topic Re: Simplifying Altium PCB board design for Fusion 360 assembley in Fusion Electronics Forum

Simplifying Altium PCB board design for Fusion 360 assembley

designfilter — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 01:35:46 GMT

We use PCB designs done in Altium; they are exported as a Step file which I import into my Fusion 360 assemblies.

Often the PCB file size is massive (due to the electronic components contained within the Altim file)

Is there some way to shrink or simplify the Step file so it can be used without slowing my system down?

I'm generally only concerned with the Physical aspect of the board and how it fits into my other parts/components.

Also, there is sometimes printing/labeling on the PCB, so I'd like those details as well as they will often give important info on the power/specifications of the PCB that I would use when designing my assembly.

Happy to use any other filetype that can be exported from Altium into F360.

Re: Simplifying Altium PCB board design for Fusion 360 assembley

jorge_garcia — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 21:40:00 GMT

Hello @designfilter,

I hope you're doing well. You'll probably get a better answer in the modeling forum since this is about changing the 3D model. Fusion has a simplify command under the modify menu in the 3D modeling environment.

So the process would be

1) Bring the Step model

2) Under the modify menu select simplify

3) Select the model and away you go.

This is my limited experience of working with the 3D modeling environment.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Simplifying Altium PCB board design for Fusion 360 assembley

TrippyLighting — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 13:43:09 GMT

Would you be able to provide a small example?

I am mostly interested in how the printing comes across in s STEP file.

What I have recommended often is to delete all the passives that aren't usually needed in a mechanical design.

In the modeling environment you can select by name , something I often use when deleting screws/nuts/bolts I don't need in a concept design.

For this exercise select by size is probably the better tool.