CLOSED- Manufacture Extension - Feedback & Discussion

[olivia.struckman]

CLOSED- Manufacture Extensions now available for everyone through May 31st

As of today's update, we’ve enabled the Manufacture Extension for everyone through May 31. This includes all the advanced tools currently in the Manufacture Extension package: Additive Manufacturing for Metal, Hole Recognition, Probe Geometry, Surface Inspection, Steep & Shallow, and, as of this release, Toolpath Trimming, Simultaneous 5 axis for Steep & Shallow, and the Rotary strategy. Since we anticipate wider usage of these features during this time, we want to make sure you have a place to ask questions and provide feedback. 

Please reply in this thread with suggestions and questions related to the Manufacture Extension functionality -  the product team will be monitoring and on hand to answer your questions.

[martin4V986]

I would like to be able to drag and rearrange NC Programs in the list. As well as putting them into folders.

Neither of those appear possible right now.

[marko.cerovecki]

This is something you should definitely put in standard manufacturing modification.
I work in plastic processing company with a lot of injection molds and they need everyday maintenance. With toolpath trimming you can shorten your processing time of repairing mold parts especially when you need to repair them  with welding. 
Please reconsider this matter, we are ready to pay more for FUSION 360 per year.

Kind regards,
Marko Cerovečki 
STRAZAPLASTIKA D.D. 
CROATIA

[yuval_rakavy]

Good day,

 I just bought a Manufacturing extension for one month 2 days ago. Did I just waste about 100$ or will my purchase be delayed and activated after the free access period is over?

 Regardless of this. I am a maker and use fusion-360 for my hobby (not making any money out of it) and until a few months ago I used the free "maker" license. I upgraded to a paid 3 years subscription. I was quite amazed, that the paid subscription gave me the "right" to pay about 100$/month to get the Manufacturing extension. From this extension, the functionality I really need is mostly the ability to export files in 3MF format.  (Some rotary 4 axis functionality that you have added recently may also be useful). Paying around $1000/year for being able to export in an "open" format seems a bit out of place.

 I would highly recommend to include the manufacturing extensions in the paid subscription and not charge for it separately. I don't think that this option is a major revenue generator for you, but it does prevent people from really using your outstanding product to its full capability. For me, that is a good enough reason to move from the free maker license to a paid subscription, but paying an additional 1000$/year is barely justified and seems to be a bit of a rip-off. At least the export of the 3MF format should be in the base format and not in a paid option.

[rudemduer]

4 axis Rotary milling is really big step I've been waiting for a while. However, I could not figure out when there is too much depth difference along the axis, in other words, we need multiple depth toolpaths. When the tool rotates and traces around the axis sometimes depth of cut is 1mm and sometimes 15mm. 

[johnanger]

My Laundry list.

Fusion Wish list

1. optional M1 Pauses between individual features on the same operations e.g. drilling holes. or doing some milling op and then doing another milling op with the same tool - the program should have an optional M1 between these steps. I know I can break them out into separate operations and I do but this is a pain and then changes to parameters have to be propagated through all the new steps.
2. The HAAS post by default sets the use G0 option - I have to change it every time. Why isn’t the default post remembered from last time I setup a NC program? 
3. Generated programs should have the date and time the gcode is written as a comment at the top of the program. Then you know for sure which one is loaded into the machine and not a stale version.
4. Put in comments before each operation the machining time for that op. in the gcode
5. Can you please fix the keyboard short cuts on Mac to actually work in dialog boxes. eg. Ctrl Y or CMD Y for Yes buttons. cancel is command period. 
6. In the simulation window can you please enact keyboard short cuts similar to video players? Space should start/stop the playback. arrows keys should move back and forth in the time line. Up / down arrows should move to the previous/next operation. hey you guys did the space bar stop/start Yay thank you. 
7. Please put in the simulation window the current time the tool is currently at. ie when I’m 50% through the current operation show the % complete and the progress time. 
8. better popup help description of tool diameter compensation and how to use that.
9. a little report on all the operations for each setup and the time for each setup and for each operation that I can paste into a spreadsheet would be really helpful when optimizing programs.

Thanks Fusion 360 team. I'm using your program all the time and I like how it just keeps getting better. I sure hope the CAM 3 axis milling stuff still works after May 31. You've got me a bit worried about that. 

[johnanger]

RE: 

> 2.The HAAS post by default sets the use G0 option - I have to change it every time. Why isn’t the default post > >remembered from last time I setup a NC program? 

I mean the HAAS post DOES NOT use the G0 option by default and I need to check mark it everytime.

Thanks Fusion team. 

[sportbikeryder]

Fusion 360 was originally built around the Early adopter" model inclusive of many home based or small business "Makers". This group has a multitude of home built or home modified CNC machines, as well as mid level VMC's. While 5 axis machines are quite rare in this market, many users have some sort of 4th axis rotary attached to their machine. Be it a homemade setup or a machine with a more viable 4th axis, the rotary motion is very common. 

While many of the features available in the Manufacturing Extension are in fact advanced and not necessarily needed for the smaller shop or  "Maker" crowd, the Rotary toolpath is something that is likely of benefit to this group, perhaps more so than any other advanced feature. 

Please consider making the rotary toolpath a part of the standard Fusion 360 package, rather than making it inclusive of the Manufacturing extension only.  These users have had access to the Rotary toolpath since the inception of the betamode version (and as we all know, "Makers" will likely try beta features before anyone else) Obviously Autodesk needs to generate revenue, however with the manufacturing extension package, I would wager many of the extension features will go largely un-used, slowing development and bug fixes dramatically. Current pricing for standard plus Rotary is higher than the original "Ultimate" pricing structure. Many users that would benefit are the same users that gave Fusion 360 a chance with it was just a baby 😉

John

[olivia.struckman]

Thank you all for some of the feedback, both related and unrelated to the Manufacturing Extension features 🙂 As this preview opportunity has ended, I'm closing out this thread for now, but the comments will stay visible and have been shared with the relevant teams.