Referencing geometry from one component in a new component

[Tick_Tock]

Hi,

I am attempting to create a component that will be connected to another via a slot.  To do this, I am trying to project the profile and a 3d curve into the new component to be used to create a sweep.  However, f360 doesn't seem to like me using a plane from another component for a reference.  Screencast below.  What is the "right" way to do this?

Using existing geometries from a component in new components

[TrippyLighting]

The sketch returning an error merely upon creation looks like a bug to me!

Can you share the design ?

You don't need to project the edge into the sketch in order to use it for sweeping. You can directly pick the edge of a body in the sweep command. When projecting edges into a sketch Fusion 360 makes some approximations and usually even if the edge has fine curvature (you should definitely check that!) the projected curve usually does not have good curvature.

[TrippyLighting]

The sketch returning an error merely upon creation looks like a bug to me! 

Can you share the design ? I'll tag @paul.clauss in case you can share the design.

You don't need to project the edge into the sketch in order to use it for sweeping. You can directly pick the edge of a body in the sweep command. When projecting edges into a sketch Fusion 360 makes some approximations and usually even if the edge has fine curvature (you should definitely check that!) the projected curve usually does not have good curvature.

[chrisplyler]

I'm curious what happens if...

...instead of creating a Sketch right on that face, you create a Sketch somewhere else (perhaps one of the Origin Planes, but it doesn't matter) and then Project > Capture 3D Geometry that face or the perimeter edges of it. Does it turn into a closed, usable profile?

or...

...instead of creating a Sketch right on that face, you Construct > Offset Plane (with zero offset) from that face, and create a Sketch on that Plane instead?

[Tick_Tock]

I cannot project the 3d geometry into the sketch even if I use one of the origin planes.

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@chrisplyler wrote:

I'm curious what happens if...

...instead of creating a Sketch right on that face, you create a Sketch somewhere else (perhaps one of the Origin Planes, but it doesn't matter) and then Project > Capture 3D Geometry that face or the perimeter edges of it. Does it turn into a closed, usable profile?

or...

...instead of creating a Sketch right on that face, you Construct > Offset Plane (with zero offset) from that face, and create a Sketch on that Plane instead?

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[Tick_Tock]

Thanks.  Here is the design:

https://a360.co/2uXlJOs

I have found that I do not have this issue if I open the component up for edit and try to create the new component there.  I only have the problem when I try to reference the component geometry within an assembly.

[TrippyLighting]

The horn model has one yellow icon for the coil. It's missing it's profile. Run "Modify->Compute all" frequently to detect such things early on.

I converted the coil feature into a DM feature and eliminated that error and a Compute all returned clean with no problems.

However, when I break the link to this model in the assembly it goes all haywire and half of the icons in the horn model turn yellow and red. That should really not be happening especially if the model on its own is OK.

@paul.clauss sorry for having to tag you again but this one seems worthy of an investigation.

[Tick_Tock]

Thanks for that.  I cleaned up the horn as you prescribed.  Will use that computeAll command frequently from now on.  Interestingly, I can use planes from the horn for reference in the new component.  I just can't use anything from the base.  Keep getting the "reference plane is lost." message for anything having to do with the base.  I did try breaking the link to the horn as you did.  Pretty amusing.  So there is something messed up there, too.  Probably a separate issue to the lost references (since I get those errors even when the horn is deleted from the assembly).  So, yeah, I would really appreciate some expert help.  Breaking the link to the base seems to solve the problem as well (I can use any plane for reference in a new component without errors) but I would rather not do that.

[ryan.bales]

Paul forwarded this to me as he is about to head out for a few days. I tested inserting into a new design without any issues and i can't reproduced the issue even when duplicating the few known functions (rotate/move on insert).

We can pass it on to the team but without clear repro steps it'll be a hard sell. What happens when you create a new design and repeat the same steps you used?

[Tick_Tock]

Thanks for looking.  I created a new document and brought the components in like you did and, indeed, the original problem is gone (I am able to reference the planes and geometries in the base component).  So I guess that other assembly got corrupted somehow.  Glad that's sorted.

However, the issue @TrippyLighting mentioned persists.  If I break the link to the horn (even in the new document), it still explodes into little pieces with many errors and warnings.  Are you able to reproduce that?

[TrippyLighting]

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@Tick_Tock wrote:

 So I guess that other assembly got corrupted somehow.  Glad that's sorted.

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Right! And that exactly should not be happening!

[ryan.bales]

I agree, but there isn't much i could find as to why that happened. I can pass the data set along and its possible they'll find a defect but keep in mind they may not. 

As for the crazy timeline explosion that should go along to the dev team. 

[Tick_Tock]

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@ryan.bales wrote:

As for the crazy timeline explosion that should go along to the dev team. 

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How does one pass this along to the dev team?

[ryan.bales]

You've already done as much as you need to. It was more of a "the issue needs to be seen...and I will pass it a long" but i assumed that and should have said it. At any rate i sent the files along for them to look at and see if they can find a problem.