Intro to User Parameters and Joints | Day 19 of Learn Fusion 360 in 30 Days - 2023 EDITION

00:06:59
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJULiA1aTtM

Summary

TLDRDay 19 of the "Learn Fusion 360 in 30 Days" series features the creation of a parametric box using User Parameters. Kevin Kennedy explains how to open and utilize the "Change Parameters" dialog from the Modify menu to establish equations and relationships that control design dimensions. The tutorial guides users to define custom parameters (like BoxWidth and BoxHeight), apply these in sketches, and exercise good naming conventions. Demonstrating practical uses, the lesson covers sketching, extrusion, and utilizing shell operations to create a box. Furthermore, Kennedy explains component manipulation by copying and pasting methods, and using the 'Joint' tool to position components. Testing and redefining User Parameters shows how real-time adjustments influence design. The session concludes by preparing for the addition of 3D printable hinges in the next lesson.

Takeaways

  • 🔧 Utilize User Parameters to control design aspects.
  • 📏 Ensure dimension accuracy with parametric design.
  • 🗒️ Add comments to parameters for clarity and collaboration.
  • ↗️ Use consistent naming conventions like camelCase.
  • 🔧 Extrude sketches using user-defined parameters.
  • 🖱️ Practice component copying with 'Paste' and 'Paste New'.
  • 📐 Apply the Joint tool for precise component alignment.
  • 🔄 Test parameter adjustments for design accuracy.
  • 🚫 Avoid spaces in parameter names.
  • 🖌️ Sketch and extrude using parameters for dynamic designs.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:06:59

    Kevin Kennedy introduces Day 19 of the Fusion 360 tutorial series, focusing on creating user parameters and copying components to make a parametric box. He explains how to activate the 'Change Parameters' dialog in Fusion 360 to set up parameters that define the dimensions of designs, like BoxWidth and BoxHeight, and how these can be reused throughout the design process. The tutorial emphasizes good parametric design practices such as renaming sketches and testing user parameters to ensure designs can adapt to different values effectively. The session also covers how to use Shell command to hollow out a box and the procedure to create additional components by copying and pasting existing ones, highlighting the differences between 'Paste' and 'Paste New'. Lastly, it discusses using the Joint command to position and move copied components correctly.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What are User Parameters in Fusion 360?

    User Parameters allow you to create equations and relationships to control the size of your designs.

  • How do you create a new User Parameter in Fusion 360?

    Select the plus symbol in the Parameters dialog, assign a name, set a unit and expression, and then confirm.

  • Can User Parameters have spaces in their names?

    No, spaces are not allowed. You can use camelCase, snake_case, or PascalCase.

  • What is the purpose of comments in User Parameters?

    Comments help remind you of items later or assist in collaboration with others.

  • How do you test User Parameters in Fusion 360?

    Open the Parameters dialog, adjust expressions, and observe changes to ensure everything functions as expected.

  • What does the Joint tool do in Fusion 360?

    The Joint tool positions components relative to each other and defines their motion.

  • What is the difference between "Paste" and "Paste New" in Fusion 360?

    "Paste" creates an exact copy that mirrors the original, while "Paste New" creates a copy that can be altered independently.

