Export Process Improvements

[mikahb]

Whether to order machined parts or to 3D print parts, I'm constantly exporting.  There are a few things that seem like minor changes that would be really nice upgrades for those of us (I expect I'm not alone) who are constantly taking the output of our Fusion work into other workflows.

1. Export dialog should remember last selection.  It DOES remember output location, but it doesn't remember selected file type.  Nor, in the instance of a Configured Design, does it remember the selection of "Configured Design" vs. "Active Configuration."  I've only ever once exported an f3d to help someone out, it's almost always STEP for me and I have to select it every.  Single.  Time.  Also, if you are exporting a configured design, when you select "Active Configuration" it resets the file name to just the name of the Configuration.  A much more logical approach would be to concatenate the Design Name and the Config name.
2. It would be really nice if I could export a Body, not just a Design.  I thought this used to be available, but now on a Body I can only "Save as Mesh" but no other way to export.  Yes, I can switch on and off the bodies and export the design multiple times, but just exporting a body would be ideal.

[karina.harper]

Hi @mikahb 

Thanks for posting. There's a few requests here so I'll try and break them down:

1. Export dialogs should remember last used file type (STEP, f3d..)
   1. I actually find this behavior already in Fusion. If I export a STEP (I think you have to actually export it, not just select 'step'), it defaults to STEP next time I export. I do notice that after restarting Fusion, it defaults back to .f3d. 
   2. This makes me think it might be nice to have a "default export type" rather than remembering the last selection? Do you have a preference between the two?
2. Configurations export should remember last used selection (config vs. CD) and type
   1. In my quick test, this does not remember the last used type like regular export does. Certainly a bug here.
3. Configuration export should default to CD Name: Configuration Name
4. Allow Body export 
   1. We do allow Component Export to .f3d/step/iges - I think the reason under the hood why we have this is because we have the ability to create an .f3d out of a component (which includes the timeline). 

Cheers,

Karina

[mikahb]

Thanks for the reply Karina.

To your questions:

- For my workflow, default export settings would be idea.  I export STEP files >95% of the time and only .f3d files when I'm trying to help someone out.  But I suspect that my workflow is neither the only important one nor even necessarily the most common.  So it could well be that having all the fields in the dialog retain their last-used value (including across restarts) would be perfectly fine.

- My note about Body exports (explicitly not Component) is because when I do things like design a silicone part mold that is two halves, it's going to be one component (it's just a Split!) but to export it correctly for 3D printing or manufacturing, I have to turn off one body at a time, save, then export.  Yes, I could create another component but that seems an odd workaround for something I already can accomplish because a "Body" contains all the 3D information needed to produce the output (as evidenced by hiding/showing them doing just that).  More of a convenience thing, but I suspect I'm not the only one who would use it.

These are relatively minor things, but I think implementing them would be relatively minor as well.

[karina.harper]

Thank you  @mikahb !

One thought on this:

but to export it correctly for 3D printing or manufacturing, I have to turn off one body at a time, save, then export. 

I have noticed STEP (recently?) become the standard for 3D printing, as slicers are accepting BREP bodies now. Would you agree with that? Would one acceptable solution (or additional behavior) be to include STEP export in our '3d print' command, that would send a BREP to the slicer?

Cheers,

Karina

[mikahb]

Not sure - I've never tried or used the 3D Printing command because all I need is the STEP file and the rest of my workflow (including loading project settings) happens in the slicer.  I'll check it out this weekend and provide some thoughts.

[karina.harper]

Thanks @mikahb , I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Also what slicer do you use?

Karina

[karina.harper]

@mikahb 

FYI I went ahead and logged all of the improvements as I listed them out above. 

Cheers,

Karina