topic Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360 in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

matrixofdyna — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:58:42 GMT

I want to learn how to create a basic box in Fusion 360 as a stepping stone to other wood work related things. I am electronic engineer so know about schematic and PCB design but zero experience with solid body CAD tools like SolidWorks or Fusion. Here is an image of the box:

Although there is video tutorial on this, I cannot ask specific questions that arise in my mind. So, first questions are:

1. What difference does it make whether the panel on each side is created as different "components" in the hierarchy or all of it is a single component?

2. What difference does it make whether the box is made from a single solid cuboid that has "shell" applied to it, or actual different panels?

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

Warmingup1953 — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 19:54:22 GMT

1. Using separate components is preferred but not compulsory.

2. Design as you will build. A shelled cuboid would be perfect for 3D printing.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

jhackney1972 — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 20:57:32 GMT

Both of your questions have the same answer. You speak of learning to use Fusion to creating "wooden" projects. It is obvious from that statement you wish to create your finished models from standard wooden boards. If you do not design two different components, sides and ends are the same, then you cannot easily create a layout templates for cutting. Also, creating two separate components allows you to virtually build your finished product giving you visual proof you have not made a mistakes in your layout and dimensions.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

matrixofdyna — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 22:35:07 GMT

ok, so the video that I saw, the person first made the base. Then he used the longer side of the base to create the first side panel. To create the side panel, he created a sketch using the base longer side as the face to create the sketch.

He created a 2-point rectangle. One point he constrained using "coincident" but the other he constrained using colinear. Why not constrain both sides using colinear or both using coincident?

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

davebYYPCU — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 22:45:05 GMT

Coincident works in this case for 2 positions, X and Y.

Collinear is only working for Y.

The second X function is coming from the horizontal constraint. Needs a height dimension.

There are always many ways to get the same outcome.

Might help….

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

matrixofdyna — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 00:12:39 GMT

Fusion has concept of bodies and components. With a wooden assembly we use many panels and different methods to join them. Now if we look at this box, we can certainly create each panel as another component, but won't each panel be created as a separate body as well even we do not create it as separate components which is also sufficient?

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

jhackney1972 — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 00:18:00 GMT

Each component has one or more bodies within it but you can only use Assembly Joints on Components. If you only create Bodies you cannot use Assembly Joints which makes it much harder to put items together. Also only components are listed in the Parts List of your Assembly 2D Drawing if you plan to make one.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TrippyLighting — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:33:23 GMT

@matrixofdyna wrote:

ok, so the video that I saw, the person first made the base. Then he used the longer side of the base to create the first side panel. To create the side panel, he created a sketch using the base longer side as the face to create the sketch.

He created a 2-point rectangle. One point he constrained using "coincident" but the other he constrained using colinear. Why not constrain both sides using colinear or both using coincident?

I am not sure your question about constraints has been answered sufficiently.

Constraints are building blocks for a sketch. A single constraint on its own does not usually constrain an entire sketch. It is a combination of constraints that make a sketch functional. A different combination of constraints may achieve the same result.

For example, if you want a center point rectangle you can simply use that sketch primitive.

I personally like to keep my sketches uncluttered and try to use as little construction geometry as reasonable.

So I often use the horizontal/vertical constraint between the center point of the top horizontal line and and left vertical line and the center point to achieve the same result:

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

matrixofdyna — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:43:16 GMT

The wooden box is made up of several panels and each panel is based off a sketch (except the panel that is "mirrored" from another panel). The sketch is constrained and thus cannot be moved. However, I am able to select the panel and move them freely in XYZ. Since the sketch is constrained and cannot be moved, how come the 3D body that is formed using it can be selected and moved freely?

The youtube person made Assemble->Rigid Group to bind all the panels together. However, he did not explain why we are able to select and move body while the sketch itself that was used to create it is actually constrained and cannot be moved at all.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TrippyLighting — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:59:14 GMT

@matrixofdyna Please don't use the quick reply as it looks like you are replying to yourself.\

@CGBenner I really wish quick reply functionality would be rolled back. We (the folks that do 99% of the work on this forum) find ourselves having to explain this all the time and it is really detrimental to our efforts 😉

For a "normal" mechanical design - that includes most woodworking projects - the body move functionality should not be used.

