Bechtel Autodesk Fusion Team

Autodesk Fusion is the CAD and CAM program used by Bechtel Center Metal Shop. We accept CAM that is done in Fusion on our Team using our libraries, fixtures and presets.

Creating a Free Autodesk Account Through Purdue

QR Code for ECN Fusion Account
Scan or Click QR or Go To: Purdue IT Autodesk Fusion
Image showing how to gain access to the Fusion 360 team
Go to Personally Owned Systems. Clicking on the link will take you to the Autodesk Educational License website. Then click Select for Fusion and follow the steps to sign up for an educational license.

Autodesk Fusion Standards & Practices

Most of you will have CAD experience, some of you will be new to CAD. You are required to watch the following videos to facilitate the CAM you will need to do in order to use the Metal Shop. Even if you are experienced, please watch all the video to confirm your understanding of key concepts that are necessary in the CAM phase. You need an Autodesk account from the above step to access the videos.

QR Code for playlist of CAD Videos.
Scan or Click QR or Go To: Autodesk Playlist

Important Autodesk Fusion Preferences

Look at each picture in this section and set the settings as instructed. Failure to do so will result in struggles with creating your CAM on our Fusion Team.

Image showing how to enable Cloud Libraries in Fusion 360
Enable Cloud Libraries: This gives you access to the cloud libraries that contain all of our tooling, machines and posts.
Image showing how to set the Z-up preference in Fusion 360
Default Modeling Orientation to Z-Up: This sets the Z-axis to be pointing upwards, instead of the default of the y-axis.
Image showing how to set imperial units in Fusion 360
Change Active Units: Set this to Inches and click “Set as Default” to save it permanently. This is essential for G-code compatibility.
Image showing how to set workholding visibility in Fusion 360
Toggle Fixtures based on Setup: Make sure you are in the “Manufacture” workspace then click on the “Synchronize Active Setup” icon, and select “Sync visibility with active setup.”

Joining the BIDC Fusion Team

Once you created an Autodesk Education Account (Purdue Email), watched and understood the Standards & Practices videos and set the preferences as instructed you may request to be added to the Bechtel Fusion Team. Any peer mentor from the Metal Shop can add you to the fusion team. Best time to request access is during a Metal Shop consult. Once they add you, you will receive an email, likely in your Spam folder. You must accept the invite and let the peer mentor know so they can enable your ability to create project folders.

Email showing the Join Button
This is what the email looks like.

Common Issues 1: I’m on a student club, and they already added me to their Fusion project. Why don’t I have full access to the Bechtel Fusion Team?

If you have been invited to a particular project in the Bechtel Fusion Team, without having been added by the Metal Shop Peer, then you will have access to that particular project, but nothing else inside the team. Make sure you do the above steps and talk to a Metal Peer Mentor to get properly added. If you are a club leader; don’t add your members to your project until they have been added to the Bechtel Fusion Team. Please contact a Metal Peer Mentor during a consult to mass add individuals.

Common Issues 2: I was added to the Bechtel Fusion Team but don’t see tools, posts and fixtures.

We have seen delays in being fully added to the team and then it taking 24-48 hrs before Fusion provides all the necessary resources to your account. The mechanism here is as much a mystery to us as it is to you. We have the ability to provide local copies of resources in such situations when there is no other option. Please request a local copy from a Metal Shop Peer Mentor. Keep in mind that resources change over time, so local copies are not long term sustainable.

Common Issues 3: I don’t have educational access.

We do not directly administer the educational eligibility of students on Autodesk. Please contact Autodesk Support.

Common Issues 4: My files are gone.

The Bechtel Fusion Team is only there for making CAM and running parts. It should never be used as a CAD file storage. We are unable to ensure that the 100s of students on the team do not make mistakes.

Common Issues 5: I had access, but I lost access.

Due to the number of members that we have on the Fusion team the easiest way to manage rouge actors on the team is to remove their access. If you do one of the following, you may be removed from the team:

  • Modify/Delete Files of other unassociated student.
  • Modify/Delete Tool Library in Cloud. (Peer Mentors are allowed to make changes)
  • Modify/Delete Posts/Machines in Cloud. (Supervisors are allowed to make changes)
  • Modify/Delete Fixture Models in Workholdings Project. (Supervisors are allowed to make changes)
  • Start dumping large files on the Fusion Team.
  • Any other activity that appears harmful with or without intent to harm.