Kia Ora
I've been using Solidworks with HSMWorks for 6 years now on the big projects to machine large nested assemblies. I also use Fusion for small design & machining jobs. Therefor I'm very aware of the amazing new functionality in fusion HSM that are sadly not trickling down into HSMWorks! And not having Tabs has been a ball ache for years. I've gotten good at using check surfaces as a work around but if there's no suitable geometry on the part to use as a "check surface tab" then I end up modeling it which is slow. And the selection features in fusion have come a long way! I Wish to machine my parametric assemblies in Fusion.
This got me back into research mode that surely there's a better way and I discovered the possibility of uploading my solid works nested assembly of parts to be machined, into a Fusion team, via the fusion desktop connector.
Theoretically maintaining the parametric link from the native Solidworks file. This is a really exciting possibility that I have proven to work!...Sometimes...Its very fickle! but on some test assemblies that I've done with dual set ups the toolpaths have stuck and adjusted to the geometry changes! even a sketch in fusion that drives a WCS for the second operation adjusted to the parametric changes of the assembly!
I'm on windows 11 and have found that a re-boot was initially required for the desktop connector to show anything on it's home screen. However it still has some issues. The trouble shooting option in the home screen dropdown is permanently greyed out and so I'm un able to scan for un-synced files and prompt it to sync. It's also missing a few other buttons on the DC homescreen dropdown that all the tutorial videos seem to have but maybe thats because half of the tutorials are for DC Docs Rather than DC Fusion...?
And that's the main issue! I can update a file in solidworks from the desktop connector file manager and save it again. The Desktop connector file manager will show the icons for pending because the files have been updated but it won't auto sync and upload to Fusion Teams and I have no efficient reliable way of manually prompting the sync to occur.
Sometimes after closing & re opening the desktop connector, or selecting "work offline" and then going back online-many times it might suddenly sync and update and prove that there is hope. But I can't waste half a day trying to jog the bloody thing into syncing every time I need to make a quick adjustment to the native model whilst tool pathing a whole sheet of complex parts.
For some reason in my fusion Team (photo attached) it looks as though it doesn't know that I have the desktop connector installed already? Do I need to link it somehow? you will see on the dropdown when I click on my profile it has a prompt to install the desktop connector? Is this a normal thing to see? i've closed all programs and re-booted to give everything a chance to get up to date with each other.
There is massive potential here for Solidworks users to machine there parametric parts and assemblies in fusion with the ability to use tabs!! And all of the new fusion features in fusion CAM (or "manufacturing" or "Fusion HSM" Whatever they call it these Days) and for years on these forums there has been talk of HSMWorks being phased out. It might get bug fixes still but no new features and certainly not tabs! and lets face it I personally have sunk weeks into trying to get Camworks (solidworks cam) do do my bidding each year with each update with little successes. here's an info link for those HSMworks users interested in looking into this:
Any solid information around this from an experienced user or Autodesk guru would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers team!
Dan
