topic Re: Several questions in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Several questions

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 00:44:41 GMT

Hi Folks,

I am fairly new to Fusion 360. I like it but I am having a problem. I assume I am missing something. I am using sketches to create bodies and also other bodies to subtract from the bodies I am working on to create the desired forms. But then I get many extra bodies and sketches that I can't delete without screwing up the bodies that I want to keep. I must be missing something here. What do you do so that you are not accumulating numerous sketches and bodies used for construction? I did find that I could make a copy of the bodies I want to keep and then I could delete the sketches without screwing up the copy of the body. So that is one way to deal with it. But are other people doing this same thing or am I missing something?

Also, I have some small holes (1/16 inches in diameter), and the I am creating threads in the holes. But at the opening there seems to be a bunch of flaking off of the metal (or what seems like that). When I add the threads the openings of the holes are not smooth but they are uneven. What is going on? I have attached an image for reference. Is this a bug in the program?

Also, is there a help file that I can download so that I can use it offline?

Also, when I view a section of a body I would like take measurements and to project the section image onto a sketch so that I can examine it closely and maybe use the shapes from the section for other things. But I find I can't do that. As soon as I click on "measure" to start to measure something the section image disappears. Likewise, as soon as I click on Create Sketch the section image disappears. Is there a way to do these things?

Thanks in advance,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

jeff_strater — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 04:29:41 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

It would probably help for you to share your Fusion design and share a screencast of what you are trying to do.

A couple of hints, based on what I think I understand from your description:

1. To get rid of a body that you no longer need, without messing up your design, try selecting the body in the browser, and choosing "Remove". This puts a Remove feature in the timeline that will get rid of that body at that point in time.

2. If you are using bodies as tools to subtract from other bodies, I assume you are using the Combine command to do the subtract. If so, there is a setting in that command that will help, if you make sure that the "keep tools" checkbox is unchecked, it will remove the tool body when the command executes:

Jeff

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:30:38 GMT

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for your response. I think you correctly understand what I am doing, based on your answer. Yes, I am using the combine command. The answer you gave about the Remove command looks like just the type of thing I was hoping for. But that only seems to work for bodies. Regarding the option on the combine command that lets you delete the tool, yes I knew about that. But sometimes I want to keep the tool because it may be somewhat involved and I think I may need it later. (I guess I could just make a copy and keep the copy and delete the one that is used in the combine command by not checking the keep tool option.) What about the old sketches that I have, though? How can I get rid of them? The remove command does not seem to be available with them. What do most people do to get rid of their old sketches without screwing up their drawings?

I have included a screencast which illustrates the problem I am speaking of. It is just a sample sketch. It shows that when I make a body using sketches and a construction body (which is subtracted from the target body) and then I delete the sketches and the construction body the target body gets screwed up. You seem to understand my problem, based on your answer, so the video may not be entirely necessary but I provided it because you asked for it and because it may be helpful.

I am also including a link to the sample drawing I created to illustrate the problem. It is here: http://a360.co/2tesXyg (But I see that the sketches are no longer there in the drawing, as I deleted them, and I cannot seem to go back and find them by using the timeline. Shouldn’t I be able to roll back the timeline and find the sketches? What is going on with that? It doesn’t seem that I can find the deleted construction body in the timeline either. Why not? Shouldn’t everything be saved in the timeline?)

Best regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:33:35 GMT

Hi Jeff,

I inserted the URL for the screencast in a space that asked for that URL but when I posted my last post I did not see any link to a screencast. So I am including it here: http://autode.sk/2tdOA1o

Regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

TrippyLighting — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 22:01:11 GMT

In a parametric design tool you don't delete sketches!

The geometry you are creating is created by these sketches and is linked/referenced to theses sketches. So if you change the sketch e.g a dimension, the geometry is update. the is the whole purpose of parametric design.

Re: Several questions

davebYYPCU — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 22:13:34 GMT

Saw the screencast, using your words,

Your logic is screwed up, not Fusion's

Fusion has done everything possible it can, to do what you want.

Yellow Timeline icons are Fusion's tools to say going any further, you will get screwed up results.

Fusion warned you you not to delete all the sketches. You did. Yellow icons! What did you think would happen after that?

