layout table legs

[Anonymous]

So I have this set of 4 components, and I am trying to find out the correct way to lay them out how i want them. Of course I need the legs to all parallel and perpendicular, and I somewhat understand the concept of doing that when creating sketches. But what about when they are complete components?

[laughingcreek]

your looking for the concept of joints.

try making a table top and joint those legs to it.

[Anonymous]

I see, but when I go to align a component, all it seems to be able to do is bring the items together.. I'm trying to align them where the bottoms would line up, but be lets say, 50 inches apart or something like that. So if I take your suggestion and create a table top to put them on, how to i position them correctly on the table top?

[davebYYPCU]

Use a sketch to place the corners of the leg.  Sketch will later become part of the table top, so put it in there at the beginning.

Joint is not move or Align, 3 separate functions for 3 separate results.

Joint will do the moving for you., if you have one in position, As Built Joint, will take it's current position.

consider mirror command to make the other three.

might help.....

[lichtzeichenanlage]

Move and alignment are tempting, but they come with some disadvantages: They mess up your timeline, are costing computing power (AFAIK) and they are not parametric.

So the way to go is:

• Use joints (what requires you to use componentents - but this is a good practice anyway (Rule #1),
• raw your parts at that places where they should be placed anyway (if possible).

How things work is shown in the screencast and you can play around with the attached example design.

[daniel_lyall]

Some move types are parametric free move and point to point are not parametric.

 

The 3 in the pick are parametric you find this by looking in the parameters if they have an event in the timeline and here then they are.

How Dave said to do it is a good way to do it and is part of a exemption to Rule 1 (it can be use for just the legs or the legs and top) you can use that sketch to control the length and width of the table You just need to make sure the legs sketchies are constrained to the sketch.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

@daniel_lyall: You are moving bodies? Right - they are parametric. But as the screen capture from the TO shows he is using components (What is always not a bad idea) and those moves are not parametric. However you have a point. Sketching things into place is a good idea and that's why I mentioned it too. Just using bodies and moving them around isn't a good idea IMHO.

[Anonymous]

So do you think that since I created the leg in its own file I kind of screwed myself? I am a web developer so my logic is always to section off and compartmentalize as much as possible for reusability and versatility. It seems like I should have build the whole bench in a single file consisting of several components. That being said, let's say the legs were extremely complicated and I wanted to bring them in as pieces as I have. I will start a new assembly, import my top, then import a leg. So I could look st the bottom side of the top, and then there is the joint feature that can move the already complete leg component to be fixed to a particular part of the top? I admit I haven't checked this yet I won't be able to play with it until later today, but that's my thoughts now.

Thank you

[lichtzeichenanlage]

@Anonymous: I'm a developer too and I can totally understand your point. The problem is, that IMHO Fusion 360 promises more than it can hold. For me the major problem is, that you can not change attributes of the linked component. Even simple things like hiding a sketch has to be done in the master file. Changing user or modle parameters are not possible either. So lots of people suggest, that you should brake the link. What you get is like you've designed the component in the new design. Because of this, I tend to design everything in one file and will perhaps export an component if I need it in a different design. 

The joints I've shown in my screencast will work with linked and not linked components. Doesn't matter. So - import a leg, break the link (if you want to), draw the tabletop on top of the leg and copy/past the other legs and join them 😉

[chrisplyler]

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@stephen.hendricks87wrote:
So do you think that since I created the leg in its own file I kind of screwed myself? I am a web developer so my logic is always to section off and compartmentalize as much as possible for reusability and versatility. It seems like I should have build the whole bench in a single file consisting of several components. That being said, let's say the legs were extremely complicated and I wanted to bring them in as pieces as I have. I will start a new assembly, import my top, then import a leg. So I could look st the bottom side of the top, and then there is the joint feature that can move the already complete leg component to be fixed to a particular part of the top? I admit I haven't checked this yet I won't be able to play with it until later today, but that's my thoughts now.

Thank you

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No you didn't screw yourself. You just need some kind of feature or something on the bottom of the table top on which to make the Joints.

In my example, I sketched some controlling Points that I had put onto some parameter controlled construction line intersections, and then used those sketch points for the Joint locations. But you can just as easily Joint onto some feature on the underside of the table, such as a receiving peg hole or something. Or heck, you can just Joint right onto the table top corners, using the move handles to rotate and drag the legs inwards a bit.