Allow Editing Linked Components

[Anonymous]

I have an assembly that I dragged in components from the data panel. The components appear with a link on them as expected. Just like in solidworks, if I make changes to the model elsewhere it updates in the assembly. However, unlike Solidworks I'm unable to modify the components from within the assembly. My workflow consists of modifying components in the context of other components but I'm unable to do this. The only thing I can do is right click > open and modify the component on its own.

In assemblies that have components that are local and not linked I'm able to activate them and edit them in context.

[roambotics_scott]

Totally want this as well. At the moment I'm just breaking links which defeats the purpose of linking things.

[JetForMe]

I need this as well. @roambotics_scott, how do you break the link? That would solve most of my needs. For example, I mirrored a body, and then wanted to change a feature on the body, but couldn't without it also changing it on the original. Breaking the link would be sufficient (if not the most efficient).

[roambotics_scott]

[on a MacBook, two-finger tap; in Windows, right click, I think]

.. though that very quickly becomes a giant pain in the **** if you have to do it more than a few times

[soswow]

I am surprised it has this little votes ... And I also remember it was said somewhere in official channels, that this feature will be implemented. But it was long time ago.

[roambotics_scott]

@soswow agreed but 17 is actually a huge number of votes for here (people seem to treat them like each one will take a month off of their lives)

[soswow]

@roambotics_scott can you elaborate what you mean by "people seem to treat them like each one will take a month off of their lives"? I think I understood, but not sure.

Also I couldn't find this in the list of existing ideas: but what about be able to export one component to be separate design, replacing it in the main design as a reference while exporting?

[roambotics_scott]

@soswow I just mean that there are ideas here that are glaringly obvious no-brainers and yet they only have a couple of votes. That drives me nuts considering that it takes almost zero effort and costs absolutely nothing to upvote something.

I could be misunderstanding you but what you're talking about sounds a bit like fork-and-merge to me which is supposed to be coming soon.

[soswow]

@roambotics_scott not sure. I would like to have fork and merge on one component though. Imagine you design something complex, and in the mid of designing, you realize, that this "component X" that is part of main design, can be used in other designs later on. So you want to have it as separate design, not as just a component in this main design you have right now. So, I would like to click export and have it not not as a normal component, but referenced component.

[roambotics_scott]

@soswow what you're talking about is basically branching off a submodule / sub-repository in version control. Definitely something they should support and seems like a very natural use case. Why not create an idea for it just in case ? 🙂 

[CadZebra]

I have to agree it is suprising this post has so few votes, but after I typed in several queries to the Ideastation - I tried assembly update ,X-Ref updates, xref update -  I only found this post after going 11 pages into that query.  I think the low vote count is that people just don't find or see this idea.

For those of us that come from Swerks, NX or PTC, F360 has a number of inteface quirks that take a lot of getting used to - and I'm still suspecting some of that is a Not Invented Here syndrome - but you can eventaully accomplish some of the tasks you set out to do without trips to the forum or Youtube library.  But the workflow to update xrefs (subassemblies to the rest of the world) isn't a quirk, it is just really poorly thought out.  The number of steps required for me to modify 1 dimension in a component in a nested subassembly is brutal - a total time waste and it is repeated again and again.  Its like they really don't want you to use X-refs, a quick step count is below . . .

1) Left click and/or right click on the component to try to find it in the browser - note - hopefully at some point the F360 PM's will see the light and actually let you directly select the geopmetry you want to work on (the most intuitive and natural workflow I can imagine) and just starrt working, but for now you still have to select to finsd it in the browser, which in itself is a bit of a time suck, but I digress.

2) Open the part, turn on all the dimensions you had to hide so they don't show up in the assembly and now you can edit the part.

2) Save the part

3) Click the annoying Add Version Dialog box 

4) Go back into the main assembly - notice the giant useless dialog in the lower right telling you your assembly is out of date - thanks - I know this already

5) Now open the sub-assembly becuase you can't update that in the main, you have to open it and update directly

6) Notice the giant useless dialog in the lower right telling you your sub-assembly is out of date

7) Save the sub-assembly

😎 Click the annoying Add Version Dialog box 

9) Go back into the main assembly - notice the giant useless dialog is still in the lower right

10) Select the component update button and wait for everything to update and load.

11 - N) repeat steps 1-10 each time you need to edit anything in one of your components (color, dimension, visibilit of sketch or origins)

I think anyone that watched this process a few times would have to agree, its not a good use of time, and I really hope they can fix this soon, it really breaks any hope fo a clean workflow in assemblies.

