Fusion 360 sheet metal users

[bryan5]

I would like to connect to other Fusion 360 users that reguarly use the sheet metal environment. 

I would like to share ideas and work arounds for the sheet metal environment. 

[jhackney1972]

I have created a Blog Article and Video comparing the Flange and Bend commands which may be helpful to anyone using sheet metal.  In the Blog Article I give the link to a free application called Bendworks which is ideal for figuring bend allowances if you are bending which are normally automatically calculated when you use the Flange command, at least if you have your Sheet Metal Rules defined correctly.

[harry.doldersum]

I do use Fusion's sheetmetal environment on a regular basis - I wouldn't consider myself a specialist, though...   But a regular user - yes. 😎

[bryan5]

The more users we can find that use Fusion 360 sheet metal tools, the more work around we can share with each other. We could also share ideas on enhancements that we would like to see added and just maybe Autodesk will take interest in this post and will chime in from time to time on sheet metal. 🙂

[HughesTooling]

I don't use Sheetmetal that often but have helped out quite a few times on the forum.

For example if you don't have the nesting add in you can't directly work on the flat pattern in a manufacturing model to create a nest using Arrange. The workaround is to derive the flat pattern out to another design and create your layout and toolpaths in the derived design.

[jhackney1972]

If you have a Fusion 360 Subscription, you have access to the Arrange command, then this Blog Article and Video is for you.  Since the Arrange command needs Flat Pattern components, of your sheet metal bodies or components, you need to have a method to develop these. 

[HughesTooling]

@jhackney1972  You need to be careful using unfold rather than a flat pattern because some of the 3 corner reliefs are not created properly by unfold. I found this out while experimenting with different option and all the unfolds looked the same, the flat patterns had the correct geometry.

Mark