"Tidy" A Messy Design Structure

[keegan.neave]

I've been using Fusion 360 on and off for a few years now, mostly for small things here and there, but the long running project is a robot that has become increasingly complex. 

I started learning to use Fusion when I started the robot project and because of how my brain works I can only learn by doing. This means I learned just enough to get the model done but not necessarily the right way to do it... 

Long story short, the design of the robot is split across multiple designs that weren't planned out and though the actual robot works a treat, the design files are a mess. 

For example, the design file for the right hand has as a child the right arm. That has the head as a child. The head is made up of the torso, that's made up of... And so on.

I understand now that I should have started with one design and created new components as I went, that ship has long since sailed. 

I can't imagine this is too rare an occurance but I haven't been able to find the right keywords to search for to get help. 

What is the best way to restructure and fix this mess? I don't care about history at this point, could I "flatten" all the various parts in to one design and split them in to components to make this right? I want to share the design and release it with an open source licence, right now I'd be a bit ashamed to have anyone look at the files, and it wouldn't make much sense to them anyhow. 

If anyone could point me in the right direction to undo this mess I'd greatly appreciate it. 

Photo for attention, and context 🙂 

[davebYYPCU]

If going commercial, or even open source, you can approach a rehash, by disassembling the machine.

Build a new file in the reverse order of your disassembly.

When doing so, you copy and paste the sketches into the new file, that are working and correct.  You will find the new version will just be more efficient, 2nd time around.

Might help.....