topic Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

"Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 16:06:28 GMT

Hi,

The "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful. Is there an equivalent in Fusion?

Thanks,

Forrest

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

jeff_strater — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 16:30:26 GMT

Are you referring to "Convert Entities" in Solidworks' sketch environment?

If so, then the equivalent is the set of Project commands in Fusion sketch:

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 19:17:45 GMT

I tried the Project function, but couldn't get it to work. Is there a video on this?

I tried a Solidworks approach. I selected a sketch plane. Then I tried to select a perpendicular face to project a line onto the sketchplane. Fusion just kept de-selecting my sketch plane.

What I'm trying to do is to machine radii on the outer edge of a rectangular pocket that intersects the OD of a disk. The floor of the pocket has a chamfer where it intersects the disk. I tried to use the fillet command under modify, but it filleted al the way down to the chamfer. This lead to toolpath issues. I want to draw a fillet on the plane of the pocket floor and extrude up to the disk face.

File attached.

Does Autodesk offer phone support. This would be a good one for it.

Thanks,

Forrest

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 19:18:51 GMT

I sent some files. The attached might be better.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

jeff_strater — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 19:26:00 GMT

Here is the help section on Project: Sketch Project

Here is a link to a handout from an Autodesk University class I did in 2016 that has some info: Projection tools

I took a quick look at your design, and didn't understand exactly what sketch you are editing, and which face you want to project. Can you record a screencast showing what you are trying to do?

Thanks,

Jeff

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 21:15:49 GMT

Sure Jeff. How do I do a screen cast?

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

jeff_strater — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 21:39:52 GMT

We tend to use Autodesk Screencast, because it is integrated with Fusion, you can start it directly from within Fusion, it shows the command sequence, etc.

See this article: embed-screencasts-in-your-community-posts to see how you can embed a screencast, once it is uploaded, into a forum post here.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 21:50:20 GMT

Here are two screen shots from my cell phone. One with a fillet and one was a sharp edge. The fillet extends down to a chamfer. I want it to start from the plane of the pocket and cut up to the top face of the part. There will be a little sharp funny feature that remains. That's Ok. That's what I want to have. I thought I could use the bottom of the pocket as the plane, project the sidewall and OD onto it, fillet and extrude cut up. I'm all thumbs though.

Learning how to do this one should really help me. It's a little tricky.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 07:30:32 GMT

I taking a blind swing at this for you.

I downloaded the model and I think I see what you are trying to do.

Fusion360 has no way to control start point and end point distances of chamfers and fillets of a selected edge using the built in fillet and chamfer tools.( it would be a great feature as we could then model based on the way a tool could/couldn't actually cut it)

so rather than fillet with the fillet tool, you extrude a fillet from scratch. so make a sketch on the plane that you want to start from that is perpendicular to the edge you want to fillet. This is where you project existing model edges to the sketch plane,then draw the radius, then extrude/cut along that edge. In extrude you can control start and end distances too.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:20:50 GMT

YES! You are exactly correct. I'm new to Fusion and would normally use "Convert" in Solidworks to convert the walls into lines on the the sketch plane. I tried to use "Project" to do the same thing but couldn't get it to work. Is there another way?

Thank you very much!

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:28:31 GMT

Maybe I just don't know how to do the Project function correctly. I have tried picking the floor of the pocket, then Sketch, then Project/Include, then Project, then the wall and then viola..nothing happens. In fact when I try to pick the walls nothing happens. The walls won't pick at all, and the floor seem looses it's blue "selected" color as soon as I try to pick a wall. I just need to be able to do what you did. I don't care how I do it!

Thanks a lot!

Forrest

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:15:13 GMT

Below is my pathetic screen cast. Somehow I got Project to work, but I cant trim or fillet the curves.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:17:30 GMT

I was able to get Project to work( I don't know how I did it, since it didn't work many times). Now I want to trim away the curve and fillet the cornets. Nothing happens. I must be a really dumb beginner!

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

jeff_strater — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:26:06 GMT

OK, that's good. You got Project to work. I was going to try to record a screencast on this today.

You are correct, you cannot trim projected curves. Their definition is driven by the projected entity, so they are read-only. However, you should not need to trim these curves. I'm assuming that you want to create a pseudo-fillet at the corner. You can do that by just adding a tangent arc. Fusion does not require curves to be trimmed to be used in an extrude:

Jeff

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:59:56 GMT

sorry for the delay in responding, was away from forum this morning.

You can use project only within a sketch. Reasoning is... you need a sketch plane/active sketch to place the projected lines on. even if your sketch plane was 6.000" above entity,you can project the edges of that entity to the sketch.

so in your case, you select the ledge that you modeled then create a sketch on it, then view from above and choose project and select the edges you want to incorporate into your sketch. I toggle on and off my solid body that I projected just to confirm what i'm projecting.

after that, as Jeff.strater mentioned, the projections are just read only construction lines so to speak. you can snap to them with new lines,arcs,points etc.

its a little different than solidworks but the same thing can be accomplished in Fusion 360. even if you need to create a new work plane to slice an object and project the solid entity at that point, like in Solidworks.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:35:46 GMT

Tried to create Arcs, but couldn't pick the projection lines. Screen cast attached. Would like arcs tangent to lines.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

jeff_strater — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:55:59 GMT

The Tangent Arc command does not do what you think it does. That command only creates an arc from the endpoint of a line. So, it is looking for a point selection that is connected to a line. See my earlier screencast. I would use the 3 point arc in this case, and apply a tangent constraint afterward.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 19:27:12 GMT

I need to adjust the radius. Screencast attached.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 19:28:22 GMT

need to adjust radius and maintain tangencies. hopefully, screencast attached.

Re: "Convert" function in Solidworks is exceptionally useful

forrest86LD6 — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 19:54:57 GMT

Here's the thing that bugs me; In solidworks you just pick two sketch lines, select fillet and dimension the radius. Why can't Fusion have something like this?