First Look — Fusion 360 September Update

Autodesk’s September update of its Fusion 360 software has been available for nearly a week. Since its release I’ve been giving its new features a test drive. In short, Autodesk has done a lot to help boost Fusion 360’s claim that it can be your one and only CAD tool.

So, what features stand out in this release?

Usability Updates

Fusion 360’s most consistently useful updates come in the form of added keyboard shortcuts. Upon its initial release I was surprised to find that Fusion wouldn’t respond when my near-Pavlovian keyboard twitches didn’t call up the line command, the option to extrude a shape, or gouge a hole into a part.

For me, the notion of CAD without keyboard commands was sacrilege, and one of the reasons I used Fusion 360 with a bit of a begrudging edge. But now, all of that friction has been erased as the September update has introduced a host of new shortcuts that should speed up drawing and modeling times while also giving old CAD hands a more comfortable grip on the Fusion 360 tool.

Enhanced Drawings

Although enhanced usability makes day-to-day CAD operations quicker, it’s vitally important that a modeling package be able to produce high-quality, accurate drawings that can communicate a design to manufacturing partners.

To bring Fusion’s drawing suite further in line with industry standards, Autodesk’s engineers have added dynamic centerlines and hole marks that will update as a model is modified. In addition, the September update features dynamic balloon alignment and renumbering that will also update a drawing’s BOM.

Real-Time Reviews

Outside of its core CAD functionality, Fusion 360 has also added a real-time review feature that looks like it could be disruptive when it comes to design communications. In 360, users now have the ability to share their designs with anyone via a browser window. But this new type of sharing isn’t just a one-sided interaction. Now, any user with access to the browser will have the ability to maneuver around through a model giving instruction on where, how and why modifications should be made to a model.

For designers having to work with non-engineers, this feature could dramatically decrease revision cycle times, saving a ton of money and headaches to boot.

If, in future releases, Autodesk can add a voice over IP or video conferencing aspect to this new real-time sharing feature, breakdowns in design communications may be a thing of the past.

Simulation Gains a Foothold

Fusion 360’s most significant September update is undoubtedly the inclusion of linear static and modal analyses features. While I’m no expert in simulation, it’s safe to say that the edition of a whole new class of CAD tools is a major upgrade for a CAD package that previously has none.

According to Autodesk, its first Fusion 360 simulation update won’t be its last. As more and more updates are added to the software, Fusion’s simulation capabilities will grow in turn. Hopefully within the next year Fusion’s Simulation package will include a number of new simulation categories, support for third-party solvers and other capabilities that will round out its fledgling core.

With more innovations coming in the next few months, Fusion 360 is rapidly growing its abilities. Given that its biggest rival, Onshape, is still in its infancy, Autodesk’s cloud-based CAD product could end up dominating the increasingly mobile CAD market.