copy/paste new, link is partially broken, items missing

[rprovideo]

Hi

I designed a part, and copied it. I realized if I just paste it, I have a link between them, and couldnt find a way to break it. 

So I did a Paste New, but it seems some features did not carry over. I have lost Press Pull mostly. And some Press Pulls are still connected. What can I do?

[g-andresen]

Hi,

please share the file for reply and explain which component is involved

File > export > save as f3d on local drive >attach to post

günther

[rprovideo]

hmm, for whatever reason, if I click on file - export, I can only do Autodesk Archive, there is no f3d

[rprovideo]

...and f3z is not supported here..?

[laughingcreek]

there's something going on with the forum that is disallowing .f3z attachment(it works occasionally, but mostly not).  zip it and then attach.

[rprovideo]

i added a version just after the copy too.

[TrippyLighting]

I created a screencast to explain what went wrong (I believe there's a bug at play here) but also how to fix it.

However, while it has no bearing on the issue you reported, you need to establish a better workflow for assembling your components. Sooner rather than later, using the position capture feature to locate components will bite you and take chunks out!

[rprovideo]

Thank you for your reply. I see what you mean. The push pull for the rear component was not behaving as I expected which is why I did this double thing. I am not sure why one of the push is interpreted as offset, I’ve seen it happen before, I do a push and on the timeline it appears as an offset. Anyway, thank you, and thanks for the tip about moving items. I have to learn joints.

One thing about copy I do not get. As you can see these are 3 display holders that are very very similar. They hold the same display with the same hdmi card, that is why there are the same linked components. Same mounting holes, same holes for the display card. The only difference between them is their function, and with that the position and type of an encoder or pot.

So ideally, a want to copy the first design, and then modify it. I need to have some parts as the same and some not. Maybe I should have copied the individual layers? And then is there a way to break the link?

I just printed the first instrument board and realized the hdmi board is in the wrong place. Now I have to move it 3 times on all instruments, including changing the mounting. If they were connected, I’d have to move it once. So even more ideally, I’d have the first one build, then copy, then break the link and modify the small things. This way, hypothetically, if I have to go back on the timeline and change the basics, they would carry over. Is there such a way?

Thanks

[TrippyLighting]

There is a way to do what you want, but how that is done depends on whether you use a free or paid subscription.

Which are you using?

[rprovideo]

Im on the paying credit version, thank you

[TrippyLighting]

I updated your design to the point of the timeline you can see in the screenshot and the attached model:

Before designing stuff, think about symmetries and patterns in the geometry and patterns.

I simplified and modified the panel sketch so the sketch origin is now in the center of the cutout.  

If you can keep fillets,/chamfers, mirroring and patterns out of your sketches, you should. 

I also used the ground to parent attribute to hold things in place that were designed in place (Panel assembly and panel component in that assembly). Then I inserted the rail component and used assembly joints to position them on the panel.

Please go through the attached model and ask questions.

[rprovideo]

Hi

I am sorry for the long delay, I had other things.

I came back to this. I cleaned up the first instrument as I had to do some design changes. I did everything with joints. I created a copy with Save As, deleted all the others.

I still have a problem where if I Copy/Paste, I cannot make changes (which is as intended, but a 'break link' function would be very useful, and more in keeping with how the link in other things work).
If I do a Paste New, I have the same problem where the faces are closed, not extruding correctly. I cannot really clean it up either, since the extrusion command is done on the first instrument. 

The only sorta working way I found is to create the first instrument, Save a Copy, then reimport as the second instrument, and break the link. Then, I still have to fix the extrusion problems, but since it is now on a local Sketch, I can see what to reselect.

The only problem with this workflow, apart from being tedious, is that I can only break the link for all subcomponents created in the first instrument. When I click Break Link, it does ask me to do all, but the only things that retain links are external components like pots and screws.
Since these instruments only differ in the position of the encoders, ideally I'd love to have the bottom and middle layers to be the same (and have cutouts for all the versions) and only break the link for the top layer, which is unique. this way, most of the components would be interchangeable and produced the same.