• Fusion

Transition to using the Fusion interface

How to configure and customize Fusion’s interface so it works based on your own preferences and common workflows.


00:03

When transitioning from SolidWorks to Fusion, the user interface is the first thing you need to become familiar with.

00:10

After opening Fusion, you can see some similarities, including a commands toolbar, a breakdown of your design, and control buttons.

00:20

However, Fusion has several features that help improve your design process over SolidWorks.

00:26

Click the first button in the top-left corner, which opens the Data Panel.

00:31

The Data Panel is essentially your file management system, like Windows Explorer or Finder on your Mac,

00:37

except all data is stored on the cloud and is accessible directly within Fusion.

00:43

Here, you can access your projects, cloud asset libraries, and the people involved in a project,

00:50

as well as view training and work with the sample models as provided by Autodesk.

00:55

For example, open the Hedge Trimmer project folder.

00:58

The data panel offers several benefits, including:

01:02

the ease with which you can insert existing data into your designs;

01:07

the ability to create a shared public web link for those outside the design or engineering team;

01:13

a complete version history and review for why there was an update;

01:18

where and how the part is referenced in other assemblies, which is also shown by the change symbol in the browser tree;

01:25

and access to drawings.

01:27

All without ever leaving the software, thereby helping to streamline your design and development process.

01:34

Another added benefit over SolidWorks is the simplicity of the user interface.

01:40

Within Fusion, workspaces help you to focus on the design, manufacture, simulation, or animation of your project.

01:50

These workspaces help to keep you organized,

01:53

so that you only have access to the relevant features or commands respective to the active workspace.

01:59

This means that you only have the tools you need to work with.

02:03

Fusion also makes it easier to work with multiple designs at the same time.

02:08

You can open a part in a new tab, rather than separate windows within the same design space like in SolidWorks.

02:15

This way, all your open designs are quickly and easily available right at the top of your toolbar.

02:22

Over to the top-right side of the UI, you can find your Autodesk account, preferences, teams, and your profile,

02:30

which gives you instant access to your Fusion portal.

02:34

Here, you can organize your files and folders, edit designs online directly in your web browser,

02:43

export to any number of file formats, or build a discussion or Wiki pages for your teams,

02:49

which can be invaluable when collaborating and sharing information.

02:53

Going back to Fusion, you can see under Help is the Learning Panel.

02:57

This is an intuitive tool that knows which workspace you are in and provides tips based on certain clickable actions.

03:05

For instance, with the left body open in the Design workspace,

03:09

the Learning Panel is showing essential tips and a checklist to help improve the design process within this workspace.

03:16

You can also see that when certain tasks are performed, a tooltip will pop up, providing useful information based around that action.

03:24

The Learning Panel is particularly useful if you are new to Fusion,

03:28

as it guides you through the necessary steps to complete a given task within a given workspace,

03:34

and it acts as a checklist to make sure you have covered the most fundamental features.

03:38

Next, take a look at the canvas, the bulk of your UI where all the magic happens, and see how it differs from the SolidWorks canvas.

03:47

The main features to be aware of here are the Browser tree, the ViewCube, and the Comments dialog box.

03:54

The Browser tree separates your design into bodies, canvases, sketches, and construction features, to name a few.

04:04

This helps both to organize your design and to provide quicker access to any parts and their underlying design features.

04:11

The ViewCube gives you an easier way to manage design views,

04:15

and since it is integrated into the canvas, it is always available yet remains unobtrusive.

04:21

You can also set your view between orthographic, or perspective, or even a mix between the two.

04:28

This, paired with your name views under the Browser tree, creates a powerful combination for controlling your design views.

04:35

Next, the Comments dialog box allows you to discuss objects or features,

04:40

or make general comments, which are then uploaded to the cloud

04:43

so they can be accessed both by those with access to Fusion and those via a shared link on a web browser.

04:50

This makes it easy to discuss features with key stakeholders quickly and effectively.

04:55

Finally, the timeline is similar to the Feature Manager tree in SolidWorks,

05:00

but instead of being on the left side of the screen, it is on the bottom.

05:04

It is similar in that features are captured in time.

05:08

They can be edited, reordered, and deleted, which will update downstream features parametrically.

05:15

One major difference is that you will notice that joints—or what are called mates from SolidWorks—

05:22

are also captured parametrically in time.

05:25

This is like combining your part and assembly environment into one design, which can create some very robust workflows.

05:32

Take some time to explore the Fusion user interface,

05:36

and discover for yourself the differences between Fusion and SolidWorks, and where Fusion adds value.

