What’s New: Onshape Labs NVIDIA Omniverse Publisher, Assembly-Level Instance Properties, Image Library Infrastructure

This month’s release introduces several time-saving enhancements across modeling, drawings, and data management, designed to improve clarity and accelerate your product development workflow.

Onshape Labs

Onshape Labs is a new initiative for rapidly developing and testing cutting-edge capabilities, including AI-driven tools, directly within the Onshape cloud-native CAD and PDM platform. By combining early customer feedback with rapid product releases outside of Onshape’s standard three-week release cycle, Onshape Labs creates a faster path to deliver advanced tools.

NVIDIA Omniverse Publisher

Onshape Labs introduces the NVIDIA Omniverse Publisher, available in the Onshape App Store. Go from CAD to advanced simulation faster with direct publishing from Onshape to platforms compatible with NVIDIA Omniverse, including Isaac Sim. Define robotics behavior within your Onshape assemblies, export simulation-ready OpenUSD data, and keep simulations synchronized as designs change. A robust feedback and update loop between design, simulation, and controls development helps robotics teams iterate confidently as hardware evolves.

CAD Improvements

Mutual Trim Across Multiple Surfaces

Mutual Trim now supports operations across multiple surfaces simultaneously. A new “surface to keep” selection allows you to easily specify exactly which geometry remains, streamlining complex surfacing tasks.

Support Chains of Curves in the Slot Sketch Tool

Chained sketch slots allow Onshape users to create complex sketch slots more efficiently. This enhancement enables selecting multiple chained entities, including lines, arcs, ellipses, and splines, to create continuously trimmed slots. This is particularly useful for complex CAM toolpaths and other design elements, as it eliminates the need for manual trimming or selecting multiple regions, significantly simplifying the slot creation process.

Query Variable: Adjacent Selection Type

A new “Adjacent” selection type has been added to Query variables, making it easier to build robust, parametric selections that reference neighboring entities automatically.

Enhanced Circular Measurements

Quick measurements for circular selections now automatically display comprehensive data—including min/max, center, and axis distances—giving you the dimensions you need with fewer clicks.

Boundary Surface Approximation Failures

The underlying algorithms for the Boundary Surface feature have been updated. While the user interface remains unchanged, the update yields higher-quality surfaces and reduces “inconsistent boundary conditions” warnings. The distribution of control points and knots is also cleaner using the new algorithm, improving boundary surface workflows.

Resize Part Dropdown and Tooltip for Configured Properties

User interface enhancements now allow resizing of the part dropdown menu, alongside improved tooltips, making it easier to read and manage complex configured properties.

Forward and Back Navigation in Feature Studios

Navigation inside Feature Studios has been enhanced with native Forward and Back capabilities, greatly speeding up custom FeatureScript development workflows.

Text Preview for .csv and .json Files

You can now preview the text contents of imported .csv and .json files directly within Onshape’s document view without needing to download them first.

Assembly-Level Instance Properties

You can now define instance-specific properties directly at the Assembly level. This allows for greater metadata flexibility without having to alter the properties of the original part.

Moving Mate Connector Following Geometry

Mate connectors will now intelligently follow their underlying reference geometry if that geometry is modified or moved.

Show Top-Level Assembly Row Option Setting

A new option lets you easily toggle the visibility of the top-level assembly row in Bills of Materials (BOMs).

Convert to Expression in Assemblies

Instance checkbox and text configuration inputs can now be converted to expressions via right-click when changing the instance configuration and in configuration tables.

Note: Assemblies currently don’t support dynamic suppression.

Image Library Infrastructure

A new centralized image library infrastructure has been introduced, allowing for more streamlined management of decals, backgrounds, and rendering textures.

Reflection Analysis — Lock Environment Map to the Object

During reflection analysis, you can now lock the environment map to the object. This ensures consistent light evaluation across surfaces as the model is rotated.

Drawings Improvements

Copy or Move a Drawing Sheet Across Workspaces

You can now seamlessly copy or move individual drawing sheets between different workspaces, improving drawing management and reuse.

Support Replication for Hole Callouts and External Threads

The Replicate Annotations feature has been expanded. You can now quickly replicate hole callouts and external thread dimensions across patterned or repetitive drawing views.

Render Studio Improvements

Multi-Appearance Appearance Setups

Render Studio Advanced adds support for multi-appearance setups, allowing you to quickly toggle and visualize different material states on a single model or assembly.

PCB Studio Improvements

Store Reference Designators in Onshape Assembly

Reference designators are now stored natively within the Onshape Assembly rather than isolated within PCB Studio, improving cross-discipline alignment and BOM accuracy.

CAM Studio Improvements

Post Settings for “Machine Retracts”

CAM Studio now offers the ability to set default machine retracts for the following post-processors:

• Generic Fanuc
• Fanuc 31i B
• Tormach PathPilot
• Penta TCPC-Kinetic
• Datron Next
• Haas NGC/CHC

In post settings, users can now choose reference point G28, second reference point G30, or machine system G53 on tool changes, work planes that change orientation, and program end.

• Reference point G28: G28 Z0 / G28 X0 Y0
• Second reference point G30: G91 G30 Z0 / G30 Y0
• Machine system G53: G90 G53 Z0 / G53 Y0

We will continue to update existing post-processors to include these options in future releases.

Better Handling of Cut Direction Based on Features

Cut features now have improved logic to automatically determine the correct cut direction based on your selected reference geometry.

Please take a moment to try out these new features and improvements, and leave your comments in the Forums post. For a detailed list of all the changes in this update, please see the changelog.

Remember: The updates listed here are now live for all users when creating new documents. Over the next few days, these features will also be available in documents created before this update.