Pegas Offset – User Guide
Pegas Offset — User Manual
Version 1.0 · Fusion 360 Add-in · Pegas Tools
Version 1.0 · Fusion 360 Add-in · Pegas Tools
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Installation
- Finding the Button in Fusion 360
- Step-by-Step Usage
- Parameter Reference
- Managing Offset Bodies
- Understanding the Result
- Tips & Best Practices
- Troubleshooting
- Account & Licensing
1. Introduction
Pegas Offset is a professional utility that helps CNC woodworkers and designers visualize cnc tool path in design workspace and configure correct milling tool clearance for nested sheets.
When planning flat-pack assemblies, knowing how to check cnc bit collision fusion 360 style is essential to stop router bit hitting clamps cnc router users often experience during cutting. By extruding a 3D swept-volume ring around the part outline, the add-in allows you to establish the exact cnc nesting distance tool diameter boundaries needed to prevent tool cutting adjacent part cnc during profile cuts.
This generates a clearance zone 3d model mdf and plywood fabricators use to verify the inside corner routing radius cabinet design clearances. It provides a visual sweep profile toolpath fusion 360 designers can overlay on their layout to detect fixture collision clamping setups before sending the sketch offset body for nested parts to the CAM workspace.
Multi-Unit Support (mm/inches) in v1.1
Version 1.1 features full multi-unit support. The add-in automatically detects if your Fusion 360 document is set to millimeters or inches and scales all parameters, tolerances, and UI dialog parameters accordingly. A units indicator is displayed in the window header.
2. Installation
From Autodesk App Store
- Download the add-in package from pegastools.com or the Autodesk App Store.
- In Fusion 360, go to Tools → Add-Ins → Scripts and Add-Ins.
- Click the Add-Ins tab → click the + icon.
- Navigate to the extracted folder
Pegas_Offset/and select it. - Check Run on Startup if you want it available every session.
- Click Run.
Manual Installation (Developer)
- Copy the
Pegas_Offset/folder to your Fusion 360 Add-Ins directory: - Windows:
%APPDATA%AutodeskAutodesk Fusion 360APIAddIns - Mac:
~/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/Autodesk Fusion 360/API/AddIns/ - Restart Fusion 360 — or reload via Tools → Add-Ins.
3. Finding the Button in Fusion 360
After the add-in is running, the Pegas Offset button appears in:
Tools tab → Scripts and Add-Ins panel → Pegas Offset
Button Visibility
If the panel is not visible, right-click any toolbar and choose Show Panel → Scripts and Add-Ins.
Click the button once to open the Pegas Offset dialog.
4. Step-by-Step Usage
Step 1 — Open the dialog
Click Pegas Offset in the toolbar. The dialog opens and stays open after each use so you can apply it to multiple faces in sequence.
Step 2 — Select a face
In the Offset tab, click the Top Face selector field (it turns blue), then click a flat (planar) face in the Fusion viewport.
What face to select:
– The face should be the top or outer flat surface of the part you want to mill around.
– The face must be planar (flat) — curved surfaces are not supported.
– The face can have holes (bolts, pockets) — they are ignored; the offset runs around the outer contour only.
Step 3 — Set Tool Diameter
Enter the full diameter of your milling or routing tool in millimetres.
Example: for a 6 mm end mill, enter 6.
The add-in uses radius = diameter ÷ 2 as the offset distance.
Step 4 — Set Height
Enter the height (thickness) of the offset body in millimetres.
- Negative value → the body extends below the face (typical: tool enters downward).
- Positive value → the body extends above the face.
Example: −22 means the offset body is 22 mm deep below the selected face.
Matching Material Thickness
The height should match your part thickness or the depth of the milling pass.
Step 5 — Click Apply
Click the Apply button. Fusion creates the offset body and the dialog reopens for the next operation.
The new body is named Offset_{ComponentName}_{N} and appears in the model browser under the same component as the source body.
Step 6 — Repeat or Close
- Click Apply again to create another offset body for a different face.
- Click Cancel or press Esc to close the dialog.
5. Parameter Reference
The following parameters are required to generate the swept-volume geometry:
| Parameter | Type | Default | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Face | Selection | None | Single PlanarFace | The flat face whose outer boundary is used as the inner edge of the offset ring. Curved surfaces are not supported. |
| Tool Diameter (mm) | Value Input (mm) | Last Used | > 0 | Full diameter of the cutting/routing tool. The offset distance is half this value. |
| Height (mm) | Value Input (mm) | Last Used | Any real number | The extrusion depth of the offset ring body. Negative extends below the face; positive extends above. |
6. Managing Offset Bodies
The add-in keeps track of all bodies named Offset_* in the design. Three controls let you manage them from within the dialog:
Hide all Offset_ bodies
Turns off the light-bulb visibility for every Offset_* body in the entire design. Useful when you want a clean view of the original parts.
