TrustRadius Insights for Autodesk Fusion are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.
Pros
Modeling Tools: Users have praised the modeling tools in Autodesk Fusion 360, with many stating that they are really good and capable of building organic shapes with ease. Several reviewers have highlighted how these tools have helped them bring their ideas to life and create complex 3D models efficiently.
Ease of Learning: Many users appreciate the fact that the learning curve for Fusion 360 is not as steep compared to other design software. This accessibility has made it a popular choice even among less experienced designers, who find it easy to get acclimated to the software quickly. The availability of online tutorials further enhances the learning process and helps users grasp the software's functionalities in various industries.
Support and Community: The support provided by Autodesk for Fusion 360 has been widely recognized as amazing by users. Being owned by Autodesk gives users confidence in receiving timely assistance whenever needed. Additionally, Fusion 360 offers a vibrant community base for training and support, providing resources for learning and addressing questions. This strong support network adds value to the overall user experience.
Autodesk Fusion is used in our organization to create CAD files for silicone molds.
The problems we often run into is that you cannot alter the Adobe Illustrator SVG artwork inside of this program if the artwork does not meet the specified limitations. I would then have to go back into Illustrator to adjust and then try again.
Pros
Extrusions - I used this program primarily to create silicone molds.
Creating and using templates so that each order is the same, except for the artwork used in the SVG program.
Being able to share templates with a team so you don't have to download and import to each person's computer.
Cons
The features were hard to learn on my own, but with some help I was able to figure it out.
I would like to see a more user-friendly version of this.
Likelihood to Recommend
Based on my little experience in using Autodesk Fusion, this is program is well suited for any 3-D printing project or for other CAD files with extrusions. I also really enjoy the ability to share templates with the rest of my team.
Autodesk Fusion software is mainly used for modeling the mechanical prototypes that are part of the course. These prototypes are usually industrial products or small mechanisms that serve in the analysis practices. This can be defined as part of the practical development of students in the institution.
Pros
The development of Cartesian plane.
Model extrusion is fast.
Modeling tools are extensive and variable in the 3D environment.
Cons
Improve better the simulations.
Add more tools in the material area.
Upgrade the graphical area.
Likelihood to Recommend
It's very useful in the fast design of easy prototypes that don't require a lot of complex forms or multiple modeling features. On the other hand, the tool is not very good in the area of simulation and calculation of mechanical parts so it is not recommended in this case.
I use SOLIDWORKS mainly for all our designs but use Fusion 360 for the CNC machining. This was a good simple and cost-effective solution to our CNC programming needs. However, last week Fusion 360 changed the post process and this threw up several warning symbols which were not there on the older version. This is when the real issues with Fusion 360 started as there is NO customer service and really poor technical help. The difference between SOLIDWORKS and Fusion 360 after sales is stunning. With SOLIDWORKS you call a telephone number and a person picks up, your talk through your problem, they understand and if needed log on to your PC and explain the issue. You come off the telephone feeling you have added to your knowledge all within 30 minutes. Fusion 360, if you have a problem like I did last week you have a to book a scheduled call being the UK this meant 7pm on a Friday night 4 hours after I needed the help. When the call did come through it lasted a total of 5 minutes and 13 seconds and I was told they were unable to help as it was beyond their technical help and I was to post my issue on the forum. I'm not a big user of social media and I would honestly prefer not to be posting my issues for all to see and for this to be the only means of communication I find really unprofessional. However, as I couldn't use my CNC without fear I would be crashing the head into the bed I posted my issue. I had 2 replies the first was as follows "we are not changing the post processor back and it's not that difficult" (but no real help or advise), the second from engineguy (mentor) saying we have been posting on the forum for months the changes and I should be reading the forums and watching the videos. With a small business I really do not have time to be sitting down reading forums and watching videos I already work 50-60 hours per week. I have now been unable to use my CNC machine for 2 days I cannot find any direct way of speaking with Autodesk or Fusion.
The lost business and problems this package has cost me is way more than the total it costs for the year. I will be cancelling this subscription and finding a better more customer driven CAD company. You find out how good a company is when things go wrong and Autodesk/Fusion 360 have proved to me they are a really poor company.
Pros
cost
basic
Cons
customer service
technical support
Leaving things how they were
Direct contact
Employing helpful people
Likelihood to Recommend
Good for students and people with time on their hands. Really poor if you are a business and time is critical and you need support.
