Automated Feedback Tool for Student CAD Models Using the Fusion 360 API

Fusion 360 software is a cloud-powered CAD, CAM, and CAE tool, and it is the primary software for the instruction of degree apprentices at the AMRC Training Centre, part of the University of Sheffield. With rising student numbers, it was becoming increasingly difficult to provide detailed and timely feedback to students as they learned the basics of Fusion 360. In this session, Joe Palmer will present a bespoke feedback tool that has been coded in Python and implemented using the Fusion 360 API. This tool provides instantaneous feedback to students about the quality of their CAD models by assessing key model metrics. These metrics enable a complete picture of model quality to be determined by the script without any input from course tutors. This has empowered tutors to spend more time on valuable activities within the classroom. We will discuss a background of the Fusion 360 API, the tool's development process, and details of the scoring algorithm. We will also present a road map for future development.