Software other than Create

I am getting a 3D printer and have been learning about Fusion 360. Does it also work with Shapeoko’s? Any others using this and pros and cons??

Thanks in advance

Yes.

Just select a suitable post-processor. This is discussed in this area (moved the post):

We have a lot of F360 users here on the forum. It has a steep learning curve and if you get the free personal use license I think you are limited to a single tool path at a time. If you buy the full version it is a very robust program but is complicated. F360 assumes you know what you are doing in design. Right now they are having a sale and 1 year is $475.00 or $85.00 monthly or $2040.00 for 3 years. Also it is cloud based so you need a good fast internet connection. You can save your files locally but F360 is designed around the cloud. There are many tutorials on youtube for f360 and there are a bunch of books on the subject as well. Seems like a lot of 3d printer users use Blender and others for printing design. F360 is a popular software for 3d printing but you have to get a license to use it.

Autodesk Fusion for personal use includes cloud-based design and 3D modeling tools, as well as the following limited functionality:

Limited CAM functionality
Single user data management
Limited electronics and PCB designs
Limited 2D documentation and drawings
Forum support only
Limited import/export file types

Autodesk Fusion includes all design and 3D modeling tools, plus a fully featured CAM, CAE, and PCB product development platform.

Comprehensive CAM functionality
Multi-user collaboration and data management
Unified electronics and PCB designs
Phone, email, forum, and in-product support
All import/export file types
Automated drawings and automated modeling
Configurations (CAD, CAM, CAE)
Bill of Materials (BOM)
Cloud rendering
Cloud simulation and advanced machining upgrades

There are post processors that have been customized for F360 here on the forum for Shapeoko/Nomad.

A couple of years you could get a free license for hobbyist that was the full version but they quit that and call it personal use now. When they changed to personal use they limited what you can do for free. There is no free lunch!

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Who is “We”.??

rest of twenty

Guy is referring to forum users here. There are a lot of people here that use F360 and are willing to help with questions.

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We are…

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Me too … 20 characters

Thanks for all the comments here. Does F360 require a pretty powerful computer?

You need a reasonable graphics card ( I am a nVidia fan ) and at least 16GB of computer memory (windows 11 uses approx 8 GB)
Any nVidia GPU RTX 2xxx series and newer works.

If you are going to work with detailed 3D models ( which I have only seen a few on this forum ) or you plan on using a 3D Laser scanner you may need more resources.

I usually buy Dell G series (gaming) that are middle of the road for about $1K.
The current offers are way more than I have in the older models I run.

BTW: The other guys are better at Fusion 360 cam than I am.

I was referring to the royal we. :grin::person_with_crown::face_with_monocle:

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I’ve use TinkerCAD for years - it’s free and web-based so I am not part of the we lol

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Also owned by Autodesk and can export to Fusion, so…

I think you are.

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Where I come from, whenever someone says we it usually means me. it’s all good though as I get to go outside and play with my 3Xl, and make a big mess.

Fusion is very much processor focused and less about graphics card. The more cores in the CPU the better, their recommended minimum for ‘production’ use is 8-core processor.

And yes i have designed several things in fusion and post processed into gcode file that carbide motion will read and send to the cnc, in my case 5 pro.

Hmmm, guess I should look at Fusion. Maybe it would be a good alternative.

I have looked into Kindercad and am wondering why others done use a web based feee product like this.

Sorry TinkerCAD, typo above

I have heard good things about Onshape as well for another option. I’m also dabbling in FreeCAD. lots of options.

I tried OnShape. I didn’t like the fact that all my projects were in a public space. Plus its interface was just not intuitive to me. I settled on Alibre for 3D work as it felt more natural to me given my previous 3D experience with CATIA.

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I work in product development in a mechanical design-adjacent role and have done a fair amount of modeling on my own to either make small parts or get concepts to the design team. I also do a fair amount of fabrication for personal use, including the Shapeoko and a 3D printer. Having said that, I think I have a pretty decent understanding of the prosumer or hobbyist use of these systems.

I used Onshape for a number of years, and it really appealed to me that I could design on almost any machine via the online tools. However their system does hit a wall at some point on project size/complexity, although that may be resolved now. I did check in with them once a year or so to see if whatever my issues were had been fixed, but it didn’t seem like it so I’ve gradually tapered out my interest. It also doesn’t have any CAM, so you’re more restricted to just handing over models to a machinist (or 3D printer slicer) to finish out. At that point I switched (back) to Autodesk Fusion, which I do find worthwhile enough to pay for on the smallest individual plan (we also use Fusion at work with about 10 people in a corporate plan, and output that to 2-6 big CNC mills as well as a dozen 3D printers). Being able to do both design and CAM in one package is fairly helpful since you will be operating the Shapeoko as well. Fusion is also not without its issues near the margins of it’s functionality, and like others have said it has a bit of a learning curve, but is likely on the easy end of parametric modelers to get started with (e.g., Inventor, Solidworks).

One last advantage of Fusion that bears mention is the built-in version control and multi-user access. I have a software development background, and while the version control in Fusion significantly lags the systems available in the software world (e.g., git), it’s waaaaaaay better than naming all of your files “mypart final FINAL v4.dxf” or whatever, and it’s less necessary to email files around (at least within a team that’s all in the same organization/entity). Their web viewer is great for sending interactive models to clients who may not even have a viewer for whatever file type you’re working with.

If you will be exploring designing for 3D printing in roughly equal parts to CNC routing, it is likely worth getting into parametric modeling, which will serve both. If you only plan to download pre-designed models for the 3D printer, that’s obviously an easier path. Likewise if you are envisioning projects for the CNC router that are “only” typical flat work like signage or unassembled limited 3D, you’re probably ok with the tools that come with the router.

Anything that might end up being an 3D assembly with joints (e.g., flat pack furniture or cabinetry) will likely be served better by learning a parametric modeler. And if you plan to mix 3D printing or other multi-axis CNC machining with the CNC routing, having everything in one model and then exporting to the tooling of choice is also a significant benefit. Same for changing tools later, if you swap routers or printers which IMO happens more than we think.

Lastly, 3D printers also work well with surface models, which is a whole other beast to wrap your head around. If you see things printed with “organic” shapes (e.g., little figurines) those are likely made in a surface modeler such as Maya, 3DSMax, or Blender. Similarly, 3D scanners output surface models (because they can only see … the surface of the object they’re scanning, and have no information regarding the innards). It’s another bit of a learning curve to learn to transform between surface and parametric models, or design a CNC routable part to fit a scanned object or whatever. This is likely your steepest learning curve if you want to do something like this.

I’m a big fan of letting your usage drive the tool choice and learning path. If you have a project or job that you need to learn something for, it makes the process a lot easier. If you’re just doing it for the sake of doing it, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and be a bit directionless unless you just love learning. If you have a project that involves the 3D printer and the router you’ll be motivated to figure it out, and ask specific questions here to get you unstuck. There’s also nothing wrong with incrementally getting there - learning done on one package is rarely wasted, in the sense that concepts learned in simpler systems will apply to more complex ones when the time is right.

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