Damn dude lookit you! That’s awesome. Ya I hovered over a few too. My wife is learning more atm, I have like max an hour at a time to spend on it. Like just enough to not really do anything lol.
@Venom121212 why solidworks? Is that an autodesk program as well?
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Python? Is that the best place to start? Or arduino or whatever their language is haha
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No but it is a similar program.
Solidworks is an assembly-driven software, whereas Fusion 360 uses a multi-component part system. Solidworks is better for manufactured goods and design engineering, whereas Fusion 360 is more suited to hobbyists and some advanced designers.
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I would like that too… starting off I’m guessing that some programs will be more suitable to certain people…
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How long did that take ypu?
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About 5hours to manage the rectangle. And 2 days of trial and error for the others
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Solid copy and paste job 
Solidworks is another 3d modeling service, it’s just built with the industry and engineers in mind so you can run stress calculations and endless simulations as well. Wind tunnels, deformity points, temperature relations… Too many. But that’s what the real manufacturers are using to see if their shit is going to explode in your face.
The difference Marc is referring to is trivial. In solidworks, you make several individual parts and then assemble them with relations to make a whole mechanism.
My biggest qualm with fusion is that it is all cloud storage based. Feels like a real apple system in general.
Solidworks is expensive as fuuuuck though and I only have it from work so if I wanted something free to use, I’d go with fusion. The tools are 90% the same and you can most likely do everything you can and want with it.
Definitely explore all the tools, starting with the basic ones like lines, circles, etc. It’s all about drawing in 2d and then making that sketch 3d by moving it somehow.
In solidworks, the 2d part is a sketch, the 3d movements are called features. These features are what you need to learn to manipulate to make what you want.
Common features:
Extrude - extends the sketch in one direction. If your sketch was a circle, you’d be making a cylinder. If your sketch was a wheel gear, you’d be making the gear thicker. You get to set how far you extrude, you can tell it to extrude up until it hits the next face of something, etc in the tab popped up when you click a feature and select which sketch your going to 3d-ize
Extruded cut - same as an extrusion but instead of making a positive solid, it cuts that negative out. If I had made a bucket and needed to cut holes for the handle to enter, I’d sketch the circle to the desired dimensions and extruded cut how ever far I needed.
Revolve - takes your sketch and revolves it around a chosen line. If you draw a half circle and revolve it around the flat middle line, you’d get a sphere. You can tell it how many degrees to rotate, etc.
Loft - will take 2 sketches and create a solid between them. If you have a circle and loft it to a square, you get a weird ac vent shaped thing with a circle on one end and a square on the other.
Shell - you pick a face on your object and it will hollow it out like a cup. You get to pick wall thickness etc.
I’ll try and open fusion and write something up with picture examples if I have some free time this week.
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@Venom121212 I was writing up from scratch and figured I should Google to verify my statement. Gives they were saying about the same as what I thought so yup, just copypastaed it 
Everything you just explained applies to fusion (not sure for loft, haven’t noticed or used it) so pretty sure a tuto would most likely apply both ways.
I have an exported copy of every project on my computer. The cloud part can be fun as you can view it all from your phone. I’ve been showing friends things theyve asked me to make without having to carry a computer 
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Dude… so helpful thank you.
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Arduino is syntaxically C++ , it just has a bunch of prebuilt functions. personally, i would recommend starting here are it is the more OG language. Python is good, but is better as a second or tertiary language as it aims to reduce overhead. the Step from python to C will be uphill, from C to python(or any object based language), downhill.
Personally im a slut for VBA, as its applications are mostly work and productivity. If you already use excel a lot at work. VBA will take you from being an excel wizard to an omniotent diety. also VBA has mid-compile changes, so you can reconfigure code on the fly, and it has autocomplete/dropdowns that spoil you rotten. Never have to rememer a variable name ever again.
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Just learned how to configure my 3d printer. I also upgraded the board…
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Nice. Congrats. Chances are that fw is in C++
Yeah it is. Configuring the code is easy… ha I want to learn to write it.
I’m currently learning some programming too, starting with python cause I’m doing it for work. But I am starting to see what you mean @agressivstreetlamp about it trying to reduce overhead. I am going to go back and round out my knowledge once I’m done with this job stuff.
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Last time I checked it looked like he was building surfboards. Lol
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Funny you should mention surfboards… That’s definitely something I enjoy making. Granted I live in the middle of america, all of them, and have yet to surf. I’m not even sure they float.
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I’m mega keen to go deep into this. Like deep enough to be confident on all the main decisions in the pack layout, design, and real world overheads required and where a little extra overhead is safe and where it’s wasted.
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Can anyone share their experience with pouring thane, I have an idea for a wheel I would like to try.
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