Fusion 360 Form Mastery - Part 13 - Creating a Lattice Structure with Mesh Edges and Form Bodies

In this video we take a look at an advanced workflow where we will convert a surface body to a mesh, remesh it, convert it back to a BREP, then use the mesh edges to create a forms Pipe for a unique lattice structure.
This process is a bit tricky and honestly doesn't have a lot of real application, but never the less it is cool and you just might find a situation where it can come in handy.

[@venomous5230]

Thanks. I’m using the free version and all other videos just showed volumetric lattice which wasn’t really what I was looking for but I thought it was my best bet. This video was exactly what I was hoping to make it look like and it was really easy to follow along too.

[@TheTranq]

I am actually looking to do a volume lattice, any good references?

[@venomous5230]

As far as I know the best thing to do is just buy the full version unless you want to be repeating circular patters over and over again. I think that using this method will make a pretty even lattice as long as it’s a normal shape and not something round. Again I’m not sure on all this so don’t take this as the best advice.

[@dadasut50]

Back in 2019 I took a specialization on Coursera called cad and digital manufacturing where you taught us how to make a generative mesh in the back of a drone using pipe. mesh workspace was not introduced to fusion back then so I think it would have made the job a bit easier Great courses by a great lecturer Mr. Mat thanks to you I got into manufacturing and Fusion 360 is my main cad tool.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Thanks Ahmed! That was a fun course as I got to build that done and fly it around :) I agree a true mesh/lattice tool would have been so much easier. One of the "goals" of that course was to lightweight. I still have 2 of those prints here at the house but haven't flown them in a long while. Thanks for the comments! What types of things do you design with Fusion?

[@dadasut50]

​@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign Glad to hear. it is such a beautiful drone Well, I started by designing robot grippers, simple manipulators and small mobile systems to be used within ROS-URDF Then in the mechanical R&D of consumer products like smart locking systems, plastic parts and enclosures currently designing mechanical applications for assembly stations Fusion was part of all that and all started by your great courses on Coursera , Autodesk design academy and now LEAD Thank you so much for your great content.

[@miras.6761]

if you cant see the edges toggle it on

[@karlheinz6880]

Do you know how to change the appearance/color of the lattice or is that a feature that not yet implemented

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

In this method when you make it with forms you just apply an appearance like you do any other body. It just ends up as a solid(or surface). Shortcut key is A on the keyboard in the Design or Render workspace. Let me know if that doesn't work.

[@JuanAdam12]

The explanation of the Capture/Do Not Capture Design History selection and the "Contextual Environment" terminology are (apparently) important concepts in this lesson but were not explained well enough to have the desired impact. I've seen other videos that also seem to gloss over these concepts. I can't decide if they're high-level or basic level aspects of Fusion. Maybe it's just me not getting it.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Hi Adam, sorry about that! Not capturing design history is generally not done or talked about, but there are times when it is handy. It is sort of like one of those multi-tools that comes with all sorts of different tools you might never need. Maybe it is an important concept to cover more in depth. Like everything there are multiple workflows or reasons why you might need it but the main implications are: 1. No design history means no mechanical motion//joints because Fusion can no longer track component positions. 2. Design tools that were done in contextual environments are not open. Tools like Find Features, Create Fluid Volume, used to be some Mesh tools and Form tools begin to coexist. 3. Parametric links are lost between sketches and features. A Contextual Environment simply means an environment that you get to only by nature of the tool/action. So Forms is a contextual environment(when history is captured). To make matters worse there is something called a Base Feature that you can create to model directly without capturing history but under the umbrella of actually capturing it. The last forms video I did was also done with history turned off and one of the rare cases I would actually use it. I never turn off history when modeling with solids or surfaces. And history is off whenever you import something. Let me put a little thought behind the concept and see if I can't figure out how to talk about it completely in a single video.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Adam, I thought this through and recorded a mediocre video on the topic. It will uploaded Friday morning. In the meantime this is the most likely use of turning off capture design history. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKe0hqRpeL6jnpI 99.99% of cases I would make sure it is on.

[@JuanAdam12]

@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign Thank you for this and the other thougtful replies to my comments elsewhere. I'm enjoying your videos and know I will make a lot of progress towards my understanding of Forms thanks to your channel.

[@rgandayuwana]

hi how to create a laser cut or 3d print output from the lattice structure that is created ? need some advice thanks !

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Laser cut isn't really possible since it needs to be flat. but you can just save the body as a mesh and 3d print it. Once you finish the form just go to the bodies folder in the browser, right-click and "Save as mesh". that will let you save it and send it to your 3d print slicer.

[@berniewasserman265]

great videos. I learn a lot form these. Thank you. Would it be possible to have some videos showing how to reverse engineer a product? I have been trying to create a model of a battery cover from a satellite remote control. It is a complex shape and I have tried many techniques with limited success. The cover has many curved surfaces and then slides into the remote body. I can send pictures if you provide a location. Thank you.

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Hey Bernie, i have a few videos on that topic but it sounds like you are looking specifically at a complex shaped injection molded part. you can send me an email [e-mail] and we can carry on the convo there.

[@berniewasserman265]

I have tried to send the pictures twice now, and both times Google tells me the address is not valid.@@LearnEverythingAboutDesign

[@RickDrew]

nd what if there's no "form" option?

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

Rick, you don't have forms at all?

[@nathanengel7826]

You didn't do the "don't capture design history" step

[@Koni-lm6hz]

Good thing! But i have a Problem with the Construction. what can i do if i have the problem at 13:30 min of the video? is there a solution? thanks for your help

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

If you get overlap like that you can try to reduce the edge count in the pipe tool, but most likely you will have to manually move edges around until the body doesn't overlap itself. Basically if it were to try and convert to a solid it would have a solid overlap in those areas which it won't allow.

[@Koni-lm6hz]

How can i move edges? In the Form Modus, Holding and move the edge with the mouse? and where is the edge count in the pipe tool? isn't it few steps before? thank you so much and sorry for disturbing

[@LearnEverythingAboutDesign]

@@Koni-lm6hz Modify > Edit Form is how you move form verts,edges,faces around. For the pipe tool on the 3rd tab called "Segments". You can try to reduce the segment count by dragging the slider toward Fewer. You can also manually select the Dots on the screen and add/remove them from individual sections. that would be a lot for a model like that.