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Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
& Manufacturing
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Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Import geometry and make changes using direct modeling techniques in Fusion.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
7 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
You can import data from other CAD platforms such as SolidWorks, PTC, and CREO.
00:09
This enables you to edit and modify the geometry using direct modeling techniques in Fusion.
00:15
To begin, import an IGES design into your project by uploading it through the Data Panel.
00:22
Once it is uploaded, open the design in your session, and notice that there is no Timeline at the bottom of the screen.
00:30
This indicates that you are in direct modeling mode, where history is not being recorded.
00:36
One benefit of direct modeling is that you can make changes to the imported model,
00:40
even though no history, sketches, or relationships were imported with it.
00:45
You can always turn on design history later, if needed.
00:49
Upon reviewing the model, you may notice some areas to modify.
00:54
In this case, there are two unnecessary ribs that need to be removed.
00:59
To delete the first rib, select the respective faces of the rib, and then press Delete.
01:05
If certain faces are obstructed by other geometry,
01:08
you can select them by pressing and holding the left mouse button for about a second.
01:13
This enables you to choose hidden faces without rotating the model.
01:17
Repeat this process for the second rib.
01:21
Further inspection of this model reveals that a fillet is not tangential to a neighboring face.
01:27
To resolve this, select the existing fillet, press Delete, and then observe how the neighboring faces grow to a sharp edge.
01:37
If you need to recreate the fillet, first, click on the other fillet to determine its dimensions.
01:43
In this case, it has a 20-millimeter radius.
01:46
Then, apply the new fillet accordingly.
01:50
Sometimes, it may be decided that certain features, such as the step-down area on the front of this part, are unnecessary.
01:58
Instead of recreating profiles and risking modeling issues,
02:02
you can simply select the faces to remove and delete them, avoiding extra profiles or geometry.
02:08
Next, this cylindrical boss needs to be moved to align with another part.
02:14
Select the area to move, right-click, and select Move/Copy.
02:19
Then, specify the direction, down -3 millimeters.
02:24
You can use the transform manipulator to rotate it as well.
02:27
For instance, use a crossing selection to select the boss and pillar, then set the pivot point.
02:34
Now, you can rotate the boss by 25° around that pivot point, with live visual feedback to guide the adjustment.
02:42
To improve structural integrity, you might rotate certain ribs, so that they intersect with screw bosses.
02:49
Select the faces to rotate, specify the pivot point, and then rotate the rib by 5 degrees.
02:56
Repeat the process for the other side.
03:01
When running a finite element analysis, if you find that additional support is needed at the back of the model,
03:07
you can rotate existing geometry, such as vertical faces, to create the support.
03:13
Even adjoining fillets will move with the selected faces, simplifying the process.
03:19
You can then mirror the modified rib to the other side.
03:23
At any time throughout this process, you can switch back to capturing design history.
03:28
In the Browser, right-click the parent folder and select Capture Design History.
03:34
The Timeline is added, the part becomes a base feature, and any edits you make will be recorded.
03:40
For example, you can add a chamfer to edges, set the chamfer dimension to 1 millimeter, and then modify it later to 2 millimeters.
03:48
This feature shows up in the Timeline, allowing easy adjustments.
03:53
Whether you are working on a new design, imported legacy data, or vendor geometry,
03:58
Fusion’s unified modeling environment provides the tools to easily create and modify geometry, regardless of the original source.
Video transcript
00:03
You can import data from other CAD platforms such as SolidWorks, PTC, and CREO.
00:09
This enables you to edit and modify the geometry using direct modeling techniques in Fusion.
00:15
To begin, import an IGES design into your project by uploading it through the Data Panel.
00:22
Once it is uploaded, open the design in your session, and notice that there is no Timeline at the bottom of the screen.
00:30
This indicates that you are in direct modeling mode, where history is not being recorded.
00:36
One benefit of direct modeling is that you can make changes to the imported model,
00:40
even though no history, sketches, or relationships were imported with it.
00:45
You can always turn on design history later, if needed.
00:49
Upon reviewing the model, you may notice some areas to modify.
00:54
In this case, there are two unnecessary ribs that need to be removed.
00:59
To delete the first rib, select the respective faces of the rib, and then press Delete.
01:05
If certain faces are obstructed by other geometry,
01:08
you can select them by pressing and holding the left mouse button for about a second.
01:13
This enables you to choose hidden faces without rotating the model.
01:17
Repeat this process for the second rib.
01:21
Further inspection of this model reveals that a fillet is not tangential to a neighboring face.
01:27
To resolve this, select the existing fillet, press Delete, and then observe how the neighboring faces grow to a sharp edge.
01:37
If you need to recreate the fillet, first, click on the other fillet to determine its dimensions.
01:43
In this case, it has a 20-millimeter radius.
01:46
Then, apply the new fillet accordingly.
01:50
Sometimes, it may be decided that certain features, such as the step-down area on the front of this part, are unnecessary.
01:58
Instead of recreating profiles and risking modeling issues,
02:02
you can simply select the faces to remove and delete them, avoiding extra profiles or geometry.
02:08
Next, this cylindrical boss needs to be moved to align with another part.
02:14
Select the area to move, right-click, and select Move/Copy.
02:19
Then, specify the direction, down -3 millimeters.
02:24
You can use the transform manipulator to rotate it as well.
02:27
For instance, use a crossing selection to select the boss and pillar, then set the pivot point.
02:34
Now, you can rotate the boss by 25° around that pivot point, with live visual feedback to guide the adjustment.
02:42
To improve structural integrity, you might rotate certain ribs, so that they intersect with screw bosses.
02:49
Select the faces to rotate, specify the pivot point, and then rotate the rib by 5 degrees.
02:56
Repeat the process for the other side.
