Supplier part libraries
Import goBILDA, REV, and the FTC parts library instead of modelling a motor from a photograph.
By the end you can
- Import supplier parts into an Onshape document and link rather than copy them
- Explain why a purchased part should never be remodelled by hand
- Set up a team document structure that keeps imported parts in one place
On this page · 4 sections
Almost everything on an FTC robot is purchased. Modelling any of it yourself is wasted evenings and introduced error.
Never model a purchased part
A goBILDA motor has an exact bolt pattern, shaft diameter, and length. The supplier publishes the model. Remodelling it from a product photo and a spec table gets you:
- A bolt pattern that is 0.3 mm out, so nothing quite lines up.
- A shaft length that ignores the retaining ring groove.
- No update when the supplier revises the part.
Hand-modelled purchased parts are how CAD loses a team's trust
One motor mount that does not fit despite "checking in CAD" is enough for a build team to stop believing the model. Getting this right is as much about credibility as accuracy.
Link, do not copy
Onshape lets you insert a part from another document as a linked reference. The part stays owned by its source document, and you get updates when it changes.
Keep versions pinned
Link to a specific version of a supplier document rather than to its latest state. You want updates to be a decision you make, not something that changes your robot the night before a competition.
A document structure that works
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One team document for the robot, with a Part Studio per mechanism and an assembly per subsystem.
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One "Hardware" document holding linked supplier parts — motors, servos, bearings, wheels, extrusion.
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Link from Hardware into the mechanisms that use them. Every mechanism now references the same motor model.
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Agree on millimetres and confirm imported parts came in at the right scale. An imported STEP at the wrong unit is a classic and very confusing bug.
Check yourself
Your team uses the same goBILDA motor in three different mechanisms. What is the best way to get it into all three?
Next
Parts in hand. Time to build the thing every robot needs.
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