Fusion 360 Assembly Modeling Strategy

[billdresselhaus]

My students need to first model OTS components, then model subassemlies containing these components, then model a final master assembly of all subassemblies. QUESTION: What is the best Fusion 360 modeling strategy for this...model each OTS component and subassembly and master assembly in separate files and combine sequencially, or model everything in one file from the start??? In Inventor, the first way would be preferable, I think, but Fusion 360 does not have assembly mode, right???

Thanks,

Bill

[O.Tan]

Just a quick reminder, as of right now. "Design" is self contained and that includes part/assembly that is inserted into the "Design" you're working on (as in if you modify or change the imported item, it won't reflect the change anywhere else)

[sachlene.singh · Accepted solution]

Bill,

Currently Fusion works on the Top Down design methodology, which means that you design all the sub assemblies and parts in the context of the assembly itself.

There is currently no assiciativity between parts and assemblies so you could create the parts first and them bring them into an assembly, However the assembly will not update if you make a change to the original part file.

The best way to plan for a model where you would like the parts/assemblies to update would be to use the Parameters and set it up so that the design is driven parametrically. You can find the Parameters under the Modify menu in the Model Workspace.

Here's a link to video that shows driving design with Parameters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apkUQKNwHIo&index=9&list=UUiMwMz3RMbW5mbx0iDcRQ2g

I hope this helps,

[billdresselhaus]

Thanks!!!

Bill

[Anonymous]

I hope your product management team puts some consideration into this subject; I can't see using Fusion360 (or any MCAD package) as anything other than a toy without full associativity.

[prabakarm]

Can you help us understand what type of associativity you are looking for.  The Fusion assembly suports an associative top down design workflow with both direct and parametric modeling.  A Fusion design can have parts and assemblies in a single document.  If you have not already I would suggest reviewing the assembly section of our onboarding material which should provide more detail.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/general-fusion-360-questions/get-fusion-360-training/td-p/5424704

What Sachelene was referring to is currently we do not support externalizing parts and assemblies and having associative references (a.k.a X-Refs).  We are actively working on it for delivery in our April update.  Below is our vision around exploring design variations and collaboration.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-differently/the-future-of-collaboration-in-fusion-360/ba-p/5418...

Our overall roadmap can be found here...

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-differently/fusion-360-and-fusion-360-ultimate-roadmap-into-nex...

Thanks,

Prabakar.

[ahsan.autodesk · Accepted solution]

Yes, associativity will be supported in the near future.

Also, please see this blog entry by Will Secor: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-differently/the-future-of-collaboration-in-fusion-360/ba-p/5418...

Some pretty cool stuff being planned in the future to greatly facilitate collaborative design.

Regards,

Ahsan

[Anonymous]

Hi Prabakar,

Thanks for the reply and for the product and roadmap info; I'm looking forward to seeing the timeline for a few OS X features I've been hoping for.

I too was referring to what you term "X-refs".  Over my career I've driven a number of MCAD packages including Pro-E, Solidworks and now Inventor. In my experience, the ability to have parts and part libraries referenced into an assembly is essential.

For me this is a "must have", perhaps it is just a workflow to which I've just become accustomed, but large organizations all have assemblies where individual  users own individual components and/or sub-assemblies within the top level assembly, and it is important that part/sub-assembly changes can propagate into and out of the top level assembly.

Thanks again and glad to hear that X-Refs are coming.

Art

[Anonymous]

Hi Ahsan,

Thanks for the update, I'll take a look at the blog entry.

Regards,

Art

[cekuhnen]

I think what he mainly means is this:

instead of building everything inside one document
you have the individual physical objects of a design each in one document
and later compose the assembly in a new file

changing one part in its original file will update the part in the assembly.

ideally you also want to be able to adjust the part while being in the assembly
meaning the design change will be pushed into the part file.

[Anonymous]

Exactly!

[cekuhnen]

this semester the time line was very successful for working on a single object design like a shell for a box cutter knife.

we also tried to use it for exhibition design and that was not so successful because it really makes the timeline to long and complicated.

In revit you build your families. and of course in Fusion you can build furniture etc alone as single files and then include, but that is not so ideal.

at the end a system were we have a master file where designs are dynamically two ways linked in would have been very helpful.

well in Rhino we would build everything in layers (layers equal parts) and then once the main design phase is done, copy and past everything into single files for the prototyping and manufacturing phase.

[FranzVeits]

Any update on this? I need to be able to edit a individual part and see its changes in the assembly.

[Phil.E]

I'm assuming you mean "edit a model outside of the assembly, and then see the assembly update". As discussed earlier in this thread, Fusion does not currently support referenced designs in this way. As you may know, if you wish to edit a part that exists in an assembly today, you simply edit the part in the assembly.

This is all going to change soon. We are currently working on a solution for this.

[CGPM]

Is "soon" still May 30th?  The way you put it makes me ask.

[Phil.E]

Yes the plan is May 30.

[zhuravliki]

Phil.E,
Any news related to referenced design development? It is absolutely vital functionality for any CAD application. This missing essential functionality becomes nightmare for the designer and turn nice looking product into toy, if you creating something more complicated than the combination of the couple of geometrical primitives....

[TrippyLighting]

Yes, it is,  but in the sense you are using it it is not.

So how is it essential ?

In a team environment where many people collaborate on differnt parts of the design, the ability for differnt indivitduals to work on differnet parts of the design can be essential.

How is it NOT essential ?

Fusion 360 does not have distinct file formats for an assembly and a component. You can design complex products, consisting of many parts, well structured in assemblies, sub-assemblies and components perfectly fine within one file. Even if you import external geometry e.g. for purchased components, for the most part you can break the link. There's no need to reference an external design if it never changes.

Externally referenced designs were implemented last year 😉

[Phil.E]

@zhuravliki

As Trippy states, we have referenced designs now. The original post was more than a year old.

If you wish to insert a component into your design, and wish for this inserted component to be a reference of an external file, such that when you change the external file, all assemblies that reference it update, do the following:

1. Right click on a design in your data panel and pick Insert.

2. You get one chance to move it without creating the need to capture position when it appears in your new design. After that all moves are parametrically captured in history.

3. If you want to edit the linked design, either open it from your data panel, or right click on it in the assembly browser and pick Open.

4. When you are done editing the linked design, save it. All referencing assemblies will show out of date notifications and prompt you to update the assembly to see the changes.

Step 1

Resulting linked file:

Thanks,

[zhuravliki]

Phil, thank you very much for your answer! I have no idea how did I miss this option! I thought that this link is related to positional part properties. My bad!