Fusion 360 has been well known in the CAD world now. More and more designers, engineers, artists, manufacturers are getting exciting designs, assemblies, and more business opportunities. Like other products of Autodesk, Fusion 360 is the solution as a platform. Fusion 360 also provides API that allows 3rd party or even the end user to extend the abilities of the platform. Since the API was born in September, 2014, it has got a lot of attentions. Some customers have taken it for commercial applications.
I am also a learner. The help document is well written and the API is very easy to understand. I do not want to repeat the content of existing tutorial. I am just making a tiny note what I have had for the friends to whom Fusion 360 are brand new.
Firstly, I took a look at the relevant tutorials on Fusion Help, where key features are introduced in videos. In Fusion 360 environment, the Help button is on the typical location. It can direct to Fusion Help.
By the material, it helped me to know what Fusion is and how to work with it. I also found many interesting demo videos/blogs/articles on internet. How a design could be by Fusion 360? I strongly recommend Fusion Gallery. Global fans share their wonderful works there. We can download, comment, share. We can also share our own works. I really envy these designs :S
Next, I started to play with API. As known, normally, the access way of an API could be script, plugin, standalone EXE, and web services in web era etc. Fusion 360 provides script as the beginning. At the time when our API designer Brian wrote the blog, only Javascript was available. Now, Python is also exposed. We can access both of them in Script dialog. The demo samples of JS and Python are listed:
In the repository of Fusion Help, you can find how to write a helloworld, how to debug. Fusion integrates Bracket IDE for Javascript editing, borrowing Chrome as debugger. While for Python, it integrates Spyder IDE for editing and debugging. You could compose the source code by any other editor which are comfortable to you and paste it to Fusion. This Fusion Help includes the latest update of API, the known issues and objects manual.
I have been working on Inventor API for years. I had never known the object model of Fusion is exactly similar to that of Inventor API. e.g. the top entry object is also Application. A Design object is similar to Document of Inventor API. There is also component definition in which sketches, features, workfeatures are organized like Inventor, even the Brep geometries structure. So if you have knowledge of Inventor (API), you would be able to get started with Fusion API quickly.
Forum of Fusion 360 API is the most beautiful board on Autodesk forum. Autodesk engineers, our team and global gurus are active there to help the questions. When you are scratching the head to find an answer, do not forget to leave a message on this board.
I am happy to learn the API with you. I will try to keep updating this article if I have tricks for beginners. Any of your sharing is also welcome.
Last, do not forget to attend the webnair on March 25th. see you there..