Install HelixFeed and run your first operation
From download to feeds and speeds written into Fusion. No account setup, no credit card.
Install the add-in
Pick your operating system. The steps below update to match.
Get your API key
Sign up on the home page and your key appears instantly. It starts with hf_. Keep that browser tab open, you'll paste the key into Fusion in step 5.
Get a free keyDownload and unzip
Download the add-in bundle and unzip it. You should end up with a folder named HelixFeed that contains HelixFeed.py directly inside it.
Download HelixFeed v0.8.7Right-click the ZIP in your Downloads folder and choose Extract All…. Windows sometimes puts the folder inside another folder of the same name, so check:
Safari usually unzips automatically. If you see a .zip, double-click it. Check the result:
Copy the folder into Fusion's AddIns directory
The folder is hidden by default, so don't browse for it. Press Win + R, paste this path, and press Enter:
%APPDATA%\Autodesk\Autodesk Fusion 360\API\AddIns
Drag the HelixFeed folder from step 2 into the window that opens.
The folder is inside your hidden Library. In Finder, press Shift + Cmd + G (Go to Folder), paste this path, and press Return:
~/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/Autodesk Fusion 360/API/AddIns
Drag the HelixFeed folder from step 2 into the window that opens.
Turn it on in Fusion
- Open Fusion. If it was already open, that's fine, no restart needed.
- Go to the Utilities tab and click Add-Ins (or press Shift + S).
- Switch to the Add-Ins tab in the dialog. HelixFeed is listed under My Add-Ins.
- Select it, tick Run on Startup, and click Run.
Open the panel and paste your key
Switch to the Manufacture workspace. On the Milling tab you'll see a new HelixFeed button on the toolbar. Click it and the panel docks on the right.
The first time, the panel asks for your API key. Click Paste (Fusion's panel doesn't support keyboard paste reliably), then Save & Reconnect. The status at the top turns green: Connected.
Your first operation
Open any Fusion document that has a CAM setup with at least one toolpath, then follow along in the HelixFeed panel.
Pick your material
In the Material card, choose a Family (Aluminum, Steel, Stainless…) and then the specific Alloy.
If your print just says "aluminum", pick 6061. It's the most common and a safe baseline.
Tell it about your machine
Expand the Machine card and set:
- HP limit — your spindle's continuous rating, not the peak number on the spec sheet.
- RPM limit — your max spindle speed.
- Rigidity — 0.2 for a benchtop router, 0.5 for a light or older VMC, 0.7 for a mid-size VMC in good shape, 1.0 for heavy iron. Be honest here.
Leave Intensity at 50% for your first run. You can push it later.
Check the numbers
The Operations list shows every toolpath HelixFeed read from your setup, with the tool it found and the RPM, feed, depth and width it calculated. Each card has its own intensity slider and a checkbox.
Do the numbers look right for your tool and material? If an op shows an orange warning, read it. It usually means a tool type that isn't fully supported or a detail Fusion didn't expose.
Apply
Uncheck any op you've already dialed in by hand, then click Apply Feeds and Speeds. Read the short disclaimer, tick the box, and confirm.
HelixFeed writes RPM, feed, plunge, depth and width straight into those Fusion operations.
Verify and regenerate
Open one of the operations in Fusion and look at the feed and speed fields on the Tool tab. The new values are in there. Regenerate your toolpaths as you normally would, and you're ready to post.
That's the whole workflow.
Material, machine, review, apply, regenerate. Once you've run it a few times you'll find an intensity you like for roughing and one for finishing.