Fusion 360 getting started session December 2023

Possible Dates for Session

  • I'd like to attend Saturday Dec 23 rd at 6:30PM MT.

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • I'd like to attend Wednesday Dec 27 at 6:30PM MT

    Votes: 1 9.1%
  • I'd like to attend Sunday Dec 31 2PM MT

    Votes: 2 18.2%
  • Sometime in January 2024.

    Votes: 8 72.7%

  • Total voters
    11
I think there is a point the only reasons changes are made is justify ones job, not for the betterment of the product. Looking back on ACAD, Windows, iOS just to mention a few, the updates make changes in format, but........truely offer little in improvement other than system bloat and learning a new method of doing things for a user just after they mastered the last update.

I'll add I wrote my first (and only) commercial software 43-44 years ago in grade 10.
 
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Janger

(John)
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ok back to the regular scheduled programming!
I'm working on some videos. I have a few more uploading but this is the start.
Watching them myself I see lots of editing would be good and in some places it stalls as I think. Less umms and oks. and some wording is a bit stilted. Interesting process though, I hope some people find it helpful.

 
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Susquatch

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ok back to the regular scheduled programming!

Somebody was busy all day long! No wonder Mr. Pooch wasn't happy!

Just watched Part 1 and already learned a bunch of things I didn't know how to do.

I assume you will entertain questions and suggestions like maybe a companion document with an outline of what you are saying for those of us that don't hear well. Or a quick list of what you did for those of us that couldn't make it out or follow.

Very very good John. You are hitting all the right buttons for me anyway.

It's after 8 here and I was up all night last night with a cold so I'm wiped right now. I'll watch the others tomorrow.
 

Janger

(John)
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That's really gratifying to hear John. Thank you. How do the automatic closed captions perform? The CC button on you tube window. Just glancing at it seems to be pretty good at transcribing part I. I can do questions. Try the CC and let me know if you think more is needed.
 

Susquatch

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I didnt try the CC function. I generally stay away from anything that requires additional bandwidth because of my slow connection. I typically spool videos before I watch them and hit pause when the play point gets close to the download point to avoid lockups and stutter. I also do all my video watching on my phone on low res - again to help keep the video smooth. The big screen on my desktop is still too data intensive even on low res and is also ugly that way too.

I'll try it on the second video.
 

Janger

(John)
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Help! I need a video editor. Free. Simple. Mac compatible. I'm trying iMovie - it's ok. @Dabbler put me on to Handbrake for video file conversion. That is a huge help. My raw files are 1-2GB in size and at 1MB/s upload speed it takes forever for a 5 minute video to upload to youtube and then another hour for processing. Now the same files are 60MB in size at 1080p and only take a few minutes to upload and process.

@garageguy what do you use for video editing?
 

Susquatch

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Help! I need a video editor. Free. Simple. Mac compatible. I'm trying iMovie - it's ok. @Dabbler put me on to Handbrake for video file conversion. That is a huge help. My raw files are 1-2GB in size and at 1MB/s upload speed it takes forever for a 5 minute video to upload to youtube and then another hour for processing. Now the same files are 60MB in size at 1080p and only take a few minutes to upload and process.

@garageguy what do you use for video editing?

I'll ask two of my kids when they are here for Christmas.
They both do a ton of video processing and uploading to various social media platforms.

You get 1M uploads? I'm lucky to get 10K. My download rate is lower than your upload. I'm sooo jealous!
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Help! I need a video editor. Free. Simple. Mac compatible. I'm trying iMovie - it's ok. @Dabbler put me on to Handbrake for video file conversion. That is a huge help. My raw files are 1-2GB in size and at 1MB/s upload speed it takes forever for a 5 minute video to upload to youtube and then another hour for processing. Now the same files are 60MB in size at 1080p and only take a few minutes to upload and process.

@garageguy what do you use for video editing?
I've used DaVinci Resolve. Mac compatible. Not completely intuitive (contextual menus tend to do that)

And free.

Won't help slow internet connection unfortunately. I suffered for a few years with 2-3 hr uploads. Now that I'm retired we changed providers and it's a 10 minute upload instead. Of course.
 
Fusion 360 is a desktop installed app with data storage on the cloud. It’s not a cloud or web app. The primary reason I believe is not vendor lock-in or other evil intentions. It is so the team collaboration features can work. I have no exposure to inventor so I can’t say if fusion is related or not.

I’ll propose a date in January.
I'm interested in coming, can I get a heads up ?
 

Arbutus

Super User
Premium Member
I've used DaVinci Resolve. Mac compatible. Not completely intuitive (contextual menus tend to do that)

And free.

Won't help slow internet connection unfortunately. I suffered for a few years with 2-3 hr uploads. Now that I'm retired we changed providers and it's a 10 minute upload instead. Of course.
Agree. The free version does most of what you will need. Its a pig on PC resources, but it runs spectacularly fast on a MacStudio (M2) machine. I have an all Mac shop with old laptops and the latest desktops. DaVinci runs very smoothly on all my Mac systems.
 
Not to rub salt in the open wounds, 1.5Gb down (actual is more like 650-750Mb), up 50-70Mb. Unlimited. Cost is under $50.00 per month. One of the advantages of living closer to a big City. :cool:

As to file sizes, I am fully aware of mega files taking up huge amounts of bandwidth, so I'm in the camp of keep it as small as possible for a simple reason, it bandwidth and there is a limited amount that we all share, be a pig in file size unless required, it slows down everyone.

