Fusion 360 Add-in

The MakerPanel Fusion 360 add-in generates spec-compliant 2D sketches for panels and rails directly inside Autodesk Fusion 360. Each command produces a parametric sketch on the XY plane of the active component, ready for extrusion, DXF export, or further detailing.

Requirements

Installation

  1. Download or clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/Ranch-Hand-Robotics/makerpanel.git

  2. Locate the add-ins folder for your platform:

    Platform Path
    Windows %APPDATA%\Autodesk\Autodesk Fusion 360\API\AddIns
    macOS ~/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/Autodesk Fusion 360/API/AddIns

  3. Copy or symlink the fusion/ folder from the repo into the add-ins folder and rename it MakerPanel:

    # Windows (PowerShell) — symlink keeps it in sync with the repo
New-Item -ItemType Junction `
  -Path "$env:APPDATA\Autodesk\Autodesk Fusion 360\API\AddIns\MakerPanel" `
  -Target "S:\ws\makerpanel\fusion"

# macOS — symlink
ln -s /path/to/makerpanel/fusion \
  ~/Library/Application\ Support/Autodesk/Autodesk\ Fusion\ 360/API/AddIns/MakerPanel

  4. Load the add-in in Fusion 360:

    • Open the Tools menu → Add-Ins (or press Shift+S)
    • Switch to the Add-Ins tab
    • Find MakerPanel in the list and click Run
    • Check Run on Startup to load it automatically every session

Once loaded, two new commands appear in the Sketch toolbar panel, next to Create Sketch:

MakerPanel Panel

Creates a 2D sketch of a panel outline with optional T-slot mounting features.

Dialog Options

Option Description
Width (HP) Panel width in Horizontal Pitch units. 1 HP = 5.08 mm.
Height Preset Choose 1U (44.45 mm), 3U Panel (128.5 mm), or Custom.
Custom Height Visible only when Custom is selected. Enter any height in your active document units.
Add Mounting Slots Adds oblong or circular mounting features for T-slot rail attachment.
Slot Style Oblong — elongated adjustment slots that allow ±2.5 mm of positioning freedom. Circular — standard fixed clearance holes.
Show Live Preview Renders the sketch in the viewport as you adjust values. Requires parametric (timeline) design mode.

Mounting Slot Layout

Mounting features are placed at the top and bottom edges of the panel, inset 2 mm from the edge. The leftmost and rightmost slots are anchored 2 mm from each side edge. Additional slots are placed at 25 mm intervals along the width.

MakerPanel Rail

Creates a 2D sketch of a horizontal cross-rail with T-slot compatible slot cutouts.

Dialog Options

Option Description
Width (HP) Rail length in HP units. Sets the default total length.
Rail Strip Height Physical height of the rail strip in mm (default 11 mm). Must exceed the slot height of 6.9 mm.
Override Total Length Ignores the HP-derived length and uses a custom value instead.
Custom Total Length Visible only when the override is enabled.
Add End Mounting Holes Adds M3/M4/M5/M6 clearance holes centred in the solid supports at each end of the rail.
Screw Size Selects the end-hole diameter: M3 (3.5 mm), M4 (4.3 mm), M5 (5.3 mm), or M6 (6.4 mm).
90 Degree (vertical) Draws the rail with its length along the Y axis instead of the X axis. Useful when placing rails vertically in an assembly sketch.
Show Live Preview Renders the sketch in the viewport as you adjust values.

Slot Algorithm

The slot geometry mirrors the OpenSCAD reference implementation (rails.scad):

end_margin    = rail_height          (if end holes enabled)
              = 3 mm                 (if end holes disabled)
available     = total_length − 2 × end_margin
min_pitch     = 29.21 mm + 3 mm      (slot min width + support width)
num_slots     = floor((available + 3) / min_pitch)
actual_slot_w = (available − (num_slots − 1) × 3) / num_slots

Slots are centred vertically within the rail height and distributed evenly between the end margins.

Saving Defaults

Each command remembers your last-used values between sessions. Use the Settings section in the dialog to: