Fusion 360 is turning 10. In those ten years, Fusion 360 has helped both Alex Lobos and his students rethink the way CAD works, enabling new opportunities more effective, efficient, and most importantly, more creative and innovative. Lobos will share the top ten things that make Fusion 360 great. From direct modeling for communication design to collaboration, generative design, and more, he'll dive into how Fusion 360 makes an impact with specific design examples.

Industrial and product design require strong sets of approaches, from organic shapes for inspiration to precise parametric models for manufacturability—and even enhancements driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Combining these workflows can be complex and limit innovation. This session will explore efficient workflows in Autodesk Fusion 360 software that maximize the design process, using an office task chair as a case study. The seat and backrest use Freeform (T-Splines) for organic modeling, while the base and pivot mechanism employ parametric modeling for precision. Generative Design is used in the legs and frame by setting material and structural criteria, allowing AI to generate novel forms. Finally, geometric patterns enhance appearance and reduce material use. You’ll learn how to integrate these techniques seamlessly, saving time while maintaining design intent.

Direct modeling is an extremely powerful tool in Fusion 360 software. The use of features that follow natural gestures and movements (i.e., pull, twist, stretch) empowers users to fully immerse in a modeling experience that provides enjoyment, exploration, and a sense of “flow.” Direct modeling can also bypass steps such as setting planes, sketches, and other 3D commands, which could get in the way of modeling workflows. While direct modeling is typically associated with T-Splines via the Sculpt environment, it is possible to also use it in parametric settings. This presentation will illustrate the power of direct modeling in both environments in Fusion 360 software with the use of simple yet effective workflows and design examples.

This class will show the use of FUSION 360 CAD software and captured reality programs such as MEMENTO and RECAP to create and refine models by moving between computer and physical environments in an easy and efficient way. By combining computer software with model making, capture-reality imaging and 3D printing, designers can easily navigate between physical and CAD models. This class will show examples of models that are quickly generated in Fusion 360 software and then 3D printed so that they can be tested and adjusted in the physical world. Once the models have been improved physically, they are captured by programs such as Memento and ReCap and brought back to Fusion 360 software, where they can be updated and finalized. The workflow covered in his class is dynamic, fun, and perfect for product development!

When designing new products, it’s easy to focus on new technologies and futuristic forms, overlooking cultural heritage. This talk will explore how to take advantage of new innovative tools for designing, making, using, and connecting products, while maintaining a strong connection with the user’s cultural identity. An example of this process is Checho, a voice-controlled smart home hub that plays music, answers questions, and performs multiple tasks in and around the home, similar to Amazon Echo and Google Home. What makes Checho unique is its relation to Latinx culture. It’s made out of solid wood and accentuated with traditional Guatemalan fabric, which conceals its high-tech internal components. Checho was designed with Autodesk Fusion 360 software and fabricated via computer numerical control (CNC) milling, reinforcing the concept of using advanced tools without compromising traditional cultural identity. For more details on Checho, visit: https://www.rit.edu/artdesign/spotlights/checho-traditional-smart-hub

This class explores workflows for taking bodies modeled in Fusion 360 and converting them to more complex topologies via Voronoi-based patterns. These types of patters are organic and visually striking, resembling nature-based structures. This process is achieved by exporting bodies from Fusion into programs like Meshmixer, ReCap Pro and Voronator, where it’s easy to apply different types of patterns. The resulting meshes can be brought back into Fusion and turn them back into T-Splines for further development. A big benefit of this workflow is that designs combine different types of geometries (i.e. solid faces with Voronoi-based patterns) in a single body. An example of this workflow can be found at: https://gallery.autodesk.com/fusion360/projects/119363/stool-16

Fusion 360 software is a powerful CAD software system, and one of its most powerful capabilities is the Autodesk Rendering environment. This class will cover how to achieve impressive, photo-realistic renderings. Topics will include everything from basic layout and composition to best practices for using materials, lighting, and environment effects. While this class will focus on examples of product design within Fusion 360 software’s rendering environment, the ideas described can be applied to any rendering situation and any rendering program. Compelling renderings are a key tool for successful storytelling of designs and concepts to a wide audience. This class will help you achieve rendering awesomeness.

Generative design is transforming the way that products are created by providing design solutions that are efficient, resilient, and visually striking. When thinking of generative-design aesthetics, two approaches are commonly used. The first resembles bones that provide structure with minimal use of material. The second approach uses complex algorithmic patterns, similar to fractal geometries and procedural textures, which can be used as bodies or applied to surfaces. This class will explore easy-to-follow workflows for the creation and combination of structures and patterns in generative design. We will create efficient structures with Fusion 360 software’s Autodesk Generative Design tool. We’ll use Maya software’s MASH tool to create intricate procedural networks, which we’ll then bring into Fusion 360 for further refinement. The use of MASH is a novel and innovative approach, far easier to achieve than other tools such as Dynamo or Grasshopper.

This class demonstrates the use of Fusion 360 software as a service throughout various stages of product design, while taking advantage of the software's intuitive approach and versatile modeling modes. The class combines quick demos and project examples in areas such as consumer products, sports equipment, and packaging. Attendees discover how Fusion 360 makes it easy to turn early concepts into final designs as part of the Autodesk® Product Design Suite. The class also highlights the exciting opportunities that Fusion 360 provides for cloud-based collaboration, thanks to the Autodesk® 360 cloud services hub.

Fusion 360 3D CAD/CAM software offers several modeling environments for different types of modeling, from technical details to organic surfaces. This class will explore methods for modeling complex shapes in a simple, efficient, and direct workflow by taking advantage of T-Splines geometry. This approach is useful for concept development in product design, where designers and engineers can take advantage of CAD software to explore potential shapes for attractive and dynamic consumer products.

Fusion 360 software offers powerful tools for creating models and renderings with great attention to detail. This class will focus on 2 key elements that are critical in product design. The first one is T-Splines modeling, which enables the creation of complex forms in a quick way while maintaining high-quality surfaces. People often comment that using T-Splines for organic shapes cuts down modeling time from hours to minutes. This method also enables designers and engineers to easily explore forms without distractions from complicated workflows. The second key element of this class will focus on rendering, a critical tool for visualizing design intent and “selling” designs to broader audiences. Fusion 360 software offers a powerful and simple platform for photorealistic rendering, eliminating the use of a separate software package. This session features Fusion 360.