Fusion 360 Draw a Quarter Circle
Tinkercad is great when you lot commencement get-go out in 3D printing but is limited in what it can do. We testify you how to go started with Fusion 360 instead, and it'south too gratis to utilize!
3D press can be an extremely fun and rewarding hobby. It can teach you a huge amount about manufacturing processes, CNC robotics, material sciences, and general engineering. For the most part, we all kickoff out just exclusively trawling Thingiverse for something absurd and unique to print. Before long after, nosotros learn to make pocket-sized modifications to the things we find on Thingiverse and then kickoff to make our own small designs using Tinkercad as a starting signal.
Soon, we rapidly larn the limitations of Tinkercad. Whilst incredible things can be made with this gratuitous online tool, it's a lot more clunky than a especially designed piece of CAD software.
Over the next few issues, nosotros are going to testify you how you can easily brand some of your own designs using Fusion 360.
There are many 3D CAD programs available, however, we picked Fusion 360 because it is powerful parametric modelling software, which students and hobbyists can get costless of charge. This is a very important indicate because almost parametric modelling software are prohibitively expensive, costing several thousands of dollars for a yearly license.
INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE
The first thing we need to practice is download the software. Go to https://www.autodesk.com/campaigns/fusion-360-for-hobbyists which will bring you to the following welcome screen.
Select the 'Get started at present' button. This will roll the page downwards showing the post-obit options.
Follow the steps shown ensuring you lot have your time and read through the page titled "bank check your eligibility". If you're eligible to use the software, which we imagine yous will be, go along to step 2 and choose the "create account" link.
Fill in the details using a correct email address and yous will exist bought to the next screen. Alternatively, if you already have an Autodesk business relationship from TinkerCad or Hawkeye, you lot can use that account to log in. But use the sign in push button at the bottom of the page.
At present it's merely a thing of installing the software onto your computer, which is done past pressing the become started button.
After installing and running for the first time, yous will exist prompted to verify your email address. Go to your email client and detect the verification email sent from Autodesk. Simply press the "Verify E-mail" link in that email and follow the prompts to login to your new Autodesk account.
You then want to open the Fusion 360 software on your computer and sign in using the aforementioned details.
After a small wait to finalise the install, you will be greeted with the post-obit screen showing you how to access you preferences, including privacy settings, etc.
That'southward it, you at present have a Fusion 360 account and the software installed on your organization.
GETTING STARTED
If you look to the right of the principal work area, yous will see a small dialog box. This box allows you to select navigation and view settings based on what you're used to. For example, if you are familiar with Tinkercad, you tin select information technology from the navigate and view dropdown carte du jour. This will modify all of your mouse controls to friction match the controls in Tinkercad. This makes it much easier to navigate. Take note of the settings and familiarise yourself by navigating around the empty work plane in front of you.
Now that you have grasped the work plane manipulation, permit's move on and first learning how to draw in Fusion 360.
Press the 'Start here' button if you lot want to follow some tutorials provided past Fusion 360, or select the close push button to get drawing.
Note: We highly recommend you lot go through the provided tutorials as they volition undoubtedly teach you some tips and tricks specific to Fusion 360 that we may not encompass over the next few issues.
Become DRAWING
For our very offset project, we are going to first with something nice and elementary, but to get ourselves comfortable with the Fusion 360 interface.
A useful tool for newcomers to 3D CAD blueprint is a round gauge (besides known equally a Radius Gauge). This is a bones tool a 3D modeller tin can use to hands measure the curvature of an particular you lot are modelling. Let's say, for example, you lot want to make a cover for your mobile phone.
There are a number of rounded corners and rounded edges on modern phones. It would be very time consuming and difficult to physically calculate the geometry for each of these rounded edges, so for quick jobs, it's often much more user-friendly to have a round gauge. You simply put the gauge against a rounded object to determine the radius.
You will certainly find this gauge useful as you first to model existent-world objects. Information technology's simple yet detailed design makes it the perfect candidate for our first ever Fusion 360 project.
To become started, take a await at the drawing on the opposite page to give yous the basic idea of what nosotros are going to draw in Fusion 360.
The first matter we need to do in Fusion 360 is set the perspective. Since nosotros will start past cartoon a unproblematic 2D shape and extruding it from a single plane, nosotros notice it best to work from the top-down perspective.
To change to this superlative-down perspective, mouse over to the perspective box in the top correct corner of the work plane. Left click the discussion 'top' on this cube and your perspective volition change to this plane.
From here, we want to start drawing the features of the round gauge.
Select the 'Sketch' button in the meridian left menu and and so select the blue square that appears on the work plane. This foursquare sets the origin to the plane, which means in what space we are drawing X, Y or Z.
To first cartoon, press the 'C' key on your keyboard. This will select the circumvolve drawing tool. Left-click in one case anywhere in the piece of work airplane and y'all will begin to draw a circle. From this betoken, you tin can simply enter the required bore of the circle.
Our drawing shows the curved edge on the right side of the gauge has a radius of 8. We demand to multiply that value by 2 to go the diameter. Enter 16 on your keyboard and press Enter.
