Can't select features in circular pattern

[Anonymous]

I have a simple body on which I want to do a circular pattern on the protruding element. I'm reasonably sure that Fusion 360 considers this element a feature, because when I set my selection filter to 'features' only, it lets me select it no problem.

When I go into a circular pattern and set the Pattern Type to Features, though, I can't select the element. In fact, I can't select anything at all. It does let me select the axis I want, and I'm able to select the entire body when I set Pattern Type to Body. I have checked, and everything is a single contiguous body, and the entire body is solid geometry. I've tried the same thing on another even simpler shape with the same result.

I've searched for similar issues but have found nothing. I did see something about a 'Find Features' tool, though. Do I need to tell Fusion 360 this is a feature somehow before being able to select it?

Am I missing something or is this a bug?

I'm on a MacBook Pro running the latest version of Fusion 360 and macOS Sierra.

Thanks,

David

[James.Youmatz]

Hi @Anonymous,

Welcome to the Fusion 360 Community!

I can take a peek at the model and give it a shot. Can you share the model here? Also, what axis are you trying to pattern this body around? 

Thanks,

[paul.clauss · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous

Welcome to the Fusion 360 online community! Thanks for posting. 

I played around with this on my end and found that the feature could only be selected from the design timeline - I could not select any feature geometry directly from the model either. Even if I used the select other tool (hover over the feature and hold down the left mouse button), selected the extruded feature (from the "Parents" tab), and then entered the pattern dialogue with the feature selected that the pattern would default to faces instead of features.

As I agree that we should be able to select features from the model when patterning, I have logged an improvement request with our development team (FUS-34038). They will be looking into improving this workflow in the future - we appreciate you bringing it to our attention. In the meantime, you should be able to pattern features by selecting them from the design timeline rather than the model.

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions! 

[Anonymous]

Thank you. This is counter-intuitive, which I think you can agree on, but selecting features from the design timeline did work. Thanks for submitting the improvement request.

[Anonymous]

I've just started to use Fusion 360 and have found that this suggested feature update still hasn't been implemented.  When trying to pattern a feature, I am still required to select said feature from the timeline rather than directly in the model.  

[paul.clauss]

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for posting. This issue is still in the backlog for our development team, but I've made a note on the ticket that more folks have reached out. We appreciate your input - feel free to reach out on this thread whenever you'd like an update.

[Anonymous]

And I am trying to start using F360 six months later and this still has not been updated.

This is a little silly. I can click on the model feature to find it in the timeline* and then click on the timeline to select. So clearly F360 can find the feature in the model. This should be one step, not two, just like every other 3D CAD program.

* And I should point out that this does NOT work if I already have the Mirror or Pattern dialog open. So to mirror several features (if I don't already know where they are in the timeline) the workflow is:

1) Ctrl-click on all the features in the model I want to select. This marks them in the timeline.

2) Memorize the locations of the marked icons in the timeline, because I can't select them yet.

3) Deselect the model features bu clicking somewhere else. Now the icons in the timeline are no longer marked.

4) From memory, ctrl-click on all the timeline icons for the model features I had just selected!

5) Now select Mirror tool.

6) Click in mirror plane selection box.

7) Click on mirror place (this at least lets me pick directly from the model)

8) Click OK

Compare to e.g. Solidworks where the workflow is

1) Click on Mirror tool icon, 2) Click on mirror plane, 3) Click on model features, 4) Click OK. Done!

[johnAMKDR]

I found this when trying to select features in a rectangular pattern. I've drawn this part several times (which could lead to some other questions but..) and have done the patterning a couple of different ways. The last time it was very difficult to select some of the features (holes) but it worked eventually. This time it didn't and I found this thread.

Selecting the pattern from the time line helped, but it didn't get the original hole. I had to try several times to add it to the other selections but it did work finally.

I'd say that in general, it is too hard to select features in Fusion 360; I often zoom in and tilt, perhaps to get a better 'view' of the feature. And sometimes, it just doesn't work.

[craig.ousterling]

I should have looked for this solution sooner. This just blew my kanoodle. The key thing I think I learned from this: If you're going to create custom sketch shapes that you want to emboss and then pattern wrap around a cylinder ~MAKE SURE CAPTURE DESIGN HISTORY IS **ON**~

That part that messed with my head is in order to "copy" sketches you have to turn ~CAPTURE DESIGN HISTORY~ off!

I will never forget to turn it back on after spending the last 8 hours trying to figure out what I was doing different than yesterday. 😉

Thanks for the tip!

[gtaylor40]

It appears the provision to allow selecting shapes created by the pattern generator is till in need of fixing. As a learning tool, I've been designing cribbage boards. The pattern generator seem to be an obvious tool for generating the drill holes. Too bad the ability to select the drill holes normally doesn't work. Thanks for the information on this page regarding selecting from the time line. I'll give that a try.

Keep up the good work. Although learning Fusion 360 is a pretty steep curve, I am really hooked.

[moakley]

Well I came across this thread, looking from some help,  when I found a really funky behavior also.   Tried to do a circular pattern, selecting a hole with chamfers.   It simply wouldn't accept more than one object (FACE). So....   Selected a linear pattern and then it would let me select multiple objects.   I then just re-selected circular pattern and...   IT WORKED.  (Laughing outrageously rolling on the floor.)

[g-andresen]

Hi,

please create a new thread and share the file for analysis

günther

[safetygene]

Thank you for the information.  Waisted hours of time because it worked once the way it was supposed to and then could not get it to work again.  Your work around saved my sanity.  Thank you.

Gene