Version compatibility

[matt]

The prize at the bottom of every box of Synchronous is - version compatibility. Not intentionally, but since synchronous can work with imported files like they're native, getting a translate out from a future version isn't much of a penalty. It's not real reverse compatibility, but it's a whole lot more than you get from history-based tools.

[bnemec]

@matt, It's hard for us history based guys the give up the "blankie" of feature history, it's so engrained into the way we plan a model that not having it is just too uncomfortable. As you state the penalty of importing dumb solid to an older version is really the loss of feature history. With pure Synchronous modeling there's no history to loose.

When I do need to work with imported data (assuming it came in water tight) I've found that a lot can be done with straight forward extrudes and cuts or sometimes better direct editing of rotate/move/offset of faces or bodies, and not to be forgotten the power of multibody Boolean operations. So what power does Sync have over the existing tools I mentioned when it comes to working with imported solid geometry?

[Ry-guy]

@matt, It's hard for us history based guys the give up the "blankie" of feature history, it's so engrained into the way we plan a model that not having it is just too uncomfortable. As you state the penalty of importing dumb solid to an older version is really the loss of feature history. With pure Synchronous modeling there's no history to loose.

When I do need to work with imported data (assuming it came in water tight) I've found that a lot can be done with straight forward extrudes and cuts or sometimes better direct editing of rotate/move/offset of faces or bodies, and not to be forgotten the power of multibody Boolean operations. So what power does Sync have over the existing tools I mentioned when it comes to working with imported solid geometry?

Oh, were to start...first off we need to recognize one thing. History-free doesn't mean feature-free! Synchronous has plenty of features. It has holes, it has paterns, it has chamfers and blends. All these are features and they are also parametric! Just don't get tied down with the concept that parametric means you have a history tree! Nope. Not at all. Secondly, get past the fact that you only have parameters on sketches and history-based features too! That's not the case with synchronous. You are simply appying your parameters to the existing faces/edges instead of some blasted 2D sketch that had to be created before you created your 3D shape.

For your question on what synchonous technology has over the working on "dumb solids" and then using some direct editting or filling holes or creating more 2D sketches to plug holes or make cuts..just go look at the last 5+ years of videos on YouTube. Making changes across multiple parts, copy and pasting faces from one part to another (Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V). There are some many different ways to use synchronous technology- and it's not meant to work all alone or isolated from a design that needs a history-tree. It's just another tool in the toolbox.

[Ry-guy]

The prize at the bottom of every box of Synchronous is - version compatibility. Not intentionally, but since synchronous can work with imported files like they're native, getting a translate out from a future version isn't much of a penalty. It's not real reverse compatibility, but it's a whole lot more than you get from history-based tools.

@matt Don't forget that you are not actually doing a translation if you are using Parasolid export. It's a direct read. Translations occur if you export out to a neutral format like STEP or IGuess and then back into a software that uses Parasolid.

[jcapriotti]

@matt Don't forget that you are not actually doing a translation if you are using Parasolid export. It's a direct read. Translations occur if you export out to a neutral format like STEP or IGuess and then back into a software that uses Parasolid.

I tried this and it did strip out the dimensions and features.......did I export incorrect to parasolid?

[matt]

Yeah, it strips out that info, but synchronous doesn't need that to make changes.

[DanPihlaja]

@matt Don't forget that you are not actually doing a translation if you are using Parasolid export. It's a direct read. Translations occur if you export out to a neutral format like STEP or IGuess and then back into a software that uses Parasolid.

I tried this and it did strip out the dimensions and features.......did I export incorrect to parasolid?

image.png

Saving to Parasolid is a direct read of the body data specifically. Nothing else.

[jcapriotti]

Yeah, it strips out that info, but synchronous doesn't need that to make changes.

True, but you are losing design intent if you have face and dimension parameters defined. You're not as SOL as history based though.

Interesting enough, I thought the features in the tree were like history based features. But they appear to just be an object that remembers which geometry (faces, edges) it created. Like a selection set or something. You can select and delete it but there is no rebuild associated with it. There is also some editing but not quite like when you created the feature.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this method of modeling. I got into situations that I couldn't easily edit and felt I would have to destroy the geometry and recreate. I'm sure I missing something in the plethora of icons that it has on screen for controlling this stuff.