fusion-360 1 Min Lesezeit
Fusion 360 to First Chip: The Postprocessor Workflow
How a part in Fusion 360 becomes G-code that runs cleanly on a Pocket NC — and the three settings that get this wrong on first try.
If you are new to CAM, the gap between "I have a model" and "I have a part" is wider than the documentation suggests. Here is the shortest path through Fusion 360 to a cutting Pocket NC.
Step 1: Install the post
Download the free post from our post-processor page (direct from Penta — no licence cost). In Fusion 360: Manage → Post Library → Add to local library. Drag the .cps file in.
Step 2: Set up the Machine
Manufacture workspace → Setup → New Setup. Operation type: Milling. Machine: load the Pocket NC schema (also a free download from the same page). This sets the kinematic limits Fusion 360 needs for collision checking.
Step 3: Create toolpaths
Start with a 2D Adaptive Clearing for roughing. Match cutter and feeds/speeds to your stock material — DATRON's published tables for a 3 mm end-mill in aluminium are a safe baseline. Finish with a parallel or scallop pass at 80% of roughing feedrate.
Step 4: Post-process
Right-click the setup → Post Process. Pick the Pocket NC post you installed. Output goes to a .nc file. Save somewhere your Kinetic Control machine can reach (local network, USB stick, or paste-into-browser drop zone).
Three settings that bite first-timers
- Tool number: Fusion's default is "1" — make sure it matches the tool you actually offset on the machine.
- Work offset: default is G54. If your machine is currently in G55, the part lands in the wrong place at speed.
- Coolant: Pocket NC has mist coolant only — set the operation to Mist, not Flood, or the post throws a warning.
For a tested feeds/speeds library across aluminium, brass, soft steel and wax see the CycleCNC G-code library.
