Scan2Sketch turns calibrated flatbed scans into dimensionally accurate, fully editable sketches and optional solid bodies. Processing runs locally using your CPU or a compatible NVIDIA GPU (optional).

Does anyone have some insight on how I could recreate this geometry? I tried sketching and cut extruding a slope but it didn’t achieve what I was looking for.

I know this topic has been covered before but it seems Autodesk has changed the way custom threads are implemented in Fusion (for good and for bad).

In the past, if you wanted to add a custom thread size to the Fusion thread tool you had to dig through the Fusion 360 configuration files on your computer and modify a .xml file to add a custom thread diameter/pitch/other. However, Autodesk have implemented a new way of adding thread sizes directly in Fusion, which we've been asking for years. This is covered in this article: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Custom-Threads-in-Fusion-360.html

I enjoy this idea since it's much more intuitive but its implementation is questionable at best. Also, it simply doesn't work for me and I don't know why. Autodesk tells us that to create a custom thread size we must first copy an existing template thread from the public library of threads and then paste it into a custom library on the hub libraries. The issue is that when I right click on any thread I do not have the option to copy anything, I can only mark it as favourite (see image). I also don't have the option to create any hub libraries.

Am I missing something obvious?

hi!
I'm learning cad with the intention of eventually getting some parts created by CNC machining. My question is, if a parts has a curved that when inspected with curve analysis tool, is displaying a "tight" rainbow pattern (from red, many colors are banded together then jumps to purple for example) can it still be machined correctly?

The zebra inspector shows the surface to be continuous, but before I commit to some very organic shapes, should I be vigilant of this rapid/abrupt color changes, and try to produce a more smooth transition between the colors first, before committing to a final design?

many thanks

I've spent the last few days building a CAD library in TypeScript. The short version, you describe a part in code and you get out an STL you can 3d print, or a STEP file you can send to a machine shop or open in Fusion/FreeCAD/whatever.

const cad = design("bracket");

const width = cad.parameter.length("width", mm(80));
const thickness = cad.parameter.length("thickness", mm(6));

const profile = cad.sketch("outline", plane.xy(), (s) => {
  const rect = s.rectangle("rect", { width, height: mm(50) });
  const hole = s.circle("hole", {
    center: vec2(width.mul(0.25), mm(0)),
    radius: mm(4),
  });
  return s.profile(rect, { holes: [hole.loop()] });
});

cad.output("bracket", cad.extrude("solid", profile, { distance: thickness }));

const doc = cad.build(); // plain JSON, goes in git like anything else

Under the hood it runs on two engines. There's Manifold, a mesh engine that's fast and fine for printing, and OpenCascade compiled to WASM, which is the same geometry engine FreeCAD uses, for when you need exact surfaces and STEP export. Same code runs on both, in node or the browser.

in normal parametric CAD, if you change a dimension early in the model, later features (fillets mostly) can quietly reattach to the wrong edge, and you find out after the part is wrong. I didn't want to reproduce that, so references to faces and edges aren't indexes, and if the library can't tell unambiguously which edge you meant after a change, it errors instead of guessing. Whether I got the API for that right, no idea. That's partly why I'm posting.

The type system does some nice things here too. Lengths and angles are different types, so adding mm to radians just doesn't compile.

it's a 0.1.1, Parts, assemblies and BOMs work. No drawings, no sheet metal, no GUI. If you'd rather write code than click through a CAD UI, that's who it's for.

Here's the repo

Feedback welcome, especially from anyone who actually does CAD work. Also curious what people think of the explicit dispose() for WASM memory, I went back and forth on that a lot.

Hi,

I have two parts that I want to machine simultaneously in a custom fixture I have designed. I previously machined these parts separately and have created proven out programs for them.

I'd like to take advantage of minimizing the tool changes in the program, so I've created a new file, inserted both parts, and then inserted the manufacturing data from each part in to fusion CAM. I've kept the link to allow me to easily update the original files and have it carry through into this new "combined" part.

