Hello Gents
11/27/2020
Experienced fabricator/weldor with zero cad experience. I bought a pro and am awaiting its arrival. Ive started my journey in cad and wanted to use fusion 360. I have watched all the langmuir videos and I find them excellent, easy to follow and understand. Ive tried the monkey see monkey do learning method by having the current 360 version open and going back and forth from Langmuirs video into the program…trying to draw the can opener
One problem… the two dont square… the buttons arent there and the locations they are supposed to be arent there as well in the latest version… and so Im left in frustration even getting started (thanks autocad)
Can anyone provide some learning suggestions/videos that might be current for newbies…even autocad university was overwhelming…and the topics I found didnt really apply to plasma cutting.
After a dedicated two hours I can find some of the aspects in sub menus…
There’s lots of cad videos out there but they are from much older versions of 360…
Yeah - the videos get out of date pretty quick. Autodesk releases new versions of F360 almost monthly, so it’s on a pretty quick update cycle, which is great for new features and bug fixes, but makes generating training material tricky as it’s quickly out of date.
I used the Lars videos to really get me going on F360. I had no prior experience with CAD either, but his videos helped me a lot. I had to invest a good 20+ hours in them - I’d hit pause and recreate what he was doing step by step - learning the menus and features.
Keep in mind even these will be a little out of date as far as the user interface goes as well, but you should be able to navigate enough to get going.
Check out his other vides as well, as they are very useful. Not all applicable to plasma 2d cutting, but once you’ve got the program basics down, the 2d part becomes very easy. You can also start to think in components and sheet metal parts and assemblies - which allows you to make complex pieces made up of multiple parts working together - which I find very interesting.
This is what got me going…can’t guarantee it’ll work for everyone, but it’s what I did. Good luck!
Good advice. One thing to note is that the license no longer covers any real commercial sales so people planning on selling stuff they design in Fusion need to buy the commercial license ($500ish per year).
Alternatively Freecad for 2D or 3D design or Inkscape for 2D are free. But you’ll need to buy a Sheetcam license for toolpathing. That’s a one-time $140 license.
Seems we have to wait till Langmuir wants to upgrade their videos to the new 360 format. I purchased the crossfire, and the older videos does not gel with the new format of Fusion. I know you feelings it hurts.
I downloaded freecad early on… but I got the dreaded black start screen… and none of the workarounds seem to work on my desk or laptop…
It seemed way easier than autocad… and I didnt mind buying sheetcam
While he used inkscape his tutorial was easy to follow… and I have some experience with inkscape before… which allowed me to move around in 360 and start to see how it works
I used this silhouette photo to make a target
Everything was going great until I got into the machine setup… and that’s where I got an error message that my “tool” is missing data, but from what I can tell and by following the Langmuir tool set up video I have everything. Because of this error I cannot go any further. I tried a restart but that was no help.
Here’s my tool entry files
Some of the information was already defaulted by autocad for my machine. I changed one parameter per Langmuir pro setup instrucions
When I hit “machine select” the Everlast isnt there… just generic cutting tools preloaded by Autocad
Anyone see what Im doing wrong?
Steep learning curve…
Blockquote
I downloaded freecad early on… but I got the dreaded black start screen…
Hey if you still like Fusion 360 check out a free app called “Solid Edge” by Siemens. It has all of the features that confusion 360 has but very easy to navigate around on a 2D platform. A license can be purchased for the 3D platform but the 2D is free.
The only thing I don’t like is that I can’t import other formats and being able to edit my drawing. So I’ll use Inkscape when needed. In Solid Edge I’ll continue to save it in the original format (.dtf) then when I am ready to import to Sheetcam I’ll “save as” and change the format to “.dxf”.
Sheetcam is also an independent app and not a web base app like Fusion 360 and being independent it runs fast. I really love it a lot. I am done with Fusion.
If you decide to check into it you can also do a YouTube search on “Arclight Dynamics Solid Edge” and they have very good videos to get you setup and running. Enjoy!!!
You must have a seriously constrained version. When I tried Solid Edge 2D everything that was 2D worked on it, including SheetMetal functions. Admittedly that was about 6 months ago and, as we know, these guys like to play around with stuff But, I’m pretty sure they limit major changes to yearly versions.
What you can not do is export to Solid Edge commercial version. Don’t know about opening Solid Edge Commericial drawings in the 2D version.
