I cant even imagine jumping from one program to another. That would be a sharp young persons game for sure!
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IMO Fusion 360 is the future of all CAD CAM and is getting better at an incredible rate of speed.
Eventually Fusion will assimilate all off patent useful tools related to CAD and CAM.
I also was a long time Sketchup user up till I switch over to Fusion 360.
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You could modify an existing VCarve post processor to make G-Code for your Plasma Cutter fairly easily. How you control parameters for thing like pierce delay would take a bit of cleverness but certainly possible.
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Keep in mind the time you spend learning a good CAD solution is an investment. Probably a better and bigger investment than buying the table. Instead of investing your money you’re directly investing your time. Anyone can buy a table and cut the same 6 files everyday. If you want to make custom files you need to learn some basic CAD and that will repay itself over and over for years Fusion is incredibly powerful and you don’t need to learn that much of it to make good 2D drawings for the plasma.
Thanks, everyone for your help.
I started with a part that was not simple and the process went well. On to the next project and it is not complicated but I can’t get it to work. It seems like the software doesn’t work now - for example - cant join two bodies; sketch outlines turn blue and I can’t do anything with them (won’t extrude, etc.) Also, have trouble getting the center rectangle option to show up when creating a sketch. I am about to jump out of my skin. It just can’t be this hard and non-intuitive.
Fusion 360 is not meant to be intuitive it’s meant to promote good work flow.
There’s lots of intuitive CAD software out there but in time you’ll find that their workflow is awkward and typically not complete.
I have a couple basic videos on Fusion 360 that I put together.
I am going to start doing a lot more live streaming when I’m doing CAD for myself and my clients that people can just hop on and watch. Also ill Live stream Forum members CAD issues when they come up then I’ll work through them live.
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Nice video. Would like to see more.
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Yeah there are others that raised this question over there, but really I use it to create nicely formed dxf files. Works great. So in reality for the plasma that would be the workflow. Design the stuff in there, then spit it to Sheetcam. Same with the laser, but it gets spit out to Lightburn. The router just gets run right through vcarve. The odd man out is Fusion itself.
For 3D it’s fantastic. But I’ve also had great luck with Onshape, which is basically Solidworks but in a browser. And it can be free if you leave your designs public.
I may have just talked myself out of renewing Fusion again…
LOL! I do this every time I try to find a simpler way… and then, the next time I have a multipart assembly it’s back to Fusion and edit in place… can’t be beat.
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Just make your mind up and learn how to use it. It will take a couple of evenings watching videos and the sort. We will help you with any hurdles. There is nothing better than Fusion.
I took classes at a local college at night and did the whole video thing.
You just can’t stumble through it without training.
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So I just downloaded a trial for Alibre Workshop. Includes full 3D CAM and printing support. Half the cost of Fusion! I’ll try it out for the two weeks they give ya, and report back!
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The best software is whatever you like best!!
Download all the trial versions of everything out there … try them all draw some simple squares circles , radii , internal corners etc ….
See what one is the most intuitive for YOU…
What works for everyone else might not work for you… pick one software and learn it inside and out…this is much better than jumping around from cad to different cad because you will be focuses…
My two cents
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I just got my new table and need to learn Fusion would be really interested in your advise and training tips.
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Welcome to the forum.
I have spread alot of advise through this forum and I produced a video series linked above. I also start a live stream for CAD and CAM , with the main purpose being to walkthrough Fusion issues that come up on the forum. I will also live stream my own work for customers as i am doing it so people get a feel for the work flow.
(I am about to start a live stream in 5-10 minutes 5:45am PST )
If you have a specific issue post a new topic and I’d been happy to walkthrough it with you.
The best advise I can give in start with very basic piece and build your foundational skills. The first vide on the series above is a simple plate , go through those steps several times before moving on.
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Hi Tinwhisperer
I m sorry - I just saw this on Saturday (the day after your live stream). I would have liked to see it. Perhaps next time. I will have to keep a better eye on the forum posts. Thanks for the option to attend.
@Hotrod1 you can still watch it, it’s available for 14 days after I stream on twitch and I will post it to YouTube so it’ll be available forever.
I worked on some plate post and beam brackets. The link above will have a link to all the different live stream videos I’ve done.
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Update.
I hate this software. Maybe if I was totally new to 3D modelling, its an option, but no. Just. no.
Looks like I’ll be sticking with Fusion for my 3D work.
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Hey TinWhisperer, I like your videos and have learned a lot already. Have you ever thought of doing them on Youtube (live or regular) so they can stay and not be deleted after a certain number of days?
I realized what problems I am having with Fusion - If I go away, leave the software and my project open and come back to work on that project, there are certain things that no longer function or are not there - eg. - all the sketch options. There are other glitches also that drive me crazy or don’t work, and I don’t know enough to know if it is me not knowing what I am doing or a glitch. I found that shutting down the program and coming back later and re-opening it keeps things functioning.
Thank you .yes that’s a good Idea, have already started a TinWhisperer YouTube account and I plan on moving all my live streams over to there so they’ll be available forever. I’m also going to move all my practical instructional videos over to YouTube also.
As soon as I get this broadcasting software figured out a little bit more I should be able to live stream on YouTube and twitch simultaneously.
With the intention of them storing the video on YouTube indefinitely.
Currently my broadcasting software also saves the broadcast to my while it’s streaming it.
That is an interesting problem. I do always make sure if I’m going to walk away from Fusion for a bit I hit escape a few times to make sure I’m not selected or highlighted on anything sometimes that can mess with the auto save feature.
It’s likely a combination.
Fusion will never be a complete piece of software it’s a growing ever-changing ever updating entity. It is both its greatest strength and weakness.
Currently I’m having an insane amount of glitches. But I’m also running a computer with one stick of corrupted memory and its causing havoc. I’ll have some new faster ram in a few days from Newegg.
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