One of the great benefits of cloud-based software is that it is usually updated frequently. That’s what happened with Fusion 360 last week.
As Autodesk’s flagship 3D CAD system, it’s strongly in their interest to keep the product updated with new features and that’s exactly what they’ve done here.
The major feature included in this update is the addition of a sheet metal design component. Using this feature you will be able to develop precise folding designs. It’s a way to transform 2D material into 3D structures.
Of course, that is not of direct interest to 3D printing, but it is certainly highly useful to those makers who may use metal bending in addition to their 3D printing needs.
Of greater interest to 3D print designers are other useful features.
One is the ability to select particular projects for caching. This means that you will be able to work on those projects offline, without connection to the internet. That’s the curse of cloud-based software: you have to be online to use it. However, Autodesk has enabled you to bypass this limitation with their new “selective caching” feature.
They’ve also introduced a feature that changes thread displays to “cosmetic”, vastly simplifying the processing required to display a large collection of complex threaded objects.
One new feature I particularly like is the ability to create Arc Slots, a feature that could be very useful in designing 3D printed parts that could snap together. There are two modes: a three-point configuration to define the arc slot, and a center point arc.
There’s a ton of other new features and fixes that should be reviewed if you happen to be a Fusion 360 user.
Via Autodesk
