Fusion360

User avatar
Amedee
Reactions:
Posts: 599
Joined: February 15th, 2016, 11:10 am
Location: Brussels, Belgium
3D Printer(s): UMO / UMO+
Contact:

Fusion360

Post by Amedee »

Just opening this thread if you want to share something about Fusion360 and not Hijack Jonny's SpaceClaim post :roll:

For most of the things I am printing I am using OpenSCAD, it is great, but when you start playing with chamfer and fillets things start to be very complex.

I tried different software without being really convinced.

My requirements were:
  • Availabitlity on Mac or Linux (I have no Windows license)
  • Be affordable. It does not need to be free, but I am a pure hobbyist, I am not selling anything so I can't afford big names like SolidWorks or Inventor
  • Engineering oriented (I am not into vases and things like that -- not offense to the 'vase guys', it is just not what I am doing)
  • Parametric
I recently started using Audodesk Fusion360, and so far I like it.
  • Fit the above requirements -- It is a commercial product, with a free license for hobbyists
  • Relatively easy to start with
  • Generate STLs, can invoke Cura directly
  • Does CAM as well -- this not relevant for 3D printing, but ties nicely with my CNC mill project, so I could use the same suite for both
Only thing I do not like too much is that it is a cloud based offering -- we'll see how it goes with that.

For the Mac users: do NOT install Fusion360 from the Apple App Store, download it from the Autodesk site -- the App Store version does not have the option take a hobby license at the end of the trial period!
Last edited by Amedee on February 17th, 2016, 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
LePaul
Reactions:
Posts: 3966
Joined: February 7th, 2016, 10:26 pm
Location: Bangor, Maine USA
3D Printer(s): 24 - Yes I have a problem!
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by LePaul »

Wow, your timing is excellent, I just got an email from Fusion 360 a few minutes ago.

How does it invoke Cura?
User avatar
Amedee
Reactions:
Posts: 599
Joined: February 15th, 2016, 11:10 am
Location: Brussels, Belgium
3D Printer(s): UMO / UMO+
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by Amedee »

Maybe my wording was not correct in the sense it does not run the slicer (that is: it does not generates the GCode file), but in the 3D Print menu will open Cura with the model (STL) loaded:
Screen Shot 2016-02-17 at 19.03.20.png
Screen Shot 2016-02-17 at 19.04.44.png
User avatar
Meduza
Reactions:
Posts: 289
Joined: February 10th, 2016, 8:08 pm
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
3D Printer(s): UM2+, UM3 (F2, UM2EX+ UM3EX, etc at work)
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by Meduza »

I use Fusion 360 for most all of my designs, it has been my go-to cad software for about 18 months now: https://www.youmagine.com/meduza/designs
User avatar
LePaul
Reactions:
Posts: 3966
Joined: February 7th, 2016, 10:26 pm
Location: Bangor, Maine USA
3D Printer(s): 24 - Yes I have a problem!
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by LePaul »

Meduza wrote:I use Fusion 360 for most all of my designs, it has been my go-to cad software for about 18 months now: https://www.youmagine.com/meduza/designs
You've been busy, there's a lot of neat items!
User avatar
ivan.akapulko
Reactions:
Posts: 389
Joined: February 11th, 2016, 11:27 am
Location: Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan
3D Printer(s): Ultimaker 2
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by ivan.akapulko »

There is a lovely version with a student license on a huge Assembly of programmes from Autodesk. There just and inventor, and Fusion 360 and another 7 or 8 large CAD subsystems. And its free.
User avatar
Amedee
Reactions:
Posts: 599
Joined: February 15th, 2016, 11:10 am
Location: Brussels, Belgium
3D Printer(s): UMO / UMO+
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by Amedee »

Yes, for students almost all Autodesk products are free. My daughter always uses AutoCAD and friends.
For myself, beyond the fact I am no longer student since a very long time, I find AutoCAD too complex for the casual user: if you do not use it on a regular basis, you tend to forget the commands and you need to start over again.
I find Fusion360 much more approachable and intuitive.
reibuehl
Reactions:
Posts: 506
Joined: February 9th, 2016, 9:56 am
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
3D Printer(s): Ultimaker 2

Re: Fusion360

Post by reibuehl »

I used OpenSCAD before I started using Fusion360 because I liked the way I could clearly specify and later adjust dimensions compared to Sketchup. But I was always missing the interactive, visual part from Sketchup. Fusion360 combines both in a very nice way.

