How to copy of 3D model and drawing

[Bernd_CAD]

Hello,

I have a 3d model and a drawing in Fusion 360. So far so good. Now I want to generate antother part with a drawing nearly similar to the existing one. So I thought of copying the model and and the drawing.

The problem is, that the copied drawing has still the reference to the 'old' model.

Is there a way to copy parts and drawings, so that they are independent from the origin part?

Thanks for your help.

Best regards.  

[innovatenate · Accepted solution]

Have you tried exporting an archive file of the drawing and then re-uploading it via the upload command in the data panel? 

This should make a copy of the drawing and the 3D model (design).

I hope that helps.

Thanks,

[paul.clauss · Accepted solution]

Hi @Bernd_CAD

Welcome to the Fusion 360 community! Thanks for posting.

While there is no way to reassociate your copied drawing to a new component or body, a workaround that may allow you to maintain the links to a copy of the file is to;

1. Share a public link of the drawing file with yourself, 
2. Download the drawing package in the Fusion 360 archive format - this will download a .f3z file that contains both the drawing file and the model file in Fusion 360 native format.
3. Upload the .f3z package to your Fusion 360 data panel. I would recommend putting this file in a folder marked "Copy" or "Second Iteration" - something to distinguish it from the original files.
4. Editing the newly uploaded part will update only the newly uploaded drawing file!

Hopefully this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Bernd_CAD]

Thank you for your help. Now I tried it and yes it works.

I can export an assembly with the drawing and upload it again.

Then I have the drawing of the assembly, the assembly and the parts.

The drawings of the parts are not 'copied'.

I can export each part with drawing and reassemble the top assembly.

Am I right? Or is there another way to get all the drawings at once?

Thanks, Bernd

[paul.clauss]

Hi @Bernd_CAD

Thanks for the response! When you export the top level assembly drawing you will get;

1. The top level assembly drawing file,
2. The top level assembly design file,
3. Any x-referenced part files used in the top level assembly file and drawing.

This method will not copy the part drawings - it will only collect data used in the top level assembly drawing (the assets listed above). This leaves you with two options:

1. Export each part drawing, which will give the part and drawing file for the individual part, and then re-assemble the top level assembly and assembly drawing.
2. Export the top level assembly drawing, which will give the assets listed above. You could then recreate the drawings for the part files.

So, you are correct in your thinking about how to approach this problem - there is not currently a way to get the part and assembly drawings from a single export. I hope this helps - if you have any ideas on how you'd like to see these types of files managed, we'd be happy to hear your input on the Fusion 360 Ideastation!