Fusion 360 - Save as STL is gone!
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- čas přidán 19. 05. 2024
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Save as STL in Fusion 360 is missing. It's now called Save as Mesh. This is because Fusion 360 now supports native 3MF files - which are better than STL files in many ways. Watch this video to learn 7 reasons why you should switch start using 3MF files and ditch STL files for good!
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - What is a 3MF file? - 3MF Explained
00:22 - 7 Reasons 3MF is better than STL
01:13 - 3MF files include scale information
01:24 - 3MF files include texture, colors, and materials
01:33 - 3MF files are a smaller file size than STL
02:00 - 3MF includes the author name, description, copyright
02:15 - 3MF uses manifold surfaces
02:31 - 3MF includes manufacture settings
02:59 - 3MF is readable by a human
03:27 - How to import 3MF File in Fusion 360
03:37 - How to export as 3MF from Fusion 360
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It's all cool until you need to use two different machines, suddenly you have to worry about settings too instead of just checking if the unit scale is correct
Well you do not NEED to include manufacturing settings. You can set them up just like stls basically
@@pringineer1027 you still need to verify of there is printer settings in each files you download, and when you save 3mf with cura you may saved your printer A settings that doesn't match with printer B.
It's easier to work with STL files and use 3mf with name that specify the printer used in case you want to print again a model with same settings.
Yes, and this is why 3MF is crap. Also custom (potentially malicious) gcode right in the file.
@@Linuxdirk good point as well. Even more reason to not use 3mf from the net
@@Hydraks81 Actuallt .STEP files work way better than either stl or 3mf!!
saving your own files in 3MF is fine. Using other peoples 3MF files is riskier and often generates failed prints or more work making corrections than using an STL file.
A lot worse than generating failed prints... 3mf files can contain custom gcode. If you're not careful, a malicious person can break your printer.
@@fwiffo holy crap
@@fwiffo so, uh, don't run untrusted gcode and slice it yourself? Is the file format going to hijack your 3d printer and run without you hitting the start button? I don't think so. This is a non-issue.
@@defenestrated23 I don't think you understand the issue. If you open the 3mf file in your slicer, slice it yourself, then print it, you will run the malicious payload. The gcode in the 3mf gets injected into the output gcode of the slicer, that's the point of that feature, and how temperature towers and stuff work. Slicing it yourself doesn't remove the risk at all!
Yes, you can work around that. You import the 3mf as an object instead of opening it normally, but that defeats the whole purpose of using a 3mf file because it just imports it as a mesh. Most users won't know to do that. You could also inspect every setting yourself for malicious gcode, but that's error-prone and too difficult for many users. Or you could reset all the settings to your defaults, but that defeats the purpose of using a 3mf.
Most users will just double-click on the file, slice, and print. They will have no idea of the security issue, particularly with videos like this advocating for this dangerous practice. They will have no idea of the risk.
Many, many users (particularly inexperienced ones) have cheap Chinese printers. Many of those have no thermal runaway protection. Malicious gcode can start a fire on such a printer!
@@defenestrated23 malicious files don't always pertain to the thing the file type is related to. the danger is to the computer you downloaded and sliced the file on, not some dumb prank with the printer.
No, we don't all agree wojack. STL format is not some static convention from 1987, it has evolved over time.
I'm with you
In what ways is STL superior to 3MF? Generally curious if there are any.
Compatibility issues don't count because if you can argue we should keep using something for compatibility that is equivalent to saying we should keep using it 1000 years from now. Nothing ever updates to use better standards if we don't transition at some point to those standards being the default instead of just another option.
Choosing something for compatibility reasons should be something we do grudgingly because reality gets in the way.
@@nocare Wrong. If you are sharing models, compatibility is paramount. I have my printer configured, all I want is geometry. Anything else is wasted at best.
Being designed by a consortium also raises alarms for me. XHTML anyone?
The "new" factor is a logical fallacy. Have we stopped using wheels?
@@ancienttech4603 We have stopped using wooden wheels.
The best trains in the world don't use wheels at all.
Just because something works does not mean it can't be better.
Saying you have your printer configured is paramount to saying I am to lazy to do something new even if its better.
You obviously didn't read what I said about compatibility.
I never said it wasn't a requirement. I said it isn't a reason to use an old system if the new one will work.
