Blender to Fusion 360 - How to Convert a Mesh to a Clean CAD Surface

In this video we are going to take a mesh body created in Blender and bring it into Fusion 360 to better understand the process of how you can take your poly models and turn them into a true CAD model.
We will explore 4 different methods of getting this done and better understand what the output looks like.
1. Importing an OBJ and using mesh tools to create a faceted CAD surface
2. Converting a quad mesh OBJ directly to an editable T-Spline body and ultimately a clean BREP
3. Using form tools to move control vertices onto a mesh reference
4. Creating new T-Spline faces snapped to the mesh body

[@kosielemmer]

Your content is fantastic. Solving real problems. Especially for folks who “teach themselves”

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

thank you!

[@yahyagannour8486]

Thank you for the tutorial, your efforts are very much appreciated.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

You are welcome! I feel like I have done a dozen Fusion to blender and blender to fusion videos so if something seems off please let me know. I will likely update these at some point soon.

[@CaseyJScalf]

This was so unbelievably helpful. Much better than the F360 docs. Thank you so much!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Great to hear!

[@Tarex_]

I already noted that you are bang on with the videos that interest me xD since Blender has Nurbs support, that would also be an option since nurbs are basically a different name to Autodesks T-Splines , so the conversion could start in blender a little already. Since i am trying to retopo my scanned meshes to cad and it's still a pain (probably my fault for not designing from scratch lol) definitely interested in the foms and surface stuff

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Hey Tarek, I would love to know more about this! I believe you can create NURBs from the mesh curves, but i wasn't aware you could make a nurbs surface from a mesh body. I had heard Shrinkwrap did something like that but I honestly had never tried. There are a lot of variables but quadmesh to tspline is really easy and has the best results so far(using blender and fusion 360 specifically). If you have more info on the nurbs support please let me know here or [e-mail]

[@oqueeutofazendoaqui]

For those only have free fusion, (without clean mesh conversion) is there any workflow to comvert a mesh stl to editable solid to fusion? (maybe FreeCad, 3Ds, blender, anything .step for example.)

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

The only mesh conversion that isn't available in the free version ( i believe) is the organic one that tries to do a quad mesh conversion to get a tspline body. There are some paid and free quad remeshers that would allow you to import an OBJ(because stl is only tris) and convert it to a freeform body (within limitations). exoside.com/ Free one github.com/wjakob/instant-meshes I have used the instant meshes before and will get you most of the way there but it does have its limitations.

[@PauloIrineudeSouza]

Você é fantástico. Muito generoso, inteligente e agradeço a Deus por pessoas como você existirem. Com esse processo, você me ajudou a definir um fluxo de trabalho para 16 peças que tenho que modelar. Muito obrigado, você é incrível!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Você é muito bem-vindo!

[@777MAV]

I'm working with 3d scans in fusion. Not the perfect tool for that, but this is what I have :) It would be cool to see workflow of building something off the mesh geometry like ducktail spoiler or fender flares.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Yeah scan data directly in fusion is tough. To be fair it is tough in any software that is not specifically made to handle it. Solidworks had a "Scan to 3D" option you could enable that tried to build surfaces off of mesh data but...... I have done a few methods on the past with CMM point data building curves and with actual point cloud data. For a free tool to help clean that up you could try Meshlab. I have used it with laser scanners before but most of my production work was in RapidForm, now under Geomagic. If you would like to send me any scan data I would be happy to try and figure out a workflow! My guess is to wrap it and remesh it with quads in something like meshlab or blender, then take it over to Fusion 360. www.meshlab.net/ I am not affiliated with meshlab in anyway and it has been awhile since I have used it.

[@777MAV]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign I used meshlab to align scans before, now mostly to decimate scans to be lighter for fusion. It's powerful tool, but interface is tough... :)))

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

no joke. Free/open source software isn't usually know for great UI.... Blender a few years ago was tough. it is much better now.

[@Globean]

Very Yseful!

[@iagocasabiellgonzalez7807]

Interesting and useful. I come from a Blender background and Fusion 360 is very different. How do you export/import from Blender to Fusion curves, so that a tool can follow a path.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Hi Iago, are you saying you want to take a Curve object from Blender into Fusion 360? I don't currently know of any way to take a curve object directly out of Blender. It works with Mesh so if you convert it, the export should work the same, but then you loose a true Bezier curve. I'd love to know the workflow you hope to achieve and maybe I can be of some more help.

[@jabe5895]

New subscriber, awesome video, my question is I bought the model of an airplane is in obj and I need to bring into Fusion 360 and I am guessing convert to a solid so I can cut it up and make negative molds and export as stl for 3D printing, then the molds will be glued together and make composite parts, is this possible? Can I send you the obj file so you can make some suggestions on which path to take? THANK YOU!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

THanks Ja Be! So starting out as a mesh is tricky as your file is made up of triangles. If you happen to have the product design extension there is a mesh conversion that attempts to turn it into a form body. You can also try to take it into a program like Blender that is free and make it a "quad mesh" then import it into Fusion. Since you are planning to 3d print your molds you might be able to use the "para mesh" features in Fusion and just create the mold like that. If you want to send the file [e-mail]. I have a pretty big list right now but ill try to help as best i can.

