Additive Machine and Print Settings Confusing

[AeroNib]

I've been trying to work with Fusion 360 additive manufacturing to simplify my workflow, and there are a lot of confusing aspects to the way machine and print settings are handled. Not in that I can't figure out what it's doing, but it seems needlessly complicated in some regards while leaving out critical features.

My biggest issue right now is the difference between local and document settings. When you select a local machine or print settings, it copies it to the document. When you're editing settings, the UI does not make it clear if you're editing the "local" settings or the "document" settings. If you edit the local print settings and re-select it for the document, it keeps creating new copies in the document that you can't delete. When you re-select a machine from the library, it sets the print settings back to some default that seems arbitrary and not controlled by the user.

Another is that settings in the print settings also have separate toolbar buttons and windows to control (e.g. supports) that, in my opinion, don't belong in print settings because they're not specific to a material or machine configuration.

The worst I've encountered recently is that sometimes when re-selecting a local print setting, it doesn't seem to reliably always apply to the document. I had a local print setting with nozzle and bed temperature at 200 and 0 deg C, but when I selected it, the "document" copy was at 220 and 0, which I only caught by checking the g-code after post.

I know these are a few different issues that probably belong in different threads, but it seems that additive manufacturing issues are largely burred under the subtractive CAM threads, or get no replies, or aren't taken seriously. I really really really want Fusion 360 additive manufacturing to work, but some fundamental issues with the workflow, reliability, and lack of important features (custom start/end g-code in print settings?) are making this an extremely frustrating process.

[tim.wallsXFXNQ]

Indeed.  I mean it's nice to see that I'm not the only person actually trying to use F360 additive, because God knows it feels like that on these forums, but sadly I have to concur with all points.

The usability issues are all real, but they are overshadowed by the fact that additive in F360 is fundamentally barely at beta quality.  I could deal with bad UI if it actually worked, but there are glaring bugs with infills that generate impossible toolpaths, components that disappear into space and then crash F360 entirely when you try and place them on the print table (I must have sent a dozen crash reports into the ether,) to just generating really bad toolpaths that produce terribly quality output (see the report in this thread not just of what is wrong in one case, but what they actually need to do to fix it, that has been dutifully ignored for three weeks now...)  And absolutely no sign that Autodesk care one iota about it.

I'm about ready to give up and switch back to Cura, which is a real shame because F360 has the potential to really streamline workflow.  But it's kinda super disheartening that more attention is paid to pacifying non-paying customers moaning about what they do or don't get for free to control their CNC lathe than is paid to glaring epic-fail bugs reported by paying customers of additive...

[thomas.stock]

Hi @AeroNib,

I understand your frustration with this, we should have made it clearer.

Editing/creating new print settings within the print settings library will be updated/saved within your Print settings Local/Cloud library.
So this covers accessing the print settings library either when creating a setup or directly under the "manage" tab in the ribbon.

From the moment you have selected a print settings and clicked "ok", this print setting then enters the "Document", and any edits via the 'prints settings editor' takes place within the "Document". 

Going back into a setup to edit your print settings will take you back to the 'prints settings library', and so changes you make there will only be in cloud/local - up until you re-select that print setting for the setup. Then you changes will then "save" into Document.

It might seem confusing, but the benefit of this is that any changes you make to your print settings are always saved within "Document" and so theoretically you can always go back and re-use settings that worked well before you changed them.

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"Another is that settings in the print settings also have separate toolbar buttons and windows to control (e.g. supports) that, in my opinion, don't belong in print settings because they're not specific to a material or machine configuration"

Understood, but they can be, especially if you print with fickle support materials like PVA, then often you really do need specific settings for it since it prints very differently to model materials.

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"The worst I've encountered recently is that sometimes when re-selecting a local print setting, it doesn't seem to reliably always apply to the document. I had a local print setting with nozzle and bed temperature at 200 and 0 deg C, but when I selected it, the "document" copy was at 220 and 0, which I only caught by checking the g-code after post."

Hmmm, I have not found the same... could it be that you edited the document print settings to 200 deg C and not the local print settings?

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"I really really really want Fusion 360 additive manufacturing to work, but some fundamental issues with the workflow, reliability, and lack of important features (custom start/end g-code in print settings?) are making this an extremely frustrating process."

Thank you for bringing these issues up @AeroNib , we really are working to keep improving Fusion and bring it up to the level that everyone wants it to be at.

[serge.quiblier]

Hello @AeroNib 

will only give you answer on the post part of your message.

I have informed the developpers to look at the print settings problems.

Considering changes to the program start/end, there is 2 possibles ways.

First one, you are using a cps file that you can edit.

You can have a look at the FAQ for guidance toward, tools, manuals, reference on how to modify a post.

Follow this link

You can alternatively use an addin created some times ago, for this purpose.

From Fusion, go to the Fusion 360 App Store

You can alternatively use an addin created some times ago, for this purpose.

From Fusion, go to the Fusion 360 App Store.

And download an addin that can help you set some elements in the post without modifying a post in javascript.

This addin is called Additive fff post configurator.

To run the addin

An view of the configurator:

I hope one of these solutions will suit your needs.

Regards.

[thomas.stock]

Hi @tim.wallsXFXNQ 

I'm sorry you feel like that. If you are referring to this issue when you mention a 3 week wait, then I apologise on behalf of the additive team for not getting back to you:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-manufacture/additive-bad-toolpaths-for-solid-infill-in-con...

Thank you for bring this to our attention, and we have noted this issue and will implement a fix in a future release!

I will also comment this on that forum post as well