Starting this topic because its seems the CAM section is one of major struggles with Fusion 360 plasma user.
I’ll mostly be twitch streaming and posting below to start, until I feel the questions are hammered out. Then produced a more polished YouTube video using all the feedback gathered.
Any information, requests, tips please add below.
Hopeful we can take the Confusion out of Fusion.
Starting a overview live stream regarding Fusion CAM.
I’ll run through the CAD and CAM process several time to show the work flow I use.
We’ll
add the post processor
Setup tools
Choose paths
Produce G code.
Just the basics for today, enough to get someone cutting.
7:30am MST
I’ll use @Cletus test card from Fireshare for the design that we will make CAM for
https://www.langmuirsystems.com/fireshare/test-card
Will be on the discord server too during the live stream if you have something to add.
Came in about midway. Great idea. Thanks for the effort.
Lead-in/out decisions are a topic that I still struggle to understand. So many of the parameters are defined in a cut chart or machine specs, but there is some situational decision making to be done on the leads. I don’t yet have enough experience to deduce my settings.
Even though I’ve read a lot of threads where it’s discussed, it’s usually just advice about changing the parameter until it works. Not a lot about how to set it correctly based on conditions of the cut that make it critical to get them correct.
There was one helpful (to users like me) thread about cutting from the center of the hole. Maybe add that info to your video (apologize if it’s covered in 1st part of video).
Cutting from the Center of a Hole: Fusion 360 - Software / Fusion 360 - CAD - Langmuir Systems Forum
Thanls again. I look forward to the next installment.
I definitely want to go more in depth with some of the choices. How to treat holes is must. Normally with critical holes I’ll apply a different lead in like your link.
This video is more of an overview/starting point. over the next few weeks we can refine this presentation then produce a clean YouTube video as a “complete” guide
Always appreciate you taking the time to do these. They are a great resource.
I should tell you my 3 year old walked away from his Dino Ranch show to sit with me and watch you. He loves your avatar. 
I’m going to start another live stream looking at cam aspects of fusion 360 at 2:15 mountain standard time today.
We ll take a look at
the post processor install.
hole specific lead in geometry.
And after that I’m going to start exploring some of the new tools from the new update that I have no idea about.
I thought we would look at some other aspects of Fusion 360 CAM on the live stream.
We will cover.
Making Tools
Making Templates
Again these live video are to figure how how and what I will end up adding to the finished video (s) I’ll make for YouTube soon.
Any CAM topics or scenarios you would like to see , please post.
4:35 AM MST ish today
also in discord during the stream
this is the file that was created during the video
Thanks @TinWhisperer for this series. It is amazing what you do to help the forum members, me included. One thing I don’t understand. A bit basic, but confusing to me none the less.
Entry points for lead ins. Fusion seems to pick some very strange locations even though the parameters are far from limiting the choice. I try to change them and it won’t let me even with wide open space around with plenty of room. And also when I regenerate fusion entry points some of them seem to change location. I hope that makes sense. Hopefully at some point in the videos you can cover this
Will do, entry positions can be very important for some geometry.
Sometimes you have to sketch in points or lines in the design phase that will ultimately be where you can select a entry position.
Definitely something that needs to be gone over, good suggestion thank you.
Ok I looked on youtube and see you have maybe 10 videos. One question that keeps bothering me is I see people use a tool path that goes over the top center of a piece they just cut out. I would rather go around any of the cutouts pieces so as not to run into them with the torch. I don’t have a machine yet but am learning how to do this.
With the THC I would still rather go around a previous cut out than over the top of it, just in case it pops up. I watch people cutting and they have to reach in to grab pieces that pop up. I have seen the “keep nozzle down” that does this on Fusion 360. But that wouldn’t make sense with THC.
I wish that function would exist also. When you read about the keep nozzle down feature it should work, you can set the distant and retract but it does not seem to update the toolpaths how I think it should?
Mostly post to twitch. I do need to spend some time to make some more polished videos for youtube.
Great I would love to see more of your videos. If you make another video is there any way you can zoom in a little more on the text in the dialog boxes? On my windows computer there is a magnify from the keyboard. Not sure if there is a way on a Mac, my iMac is 10 years old.
Also I find Fusion 360 not that hard to learn. 6 to 8 hours for the CAD portion. And the CAM is just setting it up just the way the Langmuir videos show. So I don’t even need to remember anything yet.
Wish I could say it was easy to learn
I am sorry to ask as I am not familiar with these twitch live streams: but are these available to view after the streaming is done? I have searched on Twitch and found your account page but it does not seem to have these videos.
They are only available for 14 days from when it was posted.
The videos are up for 7 Days on Twitch.
I think I’ve made something like 80 twitch videos to date , I’ll have to take a look.
I do need to make some more focused clean content for youtube, I’ve been really checking out a lot of the new cam stuff from the last update trying to figure it out thoroughly myself first for making a video about it.
They definitely switched a lot of icons and combined a few tools.
And since the last update some of the sketch selection stuff seems to work a lot better and the tool paths seem to be developing faster
Thank you. As you might guess I have gone from confident to a bit anxious about the CAM issues. I have done fine for my last few pieces but they were small like the desiccant holder I put on FireShare.
So much appreciate your guidance and wealth of information.
Thanks for the clarification. Was it 14 days early on? That’s what I remembered and I searched your early posts before I replied and a couple of them you mentioned 14 days.
Again thanks for the clarification
I thought it was 14 but that’s only the certain types of memberships.