Fusion 360: tool from 3D to 2D and kerf problem

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Hi folks,

I’m digging an old thread : Adjusting for Kerf in your Design Parametrically - Fusion 360 from @Jules .

It’s about kerf in parametrical design. About this, I have an answer and a problem.

First, @chadmart1076 wanted to convert 3D to 2D in Fusion 360 as in Onshape.

Maybe, he founded the answer since next year but I share my answer : there is an add in in Fusion 360 called “dfx for laser” which allows to export in dfx (2D) a 3D object’s face.

And here is a tutorial to use it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4s2p2epaeg .

And so my problem, when I use this tool, and open file in a draw software (inkscape for example), all my boxe’s teethes don’t exactly match to all my boxe’s corresponding holes.

However, there is a kerf option that I put from 0 to 0.25 mm without having a perfect match.

And,unfortunately, as I don’t have a glowforge to try anyway, I don’t know if it is a problem or not in the reality?

Is there anyone using Fusion 360 who has had the same problem? Or anyone with a glowforge could try?

Have a nice day.

Marc

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I’ve got to run but I’ll be back later…

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I have never used the “dfx for laser” with my designs, so I don’t know if it introduces a discrepancy between the tabs and holes or not.

To export a sketch from Fusion 360, I just select a face, right click on it and create a new sketch, then right click on the sketch in the left column and export to DXF. It tends to be very accurate. (It does create a lot of separate files though.)

You might want to wait until you get the Glowforge and do some physical tests with material to see if you even need to adjust for kerf. I am finding that it is rarely necessary, and a little glue locks things together very well. :grinning:

@markevans36301 knows more about Fusion 360, so he can probably help more when he gets back. :slightly_smiling_face:

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In what way are they mismatched? Can you post a screenshot?

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I use dfx for laser and have had nothing but good luck with it.
As Jules said, a lot of the time there is no need to compensate for kerf. Just depends on how tight you need things.
As I gain experience I’m including kerf compensation in the model more and more and doing drawings in F360 that end up being exported as PDF.

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One thing I have found is if you don’t export the DXF in inches as the units you can get weird scaling issues (seriously in 2017… imperial measurements only, screw the other 6.7b people in the world!)

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The majority is not always right :wink:

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