CorelDraw vs Fusion 360 - I think Fusion 360 is not intuitive for 2D Sketches.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I came from a 2D illustration software called CorelDraw, I have used it as a CAD program and I think it is very intuitive, I cannot say the same of Fusion 360 while drawing in 2D (sketch mode).

I have tried Fusion 360, to draw some 2D geometries, I clicked in a cube to select the Top Plane, and I started a 2D sketch, I think it is a good way to learn it. It was very frustrating.

In CorelDraw:

1. While you are drawing a line and the mouse cursor get the boundaries of a screen, it continues. In fusion 360 you need to press the middle button mouse and there is no tip to help a beginner user.
2. After you have drawn an object, you can click inside it and drag it. In Fusion 360 you cannot and, again, there is no tip to help a beginner user.
3. You can click in any object and open a window where you can see and change a lot of properties, like width, height, colours, etc. You can easily scale this object. I cannot see these features in Fusion 360.
4. You can send an object to front or back of an other.
5. You can perform boolean operations with these 2D objects to create new ones.
6. You can block an object. 
7. You can group objects.
8. There is a lot of options to move an object exactly to where you want. In fusion 360 I try to drag an object and nothing happens.
9. There are guide lines and rulers to help.
10. The toolbox is at hand to pick any tool. In fusion 360 you need always two or more clicks to access a tool.
11. The tools used to draw lines and curves are very powerful and flexible, not in Fusion 360.
12. There are many keyboard shortcuts.
13. If you make a big drawing  and have no plotter you can print it in many A4 sheets and glue it together after.

There are millions of users of CorelDraw and Adobe Illustrator that, like me, wants to learn a 3D software, but these software are not intuitive.

My suggestion is:

I would like there is a software so intuitive like CorelDraw or Adobe illustrator for 3D designers.

[roambotics_scott]

A big one for us along these lines is the ability to easily move, align, and auto-scale things like text or imported vector graphics. 

[haughec]

Hi Jeorane,

Thanks for the feedback.  In general, I'll say that Fusion's skeching is really not intended for illustration, so it likely won't align with experiences you've had in CorelDraw or Illustrator.  That said, there are definatly some commonalities that could be levereged to provide a better experience in Fusion 360.  There's a lot here, so I'll answer each question individually.  My responses below.

1. While you are drawing a line and the mouse cursor get the boundaries of a screen, it continues. In fusion 360 you need to press the middle button mouse and there is no tip to help a beginner user.

   This may be valuable, but has not been a common user request.

2. After you have drawn an object, you can click inside it and drag it. In Fusion 360 you cannot and, again, there is no tip to help a beginner user. 

   Are you referring to the profile (the filled region within a closed sketch boundary)?  The profiles are the result of the sketch entities, and really not an “object” like you might expect in Illustrator or other applications.  Dragging the profile is likely something that we won’t/can’t allow.  You can, however, drag the sketch entities (lines, circles, etc) and the profile will update to reflect you changes.

3. You can click in any object and open a window where you can see and change a lot of properties, like width, height, colours, etc. You can easily scale this object. I cannot see these features in Fusion 360. 

   We’ve considered adding a Properties palette for some time.  I agree that this would add a lot of value, but it has not yet become a priority.  I would love to hear others chime in if they think that this is valuable.

4. You can send an object to front or back of an other. 

   Fusion sketching has no notion of front/back - all objects in a 2D sketch are created on the same plane.

5. You can perform boolean operations with these 2D objects to create new ones. 

   You can use the Trim & Extend tools to achieve the desired profile.  Better yet, don’t worry about trimming and just select a combination of profiles that result in your intended shape when you Extrude, Revolve, etc.

6. You can block an object. 

   I agree that Sketch Blocks would be useful.  This is something that we could consider if there was enough interest.

7. You can group objects. 

   We’ve discussed the possibility of introducing layers though it’s probably not something we’ll pursue for some time.

8. There is a lot of options to move an object exactly to where you want. In fusion 360 I try to drag an object and nothing happens. 

   You can use the Move command to move sketch objects today, but we recognize that move/align/snap behavior needs some attention and we’re currently investing in related tools (some of which should start rolling out in ~August).  I would love to hear more detailed feedback on what you attempting to move and what shortcomings you experienced.