We use Autodesk Fusion 360 as a CAD design tool but also as a CAM tool to generate g code for manufacturing.
Pros
Autodesk Fusion 360 is great at top down design
Design Flexibility
Cloud Based/Great for collaboration
Many different tools available for analysis
Affordable subscription-based software
Cons
Drawing environment could improve significantly, especially when compared to Inventor
Would like to be able to replace parts within a design assembly
Joints are sometimes limiting for assembly environments
Likelihood to Recommend
Autodesk Fusion 360 has a pretty small learning curve so I think it is great for someone that may be less familiar with CAD. The base software offers a ton of features typically not available in an entry level software and would typically require multiple software packages to provide similar functionality. I love that I am able to do design a part and then generate g code to 3D print the part or use a myriad conventional manufacturing approaches to process the part according to capabilities that I have.
I use Autodesk Fusion 360 in our 3D work. Thanks to its easy interface and fast speed, it supports our work. The best part of the program is that it provides easy access everywhere with our online account. I can also perform instant previews with the phone app.
Pros
Understanding the menus.
Online account feature.
Supporting the outputs of other drawing programs.
Cons
The program is so useful that I didn't think of its shortcomings.
Likelihood to Recommend
The fact that the program is free at the entry-level is one of the biggest reasons for preference. Thanks to this feature, it helps students to do their design work easily and free of charge. This is reflected in business life, making it attractive for life-long use.
When I transferred CAD date to my slicing software for printing, I found that in blend the data did not translate well. With [Autodesk] Fusion 360, I found that I was able to convert the CAD files immediately to a file type that could be used for slicing, then through that software create G Code for 3D Printing. It was absolutely critical to my company that we find the right software and [Autodesk] Fusion 360 checked every box!
Pros
Free for non-commercial use. Powerful, intuitive tools. Great for hobbyists, 3d printing, non-commercial projects. Huge body of information and tutorials. cloud based storage
There is a free version for [Autodesk] Fusion 360 used for students, startups and teachers. - The modeling tools are really good they allow you to build organic shapes with ease. - The learning curve is not as steep. - It has an amazing support since is owned by Autodesk. - You can create machine code (G-Code) to send it to cut or 3D print. - There are several tutorials online and now is more used in the mechanical design industry.
Cons
Some functionality changes and when you are in the middle of a project and your workflow changes, it is a little annoying.
This can be particularly confusing for those unaccustomed to 3D modeling or CAD software.
Likelihood to Recommend
This software has been so easy to use from day one! I couldn't be more thrilled with it. Being an SME, it is offered on an annual basis free of charge. My network of engineers are amazed I am able to accomplish what I have using this software when the companies they come from are paying thousands for licensing. I also would like to note that Autodesk offer an incredible specialization to really round out your skills via Coursera.
[Autodesk] Fusion 360 is very useful for its built in Simulation and CAM functionality. It is being used by only myself currently, as it is not our main design software. But is is my main software at home.
Pros
CAM (CNC Programming)
FEA simulation
Top-Down 3D CAD design
Cons
Free version is now limited to 3-axis machining
Feature Tree/History is difficult to get used to coming from SolidWorks
Rendering seems simplistic. Or settings (such as custom color) are hard to find.
Likelihood to Recommend
Companies where you need 3D design packaged with simulation and/or machining. Especially if you have work-from-home employees, as the files are saved to, managed inside, and accessible from the cloud.
I design 3D printable models for tabletop gaming, and produce one-off 3D printed parts for hobbyists who are prototyping new products. I often collaborate with other members of the local makerspace where a lot of the printing takes place, and Fusion 360 is one of the key tools for the work we do. It has a powerful set of CAD tools for designing precision models, and its hobbyist-friendly licensing terms make it a good choice for designers who want a powerful tool but can't (yet) justify a high-end price tag.
Pros
Industry standard precision modeling tools
Parametric design features for producing multiple variants of similar designs
Cons
Steep learning curve for users without CAD experience
Weak support for organic sculpting
Likelihood to Recommend
Most of my work with Fusion 360 has focused on its 3D modeling capabilities, and its liberal licensing policies for hobbyists has made it popular in that space. It focuses on a "mechanical engineering" approach to modeling rather than artistic, organic sculpting. While it's less rigid than its big brother AutoCAD, making the most of it will require thinking about the structure of your model rather than simply its appearance.
