Help, Newb that can't import STL from Fusion 360 to Create Pro

Software Fusion 360
1

Pretty simple… So I thought.
I’ve been designing/exporting objects to my 3d printer using Fusion 360 for a while now. Now that I’m comfortable with that, I’m exploring CNC machines and what I can do there. Before I purchase A Shapeoko 5 with a 4x4 bed, I want to be able to use full sheets of plywood (tile my projects) as I have a project, roughly 83"x’45" that I’ve designed in Fusion 360. I’ve exported it via stl file and cannot see it when I try to upload it Create Pro (on a trail version to see how it works.

I’m doing this as the learning curve to tile in Fusion is killing me. I have no problem generating a G code for the full sheet of plywood, but being that The Shapeoko 5 is limited to a 4x4 bed, I have to tile. Fusion has no easy way to do this, where CC pro seems a lot more user friendly here (lots of youtube tutorials steer me to that opinion)

No matter what I do, I can’t see any of my fusion files when I try to import. If I save the file to be opened by CCpro, the program opens and nothing shows. If I try to import, none of my saved SVG files show.

If I can’t get this to work easily, then I’ll have to look for a 48x96 CNC, which in reality is probably a lot easier for what I’m doing. Any advice/help… and no, I don’t want to tile in Fusion… 3 days of trying to get it to generate a G code that tiles with no success has me done.

Thanks, Steve

2

Post your STL file and matching Carbide Create .c2d and we will try to look into this with you.

Have you tried looking at the STL in a 3rd party tool?

3

Here’s my quick test of an STL from fusion.CCPro test.stl (168.7 KB)

4

William, I want this to work more than ya know. based on your support ( you seem to pop up in every thread I’ve read), the Youtube tutorials and great reviews, this seems to be a great company.

The SVG I attached has no issue being viewed in free STL viewers online. It’s probably something I’m doing… I just want it to be as simple as my 3d printer…and I’m sure it is once I get this figured out. Thanks for your immediate response and time!

5

The problem is you wrote out an ASCII STL:

image
image2880×1728 240 KB

which is not supported as noted at:

However the file opens up in a 3rd party utility:

image
image2880×1728 249 KB

and when re-saved as a binary version:

CCPro test_binary.stl (32.3 KB)

Imports as expected:

image
image2880×1728 209 KB

6

William, You rock!

For any other user of Fusion reading this, Highlight your object, then go to the tab above your document settings, Click “Save as Mesh”. A prompt box will appear, you can then select and save in the STL Binary format directly.

Doing this allowed me to import the STL file while under the "model tab of CCPro).

7

It’s really pretty trivial to set up in Fusion. Let me know if you rethink this.

9

I’m sure your right… and what I think I’m finding is that Fusion G code would be a lot better than importing to CCpro. I was expecting it to be pretty seamless importing, much like an STL to my 3d printer, with everything in scale and just needing to be sliced, CCpro doesn’t seem to be that simple. Scales are way off, things don’t look right… it’s a mess for me.

I like native programs for machines as everything is usually seamless, but seem to have to fight this in other avenues to get what I want. From speeds, feed rates, etc, I figured it would be pretty easy to import, select my milling bit, material being milled, point, set my origin and cut…definitely not the case.

Fusion requires a lot more, and it’s showing hours for a simple 3/4" deep cut that’s about 12’ long… just to many options and I don’t know where to start and hate playing the try and see, waste material option (especially at $80+ a sheet) I’d like to export, let it generate the G code and do it in the most efficient manner possible, with a bonehead like me just accepting the choices it makes, like I do with 3d printing. (with massive success and maybe a 5% failure rate)

Maybe I have it wrong, I’m certainly not quick when it comes to CNC from what I’m finding. I’m looking to cut to high precision and the steps to bring my Fusion renderings to that scale in CCpro have me curious how much material/money I’ll be wasting on my projects if I don’t get it right… What I do know is after 3 days of trying different things, this is a much harder learning curve over 3d printing, that’s for sure.

I’m looking at another option as the difficulty, though trivial for some, seems to keep me from a simple goal…As a self taught Fusion designer, I have a lot of issues and this may just be too much. Perhaps CNC isn’t for me, at least not yet. I’m glad I got the software trials to test before I plunked down 5k on a machine I thought would make my life easier. Unless I’m way off, CNC is this format hasn’t advanced far enough, like 3D printing, for ease of use as I’d like. No matter, I appreciate the response and I’ll message you if I decide to go the Fusion route.

10

If you’re using a sheet of plywood, can we assume that this is a 2.5D cut? Just profile shapes? If this is the case, STL isn’t the best format anyway. You’re better off using a 2D format.
If you export the f3d file, I’m happy to help.
Using a CNC router is not as simple as using a 3D printer. There are some pretty violent forces that go into cutting 3/4" ply that take quite a bit more involvement from the operator to ensure it all goes ok. That said, with experience, it is not as complex as I’m sure it seems now.
Again, I’m happy to look at your Fusion file. You’ll get all kinds of help with Create on this forum and from Carbide 3D support.

1 Like
11

Trying to import an STL file into CC V.7 and l’m a bit new to this game. Any easy steps one may recommend would be appreciated: the file type “STL” doesn’t show in the drop down when attempting Import function. Hope this makes sense.

12

See:

https://carbide3d.com/hub/courses/create-pro/3d-tool-import-stl/

Basically you need to:

  • create a file and set all parameters
  • draw a piece of geometry to determine the position of the import
  • go to the Model tab:

image
image2880×1728 185 KB

click on “Import STL”:

image
image2295×1419 196 KB

13

My CC.V7 does not show a Model Tab.

14

That is a Pro feature: