Before You Begin

This tutorial assumes you have Fusion 360 installed and a free account set up with Autodesk. If you're using the free Personal Use license, all the features covered here are available to you. Open Fusion 360 and create a new design file to get started.

Step 1: Set Up Your Design Units

Before sketching anything, confirm your unit system. Go to File → Document Settings and set units to millimeters (mm) for engineering or inches for US-based mechanical work. Consistent units from the start prevent scaling errors down the line.

Step 2: Create a New Sketch

  1. In the toolbar, click Solid → Sketch → Create Sketch.
  2. Select the XY plane (the flat horizontal grid) as your sketching plane. The view will rotate to face you head-on.
  3. The Sketch toolbar will appear. You're now in sketch mode.

Step 3: Draw a Rectangle

  1. Select Sketch → Rectangle → 2-Point Rectangle.
  2. Click once near the origin point (the center crosshair) to set the first corner.
  3. Move your cursor and click again to define the opposite corner.
  4. Type a width value (e.g., 80) and press Tab, then type a height value (e.g., 50) and press Enter to lock in precise dimensions.

You should now see a fully constrained rectangle shown in black lines. Blue lines indicate under-constrained geometry — add dimensions or constraints until everything is black.

Step 4: Finish the Sketch

Click Finish Sketch in the top-right of the toolbar (or press Q to bring up the quick action). Your sketch is now complete and ready to become a 3D solid.

Step 5: Extrude Your Sketch into a 3D Solid

  1. Press E or go to Solid → Modify → Extrude.
  2. Click on the rectangle profile you just drew — it will highlight in blue.
  3. In the Extrude dialog, type a distance value (e.g., 20 mm for the height of your part).
  4. Make sure the Operation is set to New Body.
  5. Click OK. You now have a 3D rectangular solid block.

Step 6: Add a Hole Using Cut Extrude

  1. Click on the top face of your solid to select it.
  2. Create a new sketch on that face and draw a circle using Sketch → Circle → Center Diameter Circle.
  3. Click the center of the top face, type a diameter (e.g., 10 mm), and press Enter.
  4. Finish the sketch, then press E to Extrude again.
  5. Select the circle profile, set the distance to -20 mm (or use the Cut operation toggle), and click OK.

You now have a block with a hole through it — a fundamental operation used in almost every mechanical part.

Step 7: Save and Export

  • Press Ctrl+S to save your design to the Fusion 360 cloud.
  • To export for 3D printing, go to File → Export and choose .STL format.
  • To share with other CAD users, export as .STEP or .F3D.

What to Learn Next

Now that you've mastered the basic sketch-and-extrude workflow, explore these next skills:

  • Fillets and chamfers for rounding sharp edges
  • The Shell command for creating hollow parts
  • Assembly mode for combining multiple components
  • Applying materials and appearances for rendering

With these fundamentals in place, you're ready to take on real-world design projects in Fusion 360.