Cannot combine components

[jmding]

I have a model that consists of 6 instances of the same sub-part (Three Key), and lofts between them. I'd like to combine them all into a single body. The combine tool does not allow me to select the sub-part (Three Key), only the lofts. What am I doing wrong?

[dsouzasujay]

@jmding,

Can you attach design that you have already completed in Fusion 360? You can export by File>Export *.f3d/*.f3d file to your local drive and then Attach it here to a Reply.

[jmding]

f3d is not an option, but f3z is. Here is the f3z file

[dsouzasujay]

Hi @jmding,

We can't combine External Reference bodies with Local component bodies.

To combine, we need to break link and Combine the bodies 
Note: After breaking link there wont be any relation between 'Three Key' and 'V0'

[hamid.sh. · Accepted solution]

This is because your components are inserted and Combine cannot modify them. You can either right click on them in the Browser and select Break Link (which you'll loose connection to your external component), or if you don't want to loose linking; make a new component, draw a box that encompasses everything and then in Combine select Intersect. 

File is attached.

[jeff_strater]

only the target body needs to be local.  The tool bodies can all be external (except you will not have the option to uncheck "keep tools" in the Combine dialog).

[hamid.sh.]

@jeff_strater 

I believe there is UI problem here. As soon as one instance among multiple insertions of the same external body is selected as tool others disappear (but still can be selected from window or browser). This causes confusion. Screencast is here.

@jmding please check out above screencast. You can achieve it easier than what I suggested in my previous reply. Also, you have bodies in the root component (plus a duplicate of Loft's body), I guess when doing the lofts you hadn't activated your Lofts component. Keeping all bodies within a component helps in organizing.

[TrippyLighting]

@hamid.sh. that's not a UI problem. You cannot combine instances of objects with each other regardless whether they are local or linked.

[jeff_strater]

yes, @hamid.sh. - this is a UI problem.  You can use multiple instances of the same component as a tool body, but it does have this weird behavior of turning off visibility of all instances (it's because body visibility is shared across instances).  We have a bug logged for that, and will fix it some day.  The Fusion bug is:  FUS-50128.  It was reported here:  bug-pattern-copied-components-disappear-during-combine-command 

But, you can select these in the graphics area, if you know where to find them...

[hamid.sh.]

@TrippyLighting Yes I know it's not possible to combine instances of objects with each other, however, it is possible to use any number of them as tool to combine with a different target body. That is you can not select one instance as target and other as tool, but if the target is a different body you can select two or more instances of the same component as tool bodies (well, this way multiple instances can be combined in effect...check the attached file).

Now what I think is the UI problem is that after selecting one instance as tool (to combine with a different target), others disappear from window but they CAN be selected by clicking on their location (even though not visible) and Fusion DOES combine them successfully. Please take a look at my screencast.

Either it was the intention of developers to avoid Boolean between multiple instances (e.g. out of concern for recursion), but then as I shown in the screencast and attached file it is done successfully, hence a bug. Or developers didn't intend this restriction but then the disappearance of still SELECTABLE bodies is a UI problem that causes confusion.