Hey guys, recently my team and I have been trying to use Autodesk fusion 360 to make a 3D model of our robot. I have been trying to insert the vex parts into the program with almost no success. The only way we have found to insert the parts is by putting creating new designs from files. Anybody know how to use the program?
There are two good ways, and then there is organization. First you need to know within Fusion 360 where to go. If the data panel is not visible on the left, click on the checkerboard in the upper left corner to show the data panel. That’s where you’ll load the parts.
- Go to this site: https://www.autodesk.com/education/competitions-and-events/vex/recommended-software?_ga=2.238437376.1042323390.1537261396-1661958190.1460718345#Kit-of-parts and click on Fusion_360_VEX_EDR_KOP.zip . Unzip it. Within Fusion 360’s data panel choose “upload.” Drag the folder you just unzipped onto the spot where you can drop files, and every file in there will get loaded.
- Now that you have most of the files, you’ll want to be able to get the newer ones you need. Go to the VEX site and find whatever thing you want, such as the V5 smart motor here https://www.vexrobotics.com/276-4840.html#CAD_Files and choose the tab for the CAD files. Again choose “upload” from Fusion 360’s data panel and add the CAD files you’ve grabbed.
- I recommend deleting a bunch of the files you won’t use at all so you have fewer items in the data panel. For example, if you’re using V5, get rid of the old battery, motor, etc. parts. You may want to organize things in folders, too. Renaming the files so they don’t all start with product numbers can be helpful as well.
2 Likes
Here is a link to a Vex parts library for Fusion 360: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15TzytEyjS0G9ZbriMs1WPwuJPvWFS-8Z/view?usp=sharing
Just upload this one file to your project and all the part will be there, without any need to convert them.
Note: To get all the parts included in the library I had to create a design that used them all, and then archive that design. So the parts lib will also include a design named “Vex Hardware”. You can delete this design after uploading the lib into your project. Because the “Vex Hardware” design includes every part in the lib it will take a long time to open and will be very slow once opened. So just delete it without opening it.
Note that if you create a project just for the parts lib, then you can use the parts in designs for other projects. So you only need to do this once. Each time you add a part from the parts lib project, to a design of another project you will get a warning that the link will be broken. I think this is OK, because Vex won’t be changing the designs of existing parts.
This parts library is an experiment, so please let me know if it works, of if you run into issues.
2 Likes