Fusion 360, I mean Absolute Beginner!

[rockwarrior]

Hello ALL!

I am an "older" student and want to learn something new (new to me). Lets just say I have zero CAD experience and I want to learn the very basics of a CAD program. I was in the computer field many years ago so I'm not completely computer illiterate. I need some recommendations as to where I can find tutorials, classes, etc to help a complete beginner to produce some simple designs that I can take to a metal shop and have them cut the desired pieces. I want to make somethings for my grandson and learn something new as well. 

I'm hoping there is a step-by-step approach from making a single plane (2D) drawing to a .dxf? file so I can have the piece cut out at a metal shop; water-jet or plasma cutter or ?? I know this is probably very easy for some but I can't figure it out.

I tried reading and watching videos from Fusion 360 Help, Getting Started with Fusion 360 but it is NOT for complete beginners. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

Any help would be appreciated.

[TheCADWhisperer]

@rockwarrior 

Can you File>Export your *.f3d file of what you have attempted (no matter how basic) to your local drive and then Attach it here to a Reply?

Do you have a picture of something similar to what you want to do that already exists in the real world?

[davebYYPCU · Accepted solution]

Make a finished sketch of your piece, 

Right click, on the sketch in the Browser, and save as DXF.

Might help….

[MRWakefield · Accepted solution]

AutoDesk provide quite a lot of online documentation and learning resources including videos. If you take a look in Fusion here, this will take you to the self-paced learning resources:

Hope this helps.

[j_d_olsen7]

Youtube videos are usually my first step when trying to get my feet wet with anything new.  And There's lot's of stuff about fusion on there.  As it says in the pinned post about getting started, there are cowboys on there and it's possible to learn some bad habits, but as you know that's true (almost) no matter where you go for information.  Anyways, if that type of learning is good for you, that's a good place to start in my opinion.

[TheCADWhisperer]

@rockwarrior 

Where did you go?

This can all be resolved in short order once you reveal your true Design Intent.

(I have an idea - but don’t want to take time to create a video only for you to come back and say, “I guess I didn’t explain myself very well…”.

[rockwarrior]

So Sorry to all of you repliers, I've been a little under the weather and spent the last couple days in bed doing the chicken soup and sleep thing. Still not feeling great but I wanted to reply . . .

Wow, lots of things to read and consider.

My intent right now is to learn something new and to possibly draw some flat pieces, either "art" pieces or pieces for a  go kart for my grandson. I'm not looking into a full design piece with CNC'ed parts or whatever. Just flat metal at this time. Maybe the future, if I get the hang of this, will entail more "complex" things like 3D printing. I like techy stuff but have fallen behind the curve big time.

With that said, I did watch some videos. I can "draw" out pieces on a flat plane and played with extruding and what not. But I don't know the steps to get from what I call a  "stickman" drawing to a file that I can send to a shop to have it cut out of sheet metal. I found a place that has a plasma cutter and a water jet but they need a .dxf? file. I found a video that was supposed to do this but when I clicked on the "Manufacture" button and it said to click something on the 2D tab, I couldn't find a 2D tab . . . as I was playing around I find the "cutting" option, I didn't know what to do from there. I also can't even figure out how to just print the "picture" I made . . . This is way more complicated than programming "Mr Bojangles" on a TI-99 . . . yeah, I'm that old!!

Like I said, a total newbie at this sort of thing. It may be that I don't even know what I don't know. I'm going to try some of the suggestions below, I don't want to waste anymore of anyone's time. But I'm sure there will be more questions down the line.

[MRWakefield]

Sorry to hear you've not been well. I hope you feel better soon.

[davebYYPCU · Accepted solution]

Create a sketch.

It contains some representation of a part to cut out.

Go to the sketch name in the left hand column on screen, called the browser.

Right click on the name of the part sketch.

you get a menu.

select Save as DXF

in the dialogue box, select somewhere to save it.

Open your email system, 

select the file you saved from fusion and attach it.

send the email to your contractor.

Just a little more detail than message 3 above, sorry to be long winded.

Speedy recovery mate.

Might help

[rockwarrior]

I was lost at first but I think I got it . . . Someone provided a bit more details that helped. Thanks!

[rockwarrior]

I'm trying to learn the steps so I was hoping to get a play by play. I think I got it though. Some others provided a pretty quick way. But I know I will have other questions to come! Thanks for the reply.

[rockwarrior]

I don't know why I didn't see that drop down. I think these are the ones I've watched in the past now I I have viewed some of them. They go a bit fast and don't necessarily answer many questions I have as I go. But I can watch and play along many times to get that "memory" of the functionality.

[rockwarrior]

I did look at some YouTube videos but it's hard to find then in a chronological order for learning. And if I have something specific, it's ever harder to find . .  for me at least. Thanks for the reply.