You should now take a perfect 2D circle, which you lot tin identify on the work plane. You lot can click and concord the centre point of this circle and elevate it around the work airplane to position it where you lot want.
Looking at the cartoon to a higher place, nosotros know that the opposite side is also constructed with a circle with a radius of 22.1, giving it a diameter of 44.2.
Repeat the previous steps and create a second circumvolve with this diameter and place information technology to the left of the first circle.
Your drawing should wait something like this. Note that at this point, we tin motion both circles around as in that location is no relationship between the two objects. To fix this, we desire to create a directly line between the top of the two circles 126.35mm long. To practise that, utilize the line tool by pressing '50' on your keyboard, and depict a straight tangental line across the top with a altitude of 126.35mm.
In the sketch palette on the right of the work plane, you will see some constraint options. These options allow you to define the human relationship between features in your cartoon. In this case, nosotros want the line nosotros just drew to be a tangent to the two circles. Select 'Tangent' and and so select each of the circles. This will forcefulness the circles to align tangental to the 126.35mm line joining them.
Select the 'Coincident' button, select the circles, which will brand them both tangent and coincident to the 126.35mm line, firmly locking them all together.
Note: Subsequently doing this, the objects will turn blackness signifying they are fully constrained, and you lot will exist unable to movement them. This is ideal as these tin can not be changed by later actions.
The final step to finishing the outline is to draw a line connecting the bottom of each circle. But press the 'L' key on your keyboard and describe a line betwixt the two circles. Use the tangent and coincident constraints to lock this line to the existing features. When you lot're done, the sketch should become shaded and the lines should all be black indicating they are fully constrained.
Now we want to add the 11mm radius on the left of the shape. To practise this, do the same as previous and press 'C' on your keyboard, then enter the dimensions. We desire the diameter now, so its diameter = 2 (radius) or ii x xi = 22mm bore.
In one case the circle has been placed, press 'D' on your keyboard to bring up the dimension tool. Select the centre point of the circle nosotros only added, then the connecting indicate between the top line and left circle as shown below.
Nosotros desire this distance to be 13mm, as the diagram shows that the beginning of the R11 is 2mm from the tangent junction. We also want this to just protrude ½ (radius) into the existing shape. Therefore, use the 'D' key on your keyboard to select the dimensioning tool. Gear up the distance from center signal of the circle to the top line to 1 half of the radius as shown.
The drawing should at present look similar this.
You desire to repeat the aforementioned process for the remaining eight radius features on the top line. Keeping in mind, the radius is ½ bore and the depth is ½ radius. Too, note that each feature is separated past 2mm.
TIP: In Fusion 360, while inbound the dimensions you can enter mathematical operations.
To get the distance between the 2 circles nosotros used the line tool 'L' on the keyboard to measure the distance between the two features. You so simply suit the distance between the two centres until the altitude = two.
For example, if the distance between the centres of the 2 features is 23, and the measured gap between them using the line tool was 4.5, you would simply make the altitude between them (23 -2.v). This would accommodate the gap to 2mm.
When y'all're done calculation all of the top radii, it should expect like this.
We have added the dimensions here to make the distance between circle centres easier. In particular, notation that the results are an estimate and more than practiced enough for the purpose of this exercise.
We now desire to add the final radius to the bottom side. Follow the same steps as the previous, noting that the radius starts at the tangent betoken of the 44.2mm outer circle and the lesser line.
Once you have drawn this, you want to also add a 4mm circle in the 44.2mm terminate. This will form a hole to allow u.s. to hang the gauge off or connect a fundamental ring. It isn't of import where we place this, just make certain it's close to the edge if you desire to attach a ring to it.
When you're happy with all of the dimensions, choose the 'Select' button from the carte du jour. While belongings down the CTRL key on your keyboard select the sections you want to extrude. When done, it should expect like this.
Printing 'Q ' on your keyboard to enter the printing pull tool, which will bring up the following options.
Nosotros desire to extrude this to 4mm to match the provided cartoon. This volition force all of the shaded blue areas to go a solid object with a thickness of 4mm. In the distance section, enter 4mm and select OK.
With the second model now a 3D model, we are able to first adding some of the details such as the chamfers and number indicators.
Let'southward starting time by first placing the numbers. We didn't add their positions to the drawing every bit it isn't overly important where they are placed, provided of course, it easily shows which radius it is referring to.
To become started, select the superlative face of the 3D model. In the menu, select the dropdown arrow on the sketch push. Move your mouse over the Text choice and left click. Move your mouse to where you want to identify your text and left click. This will bring up the text placement menu. Here you tin can enter the text you want to display, set the size of the text and its bending.
We went with 4mm text. Whatsoever smaller and information technology would exist difficult to print clearly, and much higher volition reduce our room to sketch in the logo or picture, etc. If you're going to do the DIYODE logo nosotros recommend you lot keep it at 4, nevertheless, if you lot're putting anything else, it will depend on the room you have left.
