Introduction to Fusion 360

Download & Install

• Fusion 360 Students Download - Free for students. Make an Autodesk account and install.
• Fusion will be automatically placed in the macOS dock as a shortcut after install.
• You will be required to log into your Autodesk account.

The Interface

• Workspaces, Tools, Navigation, Movement, Projects
• Model Hierarchy (Browser)
• Timeline (Model History)
  • How to Use the Timeline
  • Master the Timeline, Browser, & Preferences

Making Sketches

• Defining Constraints
  • A Guide to Fusion 360 Sketch Constraints - A great set of videos for each constraint type.
  • A List of Constraint Types
• Dimensioning a Sketch
  • Fully Defining a Sketch
  • Pro Tip: Anything "Blue" is not dimensioned which means it can be moved around. Anything "Black" is dimensioned which mean is has a size. Once the whole sketch is Black it is "Fully Dimensioned." This means it's "locked" into place.

From 2D Sketch to 3D Model

• Extruding Sketches (Create > Extrude)
• Sketches vs Bodies vs Components vs Assemblies
  • Quick Tip: Bodies vs Components
  • About bodies and components
  • What is the difference between a Sketch, Body & Component?
  • Understanding Assemblies
  • Pro Tip: Press Shift + N to turn on color cycling. This will give a color to each component.

Exporting 3D Models

What is a Mesh?

• Whats a mesh? (Think Minecraft or Low poly art.)
• 3D meshes are defined using the STL file format.
• Mesh Refinement (Higher Quality = More Triangles). Example: Stanford Bunny
• Example: Viewing Meshes in Meshlab or Meshmixer

4 ways to export

1. Right Click on the top level assembly in the model browser and choose Export. Options: f3d, iges, step, sat, smt
2. STL Export
   • Right Click on the top level assembly or any component or any body in the model browser and choose "Save as STL".
3. File > Export will give all possible export options. Some require the assistance of the cloud.
4. Click "Open on the web" globe with eye icon in the left sidebar (data panel). This will open your Autodesk proejct workspace in the browser. Locate the file you wish to export and click the small arrow to chose file type.