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Complete a simple exercise to manipulate an assembly with degrees of freedom and see how different joint types can connect components in different ways.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
In Fusion, you can find all joints within an assembly in the Joints folder of the Browser.
00:09
Based on joint types, you can move components with degrees of freedom,
00:13
and then capture that position or revert to the original position of the assembly.
00:18
From the File menu, click Open.
00:22
In the Open dialog, select Open from my computer, then navigate to and open the Mini windmill.f3d Fusion archive file.
00:32
Save the design to your active project.
00:36
This design is a simple windmill assembly.
00:40
Looking at the Browser, you see that the assembly has three components:
00:44
the tower, the fan, and the DC motor.
00:47
Note that the tower is currently pinned.
00:51
When working with assemblies that will have mechanisms that you might want to manipulate,
00:55
either manually or by other means, it is important to have a component either pinned in place or grounded to the parent.
01:02
This keeps the component in its current position and orientation.
01:06
Just above the list of components is the Joints folder.
01:10
Click its visibility icon, and two icons show on the motor, one for each joint.
01:17
Expand the Joints folder, and you see that these represent a rigid joint and a revolute joint.
01:23
A revolute joint has a rotational degree of freedom.
01:27
With that in mind, you can click and drag the fan, and it will rotate.
01:32
The joint has two flags that show the angle as you rotate the fan blade.
01:36
Notice that a new Position group, with Capture Position and Revert tools, is added to the toolbar.
01:43
These enable you to capture the current position or revert to the previous position.
01:48
While you are working in an assembly, these tools are useful when you want to keep a permanent change or maintain a change briefly,
01:55
so that you can make other operational changes.
01:58
For now, click Revert to return the fan to its original position.
02:03
Now you have an understanding of how joints can be used in an assembly.
00:03
In Fusion, you can find all joints within an assembly in the Joints folder of the Browser.
00:09
Based on joint types, you can move components with degrees of freedom,
00:13
and then capture that position or revert to the original position of the assembly.
00:18
From the File menu, click Open.
00:22
In the Open dialog, select Open from my computer, then navigate to and open the Mini windmill.f3d Fusion archive file.
00:32
Save the design to your active project.
00:36
This design is a simple windmill assembly.
00:40
Looking at the Browser, you see that the assembly has three components:
00:44
the tower, the fan, and the DC motor.
00:47
Note that the tower is currently pinned.
00:51
When working with assemblies that will have mechanisms that you might want to manipulate,
00:55
either manually or by other means, it is important to have a component either pinned in place or grounded to the parent.
01:02
This keeps the component in its current position and orientation.
01:06
Just above the list of components is the Joints folder.
01:10
Click its visibility icon, and two icons show on the motor, one for each joint.
01:17
Expand the Joints folder, and you see that these represent a rigid joint and a revolute joint.
01:23
A revolute joint has a rotational degree of freedom.
01:27
With that in mind, you can click and drag the fan, and it will rotate.
01:32
The joint has two flags that show the angle as you rotate the fan blade.
01:36
Notice that a new Position group, with Capture Position and Revert tools, is added to the toolbar.
01:43
These enable you to capture the current position or revert to the previous position.
01:48
While you are working in an assembly, these tools are useful when you want to keep a permanent change or maintain a change briefly,
01:55
so that you can make other operational changes.
01:58
For now, click Revert to return the fan to its original position.
02:03
Now you have an understanding of how joints can be used in an assembly.