1. New 2D Drawing Functionality

The focus for this upcoming product update is around maturing our 2D drawing workflows so that you can take your designs further and create more production ready drawings. We’ve captured many of the top IdeaStation posts around what tools you need within the drawings functionality to get your job done, and we’re working hard to bring you everything you need for full production drawings.  Here are the new features you can expect to see in this next update.

Shaded Views (IS)

Within the View Properties, you will be able to included shaded views to your drawing setup, giving you another way to better communicate the design within the drawing.

Exploded Views (IS)

Through the Animation workspace, you will soon be able to create a drawing from that animation as an exploded view. Exploded view drawings are associative to the animation storyboard, as well as to the design, so if you make changes to the model geometry or the animation storyboard, simply update the drawing to reflect the change.

GD&T Symbols (IS)

Expanding on geometric dimensioning and tolerancing functionalities, you will be able to create datum identifier as well as feature control frame symbols with leaders.

Single Dimension Tool (IS)

Use the single dimension tool to create different dimension types such as as linear, aligned, angular, radius, and diameter based on selected geometry. This also supports automatic edge selection.

Trailing Zeros Support (IS)

This gives you the ability to display trailing zeros on dimensions to specify precision on a part. (IS)

2. Customizable Toolbox (S Key)

As we go from update to update, we continue to strive for better usability of the software and making it easier for you to access the tools you need and get your designs visualized. 

Based on your feedback, we’ve added a new toolbox feature as the next phase of expanding our keyboard shortcuts. Designated as the “S” key, you can search commands and add them to your toolbox. Pressing S at any time will bring up your toolbox, making the tools you’ve added in your toolbox instantly available next to your cursor.

You can reorder the tools as well resize the toolbox itself. In addition, you have a different toolbox for each workspace, with each one containing a custom set of tools you hand pick.

We hope that this feature will allow you to speed up your workflow. We have been playing with it all agree that once you get used to it, it’s is hard to ever go back.  

3. Accurate Wood and 3D textures for Rendering

This update will introduce around 40+ new 3D wood texture variations via appearance materials. These appearances will be able to better represent accurate wood grain, direction, rings, rays, bumps and pores on a 3D model. The appearances will be compatible with local and cloud raytraced renderings.

In addition to these new materials, we’ve also improved lighting and environment ground plane appearances and behavior, allowing you to flatten, position, scale, and rotate it to create compelling renderings.

4. Engraving for CAM

Based on all your feedback and popular demand, we’ve added the ability to engrave in the CAM workspace. Also known as “V-Carve”,  it uses a point tool as a variable diameter tool to engrave detailed geometry such as text, logos, sketch geometry and vector art. Once you have engraving toolpaths set, you can simulate it just any other toolpaths you create within the CAM workspace.

Component and Derived Patterning Out of Beta

CAM users will also be glad to hear that we are bringing component patterning and derived patterning out of beta and in for prime time. This means that you can pattern toolpaths to other instances of the same component without needing to recreate it for each one.

5. Quality enhancements to Simulation

Since we introduced the Simulation workspace in our previous update, we’ve been busy making adjustments to our backlog of planned improvements based on your feedback. Aside from fixing 29 defects and improving the UI’s fit and finish, we are also adding 3 new features that allows you to set up studies with better accuracy and plausibility:

Point Mass 

Abstract away parts of the assembly but factor in the mass of the part being tested.

Gravity 

Account for gravity in your tests.

“Open in Fusion 360” API Available Soon

Our partners have been an integral part of how we continue to develop Fusion 360. As a way to enhance compatibility and extendability of the Fusion 360 platform, we will so make an “Open/Insert in Fusion 360” API available to any partner who wishes to use it on their website. Once implemented, this API allows a visitor to go on our partner’s web-page and click an “Open in Fusion 360” button, which will in-turn open any SAT, STEP, IGES, or Fusion 360 file right into their session of Fusion 360. This bypasses traditional steps of downloading the file and then uploading it back into a Fusion 360 project, saving time and speeding up the workflow as a whole.

There are many more features and improvements coming in this update, and we can’t wait to get it out to you. Expect the new update to go live on November 15, 2015. As usual, we will be making a follow-up post listing everything that has gone into the update. Stay tuned!

The Fusion 360 Team