Parametric vs. direct modeling

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Fusion enables you to select from two modeling modes, based on your design needs,

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at any time during the design process.

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You can switch between Parametric Modeling and Direct Modeling modes by selecting or deselecting the Capture Design History feature.

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When you create a new design, Capture Design History is selected by default,

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which puts you in Parametric Modeling mode.

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In this mode, you see the Timeline at the bottom of the canvas,

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which records the history of operations performed in your design.

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When you open a design that was created in a different CAD system,

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or when you deselect Capture Design History,

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you enter Direct Modeling mode.

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In this mode, the Timeline is removed, and you can edit the design directly,

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without keeping a record of the operations.

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There are several reasons why you may want to use the Direct Modeling mode in Fusion.

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For example, you may want to repair imported geometry, defeature a design,

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or rapidly iterate a concept without considering the history before switching to Parametric Modeling mode.

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Or, you may not require the history-based tools at all for a particular design.

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To understand the differences between these modes,

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first, explore the behaviors of Parametric Modeling mode,

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which was used to design the bracket in this example.

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Notice the Timeline along the bottom of the canvas.

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In the Browser, you can see two components—the top-level component History,

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and the sub-component Fixture.

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When you place the pointer over a component and click the Activate Component radio button,

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observe that the Timeline now shows only the features of this component.

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Each operation performed to create the component shows in historical order.

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Place the pointer over a feature, such as a sketch, fillet, or chamfer,

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and you can see its name and type, with the feature itself highlighted on the canvas.

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When you click a feature, the highlight becomes more pronounced.

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If you right-click a feature, such as a chamfer, and select Edit Feature,

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the Timeline rolls back to the point in time when this feature was created.

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You can adjust the size of the chamfer, enter a value manually,

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or adjust additional settings in the Edit Feature dialog.

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Note that both corners adjust to the change in chamfer size,

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because the chamfer feature was initially applied to both corner edges.

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If you want to add or remove edges, press and hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on MacOS,

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modify the selection set, then release the key.

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When you click OK to complete the command, the Timeline rolls forward to the end.

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All modifications made after the chamfer are available again,

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along with the changes made to the chamfer feature.

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If you use a command, such as Press Pull, to edit one of the chamfer corner values,

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both corners still adjust to the new value.

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Now, switch to Direct Modeling mode to see what happens within your design.

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In the Browser, right-click the top node and select Do not capture Design History.

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You could also click the gear icon in the Timeline to access this setting.

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A warning informs you that the Timeline and all of the design history will be removed,

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and that any new operations will not be captured in the Timeline.

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Click Continue to confirm entering Direct Modeling mode.

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The Timeline is removed, and in the Browser, all its features now show within the node of the component where they were created.

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All origins and sketches are still there as well.

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Now, you can edit a feature directly from the Browser.

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For this example, right-click Fillet10 and select Edit Fillet.

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All six of the original edges are selected.

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Change the Radius value, and all six edges adjust.

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However, if you click the Press Pull command, select one of the edges, and edit the fillet value,

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only the edge you selected and those connected to it by tangency adjust to the new value.

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The edges on the other side of the bracket remain unchanged.

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This is different from what you see in Parametric Modeling mode.

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If you do not want to preserve the original features, but only need the body to remain in the component,

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you can also dissolve features.

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In the Browser, select the features you want to dissolve,

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then right-click and select Dissolve.

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The selected features are removed from the Browser.

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If you want to return to using the Timeline in Parametric Modeling mode,

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right-click the top node in the Browser and select Capture Design History.

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Notice that the previous Timeline features are not added to this Timeline.

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Instead, when you click the Plus icon to expand the group of features,

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you see a new Base Feature.

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Right-click and select Edit to modify any features you did not dissolve.

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They are still accessible in the Browser, within the Base Feature.

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Now that you are back in Parametric Modeling mode, you can continue your design,

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and all operations you perform from now on will be added to the Timeline.

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For instance, if you delete a corner chamfer, add a fillet to it,

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then create and move a hole to align its center with the new fillet,

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you see that all these steps are added to the Timeline.

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In Fusion, you can easily switch between Parametric Modeling and Direct Modeling modes

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by selecting and deselecting Capture Design History.

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It is important to understand the differences between these modes, especially when preserving design history is essential.