If all parties involved can support a new standard then there is no compatibility conflict.
If compatibility was a valid argument we would still use wooden wheels because we need our current wheels to be compatible with the first ever generation of cars.
@@nocare Less is sometimes more. Storing printer specific data inside the printable model was a bad idea. It may be presented as a feature, but in fact it's a design bug. It makes 3MF files inherently non-portable.
Plus, XML is a horrible file format and STL files can be compressed or uncompressed too. The more efficient file format may be more efficient for a human to read or an editing application to modify, but for a printer, who just wants to print layer after layer, it's more computations. And millimeters are the unit any real engineer uses anyway (unless he works on tiny precision mechanics stuff, in which case he goes for microns).
The fact that it apparently can contain gcode that is used as is, and can therefore potentially be used to make a file that breaks printers it is printed on, seems a huge downside and a really dumb choice.
So don't run the gcode part and slice it yourself. Problem solved.
No different than downloading a .gcode off the internet.
@@defenestrated23 The gcode still gets injected if you slice it yourself. Thats the point of 3mf files, to keep printer and filament specific settings, including custom gcode.
Please don't spread dangerous misinformation. 3mf files should never be shared.
Yeah. Let's run rando code on an industrial toaster. Nothing bad can happen.
@@FamilyManMoving No kidding; think of all the cheap Chinese printers that don't properly implement thermal protection. Prepare for house fires.
Nothing really wrong with .STL, it did exactly what it was designed for: hold information about triangles in the unit type millimeters. I think it was just not enough for many people, and it seems also that it was badly standardized which caused the unit mix-up.
Why on Earth does anybody use anything BUT the metric system?
I agree, nothing wrong with STL.
I somehow don't think 3MF will catch on honestly. It's like trying to tell Americans to use the metric system.
@@sfrrob Not a point of metric vs whatever. It's not even clear which unit _from the metric system_ it's using, because it doesn't use any unit AT ALL.
@@sfrrob Metric being based off of a repeatable standard found in nature is where it stands firm. Imperial was designed in the early days where calculating that standard was not practical and focused heavily on being able to calculate it by hand, hence a lot of the measurements in imperial being based around a halving rule (half of 1 is 2, half of 2 is 4, half of 4 is 16, etc). Both systems have their merits and their detriments. I for one hate how condensed Celsius is for living temperatures and base 10 has issues in mathematics, base 12 works cleaner.
@@sfrrob most Americans under 45 know both systems. So nice try trying to bash Americans.
@@brianhilligoss Not at all. I know quite a bit Americans under 45 that don't know what is a Kilogram or a centimeter. Its good to know that the public system is addressing that issue. I hope
In a nutshell: 3mf=complicated, stl=simple. It's not one over the other, it's about using the right tool for the job. Since I don't care about textures, manufacturing info, thumbnails and I don't mind setting the correct scale, stl is a perfect choice for my day to day printing needs.
Exactly. Keep it stupid simple.
I have over 500 seperate STL files for my one specific product.. they only require proper scale in mm and that's it. Right tool for the right job.
Concur. Same here.
[Edit] if you draw it right, you don't end up with non-manifold issues. Also, the OS generates thumbnails for .stl if you have software that can open it, also .stl is also royalty free, also... I could go on.
I get the desire to move on, but sometimes adding adds nothing but headaches. I will not be moving on if I don't have to.
Totally here you. It's just sooooo hard to push the save button when .3mf is select. It must be all that extra stuff that's getting saved that makes that button really hard to press down. And not only that, everytime I select .3mf, it suddenly becomes sooo complicated to even find the save button! Yep, .3mf definitely equals too complicated.
@@shawncrocker7037 The point is understanding the pros and cons of tools, techniques and methods that are available to you and employing the right one to solve the problem at hand. This is one of the basic principles of engineering. It would be unwise to blindly adopt whatever you see on CZcams without understanding the implications of it. You don't have to go beyong this very comments seciton to see how many issues people are experiencing with the 3mf format. Clearly, there are many drawbacks to it, but that doesn't mean you should never use it. Use it where it makes sense.
