Future Engineering
The future starts NOW!
* Ask questions about the 16 Basic tutorials from the Future Engineering Youtube channel.
30/07/2024
Watch your email inbox tomorrow for the Future Engineering newsletter which has a new product announcement designed to support learners working through the 16 Basic Tutorials on YouTube.
Watch your email inbox on Wednesday for this weeks newsletter. I've picked a neat tutorial by Tyler Beck on Lofts and there's a free give-away; a PDF Guide on sketch points.
20/06/2024
G'day, this weeks newsletter reviews a recent video by Brad Tallis. Its a gem! (I mean Brad's video) Its about Fusion's 3D sketch, a topic I've been meaning to get my head around for a long time and this made it easy for me. I thought I'd make it easy for you too by making a step-by-step How-To guide on one of the three examples Brad showed in that video. Go to the Future Engineering website, get this weeks copy of the newsletter and follow the link to get the PDF for FREE for the next four days.
Future Engineering For students, hobbyists, makers and inventors
10/06/2024
Its been a while since I published on YouTube. This one is about the recent price rise of Autodesk Fusion's commercial license. I'm interested to know how this will affect the plans of hobbyists and makers who are currently learning the free version of Fusion. This video will go live later today.
10/06/2024
The first Future Engineering eBook is published. It's titled "Fusion Basic Functions" and its aimed at someone just about to begin learning Fusion via the 16 Basic Tutorials on the Future Engineering YouTube channel.
Other digital products are planned to follow.
Future Engineering I spent many years teaching CAD, metallurgy and materials science in Australian universities at technician level. Now I'm doing it online.
16/04/2024
This week's issue of the newsletter features a YouTube video by Austin Shaner on Parametric Design Intent. Probably the best example of a tutorial on how to use Parameters in Fusion that I've come across so far.
P.S. Follow the link now or watch your email inbox, its due later on today.
Issue #66 Parametric Design Intent 2024-04-16-issue66-parametric-design-intentDownload
Daniel, here's a quick screencast on how to do a cut across that part if this is what you meant. Let me know if you need help with the Project/Include thing. The example I drew is greatly simplified and in metric but I hope will give you a pointer.
Hi DF5152, here's the screencast about the tracking lines in the sketching mode. You're going to have to make this full screen to see the faint blue dashed lines.
08/03/2024
Four recent Newsletter issues are now available on the Future Engineering web site. See the one about Advanced Tutorials which is issue #58.
Issue #58 Advanced Tutorials 2024-01-22-issue58-advanced-tutorialsDownload
Its been a long time between publishing videos lately but one goes up today. It's only a revision of the part 7 of 16 basic tutorials but I hope to begin putting out some new stuff soon.
17/10/2023
Just last week I wrote in the newsletter about how hard it is to find good CAM resources. I'd just found Mr Learnit and now, two weeks later another one. Keep an eye on your inbox to see which one it is. It just goes to show that good things are out there and I just don't know.
Leave a comment below to let me and others know about your favourite CAM resources.
Hi Richard, here's a quickie on tracking lines, They are an aid to drawing and they come from the old Autocad. They aren't mandatory, you can get along without them but you'll get the hang of them if you look out for them, now you know.
04/08/2023
Subscribers to my newsletter will have the most recent issue in your inbox if you haven't already looked at it, this issue covers Solidworks for Makers attempt to undercut the pricing of Fusion 360's commercial version. Spoiler:- its about a fifth of the price.
Although this newsletter isn't a full review but only an initial notice, watch out for my more in depth coverage in coming months.
Last week I published a YouTube video about a limitation in Fusion 360’s Personal Use version. As it happens, a couple of subscribers pointed out that I was wrong about that limitation and so I’ve withdrawn that video.
I’m currently working on the next one.
Michael, here's a five minute screencast to answer your question about finger joints for a square section model aeroplane fuselage in wood. This is just a short segment and the fingers are pretty wide but you can adjust as needed. I haven't thought about tapering toward the tail here. The four pieces are aligned, not jointed but its a start.
06/06/2023
This weeks newsletter will arrive in your inbox tomorrow, that's Wed 7th June 2023 in the late afternoon. The topic is 4 general trends that affect 2D engineering drawings. Briefly, they are the change to 3D CAD, the structure of manufacturing organisations over the last 100 years, the increase in B2B communications, and the paperless design office.
If you clicked the purple button in order to leave a comment, do it here under the graphic below.
09/05/2023
Its been a long time but I've just sent out an issue of the the newsletter about a trend I've been watching for a while; cheap Chinese CNC laser engravers becoming powerful enough to cut plywood. Here is an example on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/RY6LcjYx6Nw
At the same time I've seen relatively light and flimsy CNC router frames being fitted with Plasma cutters. These can cut mild steel plate 10mm thick, (that's nearly half an inch).
