topic Re: Understanding Bend Sketches in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Understanding Bend Sketches

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 18:55:58 GMT

So to begin with, I am new to Fusion 360. I have only been using it for three days and there is something I don't understand. When working in sheet metal, I want to use the bend feature.

As I can tell, you have to create the steel sheet sketch first.

Supposedly you have to select which "side" you want to bend. Side 1 or side 2. I have seen more than one way to attempt bending but none of them make any sense.

Some people put the bend lines in during the first sketch. Some people put them in on a second sketch and then hide the first sketch... I think. Its all explained way to fast and when I do get all the steps it does not work.

I need a step by step instruction from, what I hope would be an AUTODESK employee, so I can attempt to make my part. There is NO consistency in how to do this that I have been able to find. The closest I got was a woman that posted a video in the forum but, she imported a file and a bunch of other stuff I didn't understand.

I can not share the shape of the sheet metal I am going to start with. I'm just not allowed to. There are 7 bends I need to make. I CAN NOT use the flange feature to extrude the profile. It has to be the sheet metal bending feature only.

Thank you.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

TrippyLighting — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:04:32 GMT

With three days of "experience" in Fusion 360 by no means should you be working on a design you cannot share!

At least that's my opinion based on 3 decades of professional experience with CAD tools as a degreed Engineer.

There is a Fusion 360 YouTube channel that I am sure has some tuts on Sheet Metal

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:16:22 GMT

Do me a favor. Keep your opinion to yourself. If you want to answer my question feel free. I don't need to watch any more youtube videos of people not doing what I need to do. There are no videos giving detailed explanations of how to use the bend feature. And is that what the world has come to? Well, just youtube it and figure it out. What the hell is this forum for if not to answer questions just like this? Really!?!? What is the problem? Don't post to my thread anymore.

Thanks.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

g-andresen — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:31:27 GMT

Hi,

If you do not provide information from which it is possible to see what the end result will be, it will not be possible for AD staff or others to offer help.

günther

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:38:36 GMT

ATTENTION: Unless you are going to answer my question (What are the steps to using the sheet metal bend feature) do NOT comment on this thread.

Thanks.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

TrippyLighting — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:40:30 GMT

Sorry, but you did not provide any relevant information, only a somewhat incohesive description of what you are attempting to do.

If you cannot share the specific file, then perhaps you can try to demonstrate this on a mock-up model and provide a screencast explaining where your difficulties are.

We're happy to help, but we do this on a voluntary basis and I personally have no interest helping people who aren't willing to do their part!

This is a public forum BTW. If you don't like to have public responses I suggest you don't post 😉

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

etfrench — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:44:06 GMT

Flanges are how you create bends in the Sheet Metal workspace. The bend lines are controlled by the settings in the material you select in Sheet Metal Rules.

Start with a sketch with a single line.
Create a flange from this line.
Make the flange large enough to cover the center section of your part.
Create a sketch on the face of this flange.
Draw the outline of the center section starting from the edge the flange was created from.
Extrude/Cut the excess from the center section.
Create a new flange on each edge of the center section.
Repeat steps 4 through 7 for each flange.
Use Create Flat Pattern to make the bending pattern.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:44:51 GMT

Let me try this another way.

Do you know how to create a piece of sheet metal and then use the bend feature to make a series of bends in the material?

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

etfrench — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 01:26:26 GMT

Here's the basics for the Sheet Metal workspace:

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

TheCADWhisperer — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 11:30:39 GMT

@etfrench wrote:
Here's the basics for the Sheet Metal workspace:

@etfrench I do not see any Bend Features in your video. From the original problem description...

@Anonymous wrote:
I CAN NOT use the flange feature to extrude the profile. It has to be the sheet metal bending feature only.

This is what I think of when using >>Bend Feature<< in sheet metal.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 15:18:19 GMT

This is the general shape of the sheet metal I will start with. 16 gauge or 14 gauge material. Water jet kerf of .04".

There are no dimensions included, but its pretty close to a square piece of material. The final box in the center is 3.5"x3.5". The final bend will bring the first two bend edges together to create a box in the center.

The first two bends will bring the edges toward you from the top view. The last bend pulls those edges edges toward the center. I still have not seen an example of how to place bends on the material. I have seen several versions of how to do it. There is NO consensus at this point that I have been able to find.

Using the create sketch in Sheet Metal seems like an obvious first step as the thickness of the material will be represented by sheet metal material defaults. After creating the piece of sheet metal I then need to place the bends. I have tried placing them on a second sketch laid over top the first. Doesn't work. I have tried including them in the original sketch and then choosing side 2 profile and then bending. I can then make the first bend but the subsequent bends act along the entire line. Rather than on the first half. In other words, it tries to make the bend across the entire sheet rather than that one section.

