Guide to Working with Meshes in Fusion 360
- Matthew Zaino
- Dec 12, 2024
- 4 min read
Meshes are an essential part of 3D design, especially for beginners in 3D printing or reverse engineering. The Fusion 360 mesh tools allow you to work with mesh bodies, which are flat polygons (faces) connected by edges and vertices. Unlike solid models, meshes have no thickness and are often used in additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing.
You'll find the Mesh tools in the Design workspace under the Mesh tab, and they work in two main modes:
Parametric Modeling Mode: Mesh face groups (collections of faces) are treated as the smallest selectable unit. This mode is excellent for tracking design changes in the timeline.
Direct Modeling Mode: You can select and edit individual faces, which is more flexible but doesn't track changes over time.
Here's how you can start working with meshes in Fusion 360.
How to Insert a Mesh Body
If you want to bring a 3D model file (such as STL, OBJ, or 3MF) into your Fusion design, follow these steps:
Open the Insert Mesh Tool:
Go to Create > InsMeshMesh in the Design workspace under the Mesh tab.
Select Your File:
In the Open dialog, navigate to where your STL, OBJ, or 3MF file is saved.
Select the file and click Open.
Preview the Mesh Body:
Once the file loads, you'll see a preview of MeshMesh on the canvas.
Set the Units:
In the Insert Mesh dialog, choose the correct unit type. For example:
Centimeter: Each unit in the file equals 1 cm in Fusion.
Other options include millimeter, meter, inch, or foot.
Getting this right is essential for scaling your model correctly.
Adjust the Mesh's Position:
Flip-Up Direction: Switch the Y and Z axes to change Mesh's orientation.
Center: Automatically center MeshMesh at the origin point.
Move to Ground: Align the Mesh's bottom edge to the ground plane.
Move or Rotate: Use the on-screen manipulator handles to adjust the position or type exact X, Y, and Z distances and angles into the dialog.
Reset Position: If needed, reset everything to the default position.
Insert the Mesh:
When everything looks good, click OK.
The mesh body will appear in the canvas, and Fusion will show it in the Browser under the active component. The timeline has been updated to include a new feature for tracking changes.
Converting a Solid Body into a Mesh
Sometimes, you must turn a solid or surface body into a mesh body. This is done using the Tessellate command:
Open the Tessellate Tool:
Go to Create > Tessellate on the Mesh tab.
Select the Body to Convert:
Click on your design's solid or surface body that you want to convert into a mesh.
Adjust Refinement Settings:
Choose the level of detail for meshes:
High: Creates a very detailed mesh with more triangles.
Medium: A balanced setting for general use.
Low: Creates a simpler mesh with fewer triangles.
Custom: Lets you fine-tune settings such as:
Surface Deviation: Controls how closely Meshmesh matches the original surface.
Standard Deviation: Adjusts the maximum angle between faces.
Maximum Edge Length: Sets the longest allowable edge in Meshmesh.
Aspect Ratio: Determines the height-to-width ratio of each face.
Preview Your Mesh:
Check the Preview option to see a live preview of Meshmesh. You'll also see the Triangle Count, which tells you how complex Meshmesh is.
Finalize the Conversion:
Click OK to complete the process.
The new mesh body will appear in the canvas and Browser under the Bodies folder. A Tessellate feature is added to the timeline, and Fusion will automatically group similar faces for easier editing.
Creating a Mesh Section Sketch
If you need to reverse-engineer a mesh into a new design, sketch a section to see how a plane cuts through Meshmesh. This gives you a line you can reference for new features.
Open the Create Mesh Section Sketch Tool:
Go to Create > Create Mesh Section Sketch in the Mesh tab.
Select the Mesh and Plane:
Click on the mesh body you want to analyze.
Choose a section plane. The tool will show an orange section line where the plane intersects Meshmesh.
Adjust the Plane's Position:
Move the plane using the on-screen manipulator handles or enter the dialog's distance and angle values.
Create the Sketch:
Click OK. The section line appears on Meshmesh, and the new sketch is saved in the Sketches folder in the Browser.
Advanced Tip:
You can use multiple-section sketches to rebuild complex mesh designs. Once you have the sketches, you can use tools like Fit Curves to Mesh Section to create solid or surface bodies.
Helpful Tips for Beginners
Use Previews: Always check the preview to see how your changes affect the Mesh. This can save you from making mistakes.
Triangle Count Matters: More triangles mean more detail but also increase file size and processing time. Choose wisely!
Create Quads Option: When possible, create quad faces. These are easier to edit and can be converted into smooth T-spline surfaces.
Edit Features Later: If you need to make adjustments, right-click on any feature in the timeline and edit its settings.
Meshes are a versatile tool in Fusion 360. Whether you're prepping a file for 3D printing or reverse-engineering a design, these tools give you everything you need to get started.
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