Why is F360 so difficult?

[MadManScott]

I've taught myself Photoshop, Gimp, 3d studio max, maya, blender... I've made my own 3d videogames in Unity and Unreal... modeled my own objects for it, textured them, compiled them for android and ios...

but for some reason i cant do anything in fusion 360 but draw boxes and import svg... Is there technical reasons why this software is so impossible?

For example, in any other software if i want to move something, i select the thing i want to move, click the move button/tool/whatever, and i move it.

Not in fusion360.

The move tool doesnt move anything. I've spent hours trying to figure out simply how to move a rectangle and its just not possible. 

I have managed to "twist" things with the move tool. i dont remotely understand how the software thinks i want to do this. Im not using a "twist" tool...

Not to mention this box isnt even centered. I cant figure out how to center it. It would be helpful if i could specify the center in x/y coordinates but i cant find that option.

I have been able to import SVG files, which is the only time i can really move/resize anything. But once i click Okay on that import window, its permanently fixed in that location for all time. I've begun designing my things in inkscape and just importing it to fusion360 so that i can generate basic toolpaths for simple text lettering and things. The CAM side of it is fairly easy... but that doesnt matter much if i cant make anything other than basic lines.

Why are things so difficult in f360? is it some kind of upsell to training classes? I honestly dont understand why i cant just click the move tool, and move something. And its not just moving things. There are a million seemingly simple tasks that i just cant do. No matter how many youtube videos i watch none of it ever works.

Tried the "support and learning" section but i cant access any of that. It tells me to click next. i click next. and its just right back at the main "what would you like to do?" page... I click Start Learning again.... It tells me to  click next... i click next.... back to "what would you like to do?"  hmkay. 

Hell, even trying to manage the saved files is a nightmare. Its impossible to delete anything. What are all these subfolders "master" etc etc for? i dont know.  I have a ****ton of things saved that i would loooove to delete.

Oh, and "G28 Safe Retracts" is a hilarious troll. I zero out x/y/z, retract z a little... hit go.... and ZOOM it rapids the spindle straight down into the piece and tries to rapid the spindle through the work to the beginning point, before retracting and then beginning the proper plunge. WOW!

And im not even talking about rapid'ing the endmill through the material. no, it tries to plunge so deep that my actual spindle would have to penetrate the work. LOL!

The best part of this is its completely hidden toolpath in the previews. It does NOT display this path at all in simulation. Even when i import the resulting gcode into whatever sender software im using, it does NOT show this disaster until im witnessing my machine do it. Thankfully no damage to my spindle or machine, just a broken bit and a destroyed workpiece. But holy! Thats some serious next-level trolling.

Disabled "safe retracts" and now it safely retracts and functions properly. lol. I think whats happening here is when i zero out my Z coordinate, the G28 command is trying to move it to "machine" z0. But, since i just reset my zero axis, this "machine z0" could be DEEEEP into the work piece, further than my machine is even capable of moving.

Avoid G28 retracts at all cost.

WHY?!!??! Has nobody else had this problem? am i missing something wildly obvious for the past 2 months? I dont get it. This software has done nothing but cause waves and waves of frustration and anxiety. I dont think i can deal with this anymore.

[krisloganm]

OMG you are SOOOOOOOO right.  I have been using 3D design software since the 90's, in fact have been using a very large array of content creation software since the 90's.  There has never been a piece of software I couldn't spend a couple of hours with and start producing desired outcomes UNTIL FUSION360.

I have literally spent hours trying to make a copy of a sketch, still can't.  I have watched videos on how to do things (speaking of which why do the videos need to be SOOOOO long, just get to the GD point. A, B, C, done) and options that the videos talk about are missing, or their "How to" just doesn't work.  Likewise, the tutorials are OMG mind-numbingly rubbish.

Then you get so frustrated you go to the forums which is full of elitist tards who don't read the original post fully and then answer with rubbish.  Example of this is in this thread "have you used 3d modelling before".

I got SOOO frustrated trying to do things in Fusion360 that I decided to give FreeCAD a go, bang 10minutes into opening it I was doing what I had spent hours trying to do in F360.

People talk about the F360 way, well that is the problem it's NOT intuative for people coming from almost ANYTHING else.  I don't have the time in the day to spend hours and hours watching tutorials or how to's that are wrong any ways.

I tried, I really, really tried to use F360 as I can see it is very powerfull but O.M.G! it is so arse about and unintuative.

[etfrench]

You're right, it's almost impossible to do good modeling in Fusion 360.

[krisloganm]

The point of the thread and the one I was making as well is not that you can't do fantastic things in Fusion360, it is that it is extremely unintuitive AND that allot of the tutorials are outdated or describe methods that don't work.  Furthermore, you prove my point on people on the forum not actually reading posts correctly.

[etfrench]

Ironically, you seem to have missed the point of my post.  The gallery is full of excellent examples where the authors have spent the time necessary to learn the program.  

Instead of complaining about the program when you don't understand how it works, simply ask on the forum.

[chrisplyler]

Whether or not something is intuitive is subjective. It depends upon the experience of the individual attempting it.

Person A might discover how to perform the task and think, "What the heck? That doesn't make any sense at all." Person B might discover the same thing and think, "Ah, now that makes perfect sense. I should have thought of that in the beginning."

And either way, they both learn something.

[tricklidz]

You sir have hit the nail directly on the head!!

I am a COMPLETE NEWBIE IN 3D CAD design.

