Helices

[pblase]

I've been trying to solve a problem that involves sweeping a shape along a helix. Apparently, from searching these forums, a lot of other people have similar problems. However, there is no generic helix generator available in Fusion 360, only a coil generator, which generates a body, not a line.

A helix line generator seems like a trivial thing to add, since it must already exist for for the coil generator! Just bring it out to the user interface. This would be most useful for things like spiral tracks for locking lugs and partial threads that don't follow a standard thread type.

Also, if I might make a request: the coil generator (and presumably the line generator behind it) allows many ways of specifying a helix . What would be useful is if one could specify a helix using an axis and two points (each the same distance from the axis, of course) that the helix must go through.

[jhackney1972]

The Coil command can be used to create the Helix path you desire.  The Screencast will explain.

[jeff_strater]

"A helix line generator seems like a trivial thing to add, since it must already exist for for the coil generator" 

Unfortunately, it is far from trivial.  The only place for curves to exist in Fusion is in a sketch.  For a helix curve to be useful in the sketch environment, you have to be able to create sketch constraints to it (coincident, tangent, normal, etc).  And, this is where the problem is.  Yes, there is code in the Fusion modeling kernel to generate a helical path based on some parameters, that part is easy.  But, integrating it into the sketch environment, that is not so easy.

Yes, this would be a great feature to have, and it is on our roadmap.  However, so far it has not risen to the level where it could be funded.  If more people had this request, the likelihood of it getting implemented would go up.

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

Here is another way to generate a Helix using a Surface Sweep.  Screencast will explain.

[saeid.kheirandish]

This looks like the simplest way to do it! Thanks John!