Fusion360 verse Rhino verse others?

[Cicchino]

Guys

 

This post may be better served in another forum, but I'll start here since we see so much 3D work in progress.

 

When designing 3D parts I have been using Fusion360 exclusively and I've developed a working level proficiency.  I feel I'm pretty adept at picking up new software. Based on your experiences, I'd love to hear your opinions on Fusion360 verse Rhino or any other CAD type software. I'm trying to decide if I stick with Fusion360 or make a move now before I go too far down the road. I have full intention of integrating designs with Blender if and when it makes sense. For reference I use Lycée for slicing.

 

I look forward to your perspectives!

 

 

Thanks for dropping by

 

John

Edited January 1 by Cicchino
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[Iain]

Hi John,

 

I'm still a relative newby at 3D Modelling - but I've made some reasonable progress with Fusion for things such as wheels, engines and cockpit details.

 

However I'm now starting on a path to learn Rhino as, I believe, it's more suited to more complex surface models, such as fuselages.

 

It's also what the guys I most look up to are using for their design work I believe: Radu (@Radub), Peter (@airscale) and Tim (@wunwinglow) use - which are more than good enough reasons for me!!  

 

I'm a Lychee fan too! 

 

Iain

 

[wunwinglow]

I have used Rhino for over 20 years, since it was first a demo disc on the front of Computer Arts magazine. I have used Fusion, for about a year, but only as a CNC milling set up tool, so......   I am utterly unqualified to say!

 

I will say this though, and this is a common thread through all CAD design programs, they repay lots and lots of effort, practise, more practise, frustration, practise, and them some more practise. Think of these programs as musical instruments, they all make music, but the way they do it, and what they produce is all the same, and entirely different.

 

There will be those who will suggest one CAD brand, and maybe denigrate others, but I am not going there because they are all fabulous. They all enable you to catch your ideas out of thin air, and turn them into something solid. Whichever you choose, be prepared to WORK at it. None are easy, when you click New File for the first time. None are obvious. They all require effort. And patience. But it does click. Then keeps clicking.....

 

Realise they are ALL waaaaaay more capable than anyone here would ever need. The folks who use CAD to make cities, ships, cars, aircraft, use exactly these tools, and others, and the way they get good with them is training, and effort. If you want to go down this path, be prepared to do the same.

 

Because the rewards are limitless.    Let that sink in a bit.......

 

Get even vaguely competent with these tools, and suddenly you can make whatever YOU want. No waiting around for New Year release schedules. No disappointment with subjects released you want but not in your scale. No messed up models from shoddy research, because now, YOU can get all those things sorted!  Realise this, and you might get vertigo!!

 

Crack on, I say. Always happy to discuss things Rhino, always, but asking me about the others will be pointless, but no doubt others can help here. But beware anyone sneering at any product. it is a sign that they truly do not know what they are talking about! 

[airscale]

I am with Tim - I have virtually no experience with anything except Rhino

 

I started where you are and to be honest am not a million miles away from there compared to pro users. Rhino can be had on a 90 day free trial with an email address and while it's UI can be a bit clumsy and labyrinthine, it is probably the most capable and versatile. In the long run this is what you need. It is also very well supported on Youtube. Everything I know (which is about 5% of what it can do) I learned from youtube (and Tim of course). Ultimately it is a matter of creating a shape to either add to or take away from another shape. I have only recently got into making surfaces from nothing, from there anything is possible.

 

If I were you, I would take a rhino trial and try and make a simple wheel for something simple like a P40 with a grooved tread, get some pics, good profile side and top / front views and have a bash. Google making a wheel in Rhino and take what you need from it. Within 30minutes I can virtually guarantee you will have impressed yourself . Just think about things in slices - what happens if you sliced that wheel right down the middle, what would the outline be? Once you have one or other half of that drawn you just revolve it and bingo - a wheel

 

so yes, for me I would say Rhino, but that said, Fusion has some things I need now, like thickness and draft analysis tools which rhino doesn't so it depends on personal preference what you want from it

 

Peter

[wunwinglow]

51 minutes ago, airscale said:

 

 

 

so yes, for me I would say Rhino, but that said, Fusion has some things I need now, like thickness and draft analysis tools which rhino doesn't so it depends on personal preference what you want from it

 

Peter

Peter, check out DraftAngleAnalysis and Shell in Rhino, https://docs.mcneel.com/rhino/8/help/en-us/commands/draftangleanalysis.htm?Highlight=draft and https://docs.mcneel.com/rhino/8/help/en-us/commands/offsetsrf.htm#Shell   Might have something you can use. Version 8 . Shell is getting much better, but it does depend on how complicated your original polysurface is.

