FUNDAMENTALS 19

USER INTERFACE

Start by opening Fusion 360. You

should see a large white grid area
with a small dot in the middle. This
is the Origin of the Workspace.

The 3 x 3 grid at the top left is called the Data Panel. This is where all your
Fusion files are saved. It can be organized into folders, just like your computer.
Collaborators can be added or removed here, too.

The Browser is on the top left and is where you will find information such as Units, 3D objects,
Construction Planes, and 2D Sketches. As you design new objects, this section will expand with
information.

Click on the triangle next to the word Document

Settings; the Units should be set to Millimeters (mm).
If they are not, hover your mouse over the word Units
and click on the small pop-up to the right that says
Change Active Units.

This will open a pop-up known as a Dialog Box. Click on the pulldown next to Unit Type, set it to mm,
check the box that says Set as Default, and click OK.

Click the Eye Icon in the Browser next to the word Origin. Notice the Planes, Axes,
and Origins that appear on your screen. Click the Eye Icon again to hide the
Origin.

Eye Icons represent information that can be hidden or shown. Triangles indicate that
information can be expanded or rolled up.
20 CHAPTER 0 BASICS

The Timeline is on the bottom left of the screen. It will populate

the history of your project as your design progresses. Each icon
represents different types of Features and Operation. If you
want to edit a Feature in your project, you can double-click
he icons, or right-click it and select Edit Feature. You can also
drag the black vertical line at the far right to roll back or roll
forward changes.

You will see a gray box in the top left corner that says
Design. This refers to the Workspace you are currently
working in. Workspaces include tools specific to the
environment. The Design Workspace is where you will
spend most of your time, and it is where 2D sketches and
3D models are created.

Click on Design and notice the other Workspaces in the

dropdown menu such as Render, Generative Design,
Simulation, and Manufacture. Some of these are blocked
behind a paywall and are only accessible if you pay for a
license. You will not be using any of the paid Workspaces
in this book.

You will see the Navigation Bar on the bottom middle

of the screen. This is where you can move your view to
get a better look at your model. For the most part, you
will avoid using this menu throughout this book because
shortcuts are more accessible and faster.

The other primary way to navigate is by using your mouse. It is essential to have a 2-button mouse with
a clickable scroll wheel. Some programmable mice may not work correctly.

Also, other types of mice will work, but you will need to figure out the settings on your own. Google and
YouTube are helpful for this.

To zoom, roll the scroll wheel forward and backward to zoom in and out of your Workspace.

To pan, click and hold down on your scroll wheel and move your mouse to pan side to side.

To orbit, hold down Shift on your keyboard while clicking and holding down the scroll wheel as you
move your mouse to orbit in 3-dimensions.
 FUNDAMENTALS 21

You will find the View Cube in the top right corner of your screen. This cube has clickable faces, edges,
and corners, and it will help you quickly orient your view.

Hover your mouse over the View Cube. Notice a small house icon that appears
above it. Clicking on the house icon will give you an isometric view of the project.
An isometric view is a diagonal downward view, which is good for quickly seeing a
standard 3-dimensional view. You will click on this house often. Clicking a face such
as Top will orient your model from the top.

Click the edge between the Top and Front faces and notice how your model orients between the two.
Clicking the view cube and moving your mouse is another way to orbit around the Workspace. You will
often go back and forth between this and the mouse shortcut.

To highlight geometries in a 2D Sketch or 3D object, left-click and drag your

mouse over the sketches or bodies.

This highlighted area should look like a rectangle. If it does not, expand the
Select menu and choose the Window Selection tool. This is also keyboard
shortcut 1.
As you work through the projects, many other features, menus, and items will be
Discussed.

SKETCHES
Sketches are the 2D blueprints that become 3D models, and they include things like simple shapes,
lines, text, and curves. Most projects in Fusion 360 start with a New Sketch.

Start a New Sketch by clicking the green plus mark in the top left corner just
below the word Solid. This will prompt you to click on 1 of 3 yellow squares (AKA
Planes) that run through the 3 axes (X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis). If you do not see
these planes, you may need to toggle the Origin visibility on by clicking the Eye
Icon next to Origin in the Browser.

Click on the yellow box that appears between the X Axis and Y Axis to select
the Top Plane. Remember, you can also click Top on the View Cube and
select the plane in view. Verify you are on the correct plane by looking at the
text on the View Cube.

Notice the new tools that populate across the top of your Workspace.
22 CHAPTER 0 BASICS

Navigate to Create >> Rectangle >> and select 2-Point

Rectangle. Notice the R next to the 2-Point Rectangle tool.
This indicates a keyboard shortcut. In the future, press R on
your keyboard to draw a 2-Point Rectangle. Also notice the
small rectangle that appears next to your mouse icon. The
Fusion interface has many helpful UI features like this.

