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Design/G Code software

F

Feeop

Active Member
So apparently, the individual version of Fusion 360 will not let you create a program that contains tool changes.
So what is everybody else using? I'm looking for something Free or really cheap.
Autodesk is getting rediculous. Before I ran the trial, I couldn't make a multiple setup file, now this.

Any suggestions
Thanks in advance.
 
David said:
There's an add-in that allows this.
Search for Fusion 360 and look for a post by GerrittV
Click to expand...

I think he means the hobbiest version which doesn't support add-ons. You have to pay to get that. I wish it was otherwise. I'd love to be able to do stress analysis.
 
gerritv

Post in thread 'Fusion 3D Trials & Tribulations'

jcdammeyer said:
Question. My Alibre maintenance expires in a month and they want another $485 to renew my support plan. It would be fine if they added features I could use but the latest effort on their part seems to be on some sort of collaboration software for teams and cloud based file storage.

Sound familiar? The problem is that many people now can supply projects designed with Fusion360 but they want $685 per year for access after the trial period. So more expensive than Alibre but with Fusion360 one can take the fusion drawing and export as STEP format which can be imported into Alibre...
Click to expand...
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So why did you suggest an add-on then? I thought you couldnt get add-ons with the personal version. If you can, I might need to buy some confetti.
 
because you can use add-ons with the free/hobby/personal version. I use it myself.
Sorry, they are officially called add-ins, not add-ons
 

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Sorry, I didn't see your post till after I posted. Time to order some confetti!

gerritv said:
<whine> please use search, this has been brought up many times here already.</whine>
Click to expand...

I know. Two problems.

1. As a moderator, I try to read every single post on the forum.

2. I am old. I forget way more than I ever knew. I also find the search to be very difficult to use if I don't know what I'm looking for. It isn't a very good search tool.

<Whine> - I wish I had a better memory
<Whine> - I wish I was better looking
<whine end whine>
 
I'm old too, maybe even older than you (esp as I worked rotating shifts for 12 years, apparently that ages you).

Google will however find lots of posts about tool changes and Fusion360.
I always rememeber to use search, because I forget much of everything else :-)
 
gerritv said:
because you can use add-ons with the free/hobby/personal version. I use it myself.
Sorry, they are officially called add-ins, not add-ons
Click to expand...

Does that mean the "Add-Ins" are free for personal use?

Can I safely assume I can use stress analysis?
 
gerritv said:
if you mean simulation. that is a paid option. Create a new email address, sign up for 30 day trial, you get full version for that time. Then delete the email address and related Autodesk account
Click to expand...

Not really simulation. I want to apply forces and evaluate material stress and strain (deformation) in a model. A recent example might help.

Many of us are aware of the danger of T-slot tearout caused by excessive T-Nut torque or improper T-Nut placement. @CWret did some experimenting to evaluate the forces involved as well as a number of potential solutions. It was a lot of work to do that. Although we still learned a lot, the final results were heavily influenced by the choice of materials. As anyone would, Craig bought a chunk of cast iron. But it turns out that it wasn't standard cast iron, it was grey iron that was almost as strong as steel. Therefore, the results were biased. It was a lot of work and material costs that could have been more easily simulated in Fusion if we had access to the stress analysis tools.

It is possible to do some calculations based on simple geometric solids, but that is very tedious and fraught with many potential errors. It would be MUCH better to use a Fusion model so we can play what-if games like: evaluating the way T-Nut ears bend vs the T-slot, how much relief is needed to spread the load more consistently, and how much torque is allowable in marginal applications.

As far as we know, none of this information exists in the public domain. It would be quite rewarding to compile it for the benefit of other machinists.
 
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