Again, to be clear, the extrusion method under flange is not an option. Every example I have seen using that option leaves gaps between the bend edges that are way to large. I don't want to get bogged down in how to make extruded flanges with thinner gaps. Please focus on how to create a piece of sheet metal and then how to add the bend profile.

I don't have the experience like most of you with CAD programs. Though I have been in the manufacturing industry for 20 years, I don't use CAD programs other then drawing by hand what I want and letting people like you sort it out. I visualize in my head effectively like you produce in programs like these. This can be done. This part is possible to make.

My issue is I can't articulate what I need from this program because I don't know the jargon. I can only give you a general idea of what I need because I am not allowed to be any more specific for legal reasons. I'm just not allowed to.

So, see if you can create this and if you sort it out, or find a source of information that will accomplish my needed end result, by all means explain how it works.

I'm not interested in what can't be done. I'm not interested in using other methods than the bend feature. This is what I need done and if it can't happen here I will start looking at other programs.

Thank you.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

etfrench — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 17:33:31 GMT

@TheCADWhisperer wrote:

@etfrench wrote:

Here's the basics for the Sheet Metal workspace:

@etfrench I do not see any Bend Features in your video. From the original problem description...

I'm not sure what your definition of bend is. Here's mine:

@Anonymous : Gaps can be closed by extruding the sides of the flanges. You can also adjust the settings in the Sheet Metal Rules to minimize the gap. Whether or not you want to do that is up to you.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 17:49:20 GMT

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm done with this Forum!

You people need to learn a new phrase... "I don't know how to do that."

If you don't know how to do something, if you don't know the answer to a question, sit there and keep your mouth SHUT!

How many times do I have to repeat myself. If you are not answering my question, DON'T COMMENT! If you don't know how to use sheet metal bend feature, say so!!!!! If after I say, I don't want to consider using Flange feature, DON'T immediately SUGGEST THE FLANGE FEATURE?!?! What is hard to understand about that?

This is the only explanation I can come up with for why so many of you refuse to answer the question of HOW to use the bend feature in Sheet Metal.

You just don't know how to use it. And if that is the case, why are you so afraid to admit it?

What a waste of time!

Thanks for nothing.

DELETE THREAD!

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

TheCADWhisperer — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 18:22:04 GMT

1. Get pencil.

2. Get paper.

3. Sketch finished form that results from bending you previous image as best you can.

4. Photograph or scan the hand sketch.

5. Post the image here.

Five easy steps.
Spoke logical, someone should have suggested that at the outset.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

TrippyLighting — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 18:42:17 GMT

Here's a screencast explaining the basic use of the tool. There are too many options to go through to explain all of them.

As @TheCADWhisperer has suggested, create a hand sketch and perhaps explain in detail what you are referring to as "gaps".

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

TheCADWhisperer — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:47:40 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I am new to Fusion 360. I have only been using it for three days and there is something I don't understand.
Its all explained way to fast and when I do get all the steps it does not work.

@Anonymous

What is the link to your reference?

Hand sketch doesn't have to be a work of art - but there are an infinite number of ways to bend and it would sure help to have an idea of the finished form (of your simplified example to protect intellectual property).

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

smithblazen — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 17:17:45 GMT

Ouch....Newbies get frustrated yes. Newbies come to get help here from folks who know this program. I know I come here for blessed relief from the learning curve, I appreciate everyone’s patience and help with me.

YOU, I regret to say, are RUDE, impatient, and an absolute BOOR. You have no business demanding anything here.

Even after people respond to your petulant responses and plea for help you still are an ungrateful *SS.

The moderators should just cut you loose ASAP or at least hand you a YELLOWCARD for all your 3-day extensive experience.

good riddance, dont let the esc button hit you on your way out!

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

rushabhthakkar_910 — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 06:54:29 GMT

https://youtu.be/fWG-FPWj8JU

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

jhoynash — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:42:37 GMT

That's not how anything is fabricated in the real world. Have you ever made anything out of metal? You start with a flat pattern and bend it. Unfortunately the bend function in fusion is garbage and doesn't work most of the time because fusion is a joke.

Re: Understanding Bend Sketches

TheCADWhisperer — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 18:38:39 GMT

@jhoynash wrote:
That's not how anything is fabricated in the real world. You start with a flat pattern and bend it.

@jhoynash

But that is not the logical way to model a part in the virtual world.

If you were using Bend tool you would have to do all of the Bend Allowance Calculations before you create any flat pattern geometry.

In the CAD world (and CAD that has sheet metal functionality) the CAD software takes care of Bend Allowance calculations for you.

So you simply need to design the finished form dimensions - the product that the customer is paying for. (The customer doesn't care about the calculations needed to get correct finished dimensions.)

The part is still fabricated in the same way in the real world, but the (mistake prone) work of Bend Allowance calculations is performed by the computer.

Q1. Are you familiar with Bend Allowance calculations or Bend Tables?

I can absolutely convince you with real examples if needed.

Model in finished form - not with Bend tool.