Materials Library for commonly used design components

[Anonymous]

I currently use Geomagic Design as my 3D and 2D Cad package but I am very keen to switch to Fusion 360. I also utilise Keyshot to render my designs but I prefer to use Fusion 360 to render because the renderings somehow are more in  line with what I perceive as being a good look for my use.

One of the key features in Keyshot that I cannot find in Fusion360 is the custom materials configuration library.

This works as follows:

1. Create a custom library of materials based on common components

2. Assign a material to each common compnent

3. Save custom library

Open a design to render, open the custom library and select 'apply materials to full design.

This then assigns the same material to all of the common components in the design, which is a massive time saver.

For instance, a standard component used in my designs is v-slot profiles (you can see this at my website robocutters.co.uk) in Keyshot I can assign a material to v-slot (satin aluminium material) so that when I select the custom library and apply the materials to my design, then ALL of the V-Slot profiles have the satin aluminium applied to them.

Another example is that I have Low Profile screws in my design that vary in length so I can assign a material to all of these even though in the design they will be labelled with different names by using a wildcard asterisk, for example I may have Low Profile M5 x 8mm, Low Profle M5 x 16mm, Low Profile M5 x 25mm and so on, with Keyshot I can assign a material to these screws such as 'Low Profile*' and them again ALL the screws can be rendered with the same material.

I can assign a screencast to demonstrate this procedure if necessary.

My question is: Does this feature exist in Fusion360?

Thanks

[Pedro_Bidarra]

When you create a component in a a design you can assign a material and appearance you can then 'export' it as a new design to be incorporated as a 'linked component' in new designs. This isolated component used in many different Designs retains all the materials and appearances that you first assigned to it.

I hope that answers your question.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate the quick reply, but that is not quite what I am looking for.

I am aware I can import and save individual components with material applied to them to use when creating a new model, but I have literally hundreds of commonly used components so to import and save each one would take months.

What I require is to import a full CNC Kit model as a .STP file, and then use the materials / render application to render that full model, but, to do so the easy way, not the hard way. So basically assign a material to a common component once, and then apply the library so that ALL of the same components regardless of the full design component name are rendered at the same time. Again as an example I may have v-slot 1000mm, v-slot 1500mm, v-slot 250mm. Currently I have to drag the satin aluminium material to at least one of each of those parts to allow all of the related parts to render with the same material. Which is not too time consuming because there are few of these parts on each model.

BUT when I import another model I have to start the whole process again because i cannot save a custom library based on the previous model. I have dozens of models so to do this 'manually' for each one would again take too long when there should be a similar feature to that ised in Keyshot to assign materials based on the component part name.

This same custom library could then be used to render all of my current models.

It seems to me a very useful tool that could be added to Fusion360 if it does not exist.

[Pedro_Bidarra]

A linked component can be a full design made by numerous components itself, i.e. your full CNC Kit model can be a linked component in a new design.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I can't see how this would help on my current files. I don't have a problem with new models.

[Pedro_Bidarra]

New features suggestion/requests: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/ideastation-request-a-feature-or/idb-p/125