Joining bodies together

[Anonymous]

I know there is a simple solution to this I just can't figure it out.  I need to join three bodies together so I can export them as an STL to 3d print.  When trying to, I get the error message, “There was a problem combining geometry together.  If attempting a join/Cut/Intersect, try to ensure that the bodies have a clear overlap (problems can occur where faces and edges are nearly coincident).”  I am sure there is an overlap between the bodies I am trying to join.  What can I do to join these bodies?  I have attached the file if anyone can help.  I often run into this same situation and would appreciate any help or direction someone can provide to avoid this in the future.

Thanks in advance. 

[Beyondforce]

Hi @Anonymous ,

I hope this will help: https://youtu.be/1w4koxWDkFQ

Don't forget to check this one as well: https://youtu.be/VU9sB6rYrto

Cheers / Ben
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Did you find this reply helpful? If so please use the Accept as Solution or Kudos button below.

Check out my YouTube channel: Fusion 360: NewbiesPlus

[Anonymous]

That video shows how to combine two bodies together.  I know how to do that.  The issue is when I combine the three bodies in question I get the error message in the first post and I don't know how to correct it.

[chrisplyler · Accepted solution]

Your three bodies are contained within three separate components. Components are discreet parts. Why would you expect that you could geometrically combine/join bodies that belong to separate components? I mean, if you could do it, they would become a single body, right? What's Fusion supposed to do? Put the single body into one of the components and leave the other two components empty?

[Beyondforce]

I see the problem... where this model comes from?
If I were you, I would recreate this model in Fusion from scratch. It will save you a lot of time and you will have full control if any changes are needed!

Cheers / Ben.

[Anonymous]

Gotcha, I didn't know that.  That's the problem.  Now I know how to fix it!  I knew it was something simple.  I am new to Fusion and sometimes a very simple answer is all that is needed.  Combining bodies is a simple concept but the fact that you would not want to combine bodies from different components is something that you guys would never overlook.  New guys like me, WOULD.  Thanks for the help!  Sorry for such a simple question.

[etfrench · Accepted solution]

That is exactly what Fusion 360 does when combining multiple components.  The tool bodies are combined into the target body and are removed from the tool body components.   This file is failing because of the geometry, not the separate components.

In any case, the STL file can be created with no modification of the file by right clicking the top node in the Browser and selecting Save as STL.

[chrisplyler]

Ah! I didn't know that!

@Anonymous you ought to uncheck my previous post as a solution. I was wrong. Those three words feel very strange to type.

[davebYYPCU]

I tested that, (STL from top level) three shells were delivered (internal walls)

Separating the shells produced three bodies in the Slicer, aligned and ready to go for multiple colour / processes, but felt it was off topic.

[Anonymous]

@chrisplyler , I think you and Etfrench should both get credit for solutions on this one.  You correctly pointed out to me that you can’t combine bodies belonging to separate Components which was what I was trying to do.  I never realized that until you pointed it out. Etfrench gave me the end goal I was trying to achieve which was exporting my three tool bodies as an STL by right clicking on the top node in the Browser and saving it as an STL.

You were both very helpful and I appreciate it immensely.  We newbies often don’t want to ask simple questions because we don’t want to, “waste” the time of seasoned veterans on the board but, hopefully, someday, we will be able to contribute as much as well.  Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I didn't fell it was off topic at all.  It was essentially exactly what I was trying to do in the original post.  I was trying to combine the three bodies from the original post to eventually export them as an STL to print as a 3d print.  The issue I was having was I was trying to combine three different bodies from different Components which is what Chrisplyer pointed out.  Then, Etfench added that I could achieve my goal by simply right clicking on the top node in the browser and choosing export as and STL, resulting in the entire assembly being exported together.

Both were correct and provided the solution I needed.

[etfrench]

Almost right.  There is nothing preventing three or more components and/or bodies from being joined together unless Fusion 360 has an issue with combined joinery.  Quite often it's when nearly tangent conditions exist.  

I don't work with meshes very often.  Perhaps @TrippyLighting could tell you why your geometry is failing to combine.

[TrippyLighting]

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@etfrench wrote:

Almost right.  There is nothing preventing three or more components and/or bodies from being joined together unless Fusion 360 has an issue with combined joinery.  Quite often it's when nearly tangent conditions exist.  

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The reason it fails in his case is very likely near coincidence as discussed this AU class.

I do often work with meshes, but these are predominantly quad-meshes as produced in Sub-D modeling software where these quad meshes serve as a mesh of control points for the subdivided result (catmul-clark or open subdiv).

I then might use T-Splines as an intermediary to convert these quad meshes into NURBS surfaces and ultimately a BRep if the task requires to work on the geometry with solid modeling tools.

For 3D printing this is very often not the case and excellent results can be achieved woking with the Booleans for example in Blender. If all fails Meshmixer is very powerful as well.

Triangulated meshes are a totally different story. As opposed to NURBS surfaces they have a finite resolution with makes then intrinsically unfit for manufacturing oriented precision CAD work. They also don't have any topology in a mathematical/geometric sense.

If and only if there is a need to work on such geometry in a CAD environment for organic, irregular or sculpted geometry I use re-meshing, or re-topology to re-create that mathematically precise NURBS surface and if needed topology so I can work with it in a CAD application.

For simple prismatic objects such as this ring I find it is generally a better idea to re-design them in Fusion 360 from scratch with the native tools. My guess is that the base geometry would take about 15 minutes. The text I'd trace with sketch geometry and then extrude/cut into a solid body. That's not complicated but simply more work  and can easily take an hour or two. The result is ultimate control over the geometry and a vastly superior result.

I don't own a 3D printer but have printed a number of things s through Sculpteo and Shapeways. I would not be happy with the results when printing this ring directly from the low resolution faceted .stl. I 3D  printed a small very detailed object in Alumide at 1 million polygons and was amazed that even at that resolution I was able to see faceting ( only because I knew how the geometry was created and with my tongue held at the right angle 😉  )

[chrisplyler]

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@TrippyLighting wrote:

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( only because I knew how the geometry was created and with my tongue held at the right angle 😉  )

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With age and eyesight that is beginning to decline, I find that I have to hold my tongue at a greater angle than I used to. There will be a point in the future, I am sure, that I will no longer be able to achieve the required tongue angle. It is at that point that I will no longer require perfectly smooth manufactured surfaces on products. I'll be rocking faceted jewelry and won't give a hoot!