Who will Tutor a 2D neophite on Fusion360?

[Tomcat104]

I am a true newbie to Fusion360 AND CNC Routing as well. My router wn't even get here until next week.

I was all set to buy Vectric Pro until I saw the strength of going with Fusion360.

I have downloaded and tried to play with Fusion but with no success. I think in 2D space and am having a hard time, really hard time.

I need help getting started with Fusion, help that I'm willing to pay for.

My initial goal is to make this simple sign:

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[precisionmetal]

I'm the first to admit that I'm not an absolute expert user of Fusion. However, I have used both Aspire (on a CNC router) and Fusion (programming a Haas mill) quite a bit.

I would personally point you to using Aspire, rather than Fusion 360.

If you are going to be cutting artwork and/or signs on a CNC router, I think most any one of the Vectric softwares will be easier to use, and will be more tailored to what you will be doing.

PM

[LeeWay]

I think this is good advice.
While I have no doubt that Fusion will eventually get there, it is not aimed as directly at sign making like Vectric Vcarve or Aspire are. It is rare that I use Vcarve, but when I do, it is easy to use. Almost always on a sign of some sort.

Fusion is a much better product now then it was a few years ago, but it still has trouble manipulating text properly. Or at least I have trouble using the text tools. I do eventually get there, but not with anywhere near the ease of Vcarve.

[daniellyall]

If you plan to do a lot of fancy signs get Vcarve pro, Vcarve pro makes it very simple to do signs, Fusions text is very weak and not that easy to use, the function is very limited, Having Vcarve pro and fusion you get the best of both worlds for under $1000, I would not even design that sign in fusion I would only cut it out with fusion.

[ger21]

As other have said, there is no one package that does everything well. I personally use 5-6 different CAD/CAD programs, depending on the project.

Since Fusion 360 is free, there's no reason to not try to use it when you can, but if you start banging your head against the wall, try V-Carve Pro.
And always try to spend as much time with demo's before making any software purchase decision.

[ccandiotes]

As other have said, there is no one package that does everything well. I personally use 5-6 different CAD/CAD programs, depending on the project.

Since Fusion 360 is free, there's no reason to not try to use it when you can, but if you start banging your head against the wall, try V-Carve Pro.
And always try to spend as much time with demo's before making any software purchase decision.

If you do use fusion, try NYCCNC on YouTube. John Saunders cover many topics aimed at people wanting to learn Fusion 360 with his weekly Fusion Friday videos

Sent from my LG-D722 using Tapatalk

[ger21]

Check out this YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo2...ziFUZGZ50VKvWA

[SteveWill]

I do not know fusion well enough to tutor someone. But if it was me I would get a picture that is head on. then I would import the picture into Fusion. it can be sized in fusion, to what ever size is needed. Then just outline all the letters and any where the depth changes. once you have a 2D drawing then go in and extrude the areas that are a different height so you have a 3D drawing that goes into the cam program.
Yes there are other programs that would be easier to do signs, This is a good start for learning fusion. I think the last time you were talking about doing model engine molds. I would stick with Fusion at this point and get one CAD program under my belt. as you learn you will find what direction you want to go in. You will have a new machine to learn soon also.
I think I am on my 4 or 5th Drawing package and I like Fusion best so far. I have not used V-Carve.

[Tomcat104]

I hear you & I believe that to be good advice. FREE was was attracted me to Fusion but VCarve will get my money.

[Tomcat104]

Maybe I did choose the wrong one to copy. My intent was to LOOK at the sample & then try to REDRAW it, but I'm finding that quite difficult.

I'm an old R/C Modeler hence the air intake molds.....APPARENTLY that will have to wait a while.

You're right, I hope to have the machine by next Monday and then I will have even more to learn.

Time to drop back, punt...and get VCarve to start work on the signs.

Thanks!

[Tomcat104]

It was EXACTY the lesson I needed!!! I learned way more from Lars in a hour than I've learned in the last 2 weeks!

THANKS AGAIN, that was a great start to a very long journey!

