The new Replace Component feature in Fusion 360 enables you to easily swap in a different external component in the context of an assembly.

There may be times when you need to replace an external component with a different component in the context of an assembly in Fusion 360. Previously, this involved removing all instances of the external component and inserting a new one for each instance you needed to replace. This was a manual and time-consuming process and often required fixing broken assembly relationships, like joints and assembly contexts. 

The new Replace Component feature lets you quickly swap in a different external component at the same point in the Timeline and carry on with your work in the assembly. If the replaced component is a direct copy of the original, Fusion 360 will even reconnect those assembly relationships from the original component. 

How to use Replace Component

In the Browser, right-click the component you want to replace, then click Replace Component. 

In the dialog, navigate to and select a different external design. Check Replace All Instances if you want to replace all identical instances of the selected component in the assembly. 

The existing instances of the component will be replaced with the new one you selected, and you can continue working in the assembly. 

If the replaced component is a direct copy of the original, Fusion 360 will reconnect the assembly relationships, like joints and assembly contexts, from the original component.

Learn how to replace external components here. 

Learn more about other exciting new Fusion 360 features, such as T-Spline Associative Match and Mesh Repair Analysis, in our January 2022 What’s New update. We also recently announced Read-Only For Me functionality, an assembly management feature that lets you temporarily make a design read-only for yourself. Check out the video below to see it in action:

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