Video transcript

00:03

When transitioning from SolidWorks to Fusion, the user interface is the first thing you need to become familiar with.

00:10

After opening Fusion, you can see some similarities, including a commands toolbar, a breakdown of your design, and control buttons.

00:20

However, Fusion has several features that help improve your design process over SolidWorks.

00:26

Click the first button in the top-left corner, which opens the Data Panel.

00:31

The Data Panel is essentially your file management system, like Windows Explorer or Finder on your Mac,

00:37

except all data is stored on the cloud and is accessible directly within Fusion.

00:43

Here, you can access your projects, cloud asset libraries, and the people involved in a project,

00:50

as well as view training and work with the sample models as provided by Autodesk.

00:55

For example, open the Hedge Trimmer project folder.

00:58

The data panel offers several benefits, including:

01:02

the ease with which you can insert existing data into your designs;

01:07

the ability to create a shared public web link for those outside the design or engineering team;

01:13

a complete version history and review for why there was an update;

01:18

where and how the part is referenced in other assemblies, which is also shown by the change symbol in the browser tree;

01:25

and access to drawings.

01:27

All without ever leaving the software, thereby helping to streamline your design and development process.

01:34

Another added benefit over SolidWorks is the simplicity of the user interface.

01:40

Within Fusion, workspaces help you to focus on the design, manufacture, simulation, or animation of your project.

01:50

These workspaces help to keep you organized,

01:53

so that you only have access to the relevant features or commands respective to the active workspace.

01:59

This means that you only have the tools you need to work with.

02:03

Fusion also makes it easier to work with multiple designs at the same time.

02:08

You can open a part in a new tab, rather than separate windows within the same design space like in SolidWorks.

02:15

This way, all your open designs are quickly and easily available right at the top of your toolbar.

02:22

Over to the top-right side of the UI, you can find your Autodesk account, preferences, teams, and your profile,

02:30

which gives you instant access to your Fusion portal.

02:34

Here, you can organize your files and folders, edit designs online directly in your web browser,

02:43

export to any number of file formats, or build a discussion or Wiki pages for your teams,

02:49

which can be invaluable when collaborating and sharing information.

02:53

Going back to Fusion, you can see under Help is the Learning Panel.

02:57

This is an intuitive tool that knows which workspace you are in and provides tips based on certain clickable actions.

03:05

For instance, with the left body open in the Design workspace,

03:09

the Learning Panel is showing essential tips and a checklist to help improve the design process within this workspace.

03:16

You can also see that when certain tasks are performed, a tooltip will pop up, providing useful information based around that action.

03:24

The Learning Panel is particularly useful if you are new to Fusion,

03:28

as it guides you through the necessary steps to complete a given task within a given workspace,

03:34

and it acts as a checklist to make sure you have covered the most fundamental features.

03:38

Next, take a look at the canvas, the bulk of your UI where all the magic happens, and see how it differs from the SolidWorks canvas.

03:47

The main features to be aware of here are the Browser tree, the ViewCube, and the Comments dialog box.

03:54

The Browser tree separates your design into bodies, canvases, sketches, and construction features, to name a few.

04:04

This helps both to organize your design and to provide quicker access to any parts and their underlying design features.

04:11

The ViewCube gives you an easier way to manage design views,

04:15

and since it is integrated into the canvas, it is always available yet remains unobtrusive.

04:21

You can also set your view between orthographic, or perspective, or even a mix between the two.

04:28

This, paired with your name views under the Browser tree, creates a powerful combination for controlling your design views.

04:35

Next, the Comments dialog box allows you to discuss objects or features,

04:40

or make general comments, which are then uploaded to the cloud

04:43

so they can be accessed both by those with access to Fusion and those via a shared link on a web browser.

04:50

This makes it easy to discuss features with key stakeholders quickly and effectively.

04:55

Finally, the timeline is similar to the Feature Manager tree in SolidWorks,

05:00

but instead of being on the left side of the screen, it is on the bottom.

05:04

It is similar in that features are captured in time.

05:08

They can be edited, reordered, and deleted, which will update downstream features parametrically.

05:15

One major difference is that you will notice that joints—or what are called mates from SolidWorks—

05:22

are also captured parametrically in time.

05:25

This is like combining your part and assembly environment into one design, which can create some very robust workflows.

05:32

Take some time to explore the Fusion user interface,

05:36

and discover for yourself the differences between Fusion and SolidWorks, and where Fusion adds value.

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