A moved part goes back to origin during editing - how to stop this?

[Anonymous]

When I design I move parts to their intended positions in assembly and keep modifying those parts while having the mating components in the background. For a variety of reasons I do not create a constrained assembly.

The problem occurs when I try to modify/edit sketches or make new sketches.

After I select a sketch or feature in timeline and click Edit the sketch moves to the place where the part was originally created so I loose from the background all the components with which the part mates, or have them in a wrong location.

What do I need to do, or how should I move parts so when I edit a sketch in timeline, the sketch stays in the part new location?

I do not have this problem in other CADs that I use.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Peter. 

I come from the automotive industry. In fact every manufacturer uses different cad. Ford used to use I-Deas, GM UG, Chrysler Catia, while in Europe many use Pro-E. Several years ago Ford migrated to UG because I-Deas has been terminated.

A vehicle as a whole is done in a single cad sysytem, but as you said - suppliers use their own cad and then either translate it to whatever the OE uses or provide STEP/IGES which is integrated with the rest of vehicle model.

Recently I started to work with a small group that develops drones, and this group is looking for a single CAD system that I mentioned.

Drones are not as complex as cars or airplanes but with time they may become - that's why I have this dilemma. I really like the ability to co-design that Fusion 360 offers. Engineers from different locations can easily work on the same project. There are however many aspects of Fusion that make me nervous so I'm not sure whether this is THE CAD system to adopt. Obviously the low cost of this cad is very important to start-ups as more advanced CADs are beyond their reach.

Rally appreciate your help and the advise you gave me.

[TrippyLighting]

There really is not THE CAD system even not looking at price.

The points you make are something I really enjoy about Fusiosn 360.

The fact that Fusion 360 is starting to get integration with an Electronics design package (Eagle) makes it suitable for smaller to  mid sized projects that are not too complex. Proper workflows can help keeping things manageable.

But there might come the time when the level of complexity requires the use of a different tool set.

A lot of the CAD systems used in larger projects such as Automotive and Aerospace are not necessarily used because of their better CAD tool set, but because they can be integrated better with the other "systems" this companies use. Be that logistics, engineering change management, ERP etc.

In the 30 years since I started with CAD and computer graphics I've not found the one tool that can do it all.

I believe a lot of people also approach the CAD landscape entirely wrong as it pertains to Fusion 360. Many people look to replace their existing system and in the past, due to the high cost of CAD systems that was the only sensible way.

However, Fusion 360 is so inexpensive that there is not reason not to pick up subscription an simple use it alongside the "other" CAD system an see the what it has to offer.

I do use another CAD system (ZW3D) when I need to work more with surfacing and for those geometries where  Fusion 360 stops working. But, for example it does not offer integrated rendering or T-Splines.

[Anonymous]

What bothers me most in Fusion 360 is the simple things that are easy to implement, help designers a lot, but they are missing.

For me, who is used to work "inside" assemblies and with wire frames (so I can see thru parts), it is next to impossible to do it in Fusion because all the component wire-frames are black. When I open a sketch for modifications - which is also black - I cannot tell what lines belong to what parts, and even to my sketch.

User should have an option to have wire-frames assume the color of their respective parts. Makes all the difference in the world. If someone does not like it, could turn it off.

I raised this issue right after I started to use Fusion 360. It is just a small example of the things that should take very little time to implement.

[TrippyLighting]

Activating components and isolating components before editing can help with the visibility of things.