How to import OpenSCAD file into Fusion360 as a solid body

[Anonymous]

I found an acceptable way to import OpenSCAD files into a fully editable Fusion360 body and I thought I would share in case it can help someone else.

• Download OpenSCAD file and open in OpenSCAD (https://www.openscad.org/)
• Export to .CSG in OpenSCAD
• Download and install FreeCAD (https://www.freecadweb.org/)
• Open the saved .CSG file in FreeCAD
• Select the model in the model tab (mine was auto-named "Matrix_Union")
• Go to File>Export (Ctrl+E) and Export to "STEP with colors (*.step, *.stp)" and save
• Open Fusion360 and select File>Open (Ctrl+O)>"Open from my computer..."
• Select the saved .step file and open
• Now you should have a converted body that is able to be edited non-destructively

[Ajay_Kumar_Reddy]

Hey @Anonymous,

you did great but, It would have been great if you post the same through ideas.

[HughesTooling]

@Anonymous 

What's wrong with exporting as an STL from OpenSCAD then just use Insert Mesh in Fusion? Once you've imported the mesh you can convert to a brep.

Mark

[Anonymous]

@Ajay_Kumar_Reddy How do I post to ideas?

[Anonymous]

@HughesTooling 

Maybe I do something wrong when importing STLs, but I always get a wiremesh with tons of faces. When I convert the mesh to Brep, the new body still has the same number of faces which makes it very difficult to edit. See the attached photos for a comparison. With the SCAD>CGS>STP conversion I can push-pull a face to adjust tolerances easily. With the STL imported file, I have to select 27 faces to select the same area and the push-pull function gives me an error that won't allow me to adjust the tolerance.

[Ajay_Kumar_Reddy]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-manage-ideas/idb-p/3

Open this link and post your idea there.

[HughesTooling · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous  The FreeCAD conversions looks like the best workflow. I wonder if FreeCAD is building the part as a brep rather than converting the mesh. Can you share a .CSG file, I'd like to try. You will need to ZIP the file to attach here.

Also please don't attach pictures, you can embed using Insert Photo from the toolbar or just paste from the clipboard. 

Thanks Mark

[Anonymous]

@HughesTooling Sure thing. I added the original .scad file as well. Thanks for tip on the inline photos, that is way better than the attachments.

[mikeC8Z2B]

Multiple reasons why that is not practical. Chiefly because STL is a terrible file format that does not even have units and converting STL to solid body is sketchy at best unless you are talking about very simple geometry.

[wersy]

A fine thing indeed. Unfortunately, there are limits.