All your problems will go away, when you keep the sketches and bodies in the file and use the lightbulbs to turn them off, just as they were before you deleted them. Why?

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 22:41:22 GMT

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your response. I don't think I ever said that Fusion's logic is screwed up. I said the body I was working on had gotten screwed up. I am fairly new to Fusion and the program I was working with previously (Creo Elements / Direct Modeling Express) did not have a timeline. So I am not so familiar with that. I had something like 40 sketches. And the design is far from finished. (The design in the screencast is just an example of what I was dealing with, not my actual design project.) If you are saying we don't delete the sketches then I might very well end up with 200 sketches. I guess I could just leave them all there in a folder. I wanted to clean up the drawing, and not have lots of miscellaneous items (bodies used for construction and sketches) lying around. But both you and Trippylighting say I should not delete sketches. If that is really how Fusion 360 is used I guess I could just accumulate 200 sketches in a folder and leave them there. Regarding the yellow warnings in the timeline, I find that when I right click and try to resolve them the information provided for resolving the problem (usually something like that the reference profile has been lost) does not help much in resolving the problem.

Regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 22:44:41 GMT

Hi Trippylighting,

Thank you for your response.

I am not so familiar with Fusion 360 yet. You are saying we just keep the sketches and don't delete them. I guess I could do that, although my actual drawing (as opposed to the simple example I provided in the screencast) had many sketches and by the time I am done with it I could easily have 100 or 200 sketches. But I guess I could just leave them all in a folder.

Best regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

davebYYPCU — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 23:02:23 GMT

There is a reason to draw a sketch, right?

When done with it, turn it off, and move on, there is a Rule 1, making a component for each part in the design,

Rule 2, name the articles in the browser, helps identify which one does what, later.

Fusion can work without the time line if that helps.

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 23:18:46 GMT

Hi Dave,

Yes, I understand that I can turn off the sketches so I don't see them. Regarding naming items, yes, I understand the importance of that. Regarding making a component for each part of the drawing, this is something that I guess is probably a good idea, although I am not entirely sure why. I did read that one can only have joints between components. And that seems like a good reason to make all the parts components instead of bodies.

Best regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

davebYYPCU — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 23:46:39 GMT

Don't worry, I struggled early in the peace, why Component?

It is more obvious now, finding early designs that now need to be updated, I should have.

Now that I do, it is easier to have a cleaner workflow, don't know why, but it works.

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 20:10:36 GMT

I got an email asking me to mark an answer I got as an accepted solution if it answered my question. I don't see how to mark a post as accepted so I am just leaving this response. I asked four questions. The first question was this: I asked what I could do about the fact that when I use sketches and bodies to create another body and then I delete the bodies and sketches used for construction the final product gets screwed up. I was told, among other things, that I could use the remove command to get rid of the bodies and that I should not delete the sketches. Thanks to Jeff.strater, Trippylighting and davebYYPCU for that answer. Dave also said I should generally use components instead of bodies, which I have started to do. So that question was answered and I appreciate that.

However, I also asked three other questions and those did not get answered. (Those three other questions are in the first post at the top of this thread. If anyone provides answers to them it will be appreciated.)

Re: Several questions

davebYYPCU — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 22:25:53 GMT

I'll have a go at those,

I have not followed up on it, but there is a PDF file mentioned in other threads, search for it, should come up.

The artifacts in the screenshot might be a graphics glitch, you could use the section view analysis in that area, to see if if transfers to actual solid surface detail. Can't help about fixing it.

Fusion allows you to collect profile Data, that you see with Measure and Section Analysis, but you need to go about it this way,

place a Construction Plane, and / or sketch, in the correct location,

Use Project > Intersect > Body, click on the body you are inspecting.

You now have a set of useful visible measurable, data.

As the original poster, when you open the thread, the replys have a tick box to select the solution if appropriate.

Might help..

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 23:35:46 GMT

Hi Dave,

You started your post by saying that there is a PDF file in other threads in the forum which I can search for. However, it is unclear what topic you are speaking of that the PDF file covers.

Regarding the flaking metal appearance at the edges of the hole with threads, I did what you said. I did a section analysis and the problem shows up there as well, so I guess it is not just a graphics issue.

Regarding the issue of using the project->intersect->bodies command, at first I did not understand what you meant but then I was able to do it. That problem is now solved. Thank you.

