Fusion 360 Modeling Best Practices or Work flow

[markusbarnes]

Is there any documentation on best practices for modeling in Fusion360?  I often struggle to figure out the best approach to modeling in a way that saves me time now and in the future in case I need to make changes. You can model a design in hundreds of different ways, but some are better than others. Specifically, how should we model our designs so that it best meets the following criteria:

   1. Ease and speed

   2. Best performance

   3. Modeling Change Flexibility

   4. Well documented model

Many of the tutorial videos and documention I've encountered never quite address these issues directly, if ever. Instead, they solely focus on how to use the tools, but never when and why you should use them.  

As an example, you can create an individual or a multiple sketches for table legs, but you can also sketch just one and then use patterning to create the other three. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, what are they?  Which one should you use? 

[patrick.miller]

Completely understand what you are asking for. As you described, most of the documentation describes how the commands work. Think of a car manual. It explains how the features of your car works but not how to drive. We've heard from our users that is not enough and are working on adding the "why" into content. 

Right now we have the Fusion Basic Training and the Tips for SolidWorks users (they really apply to everyone). These should get you going. We are also working with SolidProfessor on a training course that should be out early 2016. 

If you have a few minutes, I'd also suggest throwing this on the IdeaStation. We use that internally to balance requests from users. 

Hope some of this content helps you out. Until we've got full-on training, you can post questions here in the forums.

[rbtyod]

milesbarros, Thank you. I couldn't have said it better!
...Bob

[markusbarnes]

I played around with both Inventor and Solidworks before delving into Fusion 360. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but Solidworks the easiest to learn after following the tutorials in Lynda.com. The author made a point to show how modeling choices effect design flexibility and performance. After a while, the entire program went from looking like an airplane cockpit to a car dashboard. It all just clicked because the entire application seemed to follow a neat, simple structure. Fusion 360 and Inventor seem to blur this structure.

[Anonymous]

@patrick.miller, I am one of those who requested more focus on the fundamentals.  Having said that, I just took a look at the tutorials you linked and I had not yet seen them. They look to be helpful, though I didn't yet dive into them.  I just wanted to say that it is possible that I am asking for something that is already available.  I'll be sure to go through these tutorials.  Thanks for the link.

[keqingsong]

Here are a couple videos on our YouTube channel that will help you better understand the fundamentals and best practices of Fusion 360. 

This is video i made that talks about a best practice of how to start a design in Fusion 360.

Here are the rest of the videos in this Tips and Best Practices playlist. 

[daniel_lyall]

the above two vids are a must watch