topic Re: OBJ mesh input combine - REDUCE MESH in Fusion Support Forum

OBJ mesh input combine

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 17:38:07 GMT

i import a few obj files to arrange and build but cant combine them into one item. it also tells me i have too many triangles to convert the mesh.

i want to import existing files, combine, scale, export as obj or stl to 3d print.... thats all i want to do

please help

the option to share to public is all grayed out too

Re: OBJ mesh input combine

paul.clauss — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 19:16:05 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for posting! It looks like you have some questions about combining mesh bodies in Fusion 360.

There are a few different ways to go about resolving this problem. It sounds like you will need to reduce the mesh, but you could then either use the Modify > Merge bodies tool in the mesh workspace or convert the meshes to brep bodies and combine them in the model workspace.

The resources linked below may be helpful:

If you continue to have difficulties, please attach the OBJ mesh files or your Fusion design to this forum thread - you should be able to share using any of these techniques.

Re: OBJ mesh input combine - REDUCE MESH

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 12:42:08 GMT

to reduce mesh - i allowed for the mesh workspace and followed the vid you provided but i still have grayed out OK buttons....

Re: OBJ mesh input combine - REDUCE MESH

paul.clauss — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 16:37:35 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for attaching the screenshot! I notice the mesh in your screenshot is split into multiple, disconnected bodies - if you reduce each separate mesh body individually, does the "OK" button come in?

If that doesn't work, I wonder if this is a command that cannot process quad meshes. Is your OBJ file a quad mesh? I couldn't tell from the screenshot (everything is selected), but the mesh commands only work with triangulated meshes. Are you able to work with the mesh if you enter your preferences (underneath your name in the upper right hand corner of Fusion) and navigate to the Mesh tab and enable the preference to "Triangulate mesh polygons", as shown below:

Triangulating the mesh would prevent you from converting it to a t-spline body, but if your purposes are only to combine and scale the model, this should not effect you negatively.

Hopefully this helps! If you continue to see problems, please insert the problem mesh into a Fusion 360 design and share it with me using any of the techniques available at this link - I am happy to have a look. You should also be able to just attach the mesh file to a forum post.

Re: OBJ mesh input combine - REDUCE MESH

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 12:54:22 GMT

i did that had to do each component individually. but now i cant join...they have been converted.

Re: OBJ mesh input combine - REDUCE MESH

paul.clauss — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:14:30 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for the response! Are you trying to join all the disconnected bodies together with a "Combine" command? The Combine command will only work with intersecting bodies, so you would need to model solid bodies linking the feet and torso of the mantis together before this method would work.

If you just want to move the feet up to the body in the current state of the model (you don't care about adding legs/height to the model), you could select the foot bodies and use the move command to move them upwards until they intersect the torso.

If you'd like to share the design you are working with me, I'm happy to have a look! You can share the design privately by direct messaging me a password protected link - be sure to include the password in the message.

Re: OBJ mesh input combine - REDUCE MESH

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 14:31:30 GMT

im just ready to give up...

is not an intuitive program for me.... i just want a blob of digital clay and carve and combine, them export as obj...

attached is the file

Re: OBJ mesh input combine - REDUCE MESH

paul.clauss — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 16:48:03 GMT

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for posting! The reason you have been unable to combine the bodies in your model is because the model contains t-spline bodies - only brep bodies can be combined in the model workspace, and t-spline bodies cannot be combined with brep or surface bodies.

I've shown how to convert the t-spline bodies in the video below and have attached a copy of the single mesh file I was able to clean up a bit in this post.