Finish Onshape elbow feature

[aaronyaosmith]

Create a feature using FeatureScript which generates a pipe network given a user-provided line sketch as its shape. We've successfully added elbows to each right angle in the sketch, but now let's add the straight pipes!

Some specifications:

• The line sketch should propagate from a single selected line, so that additional line segments will automatically be covered.
• The straight pipes will be extruded from the elbows, using the pipe size given by the user in the feature parameters.

Once we finish this feature, we'll move on to a new project in the 'aide' repository, rather than this one.

Edit 3/25/19: We've reopened this issue; our goal right now is to plan our steps going forward with Featurescript. Since we've yet to finalize what we want out of this feature, I've changed the deadline to be tentatively at the end of the semester.

Deadline: Friday, May 10

[SinhaVinita]

I have been looking at the code for pipe library in order to gain insight into possible ways of creating a pipe feature. Working on it!

[aaronyaosmith]

I've been meeting with the rest of AIDE (specifically Matt, Oliver, Connor) to help determine how best to implement this feature, and what AIDE Code will be doing moving forward after this project. No big changes for this project, but we've decided that our next project will be implementing an interface for the backend work that AIDE Design has done, using Python web development libraries.

[zhenxiao3]

I have been working with Eric to fix the code we made last semester and continue making progress with the functions. We have completed finding points on the lines and adding elbows to the points with right angles.

[ericxhm]

I have finished the procedure to create pipes based on the inputted data. The current obstacle is naming unique sketches inside of a loop, however the program should be mostly finished very soon.

[aaronyaosmith]

The tool is fully functional now and can be used by AIDE Template. There are some small tweaks left to be made, but we're shelving the project now as complete.

[eak24]

@aaronyaosmith can I see the tool? Does it handle Ts and reductions? We should definitely try to include that before shelving it!

[aaronyaosmith]

@ethan92429 The tool is available here! Ts and reductions are both not included; the reason why we haven't yet put them in is that both Ts and reductions would require a lot of refactoring of the code we have right now to deal with adding non-elbow objects.

[eak24]

Could we make a version of this feature, as it currently is, and then try to add Tees and reductions? It will involve quite a bit of refactoring, but it is pretty critical to get a well-rounded feature script that we'll really be able to use in the plant design. Currently, with the elbows and straight pipes, we're pretty limited in our piping geometry.

[aaronyaosmith]

Update: We've reopened this issue; our goal right now is to plan our steps going forward with Featurescript, which will include working on the elbow feature and/or other features in some way. Since we've yet to finalize what we want out of this feature, I've changed the deadline to be tentatively at the end of the semester.

[ericxhm]

Currently, this issue is not of top priority. We may return to the pipe featurescript in the future, but I have not worked on this. If Template decides that changes are necessary to the pipe function, I will return to this issue and work on it then.

[eak24]

One very important thing to do that this feature currently doesn't is to encode the length and size of each pipe/fitting in the part properties. That is critical in order to create a BOM.

[SinhaVinita]

If we are going to work on FeatureScripts, we can work on that after Spring break.

[aaronyaosmith]

@ethan92429 good point we'll discuss this during our meeting tomorrow

[eak24]

Yes! Enjoy Spring break! 😄

[SinhaVinita]

I think we can close this issue after we are done with the modifications in pipe and elbow feature. We should create a new issue for T's and reductions.

[ericxhm]

There are still more aspects of the pipes and elbows feature that we should work on, so I don't think closing the issue is the best idea until we work on naming parts in properties, etc. However, I do agree that a new issue for T's and reductions should be created, since it is a significant change to the current feature.

[ericxhm]

Didn't mean to close it

[SinhaVinita]

Have been looking at the code and the forum. Going to discuss with the team.

[ericxhm]

Last week the issue that Eric Dalpe mentioned, which is that the end points of pipe structures are not properly connecting and being cut off, was fixed. This was fixed 4/10/19. The current objectives are to have the feature recognize a single pipe, and also to implement a system where in properties, the pipe/elbow parts are named with a recognizable code that specifies the part parameters, in order for a BOM to be created and Template to be able to work in assemblies more efficiently. Once these are done, I believe we can close the current pipes issue, and move onto a T's and reductions feature that will be a separate undertaking compared to this issue.

[ericxhm]

Just met with @ericdalpe, the pipe trimming has been fixed and confirmed. Currently, the single pipe creation is still bugged, and will require further testing. Dalpe also mentioned removing the construction lines that are left over after patterning, which will be tackled after single pipes are confirmed working.

[ericxhm]

The single pipe feature has been implemented. Currently the main goal is still to remove sketch lines from the feature without disrupting the model, and also naming parts properly.

[ericxhm]

Currently still working, progress has been stalled due to final presentation. Will make the last touches over the next week before end of year.

[SinhaVinita]

Pipe feature implemented. Will look at the naming of parts in proper order this week.

[zhenxiao3]

Currently looking into naming the parts.

[aaronyaosmith]

Not much has been done regarding the pipes because of work on the final presentation; we hope to finish up what we can by the end of the semester!