After extrude, the sketch is hidden, why? How to disable this behavior?

[ovisopa]

I don't understand why this happens, why Fusion (developers) assume I only need to extrude a single element.

I have to manually click the lightbulb icon every time I start a new design from an DXF file, I make the first extrusion and the sketch is automatically hidden.

I checked the preferences but couldn't find anything related to this, so is there a way to disable the auto-hide of the sketch, after extruding ?

Thanks.

[davebYYPCU]

Only happens for the first feature that consumes it,

If you turn it back on, it will stay on for subsequent features.

Used to it I suppose.

[ovisopa]

Thanks, so there is no way to turn it off (the auto-hide "feature") ?

I noticed it only happens when I do the first extrude, but still, I don't understand why it was implemented in the first time, are most of the designs just one extrude only, and developers though it's a good idea to hide the sketch after the first extrude ?

Any developers around to let us/me know when this feature helps ? Till now it only made me make extra clicks (I'm not crazy about extra clicks, but why adding an auto- feature that instead of helping us, it makes us do more actions).

[davebYYPCU]

For sketches used just once, there would be just as many complaining they have to turn it off.

We have had recommndations of small neat many sketches, over the big complicated Fusion slowing sketches.

There are discussions on this in the forums previously.....

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@ovisopa wrote:

...I have to manually click the lightbulb icon every time I start a new design from an DXF file,...

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I doubt very many users start from a dxf file.

Those that I have seen here tend to be very complex sketches (in parametric sketch solving "costs") generated by graphics software.

As indicated, native Fusion designs (or Inventor, or SolidWorks, or Creo, or....) tend to be comprised of many simple sketches rather than one complex sketch.

Can you File>Export your *.f3d file to your local drive and then Attach it here to a Reply?

Is there an opportunity to use Feature Patterns rather than complex sketch in your design?

[jeff_strater · Accepted solution]

We are actually working right now on an option to allow you disable this behavior.  

FWIW, the auto-hiding is pretty standard CAD behavior, because in probably 80-90% of the use cases, each sketch is single-use, so most times, once you've consumed it, you don't need to see it anymore.

Jeff

[jody]

Ok here is a good application of this:  I have a part that is sheet metal, then bent in 5 places, to make a consolet with a main panel, a control panel, a patch panel, a bottom panel, etc.  So even though the panels are made out of the same piece of metal, is the best practice to make a sketch for each panel, even though the whole piece has a constraining dimension?  This seems counterintuitive to me, but I'm a relative Fusion newb, so I'm very interested in hearing what the experienced people think - on a non-necrotic post, thanks.

[ovisopa]

@TheCADWhisperer, The DXF drawings I receive from clients are quite simple,  but I never had a file that I should extrude just once, each drawing I got, needed more than one extrude operation, and I don't think for simple objects I need to make multiple sketches . And it's not about the drawing being imported from a DXF file, but I think most simple objects that are designed in Fusion don't need many sketches, or more than one. When I draw a case for something, I'm making most contours on the "main" sketch, extrude from there, and after that add more sketches for the sides or bottom side, if it's needed.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not pissed off because I need to click the light bulb, one more time, it's not that big deal (it's quite easy to get used to it, as @davebYYPCU told, I'm more pissed off because Fusion is not importing texts, but this is another story) but in my case it's a feature that it shouldn't be active, and the main reason I opened this thread was to understand why it was even implemeneted because in my case, it's not helping (I'm sure this auto-hide feature was implemented to help users - I wanted to know in which cases)  .. Now I understood, when I read davebYYPCU second reply, I understood that on complex designs, it's better to have many simple sketches instead of one sketch containing all the contours.

@jeff_strater awesome news Jeff ! Thank you for letting me know, this is the perfect way to solve this "issue" ... some users need it , but some don't, I'm sure it should be quite simple to be implemented also.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Anonymous wrote:

...is the best practice to make a sketch for each panel, even ....

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I often do a "Master Sketch" that encompasses the overall dimensions of the design and perhaps some secondary elements.  My first master sketch is going to control in some way or another all or nearly all of the parts in the assembly.

Over time of gaining experience you tend to get a "feeling" when enough is enough in a single sketch and time to start a new sketch.

The key is it is really easy to tie one sketch into another such that they are associative (keeping parent/child relationships in mind).

I might do a design with many sketches, get it nailed down (in my head) and then start over with fewer sketches (sometimes the other way around).

My first attempt is seldom my last attempt.

When I get done - I want a robust model that can be edited/adjusted without blowing up.  In short, a work of art, a thing of beauty to behold - right down to the sketch level. 

I see a lot of designs posted here that initially look good as images, but as soon as I start digging down into the foundation I start cringing.

[ovisopa]

@TheCADWhisperer I agree and understand, but what you says only applies to complex designs, not simple objects like mine. I need to lose as few time I can for modeling the part the client needs, mostly because I need to make, in almost all cases, just one steel part. If I lose a lot of time fiddling with the model, I can't charge the client as I usually do on a hourly bases, because they kind of know how much a part like that should cost. 

Until now a few months I haven't done any steel parts (I'm very new to Fusion), only aluminum/brass parts on the router, the good thing there (using CamBam), was that I didn't need to model anything, I do the CAM directly using the DXF client provides.

@jeff_strater Any estimate date when the option will be available ? I'm not in a hurry, just curious 🙂

[etfrench]

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@ovisopa wrote:

Until now a few months I haven't done any steel parts (I'm very new to Fusion), only aluminum/brass parts on the router, the good thing there (using CamBam), was that I didn't need to model anything, I do the CAM directly using the DXF client provides.

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You can do the same in Fusion 360, that is create gcode directly from DXF files.

@jeff_strater My carpal tunnel thanks you

[jeff_strater]

@ovisopa:  Very soon.  I think this should be available in an update that is scheduled for next week.  Of course, sometimes updates slip by a day or so...

Wish I could take credit for anything except reporting the fact to this thread.  It was already in the backlog, and just happened to be in progress when this thread appeared.  The dev team gets all the credit.

Jeff

[alodi2]

Ive been going crazy from the beginning thinking I am doing something wrong, picking apart very single way I can correct the extrusion from disappearing. I still do not know how to make it stop. Can someone please tell me how to fix this problem? 

[davebYYPCU · Accepted solution]

Do you mean - don't hide Sketch after 1st feature is made?  Try this, 

But if extruded body is disappearing try the light bulbs....

[alodi2]

Thank you so very much!!! It worked perfectly!! Ant

[alodi2]

Seems to be working pretty well now. Thank you!!

[peaceloveknit]

huzzah! Thank you so much.. sharing with my community of cookie-cutter makers. 

[GRSnyder]

I can't help thinking that there's a simple heuristic that would just do the right thing 90% of the time. I'm thinking of something along the lines of "If the first client operation references all profiles or all non-construction geometry in the sketch, then auto-hide the sketch. Otherwise leave it visible."

[friskney]

Please advise if this sketch auto hide disable has been added to inventor yet.  Thank you.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@friskney wrote:

Please advise if this sketch auto hide disable has been added to inventor yet.  Thank you.

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@friskney 

You are in the Fusion forum, not the Inventor forum?