@genma saotome said:
There are times where I take a component in a model and rotate it for use in another situation. Because the axis of the component instance also rotates. I have many situations where that's not acceptable, so I have to explode the new instance and make a new component under a new name. It would be far easier if there was a function I could use that reoriented the component axis to the same as the whole model -- the move axis feature is far too cumbersome... I simply want a single click - bang - it's done solution.
Absolutely dead on. In most cases I have to maintain a separate copy of a comp. on a development layer simply to preserve the axis alignment for editing.
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In a similar vein, component scaling should be modified as well. When you copy a scaled comp, say a set of comps that taper, such as a flap linkage component of a wing, big at the root, small at the tip, the scale of the copy is at the original scale. If the intermediate comps scale at 1.78% per object, AND must maintain axis alignment (along a non axis guide line) then it becomes very difficult, as well as growing inaccurate to compound scale the original comp, rather than just applying a common scale factor to each subsequent copy.
If you need a copy at the original scale, then take it from the comp.library, or the original object.
Better yet, if copying a scaled comp, popup a d-box asking for "original scale", "last scale ratio" or "new scale ratio" and be done with it.
Last Scale Ratio would be especially useful where the scaling is different along the 3 axis, ie: not 2x all round, but 2x green, 2.5x red and 1.995X blue.