Drill Holes (Cylinder) Possible Method Inquiry ?

[Anonymous]

23rd September 2015.

Dear Autodesk Fusion 360 Community,

I'm extremely new to the Fusion 360 environment, and so I must apologise for my ignorance !

With what I have learnt to date, via the online Fusion 360 Training courses and extensive literature, I'm hoping that the following "Drill Holes (Cylinder) Method Inquiry is possible !

I have shared the 2 models online via the following links : http://a360.co/1Mo2VtN ,and http://a360.co/1KKFKeb ,as well as the attached image (Drill Hole (Cylinder) Possible Method Inquiry - 23rd September 2015.jpg), in order to hopefully assist with my inquiry !

(a) I initially created a simple "Bolt" using the sample supplied script called "Bolt", using its default values !

(c) I then sketched a rectangle 200mm x 15mm, and "Extruded" it Symmetrically by 100mm to obtain a 200mm x 200mm x 15mm Panel !

(c) I then sketched a circle with a diameter of 5.5mm, being the "Bolt Thread Diameter of 5mm + 0.5mm Clearance, moved it by 3.5, and then "Extruded" it by 16.5mm, being the "Overall Bolt Length of 20mm - the Bolt Head Length of approximately 3.5mm !

This is all good, and now for my "Drill Holes (Cylinder) Possible Method Inquiry" !

The process would now be as follows !

(i) After creating the simple "Bolt" and the corresponding "5.5mm x 16.5mm Long Extruded Cylinder" I would initially save this item as an independent object, in the "Data Panel", which I could then load anytime it was required !

(ii) With a "Panel" being present I would then insert the "Bolt", so that it penetrates the "Panel" surface, by an appropriate depth !

(iii) What I would like to accomplish is that when the "5.5mm x 16.5mm" Cylinder associated with the now saved "Bolt", that as I immediately make contact with any of the 2 "Panel" Surfaces, or 4 "Panel" Edges, that the "Cylinder" cuts or produces a corresponding "Drill Hole" in the "Panel", proportional to the amount of insertion ! i.e. 7.5mm in produces a "Drill Hole" of 5.5mm x 7.5mm depth, and so one, that can then be appropriately machined via the Fusion 360 built in CAM Module !

I hope that I have adequately described my desired "Drill Holes (Cylinder) Possible Method Inquiry" !

(1) Is this described "Drill Hole" Method using "Cylinders" possible ? Please Advise !

(2) Is there another totally different method of achieving the above described "Drill Hole" result ? Please Advise !

(3) Can a "Script and/or Add-In" be created that can produce the desired "Drill Holes", after all required "Bolts", have been positioned in to the "Panel", and if so can I be provided with a sample "Python" script ? Please Advise !

I'm extremely grateful for your time and patience !

With kindest regards.

GEM CNC Systems.

[sachlene.singh]

Hi @Anonymous!

Thank you for all the detail you have included with your question. It certainly helps us better understand your workflow and the question you are asking.

I'm going to break your question into two parts to better answer it.

1. You want to create a the bolt as a seperate design and then insert it into this file. You can do this by creating the bolt in a seperate file and then right clocking on it in the data panel and Inserting it into a design you have open. The bolt will come in and be linked back to the original part so that if the original part is changed, it updates. You can break this link if you so choose.

2. I suspect that your primary question is around taking away material from the panel depending on the diameter of the bolt/cylinder. The way to currently do this in Fusion is by using the combine tool. It is essentially a Boolean operation that takes away material where two bodies intersect (It can alsoadd material and working with the intersection of material should you need those capabilities).

Here's a quick screencast on how I achieved this using the combine tool. (I moved the cylinderin your design to intersect the panel so that i could cut material away)

http://autode.sk/1JtY5a3

Once you have a hole of the right diameter in the panel, you can then use the assemble tool to create Joints to define the position of the bolt.

Alternative, you can also use the Hole command to create the same geometry if you know the dimensions of the bolt.

I would highly recommend the Combine tool though. It works very well for more complex geometry as well.

