[CLOSED] Nesting

[javiar]

Nesting has been a long-awaited feature request on the Fusion IdeaStation. We're now getting closer to enabling sheet metal nesting in Fusion 360. Right from the beginning, you will be able to go from sheet metal Design & flat patterning to Nesting to CAM as a complete end-to-end workflow. If you make any design edits, the related nests will become "out-of-sync" and can be updated associatively. These changes can also be propagated to CAM to ensure toolpath operations are up-to-date with design and nest updates. Moreover, the new "Convert to Sheet Metal" feature in Design will allow you to import non-native sheet metal designs into Fusion and make them nestable. Sheet metal nesting is just the beginning; Nesting for non-sheet metal solids is also in the pipeline and will be available shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your ideas and comments and your continued interest in helping us shape this solution for Fusion 360. While we continue chipping away at this task, we would really appreciate if you can devote 2 minutes of your time to our brief survey:

https://autodeskfeedback.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Fv4SEtLZsj5SUB

If you'd like to engage with us in this early phase and provide more direct feedback, please be sure to submit your email address on the last question of this survey.

[mrdezzz]

will there be settings to organize by common edges? in order to reduce the amount of cuts.

[carl.j.barker]

Since nesting for a laser is a large part of my day job, I'm actually looking forward to this. My present work flow with Fusion parts was to export the flat patterns into the nesting software for tooling,layout and post processing. Which I will still have to do occasionally when using vinyl covered sheets due to the lack of pierce point vaporizing and sheet re-positioning for large components. However Fusion nesting will reduce times for many other parts that don't fall into the previous categories, especially when changes occur.

[javiar]

@mrdezzz , common line cutting will not be available in the initial phase of Nesting in Fusion. We are aware of the savings, in both cut time and consumables, that such a method could bring to table. Common line cutting tech is already available in Autodesk TruNest and we do plan to add it to Fusion in the future.

@carl.j.barker , that is absolutely right. Complete CAD > Nest > CAM associativity is our top most priority. This will be an ideal solution for your most common use case - incorporating engineering changes with minimum rework. However, our longer term plans for this solution in Fusion are much grander. In the future we can also explore special strategies supported by machines  - for example, vaporizing the coated sheets before cutting. Sheet repositioning (for large parts outside cut zone) is more advanced and already available in Autodesk TruNest today.

[GRSnyder]

This sounds really nice. End-to-end integration is awesome, but nesting is a lot more generally useful than most people give it credit for. For example, yesterday I used nesting software to figure out how to most efficiently cut down a sheet of thermal foam to fit a glass plate. I hope it'll also be possible to just sketch and nest without going through an intermediate 3D design.

[OliverDownie]

Finally!

Although, I  hope you are not going to charge us for this, like Hole Recognition.

I would be prepared to pay an app fee - say $30 or so seems fair, but realistically, I feel that it should be included in the price.

Having said that, super excited, thank you. I'm a woodworker, so almost there!

[luppovevgenijcreator]

@javiar Hello! Im so happy about this announcement!
Is there any chance to participate in testing of this feature?
Im working with non metal sheet materials a lot.
Thank you! 

[javiar]

@GRSnyder - While sheet metal nesting is what we're implementing first, nesting for Generic CAD (non-sheet metal including solids, sketches, etc.) is next in line. We completely understand the need for nesting sketch profiles without needing to generate 3D models.

@OliverDownie, there's more to come on detailed functionality and access. Nesting for woodworking will be a slightly longer wait than sheet metal nesting. Please stay tuned.

@luppovevgenijcreator, we are just as excited, and cant wait to make nesting available to customers. Non-sheet metal functionality is currently being worked on and not available for beta testing at the moment. If you'd like to engage with us in the early phase and provide more direct feedback, please reach out to me directly via private message.

[OliverDownie]

Hi Javiar,

I’d be happy to help with any woodworking/router testing.

Just let me know.

[jbrewlet]

@javiar - We'd also love to help with router testing. This is something we've been coveting for years!

[javiar]

@OliverDownie and @jbrewlet , thanks for reaching out. We will share more details as soon as nesting for non-sheet metal is available for testing.

[jbrewlet]

👍

[carl.j.barker]

While I was doing some nesting today I made a small list of features I rely on, and was wondering what if any were going to be implemented in Fusion's nesting.

