Trouble cutting shape in flat sheet

[ewandivitt]

I am trying to draw out a shape and have it be cut out of a sheet of brass. The goal is to mill the outline of the part so I can use the inner shape, in the same way that having a punch/die would create a metal disc/shape.

I figured I would draw the shape I wanted, then use the sketch/offset tool to thicken it to the size of the endmill I would be cutting with, and then I would place the shape on a drawing of the 4x6 sheet brass I plan to cut it from and using the press/pull tool with the 'cut' option, I would be able to cut the outline of the shape I wanted in to the sheet object.

However, Fusion won't let me press/pull the shape. When I click press/pull, the offset faces option box comes up.

Here is a photo of what I have done so far:

I am very new to CAD/CAM, and I am finding things a bit less than intuitive for the things I am drawing out, despite watching just about every video and webinar I can get my hands on.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[jeff_strater · Accepted solution]

Hi @ewandivitt, welcome to Fusion.  Don't worry - you'll catch on quickly, and it'll seem easier as you go.

For this problem, it's a bit hard to say without having the model itself.  But, it looks, from the screen shot as if you extruded the shape in between the offsets.  If you rotate the model, does it have thickness?  If so, that would explain why Press/Pull sends you to the Offset command.  If you want this shape to have thickness, you can still achieve your goal, by using Extrude directly, and selecting the back face of that shape:

Second, you can use that shape exactly like you would a punch, using the Combine command:

But, I suspect that you really didn't mean for that shape to have thickness.  Is that true?  If so, delete the Extrude feature that created that, and it will remove that, then you can make the sketch visible and just use Press/Pull or Extrude to cut the shape.

Hope this helps, feel free to post follow-up questions.

Jeff Strater (Fusion development)

[Anonymous]

Press/Pull isn't really an operation so much as a shortcut to another operation depending on the selected geometry. The Offset Faces dialog is appearing because you've selected a face and Press/Pull will simply move (offset) that face relative to it's current position. If you rotate the view, you'll see a blue arrow that will let you move the face. But, you will still not get the functionality you are looking for. For that, you will need to use the Extrude or Combine commands as Jeff explained.

As a side note @jeff_strater, any idea why the command is called Combine? Boolean would make more sense, since it also does Cut (subtraction).

[jeff_strater]

@Anonymous: Ha ha, I can answer that one, although it may get me in trouble...

Originally, Fusion was targeted at a different market.  A much less CAD-savvy audience.  Some members of the team thought that "Boolean" sounded too complex and too "mathematical" for this target audience.  So, "Combine" was chosen.  I thought that was stu..  er, I politely disagreed with that decision.  BTW, this is also why the T-Splines workspace is called "Sculpt", and the surface workspace is called "Patch", and probably some other things that I'm forgetting.

Jeff

[ewandivitt]

Thanks for the help guys.

I was able to cut the shapes out using the methods above.

When I try to generate a toolpath in the CAM section, the only function that works is the engrave function. Every other option seems to give me a no valid toolpath error, no matter what options I mess with.

Should I use the pocket command, or the 2d slot command?

My plan is to mill out a tool plate from aluminium with the pattern in it, and then bolt my brass sheet down to it and run the program again so the brass sheet is supported. I'm not sure the best tool for the job, but I have a 1/8 ball nose end mill that I think should be fine. If not, I will purchase something more appropriate.

Here is a link to the file http://a360.co/1IJ429O 

I would love it if Fusion said WHY there is no valid toolpath, so troubleshooting could be a bit smoother.

Also, as one of the people new to CAD/CAM, I do appreciate the dumbing down of the language. It does help me understand what the functions are. Maybe there could be an option to switch the nomenclature to the more technical, proper names in the preferences.

Once again, thanks for the help and Happy New Year to everyone.

[Anonymous]

You will probably find better help in the CAM section of the forum, but I think what you should have done is model only the component you want to make. Then in the CAM interface, pattern the component, select the stock size, generate tool paths, etc. I don't have much experience with CAM, but I'm sure someone in the CAM forum will be able to tell you the best way to do what you are trying to do. Make sure you let them know what tooling is available to you because that may affect how things need to be done.