I hope this help. Please let us know!

[Anonymous]

1st October 2015.

Dear Ms. Sachlene Singh c/o Autodesk Fusion 360 Community,

I'm extremely sorry for my late reply !

Thank you for your prompt reply and accompanying video ! Greatly Appreciated !

While waiting for a response, I found the suggested Fusion 360 "Combine Boolean Operation Tool" after searching the Internet !

I think that the real question I was asking was that of my original question (3) below !

(3) Can a "Script and/or Add-In" be created that can produce the desired "Drill Holes", after all required "Bolts", have been positioned in to the "Panel", and if so can I be provided with a sample "Python" script ? Please Advise !

I was hoping that an overall standard "Python Script" was available, that would automatically perform the above requested Fusion 360 "Combine Boolean Operation Tool", after multiple "Bolts", as described in my example had been precisely placed within any of the mentioned panels 6 faces, being either of the "2 "Panel" Surfaces, and/or 4 "Panel" Edges" !

In other words, after all "Bolts" had been placed with their corresponding and associated stored/saved "Cylinder", at you could then select the entire job ("All Bolt Cylinders & Panel Surfaces/Edges") via a "Select All" or partial selection via a "Mouse Drag Window", to which you would then run the "Python Script" that would then perform the required Fusion 360 "Combine Boolean Operation Tool", automatically on all of the selected "Cylinders & Faces/Surfaces", instead of having to perform it individually on each and every element/elements, leaving behind all of the physical "Bolts" in place, but now with the corresponding holes in the panel !

I'm probably asking for too much, but due to my lack of "Python Script" programming skills, I was hoping that some Fusion 360 Library of "Python and/or C++ Scripts" was available for all of the Fusion 360 commands, that could then have been hopefully modified to achieve the above requested result !

Again ! I'm extremely grateful for your time and patience !

With kindest regards.

GEM CNC Systems.

[Anonymous]

Dear Ms. Sachlene Singh c/o Autodesk Fusion 360 Community,

I'm extremely sorry for my late reply !

Thank you for your prompt reply and accompanying video ! Greatly Appreciated !

While waiting for a response, I found the suggested Fusion 360 "Combine Boolean Operation Tool" after searching the Internet !

I think that the real question I was asking was that of my original question (3) below !

(3) Can a "Script and/or Add-In" be created that can produce the desired "Drill Holes", after all required "Bolts", have been positioned in to the "Panel", and if so can I be provided with a sample "Python" script ? Please Advise !

I was hoping that an overall standard "Python Script" was available, that would automatically perform the above requested Fusion 360 "Combine Boolean Operation Tool", after multiple "Bolts", as described in my example had been precisely placed within any of the mentioned panels 6 faces, being either of the "2 "Panel" Surfaces, and/or 4 "Panel" Edges" !

In other words, after all "Bolts" had been placed with their corresponding and associated stored/saved "Cylinder", at you could then select the entire job ("All Bolt Cylinders & Panel Surfaces/Edges") via a "Select All" or partial selection via a "Mouse Drag Window", to which you would then run the "Python Script" that would then perform the required Fusion 360 "Combine Boolean Operation Tool", automatically on all of the selected "Cylinders & Faces/Surfaces", instead of having to perform it individually on each and every element/elements, leaving behind all of the physical "Bolts" in place, but now with the corresponding holes in the panel !

I'm probably asking for too much, but due to my lack of "Python Script" programming skills, I was hoping that some Fusion 360 Library of "Python and/or C++ Scripts" was available for all of the Fusion 360 commands, that could then have been hopefully modified to achieve the above requested result !

Again ! I'm extremely grateful for your time and patience !

With kindest regards.

GEM CNC Systems.

[ekinsb]

Unfortunately with the current programming functionality in Fusion I don't believe that what you want to do is very feasible to do with a script.  It might be possible to do pieces of the process but I think that would prove frustrating to use because of the remaining issues.  I would recommend that you check back in a few months because we will be adding a key component to the programming interface that will significantly help in allowing the script you want to be written.