While I think 3mf has some great qualities, I'm still going to keep using STLs since 3mf stores printer specific parameters which often makes it a pain to just throw into a slicer, export and print (without encountering some form of issue)... If they remove that, or have an alternative to 3mf which doesn't contain printer specific parameters then I'd probably adopt it in a heartbeat.
Might I suggest .obj files also called wavefront obj files. It saves the 3d model similar to a .stl file but keeps the dimensions of the 3d model, is smaller in size, and any slicer or 3d program recognizes and can open it. it also doesn't store printer specific parameters. They literally can be thrown into a slicer, exported, and printed unlike 3mf files.
@@Ozification I second this!
Me too, I like .obj files, they're fine in the current version of Cure (and the previous 2 or 3 versions too).
It's much more of an issue of printer-specific parameters. If you get a 3mf file from someone else it could contain hostile gcode that could damage your printer, or maybe even cause a fire.
Who is sending sliced .3mf files?? That's dumb. That sounds more like a gcode file. I only ever save, export, and slice .3mf files. I've had zero issues and I run a 3d industrial printing company. Stl files are fucking huge headache on so many levels. So many more relevant issues.
Including printer specific instructions was a bad idea. They're more hastle than STL for importing into a slicer to set it up for your own individual printer.
Just stop using inches, do everything in mm and STL files work fine.
Sorry, I live in the US. I'm not going to stop using inches because you find metric easier.
I've been using g Sketchup with inches and have not had a problem printing what I design.
STL's are so much more convenient. It's fine that 3mf exists, but removing the STL option is a big mistake.
It's not removed, it's an option in the export as mesh options.
They really didn't remove it - clickbait youtube title. In fact STL is still the default mesh type
I've been saving as 3mf since fusion 360 changed the default. I didn't realize it had all these advantages. Thanks, Kevin.
I had an "issue" printing the 3MF file as it came out of F360 when I imported it to Cura 4.11
Not only does the 3MF object now appear at 0/0 where the STL was centered on the build plate, it also aligned to the zero Z position placing anything I extruded into the negative direction below the build plate and hence not printing it.
I had to lift the object to get all the features printed - something to remember 😉
Try the same on a clean system and you might be surprised ...
For me, the interesting things would be to be able to add colors and also to be able to specify non-printable parts of the object (Though it slips my mind why this would have been useful. I think I wanted to be able to display information on the model in openscad but not have it present when I exported. Though that would probably be something openscad would be better handling).
I've reccently started using 3mf from 3d Builder, but perviously I was using 3mf to design multiples varients and save those varients as STL for printing, as I thought STL was a 'simple' file and 3mf was a 'complex' file..
But after realising I can use the 3mf i don't bother, and now I'm glad I did.
This will be the reason I had trouble with subtracting portions of imported stl's - the triangle counts were enormouns for a flat plane.
I changed to 3mf awhile ago. still only seen file size differences so far but then again I don't make very complicated models. I do like the fact that i can edit the files in what ever 3d package i want though and not have to deal with scale and compatibility issues.
Can this be used from the manufacturing area of fusion360 with supports?
Very informative… I have been exporting from F360 as STL for a long time, but now have a Prusa 3D printer so 3MF will be my format of choice now. Thanks for the great video!
When I can perfectly reload a model in 3MF in PrusaSlicer, I'll switch over :-)
Use the OBJ file format instead, and you can do that today. 3MF is not really better than STL, just smaller.
Have you tried the 2.4.0 Alpha version? ,this version loads the model in 3mf perfect
@@kimnielsen9320 I'll try - Thank you!
@@cnc-maker I only use it to save Prusa-sliced STLs that I modified the default settings for.
I didn't know about it. I'll start to this new extension file ❤️❤️ Thanks super helpful
How many autodesk credits does exporting a model cost?
zero.
Anything that helps clarify details like this is SUPER helpful! So many things we just trip over and move on to the task at hand, the more details like this are explained clearly, the better things will get!
Still wish we had a universal file type for design history!!!
So many shared files would be easily modified to suit other uses, but everyone struggles to use them for the needed changes that make it usually easier to just remodel...
Agreed - we need the CAD companies to have a consortium for a universal parametric design file :)
Would be too much to have happen because features in one CAD package don't exist in the others so there's noting for it to translate to. Much like how some words in one language are not 1:1 in another.
@@arthurny3914 There are ways around that problem. Just because it would be hard and cost a lot doesn't mean we the consumer shouldn't demand it.