There have been lots of changes in the tool setup recently. Mostly good - but if you never used the old version, then I guess it doesn’t matter…
Make sure you choose a Machine and a Tool…they should both be set when building the tool path. You may have to create your machine. It helps filter the correct tools. It looks like you are creating a tool that defines your machine vs individual tools that are the different settings you want for various cutting tasks. In a milling machine, it might be different types of cutters. In plasma, it’s the same torch - but it would be different feed & speeds / amperage combinations. For example your “machine” would be the everlast 65. For that machine, you’d define say 20 different “tools” - one might be called 18ga Mild Steel 40 amps. It would have settings for 120ipm feed rate. Another might be 1/4" Mild Steel 65 amps @ 90ipm. When you are creating your setup, you tailor your tool to the stock you are cutting and generate the g-code based on that. Hope that makes sense.
If you could post the exact error, may be able to offer additional help. It looks like you’ve got most of it…make sure you choose ‘In computer’ compensation in the Setup.
Edit: I just watched a good chunk of that video - he is skipping over some pretty important stuff - while he did a decent job for a very beginner video, I’d definitely watch some others.
Thank you Sir…
I will go over your suggestions line by line in the program
Ill work on it tomorrow
Today was fabrication on the '57 Ford F600 LO-Pro project, 300 six twin turbo, 4 speed 2 speed extra long wheel base (fab is so much more fun than cad… until you learn cad… then the sky is the limit)
Cross fire is slated to make some pretty pieces for it…
I agree the video left out a lot… but he got me started… and now the buttons dont look as unfamiliar
Error message “This tool is missing data press edit to view/correct”
When I press edit everything appears entered correctly
I understand what you were talking about setting up the " tool" to be able to run different parameters… I don’t think Im to that part of the program yet… I couldn’t go further until the edit issue is corrected
As to the other posters suggestions about other programs… I have downloaded them and briefly looked at them… but I think Im going to try and learn basic fusion first… once I have a knowledge base about cad Im sure moving to other programs will be easier.
I’m not sure it exactly addresses your issue, but may help understand what’s going on.
Pay attention to what “Library” you are creating the tool in. Mine are in the Local library. You may have one of the samples libraries active when creating the tool.
Hello to notmeofficer, I just read thru the set up of your cutter. You have .65 for the kerf! shouldn’t that be .065? I know when CNC milling that could be a big BOO BOO! (wrong diameter) Oh No!!
James…
I believe I have it correct. I followed Langmuir’s videos setting it up. I am going to spend some time on it now…
Hmmm…Im still stumped. It shows up in my local library
I must be missing something
Its highlighted in yellow showing that there is data missing… but when I review that with the langmuir video Im adding everything they spec…
I did try to google my question… I didnt find any answers matching
When I go to setup my cutter isnt there (obviously because the data wanted by autocad is missing)
Thank you Sir
Genesibley
Re .65 You are absolutely correct… .065… I missed that …
Thank you Sir
I just tried to recreate on my F360 - and I think what’s going on is you created the tool and it’s tied to your project (man project v3), but it’s been deleted out of the tool library. This is why it’s showing up as yellow italics in the name. There is another one called 1 - everlast 60 amp which is defined. It looks like it may be left over from all the setups you’ve created in the project playing around with it…I’d remove all the setups and create a new one.
You sir…are awesome
I had intended to start from the beginning and work forward again… you beat me to it…
Working on it now
Thank you
I apologize but Im giving up for the night. I tried to follow your video line by line but I must be “challenged” because I couldnt get very far… I dont seem to be in the same areas as you many times… and Im missing some boxes (commands ) when you are saving the sketch
I did delete and reenter my plasma cutter… so far no yellow…but it doesnt show up in select tool command… so its still not being read in my local library… yes… its something stupid and basic…but Im missing it
Ill try again tomorrow… I did save your video… hopefully I can use it offline
Yeah - I thought about that after I cobbled it together - sorry it was pretty quick and dirty - I was mostly playing around with my video editing software. There were some ‘extrude’ commands I used shortcuts on and stuff like that. The Q key lets you do an extrusion on a sketch - that’s how I told it to expand the metal to .25" and also the cut the hole. It’s a menu command under Modify - but the q key is the shortcut. That was certainly not obvious in the video. I need to get one of those keystroke display tools…On the tools - make sure you’re using the local library. Also - delete all your setups - and start with a new one. I think you have an orphaned tool and need to create a new setup and 2d cutting profile with a new tool and that will fix it.
has but very easy to navigate around on a 2D platform. A license can be purchased for the 3D platform but the 2D is free.
But, I’m pretty sure they limit major changes to yearly versions.