topic Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Question On Mirroring a Component File

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 14:09:22 GMT

Hi - I've been digging around looking for an existing post on something similar as my situation but have not been able to find anything - sorry if I missed something.

I have an assembly that uses a number of linked components. One of the linked components is a bracket that I'd like to create a mirror of for the opposite side of the "master assembly". What I'd like to do is create a mirror component based on the original bracket and then when I alter the original, the mirror version also updates. Again, these brackets are linked files and not designed into the master assembly.

I'm somewhat new to assemblies, components etc. in Fusion 360. Can anyone help me with a recommended workflow for this ?

Thanks !

Lewis

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

jeff_strater — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 16:09:00 GMT

Yes, you can absolutely do this. The mirror component will create a local component in your design, but it will be associative to changes in the external component:

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

jeff_strater — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 16:22:01 GMT

here is a screencast:

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

mavigogun — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 16:53:48 GMT

Take note: the handling of Mirrored Components featuring Threaded Holes is done intelligently!!

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 17:36:35 GMT

Hi Jeff -

Thanks for the info - this is helpful, and I played around with the idea in my model. It's a solution, but I was originally wondering if there's a way to end up with the mirrored component as it's own separate external file like the original non mirrored one, but have the 2 external files (original and mirrored) linked? i.e. in the overall master file all you have are external linked components, but one of the the external components is a mirrored version of one of the other ones, and they are linked so there really is only one external version floating around ? Maybe I'm talking myself into a corner or gridlock here - ha. It's been known to happen !

And yes, I was going to ask about threaded components that are mirrored and whether I'd end up with a mess of left hand threads ! Thanks for that !

Cheers,

Lewis

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

jeff_strater — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:44:54 GMT

@Anonymous, unfortunately, there is no easy way today to get the mirrored component into an external file. You can use Save Copy As to save the mirrored component to a new design, then delete the mirror, then insert the copy, but that will break all associativity to the original...

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 12:36:13 GMT

Thanks Jeff -

Well "it is what it is" as they say😊

I can work with your earlier advice without problems. I'll just mirror the inserted external part and that part will live within the master assembly. Thats better than not being linked back to the external part and changes not being automatically propagated to the mirror.

I'm retired but teach Fusion to some local makerspace fellows and it seems there is always new features and capability in it to discover and learn. Thanks for a great product and opening it up to the enthusiast community.

Lewis

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

scottwburr — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 12:03:30 GMT

Hi All,

Is there a solution to the problem in this thread now? I am in a similar position with mirrored parts, trying to create a drawing from the mirrored part is problematic for me, with the part not being in its own separate file.

Re: Question On Mirroring a Component File

TrippyLighting — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 13:20:58 GMT

You can derive the part into its own file.

The derive functionality was not implemented when this thread started.