Importing Image as Attached Canvas

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I recently played with the ability to import a canvas as an attached canvas. However Fusion 360 does not import the image at full size. I want to have the image displayed at full size so that if an object is 2" x 8" in real life that when I go to use the sketch tools to recreate that object prior to extruding that I get its actual dimensions. Is this possible?

I could get the x & y pixel size of the image but I don't know how to use that in Fusion.

Anyway this would help with some curves on a part that I am trying to model.

Cheers!

[HughesTooling · Accepted solution]

The way to do this is import your picture then start a sketch, draw a line between 2 point you know the distance between and add a dimension.

In the example above the dimension is 4.363 and I need it to be 47.5. Exit the sketch then edit the canvas in the XY scale box enter the size the distance should be divided by the measured dimension.

Edit the sketch delete the old line and draw a new line between the 2 points and measure.

Mark.

[jeff_strater · Accepted solution]

this method works great, @HughesTooling.  The other method is to use the Calibrate command, specifically intended for Canvases.  Select the Canvas in the browser, right-click, and choose Calibrate.  Then, pick two points on the image that you know the distance of, and enter the known value.  It works pretty well, in my usage:

Jeff Strater (Fusion development)

[HughesTooling]

Thanks, I hadn't noticed that option under canvas, that's a lot easier!. I've used the method I posted in a few other programs and didn't think to look for a built in command.

Mark

[Anonymous]

@HughesTooling and @jeff_strater both solutions are amazing and helped to solve the issue. What if I was sent an image of a item that I did not know the dimensions to, is there a way to do this as well? Worst case I load up Photoshop and measure the item to use in Fusion.

[Anonymous]

Hello @jeff_strater,

How can you be sure your points are precisely located ?

I tried this method, but it's (for me) dangerous

There is no automatic snapping for canvas corners or center, for example, which would be good start if png file is well prepared.

The idea is interesting and promising though, and I made a video to let you rapidly understand the limits of this solution, especially without some automatic snapping.

I would like to mention also an easy update which is surprisingly missing : set dimensions directly in Attached Canvas window

We have distance and scale, but as explained another user, to know the scale you first have to import once, mesure, calculate ratio, delete, then reimport.

This is precise (well, actually not - watch screen capture video “calibrate_sketch”), but setting dimensions would be just way more obvious and quicker 😉

Best regards

[jeff_strater]

Yes, you are correct - there is no snapping in the Calibrate command, and yes, this can make it difficult to precisely scale a canvas.  It would be a good enhancement, I agree.

Jeff

[chaddivine]

I am having this issue with trying to add a second canvas image. The first image shows up fine but when I try to place a second it just does nothing. I'm guessing this is not yet a built in feature to add a second much a third canvas for top, side, front references? I suppose a work around is to work on the top then remove the top, add in the side, then front so on. then as needed return to the point at which I added the top and model from there and so forth. I would certainly like to see this fixed.  

[JBerns]

I was using the Attached Canvas today when I noticed some unusual behavior of the Scale options.

This post made me aware of the Calibrate tool, but I thought I would ask others about this behavior.

The initial value for Scale X and Scale Y is 1. I changed each to 2 and the image doubled in size as expected.

I changed the value back to 1, but the image did not reduce to its original size (scale).

I again set the value of 2 for each scale factor and the image doubled again from its already doubled scale.

These Scales do not appear to be absolute values. Instead, it multiples the image from its current size. Since the image was now at 4X scale, values of 0.25 restored it back to its original scale. The same behavior applies to the Scale Plane XY option. Even the Distance options are accumulative instead of absolute. Is this the behavior the developers intended?

Again, I understand the Calibrate tool is the better way to adjust the image to a known size. It just seemed unusual.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to the replies.

Regards,

Jerry