Why can't I find how to do a simple helix?

[Anonymous]

I gave up on Fusion 360 about a year and a half ago, and am taking a crack at it again starting today.  I have been using AutoCAD LT for 20 years, and am extremely frustrated at the learning curve in Fusion 360 for simple things.  After a couple of hours I was able to get the triangular rotor drawn as shown below.  Unfortunately, this rotor has a 60 degree "twist" or helix in it.  I have been googling for the past 4 hours trying to find out why I can't perform a simple transformation to do the angular offset of one of the faces.  One of the videos that I found had some absurd music overlay with no narration showing what was actually happening, and another was of such low resolution that I could not read the menus.

Please tell me that I am overlooking something very obvious on how to transform an extrusion like this to show that it has a helix.  After looking at many demos of the "T-spline" functions and many other capabilities of Fusion 360, I can't believe that a fundamental feature like "helix" is not present here.  Thanks for any help you can provide.

[CarlFrischmuth]

did you try to use coil?

[CarlFrischmuth]

Id like better 3d helical paths for sweeping sketches along too but that wont be around until 2025.

although not exactly the same geometry as your part, there are some interesting methods described in the solution on this thread where they make a coil and delete the faces of it in patch tools and then use project include to generate a clean 3d helical path

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-validate-document/thicken-cut-of-a-helical-surface-makes-faces...

[etfrench]

This thread presents one way of creating a helix as a 3d spline which can then be used to create your part.  I would use the Plane Along Path method to create the final form.

[Anonymous]

It's not so difficult actually. You need the profile, one center line perpendicular to profile, and second line as a guide line for helix, that you can get from coil edge. After the sweep you'll get this:

[TrippyLighting · Accepted solution]

If you want a helix you have to use the "Create->Sweep" tool with a path and guide rail. Model is attached.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much, Trippy for the detailed screen cam, and grandag for giving me some direction on this.  Although the process seems a little convoluted, at least it looks possible.  I will not be able to get time to work on this until tomorrow night at the earliest, but will definitely report back with my results then.  Thanks!

D.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Trippy for the great screen cam of how to do a "loft along path."  I finally got some time tonight to look over this piece by piece and after lots of slow progress, finally got the helix sorted out, and added the other features of the rotor to the model.  

Thanks also to Carl and GrAndAG for providing additional pieces to the puzzle.  The attached screen grab shows the results of my work.  

I was held up on completed this by getting side tracked into the CAM section of Fusion.  I was actually able to successfully make a good part last night, after much trial and error!  With the help of all of you in the community, it looks like I have moved past a standstill and am now on my way.  My mind is still boggled by all the capabilities of Fusion 360, and It will probably take me years to learn half of it!  Thanks again,

D.