Overview#
When you drag a component in the canvas you change its position in the assembly. Autodesk's help describes Capture Position as the command that captures the positions of components that you recently moved or rotated, "when you intend to maintain the current position of components in the assembly as you continue editing and assembling components." Revert does the opposite: it returns components to their most recently captured positions.
Note: Autodesk's help does not say how a captured position is stored (for example, as a timeline marker) or how it interacts with joint values, Drive Joints or motion studies. Earlier versions of this page claimed a timeline marker, joint-value storage and specific right-click menu locations; those claims are not in the documentation and were removed. Test behavior on a throwaway file if you rely on it.
Why it matters (general guidance):
- Commands that depend on where components are (Joint Origin, Joint, rigid groups and so on) need to know whether to use the moved position or the previous one. Fusion asks you.
- You may want to keep an exploratory move, or throw it away, before continuing to model.
How Fusion tracks moves#
Autodesk's note: positions are captured silently as you move them, until you activate a command that requires you to decide whether to capture the position in order to continue. When you move or rotate one or more components in the canvas, a Position panel appears in the toolbar with Capture Position and Revert.
Where to find it#
| Action | Location |
|---|---|
| Capture Position (proactive) | Move or rotate one or more components, then on the toolbar choose Position > Capture Position |
| Revert (proactive) | After moving components, on the toolbar choose Position > Revert |
| Capture or revert when prompted | Start a command that depends on position (for example Joint Origin); a message tells you components have moved and offers Capture Position or Continue |
| In Move dialogs | The Move/Copy command has an optional Capture Position check box |
The Position panel only appears when components have moved, and Revert has no dialog of its own.
Step by step#
Capture position proactively#
- In the canvas, move or rotate one or more components. The Position panel appears in the toolbar.
- Choose Position > Capture Position.
- The current position of components in the assembly is captured.
Capture position when prompted#
- Move or rotate one or more components.
- Select a command that depends upon the current position, such as Joint Origin. A message notifies you that some components have moved and asks whether to capture or revert.
- Click Capture Position. The position is captured and you continue into the command you started.
Revert position proactively#
- Move or rotate one or more components.
- Choose Position > Revert. The components return to their most recently captured position.
Revert position when prompted#
- Move or rotate one or more components and start a position-dependent command such as Joint Origin.
- In the message, click Continue. The components revert to their most recently captured position and you continue to the command.
Note: The wording of the two buttons is easy to misread: in the prompt, Capture Position keeps the move, and Continue reverts it, as described in Autodesk's topic.
Where you will meet it in Autodesk's tutorials#
The assembly tutorials repeat the same instruction: "If you get a dialog indicating components have moved, click Capture Position." This appears when you create joint origins or joints after dragging parts around while exploring a model. In the manual joints tutorial, clicking Capture Position on the dialog indicates you want to use the current position of the connector. If you instead want to start from where the parts were, use Continue (revert).
Capture Position and Move/Copy#
If you need a part to be permanently located elsewhere, move it with Move/Copy (M) rather than dragging. Autodesk's Move/Copy dialog includes an optional Capture Position check box to capture the new position of the component; for components it is available when the command moves components.
Capture Position and Ground To Parent#
Autodesk lists Capture Position among the assembly relationships that Ground To Parent overrides. If you ground a child to its parent after capturing a position, the child moves back to its initial position and existing assembly features need to be resolved. See Rigid Groups and Grounding.
Options reference#
| Option | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Position > Capture Position | Captures the positions of components you recently moved or rotated. | Appears after a move. |
| Position > Revert | Returns components to their most recently captured positions. | No dialog. |
| Prompt: Capture Position | Keeps the moved position and continues the command. | Shown for position-dependent commands such as Joint Origin. |
| Prompt: Continue | Reverts to the last captured position and continues. | |
| Move dialog: Capture Position | Optional check box to capture the new position. | Move/Copy. |
| Undo (Ctrl+Z) | Reverses the last UI action. | General Fusion behavior. |
Capture versus alternatives#
| Need | Tool |
|---|---|
| Permanent new position for a free part | Move/Copy (M), a timeline feature |
| Keep or discard an exploratory drag | Capture Position / Revert |
| Hold a component fixed in the design | Pin (P is Pin in Autodesk's shortcut list) |
| Hold components together | Rigid group |
| Go back to where a joint was created | Right-click the joint > Go to Home Position |
| Several named states of one design | Configurations, where your license includes them |
Tips and pitfalls#
Tip: Decide before you start a position-dependent command whether you want the move: if the prompt appears and you were only exploring, choose Continue to revert.
