Fusion 360 Form Mastery - Part 1 - How to Create a Form Body

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

To Toggle back and forth between Box Display and Smooth Display use shortcut keys ALT+1 for box and ALT+3 for smooth.

[@sadhucat4476]

By far the best channel dealing with forms modelling in Fusion 360. The theory included is super helpful in avoiding beginner mistakes, or at least understanding how to fix them. I often lose a ton of time fixing problems from following tutorials and not fully understanding why things are happening. Love the style here.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Thank you Sadhu!

[@VK3Dprint]

I love how you explain everything. Gonna start this type video series of your videos, thank you! keep the work

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Awesome, thank you! Note that this mastery series covers a lot of stuff. I have a paired down "basics" on my site www.learneverythingaboutdesign.com If you find the KZbin playlist to be a bit much.

[@petemiller519]

Your content is second to none. Subscribed. Thank-you.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Welcome aboard and thanks!

[@peto2771]

Finally forcing myself to watch something educational I came across your channel and I love it you explain everithing in a way that even my ADHD brain doesnt get bored :) great work love your videos I hope to learn how to make some car parts for my youngtimer specifically a new rear spoiler and rear window louvers :)

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Thank you! There are plenty of videos on here about spoilers and body parts :) don't hesitate to ask questions!

[@wildbore69]

i have used rhino cad for years ,now i have fusion 360 ,thank you sir for all the tips

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Glad to hear that!

[@ArnoldRowntreeTeachesFusion360]

Thanks, I teach the basics and have been looking forward to understanding the form tools, a more advanced topic than I've explored yet. I always thought these would be just the thing for ceramic design and have been looking forward to learning to use them to that end. Thanks for opening the door for me.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

That is great Arnold, I have covered forms here a lot since it wasn't covered much elsewhere. Depending on where/how you teach I have made official courses for Autodesk that have assessments, and assignments with them. If you need me to point you towards any let me know. [e-mail] I have covered introduction to Forms in a few courses, but Industrial Design is not high on the list right now which is why i cover it a lot here :)

[@igorkomkov9572]

Extremely well explained! Thank you!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

You're very welcome!

[@amarissimus29]

Great explanation. I remember well the frustration of trying to work with forms that had way, way too many subdivisions. Always use the simplest body that will get the job done. You can always subdivide later. Fusion has gotten a bit better with the conversion tools, but it's still very easy to start with an inappropriate foundation and wind up with a horror show.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Thanks! And 1000%. I try to avoid anything with a degenerate point like a sphere cause you will hate life down stream! It has come a long way but still so much more to go!!!

[@stevenchristian6046]

I am glad i came across this channel, your video is very informative. Thank You :)

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Very welcome!

[@KurgerBurger]

I noticed you flipped back and forth between box view and smooth, do you have a shortcut enabled and if so, how? Thank you for the hard work putting this series together!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

I didn't customize it so on a Windows machine it would be Alt+1 for box mode and Alt+3 for Smooth mode. You can also find them in the selection area of Edit Form.

[@dakotakellner2415]

This channel is better than my university class hah. Thanks Matt

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

haha love it :)

[@TheTechnoaddict]

Loved the ferrari tutorial. Would be nice to do a car completely finished using a combo of form and surface to get the best result possible.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Thanks Brecht! I have a buddy trying real hard to get me to do the BMW E36. Do you have a car suggestion?

[@TheTechnoaddict]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign the e36 is nice but pretty boxy so maybe one of the easiest to do? I'm trying a bmw m2 competition😅. The front bumper alone is a big challenge to me, not to mention the creased bodylines that flow into the body. But lots of nice cars 2 choose from. Maybe a nissan skyline, Porsche, Noble m12, lotus exige,...

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

lotus! hmmm. Yeah creases that terminate into smooth is really tough with Fusion forms.... ill dig around and think. I will add it to my list

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Brecht, curious if you had any luck on that M2 Comp bumper?

[@TheTechnoaddict]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign currently on hold. Too busy with work and little daughter😊

[@danieldc8841]

Great intro to forms. Makes me feel like they're a bit imprecise and fiddly - certainly would struggle to use parametric design with them. What are the good use cases for forms specifically?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

yeah they are not precise. There is a tool(which i have a few videos on) called Match, that has an associative option. This lets you match the edge of a solid/surface or attached to a curve. This means you can connect to something else precisely. Forms are great for quickly creating complex shapes and manipulating those shapes. They aren't great when you need a precise input. Even though you can loft, extrude, revolve, the precision isn't there. I use them to create designs that fit to a scanned mesh, car bodies/motorcycle parts, game controllers etc.

