Book Image

Improving CAD Designs with Autodesk Fusion 360

By : Kevin Michael Land
Book Image

Improving CAD Designs with Autodesk Fusion 360

By: Kevin Michael Land

Overview of this book

Autodesk Fusion 360 has become an indispensable tool for designers, tinkerers, and engineers worldwide thanks to its versatility that allows for large-scale assemblies and smaller, quick 3D prints. If you’ve faced challenges with learning Fusion 360, this book will help you overcome them and build the confidence to design your own projects, explaining step-by-step instructions and the purpose of each tool. In this book, you’ll dive into the design workspace and learn sketching fundamentals such as setting up a component, recognizing when a sketch is fully constrained, and parametrically flexing models. Through trial and error, you’ll work on multiple easy-to-build projects to create simple, useful items that can be quickly 3D printed for use around the house and then advance to much bigger projects that require joint connectivity and large assemblies. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to sketch fully parametric designs, translate them into 3D models, and create your own unique designs.

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Table of Contents (22 chapters)
Preface
Preface
Who this book is for
What this book covers
To get the most out of this book
Download the example code files
Get in touch
Share Your Thoughts
Download a free PDF copy of this book
1
Part 1: Simple, Fun Projects for Around the Home
Part 1: Simple, Fun Projects for Around the Home
Free Chapter
2
Chapter 1: Working within the Design Workspace
Chapter 1: Working within the Design Workspace
Technical requirements
Basics of the UI
Exploring the various design approaches
Various subscription options
Summary
3
Chapter 2: Planes, Sketches, Constraints, and Parametric Dimensions
Chapter 2: Planes, Sketches, Constraints, and Parametric Dimensions
Technical requirements
What are planes?
What are sketches?
What are constraints?
What are parametric dimensions?
Summary
4
Chapter 3: Project Building Basics
Chapter 3: Project Building Basics
Technical requirements
How to determine design intent
What Rule #1 is
Saving to the cloud
Summary
5
Chapter 4: Creating a Customizable S-Hook
Chapter 4: Creating a Customizable S-Hook
Technical requirements
Project setup in Fusion 360
Creating an S-Hook using the Pipe and Line tools
Creating an S-Hook using the Arc and Sweep tools
Summary
6
Chapter 5: Designing Decorative Doorknobs
Chapter 5: Designing Decorative Doorknobs
Technical requirements
Creating a model by adding material using the Revolve tool
Creating a model by removing material using the Revolve tool
Creating a model by stacking with the Extrude tool
Summary
7
Part 2: Bicycle Water Bottle Holder Project
Part 2: Bicycle Water Bottle Holder Project
8
Chapter 6: Designing a Simple Bottle Holder
Chapter 6: Designing a Simple Bottle Holder
Technical requirements
Planning out the design
Drawing out ideas
Taking measurements with calipers
Summary
9
Chapter 7: Creating a Bike Reference Model
Chapter 7: Creating a Bike Reference Model
Technical requirements
Planning the design intent
Setting up the project
Creating a reference model using primitives
Creating a reference model using parametric designs
Summary
10
Chapter 8: Creating the Bottle Reference Model
Chapter 8: Creating the Bottle Reference Model
Technical requirements
Measuring the dimensions of a water bottle
Creating a 2D parametric reference model
Creating a 3D reference model
Referencing the bicycle handlebars and water bottle models together
Summary
11
Chapter 9: Building the Bottle Holder
Chapter 9: Building the Bottle Holder
Technical requirements
Designing and drawing out the model
Creating the bottle holder body
Creating the grip attachment
Creating the slider body
Adding in a joint
Summary
12
Chapter 10: Improving the Bottle Holder Design
Chapter 10: Improving the Bottle Holder Design
Technical requirements
Making design changes
Adding parts from McMaster-Carr
Creating a part drawing
Summary
13
Part 3: FORM Modeling Techniques
Part 3: FORM Modeling Techniques
14
Chapter 11: The FORM Environment
Chapter 11: The FORM Environment
Technical requirements
Overview of the FORM environment
The CREATE and MODIFY tools
The Edit Form tool
Surface tools
Summary
15
Chapter 12: Modeling a Scary Tealight Ghost
Chapter 12: Modeling a Scary Tealight Ghost
Technical requirements
Using surfaces to create the tealight
Creating the ghost
Rendering the ghost
Summary
16
Chapter 13: Using Form and Solid Modeling to Create a Cushioned Chair
Chapter 13: Using Form and Solid Modeling to Create a Cushioned Chair
Technical requirements
Creating a chair in the form environment
Creating the inner frame
Improving the design
Summary
17
Part 4: Working with 2D and 3D Scanned Images
Part 4: Working with 2D and 3D Scanned Images
18
Chapter 14: Using a Scanned Image to Create a 3D Model
Chapter 14: Using a Scanned Image to Create a 3D Model
Technical requirements
Inserting a scanned image into Fusion 360
Adding sketch lines and dimensions
Creating a 3D model
Summary
19
Chapter 15: Modeling a Bottle Topper
Chapter 15: Modeling a Bottle Topper
Technical requirements
Importing a mesh model to Fusion 360
Fixing the mesh body
Getting ready for 3D printing
Summary
20
Index
Index
Why subscribe?
21
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To get the most out of this book

To get the most out of this book, you will need to have a basic understanding of PC or Mac commands. No prior knowledge of CAD is necessary for the beginner projects but, if you’d like to skip ahead, it is recommended that you have some basic CAD knowledge for the projects in later chapters. It is highly recommended that you use a three-button mouse for all projects to take advantage of floating pop-up menus.

Software/hardware covered in the book

Operating system requirements

Fusion 360

Windows or macOS

There is a paid version of Fusion 360, which gives you the ability to save more files without having to archive older files, but it is not necessary to use for this book. When the 10-file limit is reached, simply archive the older files, which will not delete them but will allow for more saved files to be created.

I would recommend when you finish a chapter to go back and re-try the tutorial without using the instructions and see whether you can recreate the file or create something new. The best advice I can give is to always play and experiment with the files. Experiment with different ways of working and see what happens. Practice, practice, practice!

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