Show all Offset_ bodies
Turns visibility back on for all Offset_* bodies.
Delete all Offset_ bodies
Permanently deletes every Offset_* body. A confirmation dialog appears before deletion.
Scope of Controls
These controls affect all Offset_* bodies across all components in the design, not just the most recently created one.
7. Understanding the Result
Body shape
The result is a ring (annular) body:
╔═══════════════════╗ ← outer boundary (offset contour, rounded corners)
║ ┌─────────────┐ ║
║ │ │ ║ ← ring = tool sweep zone (the body)
║ │ original │ ║
║ │ face │ ║
║ └─────────────┘ ║
╚═══════════════════╝ ← inner boundary (original face contour)
The body represents exactly where the milling tool physically removes material.
Corner geometry
- Convex corners (outside angles ≤ 180°): rounded with arc of radius = tool radius.
- Concave corners (inside angles > 180°): left sharp (correct — a rotating tool cannot round an inside corner).
Naming convention
Bodies are named Offset_{ComponentName}_{N} where N increments automatically. Example: Offset_нижняя нога_1, Offset_нижняя нога_2.
Sketch
The sketch used to build the profile remains in the model tree. It can be hidden (eye icon) or deleted if not needed.
8. Tips & Best Practices
Choose the right face
Select the face that represents the boundary to be milled — typically the top face of a flat part. The result body will wrap around that face’s outer edge.
Tool diameter vs. part size
If the part has short edges (e.g., narrow slots), check the warning message after Apply. A warning appears when a corner could not be rounded because the adjacent edge is shorter than the required trim distance. In that case, try a smaller tool diameter.
Organise with Hide/Show
When working on a design with many parts, use Hide all Offset_ bodies while modelling, then Show all when checking clearance between parts during profile cut parameters.
Use negative height
In most CNC workflows, the tool moves downward into the material. Set Height to a negative value matching the part thickness (e.g., -18 mm for an 18 mm board).
Multiple passes at different depths
Create several offset bodies with the same face but different heights to model multi-pass operations or visualise depth layers.
Milling Simulation Alternatives
When looking at fusion 360 machine simulation alternatives or comparing high-end verification suites like vericut vs fusion 360 simulation, Pegas Offset offers a fast, lightweight geometry-based approach. It lets you inspect tool sweep volumes directly in the design space without running full g-code simulation passes.
Inspect in Section Analysis
Use Fusion’s Inspect → Section Analysis with the offset body visible to verify the ring cross-section and confirm it matches the expected tool engagement.
9. Troubleshooting
“Could not project face contour”
The selected face has no valid outer loop, or the face type is not supported. Make sure you select a flat, bounded planar face (not a surface, or an infinite plane).
“Offset produced no geometry”
Fusion’s sketch.offset() returned empty. This can happen if the face is degenerate or very small. Try selecting a different face, or verify the face has visible edges in the viewport.
“Could not find offset profile”
The sketch contains geometry but no valid ring profile was found. This can happen with very complex faces or after a Fusion update changes sketch profile topology. Check the debug log (pegas_offset_debug.log in the add-in folder) for details.
Warning: “N corner(s) could not be rounded”
One or more convex corners have adjacent edges shorter than the required trim distance (R / tan(angle/2)). The body is created, but those corners are sharp instead of rounded. Fix: use a smaller tool diameter, or accept sharp corners on those edges.
Body created with wrong shape (solid instead of ring)
This should not occur in the current version. If it does, check the debug log — look at the PROFILES section and verify that a profile with outer=1 inner=1 was selected. If not, please report with the log file.
Warning: “The selected face is not horizontal”
The face normal points significantly away from the Z-axis. The add-in creates the body perpendicular to the face, which is geometrically correct. However, the “Height” value refers to extent along the face normal (not world Z). For vertical faces, the result may look unexpected.
Add-in not visible in toolbar
Go to Tools → Add-Ins → Scripts and Add-Ins, find Pegas_Offset in the Add-Ins tab, and click Run. Check Run on Startup to load it automatically.
Debug log
To troubleshoot issues, a debug log can be generated:
– When the checkbox is disabled (default), logging is completely inactive and no logs are written.
– When the checkbox is enabled, the old log file is automatically erased, and a new detailed trace of all actions is recorded.
– The checkbox is temporary: restarting Fusion 360 or restarting the add-in automatically disables logging (turns the checkbox off) by default.
– How to use: Enable the checkbox, reproduce the issue, then copy the log file from the add-in folder and send it along with an explanation to technical support.
10. Account & Licensing
The Account tab in the dialog shows your current license status and provides activation controls.
License types
FREE
Activating a license
- Go to the Account MANAGER ADDON.
Support
- Email: geral@pegastools.com
- Documentation: pegastools.com/docs/pegas-offset/
© Vikky Unipessoal LDA, Portugal. All rights reserved.