Mirrored parts in designs and drawings

[info7JY2S]

Hi,

I have this very often: An assembly with a lot of parts already completely worked out in drawing mode. 

Now i need the same identical parts but mirrored, including a drawing. It looks like i have to redo all the work in drawing mode for the mirrored parts? 

Is it possible to completely mirroring a drawing?

Or, even better, to mirror a part (after copying) and automatically generate a drawing based on the existing (unmirrored one)

[g-andresen]

Hi,

from the first part a drawing was created and dimensioned.

mirrored part in drawing
Then the part is mirrored in the Model Area and the file is saved.
In the drawing sheet the new state is updated.
A dimensioning in the mirrored part is usually not necessary but can be created.

regards

günther

[rohit.bapat]

Hello @info7JY2S 

Another way I can think of is by using the Base View editor by double click and changing the base view eg Front to Back as follows

Please let me know if I misunderstood the issue.

Thank you,

Best Regards

Rohit Bapat

[info7JY2S]

Yeah, not quite what I meant.

Let's say i designed this frame:

And now i need a mirrored version of it including a drawing complete with measurements, BOM, section views etc like this:

Production an quality protocol does not permit fabrication of parts without a complete drawing so just adding a note like: "1x as drawn, 1x mirrored" will not cut it. Also just showing a mirrored view without measurements is not good enough.

Mirroring the model is the easy part. Having to redo all the measurements, balloons, BOM, views etc. in the drawing for the mirrored part is where it becomes very tedious.

Right now the only workaround i know is to export the drawing to autocad, explode it, make a copy of everything in a new sheet, mirror the views, change the titleblock and save it as dwg. Downside besides beïng very tedious is that i lose all connection between the model and the drawing.

[pawel.potyrala]

Hello @info7JY2S

thanks for posting! The workaround mentioned by @rohit.bapat would be the easiest way for now, but we understand that it can only be applied under certain circumstances.

I would like to encourage you to post an idea in our Fusion 360 Idea Station about a feature that would allow you to easily create a "mirrored" drawing.

The current "general" workaround would be indeed to mirror the part and edit the drawing (which indeed can be tedious depending on the number of BOM tables, leaders and dimensions.

Another way to proceed (although also requiring edits for leaders and dimensions) would be to move the bodies from the mirrored components to the original components in the model environment:

Let me know if that helps. Thanks!

Best regards,

[info7JY2S]

In the clips it becomes quite obvious how tedious this can be. Sometimes 40 ~50 % of my work consists of making mirrored versions of already complete drawings. I really hate those days.

I'm convinced that Fusion has enough intelligence already built in to just be able to complete this entire job with one single button, including the creation of a mirrored drawing.

The idea was already posted a while back but was not picked up:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/mirror-a-part-in-drawing-mode/idi-p/8650374

I will reply to it with a link to this discussion

[pawel.potyrala · Accepted solution]

Hi @info7JY2S,

thanks a lot - I voted for the idea myself and will notify our developers about your request.

Best regards,

[lichtzeichenanlage]

@g-andresen : This method should only be used if you really want to have a physical mirrored part like a left and right door in a car. It creates a mirrored design, not a mirrored assembly. If you don't need a physical mirrored part it just messes up your BOM and sometimes your part itself (think about a self modeled thread).

Edit: Okay - I missed that you're mirroring bodies (your gifs are tiny). This might come with another flow, because you have multiple parts in one component and this isn't represented in the BOM at all. 

[lichtzeichenanlage]

I would prefer to have a Assembly -> Mirror command (and perhaps a Assembly -> Pattern) command. It's much more flexible and would better suit the workflows (Sketch -> Mirror for simple geometry, Create (Design) -> Mirror for physically mirrored parts (left/right door of a car) and Assembly -> Mirror for mirrored assemblies (like the right and left barrels at a floating dock.)  

[info7JY2S]

Before this discussion derails in a different direction: The topic is about quick and easy creation of drawings for both mirrored parts as well as complete assembly's. 

[lichtzeichenanlage]

So - you're talking about physical mirrored parts like in the car example. Okay - I can see that. But is it still important for a mirrored assembly?

[info7JY2S]

yes drawings for both parts and assembly's (even more important for assembly's).

In relation to the cardoor example. The door is most likely to be an assembly rather than a part for it contains:

-a sheet metal door

-reinforcement

-insulation

-a window + mechanism

-doorhandle + mechanism

-etc...

So a set of drawings for a both the left and right cardoor will contain an assembly, several subassemblies and parts.

Most of these will have a left and right version of it.

People assembling the door will need a complete set of drawings for both the left and right door in order to assemble things the correct way and not mix up left and right