Fusion to Fuse
Autodesk, Inc.Fusion to Fuse
Autodesk, Inc.Send additive setups from Autodesk® Fusion® Manufacture directly to Formlabs Fuse SLS printers via PreFormServer.
Free
Fusion to Fuse is an add-in for Autodesk® Fusion® that provides a direct connection between the Manufacture workspace and Formlabs Fuse SLS printers. It eliminates the need to manually export files and import them into PreForm by sending your additive setup directly to the printer from within Fusion.
The add-in adds a Send to Fuse button to the Actions panel in the Manufacturing workspace. The button appears automatically when the active additive setup is configured for a Formlabs Fuse machine, keeping the interface clean and contextual.
Streamlined Three-Step Workflow
Fusion to Fuse guides you through a simple three-step process to go from design to print:
- Login — Sign in with your Formlabs account credentials. Your session is saved so you only need to log in once.
- Select Printer — Browse all Fuse printers discovered on your network. View each printer's model, status, and loaded material at a glance.
- Configure and Print — Choose your print quality setting, name your job, and send it to the printer with a single click.
Key Features
- Direct-to-printer workflow — Send additive setups from Fusion Manufacture to any networked Formlabs Fuse or Fuse 1+ printer without leaving Fusion.
- Automatic geometry processing — The add-in exports the full additive setup to 3MF, parses all components and transforms, merges everything into a single optimized mesh, and uploads it to PreFormServer automatically.
- Build volume validation — Before sending, the add-in checks that all bodies fit within the printer's build volume and lists any models that need to be repositioned.
- Network printer discovery — Automatically discovers all Formlabs Fuse printers on your network.
- Material and print setting support — Displays the loaded material for each printer with friendly names (Nylon 12, Nylon 12 GF, Nylon 11, TPU 90A) and lets you choose from all available print quality settings for that material.
- Fuse 1 and Fuse 1+ support — Automatically detects the printer model and configures the correct machine type and material settings.
- PreFormServer auto-start — Detects whether PreFormServer is running and starts it automatically from common installation paths if needed.
- Persistent login — Your Formlabs account token is saved locally so you can skip the login step on subsequent uses.
- Contextual visibility — The Send to Fuse button only appears when the active additive setup is configured for a Formlabs Fuse machine, keeping the toolbar uncluttered.
Supported Materials
- Nylon 12
- Nylon 12 GF (Glass-Filled)
- Nylon 11
- TPU 90A
- Nylon 12 Powder (PA)
Fusion to Fuse reduces repetitive file-handling steps, prevents build volume errors before they reach the printer, and provides a seamless path from additive design in Fusion to SLS printing on Formlabs Fuse hardware.
Details
Operating system
Release date
May 20, 2026
Last updated
May 20, 2026
Version
1.0.0.8
Language
Compatible with
FSN
Certifications
Digitally signed
Capabilities
General utilities
Interoperability
3d printing
CAM
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What else should I know about this product?
Supported Printers
- Formlabs Fuse 1
- Formlabs Fuse 1+
Non-printer devices in the Fuse ecosystem (Fuse Sift, Fuse Blast) are automatically filtered out and will not appear in the printer selection list.
Supported Materials
- Nylon 12 (PA 12)
- Nylon 12 GF (Glass-Filled)
- Nylon 11 (PA 11)
- TPU 90A
- Nylon 12 Powder (PA)
Material availability depends on the material loaded in the selected printer. Print quality options are retrieved dynamically from the Formlabs Local API.
Software Requirements
- Autodesk Fusion with access to the Manufacturing workspace and additive setup capabilities.
- Formlabs PreFormServer v0.9.18 or later, installed locally. Download from: https://support.formlabs.com/s/article/Formlabs-API-downloads-and-release-notes
- A Formlabs account with valid credentials.
Network Requirements
- PreFormServer runs locally on your computer (default: localhost, port 44388).
- Your Fuse printer must be reachable on the same network for device discovery to work.
Platform Support
- Windows (Win64)
- macOS
Settings Storage
User settings and login tokens are stored locally at ~/.fusion2fuse/settings.json. This file contains your API connection preferences and session token. Delete this file to reset all settings.
Geometry Processing
The add-in exports the full additive setup as 3MF using Fusion's CAM export, then parses all components, applies assembly transforms, and merges all meshes into a single binary STL in millimeters. This approach ensures reliable import into PreFormServer regardless of setup complexity.
Are there any known issues with this product?
Rectangular build volume check: The build volume validation does not account for the corner radius on the build platform. Parts near the corners of the build volume should be verified in PreForm.
Powder estimates show as zero: Due to a known Formlabs API limitation, "Total Powder" and "Fused Powder" are displayed as 0 on the printer's LCD when jobs are submitted through this add-in. This does not affect the print itself.
Part repositioning: PreFormServer aligns all imported STL files to a corner of the build volume rather than preserving the original placement from Fusion. This means parts you arranged at the center of the build volume in Fusion will shift toward a corner of the printer. For fully packed builds with many parts, this shift is minimal since the merged geometry is moved as a group and only translates a few millimeters. However, if you are printing only a few parts centered in the build volume, the repositioning will be more noticeable. Workaround: include four small sacrificial parts placed at the four bottom corners of your build. This anchors the merged STL geometry and keeps your parts closer to their intended positions.
Is there additional support information provided?
Support Email: additive-app-support@autodesk.com
For product support, please email additive-app-support@autodesk.comwith a description of the issue, your operating system (Windows or macOS), Fusion version, and PreFormServer version.
For questions about PreFormServer, the Formlabs Local API, or Fuse printer connectivity, visit the Formlabs support portal: https://support.formlabs.com
For questions about Fusion additive manufacturing workflows, visit the Fusion support forums: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-manufacture/bd-p/301
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