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Fusion 3D has infiltrated my world

Susquatch

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Thanks to @Janger and a dozen others, I have have finally taken the plunge into hobby Cad with Fusion 3D.

My son gave me a 5 yr old gaming laptop. So I sat down to create an account and install Fusion 3D.

As a bonus, it looks like I am already setup as a hobby user. Seems a bit hard to believe but stranger things happen. I installed an AutoCAD viewer a while back to look at the field tile drawings my installer did. That's probably what got me the hobby version.

Anyway, it's now installed and appears to work. I have not done anything yet though. I need to wait for a rainy day when all the farm kids are in school. My internet service is just too slow. I am constantly getting messages that say "command timed out".
 

Susquatch

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I see a 3D printer in your future:p

Yup, that's the main driver for Fusion. But you have to walk before you run so here I am - walking very slowly. Hopefully it won't take too long as I'm not new to CAD at all. Been there done that with lots of other software.
 

LenVW

Process Machinery Designer
Premium Member
Make sure you used a guiding file nomenclature.
It will come in handy when you are trying to reuse some part designs from past projects, months or years ago.
File organization can help you make use of drawing files you already have.

I usually sort them into a job reference or machine ID . . . then specify
(mechanical, electrical, automation system or weldments).
You will know what works for you.
 

Susquatch

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LOL Len.

Sounds like you are a very organised filer.

Unfortunately, I am a piler. Basically, I love organized chaos. Drives people around me crazy. But it's how my brain is wired. A phycologist at Silicon Graphics once told me that I have what he called a 3D mind. 2D data points don't stick because they are just 2D. That's why I can't remember names, dates, or numbers. Instead I have a great memory for 3D things like faces, places, direction, structure, and ..... where stuff is in a pile. The more structured the filing system, the worse off I am.

But it's ok. I was also taught by another psychologist at Steelcase Furniture that there are two kinds of people. Pilers and filers. Both are equally valuable and capable. But never ever try to turn either one into the other. You will destroy their productivity, efficiency, and creativity.

I believe in surrounding myself with both types and appreciating them all for whoever they are.
 

Susquatch

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I'm finally getting around to doing a quill dro on my Hartford Bridgeport Clone. I've been fiddling with it in my mind for ages. Soooooo many problems.

I figured it's about time I put something on paper. Then thought NO! I'm gunna do this on Fusion 3D.

I have the part roughed out. But I'm stuck on a very simple task. I want to copy a small threaded screw hole to mount the read head.

The copy command seems to be integrated with the move command. But all Fusion wants to do is move. I can't figure out how to copy. I've done a google search but can't find anything that describes how to do it. It has to be something really simple, maybe like hold a button or a key to constrain the command, but I'm stuck. With Catia, EasyCad, and FastCad, I could even copy to a geometric array.

Obviously, I could just make another hole, but I'm trying to learn something here.

Anyone have any insights?
 

van123d

Well-Known Member
You can move a hole but you cannot copy a hole. Probably not the answer you were hoping for but hopefully saves you some frustration. I similarly use other CAD software for work and Fusion 360 can sometimes be very frustrating when missing seemingly basic functionality. Yet for free home use CAD software I haven’t found anything better.

You can do a geometric array using the hole as the feature. Either rectangular array or circular. In the Solid workspace, create->pattern-> then you have options for how you would like to pattern.
 

Susquatch

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Probably not the answer you were hoping for but hopefully saves you some frustration.

Ya, not what I wanted to hear. But as you say, you have saved me a lot of frustration beyond where I already am. At least I can get on with just making another hole.

Very sad.

Even worse is the fact that they actually have the command there. It just doesn't seem to work.....

20220830_115512~2.jpg
 

Cryoine

Active Member
Ya, not what I wanted to hear. But as you say, you have saved me a lot of frustration beyond where I already am. At least I can get on with just making another hole.

Very sad.

Even worse is the fact that they actually have the command there. It just doesn't seem to work.....

View attachment 25945
I use fusion360 every day as part of my day job, why do you need to copy a hole?

If I may make a suggestion you could create points in the sketches, array them using circular or rectangular array if needed, then make holes from those.

1661907715326.png
1661907770720.png
1661907801711.png
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1661907849675.png
 

Susquatch

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I use fusion360 every day as part of my day job, why do you need to copy a hole?

I don't really need to. I just want to. I can easily just make two holes instead. But I used a number of different CAD programs during my career just like you do now. I can't afford them in retirement.

So I am trying to learn how to use Fusion 360.

If I may make a suggestion you could create points in the sketches, array them using circular or rectangular array if needed, then make holes from those.

I like this suggestion. In particular a rectangular array could be 300 more points or just one. In other words, I think it could be the same as copy! I'll play with it tomorrow.

