Extensive tutorial suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am new to fusion 360, but have experience with SW, SE and a little bit in Inventor student edition.

I am excited to learn fusion as quickly as possible and nothing is better for that than some complex tutorials that have a concrete goal.

I have looked for some tutorials for building an car engine or plane engine, but this far have not found one that is complete (from start to finish including the final assembly). I do not need it to contain the CAD files since I would of course make those myself throughout the tutorial.

Hoping someone here can point me to one.

Best Regards

[Beyondforce]

Hi @Anonymous,

The following guides should give you a good head start. I would recommend you to put aside what you know from the previous CAD software and focus on learning and understanding Fusion 360 basics. If you have any specific question please let know.

1. Fusion 360 R.U.L.E #1 and #2
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/post-your-tips-and-tutorials/fusion-360-r-u-l-e-1-and-2/td-p/6581749

2. Learn from the experts
http://help.autodesk.com/view/fusion360/ENU/?guid=GUID-4E32611E-0790-479F-926A-66041C478864

3. Modeling Tips from the Experts
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11JxN3XLyVWVTwCPbGEFvPc9nE6kiqCvUTo84CpIIL5s/edit#heading=h.qh0ol...

4. Autodesk Design Academy
https://academy.autodesk.com/curriculum

5. Autodesk University
http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/search?full-text=fusion+360&productName=Fusion+36...

Cheers / Ben
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[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response. 

I don't think completely forgetting previous CAD experience is a good idea since it helps a lot to know what is achievable. However, I have jumped into fusion 360 with an open mind and not stuck on my previous CAD expectations. The thing is that I want to go through a complete Top Down design while others might apply a bottom up approach. 

Basically I found this tutorial that someone posted on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aAK7oWyr3E

I think it looks cool, but what I saw already in that tutorial is that the person goes through and makes each component one by one, remembering relative dimensions and such and carrying it over to the next part. Then they build it up etc etc. Which is how I was using to working. I have in fusion 360 already done several lens mount assemblies from Top down. So... the exercise I want to carry out now is complete engine assembly using a mixture of top down and bottom up approach. Problem was that I didn't find a complete engine build up tutorial, which would have driven me crazy... it would be a shame to go through all that and only end up half way in building it. Additionally applying all the joint and animating it is the end goal as well. 

I can already see a work flow for the project... I just didn't want to go through all of the engineering and calculations involved in fully designing an engine from scratch. 

assemblies (Top down):

1. piston head, piston shaft crank shaft segment, piston rings. 

     assign joints as assembled and save. 

2. 12x the first assembly positioning them to the correct coordinates, and angles and merging the shaft parts. Additional work on the shaft.

3. Assembly one --> create the two parts of the engine block around it. 

Etc. etc. Though I like the flexibility of fusion 360, a major pitfall is for sight. The lack of the standard part/assembly/draft approach can make things a little confusing. I figured if I could make an engine using fusion 360 I would have come a long way to mastering it. 

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Anonymous wrote:
...

1. Though I like the flexibility of fusion 360, a major pitfall is for sight.

2. The lack of the standard part/assembly/draft approach can make things a little confusing. .....  

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Can you elaborate on these statements.

I am a bit confused about what you are trying to state.

1. Did you mean "foresight", and if so, are you referring on the part of the designer using the software?

2. ???

[Anonymous]

Yep, on the side of the designer.

Like making a component as soon as possible in order for it to retain it's parametric history. Through my first test design I was surprised when I converted a body to a component it's history was basically lost.

Or that making a "saved as" component (to make a 2D drawing of it) would mean it was not linked to the part in the assembly (Is it possible to link it?) so further changes do not update the saved file.

Fusion definitely has it's strengths but it is by nature a little more caotic than what I am used to.

But to be honest, so far I seem to be able to design faster with it than Solid edge or inventor once I figure what things are. There are somethings that would definitely improve it further though.

[Beyondforce]

Fusion is very simple then people think. If you know the basics, everything else be just fine. If you won't follow R.U.L.E #1 you will have a lot of problems!

[HughesTooling]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Yep, on the side of the designer.


Or that making a "saved as" component (to make a 2D drawing of it) would mean it was not linked to the part in the assembly (Is it possible to link it?) so further changes do not update the saved file.

