Fusion 360 learning ?s

[Jack3M]

I have been using SW for several years. I am clumsy, do not understand the CAD environment much either. Retired Paramedic, auto dealer technician among other things. I have recently switched from SW to 360, like 2 weeks ago. I will not use SW any more. I find the 360 is more intuitive and simple in use. Logical to me. Watching Lars stuff, which he advises he no longer works for them so no new ones. So I may not know all the terms, but last night I designed a Turner's Cube more for the interest of "will it print?" That took me a 1/2 hour. It would have been an all day project in SW. I am sold on 360 and looking for every instructional video I can find at this point. May not understand all of it, but I usually learn one more new thing. Great product and FREE!

 

[Shopgeezer]

I tried Fusion 360 (student version courtesy of my nephew) and was very impressed with it. But far too complex for my simple brain. I have used Sketchup for years for woodworking design and will continue with it. Now that a 3D printer has appeared on my workbench I will have to expand my Sketchup abilities a bit. You say your version of 360 was free? Is this something new? It was very expensive when I tried it

 

[chucketn]

Fusion is free to students and start-up companies making less than $100,000. go to their website and click on free trial.

 

[Jack3M]

Fusion is free to students and start-up companies making less than $100,000. go to their website and click on free trial.

AND hobbyists. It might be considered confusing how to register that way but I managed and I am not geeky computer. Wanted to see if the turners cube would print. I spent most of my time getting the right clearances, no more than the time it took me to draw the whole basic set of cubes. 2 hours tops.

 

[chucketn]

Sorry, I forgot hobbyists , and I are one... Nice job on the cubes, Jack3M!

 

[Jack3M]

Really this program is awesome I made a cube on the lathe. But to come up with a drawing that is accurate in such a short period of time impressed me, as I am not good at this stuff. It was easy. Try it. Look up Lars Christensen on you tube. You will need to sort thru them to get the beginner stuff

 

[Shopgeezer]

How about posting your files? Looks like a fun printing project.

 

[Jack3M]

Try this, not sure if correct stl file. The site will not allow me to upload the gcode file. I found as drawn (1") it is too small to get out the support. I sized up 300% in Cura to get 3" size on outer

 

[Shopgeezer]

I downloaded the file. Thanks a bunch. I will play with it this evening.

 

[chucketn]

Try this, not sure if correct stl file. The site will not allow me to upload the gcode file. I found as drawn (1") it is too small to get out the support. I sized up 300% in Cura to get 3" size on outer

FYI, Jack3M, if you want to post gcode file, re-name(change extention) from what ever cura uses to .txt, and you can post it. Just tell whoever to change it back, or use the insert code option...

 

[lemelman]

Since some gcode is printer specific it's really better to upload the STL and allow the recipient to slice it.

 

[peter cook]

My experience is that F360 creates an STL file (necessary file type for 3d printing and a precursor to g-code created by 3d slicing program) in a very straightforward manner. While, Sketchup ("SU") requires installation of an extension in order to generate STL files. And, this STL extension for SU never worked reliably for me. Just my experience with SU and STL files about two years ago.

 

[Jack3M]

I learned that Cura requires files be in metric format as STL. Make sure you change to mm format before saving as an STL.

 

[Shopgeezer]

My experience is that F360 creates an STL file (necessary file type for 3d printing and a precursor to g-code created by 3d slicing program) in a very straightforward manner. While, Sketchup ("SU") requires installation of an extension in order to generate STL files. And, this STL extension for SU never worked reliably for me. Just my experience with SU and STL files about two years ago.

I have Sketchup Make (2017) and the 3D printing template is part of the program, no extension necessary. It works well for creating the model and putting out the .stl file. I haven't gone any farther than that. Working on Photogrammetry where you take a pile of pictures of an object from every angle and the software stiches it together for you and creates a 3D model. This software is called 3DF Zephyr. There are many others, this one has a free version. You put the resulting model in Meshlab, and then export it to Cura for slicing. I am making a light box for photographing engine parts. If this works it will be a great way to copy a cylinder head into a 3D model for printing. Then I hope to cast it in aluminum using lost plastic ( same as lost wax but using a PLA plastic model ). This is what the big guys do these days to cast engine blocks and heads. Should keep me busy experimenting for a year. Much faster than trying to draw the part.

 

[Jack3M]

This was the set of videos that got me going in 360.


ShopGeez, I have done much sand casting by printing my plugs and want to do lost PLA, just need to get some investment to give it a shot. Still perfecting my processes

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Lynda.com thru your library
Possibly free check with your local library
Course type instruction

Many large cities have online access to databases and Lynda.com yet users dont know about it. Toronto's public library has Lynda.com so I will have to check out what they have on fusion, since I just downloaded it yesterday to start converting 2D plans I have.

I knocked this drawing out today for a ER40 Collet chuck. I haven't yet completed the nut drawing...

Yesterday I wasted the whole day because I started without reading anything... big mistake.

Learn the difference between components and bodies. Start making new components either in modeling field or with sketches first oriented on the correct plane. Then either pull, or rotate out your part bodies and modify them.

Otherwise you'll have a dogs breakfast and not be able to align anything later. Be very regimented in your structure.

 

[lemelman]

Working on Photogrammetry where you take a pile of pictures of an object from every angle and the software stiches it together for you and creates a 3D model. This software is called 3DF Zephyr. There are many others, this one has a free version. You put the resulting model in Meshlab, and then export it to Cura for slicing.

I did this sort of thing with 123D-Catch and Meshmixer. It worked very well, except that Meshmixer was rather "opaque" and not very user-friendly. Since 123D-Catch was discontinued I've been making my STLs by 3D modelling them in Fusion 360. I shall now try 3DF Zephyr.

 

[Shopgeezer]

I tried Fusion but found it very complicated to learn. I do everything in Sketchup which is very simple. You can create stl files in the Maker version. And it is still free.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I tried Fusion but found it very complicated to learn. I do everything in Sketchup which is very simple. You can create stl files in the Maker version. And it is still free.

I guess it comes down to grasping a few main functional concepts from the beginning and knowing how to apply 2d experience. Sketch up killed me. Meanwhile I was able to knock together this plan of a "spindle test plug", ER40 chuck, 1" diameter collect and collet nut in just a couple of hours, after playing around with fusion for a few hours... The hardest part was figuring out how to manipulate adding coils to make the knurling on the spindle plug

 

[Jack3M]

If you find Fusion 360 confusing, go watch Lars Christensen beginner series (3) on youtube. In just a few weeks I am far, far beyond my abilities with Solidworks with 3 years of use.