{"id":9309,"date":"2018-04-19T11:42:59","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T18:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/?p=9309"},"modified":"2018-04-19T16:01:33","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T23:01:33","slug":"whats-aided-cad-generative-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/whats-aided-cad-generative-design\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s “Aided” about CAD?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When was the last time your 3D CAD tool \u201caided\u201d your design? Sure, the software enabled you to document an already determined outcome, maybe validated an instance of a design for strength, or even allowed you to convert a 3D object into those wonderful 2D views, and of course they updated when the model changed. That\u2019s cool . . . right? But what did the software do for you that you didn\u2019t instruct it to do?<\/p>\n

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What if what the part looked like \u2013 the process you\u2019ve learned to break down a shape into sketches and features \u2013 was the last consideration? Its form inconsequential to its real purpose \u2013 performing a specific function to specification. You\u2019ve been taught to translate that into manufacturable geometry, convert that thought into orthogonal form, and that higher complexity equals higher cost. We solve engineering problems based on requirements, function, material availability, and manufacturing capabilities – among others. How does 3D CAD aid you in that process? It doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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The process of breaking this geometry down to features is CAD modeling.<\/p><\/div>\n

Yes, I know. That\u2019s a little bold; slightly (intentionally) provocative. You wouldn\u2019t use 3D CAD if it didn\u2019t help the design process. By no stretch of anyone\u2019s imagination does 3D CAD, as we currently define it, go away. So please put down the pitch forks and torches. But honestly, it does beg the question: How does CAD \u201caid\u201d your process short of helping you visualize the problem? Again, it\u2019s only doing what you told it to do.<\/p>\n

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With generative design, you model the problem statement. It’s the inverse of what we’ve been trained to do with CAD.<\/p><\/div>\n

This is why generative design with Fusion 360 is transformative. Sure, you could use Fusion 360 to model an already determined outcome, but why not ask it to do some of the design exploration for you? Tell it the problem it needs to solve, then sit back and let the cloud generate a number of potential solutions. The real value of generative design is not the geometry generated, but the data presented to make more informed decisions more quickly. Not one incrementally better solution, but a number of design solutions, genuinely aiding you as you make strength, material, or cost considerations.<\/p>\n

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