[Feature request] "Replace" -command

[Pauvres_honteux]

Hi, I want to propose a function/command for replacing e.g. Body with another Body, Surface with another Surface, Wire with another Wire and so on.

My argument would be: it's the most frequently used function/command in projects where one iterate your way to the final product. E.g. automotive industri has a typical turn around time of 2 - 7 years. During this time one has replaced, above mentioned, countless times within one file (Part).
For those of you not familiar with the workflow of the automotive industry, one usually create a few files (Parts) for concepts at the beginning of a project.
These files are then copied and pasted with the command "Break link" to assure no links goes back to the original file. After that one starts to refine one, or more, aspects of the design.

And this is where the "Replace" -command comes to rescue. The timeline is, as always, way to tight so anything thing helping in cutting corners is heavily utilized. There's simply no time to redo all the stuff in a file between iterations, one must reuse as much as it is ever possible. When the project ends one typically has 25 - 150 copies of copies of copies of ...

This to be able to easily fork off a, for the moment, good enough solution and continue on that branch. If/when that branch/solution proves to not stand up the task one must make a fork of some previous file(Part) and continue from there.

By the way, isn't it how you codies work?

I guess this one is for you guys?

realthunder

ezzieyguywuf

tanderson69

[chrisb]

You know OpenSCAD ReplaceObject?

[freecad-heini-1]

You know OpenSCAD ReplaceObject?

Whow Chris, great. I never before heard from OpenSCAD replace.

OpenSCAD_replace.gif (211.69 KiB) Viewed 915 times

[Kunda1]

Tag::Tip

[Pauvres_honteux]

Hi chrisb,

You know OpenSCAD ReplaceObject?

can you please test if it works with Bodys as well?
And please check if it survives a "save + open"-cycle with a subsequent new replace.

OS: "openSUSE Leap 42.2"
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.18.13516 (Git) AppImage
Build type: None
Branch: master
Hash: 7101d9a89d49ed718d42611a81f1097b723e5ad2
Python version: 2.7.6
Qt version: 4.8.6
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.2.0

gives me:

Code: Select all

OpenSCAD executable not found
Cannot find icon: python
Cannot find icon: python

I got to this point when trying to replace Body_2 with Body_3:
.

Replace_test_1.png (38.43 KiB) Viewed 836 times

.

Replace_test_2.png (44.37 KiB) Viewed 836 times

.

Replace_test_3.png (73 KiB) Viewed 836 times

[tanderson69]

Hi, I want to propose a function/command for replacing e.g. Body with another Body, Surface with another Surface, Wire with another Wire and so on.

My argument would be: it's the most frequently used function/command in projects where one iterate your way to the final product. E.g. automotive industri has a typical turn around time of 2 - 7 years. During this time one has replaced, above mentioned, countless times within one file (Part).
For those of you not familiar with the workflow of the automotive industry, one usually create a few files (Parts) for concepts at the beginning of a project.
These files are then copied and pasted with the command "Break link" to assure no links goes back to the original file. After that one starts to refine one, or more, aspects of the design.

And this is where the "Replace" -command comes to rescue. The timeline is, as always, way to tight so anything thing helping in cutting corners is heavily utilized. There's simply no time to redo all the stuff in a file between iterations, one must reuse as much as it is ever possible. When the project ends one typically has 25 - 150 copies of copies of copies of ...

This to be able to easily fork off a, for the moment, good enough solution and continue on that branch. If/when that branch/solution proves to not stand up the task one must make a fork of some previous file(Part) and continue from there.

By the way, isn't it how you codies work?

Yes, you are describing source control management. Having different revisions(branches) is pretty straight forward. I don't understand how the replace command is supposed to play out with the different revisions.

[DeepSOIC]

I am developing such a tool for part-o-magic. It's halfway there.

OpenSCAD ReplaceObject is not tolerant to parts/bodies, and can create quite some mess.

[DeepSOIC]

I got to this point when trying to replace Body_2 with Body_3:

So you had body1 using body2 for BOP, and you wanted to change it to use Body3 instead? This is a bit special situation, as Boolean is a container. Even PoM might not be able to do it, it's extra challenging because of continuous strict enforcement "object may be in only one container at any instant". I asked ickby to offer a method to temporarily suppress the enforcement, but it didn't happen ... or I may be simply not seeing it .

[NormandC]

I got to this point when trying to replace Body_2 with Body_3:

Why are you trying to use an external tool for a job that can already be done by editing the PartDesign Boolean feature itself?

[DeepSOIC]

Part-o-magic tool is open for testing.
https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic. ... 20#p229081