topic Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Grounding a component and using as-built joints

eauoeuaoeu — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 01:02:59 GMT

Hello,

I am still learning fusion 360 and have several components adjoined to each other building a cabinet toe kick. I am trying to ground one component and then use as-built joints to adhere the remaining components. When I ground the first component and then activate the move tool, move object has "Bodies" selected and lets me move the grounded component. If I change the drop-down from "Bodies" to "Components" it no longer lets me move the grounded component.

I am confused, why does it let me move the component when Bodies is selected?

Thank you.

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

TrippyLighting — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:49:46 GMT

It doesn't let you move the component when you have bodies selected. It allows you to move the body in the component away from the initially designed position.

That isn't a recommended workflow for most circumstances.

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

eauoeuaoeu — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:15:36 GMT

How do I prevent things from moving around then? Thank you.

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

davebYYPCU — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:03:33 GMT

Stop using the Move Tool, would be top of the list.

If the Component is not built in place, use Joints to place and control them.

Might help….

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

eauoeuaoeu — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:32:04 GMT

Thanks for the recommendation but I am still confused I think - I have watched several videos where people show the following actions on a sample woodworking build:

1) ground component

2) use a rigid as-built joint for an adjoining in place component

3) repeating #2 until they're all as-built joined together

After that when they activate the move tool, they are only able to move the "single" object as one joined unit, a cabinet for example.

When I try to reproduce this I get different behavior, in that when I activate the move tool it defaults to letting me move the body.

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

TrippyLighting — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:54:41 GMT

@eauoeuaoeu wrote:

Thanks for the recommendation but I am still confused I think - I have watched several videos where people show the following actions on a sample woodworking build:

1) ground component

2) use a rigid as-built joint for an adjoining in place component

3) repeating #2 until they're all as-built joined together

After that when they activate the move tool, they are only able to move the "single" object as one joined unit, a cabinet for example.

When I try to reproduce this I get different behavior, in that when I activate the move tool it defaults to letting me move the body.

Please share your design. Export it as a .f3d or .f3z and attach it to a post.

The problem with many YouTube tutorials is that the folks creating them rarely explain the underlying concepts.

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

eauoeuaoeu — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 22:57:55 GMT

attached thank you

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

davebYYPCU — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 03:51:59 GMT

Looks like 2 goes at it.

Everything before the red timeline Icon, is not visible in the window.

Under my yellow line is attempt 2 and works as you expected.

If this a toe kick system, where is the cabinet, that will dictate its size?

I would not expect As Build Joints for this arrangement,

I would not expect mirrors, but patterns will keep the component count accurate.

See if this is as simple to set up. (Rule #1)

First Component grounded to Parent, no separate Joints just a Rigid Group.

Might help....

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

eauoeuaoeu — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:12:57 GMT

Yes I took two goes at it because the first time around it was not behaving as I expected (move defaulted to allowing me to move a body even though the components had as-built joints) so I deleted it and tried again in case I made a mistake.

When you say "works as you expected" does that mean your client defaults to not allowing the body to be moved independently even with my as-built joint in it? Because that is what I would expect but am not seeing within my client.

The cabinet is not yet built, I was starting with the toe kick.

Aside from patterns being potentially faster when you say you would not expect mirrors, does that mean I'm violating some design principle?

As I'm sure you can see I am still very new to this software package, I have been using Sketchup for years and decided it was time to take the leap to f360 & parametric modeling. Do you have a recommendation on a guide or resource to learn sound design principles? It is becoming obvious to me that the YouTube approach may be teaching me bad habits.

Thank you

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

davebYYPCU — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:34:35 GMT

... does that mean your client defaults to not allowing the body to be moved independently even with my as-built joint in it?

That Fusion has a default setting in all it's dialogues, is how it works. If the default is not suitable, I change it.

If you have a component with a body in it, the Move Tool can move the body and the component that owns it does not move.

Components can be click dragged away from their position, Fusion will ask if you want the new position saved. (Capture Position)

My pic shows that after your pattern, and 2 joints I can click drag the loose Components (short pieces) and drop them anywhere.

Did you review my file? Using my file what are you trying to Move?

Components are a container, there is a Component Origin supplied in the creation routine.

With nothing else in the Component, it can be Moved, Click Dragged, Aligned to something else, and Jointed (recommended and preferred) to another Component. Alter the reposition of the Component Fusion will take the sketch and bodies if they exist with it.

that said, you have to decide if moving the Component or moving the body is what you need, they are not the same function.

So the cabinet size depends on the kick board?

Might help...

Re: Grounding a component and using as-built joints

TrippyLighting — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:44:12 GMT

I improved upon @davebYYPCU model. If you use the ground-to-parent attribute (apply it to the components before starting the pattern), then no joints are needed!

There are good, free beginners tutorials here:

They might not cover the ground to parent attribute as it is relatively new.
Here's a link to the documentation for it