Haven't done video editing in a long time, so have nothing good to offer here.
 

StevSmar

(Steven)
Premium Member
Even Alibre now has subscription-based service in addition to pay-once-and-hope-it-keeps-working model.
That’s a great description! Even iPhone/iPads apps have a limited lifespan. Pay $2 and 5 years later it stops working and you need to buy the new version for $2.25 (tongue in cheek of course).
 

Susquatch

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I can do questions.

How do you do that?

I watched another of your videos last night. I tried to follow along with Fusion open on my desktop. It didn't work so well.

But I will say I was VERY impressed at your use of solids to make the gear tray. That's a lot more like how I used to use Catia. So maybe @PeterT is right after all and they are not so different. It's just that the majority of the learning aides out there emphasize sketching first. Truth is that you are the first I've seen that suggested a solid first in Fusion. I haven't seen that before and didn't know it could be done. I like it!
 

Janger

(John)
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Sometime back somebody here on the forum, and I don't remember who it was - but thank you, said use solids first and they rarely use sketches. That connected some wires for me and was an aha moment! Yes, I agree! So now I think more about what is this thing I am trying to model/create and less about how do I draw that thing in 2D.
 

Matt-Aburg

Ultra Member
Sometime back somebody here on the forum, and I don't remember who it was - but thank you, said use solids first and they rarely use sketches. That connected some wires for me and was an aha moment! Yes, I agree! So now I think more about what is this thing I am trying to model/create and less about how do I draw that thing in 2D.
I did this on my system in 10 moves... and it can be easily updated .. no sketches..

Note the two dumb blocks bodies were rotate copy of the original block made to cut the slots.

I know it is not Fusion, but the ideas and principals should be the same...

Added... I just watched the 6th video. Fusion can work with clay... note that all your moves are still editable. Your tree is at the bottom. Maybe we should ask them to put dialog boxes on a second screen.. (detachable).

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Susquatch

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So now I think more about what is this thing I am trying to model/create and less about how do I draw that thing in 2D.

That is exactly what I loved about Catia. I'm sooooo happy to see that it can be done in Fusion too.
 

PeterT

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My tree is shorter than your tree LOL. Model has 3 sketches, 2 of which are just a simple, single circle. But every dimensional parameter can be modified or made interdependent. Same goes for number of slots & dimensions of slot (otherwise I could have shortened operations even more with just had a single slot step). Any conceivable configuration of this part can be made with a 1-click design table. Avoiding sketches just does not resonate with me.

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Matt-Aburg

Ultra Member
My tree is shorter than your tree LOL. Model has 3 sketches, 2 of which are just a simple, single circle. But every dimensional parameter can be modified or made interdependent. Same goes for number of slots & dimensions of slot (otherwise I could have shortened operations even more with just had a single slot step). Any conceivable configuration of this part can be made with a 1-click design table. Avoiding sketches just does not resonate with me.

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I went back and sweetened it. I did not have to start over either, I can make any feature the current one and do the update.
These are the updates I did.
1/ unite the second cylinder within the command to remove 1 step. (unite was separate)
2/ create pattern to rotate the block used to make the slot. This can be changed to any amount.
3/ I have 4 fillets because they are all different.

maybe I have slot pattern all in one feature???

All my objects are live, can be edited, and resized because the primitives are parameterized still. No sketches, just as smart, can be changed on the fly, same amount of input.

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DavidR8

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My tree is shorter than your tree LOL. Model has 3 sketches, 2 of which are just a simple, single circle. But every dimensional parameter can be modified or made interdependent. Same goes for number of slots & dimensions of slot (otherwise I could have shortened operations even more with just had a single slot step). Any conceivable configuration of this part can be made with a 1-click design table. Avoiding sketches just does not resonate with me.

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Sketches work for me too. In fact I think that's what made the difference for me with Alibre vs. Fusion. Alibre you start with sketches whereas in Fusion they feel like an afterthought if that makes sense.
 

Arbutus

Super User
Premium Member
Sketches work for me too. In fact I think that's what made the difference for me with Alibre vs. Fusion. Alibre you start with sketches whereas in Fusion they feel like an afterthought if that makes sense.
Actually I think that is quite incorrect. Sketches are the fundamental starting point in F360.

Sketches in F360 are simply tools which are used to describe shapes.
Those shapes, such as outlines, circles, etc. can be extruded to create a solid body.
A sketch can be created on ANY plane, and a shape can then be created to either extrude (add) or cut (subtract) from the body.

Similarly in F360 you could start with a simple solid body such as a box or cylinder. Now select a face and create a sketch on that face. The sketch describes a shape which can cut, intersect or join the body.

Bodies are 'dumb solids' which are simply 3D blobs to be reused as building blocks. When the bodies are geometrically correct they can be converted to 'Components'. Now components can be joined in the usual 9DOF arrangements. Joining components together builds assemblies which describe the entire model.

Then if you find that the original sketch needed an adjustment to a dimension, well - just change the sketch and the 3D body, together with everything derived from it (components, drawings, assemblies, manufacturing toolpaths, etc) will all reflect that change.
 
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