Copying an object/not moving it.

[Draknkep]

Ok... this is driving my nuts.. In Acad 2016, You can copy and object, to another point leaving the original object in place. In trying to do the same thing in Fusion 360, I see the copy/move command, but it seems to do just that, it moves the original object. I am was trying to copy an object I had made that I would later extrude, and I wanted to put the same object on a face, 90° to the original, so I could extrude it also. As I could not figure out how to do this, I just 'drew' it again, then extruded both. The design I made is a  mount for a JR/Spektrum remote receiver.

And... I learned a lot of Autocad 2016 with a good book I found and would like to find a book for this program, I found one at Barnes and Nobel online  but at $48.87, I am somewhat loathe to buy it if it is not a good book. The book I found is 'Autodesk Fusion 360 Introduction to Parametric Modeling:' Is it a good book? It seems to be about the only one I can find.

 Help please..

SteveT.

[etfrench]

When you use the Move/Copy command, you have to check the 'Make Copy' option before moving the Body or Component. The Move/Copy version of Copy creates a clone of the Body or Component which means if you use Press/Pull on the original it will change the copies. Other operations like Extrude don't seem to behave the same. 

I would use the plain Copy command and then Paste (for creating clones) or Paste New if I want to modify the copy.

Sketches don't move easily.  You can redefine the sketch plane, but this will affect objects created previously from the sketch's geometry. 

[Draknkep]

I have looked, but can not find a just plain 'copy' command.. where is it please??

SteveT.

[laughingcreek]

IF its available, either right->click copy, or control c for copy, control v for paste (command C for mac)

[SaeedHamza]

You can find it here

If you still can't find it, check you Fusion if it's updated or not

Regards

[Draknkep]

I have the latest version as it is set to auto update..

And the window that pops up for the copy/move command, does not have everything yours is showing.. Perhaps it is because I have not clicked on anything.

You guys will have to excuse my possibly dumb questions, but this program is soooo different from Autocad 2016 as to how commands work that I am definitely having problems transitioning

to this one.

Here is what the copy/move screen looks like on my computer...

And I really do appreciate you taking the time to answer my dumb questions!!

SteveT.

[etfrench]

@SaeedHamza: The copy option in the Move/Copy dialog is defective IMHO.  The copy doesn't behave the same as a copy created from the straight Copy command.

Here's a screencast showing a few of the difference in the copy and paste commands:

[laughingcreek]

your right, it's because nothing is selected that the check box isn't showing.

and the way copy is implemented in fusion is stupidly confusing at times.. its a common complaint

[Draknkep]

Thanks, I will view the video right now.

Edit...

Ok... I watched the video, but it's pretty much as 'clear as mud' as it happened too fast, and no audio, so I have no idea what was done to do it. And it still doesn't tell me how to copy an object on one side of a drawing, and paste it on another side and then be able to extrude them, which is what I asked in the first place...

SteveT.

[etfrench]

But wait, there's more.  For $19.95 you too can have even more ways to move and copy

Oddly enough, the Move/Copy copy option bodies are behaving differently today than yesterday. (I never use the Move/Copy to make copies, so tested it before posting). Yesterday, Extrude failed on the clone, put Press/Pull worked.  Extrude|Cut didn't work on the clone whereas today it did.

[etfrench]

Are you trying to copy faces or sketches?

[Draknkep]

I hate to say, I agree with that last statement. There is an old thing about any Autodesk cad program and that is 'that is was designed by computer software writers, not draftsmen, and they don't know how a draftsman would do something'.

SteveT.

[SaeedHamza]

@etfrench

Thanks for the screencast my friend, but I'm familiar with what you showed. What you're showing is the Paste New command, and that can be used in case you want to create something unlinked to the original, but I guess what you mean is that the move/copy won't allow to paste new, but will create a linked component to the original one instead, and you're right by that.

My answer was based on @Draknkep wanting to know how to do a normal copy, although the paste new command should have been mentioned.

[SaeedHamza]

@Draknkep

Could you please share a screenshot of what exactly you want to copy

Regards

[Draknkep]

Please look at the first photo I posted. I originally 'drew' the 'slot' that I would later extrude/push all the way through, then I tried to copy it to one of the side faces, so that I could do the same thing without having to redraw it. I could not figure out how to do it, as all I could get it to do was to 'move' the slot on that same face.

SteveT.

[SaeedHamza]

---

Draknkep wrote:

 And it still doesn't tell me how to copy an object on one side of a drawing, and paste it on another side and then be able to extrude them, which is what I asked in the first place...

---

When you say from one place to another, the thing that comes to mind is the mirror command ... if it's not, then do as @etfrench did in the video above when he copied the components with the purple color

Regards

[SaeedHamza]

Here is a screencast with me explaining it as @etfrench demonstrated before

I hope it helps

Regards

[laughingcreek]

Ok, we all may be getting hung up on terminology.  When you say "copy and object" in your first post, are you talking about sketch objects?  That process is a little different also.  to copy sketch objects, you have to be in a sketch.  easies is to use standard ctrl c /ctrl v keyboard commands.  but here's the trick, you can copy sketch objects (lines, etc) from one sketch to another, but it will paste into position relative to the sketch origins.  so to copy sketch objects from one face to another, select the lines (don't have to be in a sketch to do that" EDIT: not completely sure about that) and ctrl c copy.  start a new sketch on the other face and ctrl v paste.  unfortunately there is no way to reliably predict how the origin of the new sketch will be aligned when created, that part's a crap shoot.

[laughingcreek]

here's what I mean with the sketches

[etfrench]

There are several ways of copying features onto different faces, but you can't copy them directly.

Here's another silent screencast that shows one way of replicating features on another face:

Notes:

1. The sketch from which the original extrusion was made must be in a component.  In the screencast I show it in the same component as the 3d body.  It doesn't need to be.  The component containing the sketch is selected to be moved, not the body or the sketch.
2. Using Paste New allows you to manipulate the copy without affecting the original.
3. You can add dimensions/constraints in each of the sketches to control where the extruded slots will be located.