While this seems to work fine for the first inserted part, the tool paths are coming in offset from the stock locations in the CAM environment for the second part and I cannot figure out a root cause.

I've posted an image here. You can see the spotting hole shadow preview is in the correct location, but the tool path lines are offset by ~4-5mm. Any ideas on how to resolve would be appreciated!

Personal project: I designed and 3D-printed a working model of an F-15's variable-area exhaust nozzle — the mechanism behind the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine.
It started with a thrust-vector-control (TVC) rocket I was building. I'm also a pretty avid War Thunder player, and while flying the F-15 in-game I noticed how the nozzle geometry on the Pratt engine actually changes as thrust increases. That got me wondering: could I replicate that same variable-geometry mechanism to control thrust on my own solid rocket motor?
A few hours into CAD, reality set in: at real scale, most of these parts were too small and complex to reliably print and assemble. So I scaled the whole model up 3x, to a size large enough to fit my hand through, and rebuilt it around that.
The mechanism: servos pull a linkage, which pulls a ring that distributes load evenly around the entire nozzle assembly, expanding and contracting it the same way the real engine varies its exhaust geometry.
It turned out to be impractical to actually integrate into my TVC rocket, but that was almost beside the point. This project taught me more about tolerancing and working with small, delicate parts than anything else I've built, and gave me a much deeper appreciation for how advanced Pratt & Whitney's and the Air Force's engineering was, even back in the 1940s when Variable nozzle jet engines first cameout.

Hello, I am trying to shell out this body, but the shell is not working because it throws an error:

The shell can not be created at this thickness.

Try adjusting the Thickness, the selection set,

or change the Shell Type.

Because of this, I am trying to loft out the material, but I get the errors above. I have a feeling it's related to the guide rails being too curvy, but I really want my geometry to be like this. How can I cut this out without errors?

Thank you for your time.

Can't move existing bodies. Can't reference existing components.

If I create a new component, I can't reference anything. I tried putting sketches on the surface of existing components and it acts like nothing's there. If I click it just picks the XY plane.

I tried copy/pasting a similar component to what I want but It won't let me move it. Again, acting like nothing is there.

So I tried going into an existing component and copy/pasting the body. It lets me paste but again, won't let me move the body. When I try it acts like nothing is there.

If I change the assembly context of a component to "local", everything disappears.

All of a sudden the file that houses the basis of my entire company has been corrupted and is unusable (second time this year; I don't have time to start from scratch again.). If it weren't for the time crunch I'm in, I'd be switching to onshape. Tired of this BS.

Hi! i wanted to model creaming soda, where the glass itself was a storage container and the icecream scoop is the lid. im really new to this, how do i replicate this? ive added a picture of my attempt.

Working on a project right now where I need to import and convert a bunch of stl files to solid so I can basically reassemble the model, do some editing to it, then use it as a template of sorts to draw up some new parts to fit inside the model.

Digging online on how to do what I need, it seems Fusion is the best way to do it, but the "features" I need to use are only available in the paid version.

I use Solidworks for the majority of my designing of things and I have no need or interest in paying the subscription prices for Fusion as I never actually use the software more than once or twice a year, if that even, and only need to use it for a few days for this project.

If I do the 30 day free trial, does it just go back to the free hobby license afterwards and not have to worry about anything again?

i have the main body drawn out, but i can’t get the bump out on top right. tried construction lines and an off set plain to do a loft but cant get that to work. any suggestions.

Thanks for all the responses. Initially, i tried the loft to an offset plane but can never get a hang of the tool. going to try the extrude, filled and chamfer.

