Aligning or Joint Creation of Router Table Top on Cabinet

[dave.schings]

I have designed a router cabinet and want to sit the router top centered on the cabinet.  Do I use the Modify --> Align command or a joint?  I couldn't figure out how to get either to work since the top of the cabinet is open and nothing to align to.  I am enclosing my models.

Thanks,

Dave

[laughingcreek]

put a sketch on top of the cabinet and use that for your joint.  I've attached your model.  I'll post a screen cast of the process in a min.

(you'll notice that i broke the link the the router top.   doesn't change the process, but does allow me to export this as an .f3d file in stead of an .f3z.  easier for everybody on this end, we don't have to download anything, just open it directly from the post)

[laughingcreek]

here's the screen cast.

in hind sight, you don't really even need the sketch.  if you know an offset then  just joint one of the midpoints on the top with a midpoint on the edge of a cross member. 

if you only know how far off the front you want the cabinet to hang off, then put a sketch point there and joint the leading edge of the top there.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/67f04a64-b914-4e39-9ea2-21af613f929e

[davebYYPCU]

Joint - Red dots - the top centre blue face of the table

to the top outside midpoint of the back panel

Offset - Table thickness, (1.219 in) and half cabinet depth, (11in). done.

Might help....

[dave.schings]

Thanks, I didn’t know I could make a joint with elements on a sketch, thought you could only create a joint with 2 components.

Dave

[davebYYPCU]

The new sketch has to be in that component for it to work correctly.

But as Alex mentions, there are already common points existing with out it.

Might help....

[laughingcreek]

I put that sketch in the top level with your other sketches.  the top level is a component also.  your just tying a sub component to a specific spot in relation to the upper level component.

you don't have to have anything in components to joint them together.  You can just joint their origins together if you wanted to. or a sketch of one to the origin of another, etc..

[dave.schings]

I was trying to create the joint shown in red and I can't get the axis alignment correct.  The top outside corner of the back panel is along the X axis to it tries to put the top on the ZY plane.... perpendicular to the cabinet top.  How do I change the orientation of the selection at the midpoint of top rear corner of the back panel?

Thanks,

Dave

[davebYYPCU]

Top,    outside,    midpoint    of the rear panel.

Mouse over the top edge of the rear panel in the about right area,

hold control key down and click / snap to the midpoint marker.

Might help....

[dave.schings]

Thanks, Dave... I tried the way you describe but this is what I get.  

[laughingcreek · Accepted solution]

you want those coin shapes that show the joint positions to lie flat against each other.  hover over a face you want it flat against and then hold done the ctrl key.  that will keep the coin oriented while you select one of the anchor points.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/7c5b7f6b-a801-4daf-af33-3fc9a0de028f

[chrisplyler · Accepted solution]

When you create a joint, the orientation of the little circular "coins" matters. The first one will match up to the second one. So you pick face or edge of the component that you want to move first, and then the face or edge of the component that you want it to move too second, and in both cases you make sure you're clicking the right place/orientation.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/8e916c00-347c-4ee4-91dd-b89a3de35308

[dave.schings]

Thanks Alex and others!!  I now see how to make the joint selection better and played with it so I can actually do it.

Dave