03:01
When running a finite element analysis, if you find that additional support is needed at the back of the model,
03:07
you can rotate existing geometry, such as vertical faces, to create the support.
03:13
Even adjoining fillets will move with the selected faces, simplifying the process.
03:19
You can then mirror the modified rib to the other side.
03:23
At any time throughout this process, you can switch back to capturing design history.
03:28
In the Browser, right-click the parent folder and select Capture Design History.
03:34
The Timeline is added, the part becomes a base feature, and any edits you make will be recorded.
03:40
For example, you can add a chamfer to edges, set the chamfer dimension to 1 millimeter, and then modify it later to 2 millimeters.
03:48
This feature shows up in the Timeline, allowing easy adjustments.
03:53
Whether you are working on a new design, imported legacy data, or vendor geometry,
03:58
Fusion’s unified modeling environment provides the tools to easily create and modify geometry, regardless of the original source.
Import an assembly created on another CAD platform and edit it in Autodesk Fusion.
To import geometry created on another CAD platform such as SolidWorks or PTC Creo, upload an IGES file to Fusion.
Notice that there is no timeline at the bottom of the screen. You are in direct modeling mode, so Fusion is not recording history (as it would if you were in parametric mode). With direct modeling, you can change the imported model even though no history, sketches, or relationships were imported with it.
Seeing that two small ribs on the part are unnecessary, you decide to remove them.
In the Model workspace, select all four faces of the first rib. To select faces that are hidden by other geometry, hold down the left mouse button and use the menu that appears.
Press the Delete key.
Rotate the model to select all faces of the small rib on the opposite side.
Press Delete.
Further investigation of the model shows that one of its fillets isn't tangential to neighboring faces. You remove and replace it.
Zoom in and select the problematic fillet.
Press Delete. The neighboring faces of the removed fillet now form a sharp edge.
Select the fillet on the opposite side.
Information shown in the lower-right corner of the screen indicates that the existing fillet has a radius of 20 mm. Using this dimension, create a fillet to replace the one you removed.
Select the edge for the new fillet.
Right-click and select Fillet in the Marking menu.
Enter 20 mm.
The fillet is replaced.
In this step, you remove an unneeded stepdown area at the back end of the model. Direct modeling makes this task easy, because you can change one part without affecting other parts.
Zoom in to the area and select the faces you want to remove.
Press Delete to remove the stepdown.
In this step, move and rotate the cylindrical boss to line up with another part.
Dragging from left to right, draw a selection rectangle around the area to move.
Right-click and select Move/Copy in the Marking menu.
Use the vertical manipulator to move the boss to a distance of -3 mm.
To rotate the boss cylinder and support arm, right-click and select Move/Copy in the Marking menu again.
In the Move/Copy dialog, specify the following values:
Dragging from right to left, draw a crossing rectangle to select all the faces of the cylinder and its supporting arm.
In the Move/Copy dialog, click the Set Pivot icon and select a pivot point at the base of the arm.
Click the Set Pivot icon again to confirm that you've finished setting the pivot point. The arrow manipulators dim, putting focus on the rotation manipulator.
Drag the vertical rotation manipulator 25 degrees to the right. You can also type -25 deg in the text box.
For structural reasons, you decide that the support ribs shown here should intersect with the screw bosses. Specify pivot points from which to rotate the ribs until they align correctly with the screw bosses.
Hold down the left mouse button; from the context menu, select the faces to move.
Right-click and select Move/Copy in the Marking menu.
In the Move/copy dialog, specify the following values:
In the Move/copy dialog, click the Set Pivot icon and select a pivot point on the rib.
Drag the rotation manipulator 5 degrees, so that the rib aligns with the screw boss.
Hold down the left mouse button to select the faces of the support rib on the other side of the gear housing.
Right-click and select Move/copy in the Marking menu.
In the Move/copy dialog, specify the following values:
In the Move/copy dialog, click the Set Pivot icon and select a pivot point on the second rib.
Using the rotation manipulator, rotate the second rib 5 degrees, so that it also aligns with the screw boss.
Both ribs now intersect with the screw bosses.
After running a finite element analysis, you determine that an end section is structurally unsound because it's supported by only one small rib. Rotate the rib to one side and then use mirroring to create a second support rib.
Hold down the left mouse button and select the two vertical faces of the rib from the context menu.
Right-click and select Move/copy from the Marking menu.
In the Move/copy dialog, specify the following values:
In the Move/copy dialog, click the Set Pivot icon and select the circular outside edge of the model as the pivot point for rotating the rib.
Drag the rotation manipulator to rotate the rib -35 degrees.
Even though you selected only the two vertical faces, the adjoining fillets move with them.
Choose Create > Mirror.
In the Mirror dialog, set Pattern Type to Faces.
Dragging from left to right, draw a selection rectangle around the faces to be mirrored.
In the Mirror dialog, click the Mirror Plane button and select the correct plane for the second rib.
Click OK. A symmetrical second rib appears.
So far, you have changed the design by using direct modeling. In this step, switch to parametric modeling, in which design history is captured. Chamfer a few edges in the model and then see how the recorded design history assists your further edits.
Right-click the Gear Housing component at the top level of the browser and select Capture Design History. The timeline appears at the bottom of the window, showing the model as a base feature.
Select an edge to chamfer.
Right-click and select Chamfer from the Marking menu.
In the Chamfer dialog, set Distance to 1.00 mm.
Select three other edges to chamfer.
In the Chamfer dialog, click OK. Chamfers appear on the four edges.
Notice the chamfer feature that is added to the right of the baseline feature in the timeline.
Right-click the chamfer feature in the timeline and select Edit Feature.
In the Edit Feature dialog, change the distance to 2 mm.
Click OK. All four chamfers change to 2 mm.
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