[@CaskStrength777]

About a year ago I was working with some very complex (think jet engine geometry) 3D scans in Fusion, and overlaying them with 5 axis machining operations with in process geometry checks. One of the most annoying things though is even though I can do that, I never found a quick way to take 3D scans and make solid bodies that were not faceted to make machining seamless surfaces easier. Fortunately for what I was doing it didn't matter it was a comparison of different things I can't go into, but I have my own handheld 3D scanner and I regularly find I want a way of taking a mesh and making it a smooth model as quickly as I can. I would love to see a special series just on doing that. Starting to wonder if there isn't a way to make AI do this quickly..

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Sounds like some fun work! There are a few tools. Some used to be free within the Autodesk ecosystem, but now the only native tool that will do it is behind the Product Design Extension. On the Mesh tools if you go to the Modify drop down on the ribbon and down to Convert Mesh, in there you have a 3rd method locked by the PDE called Organic. What this does is attempts a quad remesh of your data and invokes the Convert mesh to tspline and creates a form body. IF the mesh is prismatic in nature there are conversion options in Fusion that attempt this however I have found this to work ok on simple geometry, especially if it was meshed in Fusion, but anything that was meshed in say Blender are treated a bit different. Something about the way a CAD program makes a mesh file vs a poly program confuses Fusion with this process. So if your parts are from another CAD software and saved as an STL or OBJ you might have luck using that prismatic conversion tool in Fusion. Outside of fusion there are a few tools. Some paid and some free. github.com/wjakob/instant-meshes Most of the free ones are limited to Quad Remesh and then you bring that to fusion and attempt a convert in the form tools. There will be a limit to the number of faces it can handle though. There are tools and add-ins for blender and others with trial versions like exoside exoside.com/ Other tools exist not as a plugin for Fusion but as a stand-alone to spit out a Brep. There are conversion options in programs like Geomagic. NPower which makes a subD modeling add-in for Solidworks has a tool called Cyborg3d mesh to cad www.npowersoftware.com/NewCyborgMeshToCADOverview.html

[@stevemethia5080]

new sub here- using CR Scan Lizard (new to me) and once I finally get a decent scan (that's a subject to itself!) I was trying to make solid (3D print) in Fusion. Now that I have this info I think I can do it. I will download Blender (another thing to learn) I use Prusa printers and Slicer--then Lizard to Blender to F360 to Prusa Slicer then to printer. Reverse engineering on motorcycle parts. Wish me luck. Thanx

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Welcome aboard! My latest series is scanning a car fender to build a wide body. Might be of use. Also if you haven't seen it go check out Making for Motorsport. David did scans with a CR Lizard as well as other things and might have some very specific info for you.

[@AcrioAlarius]

OK, so to summup, if I create something more complicated with blender for cnc machinig and then wish to convert it with fusion for iges or step for example, then keeping the designed "part" all quads and relatively mid polycount shout yeld me the results I seek? I wonder if splitting the blender part into chunks would help too for the conversion process?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Yes exactly. Fusion does have a "convert to quads" option but its in the design extension which is not available for hobby users and its still a crap shoot. Fusion can convert prismatic parts with some luck but honestly if its easy enough to convert that way its probably easy enough to just model.

[@travisclymens988]

I know this is old. Trying to perfect a body kit on a 3d model before purchasing a scanner and 3d printer. Its not uploading probably due to it not being solid. How can i export this to fusion 360? Thank you so much in advance!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

you can open any mesh in Fusion by using the Insert Mesh tool on the mesh tools tab, but that won't help you make it a solid. In order to convert it to a form that can be thickened you would need to make sure your mesh in Blender is a quad mesh. The other option is to use Solidify in Blender to thicken it then send it to whatever 3d print utility you are using.

[@rodolfocastelobranco1082]

When converting, I can't click on the selection, as if the mesh didn't exist, what to do? Thanks

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

is it listed on the right side of blender in the collection?

[@Dsk001]

Is there a way to cover a triangular mesh into a quad mesh in blender?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Yes theoretically but there might be situations it doesn't work. In blender apply the Remesh Modifier. I covered this recently in the fusion to blender for sculpting video. I used the Voxel method but play with smooth and sharp as well. This should give you a quad mesh, but there may be some geometry where that isn't possible.

[@kenw8875]

use Quad Remesher, $100 add-on tool for Blender, to quadrify a tessellated or nGon mesh.

[@Dsk001]

@@kenw8875 i will check that out

[@whitekingb]

my gawd fusion have alot of dogshit work flows :/

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

how so?

[@shawnhollahan590]

Almost two minutes in and no “education” … get to the point please , you’re competing with peoples time

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Sorry the video didn't give you what you were looking for Shawn. I made this channel to do a deeper dive into nuances on topics as there are many channels with quick tips out there but I felt deeper dives were missing. Happy to answer any questions and sorry if you feel your time was wasted.

[@primalgeek]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign Thanks for taking the time to make this video, and post it for free, please don't let comments like this keep you from making content that the rest of us appreciate.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

@@primalgeek Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! It is appreciated!

[@Patrick-857]

I disagree. This guys videos are excellent and he starts by giving context for what he's teaching and why.