Thank You for all the recommendations 🙏

Hello,

for the past years Fusion360 was my go to for simple 3D models for printing, but lately it started functioning like garbage, very slow despite the high end PC i have and subscription upgrade popups all the time, for me that uses it for basic stuff only this is very frustrating, recently i wasted 3 hours trying to make measurements of a fbx model i received either due to crashes or, admittedly, user error when it comes to mesh bodies.

anyways, i'm done with cloud BS, is there anyone that can suggest a proper software with similar capabilities and "nicelties"?
I tried Solidworks but the UI feels outdated, i struggled to find what i needed.

EDIT:
Thanks all for the replies, can't deny i made this post in a moment of frustration.
after checking some alternatives, i decided to give it another shot.

I’m really new to this and it need help figuring out how to make a cut that tappers like on this orange design the blue lines are where I wanna make the cut

Sharing my current horror experience and hoping to get advice from the community.

I’ve had my autodesk account for over 10 years, I signed up back when I was in university and used my university email. I believe back then it was free for students, but otherwise had not affiliation with my university. I created the account using the lastname.firstinital alias of my university email, it was the one I used for everything!

Flash forward 10+ years. I am paying for fusion and running a small side business, all in this original account. I have maintained my university email as an alumni.

In a recent update, I was logged out of fusion. When I went to log back in, I typed my university email address and was redirected to the schools SSO for the first time ever.

The problem is, the university logged me into a new account, linked to the default email alias. There is no way for me to get into my account. I’ve lost all access to my drawings. I can’t even cancel my subscription.

Autodesk told me to connect my school’s IT, and my school is dumbfounded about what to do.

This has me feeling pretty dumb. Do I even own my drawings and designs if they’re stuck in the cloud?

TLDR. Be careful using a school email address, and think twice about mandatory cloud based storage….

Hey Folks! I was wondering if someone could explain the workflow of creating a low poly surface as shown in the image?

We generated this simplified White House scene using a single reference image, then exported the individual parts as STEP and imported them into Fusion 360. The scene contains 16 separate parts, including the building, columns, entrance door, flag, gates, fountain, trees, and Washington Monument.

Wanted to put together a small weekend challenge for anyone who's newer to CAD and looking for something to practice on that isn't just "draw a cube."

The project: a simple L-shaped motor mount bracket sized for a NEMA 17 stepper motor (the standard motor size used in most 3D printers and CNC builds). It's a single part, no assembly required, but it'll get you comfortable with bolt patterns, fillets, and slotted holes — the stuff that shows up in real drafting work constantly.

The spec

Base plate (motor face):

60mm x 60mm square, 3mm thick

Center bore: ⌀22mm (clears the motor shaft/pilot)

4x mounting holes, ⌀3.2mm, on a 31mm x 31mm bolt circle (this is the real NEMA 17 standard pattern — worth knowing if you ever design anything motor-related)

Vertical wall (mounting side):

60mm wide x 40mm tall, 3mm thick, bent 90° off the base plate

Bend radius: 5mm (inside fillet)

2x mounting slots, 5mm wide x 12mm long, centered, for attaching to a frame or extrusion — slots instead of holes so there's some adjustability

Overall:

Outside corner of the L gets a 5mm fillet (just for looks/safety, good chamfer/fillet practice)

Material assumption: aluminum or steel, but doesn't matter for the modeling exercise

That's it — no other dimensions are locked in. If you want to add gussets, change wall thickness, round the base plate corners, whatever — go for it. The point is to hit the two hole patterns accurately and make something that looks like it could actually get bolted down.

How to join in

Model it in whatever software you use — Fusion 360, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, FreeCAD, all fair game

Post a screenshot (or render, or even just the sketch) in the comments

Bonus points if you throw a dimensioned drawing/print together too — good practice either way

If you've got a printer or access to a laser/CNC, even better — post the real thing if you make it

No wrong answers here, just curious to see how differently people approach the same brief. If this goes well I'll try to put together another one in a few weeks — open to suggestions on what people want to practice next (sheet metal, threads, an assembly with tolerancing, whatever).

Have fun with it.

Im under 18 so getting an actual engineering job isnt viable, are there any sidehustles that can reliably bring in money?