Feedback and advice request from a Fusion newbie

Giorgiana919 — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 00:29:20 GMT

I’ve been excited to try out Fusion 360 since my first introduction to Autodesk products! I have recently found myself to be part of a team with a goal of designing better baby carrier options for parents in wheelchairs and this presented the perfect opportunity to dip my toes into the Fusion pool. I come from a background in BIM 360 and very, very mildly Revit as well, but Fusion 360 has long piqued my interest.

I have absolutely no design background so testing out a new software always felt a bit daunting. So many terms that meant so little to me at the time. Generative? Parametric? Might as well be German... I was grateful to see that Autodesk offers online Fusion 360 tutorials. Not just for beginners, but for absolute beginners (that’s me!). I went through the tutorial steps in tandem with the presenter and the steps and different videos really were incredibly easy to follow.

I really like all the available shortcuts Fusion offers (like the marking menu or the S toolbar command). I love efficiency and the shortcuts allow for so many commands at the tip of just your fingers on a keyboard! The tutorials also reiterated for me that Autodesk products easily allow for collaboration. I see this in BIM 360/Revit with things like Revit Cloud Worksharing and in Fusion they have Teams and live review. In today’s world where you may be working with international teams, across states, or just a coworker across the room, the collaboration piece is key tapping into the strength that a diverse team can create. A friend even showed me a site where Fusion 360 users can upload their models to make them available for other users to upload and edit for their own needs. It reminded me of Volvo creating the seat belt patent and then making it freely available to all car manufactures. When you create something that can make the world a better place, why not share it so that everyone can use it, and maybe even improve it?

Are there any other first time Fusion users and designers out there? Are there any great websites you’ve found that were helpful when you were just getting started?

Additionally, I’m looking for some help! I’m making a stroller attachment to hold a car seat for a baby, but it’s super basic right now. What capabilities/resources does Fusion have to help me make it better, keeping in mind I’m a beginner designer?

Re: Feedback and advice request from a Fusion newbie

Beyondforce — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 02:50:57 GMT

Hey @Giorgiana919 ,

Number #1 role when starting with Fusion 360 (or any new software for that matter) is, learn the basic before you jump into modeling your ideas! “You've got to crawl before you walk.”

I know the urge to start build something, but that urge can and will get you into trouble along the road if you won't take the time to learn and understand F360 mind-set and workflow.

Links to some good starting materials:

https://f360ap.autodesk.com/courses

http://help.autodesk.com/view/fusion360/ENU/?guid=GUID-1C665B4D-7BF7-4FDF-98B0-AA7EE12B5AC2

Here is a a beginner checklist I have created:

Make sure you know and understand Fusion 360 basics:
a. R.U.L.E #1 - Please read before you start - Very important!
b. The difference between the various environments (Model, Patch & Sculpt)
c. Direct and parametric modeling
c. Delete vs Remove
d. Timeline (Capture Design History) vs Direct Modeling
e. Moving a Body vs Moving a Component.
Get to know the tools, play with them, test them and see what are they are doing.
Make a plan, how you are you going to start your model? Which part you should start with? Try to identify the most challenging parts or steps.
Work with two files, xxx_test, and xxx_prod. I work like that not only to eliminate errors and warning but to make sure I'm creating the part in the right way for my model.
As you know, you can create the same part in many different ways and the best way of knowing which way is the best is by testing.
If you are not sure then make a test and if that doesn't work, then ask and we will do our best to help you.
Take breaks as often as you can and get some fresh air. Trust me it help!
Don't get angry or frustrated. As you probably already noticed, No question in this forum is left without an answer.

Last but not least... Remember: The only Limitation is our Imagination! GOOD LUCK 😃

Cheers / Ben

topic Feedback and advice request from a Fusion newbie in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Feedback and advice request from a Fusion newbie

Re: Feedback and advice request from a Fusion newbie