[Landrotten Highlander]

One thing to keep in mind is that there are 2 methodologies in CAD:

One is feature based (e.g. defining curves, fillets , holes etc).  This is the type most often used in industrial desing (can be anythin really, from shoes to high performance combat aircraft).

The other is surface based (think working with polygons - squares & triangles) with which you make up the shapes and volumes you are after.

 

Both have their focues, and therefore their merit. 

 

The first option has many positives, but the most important one I was shown in my (recent) education is that you need to plan much more in advance, and when things do not work it can be really frustrating trying to find out why. However, this apporach allows for the simulation and analysis of things like interference, thickness, stress etc.

Think of it like workin in wood or metal: you chip away at what you do not want (e.g. where you want a hole) and you add another block if you need it to be biger, then chip away at that to et the shape you want.

 

The second option is more intuitive in that you can move vertices (those points where the lines meet) to create a hump or a dimple where you want it.  For example, I started with a simple cube, and over 16 hours changed the look of the cube into a 3D representation of the head of one of my lecturers. (He saw the work, and enjoyed it very much).  This type of CAD model is actually an empty shell - no thicknesses in the walls of the object.  However, these things are then textured and rendered and can look really realistic on screen.  This is the process used in special effects (VFX).

Look at this like working with virtual clay - you stretch, push & twist to eet the shape you want.

 

 

So if you want to compare CAD packaes, best not to compare a feature based software like fusion 360 with a surface-based software like Rhino or Blender, as those are totally different beasts.

[wunwinglow]

3 minutes ago, Landrotten Highlander said:

 

 

 

So if you want to compare CAD packaes, best not to compare a feature based software like fusion 360 with a surface-based software like Rhino or Blender, as those are totally different beasts.

Err, no. Rhino is a NURBS modelling package, where the curves, surfaces etc are constructed from mathematical formulae, and can be edited in a vast number of ways. Blender is a MESH modelling package, and while there are areas of cross over, and conversion between the systems, they are completely different. 

[BiggTim]

Having used both, my take is much like the experts above. Fusion is very powerful, can do incredible things far beyond what I am likely to ever need. But, it's hard to learn, and expensive. Rhino is much more user friendly, less costly overall, and can do almost anything most people would ever need it for.

 

I curently have a Fusion subscription, but will be dropping that soon and going to Rhino alone.

 

Tim

[Landrotten Highlander]

56 minutes ago, wunwinglow said:

Err, no. Rhino is a NURBS modelling package, where the curves, surfaces etc are constructed from mathematical formulae, and can be edited in a vast number of ways. Blender is a MESH modelling package, and while there are areas of cross over, and conversion between the systems, they are completely different. 

Thanks for the clarification.  Just got myself Rhino but have not gotten round to workin on it.

[JayW]

Rhino guy here.  And I have only an elementary level of skill.  Nurbs?  What is that?   Rhino is super capable, and not expensive at all.  I have only one beef - fillets and corners.  There are probably work arounds or more intelligent ways to put together models.  But I have problems with intersecting fillets and corners on machined parts and forgings/castings.  Other than that, I get by.  I am not familiar with anything else, except CATIA from years past before I retired.  CATIA was absolutely awesome....

[wunwinglow]

14 hours ago, Landrotten Highlander said:

Thanks for the clarification.  Just got myself Rhino but have not gotten round to workin on it.

Work your way through the tutorials, they are most excellent! Happy to compare notes. And if I can give you one piece of advice, go into the settings and turn Apparent Intersection OFF!!!!! It will drive you nuts otherwise!

 

 

[wunwinglow]

14 hours ago, JayW said:

Rhino guy here.  And I have only an elementary level of skill.  Nurbs?  What is that?   Rhino is super capable, and not expensive at all.  I have only one beef - fillets and corners.  There are probably work arounds or more intelligent ways to put together models.  But I have problems with intersecting fillets and corners on machined parts and forgings/castings.  Other than that, I get by.  I am not familiar with anything else, except CATIA from years past before I retired.  CATIA was absolutely awesome....

Yes, fillets are difficult sometimes, and Version 8 is way better than previous, and the WIP version is better still.  Rhino are extremely keen to get users feedback so if you have the current version, you are automatically in the beta test team for the next, have access to the new version as it develops, they definitely listen, and, you get a big discount on the upgrade when the new version is finally released. Always happy to compare notes, and your work is outstanding JayW! 

Edited January 2 by wunwinglow
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[wunwinglow]

15 hours ago, BiggTim said:

Having used both, my take is much like the experts above. Fusion is very powerful, can do incredible things far beyond what I am likely to ever need. But, it's hard to learn, and expensive. Rhino is much more user friendly, less costly overall, and can do almost anything most people would ever need it for.

 

I curently have a Fusion subscription, but will be dropping that soon and going to Rhino alone.

 

Tim

They all have their plusses and minuses!