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  • 00:00:00
    Kevin Kennedy: Welcome to Day #19
  • 00:00:01
    of Learn Fusion 360 in 30 Days.
  • 00:00:03
    I’m Kevin Kennedy,
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    and today we’ll look at creating User
  • 00:00:06
    Parameters, copy and pasting components,
  • 00:00:08
    and more, as we create a Parametric box.
  • 00:00:12
    In Fusion 360, activate the “Change
  • 00:00:14
    Parameters” dialog from the Modify menu.
  • 00:00:18
    Parameters allow you to create
  • 00:00:19
    equations and relationships to control
  • 00:00:21
    the size of your Fusion 360 designs.
  • 00:00:24
    By assigning names to the
  • 00:00:25
    equations, we can reuse the
  • 00:00:27
    parameters throughout the design.
  • 00:00:29
    Let’s create a new Parameter
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    for our Box’s width.
  • 00:00:32
    Select the plus symbol
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    to add a new parameter.
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    We’ll type the name “BoxWidth.”
  • 00:00:38
    Note that spaces are not
  • 00:00:39
    allowed in the parameter names.
  • 00:00:41
    You can utilize camelCase,
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    snake_case, or PascalCase.
  • 00:00:46
    The unit of measurement will
  • 00:00:47
    default to your document units.
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    However, we can also create parameters
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    for other units of measure, including
  • 00:00:54
    degrees, volume, mass, and so much more.
  • 00:00:58
    I’ll set the expression to 50mm, which
  • 00:01:00
    will be the starting width of the box.
  • 00:01:03
    We’re also able to plug
  • 00:01:04
    in optional comments.
  • 00:01:06
    Comments are helpful to remind
  • 00:01:07
    yourself of items later or
  • 00:01:09
    when collaborating with others.
  • 00:01:11
    After selecting OK, you’ll
  • 00:01:13
    find the BoxWidth parameter
  • 00:01:14
    in the “User Parameters” list.
  • 00:01:17
    Let’s create a second User
  • 00:01:19
    Parameter called “BoxHeight”
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    with a value set to 40mm.
  • 00:01:26
    We can now close the dialog.
  • 00:01:28
    Our parameters are now ready to be called
  • 00:01:30
    through any sketch or modeling commands.
  • 00:01:34
    Let’s start with a new
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    component called “Box Bottom.”
  • 00:01:39
    Once active, we’ll start with a new
  • 00:01:41
    sketch on the bottom origin plane.
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    Activate the 2-point rectangle and select
  • 00:01:47
    the origin point to start the sketch.
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    For both dimensions, we’ll enter
  • 00:01:52
    the “BoxWidth” user parameter.
  • 00:01:55
    Notice the parameter name appears
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    after typing the letter “B”.
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    We can select the correct one without
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    having to type out the full name.
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    Complete this for both dimensions,
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    which fully defines our sketch.
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    Let’s also practice good parametric
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    design etiquette by renaming
  • 00:02:12
    our sketch in the Browser.
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    We’re now ready to Extrude our sketch.
  • 00:02:21
    Once selected, we’ll use the
  • 00:02:23
    BoxHeight user parameter.
  • 00:02:25
    However, we’re only creating the bottom
  • 00:02:27
    of the box, so let’s divide this by 2.
  • 00:02:31
    Notice the height adjusted to be only
  • 00:02:33
    20mm, half of the overall height.
  • 00:02:37
    We’ll use the Shell command
  • 00:02:38
    to hollow out the box.
  • 00:02:40
    Activate Shell and select
  • 00:02:42
    the top planar face.
  • 00:02:45
    Fusion 360 also allows us to
  • 00:02:47
    create ‘parameters on the fly’.
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    Start by typing the desired parameter
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    name, such as “WallThickness.”
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    We then have to put the equal
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    sign, followed by the value.
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    Let’s do “WallThickness” equals 2.
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    Select OK to confirm the Shell operation.
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    Let’s open the parameters dialog.
  • 00:03:09
    Notice parameters created on the fly
  • 00:03:11
    are listed in the Favorites section
