Fusion 360 vs. Blender Pros and Cons

As a 3D hobby designer, you may be looking for the right 3D software to create your designs. Among the numerous ones available for use, two 3D software programs stand out, and they are Fusion 360 and Blender. Your choice between the two will be heavily influenced by what you want to design and how knowledgeable you are about design learning.

Blender and Fusion 360 are both 3D software programs. While Blender is used for the designing of visual effects, animations, video games, and so on, Fusion 360 is an Autodesk software used for CAD and other minimal 3D printing programs. Let's get into details on what these two programs are about and also point out their distinct features.

Fusion 360 vs. Blender

Fusion 360 is an Autodesk software that was created in 2012 and is used as an engineering platform for CAD design and 3D printing. This program is very popular, and its use has continued to be made public over time. 

Some notable features of Fusion 360 are:

• Improved 3D printing tools with cutting preview
• Technical Simulation
• Integration with EAGLE (PCB design software)
• Extensive version control
• 2D sketch program
• Photorealistic rendering
• Easy export for CNC, waterjet, plasma, and laser cutting.
• Cloud storage and offline work
• Real-time collaboration
• Basic Animation

On the other hand, Blender is a 3D graphics suite that was created in the year 1998. It is an older version when compared to the Fusion 360 program. Blender is an open-source program that can be distributed freely and is available for customization.

Notable features of the Blender software program are:

• Animation, Rigging, and Shape Keys
• Rendering with Ray Tracing
• UV processing
• Camera brush with a bold stroke for freehand drawing
• Object motion tracking
• Dynamic Sculpting Tools
• VFX and visual simulations
• Video editing
• Scripting

The major difference between these two programs is that the Blender software is used to create 3D visual effects, print models, art, animations, and so on, while the Fusion 360 does not have such capabilities. Apart from this major difference, these two 3D software programs are quite similar in the fact that they are both used for 3D printing and model designing.

Let’s examine the differences in-depth below.

The Major Differences Between Fusion 360 and Blender

When it comes to these two 3D software programs, some features set them apart in their functionality and availability as well. Depending on your choice and knowledge of design tools, you may have a clear understanding of which one of the two 3D to make use of.

Here are the differences between Blender and Fusion 360: 

1. Designing tools

The Blender software is majorly used as a tool for the designing of animations, arts, video games, and other 3D image creations, while Fusion 360 is a software tool that can be used for designing mechanical drawings alone. 

2. Interface

Blender has a software interface that is not easy to make use of as it is not user-friendly. However, hotkeys or shortcut keys must always be implemented for use with the Blender software program. Fusion 360, on the other hand, is user-friendly and can be easily mastered by students as the software interface, although it has a professional look, and set-up can be easily accessed for use even by a novice. 

3. Need for measurements and precision tools

Fusion 360 requires the use of adequate measurements and precision tools when you want to design and the reverse is the case for Blender. With this software program, it is easier to design and create models without much basic knowledge, as it is with the case of Fusion 360.

4. Complexity

Model designing takes up a lot of time when using the Fusion 360 software as there is a need for many measurements and precision to be taken, while with Blender, there are no such complexities and the modeling is easy to navigate and design with a few add-ons.

5. Ease of Use

To use Blender, you will need to rely on the hotkeys and shortcuts to easily navigate the software and other types of add-ons may also be introduced for a faster means of operation. Fusion 360 is much easier to use because of its user-friendly interface.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Fusion 360 vs. Blender

Most people prefer the Blender software program over Fusion 360 because it is an older version and allows more access to experiment with different designs and model creation.

Let's discuss some of the pros and cons associated with the use of both the Blender and the Fusion 360.

Pros of the Blender software

• It is easy to use and is also free and open source. The Blender modules are licensed under the GPL.
• Blender has a powerful rendering engine that is used to run the cycles underneath the hood. The software is very compatible with OpenCL and CUDA engine rendering. 
• The Blender software is very versatile as you can do so many things with it, like modeling, composting, video editing, sculpting, and so on. 
• The software is a great tool for creating animations and visual art pieces.
• Blender makes use of Python 3, which can be used as an add-on to automate tasks and change the interface.
• Blender can be used for video editing and video sequencing giving editors and visual artists free access to producing professional content.
• The software is easy to use and useful for freelancers, students, and some professionals. This is because of its use in creating and designing many 3D software programs.

Cons of the Blender software

• The Blender software has a limited particle system, which can hinder the operations of getting the needed job done at a faster rate.
• The software cannot be used for high-ranking industrial design and modeling. It can not handle NURBs.
• It does not have a refined workflow and can also be difficult to learn for a new designer.
• Blender does not have a cloud-based system and so may restrict the work-sharing process unless the same software installed in another device can be used simultaneously.

Pros of Fusion 360

• It is a great 3D tool for designers and hobbyists, and it is also free to use for non-commercial purposes, in which case you may be required to pay to access it for commercial use.
• Students and newbies in design can easily make use of the Fusion 360 design software as it is easy to navigate and start with basic design methods. 
• Fusion 360 accommodates the use of many designers at once since it makes use of the cloud system, so a team can work together on a particular design project with no restrictions.
• If you are on a budget, the use of the Fusion 360 software program is highly recommended for you because it is free to use and gives access to its full features.
• The software is compatible with different 3D programs and can be easily accessed on any device used for 3D designing and drawing.

Cons of Fusion 360

• Its functionality may change over time during the design and workflow.
• People who are unfamiliar with 3D modeling or CAD software programs may find the Fusion 360 software difficult to use.
• Fusion 360 takes up lots of memory space on your device, and you may have to stop working sometimes due to not having enough space to accommodate it.
• It can also be slow to navigate, even though it has a cloud system. This lagging can delay your work and sometimes disrupt the whole work arrangement.

Other ways To Use Fusion 360 and Blender in Design

Fusion 360 can be used as a tool in product development and the learning of CAD/CAM designing by students and other design hobbyists. With this tool, it is easy to access remote works as it makes use of the cloud-based system for its operations.

Also, students can use Fusion 360 to learn online, submit assignments and carry out other forms of study and design activities conveniently.

Blender is very useful in graphics design and visual effects. It makes the process of designing and drawing 3D images pretty easy. This software is, however, not cloud-based like the Fusion 360 hence restricting the access to one user unless it has been installed on another separate device.

You can use Blender for motion tracking, rigging, video games creation, sculpting and so many other 3D design creations.

Conclusion

Fusion 360 and Blender are both great 3D software programs that have specific features when it comes to utilizing them.

If you are a student and need to focus more on design creation and mechanical modeling, Fusion 360 may be your best option. Blender can also help you achieve the same success as it has more tools for designing different arts and animations provided you can quickly find your way around it with little help.

If you have access to both Fusion 360 and Blender 3D design software and don't mind learning about their specific features, you can take them up and start learning to become a great design hobbyist with vast knowledge over time.