In this lesson, we'll create a distributed design. After completing this lesson, you'll be able to demonstrate how to create a derived part and create a distributed design. In Fusion 360, we want to make sure that we have both multi-axis multiple setups as well as the soft jaw fixture datasets uploaded. I do want to note that the multi-axis multiple setups is the same design that we were working with before we started applying the multi-axis contour. Also note that the soft jaw fixture is a similar fixture to what we're working with. However, it has an attached set of soft jaws on top. What we want to talk about is the workflow needed in order to create both derived and distributed designs and when you might use one over the other. To get started, we first want to go back to our design workspace and we want to understand what a distributed design is as opposed to a derived design. The first thing that I want to note is we have our fixture assembly, we have our stock, and we have the stock prep fixture that is inside the design. The stock prep fixture is used to hold the stock and allow us to cut the features needed to clamp it into its final fixturing. The stock prep fixture isn't needed for most of our machining at this point, but it is something that's still handy to have inside of this design. When we talk about creating a distributed design, that means that we have externally linked designs inside of the design we're working on. That is similar to how the fixture assembly and the stock prep fixture came to be inside of this assembly. They were dragged and dropped and placed in here, and then ultimately the links were broken. To do this, we simply need to go into our data panel, we need to find the design we want to insert, and simply drag it into the canvas area. When we do this, it's placed in the design and it automatically initiates the Move-Copy tool. In our case, if we rotate this around and we take a look at the positioning, the fixture and the soft jaws are actually at a correct orientation for the link that we need the machine, which means that we don't need to do any moving or adjusting of its position as long. As we rotate it around and it looks like it's positioned correctly, we can say okay. This is one of the benefits of having the parts designed in their appropriate locations. Now that we have it in here, you'll notice that we have a link icon. The link icon means that there is a link to an external design. Also note there's a pencil icon because we have what's called Edit In Place functionality. We can actually edit this design in place without breaking the link. However, when we're using fixtures, especially a soft jaw fixture, and we want to talk about making those adjustments to any geometry, in this case the soft jaw, we don't want to have that link back to the original design if it's going to be used over and over again in this manner. In this case, what I like to do is go back and actually break the link. An alternative method that we could use is to simply have a fixture and then the soft jaws be their own components that we drag in and we break the link to. That would be a more usable method of doing this process over and over again. When we break the link, what we're actually doing is bringing all of the different design elements, in this case the sketches, the features, the components directly into our design. This means that we can move this around freely. We can explore any joints that have been applied at a specific level of the design. You'll notice that there are link sliders, there's jaw distance, there's all kinds of things in here, and we can revert its position back and work with it in a static position. Now that we have all those elements in, we do want to make sure that we save this, but now we want to talk about what a derive is. In order to talk about a derive, I'm going to work inside of the soft jaw fixture. This has a single component which has subcomponents in it, the front and rear jaws. This again is free to move about inside of here, but we could take the subplate, for example, and ground it, and then we could take a look at some of the joints that are applied to this design. What we really want to focus on, however, instead of joints is deriving some of these components out to their own file. In our case, the soft jaw is going to be the critical element here. I'm going to select it, go to Create, and select Derive. It tells us that we need to make sure that we're saved and currently up to date in our design, so we'll save and continue, and then derive is going to initiate one of two options. We can either create a new design or we can add it to an existing design. If we wanted to place the soft jaw, for example, in our multi-axis setup, we would simply select Add to Existing Design and determine which design we wanted to place it. However, in this case, we want to just create a new one so we understand what's happening. We already have our front soft jaw selected and we can even determine if we want to bring in any parameters that are saved in the component or the favorites. These are going to be things like user perimeters that were created under the Modify, Change Parameters dialogue. For this example, we're simply going to say okay. Now you'll note that we have a new unsaved document, and inside of it a single component which is our front soft jaw. If we expand this, we have bodies, we have a sketches folder which shows the initial sketch, but what we don't have is control over any of those design elements. Now, what happens when we create a derive is a little opposite to what happens when we create a distributed design. A derive means that we're pulling a design element out of a bigger assembly and placing it in its own design. When we do this, we're free to make modifications to it. We can add additional cuts to it. We can make adjustments and still retain that link back to the original. This is why I said a derive is likely a good option for a soft jaw because you can maintain the link to the original size, any design, location type features, thread sizes. All of these elements can be linked back to original designs, and then we can have this updated derive where we add our specific cuts that'll help us hold our complex parts. The workflow that you should consider is really going to be dependent upon your starting point. If you're given an individual design that as one body in it, then making a derive or a distributed design doesn't necessarily make sense. However, if you're starting with a larger complex assembly and you need to pull out individual pieces to machine, making that derive is a great way to maintain that link to the original. We can also right-click on this and break the link, just like we did originally when we were talking about using that distributed design. When we break the link, we no longer can relate back to that original, but now it'll bring in more design elements that were used to create this geometry. In our case, we're not going to be saving that derive. We're really focused on making the distributed design, pulling in that soft jaw fixture. Once we make sure that this design is saved, I want to go back To my home view and then we can move on to the next step.
