Fusion 360

[mayday]

What's chapter 2? How to sharpen a drill?
How many chapters are there before they get to the software lessons?

911 was the answer
I skipped all that and just figured it out
still using mc anyway.
waste of life as I turn 61 soon to learn new garbage

[CNCAppsJames]

I'll contend it has a place. A very SMALL place in my world due to the nature of the work I tend to see, but a place nonetheless. 

I look at it this way too; the CAD/CAM market has been due for some disruption. I personally don't care for "subscription" based software policies but then again, I'm a GenX-er and I prefer "ownership". The ADHD nature of millennials and their attention span that is measured in milliseconds, this appeals to them. They can change CAD/CAM packages on a whim and that decision won't cost 'em $xx,xxx every change.

JM2CFWIW 

[TSmcam]

I'll contend it has a place. A very SMALL place in my world due to the nature of the work I tend to see, but a place nonetheless.

I look at it this way too; the CAD/CAM market has been due for some disruption. I personally don't care for "subscription" based software policies but then again, I'm a GenX-er and I prefer "ownership". The ADHD nature of millennials and their attention span that is measured in milliseconds, this appeals to them. They can change CAD/CAM packages on a whim and that decision won't cost 'em $xx,xxx every change.

JM2CFWIW

Yep, and when they change CAD/CAM applications on a whim, they dont care about the cost of change not in terms of product, but in training and experience etc. After all, they're millenials... they only think as far as the screen on their iphone LOL

[CNCAppsJames]

Yep, and when they change CAD/CAM applications on a whim, they dont care about the cost of change not in terms of product, but in training and experience etc. After all, they're millenials... they only think as far as the screen on their iphone LOL

100%  and that phone may even be a stretch.

You and I are dinosaurs. We have little to no influence on how the future of software will develop. Somebody will take control over their software and they won't even whimper about it when the demands they made today come back and bite them in the ass in 5-10 years. And of course they will deny they were warned. They will control the algorithms that tell them what they want to hear instead of what they NEED to hear.

[TSmcam]

100%  and that phone may even be a stretch.

You and I are dinosaurs. We have little to no influence on how the future of software will develop. Somebody will take control over their software and they won't even whimper about it when the demands they made today come back and bite them in the ass in 5-10 years. And of course they will deny they were warned. They will control the algorithms that tell them what they want to hear instead of what they NEED to hear.

Indeed. And by then, we'll be sitting on our porch, sipping a whiskey and whistlin' dixie They'll whine, and we'll respond with "meh" LOL

[Flycut]

Anyways,

Took me a while to find this thread.
How has your (con)fusion initiation been?

I had started a list of things I wanted to mention but it's gone now.
I think the best method will simply be to make a bunch of short posts.
Every time I come across another hurdle or discovery I will add it to this thread.
Hopefully you could do the same.

I've dabbled with many cam systems in my 30 years.
The 3 that I actually was productive with are Mastercam, Gibbs and Fusion.
Even after working with one software for 5 years and switching to another for a while returning to the first will throw you off for a while.
I have a hard time describing or even pointing out any similarities between Fusion and Mastercam.
With that being said I've always been able to get what I needed from Mastercam with the methods I knew so there was no need to explore different ways of doing things.
I've learned a few things using Fusion that makes me wonder if Mastercam does.

Files in Fusion are linked. I think this is common for Solidworks or Autocad users.
If I modify a solid file outside my program file it will (might) affects my programs.
I added might because many thing seem to be hit and miss. Maybe it's because I don't complete understand what I'm doing yet or the cloud base system is unpredictable. My programming station sits right next to a UMC750 and I believe it interferes with my WIFI signal. I've had the IT guy run a hard line to my computer last week hopefully this will help.
I miss designing in Mastercam.
Fusion has design and manufacture split up and I need to keep toggling between both workspaces to get thing done.
I'm currently working on a Cribbage board and I'm having a hell of a time running the holes around the track in a suitable manner.
Transform operations are still a mystery. Some times I can copy the geometry other times I can only move. In either case I cannot seem to translate more than one instance. If I need to translate something 5 times I need to translate once then select the copy and original then translate again. This of course leaves me with 4 holes but I'm getting closer.
I have leaned to use a Pattern feature that allows me to copy multiple times within one operation but like most things in Fusion it is time(history) sensitive.
I'm not too sure how to explain this with clarity in a verbal setting let alone written but let me try.
If I create a solid from extruding a sketch then return to the original sketch to try and create geometry from the solid it's does not recognize the solid because it did not exist at the time the sketch was created like some kind of time travel paradox.
There is however an option to turn this history on/off.
In the design workspace right click on document settings and at the bottom you will find "Do Not Capture Design History"
I not certain yet if or how this might help.
I'll play with it today and get back to you.