You want to repeat the process for all x of the dissimilar radii.
With all ten numbers added and in place, press 'Q' on your keyboard to enter the 'Push Pull' part. Hold downward Ctrl and manually select each of the numbers. This will bring upwards the following extrude menu.
Set the altitude to -0.5 to extrude a void into the surface of the model half a millimetre and press OK.
If you lot modify the perspective, y'all will run across the now indented numbers on the surface of the model, as shown beneath.
Side by side, we want to add some chamfers to the edges. This volition give the model a much more finished appearance.
We are going to give every bottom surface a 1mm chamfer and repeat on the top with the exception of the radii edges. Nosotros want them every bit sharp as possible to aid in gauging.
To add the chamfer select the modify dropdown pointer and select Chamfer. This will open the menu options shown in a higher place. Hold down Ctrl and select the edge of each surface, excluding the top side radii. When you lot release Ctrl, the program volition automatically chamfer the edges as per the value in the distance dropdown. When y'all have chamfered the desired edges by 1mm select OK.
The terminal footstep is to add the DIYODE logo or your ain. A suitable DIYODE logo is available in the Resources section below.
The easiest mode to do this is to import an image and simply trace around it. Naturally, the ameliorate the quality of image the easier this volition be. Of course, you need to physically trace every border and and so extrude information technology so this shouldn't be done with loftier detail images. At that place are ways to import .SVG files, which are vector files. However, this requires other software and is outside the scope of a basic introduction to Fusion 360.
To bring an image into Fusion 360, simply select the Insert icon, which will open the attached canvas dialog box. Select the prototype yous wish to import, then select the surface you desire the image placed. We are going to make it on the height surface of the circular gauge, then select that surface.
This volition import the image in full size. To driblet the size down, in the calibration x and y boxes, nosotros want to enter 0.iv. Brand sure you lot exercise the same value in both, otherwise the ratios will be changed. Too, make certain the Brandish Through box is left unchecked, otherwise you won't be able to see the prototype when nosotros start tracing.
Once you have scaled information technology to the size y'all want click-and-drag the prototype to place in where y'all desire information technology. When you're happy with its positioning just choose OK.
Select the tiptop face of the model and press 'L' on your keyboard to select the line tool. The vast majority of our logo is directly lines so we can, for the about part, use the line tool. If your epitome is fully fabricated of organic shapes, skip ahead to the spline tool section.
Yous desire to trace around each of the straight lines of the messages in the logo using the line tool. Ignore the curved sections of the O and D's for at present, we will use the spline tool for them.
We find it's a good thought to first practice the top and bottom lines. These tin exist used to ascertain the edges of each letter.
When all the direct lines are traced, select the sketch dropdown arrow in the menu and select the control indicate spline tool. This tool will shine out the line your drawing and the more points of reference you requite it the smoother the line. Select i of the line ends y'all made previously, and whilst zoomed in, carefully select the edge of the image following the curvature until you meet the adjacent line end. You just double-click the end of the meeting line and the spline tool will create a polish curvature for you.
Precision is not overly of import for this logo, the slicing and printing operation will usually remove any small inconsistencies, and as such, provided the spline tool follows the same general shape you will be fine. However, if y'all're printing fully organic shapes you volition desire to accept your fourth dimension with the spline tool.
Afterward you take traced around the logo it should look similar to this.
Only similar with the text earlier, we want to extrude this logo as a hollow. Except, in this case, the logo is sitting apartment on the work plane surface. As such, nosotros want to include a iii.5mm offset to have it start at this betoken and extrude out 0.6mm so information technology clears the model surface.
To practice this, press 'Q' on your keyboard to enter the Printing-pull process. While belongings Ctrl, select each letter of the logo yous wish to extrude. Notation you may demand to change the view so y'all're looking at the logo from below.
Once you have washed that, your outset ever Fusion 360 3D object is consummate!
All we demand to do now is consign the file as an .stl and so we can print it. Select the 'Brand' button, which volition bring up the 3D print menu.
Yous want to select the model and uncheck the "Send to 3D Impress Utility" box. The model volition plow blue and show the triangulation wireframe. You can alter the refinement if you like, all the same, we find we only tend to set it to high for every impress.
When y'all're happy, printing OK and choose where to relieve the file and what proper name to give it. You can now add this file into your Slicer and impress it every bit normal.
The skills shown in this tutorial are just the bones drawing and extruding tools you lot will demand to get started with Fusion 360. However, the but way to become confident with something is to keep at it.
You lot can keep the momentum going and change the gauge, effort making it in 0.5mm increments, for example, 3.5mm radius to 12.5mm. The more yous use the software the more comfortable you will become with information technology.
Part 2 - CREATING CIRCULAR TEXTURED OBJECTS
Function 3 - BLENDING AND SWEEPING
Role 4 - RENDERING TECHNIQUES
PART five - HELICAL SWEEP
Office 6 - IMPROVING MODEL STRENGTH
Source: https://diyodemag.com/education/exploring_3d_part_1_beginners_guide_to_fusion_360