How do I make components in pattern individuals?

[joelHJ7S5]

Hi folks,

I am brand new to Fusion 360.  I am creating several Rectangles with the pattern tool.  i want to be able to use user parimeters in specific instances of components that were created from the pattern.  I saw this thread:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016...

and this:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/making-a-patterned-component-separate-from-the-pattern...

But it is for Inventor.  How can I make components created with the pattern individuals? I need each component to be able to show up in the "change parameters" window individually.  

Thank you!

[etfrench]

Copy/Paste New is one way of doing this.  Modify the new copy and turn the visibility of the original off.

[joelHJ7S5]

Thanks @etfrench.  That is what I am doing now.  From what I can tell, you need to do this for each individual component, is that right?  I'm hoping to be able to select all (in my case 19+) components and make them each independent.

I should say this-in case there is a better way:

The reason I am making each independent is that that is the only way that I can see where I can have iterative changes to each component using the User Parameters.  

My first component has a length of:  "Key_Length"

So my second component needs to be: "Key_Length + Offset_Length"

My third: "Key_Length + 2(Offset_Length)"

Fourth: "Key_Length + 3(Offset_Length)"

etc, etc.

I don't see a way of doing something like this using patterns unless I make each component independent...

[etfrench]

I think you will run into more trouble trying to modify patterned components than if you build the modifications into the component creation.

The videos in the previously linked thread show how to create a pattern on a path where the length is changing based on the angle of the path. A marimba is very similar to a harmonica (other than one gets hit with a mallet and the other uses air flow to create the vibrations ).  Think of the marimba keys as the spaces in the harmonica comb in the videos. 

The angle you chose for the path will give you the key length for each key.  You can specify the angle in degrees or use a formula to calculate the angle needed to create specific key lengths.

[joelHJ7S5]

Thanks @etfrench.  At the end of the day, Ideally I need to be able to set the first key length and the last key length and then all the keys that are in between will just be whatever exact length they need to be based on those lengths.  So for that reason I can see a path with an angle determined by the first and last key would be fastest.   The advantage that I am hoping to find in Fusion vs Sketchup is in being able to create dynamic plans where I can dynamically change things like key length, thickness, Number of keys, and spacing and the wood for the frame, etc will also just dynamically adjust so that I don't have to create new plans for every modification that I make.  It seems like it will be possible, but I can tell that I'm a long way away from being able to do this yet in Fusion 360.

[Scoox]

Surely this is a bug. If I use the rectangular pattern tool to create an array of circular holes based on a single initial hole, if I apply a fillet to the source hole before applying the pattern, the patterned holes will get the fillet too, but if I apply the fillet after the pattern, only the target hole gets the pattern. This is the expected behaviour.

HOWEVER, if instead of holes I'm creating a pattern of components, changes made to any one of the components after the pattern are applied retrospectively to the source component and therefore it propagates to all components of the pattern. This is NOT the expected behaviour.

In my current design, I have a rectangular pattern of RGB LEDs and I wanted to make them different colors to better represent the functionality of the device, but whenever I change the color of any one of the LEDs, all the LEDs change color, even though each LED is a different component. This makes no sense.

[jesse.kilpatrick]

I have this same problem - did you ever manage to solve it?

[etfrench]

See post #2

[therealsamchaney]

Unfortunately, the only way to make a copy of a component in an "assembly" design that is not a linked clone of the original component is to use copy then paste new.

The default behavior if you use a pattern tool on a component or use copy and (normal) paste, is that the copied component will share the same parameters, and any changes made to one component will be made to all.

I also find this behavior strange, and I think "paste new" is not an intuitive name for the solution. I would never have known what it did unless I looked it up.

It would be great if the pattern tools had a "pattern as new/separate components" option but they don't. Also, there is no way to change a copied and pasted component to an unlinked "new" component after the fact. If you used the normal paste option in the past instead of paste new, you're basically screwed. This should really be improved.

[garrett.glaser]

I would really like there to be a solve for this. I often create circular patterns of components that would be extremely painstaking to recreate with a move function, but I then need to make adjustments to specific components after they are in their patterned location. Being able to break the connection between these components would make my workflow so much more efficient. 

[g-andresen]

Hi,

---

@garrett.glaser  schrieb:

 Being able to break the connection between these components would make my workflow so much more efficient. 

---

This happens when you copy a component and paste new one (without move!) and then hide the linked component.

As it was already recommended here.

günther

[garrett.glaser]

Yes, this process works, but it sure is not an elegant or intuitive solution!

[g-andresen]

Hi,

---

@garrett.glaser  schrieb:

Yes, this process works, but it sure is not an elegant or intuitive solution!

---

If I had said this to a boss during my working life, I wouldn't have to worry about the answer.

günther

[kgrunawalt]

This might work:

1. create body to pattern
2. pattern body (not component)
3. select all bodies
4. create components from bodies

[jhackney1972]

I would like to propose a workaround for making one or more components, in your pattern, independent.  The process outlined is not real efficient but it gets the job done.

[davebYYPCU]

Actually, it ties one hand behind your back, 

Components pasted new, no move, then Remove, (already recommended)

brings Construction recipe for the component with it, 

Boundary Fill (has limited use) is just a dumb solid, not for when you need the planes, sketches and features for edit, in the Paste New Component.

Might help....

[jhackney1972]

I agree with you to a point.  I use it occasionally on components that I have basically already finished, up to a point, they are individual.  I really do not care if the component becomes a dumb solid at this point because i am just going to add features moving forward.  I also know how to create work planes as I need them.  If I do need to maintain my dependence on the master component I will use another method which is described in the Blog Article and Video. 

The main purpose of all of these work around processes is just to get over the hump in the design process that sometimes presents itself.  Fusion 360 will evolve and they will become obsolete but until then, I think it is nice to have some options even if they are not perfect solutions.

[garrett.glaser]

Sometimes being a customer as opposed to an employee has its benefits! Though, I am lucky enough to work with people who are willing to put the time and effort in to get to an elegant solution to a problem if it is possible. They are usually also more efficient, so everyone wins.