Chain selection for offset face

[busycleta]

Hi Community

I need to get stuff done on 360's solid modeling and somehow chain-selection for tangent faces is completely hidden in my installation. 🤐

How can I get the "offset face" feature to work as expected?
So far I can only select faces one by one and not along tangential extent.
"offset surface" shows the correct option to do chain selection but it is missing in "offset face"

many thanks for saving my day

[jhackney1972]

The Offset Face command does not have Chain Selection option, never has, so that is why you are not seeing it.  In Fusion 360 help it states you have to select the faces you want to offset.

[busycleta]

Hi, and thanks for this instant reply,
however I cannot understand how chain selection is supressed in offset face when in offset surface it is there as expected.

Let's say you use f360 for engineering purposes and you wanted to model a fit between two parts, how would you achieve that without "hardcoding" your selection and later losing it due to modification and thus obtaining flawed parts in production?

[HughesTooling]

Offset face in the surface workspace has a chain option.

Offset face in the solid environment is the same a Press\Pull. If you select a face and and press pull tangent faces tend to come along for the ride. If you need to offset all faces the shell might be an option.

Mark

[HughesTooling]

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@busycleta wrote:

Let's say you use f360 for engineering purposes and you wanted to model a fit between two parts, how would you achieve that without "hardcoding" your selection and later losing it due to modification and thus obtaining flawed parts in production?

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Are you modifying imported models or native parts? For native parts I wouldn't use offset, I'd just modify the sketches and features that create a part so offset isn't something I'd use for your example. If you're working on imported parts or without history I can see your problem. I'd guess as it's not really a problem for native parametric parts chain selection's probably not been thought about.

Mark

[busycleta]

I try to use it for native modeling, however if you go into construction of non rectangular plastic parts or other more complex techniques, lets say a housing with a fit,
you will get stuck if offset face is does not have a standard proper selection routine, for example with tangent option.

I am wondering, is that a designed restriction to upsell to inventor?

[busycleta]

Hello

unfortunately not, press pull has only one direction and moves in that direction, not normal to parent face like offset.

Its quite tiring, because the workaround for a real parametric tangent offset is to create offset surface (with proper tangent selection) and then use replace face with chain selection as well.

one feature too much just because chain selection is suppressed on offset face.

I am wondering, apart from the upselling motivation, is there any imaginable benefit of suppressing chain selection in any feature ??

[HughesTooling]

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@busycleta wrote:

I try to use it for native modeling, however if you go into construction of non rectangular plastic parts or other more complex techniques, lets say a housing with a fit,
you will get stuck if offset face is does not have a standard proper selection routine, for example with tangent option.

I am wondering, is that a designed restriction to upsell to inventor?

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I don't remember seeing anyone ask about this before so I honestly wonder if it was just overlooked. @jeff_strater  Any ideas\thoughts on why offset face in the model solid workspace is missing tangent chaining?

 @busycleta  JFYI Offset face has only been a standalone feature for a few months, it used to be only available through press pull in the past so might need some finishing as a command.

Mark

[jeff_strater]

there is no underlying technical reason that I am aware of why Offset Faces does not support chain selection.   And, @busycleta , there is certainly not any sort of conspiracy plot here to "upsell to inventor".  You are giving us way too much credit for being evil geniuses for that to be true.  The probable reason is much more pedestrian than that.  Most likely, it was simply forgotten in the implementation.  We plain and simply just did not think of it.  Would be a good addition, I agree.

[busycleta]

Hello @jeff_strater 

I was not suggesting any bad intent by implying that maybe limited functionality (missing chain selection) is part of a classical "good better best" strategy in software products.
This is very common and has the goal of upselling to more advanced plans.

Example?
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/changes-to-fusion-360-for-personal-use/

However, I am very pleased to learn, that in this case, the option was by mistake switched off, and as I understand it, you are working on constant updates and therefore are able to turn it back on as in previous versions mentioned before in this thread.

Do I have to submit a dedicated ER in Order to achieve action or is it already backlogged?

[busycleta]

Hi @jeff_strater 

I am working on the newest version of F360 here and still paying my subscription.
However, this checkbox is still HIDDEN. What's going on please?

[jeff_strater]

You are correct, this fix/enhancement has not been implemented yet.

[busycleta]

Whats the strategy then? Why are the low low low hanging fruits not picked?

thanks

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@jeff_strater wrote:

... conspiracy plot here to "upsell to inventor".  You are giving us way too much credit for being evil geniuses...

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What is evil about "upsell to Inventor"?

[jeff_strater]

@TheCADWhisperer - that we would specifically hobble some aspect of UI in Fusion to upsell to Inventor.  There are plenty of reasons to choose Inventor - has more capabilities, better performance, etc, but we are not trying to limit Fusion to force people to go to Inventor....