{"id":81532,"date":"2025-12-05T06:29:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/?p=81532"},"modified":"2025-11-19T11:05:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T19:05:08","slug":"motion-links-autodesk-fusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/motion-links-autodesk-fusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Motion Links for Hinged Joints in Fusion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Richard Stubley, Fusion Senior Product Manager shows you how to easily coordinate multiple hinged joints using motion links in Fusion. Learn best practices for joint placement and assembly modeling for smooth, realistic motion.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<?php\nfunction autodesk_fusion_cta_horizontal() {\n    ob_start();\n    ?>\n    <style>\n        .cta-section-horizontal {\n            background: #ddd; \/* Much lighter grey background *\/\n            padding: 12px; \/* Adjusted padding *\/\n            border-radius: 8px;\n            box-shadow: 0 3px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);\n            color: #333; \/* Darker text color for better readability *\/\n            display: flex;\n            align-items: center;\n            justify-content: space-between;\n            max-width: 650px; \/* Width adjusted for a more compact look *\/\n            margin: 20px auto;\n            position: relative;\n            flex-wrap: nowrap; \/* Prevent wrapping *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-section-horizontal img {\n            width: 60px; \/* Slightly larger logo *\/\n            height: auto; \/* Maintain aspect ratio *\/\n            margin-right: 12px; \/* Adjusted spacing *\/\n            background-color: #ddd; \/* Match the background color *\/\n            padding: 6px; \/* Adjusted padding *\/\n            border-radius: 8px; \/* Slightly rounding to match container *\/\n            box-shadow: 0 0 0 4px #ddd; \/* Blend with background *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-text {\n            flex: 1;\n            margin-right: 12px; \/* Adjusted spacing *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-title {\n            font-size: 18px; \/* Slightly larger title font size *\/\n            font-weight: bold; \/* Bold title *\/\n            color: #f9a825; \/* Orange color *\/\n            margin-bottom: 4px; \/* Reduced margin *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-info {\n            display: none; \/* Hide description *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-buttons {\n            display: flex;\n            gap: 8px; \/* Adjusted button spacing *\/\n            align-items: center;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button {\n            padding: 8px 12px; \/* Button padding *\/\n            font-size: 12px; \/* Smaller font size for buttons *\/\n            font-weight: bold;\n            text-transform: uppercase;\n            border-radius: 4px; \/* Slightly rounded corners *\/\n            border: 2px solid transparent;\n            cursor: pointer;\n            transition: all 0.3s ease;\n            display: inline-flex; \/* Use inline-flex to ensure proper alignment *\/\n            align-items: center; \/* Center align text vertically *\/\n            justify-content: center; \/* Center align text horizontally *\/\n            text-decoration: none !important; \/* Ensure no underlines with !important *\/\n            color: inherit; \/* Use the button's text color *\/\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.white-button {\n            background-color: #fff;\n            color: #333;\n            border: 2px solid #ddd;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.white-button:hover {\n            background-color: #333;\n            color: #fff;\n            border: 2px solid #f9a825;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.black-button {\n            background-color: #f9a825;\n            color: #fff;\n            border: 2px solid #f9a825;\n        }\n\n        .cta-button.black-button:hover {\n            background-color: #fff;\n            color: #f9a825;\n            border: 2px solid #fff;\n        }\n    <\/style>\n\n    <div class=\"cta-section-horizontal\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/autodesk-fusion-product-icon-400.png\" alt=\"Autodesk Fusion Logo\">\n        <div class=\"cta-text\">\n            <h1 class=\"cta-title\">Elevate your design and manufacturing processes with Autodesk Fusion<\/h1>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"cta-buttons\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/trial-intake-flow\" class=\"cta-button white-button\">Get a 30-Day Free Trial<\/a>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/extensions\" class=\"cta-button black-button\">See Plans and Pricing<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <?php\n    return ob_get_clean();\n}\nadd_shortcode('autodesk_fusion_cta_horizontal', 'autodesk_fusion_cta_horizontal');\n?>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever struggled to coordinate multiple hinged joints in a complex assembly\u2014like a folding A-frame cart with several moving parts, you\u2019re not alone. Many designers want to know: <strong>How can I add joints to hinges so they all move together when I drive just one joint?