In preparation for my CNC router journey, I have started to play with Fusion360’s CAM section. While I have used Fusion360 extensively for 3D printed projects, this is my first foray into the CAM side.
Has anyone built a machine configuration file for the Altmill?
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Now that a bunch of Altmills have shipped, I would like to ask this question again - anyone have a machine setup file for the Altmill in Fusion360?
Is there a specific reason you want the machine configuration? You can do all the CAM without setting up a machine. It looks cool to simulate, but I don’t see much value unless you’re running multiple machines with modeled workholding.
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I don’t understand how you could possibly do any CAM without setting up a machine. Machine setup is literally the very first step. On the other hand, this is my first try at CAM so I likely don’t have a clue.
Also, how do you set up tool paths without simulation ??? 99 out of 100 tool paths that I set up result in failure of one kind or another. The vast majority of these failures would result in something getting destroyed.
Having said all that, I have finally managed to do a machine setup that seems to work
@Jens I can’t speak to Fusion360, but in VCarve, I didn’t bother to set up a machine and it’s been working fine on my Mk1 Long Mill for years now. Others much more competent than me in these things have said that the only reason to bother with setting up a machine is if you have more than one machine and you want to distinguish between the two in some settings. Since I have only one machine, I figured that I needn’t add to the confusion.
The CAM part of VCarvePro depends on the post processor, not a machine set up, at least as I understand it.
So I have played around with simulations both with the machine selected and without and the only difference seems to be the machine visualization. With a machine selected I get to see the model on the machine table. There is also the possibility that some additional collision checking happens when the machine is selected.
It is curious that ALL youtube videos on learning CAM show machine setup being step one followed by selecting all the other bits like which machine operation is to be done.
Overall, it seems that machine selection is indeed optional.
It is also quite evident that I don’t know what the heck I am doing 
@Jens Don’t beat yourself up over it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with creating a machine profile. I cannot speak for fusion 360. Neil can. I only know for certain that, in Vectric software, it is not mandatory.
I’ve been using Fusion since it’s beta days, when it was a baby brother to Inventor.
As long as your WCS origin in Fusion matches your work origin on your stock/machine, your toolpaths will do what Fusion says they’ll do. You only need to set the details and choose an appropriate post processor for your firmware.
I’m obviously glossing over the “details” part, but that’s for another thread.
Ultimately, you do NOT need a machine configuration definition to generate toolpaths in Fusion.
You can simulate without a machine. It just shows the tool and the stock.
It’s too bad you didn’t take the opportunity to mention how you ended up figuring it out and answered the question that you posed in your thread.
Kinematics: yxz on the head (from generic Fusion library)
This was the big thing that hung me up - I couldn’t get my axis’s right, note the sequence of letters for the axis - that is not a typo.
Post processor Grbl/ grbl6 - not tested yet
I used the xyz generic autodesk option and it seems to work. I just don’t understand the minimum and maximums on the kinematics menu for X, Y and Z. Despite not changing that I Was able to send a job through.
I have no minimum or maximum specified
I believe that the yxz configuration is only necessary if you want to see the machine in your preview. If all you want to see is the job and the tool then it is likely that you won’t need that particular setup. I like to see the machine and how the workpiece sits on the machine table.
Having said that, who knows if I missed something along the way. All I know is that this works for me.
Oh I see, so If I change the kinematics from XYZ to YXZ than the 3d render of the machine will appear correctly? Hopefully there are not unwanted side effects. I’d think the Altmill is XYZ but not really sure what the sequence really means.
Exactly and I also have no clue what the sequence means …
Oh, just to be clear - I chose a generic machine from the Fusion library that was listed as having an yxz arrangement. I did not just rearrange it in my configuration (which you can also do)