Parametric Tie Fighter - Fusion 360

Work in Progress! And this one is a challenge.

This is based on the C4 Labs laser cut model however I completely redrew it because it was just easier to start fresh than trying to fix the linework for use in Fusion 360.

So, instead of just using the 2D drawing and making it so it scales yet maintains slots and tab sizes, I went full Gonzo and built individual components as a 3D model. I figured this was the easiest way to ensure that the tabs and slots actually work like anticipated. And honestly, one of the worst tasks is combing through someone else’s CAD work to see how they fit things together so I’m circumventing that completely.

The Bad News first: This is not yet complete.

I have not added the score lines, and because CAD modelers will not show a 2D line in a final drawing, I may not add them at all. If I do, they will have to be very very thin 3D objects which will then Export DXFs or PDFs with double lines that would need to be cleaned up if you wanted to score rather than engrave them.

Edit: Scores have been added, but they are closed shapes if you generate a DXF or PDF so keep an eye peeled. They’re very very narrow and will be easy to mistake as a single line in a vector program.

I have not yet done the “Combine” commands in Fusion 360 which will use existing geometry to cut the slots out of the pieces. Just havent gotten to that part yet.

Edit: I’ve added in this step to actually cut the slots from the “wings” using the fuselage geometry as the cutting tools.

If you experiment with this, there’s still the work of either exporting DXFs or making a drawing page to make a PDF file, along with kerf adjustment.

The Good News:

You specify your material thickness, and a scale factor for the overall size of the model, and the tabs adjust as needed. No worries that the tabs no longer work because the object is scaled. For example, check the area where the fuselage inserts into the “wings”. If you bump the material thickness up higher, that section on the fuselage lengthens to compensate for the triple layer of material. Or if you want to use 3mm thick material but scale the whole thing up 5X, the model accommodates.

Here’s the link! Have fun bashing on this thing… Oh and check out the parameters, particularly on Wing>Extrude1>ProfileOffset That one was fun to try and figure out, HAHAHA!!

http://a360.co/2pRGYkN

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Cool, thanks for sharing.

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Thanks so much for doing this. Every little push into a parametric 3D model is going to be a win for everyone!

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Most epic!!

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Thanks guys. I’ve made some revisions to the model, noted the changes in my first post, and the download link above should have the latest version with the changes already. :slight_smile:

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OOPS! I forgot about the scores on the back end of the Tie Fighter. LOL! I’ll add those in later.

Dude, that’s craaaaazy how you’re using F360 for this. I’m entirely envious of your 360 skills. Thanks for sharing!

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Awesome!! Love seeing the 3D file on your post and can’t wait to see the final version.

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Hey that’s really nice! Thanks for sharing the work!

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Thanks!

The model has been updated with the scores on the rear side!

Printed these guys out on my new GlowForge Pro! Yay! Thanks for posting this. It was fun figuring out how to get it to work. I honestly had no clue what I was doing when I started… Been reading lots! :wink:

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Look great! :grinning:

Those look cool! Is that a UV light?

Glad you had fun, and learned a bit too!

Nah, it’s just a Blue LED headlamp I placed in my Glowforge and pointed it to shine up through the lid underneath them.

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I’ve started using Fusion 360 for all my tinkering and it has a learning curve for sure. I come from Sketch Up and Illustrator.

Can somebody give me some idea of how to take this 3d model and get it ready for the Glowforge? I understand certain things about Fusion 360 but there is SO MUCH I don’t know how to do yet.

  1. Load up the model and go to Modify->Change Parameters. Set it up for your material and scaling that you want. Make sure you measure your material, even Proofgrade, accurately with calipers if you want precise fits. Measure a piece without masking.
  2. Use this Fusion 360 add on to export to DXF: Adjusting for Kerf in your Design Parametrically - Fusion 360. You can export sketches as DXF by right clicking on them, but I’ve found this add on generally produces cleaner results. After following the installation instructions, find it in the Sketch menu as Save DXF for Laser Cutting, then select a face that you want to export. It can adjust for kerf for you, usually, but on this model there is some geometry which makes it error with any kerf compensation, so use 0. You can adjust for kerf by adding a full kerf width to the material thickness because it is parametric.
  3. Regardless of how you got it out to DXF, you need to convert it to SVG and clean it up a little bit. All those scores on the back of the main body are actually very skinny rectangles. You will want to remove three sides and change the color on the last side to a different color so you can mark it as a score in the GFUI. Otherwise those will be cut through, and get a double cut to boot. Not the end of the world if that happens.
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Awesome! Thank you so much.

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