Component won't lay flat on plane

[dwoodville]

Ok I've been trying to figure this out for a couple hours now. I have two components that should be on the same plane but when I try to create another component that connects them it appears they are not in the same plane. I'm going to reference my file from here on out so this won't make sense unless you open the file. 

Component "OUTSIDE ARM PLATE" and "INSIDE ARM PLATE" are copies of each other and when I copied one from the other I simply moved it in one direction roughly 1.5" (should still be in the same plane). When I'm trying to draw "HELP ME COMPONENT" to lay flat on top of the other two components one side will touch and the other side will be higher or lower than the other side. I've tried sketching directly on top of "OUTSIDE ARM PLATE" or "INSIDE ARM PLATE", I've tried creating a new plane directly on top of those components etc. I'm at a loss as to why the "HELP ME COMPONENT" won't lat flat across them. For reference, I'd like it to fit like the "ARM CAPS" component. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

[davebYYPCU]

That component and content is not horizontal.  

Nothing is grounded.

All Components are free to move even by accident until prevented from moving with Joints or groundings.

Just as blue sketch lines can be altered by intent or accident.

Yellow icons in the time line should be fixed at the time you receive them, likely you just broke it with the previous step.

Might help....

[dwoodville]

I understand that those components aren't horizontal but what I'm not understanding is why? I sketched on a plane that was perpendicular to the components so shouldn't they automatically be perpendicular to each other?

I can't find information regarding what should be grounded. When is grounding used? 

Thanks for the help.

[davebYYPCU]

It’s very hard to look through a model and see what ( - you know - but) you did.

The sketch is first thing in that component, and I / we have to presume you selected a body face, which one is not known to us when checking.

(Can check further with this info, but an Offset Origin Plane If it has to be horizontal)

(Sketch - Extrude, then 3 Press Pull to get away from the sketch, is a workflow that also made me think, finding which Sketch Plane maybe difficult.)

That said, it’s the sketch plane that is not horizontal, fix that and the rest should update.

Ground - the Top level items can’t move.  Any component in the model under the Top Level, is free to move, (so it needs as the Design dictates,) if it is not going to have any motion, needs 

A joint with Top Level,  Grounding. Or being part of a Rigid Group.

In your Model, you have a diamond frame one of those components needs to be grounded, then all the (fixed). Parts then are put into a Rigid Group with the grounded one.  When it comes to the revolving parts, they are a second rigid group, and one joint to let them move.

Might help....

[davebYYPCU]

This is hard to explain, but here goes,,,,  There is no work plane so I presume you used a top face of the vertical plate, for the sketch.

In the pic, you have extruded the black sketch rectangle, up.  

The Blue line with my arrow, is a compound double angle to the yellow highlight.

(Lower and Closer to the viewer as you move along it to the right - not obvious in the pic.)

So from left front sketch corner, the short black line does not intersect that blue line, it is above it, by about the gap, drawn with my red horizontal line.

A work plane is required - 3 point plane, 2 line plane, plane on angle, is needed, but top face of that plate doesn't work, as you expect it, because it is at a double angle to datum.

Might help....

[dwoodville]

Ok I think I understand. I tried creating a plane using 3 points hoping that would work but it still resulted in the component not touching the other 2 components. Do you have a suggestion on how to get my plane to lay flat across the INSIDE and OUTSIDE pieces? 

[davebYYPCU]

Using my pic, 

Start That Component over again, there are a few easy ways, 

Show the vertical sketches (my red arrow for both sides)

Use 2 line plane. Selecting top line of each sketch.

new sketch project those same two lines into this sketch, join the end points.

Rest depends on your desired output, sketch - body - Press Pull to change the body, not a good workflow.

Might help....

[dwoodville]

Well I've tried creating a plane like you suggested. I selected the top line of each sketch and created a plane using two edges, one from each vertical piece. And then I selected that plane to sketch on and I'm still coming up with a new component that "intersects" into one of those vertical pieces and then is .019" above the other side. It's doing the same thing. This is so frustrating!

[dwoodville]

I even created a plane below the object and measured all 4 corners of the 2 vertical pieces you pointed out. The 2 higher corners measure the same distance from the plane and the 2 lower corners measure the same distance away so I know the components are at the same elevation in space. What gives?

[dwoodville]

And to add one more thing- I tried the same process on the other side ("outside arm plate 2" & "inside plate 2") and everything works out just fine how I need it too. 

In addition to that, I started a new drawing with very similar geometry and sizes just to see if I can repeat the problem. It worked out fine how it was supposed to. What the hell?

[davebYYPCU]

Sorry, it works for me, 

You are using two lines - separate component source, not two lines from the same component?

[dwoodville]

Yes, 2 lines from separate components not the same source.