Fusion 360 news

[Neale]

I've just done a quick test. Created a simple component, so generated under the new licence, and then used that to CAM a couple of toolpaths using different tools. If I select the two toolpaths and post-process, I get the "you need to pay for that" warning. If I add them to a pattern and PP, it all works fine. The generated code still has the "no rapids" warning in it.

I agree, though, that there are probably more 4th axis users than ATC users in the amateur community, and a divide between 4-axis and 5-axis would be more appropriate given what Industry is doing.

[m_c]

I've been using F360 today for the first time in a while to design some basic storage containers I can print, and I'm getting fed up with the whole cloud processing to create an STL.

For what is essentially a 40x40x30mm hollow box, it's taking over 5minutes to export the STL.

[Doddy]

>5mins?, wow!, I take it you're mouse-RMB over the component and "Save as STL"?, I've just tried and it works with mine but that's on the back of an Eagle subscription. There's a lot of noise on this recent release with a lot of dissatisfied users (I'm expecting to get hit at some point with them rolling Eagle into Fusion and bang goes the "affordable" licensing). It's a shame as, until now, I've been a big fan of Fusion, but it's hard to justify promoting it to other newcomers in the current guise.

[Neale]

Another inconsistency - having removed the ability to use cloud rendering so that has to be done locally (although I've never actually used it) they have moved STL processing into the cloud - which is probably something that a lot more people use. Like you, I discovered that a couple of days ago. Ho hum...

[m_c]

So it turns out STL production can still be done locally.
After Doddy's post, I just tried a few options, and if you right click on the top branch for the Browser tree, there is an option for Save as STL, which exports immediately.
I had been using the Export... option in the file menu, which uses the cloud.

It seems to be functionality changes aren't being done in a very cohesive way, and more just as they get around to it.

[Muzzer]

You can also export a part-machined body from the manufacturing environment and then import that as a body. Then you can use it as stock for the next operation.

I've done this a few times and it's very handy when you need to machine one side then the other. Worth bearing in mind - assuming the thrusters at AD haven't decided to remove it of course.

[Muzzer]

Good stuff. Thanks for pointing that out - glad to see somebody's on it.

Presumably he's figured out what they have done. Certainly worth looking in to!

I guess this will become a game of cat and mouse....

[Neale]

Indeed - thanks, Clive! To date, I haven't found these limitations to be too bad - on large work where the "slow rapid" might be relevant, it's generally in wood where cutting speeds are high anyway; low cutting speeds are generally on small work where it's not a problem. And as my whole toolchange process is very manual, swapping files at the same time doesn't take much effort. I have already picked up on the idea of prefixing filenames when post-processing with serial numbers so I run them in the right order.

However, this is just the kind of thing to have up your sleeve just in case... Let's hope the poachers stay just ahead of the gamekeepers!

[Muzzer]

Today I tried out Tim Paterson's add-in for Fusion. It didn't end well - or wouldn't have if I'd a) not been air cutting and b) stopped it after 20 seconds or so. It seemed to have planned to drop the cutter 4.5m below the reference point in Z and somewhere unspecified in X and Y. I'm guessing it got its absolute and relative moves mixed up.

No criticism of his work, 'cos I know it's work in progress but just be warned that the Centroid post doesn't like it. I don't know if other systems get on better with it.

Hope somebody better qualified than me can figure it out. Hopefully it's relatively straightforward. I've posted about the issue on his Git repository and will respond if I can help.

FYI - Here's the offending g code. The add-in inserts comments where each replacement was made to the original, so it's fairly easy to see where the changes are.
Ooof.nc