Fusion 360 - Copy, Paste and Clone Objects

When copying and pasting a body in Fusion 360 it creates a new independent body. However, if you do the same with a component they are linked, like a clone. And whatever you do to one is replicated to all. This can be confusing and annoying! It can also be helpful if you have many of the same object and need to make a change.

I will show in this video eh difference between the two options, and also the way in which you can create a copy of a component without it being a clone.

Thanks for tuning in!

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[ardlab]

Concise, straight to the point; way better than most other bloated explanations.

[joelstolarski]

Thank you. I tried before and didn't move body, and could not understand what happened to the new body. Phew, know happy. Thanks again for the great to the point way to do it.

[thomaspax]

This is a great instructional video. I only use Fusion 360 on occasion for custom 3d prints. I had no idea how useful components could be to me.

[adambergendorff]

You answered one of the most frustrating things I have encountered, Thank You!

[mazzenalamri]

Man!!! thank you!! that was driving me crazy and I couldn't find an answer online for a while until your video!

[TheSengard]

Paste New 4:00 on the root object is what i was looking for. Thanks.

[c.harris]

Outstanding explanation! Perfect, concise and clear!! Thank you!

[AerialLensVideo]

Very well done and clear - THANKS! BUT....
I am having a related problem maybe you can comment on? I have created a pretty complex assembly and have copied the whole assembly (both ways, just paste and paste new), and when I try to remove a piece of the assembly from one of the copies (by splitting a body and then selecting the part I do not want), the WHOLE PASTED ASSEMBLY DISAPPEARS when I click either the (X) or the delete key to Delete that selection! So frustrating. What am I missing? Thanks again,

[gibsonsimpson]

Thank you! This will help some of my repetitive workflow.

[wadefischer]

Bloody Legend. This has been driving me insane.

[johnsmith-fzqk]

why do these programs make it so obfuscated to do the simplest of things!? Thank you for the tip! 👍🤓

[adenwellsmith]

One query. I have a sketch, its extruded. I need to create 3 bodies that match that sketch, but then I need to do different things to each.
I'd like it that if the original sketch is changed, that change propagates.
That's different from the scenarios you present.
My best guess, take the sketch and extrude it three times to create three components, say with a parameter for thickness. Then modify from there.

[perniculous]

Ok I copy the component, activate the top level, the paste new. When I want to edit an existing sketch, it takes me to the original component to edit. For example I want the same part with 5 different texts on it and fusion is still showing me the outline of the new text.

How can I create a new, independent component, with all timeline features, and be truly independent so it doesn't take me to the original component sketches?

[ljunq]

Can you clone an object and have it be a mirror of the original object, so if you make a hole on one side of an asymmetrical object, it appears on the other side of the clone?

[DarthCoco]

This is an explanation I needed. Thanks.

[watchdogpedro]

Great job here, best i have ever seen for the subject

[wildmangeorgesrcchannel]

Mine doesn’t have a check box for copy.

[Art_]

Thanks, don't know why they just don't have a "clone" or "instance" copy function.
Anyway, thanks for the info!

[MiljanBojovic]

Autodesk keep changing stuff. Now make a copy does the same as component. You edit one and the other one gets updated. No, I did not make them component before copying. Already checked.

[stephenkamin]

I am looking to do a true editable copy of the first item- say item 1, 2 and 3 are identical... but all have different size holes in them... can i draw one, copy it 2 times, and edit the hole in just the two copys?