Now click on the Workspace Origin (the small dot in the

middle of the screen) and move your cursor toward the top
right. Click again to draw a rectangle. Press Esc to get rid of the Rectangle tool on your cursor.

Notice that 2 of the lines are black, and 2 are blue. The black lines are defined, which means their
position and size are fixed. The other 2 lines are blue, which means they are undefined or under-
defined. You can click and drag blue lines, but not black ones. In general, you want all of your Sketches
to be fully defined (black).

Now navigate to Create >> circle >> and select Center

Diameter circle. Notice the C shortcut. In the future, press C
on your keyboard to draw a Center Diameter circle.
Click somewhere near the middle of the rectangle, move
your cursor, and click again to draw a circle. Press Esc to get
rid of the circle tool.

The goal of the first step of creating sketches is to get the

geometry on the page. Don’t worry about the size and
position of your shapes; you will correct them later using
constraints and dimensions.

Now you will constrain the circle using the Constraints Toolbar. These
are the red and black tools on the top right, and they limit Sketches’
movements and help align and size them.

Click on the Coincident Constraint to attach the circle’s

center to the top right corner. Next, click on the rectangle’s
top right corner and the circle’s center.

The circle’s center should be aligned with the rectangle’s

top right vertex. In this case, the order of operations don’t
matter. Be careful, though, this will not always be true with
other constraints.
 FUNDAMENTALS 23

Navigate to Create >> and click Sketch Dimension or press D on your

keyboard. Click the rectangle’s left vertical line, drag your cursor away,
click again, type 50, and press enter. This will add a 50-millimeter
dimension to the left vertical line. Dimension the top horizontal to be 25
mm.

With the Dimension tool still enabled (or by pressing D to enable it again),
click the circle’s circumference and set it to a 10 mm diameter. Do not click
the circle’s center, or this Operation will not work.

Navigate to Modify >> and click on the Fillet tool to add a 2D

Fillet. Click on the rectangle’s top left and bottom right corners.
Press 5 on your keyboard to add a 5 mm fillet. After clicking both
corners, you will see a red preview showing the radius size. Press
Enter to add the fillets.

You can edit dimensions by double-clicking on them. For

example, double-click on the vertical dimension, type in 35, and
press Enter. The size of your rectangle will change according to
the new dimension.

Sometimes you will know ratios and not values. For example, let’s say you know that the width of your
rectangle is double the height.
24 CHAPTER 0 BASICS

Double-click the 25 mm value on top as if

you were going to type in a new dimension.
Click on the 35 mm dimension, which will
display as d1 (the first dimension in the
sketch). Type *2 to multiply that value by 2.
Press Enter. It now says fx: 70.00. Fx stands
for function and indicates that this value is
mathematical.

Now double-click on the 35 mm dimension

and change it to 25 mm. Press Enter. The fx:
70.00 will change to fx: 50.00, which is still
double the height.

CREATE
Click Finish Sketch. This will bring you back to the Solid Workspace with the
corresponding toolbar.

If at any point you need to go back to the original Sketch, simply

double-click the Sketch icon in the Timeline.

Move your cursor up to the View Cube and click on the house icon.

Extrude the main profile upwards by navigating to Create

>> and selecting Extrude (or by pressing E on your
keyboard). You will see that the word Select is highlighted
in blue next to the word Profile in the Dialog Box. Click
the main face of your shape, and you will see a small
blue arrow. You can click and drag this arrow upwards to
change the height, or you can type in a value.
 FUNDAMENTALS 25

You will also notice a ring icon above the arrow. This
icon can be clicked and dragged to change the Taper
Angle of the Extrusion. Notice that the value is also
reflected in the Dialog Box.

Play with the other settings in this Dialog Box to see

how they affect your part.

Set the height to 20 mm, the Taper to 0 degrees, and press enter
or click OK.

If you need to edit the Extrusion, navigate to the Timeline, right-click

the Extrusion icon, and select Edit Feature. This is handy for correcting
mistakes or changing values.

You can also double-click the Extrude icon in the Timeline.

Click the + symbol in the top right of your screen to

make a new Tab. You should see a blank Workspace.
Just like internet Browsers, Tabs are separate
Workspaces.

Create a New Sketch on the Front Plane. Press C on

your keyboard and click somewhere to the right of the
Origin near the Axis line. Pull your cursor away, enter
50 to define its radius, and press Enter.

Remember, you can also press D for the Dimension

tool if you’ve already clicked to draw the circle.
26 CHAPTER 0 BASICS

Click the Horizontal/Vertical Constraint tool in the toolbar. Click the

circle’s center, click the Workspace Origin, and press Esc. Now click
and drag your circle’s center. You should only be able to drag your
circle along the x axis. Fusion has automatically applied a Horizontal
Constraint based on the location of your circle.