Regarding the tick box I can check, I have looked repeatedly and I just don't see it.

Best regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

davebYYPCU — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 08:30:01 GMT

Your outstanding questions included a request for a Help - manual that was printable,

I had seen this topic but as said not followed up on it, says its a series of printable chapters.

You may have to shout a little louder about the modelling defect, with more specifics, and a file or two if it occures in more than one file they (AutoDesk) like to know those things, but would start a new topic for it as well.

Ok I found a thread that I originated that was not solved todate, the tick button appears in this location,

Might help...

Re: Several questions

daniel_lyall — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 10:00:57 GMT

The answer for post 14 your second question is, amazon theres a book or two you can buy or in the zip file attached or here https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-design-validate/tips-and-tutorials-to-help-you-get-started/td-p/7003419 you can copy and past those post's or where dave posted post 65 has it doing a search for fusion pdf it was the first topic that came up.

you last question no

What post do you wont marked as a solution

You problems you are still seeing you can only get an answer if you post the file, other wise it's a guess that your graphics card is not big enough 2 gig min is a good idea or it's drivers are out of date or it's optimized for openGL not DX 11 and have you optimised your graphic settings.

Also please read this https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-design-validate/notice-community-etiquette-and-ground-rules-and-other-important/td-p/5567752

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 23:03:35 GMT

Hi Dave,

First off, thank you for referring to my questions as "outstanding." I can respond by saying that your answers have been quite helpful and you have provided answers to several of my questions and at least one good additional point to know about (about using components instead of bodies).

I went to the topic you linked to and downloaded the written training files (and also the associated videos). So thanks for that.

Regarding me starting a new topic and shouting a little louder about problem of the apparent distortion or flaking at the edges of the small hole with threads, I plan to do that. (I just did a new test and the same thing happened again in a sample drawing. I think it may have something to do with the fact that the hole is right in a corner. When I make a hole of the same size in a body and it is just in a flat face and then I make the threads I don't see the problem.)

Regarding the issue of the tick boxes for accepting a solution as finished, I saw the image you provided and I still did not see them and then suddenly they appeared just like in your picture. Seriously, that is what happened. And I have the pictures to prove it. (See attached images showing that there was no "accept as solution" box just about an hour or so ago.) I don't know why it suddenly appeared but now I am going to click it.

Thanks for your help.

Vincent

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 23:17:22 GMT

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for your response. I have downloaded the help file you attached. I have also downloaded the community ground rules and etiquette files you provided a link to and I will review them. I also went to the tips and tutorials page you provided a link to and I downloaded some of that stuff.

You wrote:

"You problems you are still seeing you can only get an answer if you post the file, other wise it's a guess that your graphics card is not big enough 2 gig min is a good idea or it's drivers are out of date or it's optimized for openGL not DX 11 and have you optimised your graphic settings."

I am guessing that you are speaking about the problem with the flaking or distortion at the edges of a hole with threads. I did provide a picture, above. I am planning to do what Dave suggested and create a new thread asking only about that issue. I think it is a bug in the software, but I am not sure.

Regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 23:28:25 GMT

Hi Daniel,

I just responded to your post but I don't see it. So I am responding again. Not sure what happened. Hopefully there won't be two different posts.

Thanks for the attached help file. I have downloaded it and that may end up being useful. I have also downloaded the ground rules and etiquette links you provided and I plan to read them.

Regarding the issue with the flaking or distortion in the hole with threads, I plan to create a new thread asking just about that issue (as Dave suggested). I will try to attach the file and/or images.

Although that last issue is not resolved, I will click "accept as solution" to your post because you provided the help file.

Regards,

Vincent

Re: Several questions

daniel_lyall — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 23:49:12 GMT

That's cool I was just backing up dave.

The problem you have seen in the forum could well be down to the spam attack, they had to change the rules continuously around posting and stuff like that it's stopped now.

It's a lot easier on you if you do single subject post's with your file you are working on and or a screencast and a good description, it makes it way easier to say you have done this or that wrong and do this, or that's a bug then a staff member will get tagged unless a staff member has already replied or it's a bug that's known.

It's a professional forum so any question you have is fine, you wont get a stupid or rude answer if you do that person gets told off.