[C*H*U*D]

I've never used VCarve, but I wouldn't hesitate to attempt that sign, or any sign for that matter, in Fusion. It seems a lot of people who have issues with text and engraving inside of Fusion, are doing more than they need to such as extruding, cutting and a lot of fancy CAM work. Remember that your CAM in Fusion can be driven from your sketches as well as model geometry.

I would import the graphics of that sign as an .svg and use that to machine the sign. That's how I machine my logos on parts that I make. I'm an old RC Modeler too ;-)

[SteveWill]

I've never used VCarve, but I wouldn't hesitate to attempt that sign, or any sign for that matter, in Fusion. It seems a lot of people who have issues with text and engraving inside of Fusion, are doing more than they need to such as extruding, cutting and a lot of fancy CAM work. Remember that your CAM in Fusion can be driven from your sketches as well as model geometry.

I would import the graphics of that sign as an .svg and use that to machine the sign. That's how I machine my logos on parts that I make. I'm an old RC Modeler too ;-)

See this why I did not think I knew enough to be a tutor. As always I do something the hard way.
Question If I have a JPG file How do I get a .svg.

[Tomcat104]

May be the long way but I'd "place" it in Adobe Illustrator and then "save as" a .SVG.

After you make the base material how "deep" do you make the center of a sign?

My sign is 9"x22"x0.75", I tried 0.50" for the "push"/"depth" but it doesn't look right. Since I have never cut any sign I ask for some opinions please.

[daniellyall]

That's the long If you have plenty of time way to do it, in the amount of time it takes to sketch over the image you could of done it and cut it out with vcarve pro or artcam free what has a image traces function, But that pick at the start of the thread does not need that.

At the moment there is a small problem with inserting .svg into fusion you have to scale them or bring it in as a dxf they are fine if you insert them as a dxf

it's not about what to use its about whats best to use I use 4 different programs, yes fusion can do a sign if the the lettering is flat or you can traces the image if its curved or do one letter at a time for curved letters or import the vectors from a different program, it can be done but take a long time to get it good and it's not as simple as 1 2 3

[precisionmetal]

See this why I did not think I knew enough to be a tutor. As always I do something the hard way.
Question If I have a JPG file How do I get a .svg.

There are a couple of free web sites that will convert a jpg or png to svg. I've had pretty good luck with them.

PM

[C*H*U*D]

That's the long If you have plenty of time way to do it, in the amount of time it takes to sketch over the image you could of done it and cut it out with vcarve pro or artcam free what has a image traces function, But that pick at the start of the thread does not need that.

There is no need to "trace" or "sketch over" anything in Fusion. Your CAM can be driven directly from an .svg file. You don't have to extrude anything either since your depths are easily set in your heights tab.

I know it's not a sign, but I just grabbed this .svg file from the web and in just a few minutes I had a tool path to use:



I'm not trying to argue that Fusion is better than anything else out there, but I think there are misconceptions on what it can and can't do. I'm sure Vcarve and ArtCAM are both great programs, and probably better at signs and graphics than Fusion. But since I use Fusion for all of my mechanical projects, it's my go-to solution for just about everything else as well.

[LeeWay]

Plain Jane signs are one thing. Fusion engraves DXF text fine. No resizing and flipping and flopping text around like with an SVG. Haven't done that in a while, but a couple years ago, it was a major PIA.
Where Vcarve shines is in it's name. 3D vcarving of text to give an very polished look to engraved lettering. You won't be doing that in Fusion any time soon.
I do really like Fusion, but even the sketch tools are not nearly as good as they should be. I still sketch most everything in Turbocad and just import that DXF into Fusion. It helps that I have been using Turbocad for over 15 years.

[C*H*U*D]

...Fusion engraves DXF text fine. No resizing and flipping and flopping text around like with an SVG...

I haven't had any of the issues you mention with SVG files, so maybe the Fusion team has fixed it? Vcarve has a free trial, so Tomcat should definitely try that out. I may as well since I'm curious to see just how different things are compared to Fusion.

[daniellyall]

C*H*U*D Measure the svg before you take it in to fusion if the size does not change they have fixed it. they broke it in the last update it was working fine before then if you use the insert menu, upload is still not a good way to go with svg or dxf.