I’m using Fusion 360 and trying to make a small PCB with a handful of components and a couple connectors. I’ve got that finalized, and it’s time to move to the Manufacturing environment and create the program for it.
While I did find (right away) that SM2.0 configuration files for Fusion 360, I’m a little lost as to what to do with them. Not that I can’t follow directions - that part was easy. But the configuration and the post-process seems to be basically useless without a machine model to attach it to.
I know there are “generic” machine models I can use. But is there an actual model of the SM2.0 (of any size) floating around out there somewhere? Something feels off of trying to model a 3x5" PCB on a model the size of a 54" Bridgeport with a 12,000 RPM spindle speed. Plus, as a complete oddity, a generic 54" Bridgeport model apparently doesn’t support drill bits or drilling holes! Who’da thunk it?
Is anybody else doing this sort of work? Milling PCBs? What do you do?
For what it’s worth, the 3D printing works flawlessly once I export the file, pick it up with Luban, and send it to the printer. I’m just not getting anywhere with the CNC milling aspect, and I’ve been fighting this on & off for like a week now.
I’m trying to remember how I imported it. Now that I think about it I think it was a pain to get it to work right. Are you on pc or mac?
I just tried myself and not recognizing/accepting those files when I try to import them under manufacturing → manage → machine library.
I think the workaround I ended up with was logging into the autodesk site and uploading them to the cloud and then selecting them from there.
-S
Yes. Everything was from there.
I believe it was just a matter of trying to figure out where Fusion was placing files.
I’m not sure about pc, but on mac they don’t follow any standard conventions and put preferences and other files in strange places.
I think I followed info I found on Autodesk forums. It’s been a year and a half so can’t quite remember.
OK, wait, no. I guess maybe I wasn’t clear in my OP.
I have the post-processor installed, and it shows up in the menu selection when I choose a post processor. That part came in the file from the SM downloads page. I followed those instructions (after sorting out the broken link that’s included), and copied the snapmaker-fusion360-configuration-20180730 folder in to the specified folder.
What I’m looking for is a 3D model of the SM2.0 itself to use in the 3D simulation. Because F360 is making me choose a machine, so I have to resort to the Generic XZ on the head/Y on the table, and it gives me some big Bridgeport looking thing that, for some reason, is not compatible with drill bits and drilling holes.
I’m hoping there’s an actual Snapmaker2.0-A350.machine file floating around out there somewhere. There is no .machine file in the official settings download.
I tried making my own model, and did come up with a pretty good (if I do say so myself) facsimile of what a SM2.0 looks like. (Again, can’t upload files, otherwise I’d show it for the laughs.) But, it turns out, that just drawing a bunch of rectangles/squares and extruding them into shape just makes one giant solid work piece with no movable parts, leaving me unable to select individual axes.
How exactly do you do that? Because I’m having difficulty finding a way without running my design through no less than 3 entirely different pieces of software, and the end result is still a complete mess.
From what I see, Fusion 360 won’t export as an .svg.
Design you pcb in Fusion. Run it through the generic Marlin “Snapmaker 2.0” post processor. Load it on the thumb drive. Run it on the Snapmaker. I do this with Milling programs. No issues. I think you are making this much harder than it really is. There is no need for a model of the printer. There is no need for three different pieces of software.
Hey peeps it is very possible to create a working CAD model for the Snapmaker that can be used in the manufacture workspace in Fusion 360.
I just spent 4 hours unsuccessfully trying to do it. But that is because I don’t fully understand how to properly create joints and motion groups in Fusion 360. I did get pretty close to getting a fully working machine model using Ryan Tuscher’s pretty extensive A350 CAD model though.
While I got the model linked to my machine model I couldn’t get the planes of movement to map onto the machine properly. So I would get components like the lower linear axis moving in the wrong direction. Again I think if you set up the joints properly ahead of time this shouldn’t be a problem. Beyond just setting up the joints though you would want to accurately represent the min and max points of all the linear axis.
So yeah just to clarify further you do this as a kind of 3rd step after you import the post processor, set up your machine specifications (I duplicated generic Autodesk mill with a moving Y table), then you import your model and define its movement planes.
I can’t see for the life of me how this is remotely useful. The tool head physically cannot crash into any fixed part of the machine. F360 simulation it just gets in the way of the view.
Where a model may be useful is when a static fixture, jig or clamping system is being employed for the purpose of some repetitive operation(s)
Coming from more of a design background. My belief is visualization is useful at any level. This isn’t a mission critical thing, but it is definitely a nice to have. It means I have to do less mental translations when I am bringing a part from my mind to the computer model to the machine. But I am particularly sensitive to these things.
I was actually able to get the machine model working. With fairly accurate movement limits I can upload the file tomorrow if people are interested. I could not get the linear components to move properly but I have the head moving in the right positions and I have the table moving all within the actual x y and z limits of the machine. So if people want this somewhat janky version I can create a link to it tomorrow.
Unfortunately you cannot actually do simulation with the machine because the post processor that Snapmaker provides does not support simulation.
If you need reassurance of scale and orientation then that is what simulation is for and the Generic 3axis Autodesk machine model does an adequate job. (sure it doesn’t look like a SM machine but for all purposes it is the same)
I commend your efforts and indeed visual aids are useful but I personally would not be using a template like this or importing it into my workspace. It is bound to create a disaster.
You are best to model your waste board and tooling with the correct F360 collet and tool profile and running toolpath preview and if you require, the Generic machine model… I’t doesn’t even look that different!