Consumers don't get what's best for the consumer often enough.
While I agree in general, the first reason is bogus. STLs are in mm - period. There is no confusion. If other software uses the wrong units it's just buggy. That's not really the problem of the format.
While plain text is great, I don't think XML is the greatest choice here. But fair enough.
Yes, almost always mm, but it's not a standard. So there are no wrong units, there are no units at all. From a professional point of view, STL is therefore only acceptable with a technical drawing or at least one defined dimension.
@@mrvisual2482 It might be too implicit for some, but it was created with mm in mind said the creator - that's enough for me to classify other units as not conforming.
@@tcurdt in practice it almost never matters but honestly a good standard that's written as a spec, not as a Twitter reply, is often very valuable and while I still prefer STL for my workflow I see the benefit.
Will definitely give the 3mf format a go. Thanks for the tip.
I'm finding when you open the 3mf files into Cura or Prusa Slicer they go to the 0,0 position. In Cura, I have to right click on the model and then click on Reset All Model Positions and then it goes to the middle and will actually slice. So adds an extra step you have to do each time. Hopefully there's an easy fix for this? I would gather it has something to do with how it's modeled in Fusion 360 as if I move it away from the origin, then it moves that amount in the slicer. Just not ideal if you have different printers so would be nice if it just loaded it in the center each time.
@@mikeneron my stls in cura are always in the center on the buildplate... Thats a setting thing and not the format of the file...
@@XxX0Fanta0Holik0XxX Mike is correct. He is referring to 3MF files not STL. STLs import into the center of the build plate in CURA, 3MF files import outside the build plate in the bottom left corner for some strange reason.
You still could have just kept the old option for printing as stl, don't see why there was a need to remove it all together
Completely agree. People should be allowed to choose.
Its still there, it just is no longer the default option.
What a weird statement. You can still save as stl
Literally in 3:49 you can see STL
I really prefer STLs since they are dropped on the center of the bed. 3MFs drop in their location in the CAD program, which basically always means I have to move the model around a lot, something I didn't have to with STLs.
Agree that it's a pain point in many slicers/programs, as it's based on the origin (most in lower-left corner). In Cura, right-click object > Center Selected. (I believe there's a shortcut for it, but can't recall it at the moment).
@@ProductDesignOnline didn't know that was a thing, thanks for the tip! The extra clicks are still annoying, though...
The other major pain point of 3MF files is that they can contain hostile gcode that could burn down your house.
Straight away i am starting only using 3MF files. Thanks for opening my eyes.❤
My first thought was, 'but it's still in the drop down menu.....' now that I've watched the video it makes sense. Definitely going to switch.
I've been using stls ever since I started modeling, so it was pretty jarring to see this title, but I'm totally on board with the change now. Thanks for the great information :)
Thank you! 3mf worked great for me in Creo 7.0. Much improved.
Always get great info on this channel 😃
I was totally unaware about 3MF and thought you had to convert to STL for the slicer.
Anyway, I will use 3MF for all my future designs.
Thanks Kevin!
Definitely will give it a try. Thank you for sharing this!
Yep... Been saving as STL for years, Will now try .3MF on your recommendation.
Thanks for this. I'm definitely going to give 3MF a shot!
This is something I have been longing for. Thanks!
#1 reason to use .stl : slicers use it
Get me a .3mf capable slicer and I’ll switch. Didn’t notice you mention it in the video despite seeing Prusa’s logo.
Cura slicer uses 3MF and STL, unfortunately the slic3r software doesn't
So basically, there are no good reasons for using 3MF files for hobbyists. Thanks, I'll continue using STL forever.
Lol I was thinking this. My favourite was if you change it to a zip you can see a thumbnail of the image.... But I can just see the thumbnail of an stl in the file explorer and even if I couldn't it literally takes 1 second to open the file and view it in the 3d viewer that comes standard with Windows. I've never had the10x bigger thing just sounds like people aren't reading the size properly and I can't imagine how you could ever have that problem if you are making your own models.
I use Fusion 360 and Cura. 3MF files work beautifully. I changed to 3MF and enjoy the smooth process and better results.