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    and not the User Parameters section.
  • 00:03:16
    With our parameters dialog still
  • 00:03:17
    open, we can move it out of the
  • 00:03:19
    way, and test our user parameters by
  • 00:03:21
    changing any one of the expressions.
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    For example, I’ll change
  • 00:03:25
    the width to 100mm.
  • 00:03:28
    Notice the box instantly resizes
  • 00:03:30
    based on the new expression.
  • 00:03:32
    Keep in mind that it’s critical
  • 00:03:34
    to fully define your sketches, as
  • 00:03:36
    discussed earlier in this course.
  • 00:03:38
    Fully defined sketches, combined
  • 00:03:39
    with User Parameters can provide you
  • 00:03:41
    with an efficient and convenient way
  • 00:03:43
    to change your models' dimensions.
  • 00:03:46
    Take a minute to test out
  • 00:03:47
    some different dimensions.
  • 00:03:48
    It’s best practice to test
  • 00:03:50
    your user parameters to ensure
  • 00:03:51
    everything is working as expected.
  • 00:03:54
    This makes it easier to fix any issues
  • 00:03:56
    before your design becomes more complex.
  • 00:04:02
    I’ll set the width back to 50mm
  • 00:04:04
    and the height back to 40mm.
  • 00:04:07
    Let’s now create the Box Top by
  • 00:04:09
    copy and pasting the component.
  • 00:04:11
    Remember our Component groups the relevant
  • 00:04:13
    sketches, bodies, and other assets.
  • 00:04:16
    This makes it easy to create
  • 00:04:17
    duplicates of the same part.
  • 00:04:19
    Start by right-clicking on
  • 00:04:20
    the component in the Browser.
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    Select “Copy” from the right-click menu.
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    We’ll then right-click on the
  • 00:04:28
    top-level component, which is
  • 00:04:30
    also called the “Root” component.
  • 00:04:32
    This will make sure our pasted
  • 00:04:33
    component is nested on the
  • 00:04:34
    same level as our existing one.
  • 00:04:38
    Notice we have the option
  • 00:04:39
    to Paste and Paste New.
  • 00:04:40
    Paste will create an exact copy that will
  • 00:04:43
    always remain the same as the original.
  • 00:04:45
    “Paste New” will create a copy,
  • 00:04:47
    but will allow us to make changes
  • 00:04:48
    without affecting the original.
  • 00:04:51
    Let’s use “Paste New” In case we
  • 00:04:53
    want the Box Top to be unique.
  • 00:04:56
    Once pasted, we can choose
  • 00:04:57
    to define the location.
  • 00:04:59
    However, we’re going to use the Joint
  • 00:05:01
    command to place this, so let’s click OK.
  • 00:05:05
    Before we move the Top Box into
  • 00:05:06
    position, let’s go ahead and rename
  • 00:05:09
    the component in the Browser.
  • 00:05:12
    Once complete, we can activate
  • 00:05:14
    the Joint command in the Toolbar.
  • 00:05:16
    The “Joint” tool lets you position
  • 00:05:18
    components relative to one another, then
  • 00:05:20
    define the relative motion between them.
  • 00:05:23
    We’ll want to hide the Bottom
  • 00:05:24
    Box in the Browser so we
  • 00:05:26
    don’t select that by accident.
  • 00:05:29
    To use the Joint command, we need to first
  • 00:05:31
    set the “Joint origin.” Defining the Joint
  • 00:05:33
    Origin” for each part is how we position
  • 00:05:36
    the parts relative to one another.
  • 00:05:38
    Generally, it’s best practice to select
  • 00:05:40
    a corner or an item that will not change.
  • 00:05:43
    Let’s select any one of the four
  • 00:05:45
    corners, making sure to select
  • 00:05:47
    on the top planar surface.
  • 00:05:50
    Once selected, we can turn the other
  • 00:05:52
    component back on in the Browser.
  • 00:05:55
    We’ll now want to select the
  • 00:05:56
    opposite corner so our lid is
  • 00:05:58
    flipped to the correct position.
  • 00:05:59
    To make it easier to snap to points
  • 00:06:01
    on a face, place the pointer over a
  • 00:06:03
    face, then hold the Control key on
  • 00:06:05
    Windows or the Command key on Mac.
  • 00:06:10
    Once the second corner is selected,
  • 00:06:12
    you’ll see our Box Top moves into place.
  • 00:06:14
    However, the rotation may not
  • 00:06:16
    be aligned depending on how
  • 00:06:17
    the Joint origin was applied.
  • 00:06:20
    You can fix this by adjusting
  • 00:06:21
    the rotation slider in the Canvas
  • 00:06:23
    or the angle in the dialog.
  • 00:06:27
    Once again, we should test our
  • 00:06:28
    user parameters to ensure the
  • 00:06:30
    Joint was applied correctly.
  • 00:06:45
    Everything looks correct!
  • 00:06:47
    [Upbeat Music]
  • 00:06:47
    I’ll see you on Day #20 we’re we’ll
  • 00:06:49
    add 3D printable hinges to our box.
  • 00:06:55
    [End Upbeat Music]
Tags
  • Fusion 360
  • User Parameters
  • Sketching
  • Extrusion
  • 3D Design
  • Parametric Design
  • Copying Components
  • Joint Tool
  • Shell Operation
  • Design Adjustments