Generally, the software makes the best estimation when

applying Constraints. Note that, while this usually works
well, it can present Constraint challenges.

Press D for dimension, click the Workspace Origin, and the

circle’s center. Set it to 60 and press Enter. Your circle should
turn black, indicating it is fully Constrained. Click and drag the
60.00 out of the way.

Navigate to Create >> and click Line or press L. Click the Origin,
move your cursor vertically upwards, click again, and press Esc.
Click Finish Sketch. Navigate to the View Cube and click the house
icon to restore an isometric view.

Tip: If you accidentally made a line at an angle that isn’t perfectly

vertical, select the Horizontal/Vertical Constraint and click the line.
This will correct it.

Navigate to Create >> and select Revolve.

The word Profile in the Dialog Box should say 1
Selected. You only have 1 enclosed Profile, so
Fusion automatically selected it.

The Axis selection button should be highlighted in

blue. If it is not, click the word Axis in the Dialog
Box. Click on the vertical line and press OK.

This mathematical shape is known as a Torus.

 FUNDAMENTALS 27

For the final Create example, you will use the Loft tool.
The Loft tool combines 2 Sketches and makes a 3D
part that morphs between 2 shapes.

Open a new tab and Create a New Sketch on the Top

Plane. Add a hexagon to the Origin by navigating to
Create >> Polygon >> and Clicking Circumscribed
Polygon.

Click the Origin, move your mouse away, and click again to complete the
shape. Make one side vertical or horizontal by using the Horizontal/Vertical
Constraint tool and clicking on any edge.

Dimension this polygon to have an edge-to-edge size of 50 mm.

Note that this shape encompasses everything you’ve learned about Sketches. The polygon is black
because it is fully defined. A Vertical Constraint icon next to the right line indicates that the line is
constrained. There is a polygon icon at its center that you can double-click to adjust the number of
sides. Finish this Sketch by clicking Finish Sketch.

Now you will make a brand-New Sketch Plane. Navigate

to Construct >> Offset Plane. Select the Top Plane and
type 60 mm to make a new plane offset 60 mm from the
Top Plane. Press OK.

Create a New Sketch and select this new Plane you just made.
28 CHAPTER 0 BASICS

Draw a circle with the midpoint at the Origin 50

mm in diameter. If your circle is dimensioned
but still blue, use the Coincident Constraint tool
to constrain it to the Origin. It should now be
black.

Click Finish Sketch.

Navigate to Create >> and select Loft. This tool requires you to click 2
Profiles: the circle and the hexagon.

The Dialog Box looks more complicated than it is. The top white box is
for the Profiles, and the bottom is for Rails (Discussed in the Robotic Hand
project).

With the arrow next to Profiles highlighted in blue,

click on the hexagon and the circle. Press OK. Now
orbit around the shape to view its complex curved
outer surface.

Click to expand the Inspect tool. These tools help

analyze your 3D models. Click Section Analysis
and select the top circular surface. Move the
blue arrow up and down. You can see how the
3D model changes from a circle to a hexagon
down its height. Click Cancel on the Dialog Box
to get rid of this view.
 FUNDAMENTALS 29

MODIFY
Most designs in Fusion 360 start with a 2D Sketch using the Sketch tools in the
Sketch Workspace. They become 3D objects using the Create menu inside the Solid
Workspace.

Finally, the 3D objects are modified using the Modify menu inside the Solid
Workspace.

Navigate back to the first model you created or recreate it now.

You should have a 50 mm x 25 mm rectangle, with a 5 mm Fillet
on the top left and bottom right

Navigate to Modify >> Fillet and select Fillet or press F. Click the top face and press 2 to get a 2 mm
radius. Click OK. orbit around the block to see that the Fillet wraps around straight edges and external
and internal curves.

Navigate to Modify >> and select

Chamfer. Select the block’s bottom
face, type 2 in the Dialog Box,
and click OK. A Chamfer leaves
a 45-degree angle instead of a
rounded radius. Both Fillets and
Chamfers are frequently used in
manufacturing to smooth sharp
edges, increase durability, and
improve aesthetics.
30 CHAPTER 0 BASICS

Now navigate to Modify >>

Shell, uncheck Tangent Chain,
and click your model’s top
surface. Set the Wall Thickness
to 2 and click OK.

Notice that the Chamfered edge is contoured on the inside.

This would not be the case if you had Shelled first and then
Chamfered afterward. Your box would also not have equal
thickness. Sometimes, the order of Operations matters, and
sometimes it doesn’t.

CHALLENGE
Model a simple toy like a domino. This object can be made by Extruding a rectangle, making a
New Sketch on its front face, cutting in the pips and lines, and adding fillets to the corners.

Completed the Challenge?

Show off your creation and share it with the community!