<\/strong> Let\u2019s break down the solution using the powerful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/autodesk-fusion-360-basics-assemblies\/\">assembly tools<\/a> in Fusion.<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Use Motion Links for Hinged Joints | Unstuck my Fusion Design\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8V6pzjNWue8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen style=\"aspect-ratio:500 \/ 281;width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"where-should-you-place-joints\">Where should you place joints?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>First, it\u2019s important to understand that, technically, the placement of <a href=\"https:\/\/help.autodesk.com\/view\/fusion360\/ENU\/?guid=ASM-CREATE-JOINT\">joints<\/a> in your assembly hierarchy doesn\u2019t affect their ability to compute correctly. Joints can be at the bottom, top, or scattered throughout your assembly\u2014they\u2019ll all function at the top level. However, for your own sanity and ease of troubleshooting, it\u2019s best to place joints at the <strong>lowest logical level<\/strong> in your assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of it like disassembling your model: where would the joint \u201csurvive\u201d if you broke the assembly down into its smallest parts? Place your joints there. This approach makes duplication and fault-finding much easier.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"introducing-motion-links-in-fusion\">Introducing motion links in Fusion<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The real magic happens with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/help.autodesk.com\/view\/fusion360\/ENU\/?guid=GUID-074622A9-EC62-4A2E-9BBC-DB61748C869F\">motion links<\/a><\/strong>. If you want multiple hinges to move together\u2014so driving one joint moves all the others, motion links are your answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the <strong>assemble<\/strong> menu, select <strong>motion link<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Link the relevant joints together. For example, if you have two revolute joints, you can set up a one-to-one relationship so that as one joint moves, the other follows in sync.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can also set up gear ratios. For instance, a three-to-one relationship means that for every degree one joint moves, the other moves three degrees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"realworld-example-planetary-gearbox\">Real-world example: Planetary gearbox<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Motion links in Fusion aren\u2019t just for hinges &#8211; they\u2019re great for simulating gearboxes too. For example, in a planetary gearbox, you can link the rotation of the carrier to the planetary gears, setting up the correct gear ratio. This makes your digital model behave just like the real thing.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pro-tips-for-assembly-modeling\">Pro tips for assembly modeling<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Place joints as low as possible<\/strong> in your assembly structure. This makes duplication and troubleshooting easier.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Copy and paste<\/strong> subassemblies with joints already in place to save time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you only add joints at the top level, your subassemblies won\u2019t move independently\u2014so always build from the bottom up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Coordinating multiple hinged joints in Fusion is straightforward when you use motion links and thoughtful joint placement. By building your joints at the lowest level and linking their motion, you\u2019ll create assemblies that move realistically and are easy to manage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ready to take your assemblies to the next level? Try out motion links in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/overview\">Fusion<\/a> to see how much smoother your design process becomes!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Richard Stubley, Fusion Senior Product Manager shows you how to easily coordinate multiple hinged joints using motion links in Fusion. Learn best practices for joint placement and assembly modeling for smooth, realistic motion. If you\u2019ve ever struggled to coordinate multiple hinged joints in a complex assembly\u2014like a folding A-frame cart with several moving parts, you\u2019re [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4610,"featured_media":81533,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[476,479],"tags":[],"coauthors":[821],"class_list":["post-81532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials","category-product-design-engineering","dhig-theme--light"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Using Motion Links for Hinged Joints in Fusion - Fusion Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Richard Stubley, Fusion Senior Product Manager shows you how to easily coordinate multiple hinged joints using motion links in Fusion. 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