Autodesk updates Fusion 360

Autodesk announced a number of significant improvements to Fusion 360, including FEA analysis as a major new function, added to its existing 3D modeling, CAM programming and drawing creation capabilities.

The cloud-based MCAD application’s new Finite Element Analysis tab helps users mesh and prep models before running either linear stress analysis (single- and multi-body) or modal frequencies analysis. Results are calculated (solved locally with cloud solve to follow) and displayed in the Fusion 360 interface. Within the analysis interface, users can define a number of standard parameters including materials, constraints, contacts and loads. The company says other simulation capabilities, like thermal and fatigue analysis, will come in the future.

In addition, Fusion 360 now also allows multiple users to interact with a part or assembly under review in real time, whether they’re in the desktop or web client. Instead of e-mailing jpegs, designers can share a link with remote users, who can view an active model live in a web browser or native client as it is manipulated in real-time. The Fusion 360 team has also added a more extensive set of keyboard shortcuts, including those for modeling operations (e.g. Extrude, Hole, Fillet), selection modes and sketching.

Beyond the application’s added functionality, Autodesk says it has fixed a large number of crash related bugs and significantly sped up a few formerly lagging operations; changing parameters, for example, takes 15 seconds rather than the five minutes in older versions while editing dimensions now takes only 8 seconds, down from 40 seconds previously. For a complete list of improvements as additions, check out the company’s “In the Fold” blog.
http://fusion360.autodesk.com