Have you heard of Autodesk Fusion 360? It has been around for a lot of years, but some people still have not heard of it or don't know much about it. Autodesk has launched several programs to drive up awareness and usage. I have been using Fusion 360 off-and-on since it's launch. One reason I did not fully utilize it right away was because I didn't see how this could be an improvement over Inventor. I have realized that I was misinterpreting its purpose all along.
I always call Fusion 360 "Inventor's Little Brother." That is because its root function, 3D modeling, is so similar to Inventor, so much so that I was able to use Fusion 360 right away. There are a few difference between the two. For example, Fusion 360 only has two file times F3D and DWG. Anything 3D, part or assembly is modeled in a F3D file. The 3D environment is similar to Inventor's multi-body parts.
Another reason that I call Fusion 360 "Inventor's Little Brother," is that it could not do everything that Inventor could do. That has changed over time. I still feel that Fusion 360 is not a replacement for Inventor, but it does have a place in the 3D modeling and manufacturing world.
Who can get the most out of Fusion 360?
The strongest usage category is in education. I have mentioned before that I have been working with my home-schooled children to teach them Inventor. Realizing that Fusion 360 would have been easier to teach them, I wish I could go back and start teaching them Fusion 360 instead. Because of the similarities between Inventor and Fusion 360, I see students using Fusion 360 developing skills that will transfer to Inventor after graduation.
Fusion is also a great tool for home-use. During classes, I am often asked if it is possible to use Inventor at home. Students either need to take work home, or want to use Inventor to design home projects, such as decks and home improvements. The commercial license of Inventor does have provisions for users to have a license for home-use. One issue that most users face is that their home computer is not powerful enough to run Inventor. Fusion 360 is well suited for the home projects. The product is free to start-ups, hobbyists, and enthusiasts. So Fusion is a great tool for designing your deck, home addition, or your idea for the next big thing.
Can I use Fusion 360 along Inventor and AutoCAD?
Lost of users do not know that Fusion 360 is actually included in their Product Design Suite. It is just a matter of the Software Administrator granting access to that product through the Subscription Center. I am disappointed that Fusion 360 will not read an Inventor IPT directly. I has to translate the file. If going from Fusion 360 to Inventor, users have to export to a generic format. I recommend STEP for this. However, Inventor's Direct Editing commands can be used to modify the model if necessary.
I do see some great workflows for 3D AutoCAD users. I usually try to talk people out of doing 3D modeling in AutoCAD because it can be a headache. However, with Fusion 360 modeling is significantly easier. Now that users can create drawings in Fusion 360, I see that it would be easier for users to model their parts in Fusion 360, start the drawing in Fusion, then export to a DWG that they can finish in AutoCAD.
What is Fusion 360 capable of?
Fusion 360 has a lot of functions that Inventor does have. There are a few limitations when you compare the two head-to-head. However, Fusion 360 can perform all of the following:
- 3D Modeling, including Free Form Modeling
- 2D Documentation of models
- Finite Element Analysis
- Rendering Images
- Animations
- CNC Tooling
The bottom line is that Autodesk has put a lot of development effort into Fusion 360. Even if you do not qualify to use the product for free, Fusion 360 is only $300 per year. It is capable of performing most of the operations that designer would need with a small price tag.
Here is a Screencast I made that demonstrates Fusion 360's capabilities.
Here is a Screencast I made that demonstrates Fusion 360's capabilities.
