Fusion Browser Explanation for a beginner ???

[frugalguido]

It took me a long time to get my head around what you want to do.

Before you can assemble something, you have to have the parts available. You make the parts first, then assemble them in a separate drawing. If you need more parts, draw them in separate drawings.

So draw:
Part1
Part2
Part3
Then
Save a blank drawing as MyAssembly
Then Insert one of the Parts (called a component in Fusion) into MyAssembly
Then insert and Join or Align the next part, or whatever else you want to do with it.
You can Edit the parts in the assembly drawing if needed and it will update the original Part drawing.

Sometimes I draw the base part, and then insert the other components into that drawing.

What I am totally lost on is this separate drawings thing and save a blank drawing, how do you setup these things. Like I said I don't understand the left side of what Fusion calls the browser.

 

[JimDawson]

Maybe this will make sense. Start a New Drawing, and just Save it as whatever name.
Here is a panel assembly I just built a few days ago. It's made of individual components.



And it is assembled from these components. I only had to draw two of these components, the Panel and the 12V power supply, the rest I imported from vendor drawings.

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

Ok, starting with an empty design (brand new).
On the very top of the browser tree, it should show a box and unsaved.
Right click on that "unsaved"



A modal box will pop up, choose the first thing "new component"

Create several components

The browser now looks something like this,



The little ball / dot thing is how you select a component to work on.
Any design work you do is now in / for that component.

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

To use other designs, you have to expand the data panel, choose another design and insert it to the design you are working on.

Click the dot block to open the data panel:



Mine has a folder for the record cabinet, double click the folder and it contains the designs, each of which can be inserted into a new design as a component.


Is this helpful or is this level of detail to simplistic?
This is just basic UI usage (not that it's easy to figure out). If you've got this part down, I'll stop.

 

[frugalguido]

Ok, starting with an empty design (brand new).
On the very top of the browser tree, it should show a box and unsaved.
Right click on that "unsaved"

View attachment 435046

A modal box will pop up, choose the first thing "new component"

Create several components

The browser now looks something like this,

View attachment 435047

The little ball / dot thing is how you select a component to work on.
Any design work you do is now in / for that component.

So, do you go under the pull down file menu to new design for empty design? I see that in some tutorials that they say to go to the save icon first.

 

[frugalguido]

To use other designs, you have to expand the data panel, choose another design and insert it to the design you are working on.

Click the dot block to open the data panel:

View attachment 435048

Mine has a folder for the record cabinet, double click the folder and it contains the designs, each of which can be inserted into a new design as a component.
View attachment 435049

Is this helpful or is this level of detail to simplistic?
This is just basic UI usage (not that it's easy to figure out). If you've got this part down, I'll stop.

Confused by this statement "each of which can be inserted into a new design as a component". How do you use a previous design in the design labeled "unsaved"

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

So, do you go under the pull down file menu to new design for empty design? I see that in some tutorials that they say to go to the save icon first.

There are number of ways start a new design, file menu works.
You can click the + on/in the top bar (whatever it's called) the + is after the named tab of the currently open design. Clicking the + gives you a new tab with an unsaved design.
I don't know why you would use save icon first, new design seems to alway open a new design in a new tab.

Confused by this statement "each of which can be inserted into a new design as a component". How do you use a previous design in the design labeled "unsaved"

If you right click on an existing design in your data panel, a modal popup is show and it gives you the option of inserting it into the current active design. There may be other ways to do that, I don't know. I tend to just use right click a lot.

Also, I'm on Mac OS so some of it might be a little different if you are on Windows. I think it is all really close to the same, otherwise they would have a documentation / help nightmare.

It seems like you are not very familiar with the general UI layout and usage. I'd look for some UI / introduction videos on the Autodesk sight.

I'm assuming that you have already created a few designs and saved them? It would be a good idea to get used to creating folders in the data panel learning how to move/copy/rename designs. It also has a very useful versioning built in. Each time you save a design, it creates a new version. The data panel lets you look at prior versions of a design and choose an early version to work from.

This can be really useful if you screw up!

Fusion is a full blown professional CAD program and environment. It has extensive cloud data storage and exchange features. It has features for design teams and sharing designs with vendors. If you have an autodesk cloud/user/account (don't know what they call it) You and I could be sharing designs right now.

If you want to play with components, there is an awesome McMaster-Carr integration that lets you insert parts directly from the catalog. (it's on the insert menu and you will want to find part/item numbers from their site first) Pick a motor and a couple of pulleys, bolts, angle iron with holes and try to build something.

There is a lot to learn and it's probably better to focus on one aspect at a time. I think you need to get a little more familiar with the UI in general.

You have some experience in the design stuff - do like I said and try to create a design of a chest of drawers - like a machinist tool box. It would be a good way to learn about components.

I've got to stop now. (and do some work!).

Spend some more time with it and see how it goes.

 

[Just for fun]

I always just start out with a new design, sometimes I'm just playing and don't want to save anything. I am just using the personal use version; I can save 10 drawings only.

Once I start on a sketch and if it is something I want to keep I save before getting too deep into it. I can't say that I am doing it right but so far, I haven't had too much of a problem.

 

[frugalguido]

I have been playing around with UI, I am now even more confused. I started a new design "bandsaw upper guide". I downloaded a bearing from Mc Master-carr. So in the data panel I have a project with a folder named "bandsaw upper guide", in that folder is the bearing drawing . The problem is that the drawing is labeled with the bearing part # in the browser window, not "bandsaw upper guide" and also in that browser window is the component again further down. Shouldn't the top of the browser window say "bandsaw upper guide" not bearing, I'm not designing a bearing, just using a bearing in the design as a component. Just can't get my head around this data/browser window, HELP!

 

[JimDawson]

Create a new, blank drawing, save as Upper Guide Assy.

Then right click on the bearing drawing in the File List, select Insert Into Current Design

Here is an assembly I'm currently working on, all of the components of the assembly are in separate drawings, and can be inserted into the assembly drawing.