topic Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters? in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

nkloski — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 20:59:29 GMT

I have a convoluted path using circles and 3d splines. I wish to place patterned bodies along that path, and have the bodies completely fill that path, but no more than fill it. If I were able to turn the length of that path into a user parameter (or reference it there), then I could use some maths to place the numbers of bodies based on the path length.

Like, if my path was 1020mm long, and I had 2mm thick bodies, I could just divide the path length by 2 to get the number of bodies I would need to fill the path.

Is this doable? ...I am asking because I don't see how to do it 🙂

Betreff: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

g-andresen — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 21:35:18 GMT

Hi,

@nkloski schrieb:
Like, if my path was 1020mm long, and I had 2mm thick bodies, I could just divide the path length by 2 to get the number of bodies I would need to fill the path.

Is this doable? ...I am asking because I don't see how to do it 🙂

You can determine the path length with the measuretool and copy/paste it into the parameter list.
However, the measurement is not automatically taken over when the lengths are changed.

günther

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

davebYYPCU — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 22:44:22 GMT

That’s how Pattern on Path works, Select the path, (extent option) enter the count, suppress / hide the first and last one.

Why is it not working for you?

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

GRSnyder — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 00:19:56 GMT

@davebYYPCU wrote: That’s how Pattern on Path works, Select the path, (extent option) enter the count, suppress / hide the first and last one.

Why is it not working for you?

Don't you still need the path length in mm? I've never been able to get it to use 0-1 parametric distances.

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

nkloski — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 00:28:17 GMT

Yeah...I want it to be parametric. If the path is X long then divide Y by X to get the number of instances I need. If I were arranging discs on a 3D spline to replicate a coil, for instance I would say that I want 2mm thick ridges and "enough" ridges to go to the end of the spline. If I choose extent, then I need to know how many go on that line. If I choose spacing, I still need to know the spline length.

Yes, I can get the spline length by finding the number and copying/pasting, but that does not update if I change something. I guess there is no way to get that number parametrically.

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

GRSnyder — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 00:33:29 GMT

@nkloski wrote: Yes, I can get the spline length by finding the number and copying/pasting, but that does not update if I change something. I guess there is no way to get that number parametrically.

As @g-andresen implied, I'm pretty sure there's no way to do that at present. I feel your pain and have walked in your moccasins.

It's a frustrating omission because F360 obviously does know how to compute path lengths. In the context of a pattern-on-path, it seems unlikely that allowing parametric coordinates would create too many complications.

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

davebYYPCU — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 00:42:45 GMT

No file, pic or screencast,

Path length is equal to 1 or 100% - you want 80% of the path, set .8.

Count is a number,

the count has an up and down arrow to set the number, say you start with 40 and it is not enough, then click the up arrow to say 49, looks right press enter.

So parametric change of the path, will not upset anything, parametric change of the count will change the count.

Might help....

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

GRSnyder — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 00:45:46 GMT

@davebYYPCU wrote: Path length is equal to 1 or 100% - you want 80% of the path, set .8.

I'm all ears! But it doesn't seem to work this way for me. If I set the extent to 0.8, Fusion 360 interprets it as 0.8mm.

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

etfrench — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 01:00:43 GMT

In Pattern On Path, if you click on the three vertical dots next to distance and select measure, it will give you the length of the path to 14 decimals. Copy that into a user parameter.

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

davebYYPCU — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 01:28:19 GMT

Sorry was mixing this up with other tool behaviour.

However, the length of path is displayed when selected, Fusion will use the same functions to only go 80% of the distance.

And I also now see that the change of the path length is not parametric as expected, means that the pattern has to be deleted and replaced, for the expected result.

Re: Is there a way to reference path length to place it in the user parameters?

nkloski — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 17:31:46 GMT

Thanks, all for the insight. What I suspected is true...there is no parametric way to add in the distance. This is especially true for splines that are used in the "include 3D geometry" sketch function, as they all show up as distinct sections that have to be manually selected and therefore won't be useful in the "three dots --> Measure" function (which is really cool, and I didn't know about).