Reusable Features in Part Design

[SarenT]

Most likely this was asked and answered before but I was not able to find it.
I often use certain features/shapes in different places, which require multiple steps in the part design. For instance, a hex-nut holder requires a hexagonal pocket with a depth of 3mm and a cylindrical pocket (2 steps). These 2 steps can be aligned. What I mean by that is that their centers are coincidental and they are on the same plane.
So my question is... Can I combine these 2 or more steps into one "feature" or function, to reuse? I really don't mean patterns. Sometimes, I would like to reuse this in places, where I can't make a pattern for. Even if I could, I would still need to make a pattern for each step.
My second question is: Can these features be parametric. e.g. Can I define the depth of hexagonal each time I would be using this feature? e.g. edge length 3mm, 3 mm deep and the hole diameter 2mm (3mm, 3mm, 2mm) or another time with (4mm, 4mm, 2.5mm)?
Is it possible to do this in PartDesign without Macros?

PS: All I was able to find was about reusable parts and sketches, which is not what I am looking for.

[Workshop_Notes]

...Can these features be parametric

Have a look at 'Configuration tables' in the Spreadsheet workbench.

https://wiki.freecad.org/Spreadsheet_Wo ... ion_tables

The hexagon and cylinder automagically fuse if you pad them (using parameters from the configuration table), so to save making two pockets, a single Boolean subtract of the pad from the other object might work.

[onekk]

Maybe it worth to inspect even Shapebinder and Subshapebinder.

Regards

Carlo D.

[chrisb]

I once had a similar task for a 3D print: slit axles with a retaining ring at the end to clip gears into them.
I haven't found a solution yet.
I don't see that configuration tables or (Sub)ShapeBinders solve the job, although they both can help, because it would still be necessary to construct all the features. A configuration table would not really help, because the sizes are for this use case always identical and only the Placement/AttachmentOffset varies. A ShapeBinder has the minor disadvantage to be affected by the topological naming problem - which is already worse enough - and the major disadvantage that there is no possibility to make it immediately solid.

[thomas-neemann]

If I understood it correctly, I would create something like this in part as "factory standard punching tools" which I would save in individual files. these parts are parametric

[SarenT]

Have a look at 'Configuration tables' in the Spreadsheet workbench.

https://wiki.freecad.org/Spreadsheet_Wo ... ion_tables

I have just looked into this and it is really close. As @chrisb said the only caveat being that it requires separate spreadsheets for each configuration, if you intend to use the same "Part" or operation with different configurations. Because it does configure the part itself and not where you want to apply it. e.g. I can't have a single hex nut pocket for M2, M3 and M4 bolts in my design. I need to make them separately and use in my part design. Then I can as well not use a config table.

[SarenT]

Maybe it worth to inspect even Shapebinder and Subshapebinder.

This also comes very close! The only caveat as the one above, I can't configure the operations, when I am applying them on my PartDesign. But it definitely simplifies it.

[saso]

In commercial cad's this are called "power copies" and "user defined features"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfMDKk9DMKY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR1rdfhdbjc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86o7f4tlfBQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OmdSvQQ2JU

Here is an old post that demonstrates a bit how this idea sort of works in FC, but it does not really support all the options the user has in the full implementations of this in commercial cad's...

viewtopic.php?p=387863#p387863

This example is sort of also following this idea (test.FCStd file of this example is available in a posts above the linked post)

viewtopic.php?p=444230#p444230

[SarenT]

If I understood it correctly, I would create something like this in part as "factory standard punching tools" which I would save in individual files. these parts are parametric

Hi @thomas-neemann , how does that work? By naively googling it, I did not find anything.

[thomas-neemann]

there is no macro or function for this. you create normal geometries that can be used as cutting tools (boolean cut) and save them in a central location with meaningful names