Shell command comparison to other CAD programs?

[henry.harvey]

Hello,

I'm working on a model that requires a 4mm wall thickness. I'm finding it very difficult to shell anything with seemingly moderate complexity. I've tried creating directly from the sculpt workspace and I've tried many different construction methods such as trimming and stitching surfaces to create solids. The attached screenshot is made from several extrusions and a sweep cut to create the smaller edge that encircles the part. It won't shell and it is a slightly simplified version of what I'm really trying to achieve. I can make adjustments to my model to get it to shell but this takes me further from what I'm trying to achieve.

My question is; how does Fusions shelling capability compare to other parametric CAD programs? It appears to me that most of my attempts are theoretically able to be shelled but it the consensus is that Fusions shelling tool is pretty decent then I'll have to reevaluate my build method.

Thanks for your time.

[laughingcreek]

That body should shell just fine, there is likly some underlying issue with the model, can you post it here?  Have you tried much smaller shell thickness values?

[TrippyLighting]

I agree with @laughingcreek, this should shell just fine. A model would help to verify.

[chrisplyler]

Depending on the thickness of your "lid" shape and the overhang it has, there is some minimum and maximum value of the shell thickness that will allow Fusion to successfully do the math of getting around that corner into the main body.

This isn't in metric, and I have no idea what your dimensions are, but just look at the values I use relatively...

[chrisplyler]

Also...

Even if you're just shelling a simple shape - as I represent here by shelling from the back face - above a certain value of wall thickness those inside radii are going to disappear, and I don't think the Shell command is smart enough to guess at your intended solution.

[henry.harvey]

Yes I have tried various values right down to 0.1mm. I should of mentioned that my model is approximately 330mm by 200 by 130, which I now realize is important information when I say I want a 4mm wall thickness. I might be able to post a model that is similar to what I'm working on, I'll look into it. Re my original post I'm still interested to know how Fusions shell command compares to other software. I've spent quite some time on Inventor, Creo, Solidworks and Geomagic/Alibre in the past but I can't remember how robust their shelling tools were.

[henry.harvey]

Hi Chris, thanks for your screencast. I should have mentioned overall model size, approx 320mm by 200 by 130. I hadn't used a construction method quite like yours in the past, and yes my model does shell when I copy your method but it doesn't have a sweep which is creating the draft I need.

When I use the sweep command instead of the split tool, the shell will fail, I assume due to the increased complexity of the edge. (See attached image). As I mentioned in my original post, I've constructed my model many different ways and I was really angling for more of a general comment on Fusion's shell command robustness. 

[TrippyLighting · Accepted solution]

I can answer that. It isn’t as robust as the Shell tool in other CAD systems. I’ve been able to easily shell a number of gaeometries in ZW3D that Fusion 360 refused to shell.