[Flycut]

Oh!

I forgot to mention joints.
When you import a solid into your program file make sure to lock it in place with a joint.
It is very easy to drag and move geometry and solids around, without wanting to, if they are not locked in.

[Flycut]

Oh! And...

There are many different origin arrows and it's some time tricky to tell them apart.
Fusion does not seem to lend itself nicely to wireframe geometry it seems to prefer having everything solid driven.
There have been times where I had to post some NC code to confirm my work coordinate location from some drill point positions just to find that the work offset was 0.005 out. There did not seem to be any practical way to verify this any other way.

[CNCAppsJames]

Fusion has design and manufacture split up and I need to keep toggling between both workspaces to get thing done.

It's literally a mouse click. Like clicking from the Toolpath Operations Manager to the Solid's Manager, or to the Levels Manager. You find that problematic? 

[Incogneeto]

It's literally a mouse click. Like clicking from the Toolpath Operations Manager to the Solid's Manager, or to the Levels Manager. You find that problematic? 

Easy,Squeezy!! I'm still tryin to find the tool Library..Literally starting from square one and having Mastercam and Gibbs is not helpful. Because I have their reflex would be better to not know."Old Dawg New Tricks" I don't transition well. Not your fault you are gifted, I have attention span difficulties. Hence 9 marriages??

[CNCAppsJames]

Tool Library... yeah. NOT one of Fusion's strengths fo sho.

In my frequent travels, instead of watching Animal Planet in my hotel room after work, I grind on software. What happens if I click this button instead of that one, or, if I clock this one AND that one.

😁

[Flycut]

It's literally a mouse click. Like clicking from the Toolpath Operations Manager to the Solid's Manager, or to the Levels Manager. You find that problematic? 

It's not so much the extra mouse click.
It's more the fact that when you are learning and try do to something that worked yesterday and can't seem to get to work today just to realize after 5 minutes you are in the wrong workspace because they look the same.

Hope I didn't upset you.
Sorry.

[CNCAppsJames]

Didn't upset me one bit. I just thought it was an odd complaint. But after seeing why you complained about it, now I understand.

I've not used Mastercam for much if any meaningful "design" work since about 2004-2005. My CAD work in Mastercam now is pretty much just for fixture clearances and toolpath support when solids don't meet the need.

[Incogneeto]

Oh! And...

There are many different origin arrows and it's some time tricky to tell them apart.
Fusion does not seem to lend itself nicely to wireframe geometry it seems to prefer having everything solid driven.
There have been times where I had to post some NC code to confirm my work coordinate location from some drill point positions just to find that the work offset was 0.005 out. There did not seem to be any practical way to verify this any other way.

We caught a small break in production so I got to play the last three days. Took a bit and I watched a few Lars Christen videos and I'm happy with the little progress I have made. and yes the drilling set up is a little funky
I'm used to just pickin a tool and punching in the depth and such. The verbage is a bit different on other operations as well. Toolpaths seem to work well it is just picking the correct one. As I said Lars had some very good tips on letting the software do the work and then modifying after it has displayed. But all in all I like the way it operates
so far. And yes also I prefer to build it as a solid But peddling back to the original design is a bit of a pain.
such as adding a pair of slots on the sides of a body.  The keyword I'm laughing about is "Suppress" they seem to use
it in different contexts some times. Most of my bitching is my being unfamiliar with it and apart from Lars I haven't found a tutorial I'm happy with. I watched Kevin but he seems to be more inclined to just design and additive.
Thanks for your help, I will keep you updated on my Progress.

[neurosis]

That is the most I've seen you write in forever.