For this assignment, we were to create a structure from which generative models could be made from using Fusion 360.

Step 1: Choosing a Design

I initially wanted to create a brush holder that could hold my makeup brushes, but after exploring Fusion 360 on a MacBook Pro and a trackpad, the navigation of the interface turned out much more difficult than I initially thought. It took quite a while to learn how to rotate and move the viewing port and even then I have difficulty in aligning the plane. My initial design to have a shelf like holder with a few holes in it to hold the brushes then turned out to be non trivial to make and I ended up making a different design.

For this design, I wanted to make a generatively designed double shelf for my cabinet as it is quite messy in there. This shelf would help to organize some of the mess while being stylistic. I wanted to use as little starting structures as I could because I wanted to see the variety generative designs Fusion 360 could generate, so my starting structure is comprised of four little feet and two stacking bars that are the boundaries of the shelves.

I then put in geometry that would act as the obstacle geometry. I wanted to ensure Fusion 360 would not generate anything in those spaces as I want to be able to place my items in those spaces. I left room on either sides of the geometries where I want the generative design to take place.

Step 2: Setting Up Generative Design

This part was quite the learning curve in figuring out the requirements to generate a design. I set the feet and boundary bars as the preserve geometry from which Fusion 360 could generatively model from and set the two larger geometries as the obstacle geometry from where no generation should occur. Figuring out the constraints and load of the structure took the longest time as I had to choose the structures to constrain and apply forces that were difficult to see because it was hard to navigate the viewport. Once I was able to eliminate all of the errors, I then generated my designs.

Step 3: Getting the Generative Models

After waiting quite a bit for the designs to process, I encountered errors and failures to generate the models. The pop up error window only says to contact technical support to diagnose and solve the problem, so as to what caused the failures is unknown. I have gone back to fix my structure, but I keep getting the same failure to process. I think it might have to do with the forces I applied to my structure but I am unsure as how to correctly place them so I will need to ask my professor about it. I was quite optimistic in using Fusion 360 for my final project, but I have not had the greatest experience using it and even now as I write this I keep getting an error report that I can't get rid of no matter what I do. I will keep trying to get a generative model and update this if I successfully manage that.

Step 4: Attempt II: a Chair

This time I tried to follow the class tutorial and a tutorial I found online to create a chair. I created the model for the chair that has four feet, a square for seating and a backrest. I then went into generative design mode to preserve the geometry and create the obstacle geometry.

Step 5: Generative Design Stage

In generative design mode, I set the preserve geometry and then created the obstacle geometry. I followed the tutorials closely in setting the constraints and loads as I know that was the cause of failure for the last model when Fusion 360 tried to generate variants of it. After setting everything and getting the green check mark that says everything is perfect, I had the software process my model to create generative variants of it. And it failed. Again. I did everything the tutorials did and tried other tutorials but all of them failed. I can't pinpoint where the flaw in design is and I decided that Fusion 360 and I need some time apart so this is the end of my attempts in trying to work it out in creating generative designs.