[@BobThef]

Correct me if im wrong but 2:51 its basicly permanent sub devide

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

When creating a form from a sketch like using a spline for an extrude, you are having to divide it up more to try and match the shape, but after its created you can add or remove edges if you want. So nothing is permanent, but more edges make it harder to control the shape initially while you are still exploring. There are spacing options and generally you want a uniform spacing, I just showed curvature based spacing because it drives the point.

[@danifem]

Can I make it so that the loft changes when I edit the sketches?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Daniel, you can't really do that with forms Lofts, but you can do that with Associative Match. Using the Match tool you can match a sketch or the edge of a surface/solid face. When you enabled the Associative option it will update based on those inputs. Be careful though as you want to be relatively close to your final shape. Generally what I would do is use Match without associativity until I am sure the model is close to final, then use Match again. I have done a few videos on it later in this playlist.

[@danifem]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign thanks so much for your answer, will definitely try it out later

[@vladislava927]

I just found your video and wanted to start learning, but the form you mentioned in the description is empty. Is there are new link that you can provide to be able to download it?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

it should just have sketches in it, no bodies I believe. When you downloaded it was it completely empty, or just no solids? a360.co/3p2njMr When you open that up just expand the sketches folder and you should see something. If not here is the completed file from the video. a360.co/43Kp16j

[@jimrainey1518]

I have a problem. When Iv created abodu , sawed it , and closed Fusion then ret opened the file to make changes to the form. It is not modifiable. It becomes gosted and inactive. How do I get access to a modifiable form?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

I replied to your other comment. let me know if that solves it.

[@a330turbinex7]

Matt... thank you so much for your videos. If I may ask.. please make a list of videos about creating a Boeing 747 or an Airbus A330 or another airplane from scratch. You can download a good 2D drawing in autocad to start from scratch the 3D building.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Thanks for the comment! I replied to your email

[@romanalaivi6967]

On the pipe form section, you frequently bring up various settings by shortcut without explanation. So, just curious, if the pipe form settings box disappears, how do I get it back? It doesn't show up in the design tree and I haven't 'finished' the form yet, still in editing mode (going to Modify > Edit Form brings up a different type of editing panel for segments of the form but not the form as a whole). Also, just curious when you magically go to box mode vs curves, how do you do that with the shortcut? I didn't see you explain that. I would like to quickly adjust those settings but, the settings for editing the form as a whole are no longer available and I don't know the shortcuts

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Hey Roman, sorry if i didn't explain some of those things. I harp on it in many videos but sometimes forget. On a PC going between box mode and smooth mode is ALT + 1 and ALT + 3 (alt +2 brings up the smooth display with a transparent external box cage). This can also be found inside the Edit Form dialog if you expand the selections section. Pipe is an oddball feature. With forms it is a direct modeling approach BUT Pipe should appear in the Browser under the bodies and sketches folder. You can double click it or right-click and Edit.

[@kawaiihabcukor]

Fantastic video! I love how you are liking every comment :,D Keep it up! Thx

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Thanks! I try to reply to all comments :)

[@benchp1869]

really appreciate for your tutorial, I am trying to custom an exhaust for my motorcycle and this really helps... got to try it these days!!! can i leave my questions encountered here (must face some I can expect )😂😂

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Of course! and you can email me [e-mail]. My suggestion to you(unless you plan on hydro forming a 2stroke expansion chamber) would be to use a 2d/3d sketch and the Pipe tool in the Design workspace Create menu. Stick with lines and Arcs that match some off the shelf mandrel bent tube you can buy. I did this for a turbo header for my GPz 750 and just bought some straights and Ubends to make it happen. There are some tools around but years ago i used a Tube Miter program from TonyFoale(bike builder from the 80s) that let you pick your tube OD and angle it was going to meet another tube. It would give you a print out you could wrap around your tubes and mark. Pretty handy for frame sections.

[@anugrahandi]

How did you turn shape from "Revolve" that from smooth shape to be a faced flat shape?

[@anugrahandi]

Nevermind, it answered below in Trever's question.

[@johndeer1806]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Glad it was helpful! There are a lot of videos in this series and we do have a beginners guide to forms on our site www.LearnEverythingAboutDesign.com

[@topitop6217]

What are the benefits of form design? Isnt solid modeling better for parametric designs?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

It all depends on the intent of the model. Freeform tools allow for a direct push/pull of complex shapes that would be very difficult and time consuming with traditional solid/surface tools like loft. In general I use Freeform tools for complex shapes(at least the base shape) and for things like mesh based designs because it can snap to a mesh.

[@topitop6217]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign So you are using different methods together. I have learned solid modeling recently and i was trying to figure out what are the others. For example when i design a big project like a 3d printer. Will i use form design? Great videos btw. You are making great tutorials. You helped me a lot!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

@@topitop6217 yeah different methods depending on the requirements, geometry, and end goal. So for example when working on parts for injection molding. even if its a simple shape i nearly always use some surfacing tools along the way. If you use Forms its never the only thing. You generally will use solid and surface tools to finish a model.

