Difference between revisions of "VEX CAD Assembly Guide"

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== Goals for this Guide ==
== Goals for this Guide ==
*Be able to troubleshoot common CAD Problems
*Be able to troubleshoot common CAD problems
*Design and implementable CAD drawing for a VEX robot  
*Design and implement CAD drawings in Fusion 360 for a VEX robot


== Disclaimer ==
== Disclaimer ==
Please look over and read the whole guide before starting your fusion assembly. There are some tips that will make creating your model much simpler. Also, keep in mind it might take more than 3 aligns to get your parts to snap into place at first, but once you complete a few and start to get the hang of it, it should move faster. If you have any questions feel free to ask any TAs.  
Please thoroughly read the entire guide before starting your Fusion 360 assembly. There are some tips that will make creating your model much easier. Also, keep in mind it might take more than three Aligns to get your parts to snap into place at first, but once you complete a few and start to become comfortable with it, it should become faster. If you have any questions, feel free to ask a TA.


== Preparation of Software ==
== Preparation of Software ==
*<b>Invite to collaborate in Fusion 360</b>
=== Invite to Collaborate in Fusion 360 ===
**Download the software if you are using your personal computer from https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/fusion-360-for-educational-institutions (you must either sign in or create an account).
# Download Fusion 360 from the [https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/fusion-360-for-educational-institutions Autodesk website]
**Once downloaded open Fusion 360
# Create an account with your NYU email or sign in
**In the top left corner of the Fusion 360 window click the 9 boxes in a square (show data panel) -> the data panel should open from the left
# Once downloaded, open Fusion 360
**In the data, panel click the blue “New Project” button -> a new box should appear with highlighted text to edit
# In the top left corner of the window, click the Data Panel icon (Figure 1) [[File:Vex_cad_assembly_guide_1.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 1: Data Panel Icon]]
**Edit the text and name your project
# In the Data Panel, click New Project. Name your project and press the Enter key
**Double click on the box with your project name -> the data panel should transition to a new page (make sure you have “People” selected instead of “Data” at the top
# Double click on the box with your project name. Go to the People tab at the top of the page
**Enter emails of teammates and click the blue “Invite” button
# Enter the email addresses of your teammates and click the Invite button
*<b>Download Zip File of parts and upload to Fusion 360</b>
**In order to import the Vex parts into fusion you must first download these files from the auto desk website using the link below and unzip the folder. https://www.autodesk.com/education/competitions-and-events/vex/recommended-software?_ga=2.60373103.339762620.1577992716-288517197.1577992716#Kit-of-parts
**Right-click on the name of the zipped folder in the file explorer -> a dropdown box should appear
**Click on extract all in the dropdown box -> an uncompressed folder of the same name should appear in the file explorer


[[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_1.png|600px|thumb|center]]
=== Download and Import VEX Parts ===
# Download the [https://www.autodesk.com/education/competitions-and-events/vex/recommended-software?_ga=2.60373103.339762620.1577992716-288517197.1577992716#Kit-of-parts Autodesk VEX Kit of Parts (KoP)]. Make sure to download the <b>Fusion 360 KoP for VEX EDR</b>
# Extract the downloaded ZIP folder (Figure 2) [[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_1.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 2: Extract the ZIP Folder]]
# In Fusion 360, go to the Data tab of your project and click New Folder. Name the new folder and press the Enter key. This folder will contain all the downloaded VEX parts for the project
# Double click the new folder that was just created. Click the Upload button
# In the dialog that just appeared, click Select Files
# In the File Explorer, navigate to the unzipped folder of VEX parts
# For Mac users, select the <b>_MACOSX</b> folder. For Windows users, select the <b>Fusion_360_VEX_EDR_KOP</b> folder. Select all the individual F3Z files in each folder to download. You can select all the F3Z files in individual folders but cannot select F3Z files from different folders. Select the files you believe you will need for your project. Click Open
# In the window that appears, click Upload
# The VEX parts will take a few minutes to upload from your files to Fusion 360. Once the upload is complete, click Close in the Job Status window. There should be new files in the Data Panel. You can double click one of the files to open the VEX part, or click and drag the files into your project to use them for the assembly


**Open Fusion 360
== Creating the Assembly ==
**Make a folder inside your new project. This folder will contain all of your Vex parts
In CAD, an <b>assembly</b> is a group of individual components that are aligned to each other using mating conditions. Mating conditions are definitions for the relative positions of components in respect to each other. Individual components usually require multiple mating conditions to become fully defined in 3D space. The general purpose of assemblies is to visualize how components become geometrically constrained in a system, and how these geometric constraints allow engineers to simulate, analyze, and evaluate their designs as to mimic real-life conditions. In Fusion 360, there are a few functions to generate mating conditions for assemblies. This guide will specifically cover the Align tool, Joint tool, and Rigid Group tool. Note: "Connecting pieces" are screws, rods, shaft collars, wheels, etc.
**Click the blue “Upload” button -> a new upload window should appear
**In the upload window click “Select Files” - > the file explorer should open
**In the file explorer navigate to the folder that was uncompressed in step b
**Select the f3z file in the folder and click “open” in the bottom right corner of the file explorer -> the vex pieces will then take a few minutes to upload from your files to fusion 360 -> once the upload is finished, there should be many new boxes on the data panel -> clicking on any of the boxes will open a vex part