9. There are guide lines and rulers to help. 

   Sketching in modeling tools tends to use dimensions & constraints in place of rulers & guides, but I can understand the request.  This probably isn’t something that we’ll take on in the near future.

10. The toolbox is at hand to pick any tool. In fusion 360 you need always two or more clicks to access a tool. 

    Are you referring to the drop-down menus in the Fusion 360 toolbar?  We’ve intentionally minimized the number of exposed tools in order to provide focus on key tools and to ensure that the application is approachable for new users.  However, we’ve also made it very easy to add tools which are important to your workflow to the toolbar.  As you scroll down any of the menus, you’ll see a small arrow at the right side of each tool in the menu.  Selecting that arrow will push the tool to the toolbar, allowing one-click access for any tool in the application.

11. The tools used to draw lines and curves are very powerful and flexible, not in Fusion 360. 

    I’m not familiar enough with CorelDraw to compare the power/flexibility of Fusion 360’s sketching tools.  Any detailed examples would help.

12. There are many keyboard shortcuts. 

    Keyboard shortcuts are a highly requested feature, and they’re definitely on our roadmap.

    Thanks again,

    Charles

[Anonymous]

@Jeorane. Amen! Im in the EXACT same place that you are in right now.

Ive been a Corel user since Version pre 1.0 (early beta), and it is a VERY powerful and highly intuitive program.

I too have been using Corel to make highly detailed 2D drawings of my prototypes (of a new product on which Im working) and for that Corel works GREAT. Its just that when designing a 3 dimensional object, a 3D modeling/rendering program REALLY has benefits to it.

Ive been looking for a 3D modeling program with the same/similar user interface features as Corel. I saw a demo of Fusion 360 a couple weeks ago, and it appeared to be fairly robust, compared to several other free CAD packages Ive tested over the past few weeks, such as ViaCAD (extremely outdated), Sketchup, 123 Design, the list goes on.

So after I built a 64 bit machine yesterday (since Fusion wont run on 32 bit Windows. Really? Sigh..ok. It was time to get into the modern century and build a 64 bit machine anyway) I was finally able to download/install Fusion, and go through the 1st tutorial last night.

So while I dont yet have much experience with Fusion, evidently Jeorane does, and I can definitely relate to ALL of Jeorane's points about the user interface, and comparing it to Corel.

Corel IS very powerful, its been around for over 20 years, so theyve had time to refine it. Even version 1.0 was VERY intuitive though, which is why I became a Corel junkie years ago. They used to have a 3D program (which if memory serves, was a revamped version of Ray Dream Designer, which was a GREAT little modeling program). I dont see any 3D software from them now. Who knows why?

While Ive only been using Fusion for a few hours, and I think it MIGHT work for me, the biggest objection I already have is that Fusion does not give me the ability to store MY designs on MY OWN MACHINE. It ONLY offers storing my data on the cloud (so somewhere on a server under Autodesk's control, and not mine). Seriously? Gong #1.

That and the fact you cant buy this software, you can only rent it? Kind of like beer, eh? I like buying software, having an actual disc in my hands, and not being reliant on an internet connection to use it (offline).Im not even a big fan of downloadable only software (when you purchase it).

Gong #2.

I can possibly live with Gong #2 above. Gong #1 Im afraid is likely going to be a deal killer for me.

[daniel_lyall]

doing 2D in fusion is a pain you cant easyly draw a frame of something to be converted to 3D I have tryed to do it many times it is a very hard thing to do if you wont odd shapes last time I tryed I end up with 25 drawing for one thing becouse there are no construction lines like other 2D and 3D programs have.

so I use a diffrent program to do 2D drawing and import it into fusion lot faster and easyer.

[Anonymous]

I agree with a lot of the user interface comments and the differences in ease of use/intuitiveness.  I'm used to Photoshop, Illustrator (and a bunch of those legacy 3D apps from back in the dawn of time) and video software.  Before my CNC router, I'd use a drafting pad and photoshop to rough out designs and then go down to the shop to build (I work in wood and metal as a semi pro hobbyist.)  The transition to thinking in the way that Fusion 360 is organized is challenging.

I would suggest that you folks take a page from some of these companies that have spent 20 years refining and honing their approach to things like how do illustrations work.  When designing from an artistic point of view first, I don't want the tools to be cumbersome.  I want to be able to grab an object and do something to it easily (generally move it or scale it so it looks right).  I wholly support the idea of layers in sketches.