[@topitop6217]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign Thanks for your replies

[@subd3]

Is it possible to export out of Maya, the smooth preview and have it as a Form Body? Example is super organic guitar body that i later want to CNC with holes cut and cavities carved out.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

If you can export a quad mesh, once in fusion you can convert it to a form body. There will be a limited number of faces that it will handle so if you are dealing with a really large dense mesh it might not work. But a guitar body should be fine.

[@subd3]

Looks like I was able to create a low poly mesh in Maya. I exported that low rez mesh as an .obj. I imported the .obj using insert mesh. I then selected the imported mesh and hit the create forms icon. This created a forms smooth mesh from my .obj. I hit the Utilities button and chose the Quad Mesh to T-Splines. You should totally do a video showing this.@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign​

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

@@subd3 its a bit older but this might help. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYO7l2eHrrJ2g8U

[@md.arrahmandip7638]

Hello, can you make bugatti or koenigsegg series in form?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

I don't have any immediate plans to do another forms car series. I have 3 on this channel. A ferrari 308, Porsche 911 RWB and I did most of a WRX in another form series.

[@dusanranisavljev8784]

Good way to start

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

This series is getting on in years but there are a lot of videos in it. If you are looking for a shorter series we do have one on www.learneverythingaboutdesign.com

[@jorgesotohernandez7869]

could someone tell me how to change the view of the object to make it look a little more square? he does in minute 18:19 thanks

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

its the display mode. Box display can be found at the bottom of the Edit form dialog, under Utilities > Display Mode or with the shortcut keys ATL+1 for box and AlT+3 for smooth

[@jorgesotohernandez7869]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign thanks 🤩

[@malenelund7504]

How do you make the sketches? I am completely new, so what should I google to find videoes teaching how to create these forms?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Are you looking for sketches in general or with Forms? I did an introduction series a few years back that was meant for first time users. kzbin.info/aero/PLBDfGh8A8kXXArhsr4lj9zBo66HqRdryf If you need something else please ask.

[@male6561]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign Thank you! :D

[@kistler140]

How do you switch to FORM BODY, SMOOTH BODY?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Sorry, most videos after this one i go over it several times. You can find it in a few places. ALT+1 is Box Display. ALT+3 is Smooth Display. You can also go to the utilities menu and go to Display Mode. If you have the Edit Form tool open you can expand the "selection options" section at the very bottom you also have the Display Mode options.

[@franmo662]

Hi Matt, with using Pipe in Form, with splines and lines from a sketch, there is a new(?) option in the pipe menu like "show curve splits" could it help to facilitate finish form? and how? (there is actualy a small bug in Pipe form but with alt1 alt3 can manage it)

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

The curve split check box has been there and I believe i toggle it on in this video which was from 2021? Basically curve splits just shows the number of intersecting edges you have going to a point. It doesn't really help much in terms of finishing the form, but more of a visual indicator. I have noticed sometimes there is a double display if you increase/decrease the segments. not sure why but usually going to box and smooth again corrects the issue. Increaseing or decreasing the segments is usually the best way to help a form along created with Pipe. If the pipe sketch gets too tricky to solve sometimes you get twisting. In that case i usually delete some of the form and manually bridge the ends together to control the twist a bit better.

[@franmo662]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign thanks, with your recommandation, I am sure I must manage it

[@decoderhacker4062]

Hi, do you know if there's a way of folding a 2D net so it creates a 3D object?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Hi Lucas, I am not sure I follow what you mean by 2D net. Are you talking about Curve Networks like in Rhino 3d? I don't know if I follow so hopefully you can clarify and I will do my best to answer.

[@decoderhacker4062]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign an example of a net would be if you lay out all sides of a cube so that you see each surface on the same plane. Sort of like those metal earth kits that start off as flat sheets of metal that fold into different objects like cars, planes, tanks, etc.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Ok, so in Fusion the way to do that is using the sheet metal tools. You design a thin metal part in its folded state and you can flatten it. However there are limitations. Fusion doesn't currently have an "unwrap" tool like you would use on more complex shapes. Say if you were going to create a fiberglass part and wanted to figure out what the cloth shape needed to be cut as. Here is a sheet metal video i did kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYPPo51qnbt3iaM is that what you are trying to do? or do you need to work with a more complex shape.

[@a330turbinex7]

Fantastic!!!

