3 Easy Ways to Hide Part Lines in Onshape

Tired of unsightly part lines ruining the aesthetics of your Onshape models? You’re not alone. Part lines are a necessary evil in the 3D modeling process, but they can be a real eyesore. Fortunately, there are a few simple tricks you can use to hide part lines in Onshape, giving your models a seamless and professional look. In this article, we’ll delve into the best practices for concealing part lines, ensuring that your designs shine without any distracting blemishes.

One effective method for hiding part lines is to use fillets and chamfers. Fillets add a smooth, rounded edge to the intersection of two surfaces, while chamfers create a beveled edge. By applying fillets or chamfers to the edges where part lines occur, you can effectively blend them into the surrounding geometry. This approach not only disguises the part lines but also gives your models a more refined and polished appearance.

Another technique to minimize the visibility of part lines is to employ draft angles. Draft angles are slight tapers added to the sides of parts, which facilitate the removal of the part from a mold. By incorporating draft angles into your designs, you can ensure that the part lines are oriented in a way that minimizes their impact on the overall aesthetics of the model. Additionally, draft angles can improve the manufacturability of your parts.

Masking Part Lines with Separate Bodies

One effective method for hiding part lines in Onshape is by creating separate bodies. This approach involves splitting the model into distinct volumetric entities, effectively disguising the part lines between them.

To initiate this process, select the “Body” feature from the Features toolbar. Next, click on the face or faces where you wish to separate the model. Onshape will prompt you to specify the direction of the cut, defining the plane of separation. After confirming the cut, a new body will be created, isolated from the original.

By repeating this process for each part line you want to conceal, you can effectively create a seamless appearance for your model. The separate bodies can then be blended or joined together, further enhancing the illusion of a single, undivided entity. Additionally, this technique allows for greater flexibility in editing and modifying the model, as changes can be made to specific bodies without affecting the entire model.

Here’s a table summarizing the steps involved in masking part lines with separate bodies:

Step	Action
1	Select the “Body” feature from the Features toolbar.
2	Click on the face or faces where you wish to separate the model.
3	Specify the direction of the cut, defining the plane of separation.
4	Confirm the cut to create a new separate body.
5	Repeat steps 2-4 for each part line you want to conceal.

Leveraging Extrude Faces to Remove Visible Joints

Extrude Faces is a powerful tool in Onshape that enables you to extend or extrude faces to create solid or hollow extensions. In the context of hiding part lines, you can utilize Extrude Faces to fill in or eliminate visible gaps and edges where two faces intersect, creating a seamless transition.

To illustrate this technique, consider a situation where two planes intersect at a 90-degree angle. The resulting part line can be distracting and affect the overall appearance of the model.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Extrude Faces to hide part lines:

1. Select the two faces that form the intersection.
2. Go to the “Create” tab and choose “Extrude Faces.”
3. Choose the “Face” option and select the face you want to extend.
4. Specify the distance or depth of the extrusion.
5. Check the “Merge Result” box to combine the extruded face with the selected face, effectively hiding the part line.
6. Select the “Apply” button to finalize the operation.

Step	Description
1	Select the two intersecting faces
2	Select the Extrude Faces option
3	Choose the face to extend
4	Define the extrusion distance
5	Check the Merge Result option
6	Click Apply to finalize the extrusion and hide the part line

Customizing Feature Settings to Control Part Line Visibility

Onshape provides several settings within feature definitions that allow you to control the visibility of part lines. These settings can be found in the Feature Properties panel, which can be accessed by right-clicking on a feature in the Feature Tree and selecting “Properties”.

Show/Hide Part Line

The most straightforward way to control part line visibility is to use the “Show/Hide Part Line” setting. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. When enabled, this setting will display the part line on the model. When disabled, the part line will be hidden.

Part Line Width

The “Part Line Width” setting controls the thickness of the part line. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. Increasing the part line width will make the line more visible, while decreasing the width will make it less visible.

Part Line Color

The “Part Line Color” setting controls the color of the part line. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. You can select any color from the color palette to apply to the part line.

Part Line Pattern

The “Part Line Pattern” setting controls the pattern of the part line. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. You can select from a variety of patterns, such as dashed, dotted, or dash-dotted.

Part Line Opacity

The “Part Line Opacity” setting controls the transparency of the part line. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. Increasing the opacity will make the part line more opaque, while decreasing the opacity will make it more transparent.

Edge Opacity

The “Edge Opacity” setting controls the transparency of the edges of the part line. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. Increasing the edge opacity will make the edges of the part line more opaque, while decreasing the edge opacity will make them more transparent.

Edge Width

The “Edge Width” setting controls the thickness of the edges of the part line. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. Increasing the edge width will make the edges of the part line thicker, while decreasing the edge width will make them thinner.

Edge Pattern

The “Edge Pattern” setting controls the pattern of the edges of the part line. This setting can be found in the “Geometry” section of the Feature Properties panel. You can select from a variety of patterns, such as dashed, dotted, or dash-dotted.

Understanding the Impact of Assembly Constraints on Part Lines

1. Assembly Constraints

Assembly constraints define how parts interact and move within an assembly. These constraints can impact the visibility and behavior of part lines.

2. Mate Constraints

Mate constraints fix the position, orientation, or distance between parts.
They can hide part lines by aligning parts perfectly, leading to a seamless appearance.

3. Coincident Constraints

Coincident constraints align two surfaces, edges, or points.
They can hide part lines by creating a single surface or line, instead of two separate ones.

4. Parallel Constraints

Parallel constraints ensure two lines remain parallel.
They can hide part lines when they run along the same axis, as they create a continuous line.

5. Perpendicular Constraints

Perpendicular constraints enforce a 90-degree angle between two lines.
They can hide part lines by aligning edges perpendicularly, creating a sharp intersection.

6. Distance Constraints

Distance constraints specify the separation between two surfaces, edges, or points.
They can hide part lines by moving parts far enough apart to eliminate their visibility.

7. Fixed Constraints

Fixed constraints prevent parts from moving relative to each other.
They can hide part lines by locking parts together, making their movement imperceptible.

8. Degenerate Constraints

Degenerate constraints occur when two or more constraints are redundant or contradictory.
They can lead to unexpected behavior, including the appearance or disappearance of part lines.

9. Symmetry Constraints

Symmetry constraints mirror parts or features around a plane or axis.
They can hide part lines by creating symmetrical components, where the lines coincide on both sides.

10. Advanced Assembly Techniques

Advanced assembly techniques, such as subassemblies and flexible links, can introduce additional levels of complexity to constraint management.
Careful consideration of these techniques is crucial to avoid unintended effects on part line visibility.

Constraint Type	Impact on Part Lines
Mate	Hides lines by aligning parts
Coincident	Creates single surfaces/lines, hiding lines
Parallel	Hides lines by creating continuous lines
Perpendicular	Hides lines by creating sharp intersections
Distance	Hides lines by moving parts apart
Fixed	Locks parts together, hiding movement
Degenerate	Can cause unexpected line behavior
Symmetry	Hides lines by creating symmetrical components

How To Hide Part Lines In Onshape

Part lines are the lines that divide different parts of a model. They can be used to create complex shapes and assemblies, but they can also be distracting when you’re trying to view or edit a model. If you want to hide part lines, you can do so by following these steps:

Select the part or assembly that you want to hide the part lines on.
Click on the "View" tab in the top menu bar.
Uncheck the "Show Part Lines" option.

The part lines will now be hidden from view. You can still see and edit the parts of the model, but the part lines will not be visible. To show the part lines again, simply follow the same steps and check the “Show Part Lines” option.