layout for cnc routing

[wbendick]

I've designed an object made of hundreds of parts I intend to cut out with a CNC wood router. All of the parts are the same thickness. What is the easiest way to take all of these parts in my design and lay them out on a flat surface for my cnc router to cut?

[Anonymous]

What you are looking for is commonly called "nesting"; the bad news is that I don't think this is currently available in Fusion. A possible work around would be to put all the parts into an assembly and generate your toolpaths from that. However IMHO, you would be better off to invest in a program like Sheetcam for your nesting needs, its not very expensive, and will save a lot of time.

[prainsberry]

I agree this probably best done in a nesting software with this many parts. That is something we are looking at for Fusion potentially in the near future.

I have been working on a script that will simply take all the parts and lay them flat and leave it up to you to position them.  Iran into a little problem yesterday, but I will post it here once i get it working again.

[wbendick]

I look forward to seeing your script, prainsberry. Sheetcam looks promising but a script that simply moves everything to a plane would be all I need. I'm not concerned with being very efficient with material use.

[prainsberry]

Here you go.  THis is really a first pass but it seems to be working pretty well.  Note it spaces all the parts in the Y direction by default.  I think I am going to try and make it where you can select a direction soon, will update here if I get it working.

Nesting Script:

Useful little script for laying parts out flat

https://github.com/tapnair/NESTER

https://youtu.be/7SY367qt3YQ

[daniel_lyall]

@prainsberry most nesting programs dont work to well and you have to adjust anyway so something that lays everything out in a single plane is good enough for most people I will try it tommorow 

[MattWynn]

@daniel_lyall, Autodesk TruNest works very well.   http://www.autodesk.com/products/trunest/overview.  

I suggest you vote for this item on IdeaStation, http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation-request-a/advanced-nesting-functionality-for-ca....

[daniel_lyall]

@MattWynn does it work with fusion. is it part of fusion no. do I really need to vote for something that is getting done at some stage No, do I use nesting programs in other software yes, do I need to get trunest or weight no see @prainsberry last post

[prainsberry]

I updated the script today.  Should have solved @daniel_lyall units problem.  Also added the ability to pick a direction to do the spacing.

Note: if you pick a direction that is out of plane weird things happen.  

https://github.com/tapnair/NESTER

[daniel_lyall]

@prainsberry I will test it soon

I have found a bad bug in sketches I am have a hell of a time working around it

[daniel_lyall]

@prainsberry it still has one fun bug 

http://autode.sk/1VgJNjC

[prainsberry]

Weird I just did some testing on my data set and I am not seeing that behaviour?  Are you talking about the weird thing that is happening when you go to rotate the components?  THat is pretty weird.  Maybe you need to do the rotate and move as seperate operations?  Or maybe try making a snapshot after you do the first move?  I'm not sure what is going on there.

[daniel_lyall]

if I do snap shot then do the rotate it`s fine it happens sometime`s I was useing it yesterday and did a rotate before I did a snap shot`s it did not happen but if it does I just undo take the snap shot then rotate 

[davebYYPCU]

I have downloaded the Nester program, it fails after the input sections are completed and hit ok,

presume the installatiion is all ok,

I have attached the file, don;t have the Screencast software,

Error screen pasted,

---------------------------
Fusion 360
---------------------------
Failed:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:/Users/Browny/AppData/Roaming/Autodesk/Autodesk Fusion 360/API/Scripts/NESTER.py", line 90, in notify
    createJoint(select, plane[0])
  File "C:/Users/Browny/AppData/Roaming/Autodesk/Autodesk Fusion 360/API/Scripts/NESTER.py", line 46, in createJoint
    joints.add(jointInput)
  File "C:/Users/Browny/AppData/Local/Autodesk/webdeploy/production/9dc57ac7328faaa98e6bb4734628b2fbd5d10ece/Api/Python/packages\adsk\fusion.py", line 12413, in add
    return _fusion.Joints_add(self, *args)
RuntimeError: 2 : InternalValidationError : request->setJointOrigins(jo1Def0, jo1Def1)

---------------------------
Ok  
---------------------------

I have tried 1, 2 and all the plates, in both x and then y directions, simlar results.

Fairly new to Fusion, but ok with CNC, scripting - no idea.

[prainsberry]

Hey man, 

No problem.  It is kind of a subtle thing but the way this script works is that it applys a "joint" between the parts and the stock.  In order to apply joints the parts need to be unique components rather than bodies.

You can see the way i do this in the attached video.  Basically you need to select the bodies (easiest by changing the selection filter) and then convert them to components.  In general this tells fusion that these parts are independant of each other and should be able to move relative to each other.  Liek iof you were building a mechanism or something.  It would also carry through to your BOM if you did a drawing.

Once they are components you can run the script.

See video: 

hope this helps.

[davebYYPCU]

Thanks Pete,

Too new to Fusion, I figured that the fuselage, and wings, tails, etc were components, made up of my bodies, 

I am finding that when you put into practice what you have read and seen in the Forums, there's devil in the detail.

keep up the good work it's appreciated but us lurkers.