[@resadmustafayev5837]

ı have a questıon. whıch method ıs approprıate to made any drone models fıxed wıng drone . sculp or normal method whıch whıle we start to fushıon we are usıng

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Traditional sketching and modeling, either solids or surfaces are more precise. I have made drones both ways, but with forms you still need to have some sketch/manual workflow. here is a micro drone video i did using standard sketching and solid modeling. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJCbhJ9uj8h0pM0

[@Eden_Maker]

Thank you so much.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

You're welcome!

[@treverbelmont8393]

at 5:54 how did you get the form to change from smoth to edgey like that

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

its the display mode. ALT+1 is box display and ALT+3 is smooth display. its found in the Utilities menu under "Display Mode" and you can also find it in the Edit Form dialog if you expand the Selection group in the dialog.

[@anugrahandi]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign Thank you very much! the function is deep within menu so it's not easy to find. I think it should be shown clearly on the toolbar because it just not the visual, but we can manipulate the shape from between shape "display"

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

@@anugrahandi I agree. I don't use a ton of shortcut keys but ALT+1 and ALT+3 for display and CTRL+4 and CTRL+6 to show and hide edges are the 2 I use the most often.

[@abdullahalsanad2037]

Is it possible to 3d print forms bodies?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

yes. if a form body is closed, when you "Finish Form" it will be a solid by default. If a form body is open it will convert to a surface. If you thicken it or stitch it into a solid you can print that as well.

[@CraigHollabaugh]

I've missed something here. What the heck are forms and why use them? I watched your "surface vs forms" video and that didn't with this question. Sorry, old dog here.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Hi Craig, Forms is somewhat of a hybrid workflow. Its a push/pull style of modeling where you work on a "cage" where the edges and faces control the tangency on the surface under it. If you think about a tent for camping. The shape of the tent is driven by the tent poles. Some tents have external poles and the fabric hangs from them, others have them as internal structure, but the principle is still the same. Those poles are the structure and the fabric of the tent takes that shape. With a traditional modeling approach you have a sketch, and you directly use that sketch to make a surface. With forms you use a cage (seen in box display with ALT+1 on the keyboard). That cage pulls on the surface and when you are done modeling you "finish" and that gets converted to a surface or solid model. There are pros and cons. Pro is that it is quick to make fairly complex shapes. Con is that it is less precise than using a sketch and building a surface. Pro you can easily go back and edit the shape. Con, it has trouble changing directions and a lot of care must be taken with what we call "star points".

[@CraigHollabaugh]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign OK, I get it. I've been using Fusion for its preciseness coupled with CNC machining, lots of flats, squares and holes. Forms are more like your tent or clay, it gets you close but you can make shapes that would be difficult to model with solids and surfaces. I think with your explanation, I'm ready to take your Form Mastery course. Thanks for the quick response, you've opened a new tool for me (can of worms).

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

@@CraigHollabaugh It can be very helpful even in CNC. One of the products i designed for a customer recently was yawmanflight.com/ Because we went through some shape exploration the base shape was done as a form to fit around the pcb. then the rest of the design was handled with standard solid and surface tools. You aren't going to make a press fit hole with it :) Also note the forms mastery here on youtube has a lot of videos. I did an absolute beginners course on my website www.LearnEverythingAboutDesign.com if you need any other resources.

[@CraigHollabaugh]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign I just watched @ProductDesignOnline "Modeling with T-Splines in Fusion 360" video and gave me a big smile. I've looked at objects like your yawman design and wondered (with my solid modeling mindset) how the heck did they model that. There's a giant hole in my modeling knowledge that needs attention. Thanks for your comments this morning.

[@amadeo4977]

Great.Content.

[@kajpaget3180]

My heart ❤ to U So good!

[@xarlixe7565]

Great tutorial : )

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Glad you liked it! It is a bit old now but there are like 50 videos in that playlist. I do have a basic course on my site as well which is a little more recent www.learneverythingaboutdesign.com/p/freeform-modeling-crash-course

[@xarlixe7565]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign Ok thanks I will check that 👍

[@KittyCat-f4s]

thanks bro for this

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

very welcome

[@padel24x7]

thanks

[@jimrainey1518]

The problem is illustrated in this screenshot . Notice there are several bodies in orange, and one not highlighted. it is the one I want to change but it wont activate, Hoe is it activated? Sorry I cant add the screenshot @#* crap!

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Forms are a "direct model" . if you are not currently in the forms workspace you likely have to edit the feature. Should be a purple cube thing in the timeline at the bottom.

[@stephenlussier9243]

blender file not working

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

im sorry what Blender file?

[@vio3667]

I really hate sphere. That middle point annoying me. Quad is much more better to control when i need to make flat surface or different shapes.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Yeah Quadball is the way to go 99% of the time. I think the sphere is only useful if you delete the top/bottom of it. I really avoid that degenerate point if possible.