Converting a group of components into one big component.

[ianhughes7UFVF]

Hi

In the project I am working on, I am now beginning to insert larger components into one design and draw in other components from other work and combine them.

In this picture is where I am at:

As you will see there is my initial workings that make the white Frame at the bottom, and I have imported the Wooden Leg and the Wooden Hub into the project. I will be adding other stuff, so what I would like to do is make all the smaller components for the White Foot Frame, one component.

Could you direct me how to do this.

I would have attached a fusion file, but it doesn't seem to like exporting it other than a iges or other file type, which is unusual.

Kind Regards

Ian

[jeff_strater]

Hi @ianhughes7UFVF,

A couple of answers to your questions:

1. Yes, you should be able to create a sub-component and move all of the components for the frame into it.  It will depend on the number of references to other components from these, but i think you should be able to do that.  That's an approach that would create a sub-assembly of the parts from the frame.

2. another approach, if the intention is to really combine all these into a single component (not a sub-assembly) is to use the Combine command.  If the pieces of the frame all nicely overlap with each other, this approach can work.

Which you choose depends on what your goal is.  If the current pieces are each separately purchasable or manufacturable parts, then I would use the sub-assembly approach.  If these are all really one part in the real world (for example a purchasable component), then the Combine approach would be good.

Your design contains linked components.  In order to export this, you will have to "open details in web" from the left hand data panel:

then, export from that web page, choosing the "Fusion Archive" type:

This will allow you to download an "F3Z" file locally, which you can share here

Jeff

[ianhughes7UFVF]

Hi

Thank you for the response and I will test out your directions on what to do on combining the components.

I did what you suggested and download the file.

I seem to have to rename the file extensions when I download from from the 360 site. They download with the name only.

I hope the attached file will work and show you how I have set this up. The tutorials are always the best explanation on things.

Kind Regards

Ian

[jeff_strater · Accepted solution]

Thanks for sharing the model, @ianhughes7UFVF.  Here are two screencasts showing the two different approaches.  Neither screencast shows the entire process, but hopefully it is obvious how to complete the workflow.  I've attached the designs from both workflow, just in case you want to look at them

1) create a new component to hold the sub-assembly, then drag the components you want in that sub-assy one at a time into that component in the browser.  The trick here is to click on a face of each component and using the "squiggle highlight" in the browser to indicate which component that is.  I prefer this method, I think.

screencast:

2) Use the Combine command to make one single component from the collection.  This workflow just combines all the existing components into one single component

screencast:

Hope this helps,

Jeff

[ianhughes7UFVF]

Hi

Thank you so much for your help.

I can continue to clean up my work I am doing.

I must say, from the messy work I started with I am finding I am able to come up with a lot better results with all the time and help you chaps have provided.

Kind Regards

Ian