Can a object be locked to a axis when you just grab it to move it?

[Anonymous]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I did some searching and have worked my way through a number of the youtube videos over the last few days but I still have not been able to find a way to do this.

I feel I can move objects around very well in a number of different ways and place things precisely. Sometimes I just like to quickly grab something as shown in my screencast instead of right clicking and using the "move" in the menu. When I just grab something quickly is there anyway for me to lock it to a axis so it moves just along that axis? Some keyboard key I can press and hold after I just grab the object to drag and move it? I just don't seem to have a lot of control moving something when I just grab and drag it instead of using any of the move tools.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Maybe when I just grab something to move it like that I should be doing it from a different view, say a side view or top view for example instead of the 3d home view (is that what it's call?) I have shown in the screencast?

[TrippyLighting · Accepted solution]

If you have not done so, please familiarize yourself with the difference between a bodies and components. htis is also explained in the vdeo tutorials in the "Assemble" part of the Learn section.

The way your asembly is structure already sets you on the right path, at least for tradtitional mechanical design, as it contains components, which contain the sketches and the bodies generated from these sketches.

The move behaviour you are experienceing depenbds on the selection behavior in Fusion 360's viewport.

In your screencast, when you are dragging an object with the mouse you are actually moving a component.

When you are selecting the object it with a single-left-click and then invoke the move command you are actually moving the body within the component away from the component's origin. In the majority of cases that is NOT what you want to do.

When you single-left-click on an object and follow the blue dotted breadcrumbs in the browser, you'll see that they actually lead to the body.

If you want to move a component with the move tool youy can select it two ways. One is obviously by slecting it in the browser and the osthe is by double-left-clicking on it. You'll see that it highlights in a differnt way and also the component in the browser will be highlighted in solid blue.

Also, body moves are recorded in the timeline with the x-y axis symbol and editing the sympol in the timeline will re-invoke the move tool.

Moving a component is usually recorded with a snapshot, which is a different symbol.

Moving a component to a precise location is not ment to be done with the move tool, but usually by assembling the components using the joints in the Assemble menu.

[Anonymous]

Well that explains a lot, thanks!

Think I understand when and why the "Some components have been moved." box pops up now too.

Because I moved a component. Does not happen when I move a body. Seems so simple now.

I also now see how I can only drag a component and not a body.

"When you single-left-click on an object and follow the blue dotted breadcrumbs in the browser, you'll see that they actually lead to the body."

I had noticed the blue dotted breadcrumbs in the browser before, but did not understand what it meant, now I do.

Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

"When you are selecting the object it with a single-left-click and then invoke the move command you are actually moving the body within the component away from the component's origin. In the majority of cases that is NOT what you want to do."

So then instead in most case I would want to right click on the component in the browser. Then click on "Move" in the menu to move the component. Moving the component this way keeps the body and origin together, correct? If so then after the move I will always be presented with having to select "Capture Position" or "Revert"?

Unless I'm joining components together. Then I would use "Joints" to assemble them.