List of CAD/CAM Software

[Ger21]

As someone who's used AutoCAD daily for nearly 20 years, I don't think there's anything in Fusion even remotely related to AutoCAD.
As for the shortcuts keys, there's a list of shortcuts on the Fusion 360 Blog.
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/post-y...s/td-p/5831660

[CharlieRam]

I'm not sure if its been mentioned but I have just found OnShape, it is a free cloud based cad package, I have not had a chance to play with it yet but thought I'd mention it while it was stil fresh in my mind.
Cheers, Charlie

[Neale]

I've been playing with both OnShape and Fusion 360 recently. Previously I've used things like TurboCAD for 2D drawing and although I've tried using the 3D features, I've found it very difficult to use. These two new tools are a breath of fresh air. I'm sure that long-term professional users will know all this already, but if you've never tried it, the sketch-and-extrude, parameter-based approach makes things much easier to draw and much easier to modify and update. On balance, OnShape is probably the easier to use as they have worked hard at simplifying the user interface while F360 is a better established and more powerful tool. F360 also has the "sculpt" tools for more fluid shapes (might be what Washout was referring to) although I've stuck to just the straightforward geometric tools so far. It's been useful for both mechanical engineering type drawings (my new router is being drawn in F360 as it gets built) and for models for 3D printing.

It's difficult to describe the difference in approach between conventional 2D CAD and these newer applications, but it's a bit like the difference between a power-assisted old-fashioned drawing board, and the ability to scribble on the back of an envelope, add a few dimensions, and watch the 3D structure appear in all its glory. Hit a couple of buttons and 3D objects appear as a set of 2D drawings, ready for manufacture. Can't believe that applications like this are available free to the hobbyist.

[Washout]

Thanks for that link Gerry - that list is most useful and perhaps some qualifying statements are in order:

I should have said AutoDesk rather than AutoCAD perhaps ;-) - Its not big deal things, but more from a non-CAD user's perspective, stuff that you take for granted in "normal" windows programs that don't always translate well e.g. reversed zoom on middle mouse wheel (can change in options) and selecting multiple objects using shift rather than ctrl to name a couple. Whilst they are not game breaking in themselves (other CAD/CAM uses similar) can be a little tiresome to start with.

As Neale pointed out the T-Spline sculpt tools are a little unpredictable and especially as I was trying to work out a smooth multi-axis blend between two parametric drawn bodies (guitar headstock to neck and heel to neck transitions). No matter what I tried I couldn't get them to match up correctly using the functions provided in the t-spline sculpt and had to resort to some funky lofting and then merge/intersecting to get something close I can then sand to shape after cutting.

I fully admit that these are probably down to my inexperience with the software and maybe I'm expecting too much and too soon.

Similarly the CAM side is wonderfully featured and I've just cut my first test in plywood of an adaptive clearing routine before going onto Aluminium, which ran fine although it needs some tweaking. I do have an issue at the moment where I have an irregular shape (guitar neck) that I am trying to do something simple like a cut out pass, once all the flashy 2D and 3D shaping stuff has run and for the life of me I can't seem to work out how to just select the outline of the shape, as Fusion 360 keeps selecting faces which are under all the nicely 3D'ed stuff above it - like I said it will likely be some option I've missed, but its strange it doesn't just have that for a 2D contour operation from the get go....

I'm definitely going to persevere though, as the advantages of having combined CAD and CAM (and very good examples at that) in terms of being able to change things in the model and have that change flow through to the CAM can't be underestimated. I also appreciate that documentation and application refinement using "in house" resources for a "free" application is not very cost effective and Autodesk are taking a similar approach to Microsoft and Windows 10 in this instance.

Given Fusion 360 is likely to become very popular maybe a separate forum area would be best rather than clogging up this thread, as I'd love to share experiences with other Fusion 360 users (hint, hint Lee ;-) )

[Leadhead]

+1 for a Fusion360 dedicated area.

[sw_eng]

As I have posted a few years ago http://www.ekits.eu/PROCNCDraw/ is an update for very simple software to cut 2d parts. Also it can convert gerber code to g file for milling PCBs. Demo is fully functional but it accuracy is low. But it is absolutely usable in many cases.