[csulzer]

A potenially huge benefit for those who desire to use a traditional approach to in-assembly modelling but yet want to share components across multiple assemblies without making a broken link copy of the component from the original assembly design.

Ie. I would like to be able to activate and add features or modify sketches in linked components within an assemlby and snap to features in another component (ex. matching bolt patterns).  I realize fusion does not allow external references in linked comonents, but could fusion be made to allow temporarily snapping to external references during sketching in an activated linked component but not actually create/save an external reference within the linked component under activation/modification?

[daballachris]

I'd like this as well. It would also be nice if you could update all of the components in the model, not just the first level components (making the linked components not read only would probably allow this.)

[Anonymous]

I agree, updates on linked components should work in both directions. Perhaps updates in both directions is more complicated than one-way, but if Solidworks figured out a way to do it, why not Fusion 360? This is a mutex kind of problem, same as "shared memory" in computer science. Wost case sinaero is Jack works on linked component open by itself, as Jill edits the same component within an assembly. Then they both save at about the same time. Now Jack's copy has Jack's changes, and Jill's copy has Jill's changes, but neither has the other's changes, and/or multiple file versions result and collide. I don't know how Solidworks deals with this. I remember a functional computer language, Erlang, where there was no contension over shared memory or objects, only copies were made and messages were passed between objects, and failures of object instances were reliably reported, etc. Extremely reliable base on which very complicated telephone exchanges, complex web serving systems, etc. were built. Maybe this is a model that could save the day here.

But like the other users have said, locking it up from saving linked components may buy some time, but users expect more. At least streamline the process to make a new component with the required in-context modifications, without the 10 step process noted above. Then a "replace linked component with current" command could finish the swap of the new and old linked components, and update the version number on the new one.

[Anonymous]

Ultimately, I think the Erlang no-shared objects model is what Fusion is doing.

In my case today, I wanted to take a few linked components, and combine them into a component and group them so they stayed together as a subassembly, rather than individual components within the main design project. (A bolt, nut, and 2 washers, each in a seperate linked component, located in space using joints, essentially where I wanted them, but I wanted them to live in an assembly, not loose components in the design main project.)

I created a new component, and was able to cut and paste the linked components (nut, bolt, 2 washers) into the new component, and save it.

Using the Data Panel, click on item and right click > open, I was able to open this new assembly in a new design window, and they showed up in the correct relative positions as they were in the main project, but I had to make them into a rigid group to make them stay put relative to one another. Also, the joint to the external components needed to be redone after bringing this new nut bolt washer assembly back into the main project.

In the original main design project window, I went back in time using undo, to the undo for just before I added the original linked components (nut, bolt, two washers). Then using the Data Panel, I found the saved assembly, right click > "insert into project" the new nut, bolt, washers assembly I had treaked off on the side. Make sure the correct destination component is active so it inserts into the correct parent component. So finally, I have my linked nut, bolt and 2 washers living inside a linked parent component.

I still think there must be a way to streamline this long process without breaking the rules of data integrity. There are too many steps to accomplish what should be a simple operation, at least simple in the sense of what users expect to be able to do without headaches of long winded workflows. If versioning issues are created which require a decision on which way to branch the new changes, maybe ask the user how to proceed via a dialog box.

[JamieGilchrist]

Thanks for your input.  We've already logged this in our backlog (FUS-18499) and are prioritizing a time frame that this will get implemented.

[TrippyLighting]

Based on what I see here on the forum (and not only here) I believe that a rather high number of users use way too many linked components.

This applies particularly to people that have prior experience with Solid Works, Solid Edge etc.

I've worked with Solid Works myself for about 12 years

Anyway, vote added!

[rsteeleXGDAD]

I couldn't agree more, we need to be able to do "in=place editing" on any component or subassembly!!!

[Noah_Katz]

Yes, it's especially frustrating having your hands tied by links when you're the only person working on the project.

Hope they're working on this.

[Anonymous]

Good ****ing god, how is this STILL not fixed? What's the point of having these reference links at all if they're so bloody useless? Worst than useless, really - they're actively counterproductive as-is.

All I wanted to do was create my parts individually, because of the well-known problems organizing things in F360. I didn't want to deal with a mile-long part list in main assembly when I was working on a sub-group. But eventually you need to integrate your parts, and this nonsense makes that impossible.

[Anonymous]

Just voicing my opinion that in-context editing of parts is incredibly important (agreeing with everyone else here).  AutoDesk, PLEASE address this.  I'm about to abandon this platform after a month of racking my brain trying to figure out how to have a similar workflow that I had on NX for 5+ years in the aerospace industry.  It blows my mind that you can't edit in-situ.