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Setting Setup Origins - Inspired by Towers of Hanoi?
Trying to define the coordinate system for a CAM Setup in Fusion reminds me of nothing as much as the "Towers of Hanoi" game:
https://www.mathsisfun.com/games/towerofhanoi.html
Pick an axis, and the origin point jumps to some random point. Put the origin back where it's supposed to be, and pick the next axis, and the origin again jumps to some other random point. Setting up a coordinate system takes 3X as long as it should, because every change causes the origin, or one of more axis selections to move, or change directions, all on their own. What on earth is the logic here?
I do SOOOOOOOO wish it could work as it does in Solidworks/HSMXpress, where you define an entire coordinate system, then the setup simply references that pre-defined coordinate system. That is an order of magnitude more functional, and less effort than the way FusionCAM works right now.
Regards,
Ray L.
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This is a gap in Fusion today. We do not offer the ability to create user defined coordinate systems. You could vote up similar ideas in the Ideastation, like the one below.
This is the best way to let the product manager team know what feature you'd like to see. You may want to add your own suggestions in specific to setup in the CAM environment.
You can use the coordinate system option to define the setup. However, it will only orient to the root coordinate system at this time. Creating a setup using the coordinate system for a new component in the design (not the root coordinate system), will not rotate/orient the setup's coordinate system in alignment with that component.
Although I suspect this is just a limitation and not a bug, I did log it with development via report ID CAM-7171 so that they'll have a closer look.
As to your point about the origin jumping around, I think that may be worth exploring more. What are the exact steps you're following when the issue occurs? If there's any chance you could record a screencast of the behavior you're seeing, it would be helpful to gain an understanding of why the setup is cumbersome.
I hope that helps.
Thanks,

Nathan Chandler
Principal Specialist
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A trivial example is attached. There is not a reason in the world for the "Box Point" to change location just because an axis is flipped. But, in fact, it moves when ANY change is made.
Regards,
Ray L.
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Your stock box point is simply using a relative corner to the selected axes. This is actually pretty much the same in HSMWorks as "Top Corner 3" and the like, except you can pick the corner at the stock box instead of just through the dropdown menu.
Personally I like using sketch points and Selected Point when it has to be something funky. I never liked having to create Coordinate Systems just to drive a point location in HSMWorks. But that's me.
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What I like about creating coordinate systems in Solidworks/HSMXpress is I can give them meaningful names, so they are self-documenting. And I can then use the same coordinate system for multiple setups (which I do a LOT). Moving the coordinate system (e.g. - to accomodate a modified fixture) requires a single change. With Fusion, I have to find and modify every single Setup that uses that same fixture location. When I'm updating something I did a year or more ago, it's hard to remember what was used where, so it becomes a major project to find all instances and update them accordingly.
This, of course, goes along with the missing "Extrude from Sketch" feature for defining stock. In HSMXpress, that is virtually the ONLY option I ever use. A single sketch defines the stock, and the coordinate system axes and origin. Edit that one sketch, and EVERYTHING else changes automatically. In Fusion, on some of my designs, it could easily take me 15 minutes to do what I can do in 30 seconds in HSMXpress.
Regards,
Ray L.
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So while I swear I remember an extruded sketch option in Fusion I was told it was never there (maybe I bounce between softwares too much), but at any rate why not make an extruded solid? Editing the sketch will do the same thing and the CAM will remain parametric and associative. Just remember to make it a component instead of just a body.
You can do the same thing with a sketch point with regard to the WCS by altering its location and the sketch plane if I'm picking up what you're doing. Renaming the sketch to WCS1 isn't any different than naming things in SW, and by your air cylinder file I see you already do that ![]()
New to Fusion 360 CAM? Click here for an introduction to 2D Milling, here for 2D Turning.
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