topic Re: Cutting a textured surface in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Cutting a textured surface

difalkner — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 15:36:32 GMT

How can I use Fusion 360 to achieve a textured final cut in wood? By textured I mean like stone or rock. The attached photo is something I carved a couple of years ago and I want to do something similar on the CNC but can't figure out how to draw and then cut it. So I need not only design help but CAM help, as well. The screenshot shows where I want the texturing to look like rock. I can attach the file if necessary but didn't figure that would matter if I just showed y'all the photos.

Thanks in advance!

David

Re: Cutting a textured surface

innovatenate — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 19:44:07 GMT

There's an add-in that converts an image to a surface that could be useful to model the texture.

https://github.com/hanskellner/Fusion360Image2Surface

You could export your current model to an STL file right click in the browser and select Save As STL.

Then open the STL file in Autodesk Meshmixer you can easily apply a texture with a custom brush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-SQVprRdrg

After that you can bring the mesh file back into Fusion and use that to develop your toolpaths.

Here's a quick and dirty screencast of me fumbling around with an STL file and creating a 3D adaptive toolpath in CAM.

http://autode.sk/2mf86Jv

For some things, like a knurled surface, it can be easier just to create it with toolpaths only, like in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgKqTa5BOko&t=944s

I hope that helps.

Re: Cutting a textured surface

difalkner — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 03:23:18 GMT

Thanks, Nathan! That helps but I must be doing something wrong...

I downloaded Meshmixer and brought the file in to use the brush but it doesn't look right - very clumsy looking. Anyway, I exported it as an *.stl file and brought it into F360. I tried several of the 3D options but none would really give me a toolpath I could use. So, I'm attaching my file in hopes you can show on my actual file how to texture the 3 rock surfaces.

Thanks again!

David

Re: Cutting a textured surface

daniel_lyall — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 05:00:34 GMT

Where has your texture gone to, a 3D parallel is usually enough to get the texture cut, you have to make sure you have the model picked in the toolpath not the setup unless they have fixed this.

To do the cut out above where the texture goes

That's where A 3D adaptive shines as you just pick the outside contour for the stock contour and or the outside contour for the machining boundary, if you pick the outside contour the cutting will be ever inside that or outside by setting the tool containment.

If you just wont it outside don't set anything ( this is fine as long as the setup has been done correctly ) and to make sure it only cut down to above where you wont the texture set the bottom height to selection and pick the highest faces of the cut the stock to leave will take care of keeping the cutter above the texture .

And don't worry about those Adaptive is a waste of time on a router lot they have never used it.

Example attached

A 2D contour is enough to clean around the crossies.

Re: Cutting a textured surface

difalkner — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 13:00:08 GMT

I failed to attach a photo of what I'm wanting so that is attached below. I played around in CorelDraw with the built in texture and just picked a stone look but this is too fine (attached anyway). I want to texture the three rock pieces at the bottom although I only did one in CorelDraw.

David

Re: Cutting a textured surface

daniel_lyall — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 18:59:16 GMT

Can you post the the texture or a model of the texture even a dxf of the texture,

It can be done to some degree in fusion A dxf, svg or dwg can be used for a toolpath to create the texture.

For a stl if it rough enough a parallel toolpath will look ok or use image to surfaces that can do it, it just takes a bit of playing to do it.

Otherwise it's meshmixer or one of the Arty farty programs like Artcam or a vectric program.

Re: Cutting a textured surface

difalkner — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 19:39:43 GMT

The limestone photo in the previous message is what I'm going for, Daniel. The thing about using parallel is that the lines will be uniform and I need random, like the texture of a rock.

Does that help?

David

Re: Cutting a textured surface

daniel_lyall — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 05:52:31 GMT

Yes it does I will see what I can find in fusion first, then other options.

Re: Cutting a textured surface

daniel_lyall — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 09:42:51 GMT

I cant get it to work in fusion, it bogs fusion down to a point it would crash or take a long time to get anything done it just can not handle the sketch needed to make the texture look good.

In other programs like Artcam, Vcarve pro or aspire it's simple to do.

Re: Cutting a textured surface

dillon.moulder — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 11:32:20 GMT

Hi @difalkner,

@difalkner wrote:

How can I use Fusion 360 to achieve a textured final cut in wood? By textured I mean like stone or rock. The attached photo is something I carved a couple of years ago and I want to do something similar on the CNC but can't figure out how to draw and then cut it. So I need not only design help but CAM help, as well. The screenshot shows where I want the texturing to look like rock. I can attach the file if necessary but didn't figure that would matter if I just showed y'all the photos.

You could easily create a texture relief from your image in Autodesk ArtCAM Standard or Autodesk ArtCAM Premium, convert the relief to a mesh, export it as a quadrangle mesh (*.obj) and then import this into Fusion 360.

You might find the following demonstration videos useful:

The process for creating a mesh and exporting it is documented here in the online help for the Autodesk ArtCAM 2018 product range.

Kind regards,

Re: Cutting a textured surface

difalkner — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 16:54:35 GMT

I tried the Image2Surface and got as far as replacing the face but I get a warning, Nathan @innovatenate

How can I get past this warning (screenshot attached)? It worked ok on a test file with a simple box but doesn't work on my actual drawing. I tried extruding down on the surrounding areas such that nothing was at the same level as the rock below the crosses but that didn't seem to make a difference.

Thanks!

David

Re: Cutting a textured surface

difalkner — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:32:51 GMT

Well, I finally got what I wanted but I cut it by hand (photo below).

I was able to apply the texture in a simple test file but couldn't seem to get it to work on the actual piece. This is how the test file looks, which is a bit more texture than I would actually want but at least the test worked.

I'd still like to be able to use this on my actual work piece even though doing the rock texture by hand is easy and fun to do.

Thanks for any help you can give!

David

Re: Cutting a textured surface

TrippyLighting — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 16:50:54 GMT

Absolutely wonderful!

Re: Cutting a textured surface

I_Forge_KC — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:26:39 GMT

So it may feel a bit backwards but your test file is actually a great starting point.

First off, I'd adjust the Image2Surface command to that the relief isn't so deep. It might take a few tries to get it where you like it.

Next, I'd do whatever it is you did to get that solid chunk like that (replace face I would assume). Then bring that textured chunk into your main model. Use sketches and extrude to cut away what you don't want (e.g. extrude cut to match the right profile shape) and then move the textured part to be in the right place in the overall assembly.

Re: Cutting a textured surface

difalkner — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 19:31:32 GMT

That's what was odd to me, in that I did on my actual file exactly like on the test file but I get a warning (below). I realize the texture was a bit much but I was just testing to see if it would work, not really looking for that dramatic effect.

F360 warning