The newsletter is reproduced on the Future Engineering website, see here:- https://futureengineering224170208.wordpress.com
This New CNC laser is amazing! - The cost effective LONGER RAY5 10W - New!August 2022 *** EXPAND THIS DESCRIPTION FOR MORE INFORMATION***As my valued subscriber enjoy these discounts:$10 OFF over $100$40 OFF over $300$80 OFF over $60LK5 Pro 3D...
25/10/2022
https://futureengineering224170208.wordpress.com/2022/10/25/issue16-bureau-services-and-fits/
In the latest issue of the newsletter I discuss a helpful video by "Practical Alchemy" who has a good way to teach one of the most important basic lessons in 'fits'. This will allow you to make parts that fit together nicely without a lot of trial an error.
Issue#16 Bureau Services and Fits G’day aspiring engineers Now that I know that many of you are learning Fusion 360 so that you can design things to make on your 3D printer, I’m glad I bought my first one last year. A b…
Hi crozwayne, its very unlikely you need to re-install Fusion 360 because it is all set up to update itself automatically. If you're not connected to the internet it almost won't run and it'll be giving you plenty of messages about re-connecting to the net. Here is a quick screencast about how to see if your software is up-to-date.
Hi All, the 7th issue of the Future Engineering newsletter will be in your inbox (let me know if it isn't) and in this one I mention this video by Stephen Keys of Inventrite TV. Titled "What to do after you come up with an invention idea", Stephen takes ten minutes to deliver ten key points which are all great advice. https://youtu.be/VX9VOHPGDxc
Some of these points are designed to counter some common misconceptions such as, if you want to make money from an invention you have to manufacture it yourself, and you have to get a patent. Both wrong. The other big stumbling block in peoples mind is that an inventor has one idea. Plenty of Stephens other points are just good advice from someone who knows the industry and the process. Help yourself.
Those who saw the Future Engineering Newsletter #4 about the Best and Worst of Autodesk Help will be looking for this. Here are the self-paced video courses in Fusion 360 provided by Autodesk, the owner of Fusion 360. I haven't been through most of these, there are many, many hours of instruction here but the quality level will be pretty high although varying due to a range of teachers with their own styles.
See the next post for some other Autodesk video course material that I would suggest you avoid. Stick with these ones, they're pretty good.
Craig, thanks for your question about selection problems; where you try to select the angled plane but get the orthogonal plane instead. Here I demonstrate the click and hold selection, just mouse over what you want and hold down that left click.
In answer to a question from Robert about saving out a DXF file from a Fusion 360 model when you have the "Personal Use" license. Really, I ask another question...
In answer to George on making a slot in a concentric sphere.
Hi James, here is a comparison between the Align command and a Rigid Joint with the tee piece you downloaded from McMaster Carr. From your question I think you'll need a Rigid Joint and I point to some of my tutorials where you can learn how to do this.
Hi Andrew, here's a demo of the loft command where I make the spoke between a wheel hub and rim and then pattern it around. Its out of proportion but you will get the idea. Does this answer your question?
G'day John, here's a shorty about how to get to the playlist on my Youtube channel where the 16 basic tutorials live.
In answer to George about how to tackle this shape where a pipe joins a flat or curved fl**ge.
04/09/2021
In answer to Ronnie's question about splitting a bracket.
This is roughy, it only needs a passing resemblance to your model to demonstrate.
You'll find the SURFACE workspace up above the CREATE panel where you can make a sketch and extrude it as shown in the 2nd pic below. I thought it would need to crank up vertically but it worked more easily when I kept it as a single plane as in the other pic. Once you've made the surface where you want to split the thing, click on the MODIFY dropdown in the SURFACE workspace where you'll find SPLIT BODY. Be sure to untick Extend Splitting Tool so that it cuts where the surface intersects the body but not elsewhere.
Does this help Ronnie?
In answer to Bo's question on copying a sketch with text in order to edit and to save modeling a sign over and over whenever there is a different message. Bo you're using CNC but my illustration with the emboss feature should be similar enough.
CAD training; individual online tuition and online self-paced courses.
Future Engineering is geared to provide training and tuition in computer aided design (CAD) and other engineering software for aspiring engineers. I offer weekly one hour sessions via screen sharing either individually or in a group of ten. Alternatively you can take an online self-paced course designed to give you the skills you need to use CAD.
I’ve been teaching all kinds of CAD in middle level university courses for fifteen years and I work part-time as a draftsman. I know how to get you going so that you can learn how to work like a professional.
You can find the Future Engineering Podcast on iTunes and Youtube. The same content is also available at my blog:-
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