I currently teach Fusion 360 at a couple local MakerSpaces and I'm consistently impressed at just how positively the community responds to what they can do with it. The students are always amazed at how simple it is to get their ideas from their head to being realized as a 3D model on screen. And being able to edit it after the fact with parameters or history? They just light up!
Now... the CAM side of things? Not so much!
One of the top complaints I get from the students is it’s waaaay to complex to actually set up the CAM to use with their personal, hobbyist mills. I would say a good 80% of them actually gave up trying to get it to work and end up looking elsewhere which is a shame considering how powerful your CAM is. But it is too complex!! Heck, even I've struggled with the overwhelming amount of admittedly powerful, but not-for-my-needs settings that are present.
You have to remember while a power-user Machinist will appreciate that, one of the appeals of Fusion 360 is all that power is approachable for the hobbyist, and the hobbyist has no idea what half of those things mean! My take is set up simple, safe 'Beginners Wizard‘ that configures all of that for you.
For instance, say they have a simple 1/4 four-flute end-mill that came with the hobby mill they purchased off of Kickstarter. They know it's a 1/4" four-flute endmill and that their machine is based on GRBL, but that's the total extent of their CAM knowledge. Fusion 360 could start by asking about the material. It asks the type: Wood, Plastic or Metal? They choose 'Wood'. Next... Hard wood (give examples), Soft wood (again, give examples), MDF or Plywood. Since they have Pine, they would choose 'Soft'.
Next, ask them simple questions about their end-mill which they can probably answer just by looking at it. What type is it? Flat, Round, Slot-cutting, etc? They'd choose 'Flat' What's its diameter? 1/4". How many flutes? They look and count four. How deep can it cut? They see it will cut about a half-inch deep. How far below the chuck/collet does it extend? About an inch or so.
You then prompt them to save that in their tool library which should *only* show the tools they have set up, not the ridiculous catalog you have now. That can still be available, but you need a dedicated 'My tools' area to keep things simple. Also, let them add personal notes about each too. (e.g. 'Use this for Pine' so next time they know to go right there.)
After the above, your software would infer safe settings of everything else. It doesn’t need to choose the fastest/most optimized/best settings and actually should err on the side of caution/consistency because again, these types of individuals aren’t looking to crank out performance. They aren't thinking of the most efficient cut depths or speeds... they aren't thinking of how can they maximize tool life by adjusting tool paths or how to shorten job-time for manufacturing. The *only* thing they are thinking is 'How can I make this doohickey I just designed get cut out of this block of pine I picked up at Home Depot? I really want to see it work!!'
Don't believe me? Ask them about 3D printers! They don't mind staring at a print that takes well over eight-hours to complete their job because they love watching their ideas being created seemingly out of nothing. It keeps things fun and entertaining, but most of all, engaging, especially when they’re just getting started.
Then later, when they really start to understand the intricacies of CAM and *want* to do that advanced stuff, they can start to peel back the covers by switching to ‘Advanced’ mode which would present your UI as it appears now. Best of both worlds kind of thing.
But you'll never get there with an 80% attrition rate right at the very beginning.
Just some food for thought.