Thx, Kevin. There are clear advantages. One workflow thing that would be nice - which I haven't been able to find - is a MacOS 'Quick Look' for 3MF (actual 3D model, not just thumbnail - though that would be better than nothing). This doesn't negate all the advantages, of course, but does slightly limit the efficiency of managing 3MFs. TIA.
yes Mac is awesome for .STL previews!
@@95LegendGS Very convenient/helpful, indeed :)
Great content. I have used both and didn't understand the underlying differences. In general, I try not to use meshes at all but it is nearly unavoidable for 3d printing and rendering work. Keep up the great work!
It’s funny I have had to switch to 3mf as my computer was getting mad about STL and cura slicer and have had amazing luck now seeing this it makes sense why
Thank`s I will have a second look at this file type now after this video, now I know more and find this promissing. stl file are not perfect that i know but it works and there for its not like i go around looking for other alternatives just to potentially make more issues.
But as always your videos are priceless in getting the message out there i a good way... thank you
I've been using EXACTLY this over the weekend.
That's very good information and yes, I'll start using 3MF from now. Thanks.
You can STILL save from Fusion 360into an STL file. You first select Save Mesh and then you have the option to save as 3MF, STL binary, or STL ASCII.
I tried using the 3MF option but when I imported it into the PRUSA Slicer I initially had trouble FINDING the object. It seems that 3MF essentially includes the ORIGIN data. My particular part was way the heck AWAY from the origin in Fusion 360 so when it got into PRUSA Slicer is was way off the displayed printer bed. I could move it back onto the bed, but when I tried to do rotation of it the rotation was around the origin, which then was way off the displayed bed. This 3MF file format may be the recommended format, but I had to go back to STL in order to get it to work with the PRUSA Slicer.
Wow! Great video! I'll start exporting my files in 3MF. Thanks :)
I'm a newbie, thanks for the explanation. I will try this soon.
Popped up in my feed and immediately said thank god! finally! Working with STLs is terrible.
Thank you very much for this clarification.
I definitely will use .3mf for my 3D-printable files.
But what's the difference to .obj, ...? Is there a reason to use .obj in different scenarios?
I am amateur in 3d printing and modeling. I started using 3mf instead of stl, the only difference i noticed is the size of file 😅.
I didn't know how old stl is and how much more 3mf has. Thank you for telling me this information
I stopped exporting stls as soon as I saw that 3mf was available in Fusion360 and I understood what it meant using it!
Kevin, question: STL files require cloud processing which at times can take a long time; I’ve waited up to 30 minutes!.
I notice the generation of 3MF files is super quick; is the 3MF being generated on my computer instead?
Thanks again for all you do!
I'm going to become an adopter of 3MF files. Nice introduction video!
I will Surely use!
Dose it support solid works?
do these files work for 3d printers like the anicubic photon mono, eta.
and does this work on slicers like citubox?
As a newbie I did not know this! I will republish the files using 3mf! This may help remixing my designs (at least it sounds so) :)
Definitly YES, I'm now going to use 3mf files
Yes. I will start using 3MF. thanks for the video
I didn't know about 3mf but been printing and using f360 for 11 years and im instantly sold will use 3mf sounds way better
Yes, I do it all the time nowadays. Even if it was just of the size and ease of use of my own files.
thanks for this valuable information. I will start using 3MF files
I will try it today.
Thanks for the info my good sir..👍
fine, you have convinced me
i will probably save in both stl and 3mf
Ok, I'm convinced. Looks like an improvement.
Thanks for the information to save in 3MF. I didn't know about it. I have only used .stl before.
Good to know! I’ll try it for sure. Thanks.
All points are valid. Period!
However. And for me who more or less only use Fusion 360 for personal/hobby 3D-printing - not all 3D-printing slicers that I use can import .3MF. One of my main slicers I currently use is Chitubox - and I just confirmed that it (free v.1.9.0) still cannot import .3MF-format files. Sure, there are alternatives - but then the goal is to try and find a workaround - not to explain why I still use .STL. But I will get there eventually - the benifits are surely there... and the updates will come. ;)
Thanks for your time and effort
Already have started using 3MF. It's a pain though as the models don't import into Cura well, they always end up in the wrong plane and off the side of the build plate, requiring extra handling.
