how to do this Inventor model in Fusion

[cekuhnen]

It is a pretty simple design but I seem not to even be able to get the same loft with rails in Fusion.

Any tip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msn_6XYxfGk

[TheCADWhisperer]

Can you attach the file here?

[cekuhnen]

Here it is - 

[TheCADWhisperer]

I experimented with this for a while, and along the way - I have come to the conclusion that Fusion 360 is not ready for a college level classroom.

[cekuhnen]

Currently I feel the same.
Too many tools and features are just missing to make it not a basic tool.
I was hoping to use it as a new app next semester but I cannot replace Alias with it.

When it comes to surface curvature quality and control Fusion is just limited.

The T-Splines and Designtime line I think is strong.

[cekuhnen]

with polygons and then nurbs this shape took me just 2 minutes without the nightmare of sketch planes etc and all this.

That's how I mainly use Fusion for sub-D to Brep work.

[cekuhnen]

so the patch tool cannot do it but the solid tool can - go figure ...

works fine as long as sketch constraints dont refuse to work. 

[innovatenate]

I was able to get this loft to work. I used the Include 3D geometry and some key sketch points in the profiles to insure that I was snapping to the 2D profiles with the 3D splines.  I created a separate sketch for each rail. After that, I had to insure that I was using the Convert to Rails in the Swap option.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

[cekuhnen]

the solid model has 4 side rails - your model has only two.

how after three crashes after each time redoing the loft with your model can you on your side make a screencast to show me the steps you did for two edges?

Fusion just crashes in such a high way that I gave up. I am not sure I select edges in a way that makes it cranky.

Also the loft tool needs a revised Interface. I need to have ways to edit what are profile edges and what are rail edges for the loft command. Just a selector that counts the amount of edges is not efficient.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@cekuhnen wrote:

how after three crashes ...

Fusion just crashes in such a high way that I gave up. ...
Also the loft tool needs a revised Interface....

I am running pretty stable here (Windows 7 OS on an Alienware laptop) - I can recall only one crash in the several weeks that I have been experimenting with Fusion.

The dialog box for Loft is very poor.

Tying sketches together is very poor.  (I couldn't even Project Geometry the endpoint of a spine in one sketch into another sketch.)

[cekuhnen]

mh then it must be that the OS X port is problematic because Fusion crashes so often it that it discourages me from using with with students next semester. just yesterday with the few testings I experienced 9 crashes.

[Helmi74]

there's a good chance the crashes are OS X related. I also get a decent amount of crashes per hour currently no matter if i work on 10.9 or 10.10 beta.

[cekuhnen]

are you a registered dev or how did you get 10.10 beta? grrr ....

I signed up for the public beta but the servers are down lol and I also did not get a dl link - sad face here ...

[innovatenate]

I created a ScreenCast that shows how to use the Include 3D Geometry command to create connect 3D spline rail curves for these loft features. I can then use these to generate a Solid or Patch loft command. 

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

[cekuhnen]

now I understand the squeeze you have to use the profiles - the interface is logical here - but you need to know the idea first.

but the include 3d steps again half worked - it seems to be quite buggy.

[cekuhnen]

it again does not work as one would assume:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byzv_NlyKp_2ekUxTURSNFdoRGs/edit?usp=sharing