== Aligning Components ==
=== Align Tool ===
The <b>Align</b> tool aligns the geometry from one component to the geometry of another component. The aligned geometry can be a surface, edge, or point. The Align tool is a simplified mating condition generator that makes all selected geometry coincident to each other.
# Move the two bodies being aligned close to one another using the Move/Copy tool (Figure 3)[[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_2.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 3: Move/Copy Tool]]
# Under the Modify section of the toolbar, select the Align tool (Figure 4) [[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_4.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 4: Align Tool]]
# The Align dialog will appear on the right side of the window (Figure 5). For the From profile, select the first surface, edge, or point being aligned. For the To profile, select the second surface, edge, or point. The first profile will become aligned to the second profile [[File:Align_box.JPG|600px|thumb|center|Figure 5: Align Dialog]]
# Repeat steps 1 - 3 using different points on the bodies being aligned until they are oriented as desired (Figure 6). Make sure the bodies are aligned as desired in the x-, y-, and z-directions [[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_5.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 6: Aligned Bodies]]


<b>Aligning (Connecting Pieces: Screws, Rods, Shaft Collars, Wheels, etc.)</b>
=== Rigid Group Tool ===
*Move the two bodies being aligned close to one another using the Move tool (Figure 1)
The <b>Rigid Group</b> tool locks the relative position of the selected components. The components are treated as a single object when moved or when joints are applied. Note that components like the wheels and motors are already sub-assemblies consisting of two or more bodies. They will have to be joined as a Rigid Group prior to being aligned with additional components.
[[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_2.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 1: Move tool]]
# Select all the bodies of interest from the Browser on the left side of the window
**Note that components like the wheels are already files consisting of two bodies. They will have to be joined as a Rigid Group prior to adding additional components
# Go to the Assemble tab in the toolbar and select the Rigid Group tool (Figure 7). If prompted with a warning that states "some components have been moved", select Capture Position [[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_3.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 7: Rigid Group Tool]]
**To make a rigid group:
# The Rigid Group dialog will appear on the right side of the window. Click OK to make the Rigid Group
***Highlight all bodies of the subject component
***Go to the Assemble tab and click Rigid Group (Figure 2). If prompted that components have been moved, select “Capture Position.”
[[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_3.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 2: Rigid Group tool]]
*Select the Modify tab from the Design workspace (Figure 3)
[[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_4.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 3: Menu Dropdown]]
*From the dropdown select Align
*Select the first surface being aligned
*The first surface selected will be snapped to the second surface selected
*Repeat steps 3-5 using different points of the bodies being aligned until they are oriented as desired (Figure 4)
[[File:VEX_CAD_Assembly_Guide_media_5.png|600px|thumb|center|Figure 4: Aligned Bodies]]


== Shortcut to Replicating Sub-Assemblies ==
== Replicating Sub-Assemblies ==


In some instances, such as for the wheels, it will be required to align gears with the wheel before aligning the sub-assembly with your frame. Seeing that most designs have four wheels, repeating the process multiple times over can become tedious and time-consuming. Using the method below, sub-assemblies can be joined as one body and copied as many times as needed:
In some instances, such as for the wheels, it will be required to align the gears of the drivetrain to the wheel before aligning the entire sub-assembly of the gears and wheel to the frame. Seeing that most designs have four wheels, repeating the process of aligning over and over can become tedious and time-consuming. Using the method below, sub-assemblies can be joined as one body and copied as many times as needed:


*Open a new file to begin the sub-assembly
# Go to File > New Design in the same project as the rest of the VEX files
*Save the newly created file inside the same folder as all the vex parts
# Click and drag in desired components from the Data Panel
*Drag in desired components
# Under the Modify tab of the toolbar, select the Align tool
*Under the Modify tab, select Align.
# Align the components to each other
*The body selected first will be the body that is moved
# Save the file in the same folder as all the downloaded Vex components
*Select a face or edge on the second body to align with the first body.
# Now you can drag newly made rigid group into the main robot assembly as many times as needed
*Repeat alignment steps for the two remaining axes to complete the alignment process
*Save the file in the same folder as all the downloaded Vex components
*Now you can drag newly made rigid group into the main robot assembly as many times as needed


Using this process whenever there are repeated components will greatly reduce the time needed to make the full assembly.
Using this process whenever there are repeated components will greatly reduce the time needed to make the full assembly.