This is exactly why I think 3MF is trash and why I still use stl. You can't even reload the damn file in cura/prusa slicer...
as a quick workaround, right-click then select auto-arrange models, it does this because the 3d design software includes the x0,y0 information in the file and Cura places the model on the build plate based on that location information. If you put a square in your design software the size of your build plate you can locate your model for printing while you are designing your model.
@@greevous Thanks for the info, the "wrong placing" was a big off for me but I will definitely try that.
Curious question. Would .3mf files have more detail since they are not translated into meshes? Forexample: a low mesh cylinder .stl you can see vertical lines. It’s not a perfect circle. Maybe I have this wrong?
Always fantastic information and to the point. TKS!
This is great news to hear. I never knew this but I will be using that option from now on.
One question though. Can a STL be converted to 3MF in any programs before inserting into F360?
Sure it can, but there isn't much of a point to do so. As in, there is not really anything (worthwhile) that you could add in other software that you couldn't also add during import into Fusion.
This is really promising, never had heard of it. Loved it, loved the fact that color and materials are included. Surely I'll start using it! Thanks a lot for sharing!
First came in contact with this format back in the late 90's when Apple's Quicktime incorporated it. If it hasn't become a standard after all these years and so few software use it, i'm pretty sure it won't get enough momentum for wide adoption. Stay away from it if you don't want serious strain to your workflow...
I’ve been watching you old playlist at work to learn and you are BY FARRR the best resource to learn. You are AMAZING at teaching. Please never stop teaching us
Thanks! I appreciate your support!
Yes, your arguments are right, however, the slicers i have available for very affordable SLA printers do not support 3MF :( ( shitubox / photon )
I'll need to do a bit more research and learning prior to jumping on board with 3mf. It seems to work fine on my designs with a single body but when I try it on a design with multiple bodies, it saves all the bodies as individual parts. When I open the .3mf file in Cura, I get meshes for all bodies that make up the model, not one completely assembled mesh. I'm sure it's just a me thing and something easy to remedy.
Seems useful. I'll look into this, thanks for sharing all the info
I'm pretty new to 3D printing but I think 3mf files could get messy with printer settings, especially for somebody new to printing. Particularly with settings being carried over.
I mean, in one sense it might be better if the designer's settings are automatically loaded into the printer, so a newbie won't have to set the settings, but then, do those settings stay in the printer for the next print if you load an stl file?
What if you have a different nozzle, for example?
How does it work with resin vs filament?
And, if you change the settings in your slicer with the 3mf model loaded, do they save to the 3mf file/model?
I kind of like the simplicity of having the model and printer and the gcode being totally separate.
I see Cura slicer has 3mf on the list for file open. But for those who like the stl format, is there a simple utility to convert from 3mf to stl?
Will start using 3mf. Fairly new to printing so I don’t mind switching so much
Thanks for posting this, I had no idea.
Fusion 360, in the "Save as mesh" popup window, it seems impossible to select 3MF as long as one has selected "send to 3D print utility". Is that just me or are everyone else getting that as well? Messes up my workflow.. :-P
Same issue. I don't know enough about inter-program stuff like that to really understand if there are reasons, but I wonder if being a package of multiple files makes it harder to pass off to another application. Maybe not, maybe it is just something that they will add later.
I'm guessing that is because Autodesk understands the limitations and issues 3MF has with 3D printing, unlike the person who created this misleading video.
@@halsaresnowpaw522 What kind of issues?
@@SourceOfObesity That current slicers don't handle 3MF files the way STL files are handled. One major problem I have with them is that PrusaSlicer (not sure about other slicers) won't let you reload models from disk. So if you make a change, you have to reload the model. That could mean repositioning it, adding supports, and other attributes that may have been applied. When using STL files, after I make a change, I just have to reload the model and that's it. If I have multiple instances, they are all updated. If that part was a 3MF file, I would have to delete all the existing instances, reload and prep the model, and then make multiple instances if needed.
"Smaller than STL..." hmm I'm interested"...is a zipped XML file" annnd I'm out
I've seen some people mention their dislike of xml files. Could you or someone explain why? Novice to 3d printing here.
Good evening,
I would like to ask you if the CAD can export geometry in STL format and if it includes parametric models or any kind of geometry variation?
can it reconstructs them in real time?