Have you figured out you don't need to export a component to make a 2d drawing of it. You can just right click a component in the browser and select Create Drawing and only that component is used.

Mark

[Anonymous]

Yep, just found it less straight forward. Maybe a before you begin suggestion to rule 1 would have saved me learning it as I did.

I fully appreciate fusion for what it is and I see the potential for sure. But I have thus far encountered some limitations and some bugs in the program that shows that it is not as mature as inventor (which is the be expected).

For example, in made a cynlinder, then a revolve cut out of a circle in the top service of the cylinder leaving an island (so basically a have donut cut out). This leaves 3 edges in the top surface. I then wanted to fillet the middle circles edge. Even though I selected only one edge fusion ended up filleting both inner edges. Going back and trying to modify it indicated 2 selected edges but I couldn't deselect the unwanted edge. It was kind of frustrating. I went and tried it in inventor and there was no issue doing it. In the ends I made an arc and used it to revolve cut the fillet.

Mirror operations are also a little buggy. Such as when mirroring threads that do no extend completely down the tap or features using the "To object" commands. I will be posting the issues as suggestions to fix.

[Beyondforce]

It will be best if you create a screencast with your problem. This way we can see exactly what is the issue.
You have to bare in mind, that Fusion's workflow and tools are exactly same as all the other CAD software!

But don't worry, that's way we are here.

[HughesTooling]

Not sure why you ended up with 2 edges selected for the fillet but when you have multiple selection in the fillet feature you need to hold the Ctrl key down to select\unselect edges.

Mark

[Anonymous]

Nope. No matter what I tried I did not get that to work. 

Please see the attached files. I copy pasted a print screen trying different things. So for the image "fillet issue" I added a big black arrow to indicate the line I would like to fillet. The red arrow indicates the edge I don't want the fillet to apply to. I only select the back edge. The preview appears to be exactly what I want to happen. But once I click on OK the edge indicated by the red arrow also takes on a fillet too. In trying to figure out what is going on I realise that some how the engine in fusion decides to fillet all the edges associated by the circle used in the revolve cut. The work around required is to instead of making a revolve of halve a circle. Is to then divide the task up. 

In image "fillet issue 2" I tried to divide the revolve cut up. First doing the inner quarter then the outer, and then filleting the desired edge. I got the same result. 

In image "fillet issue 3" I made the inner quarter circle revolve cut. Then I applied the fillet, and then I did the revolve cut of the outer circle. Image "fillet issue 3" shows exactly what I was going for. I tried this all from a simple extrude cylinder base, to make sure that the program was not somehow confused by anything else going on in a part. 

Fusion is really powerful when it comes to being able to do builds from master sketches without having to do trimming and worry about construction lines as much as in inventor and other CAD programs. However, I run into instances where I have to figure out work around to issues that some how do not make sense. It feels/seems more like a bugs in the engine rather than design limitations. Mind you I tested this in Inventor and SE and SW. They all basically handled the situation in the image "fillet issue" well and without programs. Generally we all make complete parts and apply fillets and chamfers at the end, or periodically almost as an after thought. This issue requires a roll back and adjustments and additional actions to correct what should usually seems like a mundane process in mature CAD software. 

[kb9ydn]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Nope. No matter what I tried I did not get that to work. 

Please see the attached files. I copy pasted a print screen trying different things. So for the image "fillet issue" I added a big black arrow to indicate the line I would like to fillet. The red arrow indicates the edge I don't want the fillet to apply to. I only select the back edge. The preview appears to be exactly what I want to happen. But once I click on OK the edge indicated by the red arrow also takes on a fillet too. In trying to figure out what is going on I realise that some how the engine in fusion decides to fillet all the edges associated by the circle used in the revolve cut. The work around required is to instead of making a revolve of halve a circle. Is to then divide the task up. 

In image "fillet issue 2" I tried to divide the revolve cut up. First doing the inner quarter then the outer, and then filleting the desired edge. I got the same result. 

In image "fillet issue 3" I made the inner quarter circle revolve cut. Then I applied the fillet, and then I did the revolve cut of the outer circle. Image "fillet issue 3" shows exactly what I was going for. I tried this all from a simple extrude cylinder base, to make sure that the program was not somehow confused by anything else going on in a part. 