I'm sure I'll have more questions. Hopefully I won't wear out my welcome.
 

StevSmar

(Steven)
Premium Member
I don't really need to. I just want to…
The worst job I’ve ever had was telemarketing. I really sucked. When we were getting trained the fellow said “Treat the software like your girlfriend: It sometimes does things that don’t make sense to you, but that’s the way it is.“

Fusion is like a my trainers “girfriend” in many ways (with apologies to females reading this thread).
It took me a long time to make friends with the move/copy command, we’re not close friends but at least we don’t look sideways anymore at each other.

I’ve never wanted to copy a hole in direct modelling, so I didn’t know you couldn’t do that… I copy a hole via a sketch all the time (using constraints), but yes you need to then individually select the circles to extrude (cut)…
 

Cryoine

Active Member
I don't really need to. I just want to. I can easily just make two holes instead. But I used a number of different CAD programs during my career just like you do now. I can't afford them in retirement.

So I am trying to learn how to use Fusion 360.



I like this suggestion. In particular a rectangular array could be 300 more points or just one. In other words, I think it could be the same as copy! I'll play with it tomorrow.

I'm sure I'll have more questions. Hopefully I won't wear out my welcome.
alternately you can create the one hole then use the array command on the hole instead of the points, this gives added flexibility when you have the timeline enabled where you can just go in and create more holes easily
 

Susquatch

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alternately you can create the one hole then use the array command on the hole instead of the points, this gives added flexibility when you have the timeline enabled where you can just go in and create more holes easily

Timeline?

I've noticed that feature but have no idea how to take advantage of it. I had thought it was just an improved undo.
 

Cryoine

Active Member
Timeline?

I've noticed that feature but have no idea how to take advantage of it. I had thought it was just an improved undo.
it is one of the best and most annoying features in fusion. It allows you to edit any feature/operation that it has stored on it, for eg if you created a hole at about 1/2" deep and then decided that actually 3/4" deep would have been better then you can double click the hole operation on the timeline to edit the parameters for the holes you made, it can get annoying when you have many more features and some features references off the faces of some other features.

Again for eg let say you created a sketch on the bottom face of those holes, if you edit the depth of the hole there is a chance that the sketch that you made later lost its reference plane and may have to be re-referenced

there are also more complicated problems that the timeline may introduce such as some Boolean operations may become limited by it (add, subtract) but that usually is for very complicated shapes
 

Susquatch

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it is one of the best and most annoying features in fusion. It allows you to edit any feature/operation that it has stored on it, for eg if you created a hole at about 1/2" deep and then decided that actually 3/4" deep would have been better then you can double click the hole operation on the timeline to edit the parameters for the holes you made, it can get annoying when you have many more features and some features references off the faces of some other features.

Again for eg let say you created a sketch on the bottom face of those holes, if you edit the depth of the hole there is a chance that the sketch that you made later lost its reference plane and may have to be re-referenced

there are also more complicated problems that the timeline may introduce such as some Boolean operations may become limited by it (add, subtract) but that usually is for very complicated shapes

I am determined to wrestle this baby to the ground no matter how ugly the looks are that she gives me....

I'll have a better look at that timeline thing.......
 

StevSmar

(Steven)
Premium Member
I'll have a better look at that timeline thing.......
The timeline is quite handy, although every time something is changed earlier on in the timeline you’re asking Fusion to recalculate from there- and sometimes there are inconsistencies with the downstream calculations which can’t be resolved. And you’ll end up with errors (for example, say you’ve used a sketch entity as a reference but your prior timeline change removes that, then you’ll get an error).

I also use the timeline when I want to rewind and then use another method of doing things, I’ll then just highlight all the commands that are now no longer applicable and delete them.

I’ve also found that once my models get a bit too complicated, they start becoming “unstable”. When that happens, I’ll save another version of my part and delete the timeline (essentially creating a “direct modelling“ part).
 

Susquatch

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The timeline is quite handy, although every time something is changed earlier on in the timeline you’re asking Fusion to recalculate from there- and sometimes there are inconsistencies with the downstream calculations which can’t be resolved. And you’ll end up with errors (for example, say you’ve used a sketch entity as a reference but your prior timeline change removes that, then you’ll get an error).

I also use the timeline when I want to rewind and then use another method of doing things, I’ll then just highlight all the commands that are now no longer applicable and delete them.

I’ve also found that once my models get a bit too complicated, they start becoming “unstable”. When that happens, I’ll save another version of my part and delete the timeline (essentially creating a “direct modelling“ part).

Thanks Steve. That gives me a much better idea of what it is and how it works. Without even using it, I have a better understanding with your help than I prolly would have using it for a few months!
 
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