topic Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 21:37:36 GMT

I'm new to Fusion 360, and non-sketchup CAD in general. I'm asking these questions from the point of view of designing for woodworking.

If I have a sketch with multiple adjacent regions, and I want to extrude them into separate components, is there a way to do that in one step?

Looking at this image, it seems I have to select and extrude each region separately to create a new and separate body/component for that section.

As a follow up, if I do have to do each section separately, is there a way to "record" the process and apply it to the separate sections, either as a group or individually?

For example, I found myself extracting all 4 sides of a cabinet I had sketched in elevation; Each side was extruded from an offset plane to a surface with an offset. So it was several clicks/typing for each one. Would have been nice to just be able to apply those instructions over and over again.

And then if THAT is possible, is there are way to discern between a master instruction applied to multiple parts, in such a way that if the master changes they all change, Vs applying the instructions in a copy/paste manner so that they are specific to the created part?

Thanks!

edit: I searched a little more and the one reasonable solution I found is to create a cutting tool by extruding the sketch in patch space and then thickening by an infinitesimal value in model space, then to use that to cut/combine the main body.
This seems a little cumbersome, as for fewer than half a dozen parts it's probably easiest to just repeat the extrude. Anyone have a better method? I am a little shocked that there isn't a checkbox for this- like I said I don't do much CAD, but I can't believe this isn't a common objective.

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

davebYYPCU — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 21:57:29 GMT

First, you don’t have to Thicken the cutter unless you are cutting a gap. The patch will cut flush.

The short answer is to make the common articles first, separate, then detail the individual.

So Extrude all the parts of the cabinet, use the inside face on top / bottom done correctly it’s one Split Body for the four sides.

Use the Timeline, to get most benefit. Master sketch, multiple uses from it. Draw / Door fronts etc

Everything is design dependant.

Your on the right track, most of the question seems to be looking for a one button - various result, CAD is not like that until you write routines in the API.

Might help....

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 22:50:24 GMT

@davebYYPCU wrote:

First, you don’t have to Thicken the cutter unless you are cutting a gap. The patch will cut flush.

I tried that; the lines extruded in the patch space don't appear with the normal "body" icons, and I cannot combine them into one part in either space. So if I use Combine I can only select one of them. I can however, thicken them into a normal body and use that. (I also tried to extrude the edges in model space, I can't seem to do that).

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

laughingcreek — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 01:30:22 GMT

can you attach some visuals (pics/screen cast) and/or your file so we can see what your doing. There seems to be a disconnect here.

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

davebYYPCU — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 05:04:41 GMT

Patch / Surface bodies have different icons and do different jobs to solid bodies.

Might help....

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 17:01:59 GMT

OK; so the way the other link suggests is to create a tool body in patch space. But doing so creates multiples of this different type of body (I don't know what it's called, see image) with zero thickness.

You cannot use those directly to split your main work piece.

But if I select those two bodies and then use the Thicken command, and thicken .001", they become a single normal body, which I can use to split the workpiece. And since I am doing this for woodworking, the .001" doesn't really affect my drawings. However, I think that .001 is clunky, might have consequences down the line, and it's not the same as extruding them separately.

Video attached... note at one point I forgot where the Thicken command was and spend a little time looking for it.

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

davebYYPCU — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 22:48:32 GMT

Too split the rectangle use the Sketch line/s Split body can only use one cutter at a time. Might help...

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:40:33 GMT

@davebYYPCU wrote:
Too split the rectangle use the Sketch line/s Split body can only use one cutter at a time. Might help...

But that is the main question... I have a sketch with multiple adjacent regions I want to extrude into separate bodies. What is the more efficient way to do this when there are many of those regions (like say, a jigsaw puzzle).

Fusion will not extrude adjacent regions into separate parts. So someone else posted how he used patch space + thicken to define that cutting body. Seems like a lot of work, but it's better than separately extruding 50 bodies, no?

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

davebYYPCU — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:54:13 GMT

There are too many ways to skin the cat, workflow Preference is all yours.

In the rectangle example, you could Extrude 4 times with new body, no splitting.

you can Extrude once, all Profiles, then start cutting it up, with sketches, patch or model

bodies, your choice, Split Body does not require a straight line can have the shape of a jigsaw socket if needed. So one Extrude and two Split Body With Sketch Lines is the quickest for me.

Everything is design dependant, we can’t tell you what to do with a jigsaw from a rectangle example.

Might help....

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 06:42:41 GMT

This was just an example. with a jigsaw puzzle, there's be 1000 extrusions to perform. In that case, the thickness trick would be best. BUT that also creates the gap... which might cause an issue.

So I'm just asking if there is a way to perform the cuts, as a group, without the gap. Basically, if there is a way or method to essentially perform an extrusion on multiple adjacent regions but leaving them uncombined, so it creates multiple bodies/components.

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

davebYYPCU — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 09:54:22 GMT

Yes. For a 1000 piece jigsaw, one extrude, Find the pattern of cuts to suit, it would be two split body commands. vertical / horizontal runs. Forum is not working for photos and other formatting, so stuck until they fix it. Construct a series of vertical and horizontal sketch cut lines, join each other end as if a snake, overlapping outside the puzzle, for the pieces to be cut. File attached. Might help....

Re: Extrude multiple faces to separate bodies/components

davebYYPCU — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 06:46:57 GMT

Forum is working for now, some pics....

Sketch 1 is the plate, sketch 2 a cutter

Sketch 3 another cutter.

Done,

Might help