Confused re: Mirroring Bodies vs. Components

[cthkah]

I am working back through my first simple model trying to analyze why it's not working as expected. This is the one-board birdhouse tutorial by productdesingonline.com. At the early stage of the model a left side wall is created by mirroring the right side. The tutorial shows the right side is extruded from a rectangle as a "body," but directs that the left side be mirrored as a "component." In my model there is not an option to select the right side as a component, only works when set to select it as a body, the result of which is that the new component becomes part of the right side and not an independent entity, which basically prevents me from proceeding from there. What am I doing wrong here? Model and screencast included, although the screencast didn't seem to capture the audio and I don't know where it went when I clicked "Upload."

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

I am using your model, as uploaded, and as you can see, there is an option to Mirror by Component.  Take a look at the Screencast.  By the way, you Screencast did not attach.  You should get in the habit to check your posts to determine if they are complete and if not, re-attach what is missing.

[cthkah · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the screencast. I tried that a bunch of times and it won’t let me select the right side wall as a component. When I click on it nothing happens. I can only select it if I select it as a body. Have I got a setting wrong?

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

Now it is time to attach that Screencast you said was with your first post so the forum users can see what you are doing.!

[cthkah · Accepted solution]

Sorry I’m having a bit of trouble with that too.  I’m trying to figure out where it went, and why the audio I recorded didn’t work. I’m on it.

[cthkah · Accepted solution]

I'm kind of hopelessly mired here. My screencast audio is mute and my
attempts to re-record it aren't showing up in my dashboard. Is it possible
to talk to you on the phone?

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

Sent you a Private Message

[alan_erickson]

I have a question on your video above.  If I don't have "design history" being captured when I select "mirror" the "type" (face, body, comp...) dialog box doesn't show up at all.  In addition to that if I select a component from the left hand side it gives me the preview where I want it but when I select "OK" it throws they mirrored copy off somewhere else other than the mirrored plane.  Is this normal behavior or a bug?   Thanks.

[jhackney1972]

First of all, unless you have a very good reason not to use Capture Design History, I would never turn it off.  If it is off, you are basically "direct modeling" and the mirror command will not offer a "Type" selection set since everything is treated the same.  So the dialog box is correct and it is not a bug.  The fact that it throws your mirror copy off position, will I would have to see a Screencast of the issue and have your model as I cannot reproduce it on my system.

A little hint, it is not a good idea to "piggyback" your question onto another forum post because it gets lost because it is out of context to the original question.  This is especially true if the forum post you choose has already been marked as solved.  I only see it since I am the author, all the other forum users will probably not since they normally ignore solved questions.