Latest revision as of 03:07, 5 February 2020

Goals for this Guide

  • Be able to troubleshoot common CAD problems
  • Design and implement CAD drawings in Fusion 360 for a VEX robot

Disclaimer

Please thoroughly read the entire guide before starting your Fusion 360 assembly. There are some tips that will make creating your model much easier. Also, keep in mind it might take more than three Aligns to get your parts to snap into place at first, but once you complete a few and start to become comfortable with it, it should become faster. If you have any questions, feel free to ask a TA.

Preparation of Software

Invite to Collaborate in Fusion 360

  1. Download Fusion 360 from the Autodesk website
  2. Create an account with your NYU email or sign in
  3. Once downloaded, open Fusion 360
  4. In the top left corner of the window, click the Data Panel icon (Figure 1)
    Figure 1: Data Panel Icon
  5. In the Data Panel, click New Project. Name your project and press the Enter key
  6. Double click on the box with your project name. Go to the People tab at the top of the page
  7. Enter the email addresses of your teammates and click the Invite button

Download and Import VEX Parts

  1. Download the Autodesk VEX Kit of Parts (KoP). Make sure to download the Fusion 360 KoP for VEX EDR
  2. Extract the downloaded ZIP folder (Figure 2)
    Figure 2: Extract the ZIP Folder
  3. In Fusion 360, go to the Data tab of your project and click New Folder. Name the new folder and press the Enter key. This folder will contain all the downloaded VEX parts for the project
  4. Double click the new folder that was just created. Click the Upload button
  5. In the dialog that just appeared, click Select Files
  6. In the File Explorer, navigate to the unzipped folder of VEX parts
  7. For Mac users, select the _MACOSX folder. For Windows users, select the Fusion_360_VEX_EDR_KOP folder. Select all the individual F3Z files in each folder to download. You can select all the F3Z files in individual folders but cannot select F3Z files from different folders. Select the files you believe you will need for your project. Click Open
  8. In the window that appears, click Upload
  9. The VEX parts will take a few minutes to upload from your files to Fusion 360. Once the upload is complete, click Close in the Job Status window. There should be new files in the Data Panel. You can double click one of the files to open the VEX part, or click and drag the files into your project to use them for the assembly

Creating the Assembly

In CAD, an assembly is a group of individual components that are aligned to each other using mating conditions. Mating conditions are definitions for the relative positions of components in respect to each other. Individual components usually require multiple mating conditions to become fully defined in 3D space. The general purpose of assemblies is to visualize how components become geometrically constrained in a system, and how these geometric constraints allow engineers to simulate, analyze, and evaluate their designs as to mimic real-life conditions. In Fusion 360, there are a few functions to generate mating conditions for assemblies. This guide will specifically cover the Align tool, Joint tool, and Rigid Group tool. Note: "Connecting pieces" are screws, rods, shaft collars, wheels, etc.

Align Tool

The Align tool aligns the geometry from one component to the geometry of another component. The aligned geometry can be a surface, edge, or point. The Align tool is a simplified mating condition generator that makes all selected geometry coincident to each other.

  1. Move the two bodies being aligned close to one another using the Move/Copy tool (Figure 3)
    Figure 3: Move/Copy Tool
  2. Under the Modify section of the toolbar, select the Align tool (Figure 4)
    Figure 4: Align Tool
  3. The Align dialog will appear on the right side of the window (Figure 5). For the From profile, select the first surface, edge, or point being aligned. For the To profile, select the second surface, edge, or point. The first profile will become aligned to the second profile
    Figure 5: Align Dialog
  4. Repeat steps 1 - 3 using different points on the bodies being aligned until they are oriented as desired (Figure 6). Make sure the bodies are aligned as desired in the x-, y-, and z-directions
    Figure 6: Aligned Bodies

Rigid Group Tool

The Rigid Group tool locks the relative position of the selected components. The components are treated as a single object when moved or when joints are applied. Note that components like the wheels and motors are already sub-assemblies consisting of two or more bodies. They will have to be joined as a Rigid Group prior to being aligned with additional components.

  1. Select all the bodies of interest from the Browser on the left side of the window
  2. Go to the Assemble tab in the toolbar and select the Rigid Group tool (Figure 7). If prompted with a warning that states "some components have been moved", select Capture Position
    Figure 7: Rigid Group Tool
  3. The Rigid Group dialog will appear on the right side of the window. Click OK to make the Rigid Group

Replicating Sub-Assemblies

In some instances, such as for the wheels, it will be required to align the gears of the drivetrain to the wheel before aligning the entire sub-assembly of the gears and wheel to the frame. Seeing that most designs have four wheels, repeating the process of aligning over and over can become tedious and time-consuming. Using the method below, sub-assemblies can be joined as one body and copied as many times as needed:

  1. Go to File > New Design in the same project as the rest of the VEX files
  2. Click and drag in desired components from the Data Panel
  3. Under the Modify tab of the toolbar, select the Align tool
  4. Align the components to each other
  5. Save the file in the same folder as all the downloaded Vex components
  6. Now you can drag newly made rigid group into the main robot assembly as many times as needed

Using this process whenever there are repeated components will greatly reduce the time needed to make the full assembly.