Tip: If you are unsure, use Undo (Ctrl+Z) immediately after an exploratory drag; it is general-purpose and does not need a prompt (general guidance).
Warning: Because positions are captured silently until a command forces the decision, a drag you intended as a quick look can end up as the starting point of the next joint. Watch for the Position panel in the toolbar.
Warning: Capturing while parts are overlapping stores an overlapping arrangement. Check with Inspect > Interference or move parts apart first (general guidance).
Tip: For a joint-driven pose (a lid opened to 60 degrees with Drive Joints), the documented way to return is the joint's Go to Home Position, or driving the joint back to its value. Autodesk's Capture Position topic does not mention joint values.
Worked example: the prompt in practice#
You have a bracket and a plate that you have dragged apart to inspect a hole.
- You notice the Position panel in the toolbar. You are done exploring and want the bracket back where it was.
- Choose Position > Revert. The bracket returns to its last captured position.
- Now start Joint Origin to place an origin on the bracket hole. No prompt appears, since nothing has moved.
Alternatively, suppose the new position is the one you want, for example you moved a free part next to its mate to make snapping easier.
- Start Joint Origin. The message appears.
- Click Capture Position so the origin is created against the moved position.
- Continue creating the origin.
The same message appears if you started Joint or other commands that depend on position. Learning which button does what saves a lot of confusion.
Failure modes and fixes#
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A part jumped back after a command | You clicked Continue (revert) in the position prompt | Move it again and choose Capture Position this time. |
| The Position panel is missing | No components have moved since the last capture | Move or rotate a component to show it. |
| Revert Position cannot be found in the Browser | Revert is on the toolbar Position panel, not in a Browser menu | Move a component and look at the toolbar. |
| A joint origin ended up in the wrong place | The position prompt captured an exploratory move | Undo, revert, then recreate the origin. |
| A child component returned to its initial position | Ground To Parent overrides Capture Position | Ungrounding it from the parent restores overridden features, per Autodesk's Ground and unground topic. |
Practical habits#
- Treat the Position panel as a signal: if it is showing, you have uncommitted moves.
- Finish an exploratory drag with an explicit Capture Position or Revert so you are never surprised by the prompt.
- Use Move/Copy with its Capture Position check box when you know the new location is permanent.
- Create joints and joint origins in a consistent order (ground one component first, then add joints outward) so you rarely need to move parts to see them.
- Keep a default arrangement of the assembly; after testing, return the mechanism to it with Go to Home Position on each joint or by driving joints to their Rest values (general guidance).
Practice exercise#
- Open any assembly with at least two components that are not joined.
- Drag one component away. Notice the Position panel in the toolbar.
- Choose Position > Revert. Confirm the component returns to where it was.
- Drag it away again and start Joint Origin. When the message appears, click Capture Position and finish placing the origin.
- Drag it again, start Joint Origin once more, and this time click Continue. Confirm the component returns to its captured position.
Expected result: you can predict whether a prompt will keep or discard a move, and you can use the toolbar buttons without waiting for the prompt.
Stretch challenge#
Take a three-part assembly where you want to explore a different layout without committing. Move all three parts around, then use Revert to return to the last captured layout. Move one part to a new position and capture it; move another, and revert. Expected result: the captured part keeps its new position while the other returns, showing that Capture Position stores the positions as of the capture, not a per-part snapshot of the original design. Compare with what Move/Copy with its Capture Position check box does, and with Pin, which fixes a component in the top-level coordinate system and adds a Pin feature to the timeline.
Related#
- Joints and Joint Types
- Motion Study
- Rigid Groups and Grounding
- As-Built Joints