• Fusion

Using as-built joints

Learn what you can do when components are created or imported in a specific location and orientation, and how to apply joints to maintain a position while adding degrees of freedom.


Tutorial resources

These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:


00:03

This lesson explores the use of adding as-built joints to imported data,

00:07

engage design history to assist in joining the assembly, and move components and capture their position.

00:14

Expand the File menu and select Open,

00:19

then select Open from my computer.

00:22

Select the U-Joint.step file, then click Open.

00:27

A STEP file is a neutral file format that most modern 3D design programs can open.

00:34

Click Save to save the design to your current project.

00:39

This assembly was created in another CAD system and imported.

00:43

Trying to select components in an assembly will prove difficult unless the Component Drag option is selected.

00:50

Expand the Select menu, and you see that Component Drag is selected by default.

00:57

Note that if this option is deselected, you can also press and hold the Alt key to select and move components.

01:04

Since this design is from a STEP file, it has no design history, or Timeline.

01:10

Because of this, you are not alerted when components are moved,

01:13

and you are not given the option to capture their new position or revert them.

01:18

To turn on the design history, first undo any moves, then right-click the top level in the Browser and select Capture Design History.

01:27

Now, if you move the components, you can always revert them back to their original position.

01:32

Before you begin applying joints it is good practice to ground a component.

01:37

Select Yoke:1, then right-click and select Ground to Parent.

01:44

That way, you have a fixed part to start with.

01:47

Also, notice that Block:1 is grounded and will cause issues when adding joints.

01:54

Unground it by right-clicking Block:1 and selecting Unground from Parent.

01:59

Rather than pulling the assembly apart to apply regular joints, you can use as-built joints,

02:04

which consider the current locations of the selected components.

02:08

To add an as-built joint, expand Assemble and select As-Built Joint, or press Shift+J.

02:17

For the first joint, select Spring:1, because that will be the part that moves.

02:22

Yoke:1 is grounded; select that second.

02:26

Change the motion type to Revolute, and then select a circular edge as a center reference.

02:33

This will enable the ring spring to spin around the yoke.

02:37

Click OK to create the joint.

02:39

Next, press Shift+J to open the As-Built Joint dialog again.

02:44

First, select the pin, part 90692A741:1, and then Yoke:1.

02:53

Set the Motion Type to Rigid.

02:57

Continue by using the Marking menu to start the As-Built Joint tool by right-clicking and dragging up.

03:04

Select Block:1, and then the pin.

03:10

Change the Motion Type to Revolute, and then use the center of the pin as the snap point.

03:18

Without clicking OK, you can simply repeat the As-Built Joint process, selecting Block:1 and Yoke:2.

03:27

Since you are still on Revolute, select a circular edge on the side of the block.

03:33

Start the As-Built Joint tool again.

03:37

First, select Spring:2 and then Yoke:2.

03:42

Select a circular edge, and then click OK.

03:47

Now, if you click and drag the Yoke:2 component or the Block:1 component,

03:52

you see that you can move this U-joint, including moving the springs in the way that the assembly should move.

03:59

This enables you to make your assembly perform the desired tasks.

04:04

At this point, you can capture this position or revert it back to its original position, if preferred.

04:11

Using As-Built Joints is an effective way to create assembly relationships in an imported assembly.

Video transcript

00:03

This lesson explores the use of adding as-built joints to imported data,

00:07

engage design history to assist in joining the assembly, and move components and capture their position.

00:14

Expand the File menu and select Open,

00:19

then select Open from my computer.

00:22

Select the U-Joint.step file, then click Open.

00:27

A STEP file is a neutral file format that most modern 3D design programs can open.

00:34

Click Save to save the design to your current project.

00:39

This assembly was created in another CAD system and imported.

00:43

Trying to select components in an assembly will prove difficult unless the Component Drag option is selected.

00:50

Expand the Select menu, and you see that Component Drag is selected by default.

00:57

Note that if this option is deselected, you can also press and hold the Alt key to select and move components.

01:04

Since this design is from a STEP file, it has no design history, or Timeline.

01:10

Because of this, you are not alerted when components are moved,

01:13

and you are not given the option to capture their new position or revert them.

01:18

To turn on the design history, first undo any moves, then right-click the top level in the Browser and select Capture Design History.

01:27

Now, if you move the components, you can always revert them back to their original position.

01:32

Before you begin applying joints it is good practice to ground a component.

01:37

Select Yoke:1, then right-click and select Ground to Parent.

01:44

That way, you have a fixed part to start with.

01:47

Also, notice that Block:1 is grounded and will cause issues when adding joints.

01:54

Unground it by right-clicking Block:1 and selecting Unground from Parent.

01:59

Rather than pulling the assembly apart to apply regular joints, you can use as-built joints,

02:04

which consider the current locations of the selected components.

02:08

To add an as-built joint, expand Assemble and select As-Built Joint, or press Shift+J.

02:17

For the first joint, select Spring:1, because that will be the part that moves.

02:22

Yoke:1 is grounded; select that second.

02:26

Change the motion type to Revolute, and then select a circular edge as a center reference.

02:33

This will enable the ring spring to spin around the yoke.

02:37

Click OK to create the joint.

02:39

Next, press Shift+J to open the As-Built Joint dialog again.

02:44

First, select the pin, part 90692A741:1, and then Yoke:1.

02:53

Set the Motion Type to Rigid.

02:57

Continue by using the Marking menu to start the As-Built Joint tool by right-clicking and dragging up.

03:04

Select Block:1, and then the pin.

03:10

Change the Motion Type to Revolute, and then use the center of the pin as the snap point.

03:18

Without clicking OK, you can simply repeat the As-Built Joint process, selecting Block:1 and Yoke:2.

03:27

Since you are still on Revolute, select a circular edge on the side of the block.

03:33

Start the As-Built Joint tool again.

03:37

First, select Spring:2 and then Yoke:2.

03:42

Select a circular edge, and then click OK.

03:47

Now, if you click and drag the Yoke:2 component or the Block:1 component,

03:52

you see that you can move this U-joint, including moving the springs in the way that the assembly should move.

03:59

This enables you to make your assembly perform the desired tasks.

04:04

At this point, you can capture this position or revert it back to its original position, if preferred.

04:11

Using As-Built Joints is an effective way to create assembly relationships in an imported assembly.

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