Start here
This is where you start, for your first CNC project
Last updated
This is where you start, for your first CNC project
Last updated
This guide will walk you through the process of turning a CAD drawing into a completed CNC project. On this page, we will go through how to prepare your CAD drawing.
We use Autodesk Fusion 360, free for students and educators, to create CNC routing files. You can design your model directly in Fusion 360 or import CAD drawings from software like Rhino, Illustrator, SketchUp, or other vector-based programs.
You can download Fusion 360 for free as a student and an educator using your KADK email via this webpage:
Here is a quick intro to Fits and Tolerances.
If you're unfamiliar with the concept of fits and tolerances, you can watch the first minute of the video below. In Fusion 360, we do not need to draw manual fits to ensure the pieces fit together. We can experiment with that later when creating manufacturing parameters.
For now, design your parts to exact dimensions, and we’ll adjust the fit later on in the manufacturing parameters.
There are different paths to start depending on your where you have designed your CAD drawing. We will go through the different paths in the next steps.
You can also use other software such as Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, or SketchUp
Fusion 360 allows importing various file types from other CAD software. Most drawing programs can only export a flat 2D file format in .dxf file format, while other software, such as Rhino and Solidworks, can export 3D files in a .stp file format. .stl files can technically be used, but they are more difficult to convert into a workable shape in Fusion. This guide will not cover working with .stl files for CNC routing.
If your 2D file was created in Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, or another 2D drawing software you start here. Press the link "Starting with 2D drawing" below.
Begin here if you have a 3D drawing in a .stp file. Rhino, Solidworks and other CAD programs support .stp files. Press the link "Starting with 3D drawing" below. Not all CAD software can export a .stp file. Sketchup does not support .stp export feature.
If you have designed a file directly in Fusion 360, you can start from here:
If you'd like to learn the basics of 3D modeling in Fusion before starting your CNC project, click here.
