Fix the coordinate system desaster

[Helmi74]

Hi

this also is a topic we already discussed months ago and i can't really believe that nothing happened so far.

By default Fusion360s (and other 360 products) world coordinate system is aligned so the Y-axis is UP. I understand that this is the default in some regions of the world or maybe some businesses but also it is true that:

- all of the 3D printers i know

- all of europe from schools up to university, architects, engineers

- some other Autodesk products (at least AutoCAD Mac 2014)

- loads of other 3D-Software (like Sketchup, OpenSCAD

- even the english speaking Wikipedia shows "Z-up" as their example for a cartesian coordinate system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_coordinate_system

...they all use "Z up" as their default.

I accept that you still could discuss what should be default but it's a desaster that all the 360 products are still not able to simply switch orientation in a way that works throughout the system and doesn't need a dirty hack that crashes every now and then on different actions.

My hack:

1. rotate objects so they fit the "right" orientation. 

2. rotate view to you look straight to the top of your model

3. right click the house symbol next to the view cube and "set current view as... > top"

4. rotate to a view that you would use as a home position

5. right click the house symbol again and "set current view as home...-> fit to view"

This basically works for STL exports which means the STL files i export now have the correct orientation to work with the tools in my 3d printing toolchain (and no, the autodesk print utility is not within this toolchain).

But: What you then get is rotated thumbs in the dashboard because your view settings don't get respected here (even though the named views in Fusion work as they should). Also Fusion360 is broken when you "save copy as" a component - the new file completely reseets your settings again and Y axis is up again.

I wish there could be a simple default setting for this and a setting on a per file base that lets me override the default setting for single files without having to take 5 steps and refixing everything after a copy-save action.

[Helmi74]

what i forgot: When opening a correctly aligned file from fusion in Cam360 to create a toolpath views are again completely default instead of taken from the Fusion360 file. 😞

(p.s.: why are posts here completely not editable - not even for 5 minutes?)

[Oceanconcepts]

I don't do 3D printing here (yet) but I can confirm that in the electronics world Z axis is always "up". 

[jakefowler]

Hi Frank & Ron,

We hear you loud and clear on this one. We’re working on it 🙂

Jake

[schneik-adsk]

The next update will include an application option to control the new files "up" direction.

[Helmi74]

Great, Kevin, thanks. Will there also be a per file option or do we still have to use the workaround that is currently needed? Also will this be reflected in thumb rendering etc.?

[cekuhnen]

They also need to stop ignoring the cooridante system from imported mesh parts. All CAD apps I use remain rotation scale and position of imported CAD parts. Fusion just resets that all to the world center.

This makes it pointless to use when you work in two different applications. In addition the lack of some serious snapping tools further more makes hand re-positionings in Fusion hard.

[deyop]

The next release will allow you to set a default Y or Z up for Fusion so that when a new file is create the coordinate system will be as set.  If you open a file that had been created in Z-up then the coordinate systems will match.  This is meant to help support workflows where you are consistently moving data back and forth between other applications that have a Z up default.  

This will not satisfy cases where you "discover" that you need to switch from Y-up to Z-up with the current document.  For that case you would need a mechanism for switching in the current document.  We are considering an option that could be accessed in the View Cube dropdown that would allow a switch for the current document.  That will not be available for the next release.

Regarding the positioning of mesh, we are aware of the issue.  It occurs because as we read the unitless OBJ or STL file and scale the object accordingly the origin is not moved to the correct location.  I have created a defect to track the issue.

Your point about the thumb renderings is a good catch.  I see that the thumbnails are not reflecting the Z-up option and have created a defect.  Thanks for raising the issue.

[deyop]

The preference for a Z-Up has been provided now.  Are there additional requirements that need to be provided?

[Helmi74]

The 3d view in the dashboard still doesn't reflect this settings but always turns Y up. Renderings are okay now, thumbnails also i think.

[charegb]

Hi Frank,

Good point about the 3D view. I have logged an issue to make sure it honors the file settings.

Thanks,

Bankim

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for the bug report, and for the fix.

That was driving me mildly bats until I found this thread.  😃

[CB1220F]

I know this has been marked as implemented, but it still does not make any sense.

Why are there green lines overlaying blue lines, why are there red lines overlaying green lines?

Why does the word "Top"  in the floating cube never line up with the X-Y plane by default in a top view?

[Uhlhorn]

All my imported geometry is lying on the side and has the wrong size (coming from inch definition). I would like to have import options where I can define the up axis and the units of the documents to import.