How to create a mirrored part, keeping links and design history?

[devin_wolanick]

Hello,

I have designed this part:

But need a second version that is mirrored so the hook is on the other side.

I would like this mirrored part to be linked so if I make a design change it will change both parts.

The only solutions I have come across causes the part to become unlinked, or I can hide the linked component but it still appears in the part which is not ideal when making assemblies as it can get messy. It does not allow me to remove the component after mirroring. 

I would appreciate any suggestions on how to approach this problem.

Thank You

For context, this part is being placed on opposite sides of my robot and that is why I need it mirrored:

Currently the hook is incorrect on one side.

[jhackney1972]

Please attach your model.  If you do not know how to attach your Fusion 360 model follow these easy steps. Open the model in Fusion 360, select the File menu, then Export and save as a F3D or F3Z file to your hard drive. Then use the Attachments section, of a forum post, to attach it.

[devin_wolanick]

Thank you for your reply, I have attached my file.

[g-andresen]

Hi,

something like this?

günther

[devin_wolanick]

I would then need to remove the original part so I could add the mirrored part to my assembly.

The main thing is I expect to edit this part as I develop my project so I would want my mirrored part to reflect the changes I make to the original.

[laughingcreek]

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@devin_wolanick wrote:

... It does not allow me to remove the component after mirroring. 

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when you say you can't remove the component, are you trying to "delete" the component, or use the actual "remove" function?  delete wouldn't work, but "remove" should.

[devin_wolanick]

Delete will destroy the mirrored copy.

But the remove option is not available to me after mirroring the original.

I can remove the original if I "break link" or if I stop capturing design history, but I was hoping to keep those features to edit both parts at once.

[laughingcreek]

let's get on the same page.  does the attached not work for you?

[g-andresen]

Hi,

try this

günther

[devin_wolanick]

This works, but the problem is that I would like the 2 parts linked so that if I was to change a dimension on the original part the mirrored part would also change. In this case I would need to make the change on both parts.

I anticipate many mirrored parts in my project and want to streamline development.
I'm not sure if what I am trying to do is possible or if I just need to edit each mirrored part separately.

[TrippyLighting]

Usually you would simply mirror the component. Looking at the design you attached, however, I would say that you have not learned how to properly work with components. See Fusion 360 R.U.L.E #1

[devin_wolanick]

I might be thinking about this problem wrong.

I am trying to make 2 separate parts (for manufacturing purpose) but maybe I should keep just one part and manually mirror the part during assembly, then export the mesh after it is flipped and assembled for manufacturing.

[laughingcreek]

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@devin_wolanick wrote:
This works, but the problem is that I would like the 2 parts linked so that if I was to change a dimension on the original part the mirrored part would also change. In this case I would need to make the change on both parts.
....

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to do that, you just have to roll the timeline to before the mirror.  then both version would show the changes.

if you don't like the idea of manipulating the timeline, then you could derive the body into a new document, and use configurations to create the 2 versions.  all changes made to the original model would propagate to the derived model, and the derived model would give you your 2 configurations.

see attached.

you will probably want to upload this file to a junk folder (i literacy have a folder named junk for stuff like this) so yo don't "junk" up your current project.

[TrippyLighting]

Please don't use the quick-reply function at the bottom of the thread, because it looks like you are relying to yourself.

[laughingcreek]

and if you don't want to use configurations, just derive it out to the new model and mirror it as was done in the previous example.  the derived body will reflect any changes to the original as before.  use the original file for one side, and the derived file for the other side. (again this is only if you don't want to manipulate the timeline to make your edits to original body).  

[laughingcreek · Accepted solution]

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@devin_wolanick wrote:

I might be thinking about this problem wrong.

I am trying to make 2 separate parts (for manufacturing purpose) but maybe I should keep just one part and manually mirror the part during assembly, then export the mesh after it is flipped and assembled for manufacturing.

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are you going to insert this as a linked component into an assembly, or are you going to continue adding components to this file?

if this first, I would keep the file I first posted and configure it, and remember to roll the timeline back to make changes.  I've configured that file and attached it. when you insert it into a new assembly you will be able to insert either or both configurations.

if the second, then you need to create a new component NOW before modeling anything else, and drop your sketches into it.  if all goes well everything will end up in the new component.  I wouldn't do it this way b/c dealing with the timeline in order to get both versions in the same model will be more difficult as you add other components to the same model.

[devin_wolanick]

I would be adding this as a linked component into an assembly.

I would not add any components to this file. I'm trying to keep each manufacturable part as it's own file.

It seems as if configurations may be the route I need to look into

Edit: After playing with configurations for a moment it seems like this will work great. Just need to learn it now.

Thank you everyone for your input!

[Christoph_360 · Accepted solution]

Hello

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@devin_wolanick  wrote:

I would be adding this as a linked component into an assembly.

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First you make a Configured Design of the component with the two Configurations Left and Right.

Then you can insert the component in the Assembly and chose the Configuration Left or Right.

Thanks

Christoph

[devin_wolanick]

Thank you this is precisely what I will be doing.

Happy to have found out about this configuration tool