If you do more industrial design and form exploration with multi body designs then the ability to move bodies becomes very helpful.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TrippyLighting — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 12:35:41 GMT

Attached are three different variants of the box design. 2 with bodies only and one that starts with bodies and converts them into components and then continues working within components. The latter is a skeleton sketch technique where several pieces of geometry can be created from the same sketch. This can can be very efficient for panel based woodworking projects such as this box and is what I use for such projects.

Of course you can work by starting out with creating components right away. For more complex mechanical/machinery design I start with components ... most of the time.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TheCADWhisperer — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 13:21:26 GMT

@matrixofdyna

In addition to @TrippyLighting examples here is another example.

I recommend that you give it a start and ask questions as you go.

@TrippyLighting

Why aren't my Materials/Appearances showing on the Attached - first time I have had this happen?

(Only display while editing.)

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TrippyLighting — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 13:46:09 GMT

@TheCADWhisperer wrote:

@TrippyLighting

Why aren't my Materials/Appearances showing on the Attached - first time I have had this happen?

(Only display while editing.

I believe you applied the materials to the individual bodies, before you turned them into components.

The component creation overrides the body appearance.

When you select the root of the browser, right-click and select "Remove appearance overrides", that will correct the issue.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TheCADWhisperer — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 14:00:49 GMT

@TrippyLighting wrote:
When you select the root of the browser, right-click and select "Remove appearance overrides", that will correct the issue.

Thanks. We'll say that I did that on purpose for the instruction of the OP. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Pro tip: Don't get old.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

matrixofdyna — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 15:49:32 GMT

Thanks to @TheCADWhisperer for the new tutorial. I can see that a very differnet approach has been used to reach the same end. Since I am an electronic engineer that does chip design (VLSI) and also familiar with software design (C, Python, TCL) I do understand the basic idea that there are many ways to get to the same goal.

Here another question arises. For multi-component design, what is better: All sketches under the top of hierarchy or all sketches under each new component?

I am still to learn how to create the final drawing outputs that detail what needs to be created and how it needs to be connected. It is not clear what multi-body with one component vs multi-component approach affects how the final drawings are created.

If I don't use reply, that looks like I am replying to myself, what should I do since this is a discussion forum?

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TrippyLighting — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 15:59:05 GMT

@matrixofdyna wrote:

If I don't use reply, that looks like I am replying to myself, what should I do since this is a discussion forum?

Use he Reply button on individual posts rather than the quick-reply function at the end of the thread 😉

Or you can also just tag the poster you are responding to.

Either way works as long as it is clear who you are responding to.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

g-andresen — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 16:03:11 GMT

Hi,

@matrixofdyna wrote:

If I don't use reply, that looks like I am replying to myself, what should I do since this is a discussion forum?

reply to a specific post

günther

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

TheCADWhisperer — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 19:10:04 GMT

@matrixofdyna wrote:
Here another question arises. For multi-component design, what is better: All sketches under the top of hierarchy or all sketches under each new component?

Hard to pin down specific rules, but here is one…

…never mind, as I started typing I started thinking of all sorts of exceptions to my “rule”.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

matrixofdyna — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 18:03:21 GMT

Since there are more than 1 way to do the same thing, I am sure there is going to be some sort of trade-off or in other words, one approach will be better than other over the long term for the scenario posed by the model. But of course, that is something that can only be learny by trial and error and practice.

Re: Create basic lidless wooden box in Fusion 360

laughingcreek — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 18:47:19 GMT

@matrixofdyna wrote:... For multi-component design, what is better: All sketches under the top of hierarchy or all sketches under each new component?...

My rule of thumb. Anything that will be referenced by more than one component should be (at least) one level up in the hierarchy. don't cross reference between components. Also, when creating references try and go all the way back to the originating geometry (usually the skeleton sketch). both practices will help avoid chains of references.

any example of a workflow that I've seen many times here and in youtube videos that violates this principle would be placing a sketch for a new component on the face of a body in a different component. now the plane used for the sketch belongs to component 1, but the sketch belongs to component 2. (same concept if using with separate bodies) You quickly develop a chain of dependent references. if one link develops an error or is deleted, everything downstream breaks. it can be very difficult to figure out where there error is when references have been chained like this.