Fusion 360 - Unfolding Sheet Metal Tubing Update

In a previous video linked below, I showed a process to create a paper template to make tubing notches. Since that video, Autodesk has added some functionality to make that process easier. This video will explore the convert to sheet metal command.
• Fusion 360 - Unfolding...

[@Tehknein]

Glad to see I’m not the only one dealing with Fusion’s lack of a unroll command or rotary plasma tool path. I built, laser cut, and designed an entire stand alone rotary tube plasma system only to be shocked that Fusion makes this much more tedious than it needs to be, and that BendTech stopped selling their industrial software that exports dxf patterns when they started selling machines

[@CraigHollabaugh]

I watched this again after a year, its still very helpful. Thanks again.

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

Hopefully this continues to improve. When it does, you will see a video from me on the subject.

[@turbocobra]

Awesome video. I just got a laser table with tube cutting attachment, so will definitely be getting back into fusion more than i have in the last couple years

[@DCT_Aaron_Engineering]

That’s a very handy tip Kevin. Thanks mate 👍.

[@dbruh5829]

Great video and follow up! Thank you

[@shophacks]

Thanks again. Kevin!

[@beemergb]

Thank you very much ! Even I undestood it !! Greetings from a plank of wood !! :-)

[@dokepravin2916]

Thank You!

[@TechnicVisuals]

Hi mate, with being able to print it out, would making the flat pattern from the inside of the tube make it too small to wrap around the tube for cutting or is the detected material width already allowing for that? thanks!

[@craiglandreth9573]

Hi keven Thanks for the great video I am trying to build a pontoon boat and am design it in fusion360 the pontoon are tapered so I have to do two sketches one smaller than the other then loft it but then I stitch it and try convert it to sheet metal it doesn’t un fold the whole part I have many hours lost trying different things like fillets on all bends. I think it may be something in the process of Stitching and thickin the joints look to be but joints not one part. Any ideals would be most helpful thanks Craig

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

Hi Craig. Sheet metal in most CAD packages is set up for a press take style operation. With what you describe there would be deformation of material, both stretch and compression. So as soon as your sheet metal would result in deformation, Fusion can’t unfold it. Hope that helps.

[@CraigHollabaugh]

Hey, this video is great! Can this be done with square tubing? I'm getting an error when I try to unfold my square tube with a slot cut out.

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

It can, but there has to be a seam, known as a rip, so the sheet metal can unfold.

[@CraigHollabaugh]

@@MechanicalAdvantage OK, thanks. I'll try again after I learn what a rip is.

[@ilikeautosdaily]

any idea how to export as a pdf or jpg so this could be printed on paper as a template?

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

You need to make a drawing of it using the drawing workspace. Then you can export as pdf. Note that if you have the personal license, you need to use a print driver to print to pdf. If you have a paid license, you will see the export yo pdf option on the toolbar.

[@Tazaki]

Hello! I did the tutorial till the convert to sheet metal, when i try to select the Stationary Face to create the flat plattern I am unable to select the iner face, when a create a new fresh body it works, what I'm doing wrong?

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

Hi. I’m sorry about that. I believe there was a change made where this method no longer works. Thanks for the reminder, I need to follow up with the product managers to see if this is intentional or a possible regression in functionality.

[@JoeKerr-28]

How do you deal with the length of the flat pattern doesn't match the circumference of the pipe being patterned? 8in sch40 pipe is 8.625 diameter w/ a circumference around 27.096, but the flat pattern I get in fusion360 is only 25.9483in.

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

What is your k-factor set to? It needs to be set to 1 or your flat pattern will take stretch into consideration.

[@JoeKerr-28]

@@MechanicalAdvantage thanks for the reply. I am super new to fusion 360 and I dont know what the k-factor is or where to find it.

[@JoeKerr-28]

@@MechanicalAdvantage nevermind, I found it! thanks fot the help and the great video. can fusion 360 do the g-code for a 4th-axis plasma cutter? I make a lot of parts out of steel and aluminum pipe and would love to be able to just do everything in Fusion 360 and not have to make a flat pattern to import into another software.

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

@@JoeKerr-28 If you use the sheet metal tools to do this, you have to pick a sheet metal rule. That sheet metal rule controls how the part unfolds. When you edit the rule, you will see a K-factor value. Changing that to 1 will remove the stretch factor and just unfold your shape without accounting for stretch. I did a video on sheet metal rules if it helps kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoDWY6Offcuog7c

[@ninochawi3413]

I am using autocad and i don't have unfold commande Plz can you help me

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

Well, I’m not sure how I can help? You can install and use Fusion 360 for free if you make less than $1,000 a year with it.

[@HardcoreMusik]

At the moment I don't understand what's they doing! Autodesk disabled external scripts, so this fu... gestures can not disabled and NoGestureNoShift will not work since many versions!!! A lot of stupid little updates but really work on cam I never see....more and more I hate Fusion360

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

Hi Captain. I'm heading to Autodesk University next week and will ask about the scripting. However, I just wanted you to know that a TON of resources are being put into CAM. I can't go into the specific details but rest assured that there is a ton of things happening in CAM right now. However, I will also say that life is too short to feel like you are tied to a piece of software. If you can find something that better meets your needs, I wouldn't stop from making the move if I were you.

[@HardcoreMusik]

@@MechanicalAdvantage Ah, that´s the best way...if you don´t like it, go away ??? I spend many many time to share problems that i found, small things, bad thinks like 2d boring damage the hole if you set ONE checkbox ... damage the part because some 3d operations stop at bottom high, some not. I work with fusion now more than 1 year, at home for hobby and for looking what bug are fixed, and in my company we used an payed version. I am every day on my CNC and made parts. About 90% we programming on the machine, its faster and more flexibility as with fusion. So if there is an bug in fusion, i was often thinking "why i am told my boss to buy this". And in this year, not many bugs are fixed. The last updates fixed nothing from this. And yes, there are better software around ! But the only thing that fusion have is the price. For this money i got nothing better. So only big pricing software want to fix bugs ? I think not... I hope the things see on the roadmap are on work. Here are good things, but sometimes it is better fix old problems first...best regards.

[@MechanicalAdvantage]

@@HardcoreMusik Send me a list of broken things to [e-mail] and I will make sure they are bugs and if so logged into the system.

[@HardcoreMusik]

@@MechanicalAdvantage Hello ! I wrote you two times but got no answer. Do you got my email ? Please write me a short information back.

[@pushkarbokarey]

Hey guys, i am getting a shrinked profile, i set the k factor to 1, did the drawing from design at 1:1 scale (A3 size) & export to PDF in fusion but the print i am getting seems to be shrunk by 2.5mm. Please suggest me the solution for this