Fusion is really powerful when it comes to being able to do builds from master sketches without having to do trimming and worry about construction lines as much as in inventor and other CAD programs. However, I run into instances where I have to figure out work around to issues that some how do not make sense. It feels/seems more like a bugs in the engine rather than design limitations. Mind you I tested this in Inventor and SE and SW. They all basically handled the situation in the image "fillet issue" well and without programs. Generally we all make complete parts and apply fillets and chamfers at the end, or periodically almost as an after thought. This issue requires a roll back and adjustments and additional actions to correct what should usually seems like a mundane process in mature CAD software. 

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Oh wow, I was able to reproduce this on the first try.  File attached. Trying to fillet either edge created by the revolved cut makes it fillet both edges.

C|

[HughesTooling]

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kb9ydn wrote:

Oh wow, I was able to reproduce this on the first try.  File attached. Trying to fillet either edge created by the revolved cut makes it fillet both edges.

C|

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I wonder if Inventor has the same problem. When I asked a few questions about how the fillet tool works on corners with different rads the developer that responded said Fusion and Inventor use the same geometric kernel and produce the same fillets. @jeff_strater can you take a look at the file above.

Mark

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@HughesTooling wrote:

I wonder if Inventor has the same problem.  

Mark

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No, of course not.

Can you imagine the outcries vs SWx if it did.

Seems to me that I recall this behavior reported here some time ago.

[Anonymous]

That is correct. This behaviour is not present in inventor. 

I mean... with fusion it is easier to fix "broken behaviour". I rolled the timeline back, draw a dividing line in the circle and divided the revolve cut into two actions. And of course dropped the fillet action between them. 

I shall place another interesting quark here as well, and that is When mirroring a geometry that uses a extrude to object command. Rather than actually getting a mirror feature, the feature created by the mirror, extrudes to the original object and not its mirror object. 

Actually I went ahead and made it. See the images. 

Couldn't add more than 3 images at a time... so the rest will be uploaded in a response to this post

mirror issue 1: A shelled out box, with a sketch on an outer surface. 

mirror issue 2: Extrude the part of the circle I would like to add.... extend "to object", select the inner surface. 

mirror issue 3: extrude (join) completed. 

mirror issue 4: Mirror feature (the circle) about the centre plain. As can be seen in the image. 

mirror issue 5: Definitely not what you expect right?!?!

Work around, while still being able to lets say modify the shell thickness and have it follow the change, cause if you give it a value it won't update with the shell thickness. 

1. Open the change parameters menu after the shell action, and taken note of which value was set for the shell thickness. Use this value in the extrude distance section... in this case it was d5.

2. time line forward past the mirror.

See  mirror issue work around 1 and mirror issue work around 2 respectively. 

Lastly... During this work around I found out that the change parameter window does not stay open. Starting an action automatically closes it. This is a bit inconvenient because if you want to make the whole thing driven and require to look up a lot of parameters you might still have to resort to pen and paper to keep track, or have to open the menu several times. 

[Anonymous]

Additional images attached. Description in previous post.

[Anonymous]

One last image... 

[Anonymous]

I have run into this type of thing before. Just make the fillet or chamfer , then highlight and delete the unwanted fillet or chamfer. Its a work-around ,and hopefully the dev team can ferret the issue out and fix it.

chris

[Beyondforce]

@Anonymous, @Anonymous

Guys, there is nothing wrong with Fusion, you just need to know how to use it. If you need help, please create a screencast and explane, what is it that you need.

All the attached images are classic rookie mistakes! So please attach a screencast and I'll help you.

Cheers / Ben.

[Anonymous]

Good suggestion... but that doesn't work in this case. I had already tried it. there is no way to deselect the second edge. Well you can, but once you it ok it is automatically reselected. Tried it over and over again to no avail. The work around I mention here is the only way I was able to get it to work. 

As for the mirroring issue I posted here... It doesn't occur in Inventor. But it does ALSO occur in SW apparently (with the first feature going "To surface"). Guess each program has their own weird quarks. But hopefully they will fix it. It would really help work flow not having to do work arounds to certain things we consider to be "basic". Debugging is always a pain.