Alias Wire Import with Fusion like with Inventor

[cekuhnen]

Alias and Inventor are a pretty good combo as Alias surface files can be linked into Inventor

meaning when you change the Alias file the data inside the Inventor file will be updated.

Alternatively it would be great when importing base featrues to have the ability to completely refresh the imported data.

But this would require that Fusion Imports data with their original location in 3d space so that parts

in Fusion will be where they are in Alias or other CAD apps.

[garin]

Can you elaborate the types of workflows (where and how you would use this) that would support this behavior? Also other than Alias what CAD tools would you want to support with the ability to refresh the bodies?

[cekuhnen]

Hey Garin,

So the problem today is still there that surfacing tools and engineering tools are vastly different.

ProE Solidworks Inventor work internally different with their sketch plane feature approach compared to something like Alias Rhino SolidThinking which have design trees as well but like Blender as well do not use sketch planes but simply can place curves surfaces in space and via interactive modeling commands (trim blend project etc) let them interact with each other.

The 3D sketch in Fusion is possible but due to the lack of usable snapping and the problem that sketches are still more 2D quite hard to use in an efficient way when you come from Rhino.

The surfacing tools in Fusion are also not competetive as a replacement for Rhino or Alias at all. 

But where Fusion already is pretty fantastic at is the solid engine (shelling etc, the physics engine, inclusion of T-Splines and the Design Time Line).

Now as a product designer surface curvature for me is important and very often do I see G1 transitions which is what I do not even allow my students to use.

I do not know if those two different worlds really will become so similar at one point or fuse (solid and surface modelers).

But what I can see as a very attractive state already is what Alias and Inventor offered.

The workflow is as followed:

In Alias / Rhino / SolidThinking you generate your A surface and export that data into lets say STEP format.

In Fusion you import the data and plug it in as a base feature.

Then in Fusion you continue adding your manufacturing B surfaces.

Now the problem is what happens when the engineer requires a change, well then best would that the chance will be done in Alias / Rhino / ST, the file saved as STEP and the base feature in Fusions design TimeLine will be replaced with the new data and hopefully the downstream features will work.

Ideally changes between egineer and designer should be minimal, meaning the designer of course also has to create surfaces already with the engineers input reflecting space requirements of internal components.

The same I can also see with T-Splines. While TS is a pretty fantastic option the modeling toolset is still less diverse than in other poly modelers like Maya Blender Modo 3DMax.

So it would be great that if changes are required one can edit them in the TS mode in Fusion or if needed do it in the poly modeler exort the OBJ data and refresh the TS input node in the design timeline.

One could say this is what too much work and just use SW because the industry uses it.

Well this might have some weight, I spend a decent time in transfering Data between Rhino (TS) and Blender on some projects. However I dont really care about workflow I care more about tools I have at my disposal as a designer to create surfaces I want and not the software only allows me to do.

I know many who think the same way and I think specifically for those such a workflow I mentioned above means maybe more extra work but then we can as designers really make sure the design is done the way we want.

[cekuhnen]

With the ability to also refresh surface data imports/base featrues you can make Fusion a lot more attractive to product designers who feel that the surfacing tools in the DM mode as well as the design timeline does not meet their needs.

However the design timeline is a fantastic way to assemble and construct your product in a way, nor Alias or Rhino can offer at all.

[ryanmaibach2492]

This is the biggest reason that I have been looking into Fusion.  I am curious as to why this was moved to Archived and if there is any help or tutorials for importing and using .wire Alias surfaces in F360.

Thank you,

[Anonymous]

I also am looking for the same file link association that was possible within Inventor associating to Alias .wire files. I also don't understand why Speedform is developed to work more closely with Alias; yet Alias Design only includes access to Fusion 360 . . .