Sorry, not sure I understand your whole question. In short, once your convert to a mesh file (STL, 3MF, OBJ, etc) you are no longer able to edit parametric. Keeping your CAD file in the native format (.f3D in the case of Fusion 360) is most ideal if you need to update user parameters or change parametric features.
Fusion 360 has a newer convert feature that can help you take someone else's STL model and turn it into a solid Brep body to add parametric features - czcams.com/video/tVGtG-UjlYg/video.html
@@ProductDesignOnline
I need to combine Fusion 360 with a CFD software in order to optimize the original CAD design.
Can Fusion 360 handle geometry variation in a batch mode? For instance, if I design a basic geometry and want to optimize it according to certain CFD-imposed criteria, would Fusion 360 be able to keep generating-updating the geometry (produce new STL's) until I reach my optimization goal?
I just picked up a Photon Mono X and the only way my AutoCAD program communicates with it is with stl files. It didn't take me long to figure out stl is metric as the files when opened in the Photon Workshop were really small. My question would be, "Will this Mesh file be read by my Photon Workshop?"
This is my 2nd account but I do take your online courses. I will most definitely be converting to 3mf!
I am such a creature of habit..... but you make such a great argument. I think I will try to switch over.
Fusion Manufacture still uses STL on the "Stock -> Save Stock" export, hope they update it and allow it to also use 3MF for CAM work flows.
Well, that was the ugly "hack" to be able to transfer stock between setups. With "in process stock" and "transfer stock" features you don't have to remember to create a new stock-model when you change someting in your OP1 that needs to be taken care of in OP2.
One thing I would like to have there is a ability to "trim" my stock. As a example: We sometimes makes parts where we have a pretty tall piece of stock to be able to get to all the features without colliding. When transfered to OP2 we still have those 70mm of stock in software that we actually cut away in the bandsaw. The solution is to add a "dummy-setup" between OP1 and OP2 where we face off all the excess stock
I’ll try it on my next design thanks 😁👍
But if I design something and scale is included in the package how do I scale up or down when it comes to printing or can I even scale up and down when it comes to printing and I really would like to have an answer
While is probably isn't 3MF format fault, one of the big issues I have with using 3MF is that PrusaSlicer, my main slicing program, cannot "reload" the model from disk. When I am developing a new model, I make changes and export as the same file name. I can then use the reload option and not have to reposition everything because of the change.
We were taught to to use IGES but I felt like it was dated at the time. But I still do it for some things.
When will F360 allow import of STL then convert to 3MF and then create a view layer-by-layer simulation of the new 3MF highlighting errors that require fixing? I like/use Creality Slicer 1.2.3. - it works great to directly print via USB - but this older modified Cura slicer does not take 3MF. So do I stop using F360 since I cannot edit/create/save to .stl? Cura sucks - no temp graphs, scaling is tricky, etc. Sometimes KISS is better.
You've done it again. Clear, succinct, and comprehensive. I can't tell how many times I started to print a model that turned out so tiny that I couldn't see it because I forgot to export in mm. Thank you.
Thanks chat, got as much info from you as the vidy.
Take away, use right tool for job at hand...
Probably I'm doing something wrong but if I choose to print as 3MF in Fusion it's mutch harder to position the component in Cura correctly and sometimes it's in different pieces. That don't happen with the same component printed from Fusion in stl format.
Nice. Problem is that mostly free open sorce still use STL file. And public website as prusaprinter database for downloading new 3d prints.
I didn't know I need this. Thanks man.
Not sure if the has been said yet in the comments, didn't go through all 629 of them. Fusion 360 HAS NOT gotten rid of saving as an STL format. You can still save as STL, you just need to selected on the drop down menu after you enter the Save As Mesh
I will give it a try… thank you.
I will stick with STL.
But when we are at it:
I understand that you do have some connections to AutoCAD. Could you PLEASE ask them to modify the Mash-Export dialog, such that it remembers my last choice? It is a pain in te ass, to always select the same stuff, just because the program does not remember.
Also: Could you PLEASE ask them, that starting a new command (like eg. typing 'L' to draw a line) should automatically stop the "change viewpoint" mode. It is not an issue if you do have a mouse. But working at a laptop using a touchpad, IT IS A PAIN IN THE ASS to figure out why the eg. Line-command is not working.
Thank you for the info, very helpful! :)