My current challenge in Fusion360 is to find out how to re-use existing sketches in different locations. I can't get it to copy a whole sketch to a different plane.
User avatar
Dim3nsioneer
Reactions:
Posts: 221
Joined: February 19th, 2016, 2:13 pm
Location: Zurich Area, Switzerland
3D Printer(s): Ultimaker Original, 2, 2+, 2 Ext+, 3, S5, Form 2
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by Dim3nsioneer »

reibuehl wrote:I used OpenSCAD before I started using Fusion360 because I liked the way I could clearly specify and later adjust dimensions compared to Sketchup. But I was always missing the interactive, visual part from Sketchup. Fusion360 combines both in a very nice way.
Exactly the same here. And it is not buggy... ;-)
User avatar
LePaul
Reactions:
Posts: 3966
Joined: February 7th, 2016, 10:26 pm
Location: Bangor, Maine USA
3D Printer(s): 24 - Yes I have a problem!
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by LePaul »

So....what's the best way to learn Fusion 360? I was surprised Lynda.com doesn't have a thing for it...but I found some videos on YouTube :)
reibuehl
Reactions:
Posts: 506
Joined: February 9th, 2016, 9:56 am
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
3D Printer(s): Ultimaker 2

Re: Fusion360

Post by reibuehl »

I liked the webinars from the Autodesk Youtube channel. The guy that does the Layer-by-Layer videos on the Adafruit Youtube channel also has a number of entry level videos but he speaks too fast for me as a non-native speaker and is generally a little bit less "organized" than the people doing the webinars for Autodesk.
User avatar
Amedee
Reactions:
Posts: 599
Joined: February 15th, 2016, 11:10 am
Location: Brussels, Belgium
3D Printer(s): UMO / UMO+
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by Amedee »

I am more a 'learn by doing' guy... I start a 'project' and when I a stuck I search for an howto for what I need.

The problem with video training is that videos are not always showing what you are interested in, and by the time you need to use a particular feature you forgot how to do it ;)

Having said that, I really like the videos from John Saunders (NYC CNC Youtube channel). He has a 'Fusion Friday' show with practical examples and it starts when he was starting with F360, so you get the basics.
bmz
Reactions:
Posts: 17
Joined: November 9th, 2017, 9:51 pm
3D Printer(s): anet a3

Re: Fusion360

Post by bmz »

I have been considering trying fusion 360. For cnc milling, I use bobcad, which is a very simplified and intuitive cad software, at least my older version is. The only problem is that trying to jump from bobcad to fusion is like trying to learn a foreign language. Nothing is the same or even similar. Not even the terminology to a great extent. So, for 3d modeling I have been using google sketchup. This has been fairly easy to learn, but has many limitations that turn a simple procedure into a complex one. Wondering if anybody can correlate sketchup to fusion 360, and tell if it is at all similar. Im apprehensive to try and learn yet another drawing program. It gets to the point where I just want to design and produce,, not continue beating my head against a wall floundering on multiple completely unrelated drawing programs. It would be great to use just 1 instead of 2! Also,, does anybody know if fusion 360 will generate g code?
User avatar
LePaul
Reactions:
Posts: 3966
Joined: February 7th, 2016, 10:26 pm
Location: Bangor, Maine USA
3D Printer(s): 24 - Yes I have a problem!
Contact:

Re: Fusion360

Post by LePaul »

I think so since I know NYC CNC shows it off often on his videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/saunixcomp)
reibuehl
Reactions:
Posts: 506
Joined: February 9th, 2016, 9:56 am
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
3D Printer(s): Ultimaker 2

Re: Fusion360

Post by reibuehl »

Fusion360 can generate g-code if there is a post processor available for your CNC mill.The list of available post processors can be found here: https://cam.autodesk.com/posts/
Post Reply

Return to “CAD and 3D Modeling Software”