.
Mates for the Twisting Cap
For the cap to twist open and move upwards, simulating the action of unthreading, you need a mate that combines rotation with linear movement.
• Cylindrical Mate: This is the ideal mate for this action. As mentioned, the Cylindrical Mate defines movement that allows a part to both rotate around an axis and slide along it. This perfectly mimics the motion of a screw thread.
To implement this, you would:
1. Select the Cylindrical Mate from the toolbar.
2. Onshape will prompt you to select Mate connectors.
3. Hover over a cylindrical face on the cap’s threading and select one of the default Mate connector locations.
4. Repeat the process for a corresponding cylindrical face on the bottle’s threading.
5. Once you click the second connector, the parts will snap into position. You can then test the motion by dragging the cap, and it should rotate as it moves up and down along the defined axis.
General Assembly Workflow
The basic steps for assembling your parts in Onshape are:
1. Insert Parts: Bring your bottle, cap, and straw into the Assembly tab.
2. Fix a Part: Right-click the bottle and select ‘Fix’ to ground it.
3. Create Mates: Apply the mates as described above to define the movement between the parts. You can use the Mate connector tool to precisely define connection points ahead of time if needed.
Me: how do i make a drawing and a bill of materials on onshape ipad
NotebookLM:Based on the sources provided, here is how you can create drawings and a Bill of Materials (BOM) on the Onshape iPad app, along with the specific functionalities and limitations of the mobile platform.
Creating a Drawing on iPad
You can initiate the creation of a drawing from your parts or assemblies on an iPad, but the functionality is limited compared to the browser version.
• How to Create: To create a drawing, you would typically use the + icon at the bottom of the screen to open the menu for creating new tabs. From there, you would select the option to “Create Drawing”. This action creates a new Drawing tab within your Onshape document.
• Functionality on iPad: It is important to understand that while you can create a drawing on iOS devices, the actions you can perform on that drawing are restricted. According to the sources, the only actions available for drawings on the iOS platform are rename, delete, and export. You will not be able to add drawing views, dimensions, notes, or other annotations on the iPad app. These detailed drawing tasks need to be performed using the browser-based version of Onshape.
Creating and Viewing a Bill of Materials (BOM) on iPad
A Bill of Materials (BOM) in Onshape is not created as a separate file or tab; rather, it is automatically generated for any Assembly you create. The iPad app allows you to view and interact with this BOM in a limited capacity.
• How to Access: Every Onshape Assembly has an associated BOM. To view it on your iPad:
1. Navigate to and open your desired Assembly tab.
2. Locate and tap the BOM table icon. On the browser version, this icon is on the right edge of the graphics area.
• Functionality on iPad: On the iOS platform, you can perform the following actions with a BOM:
◦ View the BOM table that is populated with the parts and subassemblies from your assembly.
◦ Change the view type between a “Flattened” view (a simple list of all parts) and a “Structured” view (which shows the hierarchy of subassemblies).
The sources indicate that more advanced BOM functions—such as adding custom columns, editing properties directly in the table, inserting non-geometric items like glue, or creating templates—are features of the full browser version and are not specified as being available on the iOS app.
Me: i need an isometric view as well as a top and side view
NotebookLM: Based on the sources, here are the methods you can use in Onshape to get an isometric view, as well as top and side views, both in the 3D workspace and on a 2D drawing.
Orienting Your Model in the 3D Workspace
This is the quickest way to change your perspective while designing in a Part Studio or Assembly. The sources describe several methods to achieve this.
Using the View Cube
The View Cube, located in the upper-right corner of the graphics area, is a primary tool for easily modifying your view.
• Top and Side Views: Hover over the View Cube and notice that its faces, edges, and corners highlight. To see a standard top, front, or right-side view, simply click on the corresponding face of the cube.
• Isometric View: To get an isometric view, click on one of the corners of the View Cube. The corner between the ‘Top’, ‘Front’, and ‘Right’ faces is often preferred.
You can also click the smaller cube icon beneath the main View Cube to access a menu with default orientations, including Isometric.
Using the Mouse
You can use your mouse for both free-form rotation and to access specific view commands.
• Free Rotation: To rotate your view freely, click and hold the right mouse button and drag it in the workspace. The model will rotate around the point where you clicked.
• Context Menu: If you have rotated the model and want to quickly return to a standard view, right-click in an empty part of the workspace to open a context menu. From this menu, you can select Isometric to reset the view. You can also select View normal to sketch plane which orients the camera to look directly at the active sketch.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are often the fastest way to switch between standard views.
• Shift + 7: Displays the Isometric view.
• Shift + 5: Displays the Top view.
• Shift + 4: Displays the Right side view.
• Shift + 1: Displays the Front view.
• Shift + 3: Displays the Left side view.
• N: This key orients the view normal to a selected plane or face, which is functionally the same as getting a top or side view of that specific surface. Pressing N a second time will flip the view 180 degrees.
• F: This key will zoom to fit the entire model on the screen, which can be useful if you get lost while rotating or zooming.
Creating Views on a 2D Drawing
If you need to create formal engineering drawings with these standard views, you will use the Drawing environment in Onshape.
1. Create a Drawing Tab: First, you need to create a drawing. You can do this by right-clicking on a Part Studio or Assembly tab and selecting Create Drawing of… from the context menu. This will create a new Drawing tab in your document.
2. Place a Base View: Once you are in the drawing environment, you will be prompted to place a base view of your part or assembly.
3. Create Projected Views: After placing the base view, you can use the Projected View tool to create other views from it.
◦ Move your cursor above the base view to create a top view.
◦ Move your cursor to the side of the base view to create a side view.
◦ Move your cursor diagonally from the base view to create an isometric view.
◦ The keyboard shortcut to activate the Projected View tool is p.