   1. Material database - sheet sizes, thickness, M102 naming. (the M102 database name could be added to sheetmetal rules)

   2. Completely manual positioning - often employed to use up off cuts or customer stock. Able to sketch construction lines on the stock to help with this.

   3. Sheet trimming - semi-automatic and the ability to sketch a tool path directly on the stock.

   4. Full nest etch selecting. Etching is usually the first operation (second if pierce point pre-burn is needed) and the way I do it now is simply box select the entire nest with the etch tool selected and bingo. Could be handled with 'ETCH SKETCHES' on the flat patterns. Right now in Fusion CAM I have to select each individual line or arc, no way I think to group select, Not fun on a multi component nest with part numbers.

   5. Ability to remove parts from a nest and put them back into a 'Still to nest' list.

   6. Tool Path Ordering - If done automatically it is very important that cutting start away from the clamps and works towards the clamps on a certain machine (not a flying optic, the sheet is moved for x axis) since otherwise the lowering rigidity of the sheet as parts are cut will cause an accuracy problem.

   7. Part Tagging - Since like point 6, the sheet moves along x-axis, parts need to be tagged. This needs to be done once for each part rather then having to tag each individual nested part, really that's a no go.

Thanks for reading and when can we test this ? /Hint I am available to break, I mean test this.

[MattWynn]

@carl.j.barker we are familiar with most of these.  I get the impression you are laser cutting stainless.

Material database - yes,  although I'm not sure what M102 database is.

Full nest etching - the CAM 2D profile operation has a cutting mode of etching that can be used for an etch operation before the through cut, and you can select all the geometry at once for this with the select same plane faces (which you should pretty much always use).  Pierce first is something that should probably be done in a special postprocessor.

Not sure what you mean by tagging, this does not sound like labeling.

The others are 'not quite yet', I'm gonna add some to my wish list.  Some are nesting related and some are toolpath related.

[carl.j.barker]

@MattWynn Hi, The M102 is a line in the final program code used to set cutting conditions , for instance M102 (C-SUSV-1.50)  tells the machine it's cutting 1.5 mm thick vinyl covered stainless.

Using same plane faces for etching would select all profiles whether they are for etching or cutting ?? I really don't want to etch any geometry I'm then going to cut, Also it does not select geometry that is sketched on the part which is how I'd place etching.  Tagging, you may know as Tabs, breaks in the cut to leave a part attached to the stock.

[MattWynn]

Ah, sorry, I was getting etching mixed up with the vaporize cut mode that was used for burning off plastic coating on stainless. 

M102 and tabs are CAM/NC code stuff, separate from nesting, that can be done now but could also be improved.

[lesterN4P2J]

Adding Sheet metal testing is great news for me. This is a large part of what we do and currently using another nesting package which is unsatisfactory! When will it be available? Would it be possible to Get access to the beta version? 

[javiar]

@lesterN4P2J , thanks for chiming in here. I'm glad you're excited about this. The official release date has not be finalized yet but a public preview will be coming soon. Will be happy to get you additional details for early access (beta). Let me reach out to you via PM.

[SolubleSpork]

I too would love to see this in sketch form and not just for sheet metal.  CAD is useful for so many things beyond design or manufacturing, and I could workarounds being used to help people nest things for packaging or layout multiple parts for mill operations as well.  I see a work around where the 3D part profile gets copied, turned into a "sheet metal part" and then those "sheet metal parts" go through nesting.  Then somehow that position/orientation data can make its way back to the design space for end use - like locating multiple components in a single plate of material for CNC milling.
The one concern I had (and I think I read this in a recent update) is that it sounds like this will also be wrapped into the manufacture extension.  That would be a bummer.  While I understand the reasoning behind Fusion charging separately for additional features in extensions, I don't want Fusion to adopt a cable TV model where I have to pay for a group of features when all I want is one particular feature in that group.  Automatic hole recognition/drilling and nesting would be great, but I don't need steep and shallow, or advanced probing and surface inspection.

All in all, I see nesting becoming a very neat trick for Fusion 360.  One that can trickle into other areas of Fusion in the future as people create workflows that can be improved my expanding the core functionality of nesting into the other environments.  I do think it makes sense though to start with the environment where it seems to make the most sense.  I can't wait to see where this goes and I hope I am able to get access without having it be buried under subscription model extensions.