How to sketch this?

[Anonymous]

While studying the sophisticated constraints in Fusion, this sketch seems impossible.

Just two simple lines tangent to the circles were easy in Vectorworks. Distance between centers must precisely match the diagonal of the rectangle.

But in Fusion...

1. There's no parallel-line polygon or double line tool where the separation dimension can be pre-set. True?

2. There's no tangent to circle constraint where first click of line tool can first spin freely on circle 1, then click on circle 2 done. True?

3. Diagonal line that's separately drawn cannot be moved while keeping its hypotenuse angle. True?

4. Even if diagonal line can be moved while keeping its angle, it cannot snap to tangent of circle. True?

5. Even if diagonal line can be moved while keeping its angle, there's no quick rotate by 90-degrees. True?

How else to sketch it?

[sneddonmark]

Is this what your looking to do? See attached file.

[Anonymous]

I am indeed seeking an answer to how to create it, yes. There is no file attached.

[sneddonmark]

It was attached. I'm not sure why it did not post. http://a360.co/29eIsdM

[TheCADWhisperer · Accepted solution]

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@Kenhain wrote:

While studying the sophisticated constraints in Fusion, this sketch seems impossible.

Just two simple lines tangent to the circles were easy in Vectorworks. Distance between centers must precisely match the diagonal of the rectangle.

But in Fusion...

1. There's no parallel-line polygon or double line tool where the separation dimension can be pre-set. True?

2. There's no tangent to circle constraint where first click of line tool can first spin freely on circle 1, then click on circle 2 done. True?

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These are pretty easy!  Once you get the hang of it - they should be automatic.

 and... why are you repeating the same dimensions over and over?

[HughesTooling]

Have you gone through the training and looked in the help.

Mark

[TheCADWhisperer]

I am not sure of your design intent - but the entire construction can be simplified with a 3-Point Rectangle.

[TheCADWhisperer]

This technique might simplify your sketching even further.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the screencast!

Maybe my installation if Fusion 360 is glitchy. Does it run on Java? Or Flash? It's the first cloud-based software that I've been intensely using, and everything "feels" weird.

For example, after following your screencast exactly step-by-step, I notice that my clicking on the circle to snap a tangent line does not work. I've tried:

1. tapping L to active the line tool, clicking on the tangent constraint, then attempt to click on circle — nothing — no dynamic "hook" onto the circle as in your screencast and as I would expect (same feature in Vectorworks)

2. tapping L, click once on circle, then go immediately off drawing to click on tangent — seemingly too wrong as the line has already been started

3. clicking on the tangent constraint first, then tapping L to start the line — seemingly wrong as the tangent constraint gets toggled off to start the line

Maybe my Java in my Mac needs updating?

[Anonymous]

Thank you triple for the helpful screencasts!

Yes indeed there must be easier, quicker, more direct ways to create the same simple sketch, and I've picked up some very useful tips from your procedures.

If only my Fusion 360 would behave properly... not sure what's causing my cursor-clicks to NOT activate and behave like yours. I've already turned on the Preview in Prefs, and it seems I'm only now "signed up." But yes while the color sketch geometry is now visibly improved, the cursor-clicking actions are still glitchy.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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Kenhain wrote: 

1. tapping L to active the line tool, clicking on the tangent constraint, then attempt to click on circle — nothing — no dynamic "hook" onto the circle as in your screencast and as I would expect (same feature in Vectorworks)

2. tapping L, click once on circle, then go immediately off drawing to click on tangent — seemingly too wrong as the line has already been started

3. clicking on the tangent constraint first, then tapping L to start the line — seemingly wrong as the tangent constraint gets toggled off to start the line

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1. No, no, noooooo.  You don't need to click on tangent constraint - Fusion will automatically add it for you when you click and drag from circle while in line command.

2. Noooo.... You don't need to click on tangent constraint - Fusion will automatically add it for you.....

3. ...you don't need to click tangent unless  you have already created a line and the automatic Tangent was not created for you.

[Anonymous]

But then the line does not "hook onto circle" able to spin on tangent ready for the ending click. Your screencast shows same behavior as in Vectorworks but ONLY if the tangent constraint is turned on in Vectorworks. If in Fusion 360 the tangent constraint need no touching, then this is what happens upon first click of the line tool on the circle. There's no tangent:

[TheCADWhisperer]

When in the line command are you doing a

click click

or

are you doing a

click drag

[TrippyLighting]

Fusion 360 attemts to auto-infer what you want to do based onb where you click on objects and based on how you move with your mouse.

If you start your line tool and left-click and hoild the mous button down and then statrat moving it you'll see that it migh already suggest the tangent constraint.

I't somweha the equivalent of how you'd draw wiht a pencil. You would not just make a dot (clck) and lift the pencil off the paper to make another dot and expect a line to be the result of that sequence.

Try the same with two lines. Draw one line and compete it. Start drawing another line on the endpoint of the first one, but hold the mouse button while starting to move the mouse in an arc.

The above sequences work most of the time. When they don't work you can simply complete drawing the line even without the tangency and hten simply add the constraint after the fact. the result is going to be the same.

[Anonymous]

Ahhhhh  YES!

Click-drag.

Thank you again.

[Anonymous]

Yes I have, but only briefly, and thank you also for your reply.

There were just too many combined odd behaviors, including still a "sometimes won't take" dimensioning command. And so now, even after seeing the proper behavior (and use) of the tools and commands, I'm still a bit suspect of my installed version.

[HughesTooling]

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@Kenhain wrote:

Maybe my installation if Fusion 360 is glitchy. Does it run on Java? Or Flash? It's the first cloud-based software that I've been intensely using, and everything "feels" weird.

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Are you using a mouse or a touchpad, I've seen some problems with a touchpad. The Fusion app is not cloud based like you might think, there's about 2GB of it stored on your computer. The cloud based parts are file storage and cloud rendering, there's been talk of cloud simulation, don't know if that's included yet.

Mark