I just want to design 3D printed parts which I have been doing for over a year. I've been using TinkerCad for design and have also "bumped up" to it's limitations. But boy....is it simple and fast to use!

I read here about a tutorial that combines TC and F360 together but can't seem to find the link now...anybody?

The frustration level of a beginner learning F360 is off the charts.....and I'm an extremely patient person....but the screaming from my office keeps scaring the grandkids!!

[TheCADWhisperer]

Can you File>Export your *.f3d file to your local drive and then Attach it here to a Reply?

Perhaps the easiest way to clear the hurdles is by using your geometry in example demonstrations.

[TrippyLighting]

Have you tried watching Lars Christensen's Fusion 360 tutorials?

Have you tried the youtube tutorial posted by Product Design Online?

Have you gone through any of the tutorial courses in the Learn and Support Section of this forum?

Have you tried any of the resources in the self-paced learning section available directly through the question mark in Fusion 360?

If you haven't, then I suggest that you don't waste your energy in finding threads with rants but start with one of the links above.

[dieselguy65]

Tinkercad is easy, because of its limits.
No powerful program I've ever used, was "easy" to learn.
I've found fusion360 very intuitive.
Have you tried solidworks or blender?

I've a license for SW, and honestly after hours in front of it, and many
tutorials I haven't completed one part using it.

Fusion I sat down, and 30 minutes later had my cnc router cutting parts
designed in fusion360

[shahriarsifat1802164]

Hi,
Actually it's not that difficult as you described. My suggestion would be if you try to learn from the beginning it will help you to understand the basic tools and amazing shortcuts.
Thank you

[kevinwilcox46]

I have to admit, I've ended up on this page for the same reason as the OP. Frustration, frustration, frustration and hunting round for what I think someone here has called the 'easy' button. This is the second or third time I've tried to learn enough F360 in order to be able to go beyond TinkerCad and once again, after watching several excellent youtube tutorials, I'm struggling to do even the most simple things that are utterly easy in tinkercad. Which is why I'll go back to that once again for my immediate needs and maybe see if there's something more intuitive than F360. For instance, if I sketch out a rectangle, then add couple of circles overlapping the ends, to make a 'banister' shaped item, I then go round and round in loops trying to figure out why I can't seem to alter the dimensions, or why F360 thinks I want to draw an arc instead of a straight line, and so on. Something that I learned how to do in under 15 minutes in Tinkercad. I'm not looking for answers here, I completely appreciate that this is simply a question of learning how to use the software to the point where I understand the operating concepts. But boy is this heavy going. I don't mind it doing weird things, know that with time and practice I'd overcome that. Nor do I at all mind having to work hard at learning how do make more complex shapes and objects. What I mind is that it's so hard to logic out why it unexpectedly does this or that and, therefore, what I logically need to do differently. Right now it feels like being a visitor in another country and having to learn the whole language in order to just buy a loaf of bread.

[TheCADWhisperer]

---

@kevinwilcox46 wrote:

1.  For instance, if I sketch out a rectangle, then add couple of circles overlapping the ends, to make a 'banister' shaped item, I then go round and round in loops trying to figure out why I can't seem to alter the dimensions,

2. ...or why F360 thinks I want to draw an arc instead of a straight line...

---

@kevinwilcox46 

1. And this is your first question here?  You should have started asking questions at the first sign of trouble and Attach your *.f3d file here that exhibits the issue.

2. In Fusion, (and in Inventor and in SolidWorks) when you click and drag the line command automatically turns to arc.  This an enhanced tool.  If you want a line do click click for the endpoints rather than click and drag.

[conjured2018]

Hi Madmanscott,

I dont like folks saying your ignorant. Not good decorum.

I been using fusion for 8 months now. Getting started doing simple things was hard. I looked at youtube vids yet still did not grasp.

A friend suggested the training which is offered on linkedin. I joined and found fusion training sessions. These sessions were done by pros that teach for a living. The training was terrific and my eyes finally opened to how to use the tool.

I recommend looking into linkedin training,

BTW one silly thing i learned is everything needs a sketch and sketches can not be done in space. Offset planes and planes on an angle were key to getting things done.

you are not ignorant, just a wee bit frustrated. I been there.

Best to you, JR

[kevinwilcox46]

.... and a couple of months later I’m finding F360 just about exactly what I was hoping for, and extraordinarily powerful. There are lots of quirks and a few things you have to work around, but if you can measure it, you can make it. I’d point to two very useful tutorial sources; Kevin Kennedy, he explains things very well; and a set of articles in DIYODE, an Australian hobby magazine.

[Anonymous]

Excellent explanation, those restrain concepts have to be clear in your head in order to be able to work or you will find things work randomly with out knowing why.

[Anonymous]

I have watched Lars so many flipping times and I am still struggling with that intro learning curve and yeah, and the "basic training" samples make no **** sense whatsoever. 

[kevinwilcox46]

Try the DIYODE tutorials, they made it a lot easier for me. Funny thing is, I had completely forgotten how difficult I found F360 in the first 2 or 3 weeks.

[conjured2018]

I been using for a couple years and it is rare when all is nice and easy. couple of helpers for me:

Learn about planes in construct drop down. the offset and the angle. with these tools one can place sketches right where needed. this has helped me. JR

[491465]

1

[Anonymous]

It's not difficult, it just needs to think I'm the real piece you are
trying to draw not on the "drawing you want to achieve" just get out of the
"drawing board" and try to reproduce the 3D piece that you have in your
mind, with that idea as your goal you will achieve a better understanding
of the F360.
Regards
Marcelo Cabello