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Powerful, fully integrated and drop-dead simple simulation capabilities make it easier to optimize designs prior to prototyping and manufacturing
In a game-changing update for mechanical engineers, product designers and makers alike, Autodesk Fusion 360 now includes simulation capabilities that can dramatically accelerate and improve product development.
Fusion 360 brings CAD, CAM and CAE together in the cloud. It’s an integrated, connected, and accessible platform built for the new ways products are being designed and made.
New simulation capabilities (and other new features described below) all come with Fusion 360 right “out of the box.” The capabilities are fully integrated into the Fusion 360 workflow – no complex time-consuming set-up is required. Users get actionable results literally in seconds.
There’s also no additional cost – Fusion 360 still costs just $25 per month for an annual subscription, and is still free to students, educators, hobbyists and start-ups.*
Prototyping gets smarter with simulation
Simulation in Fusion 360 allows users to perform both linear stress and modal analysis. Users will be able to define materials and add constraints, and add loads to solve for weaknesses in their assemblies, all while staying within a single design environment. By pinpointing flaws sooner in the design process, costly prototypes and time-consuming revisions can be dramatically reduced.
“Simulation traditionally takes multiple software tools and hours of work. Not so with Fusion 360. We made it powerful, but drop-dead simple. And by integrating simulation directly within the design and engineering workflow, users can not only build more viable parts with fewer iterations, but they can also develop intuition and expertise to reach validation more quickly,” said Kevin Schneider, Director of Fusion 360 at Autodesk. “We see this update as the next critical step in making Fusion 360 the most innovative integrated platform for developing products, from concept all the way to fabrication.”
Additional simulation capabilities such as thermal and fatigue analysis will come in future product updates.
Enhanced features for team collaboration and productivity
Simulation isn’t the only thing coming with this month’s update. Team collaboration in Fusion 360 gets a boost with real-time multi-user design review, improved commenting, the ability to move projects across hubs, and an improved A360 experience.
Regardless of the complexity of a project, collaborating in Fusion 360 is now more seamless, simple, and integrated. Instead of emailing static images or cumbersome screen shares, users can now share a link with remote teammates or stakeholders, who can view an active model live in a web browser as it is manipulated in real-time. It’s the way product development across distributed teams was always meant to be.
Drawings in Fusion 360 will also be enhanced, allowing users to draw associative centerlines and center marks in addition to aligning and renumbering balloons.
Lastly, a more robust set of keyboard shortcuts are being introduced, making it easier to move through the design process. The shortcuts being added will include gestures such as extruding, filleting, and sketching dimensions.
For a more detailed rundown of all the enhancements in the September update, please see: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-differently/september-update-preview/ba-p/5811642
Democratizing product development
Thanks to advanced manufacturing techniques, one could argue that it’s just as easy to manufacture something as it is to design and analyze it. Fusion 360’s integrated simulation capabilities further empower a new generation of designers and engineers at every step of the product development cycle.
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* For full details on free Fusion 360 access for education and start-ups, please see here.
