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Free Autodesk CAD
John Bonnett - 27/4/20 at 07:58 AM

Just a heads up for anyone interested. Autodesk are offering their Fusion 360 parametric 3D drawing package free for 12 months renewable, to private users. Anyone designing brackets would find the sheet metal feature particularly useful. It takes into account the thickness of the material and the amount lost in the bend. When finished it will unfold into a flat pattern.

I hit it cold a couple of weeks ago and am slowly getting to grips with it using a series of tutorial YouTube videos entitled Fusion360 in 30 days. I'm finding it a great resource and just thought I'd mention it.

Big T - 27/4/20 at 12:53 PM

Thanks for the heads up John. I will have to give that a go. Free 12 months trial isn't too bad either. It is tricky changing between software, but the YouTube video break downs do help.

The folding function is something i use at work and is certainly very helpful. Especially when you are trying to mirror mounting holes across a fold. It is also helpful to know how to do it manualy as well.

I will gie that a go tonight.

John Bonnett - 27/4/20 at 01:41 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Big T
Thanks for the heads up John. I will have to give that a go. Free 12 months trial isn't too bad either. It is tricky changing between software, but the YouTube video break downs do help.

The folding function is something i use at work and is certainly very helpful. Especially when you are trying to mirror mounting holes across a fold. It is also helpful to know how to do it manualy as well.

I will gie that a go tonight.



There are quite a few videos that are really helpful, well invaluable really because although I used Mechanical Desktop twenty years ago, an Autodesk forerunner of this package, there is no way I could have worked it out on my own without the help of these videos. The Fusion 360 in 30 days series take specific projects to teach the various commands and features. Kevin Kennedy gives slow and clear step by step instructions which even I was (and am) able to follow. That's not to say that I didn't make mistakes because I made loads but it was just a question of backtracking and re-starting. Mostly the errors were in selecting the correct planar face to sketch on.

v8kid - 27/4/20 at 01:54 PM

Ok I give up how do I get it for free?

v8kid - 27/4/20 at 02:06 PM

OK got it - they don't make it easy do they ?

Cheers

femster87 - 28/4/20 at 07:12 AM

Just use onshape it’s always free as long as your design is not private