Can Fusion 360 personal license create gerber files?

[Technical Ted]

I've done some searching, but haven't found an answer. I'm very familiar with Fusion 360 for mechanical design, using the personal license version for my hobby machine shop and 3D printer, but have never even scratched the surface in the electronics workspaces.

Before I spend the time to start learning it, can Fusion free version be used to draw PCB circuits, layout the PCB boards and create the gerber files needed to have a few boards made? Just for personal use BTW, not commercial.

Thanks!
Ted
 

[thm_w]

I would not bother


https://www.autodesk.ca/en/products/eagle/free-download

Included with a Fusion 360 for personal use subscription, EAGLE free download is a limited version for hobbyists including 2 schematic sheets, 2 signal layers, and an 80cm2 (12.4in2) board area.

[markietas]

Or use Kicad, which is completely free, not artificially limited in any way, and much easier to use.

[beanflying]

I've done some searching, but haven't found an answer. I'm very familiar with Fusion 360 for mechanical design, using the personal license version for my hobby machine shop and 3D printer, but have never even scratched the surface in the electronics workspaces.

Before I spend the time to start learning it, can Fusion free version be used to draw PCB circuits, layout the PCB boards and create the gerber files needed to have a few boards made? Just for personal use BTW, not commercial.

Thanks!
Ted

It can and while there is some similarities in places between Fusions more traditional workflow it is not consistent and frankly a kludge made to fit in a package rather than an elegant solution. What I did like was being able to bring the board and components back into Fusion then design an enclosure around it.

I have a paid Fusion360 license but last time I looked at it against KiCad for a simple project (just as a trial for someone way out of practice) both were a similar level of disjointed interface and frankly a bit clunky to learn. I will go back and give it another look as last time was over a year ago but no time currently to do that.

While you are obviously aware of the limits of the free personal use license this is one case where a free alternative might be better as there is little to be gained for you.

[Doctorandus_P]

... I looked at it against KiCad for a simple project (just as a trial for someone way out of practice) both were a similar level of disjointed interface and frankly a bit clunky to learn.

I actually found KiCad quite intuitive and easy to learn. But that was 7+ years ago. It has a lot of added functionality now and with that comes more complexity. Back then I also evaluated eagle, but I found it a horrible piece of software to work with. More and more I'm getting the idea that the brains of people work in slightly different ways. Some are visual, others are more abstract thinkers, and that influences whether or not they find a particular program easy to work with. There is no real "absolute measurement stick" for this that everyone can agree on.

What I did like was being able to bring the board and components back into Fusion then design an enclosure around it.

KiCad does have step export. It also collaborates nicely with the StepUp workbench in FreeCAD, but that is a whole other bucket of worms on itself...

Another reason for me to have a strong preference for KiCad is that it's Open Source and will always be open and free. I have no idea what autodesk does with their software in 5 or 10 years time.