That emphasis means it's fantastic for producing mechanical parts, and it can simulate how multiple separate parts will interlock and work with each other in 3D printed devices. This makes using it to design hinges and other moving mechanisms orders of magnitudes simpler; it also preserves an ongoing, editable history of the part being modeled. Realizing you need to tweak the tolerances on a part halfway through the design is fairly easy; you can go back any number of steps in the model's creation and modify the parameters used on a specific part, changing a hole's width or a groove's depth without altering any other parts of the model.
The downside of this CAD-like power is that it's much less capable of "sculpting" organic models. Tools like ZBrush, Rhino, and even Blender are a better choice there.
I'm using Fusion as my one and only solution for 3d printing design. I mostly model electronic gadgets cases and simple toys. It's an absolutely brilliant tool if you need to model some objects quickly and precisely. It allows me to collaborate with my colleagues on one project or share my private designs with a team.
Pros
History timeline is a life saver. You can correct almost any errors by just going few steps back in your design.
You can use parametrical design like with OpenSCAD
It has very intuitive UI.
Works perfectly with MacBook's touch pads, even better then with a mouse.
Cons
It is still under heavy development so it likes to crash from time to time.
Working with some complex patterns can be a real challenge to your CPU and fan.
More keyboard shortcuts would be nice.
Likelihood to Recommend
In my opinion Fusion, 360 is best for designing for 3d printing, especially with its parametric design. Mixing sculp and model mode really helps, especially when you're designing toys. If you are, for example, a woodworker (I am), I believe it can be useful but there are better tools for that type of project.
VU
Verified User
Professional in Information Technology (1-10 employees)
Fusion 360 was solely used in the design department to conceptualize and visualize concepts in 3D. Turning sketches into 3D objects then helped us present ideas to upper management and, in some scenarios, important stakeholders. This proved to be a valuable advantage as stakeholders and those alike could see the same vision as me, the lead designer on the project. Previously, stakeholders were presented 2D drawings or other resources, that oftentimes caused more unnecessary questions. Details of 2D sketches and drawings were often lost in translation. On top of that, Fusion 360 provides the extra outcome of being able to rapidly prototype ideas with a 3D printer, something that was often overlooked before. This has provided us with valuable feedback early on in the design process.
Pros
The first PRO of Fusion 360 that always comes to mind is how versatile it is. Fusion 360 is the first CAD/CAM software that also includes other key features that CAD programs of this size don't have.
Fusion 360 has a generous licensing structure that gives those just starting out a place to start with a professional level CAD program. As a result, this has helped build up a huge community and user base around Fusion 360.
Fusion 360 is updated on a monthly basis. This has proven to be a huge advantage over Solidworks (something else I use) which is only updated once a year. The nice thing about monthly updates, other than regular bug fixes, is that the team can adapt quickly and no one is taken by storm with a big overhaul of the UI or features at the beginning of the year.
Cons
Fusion 360's UI is by far better than any other CAD program on the market. However, I think the engineers/designers working on Fusion 360 need to be careful with where they're taking it. On one hand, it's great that they have finally given CAD a modern look. On the other hand, they should really look into their user base more, and consider some of the fine details of the UI that could be improved -- icon size, tab layouts, dialog styling, etc.
Fusion 360 could use some better copy for each feature's help text. I find that the help text often uses the feature's name within it...which means if someone doesn't know what the feature does they're probably not going to be able to understand the help text.
Fusion 360 has random crashes...albeit, just about every CAD program does. I will say, however, Fusion 360's file backup structure is much better than most CAD programs.
Likelihood to Recommend
Fusion 360 is a great CAD package if you're looking to do rapid prototyping, general/mechanical engineering, packaging design, 3d printing (or other hobbyist related things) or of course, CAM. I wouldn't recommend Fusion 360 for those who need a more specific type of software, such as, civil engineers, architects, or soft-goods designers.
Overall, Fusion 360 is best suited for rapid prototyping and product development. The cloud-based advantages of Fusion 360 make it extremely easy to work in agile product teams versus conventional CAD programs where sharing and backing up files is a job in itself. The Fusion 360 Hub, where files are backed up to, also provides additional collaboration tools such as notes, comments, and version control, which makes working with teams even more of a pleasure.
VU
Verified User
Former Employee in Engineering (10,001+ employees)
