How do I print out a sketch?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

What's the best way to go about printing out a sketch on a regular inkjet printer to scale?

[Anonymous]

I must be doing something wrong.

IN DRAWING MODE AFTER IMPORTING FROM DESIGN:

If I turn OFF the Body and turn ON the Sketch there is nothing left on the page, just a red square. I would've assumed the sketch would be there.

Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

I've found the same as 'thewit'.After creating a drawing from design turning off all the components, turning on all the sketches I'm also left with a red square.

I create a new sketch, no bodies, and managed to get that to appear on the drawing, but like another user found it's a broken line and you have to reapply dimensions on the drawing.

I think what most of us were expecting to be able to do is a simple print of the sketch we are working on, we don't feel the need to have to create a body, create a drawing and reapply dimensions, I do not feel the need to create a drawing from a sketch. before I can export it to PDF and then print. That's 3 steps rather than 1.

There are some forum members who don't see our needs as being valid and argue against the idea, please offer us solutions for what we want to do, but please remember some of want this functionality and are entitled to ask for it.

Now that the functionality has been created we are going to offer constructive criticism and identify issues.

[mishrani]

Hi thetwit,

The orientation of drawing views can also affect visibility of sketches. The view should be in a way that sketch is visible.

For e.g, In the drawing view mentioned in the following link -

http://help.autodesk.com/view/fusion360/ENU/?guid=GUID-F8A74139-8058-43D1-B17B-5451149301AD

the sketch will be visible for the FRONT view, but will not be there if the orientation of view is TOP. For TOP orientation, a red square representing an empty view will be there.

Can you please verify if the orientation of your view is the reason why you are seeing an red square ?

Also, When turning on the sketches from the browser, make sure to open the "Sketches" browser node to check if the visibility of the individual sketches is also ON.

[Anonymous]

I am really excited about this new feature, but here are a few things I can't figure out...

1)  There appears to be no ability to turn sketches on or off from the drawing view that I can see. So how do you turn them on or off?

2) When sketching something out, I do not need a product until I am sure the sketch is correct. So it tells me I cant create a drawing of a sketch without having a body?

3)  and THE #1 most important issue.. What percent is the sketch drawn at? If it is not 100% plus or minus Zero, the whole exercise is a waste of time.

If I am just dense and not able to figure this out, my apologies, but I think we are not clear on what is supposed to happen so I want to re-iterate the need for this feature and why...

Not everyone has multi-gazillion dollar CNC machines. MANY of us get sheets of steel, draw patterns on that steel, then cut each piece individually. We start with flat sheets, tape our paper patterns on the steel. These patterns not only have the shape we need, but they also have dots where holes are to be drilled. After taping this paper pattern on the steel, we draw around the pattern and we also punch through the pattern to permanently mark the holes. After cutting and then drilling the holes, we build the rest of our design. It may require spacers, or other pieces that go together. WE LOVE OUR FUSION 360 for this!  But FOR THE LOVE OF GOD why cant we just print out the sketch? There is not one other 3D program out there that doesn't have the Print Sketch function front and center. Why? Because its the foundation that everything else is created on. Please, help me get this feature working. I am a loyal supporter and hold out hope that whoever makes the decisions around there also understands the actual material they are trying to cover. We need this badly! We cant grow our businesses into large enough businesses to afford CNC if we are left behind. 

[Anonymous]

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@mishrani wrote:

Hi thetwit,

The orientation of drawing views can also affect visibility of sketches. The view should be in a way that sketch is visible.

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Thank you, I now understand.

However, I did not get a "Home" orientation on the drawing when the sketch was at "Home". I was however able to get a TOP view in the drawing?

Also, is it possible to get the dimensions of the sketch transferred to the drawing automatically? It seems a bit pointless otherwise (meaning that you have to "re-dimension" the drawing again).

Thanks

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[Anonymous]

Just thought I would bump this up, as there are still a few things left hanging that would be nice to have answered from the previous two posts.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

It is now 2018, 3 years later. How is it that you still can't print a sketch! ?

[Anonymous]

To really get to the point - it is just plain Stupid not to have a Print sketch command! I no longer use Fusion 360.

Present this to Autodesk  CEO and see what he says.

[etfrench]

If you're not using it, why post?  You're not going to find better 3dCAD and CAM programs for the price.

I don't have any problems making a screenshot of a sketch, then printing it.  With a little more work, you can make a drawing.

[Anonymous]

Ok, I'll bite 🙂

I am using it, and am still dumbfounded at some of the absurd inadequacies of the product.

You may like to have a workflow of "make a screenshot of a sketch, then printing it.  With a little more work, you can make a drawing." But many (most?) have better things to do with their design time.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

@Anonymous: You should have one thing in mind.: IMHO a sketch is not designed to contain high detailed information nor it's design to be printed. You're using (abusing?) it in a way and because of this you have to live with some pitfalls. That's the behavior of a workaround 😉

[Anonymous]

I guess it depends on your definition of "some" pitfalls

[lichtzeichenanlage]

It mostly depends on the tolerance level of the user and the level of abusing the system...

[TrippyLighting]

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@etfrench wrote:

If you're not using it, why post? 

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Troll ?

[Anonymous]

Level of abuse of the system? lol If a piece of s/w can be "abused" then it is badly designed. Of course, we all know that this applies to certain aspects of F360, so i suppose quality isn't a thing worth discussing anymore.

[TrippyLighting]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Of course, it's always the user, never the product.

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When a user that has not contributed a thing to this community and admits to not using the product but then makes derogatory remarks, in that case it is clearly the user.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

I can use a $8000 DSLR to hammer a nail into a wall but I shouldn't. By following your definition the camera is badly designed.

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@Anonymouswrote:

Level of abuse of the system? lol If a piece of s/w can be "abused" then it is badly designed. Of course, we all know that this applies to certain aspects of F360, so i suppose quality isn't a thing worth discussing anymore.

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[Anonymous]

As the OP, I find it amazing too the lack of response on this issue, however, I am more laid back about it. They have a giant program with lots of asks from users, and maybe I was completely inadequate at explaining why this is so critical that they are losing users over it. So, as desperate as I am to get a printout of flat steel templates, as EVERYONE in the automotive restoration business, or any metal working shop is, I went to a true local expert and this is what works for me. Put up or shut up, and here is me putting up. This works even though it is a workaround. 

 In Fusion 360, go File - New Drawing - From Design - Change your standard to ASME, units to Inch, Sheet Size to A (8-1/2x11), hit okay, change Scale to 1:1, place your side view and then projected view, and then print it out. You may have to zoom out (or change orientation) to see the sketch and move it into place.

[mastertechjohnny]

I would like to be able to print the sketch with dimensions shown is there a way to do this in fusion 360? 

Thanks

Johnny 

[Anonymous]

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@mastertechjohnnywrote:

I would like to be able to print the sketch with dimensions shown is there a way to do this in fusion 360? 

Thanks

Johnny 

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Very good question, lets hope we get an answer.