CAD 路 Free
Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep
Cloud CAD for makers and product designers: the workspace and its key terms, sketching with constraints, extrude and revolve, fillets, shells, threads and holes, loft and sweep transitions, patterns and text, thin walls, user parameters, joints and assemblies, surfaces and T-spline forms, mesh and STL repair, moulds, sheet metal, rendering, 2D drawings and animations, practice exercises and a first CAM toolpath.
Inside the course
From the lessons
Workspace, Terminology and the Fusion Way of Working
by Product Design Online
Sketch Constraints and Sketch Tools
by Product Design Online
Modify Tools: Fillet, Chamfer, Shell, Threads, Holes, Ribs and Draft
by Product Design Online
Patterns, Text and Thin-Wall Designs
by Product Design Online
Surfaces and T-Spline Forms
by Product Design Online
Sheet Metal and Multi-Part Models
by Product Design Online
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Sketch fully constrained profiles, model parts with extrude, revolve, loft, sweep, shell, fillet, thread and patterns, drive designs with user parameters, assemble components with joints, build organic shapes with surfaces and T-splines, repair and convert meshes, design moulds and sheet metal, and produce renders, 2D drawings and animations from a Fusion design.
- Master the Fusion workspace, components, bodies and the timeline
- Sketch with constraints and build parts with extrude, revolve, loft and sweep
- Shell, fillet, thread, pattern and parametrise designs
- Assemble components with joints and design print-in-place hinges
- Sculpt with surfaces and T-splines, repair meshes and design moulds
- Produce sheet-metal flat patterns, renders, drawings and animations
For you
Taking Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$23.99. What you get for it
- Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project 路 about 16 hours
Sensor bracket family in Fusion 360: parametric configurations, DFM review, CAM setup and a first-article inspection
Design a family of six machined aluminium sensor brackets for a machine builder's 40 mm extrusion frames, driven by user parameters and configurations, draw them with datums and feature control frames to ASME Y14.5, review them for manufacture, program both setups in Fusion's Manufacture workspace for a Fanuc-controlled VMC, and write the first-article inspection that compares measured dimensions with tolerance. You deliver the Fusion design, the drawings, your own parts list, DFM review, CAM procedure and FAI record, one change notice and the revision register. The sample pack shows what a design office hands to the shop and to quality.
Sample document pack, 7 documents, filled in for the scenario
- Parts listParts List: Sensor Bracket Family SB1, Configurations and Bought-out Items
- Drawing listDrawing and Document List: Sensor Bracket Family SB1
- ReportDesign Review and DFM Report: Sensor Bracket Family SB1, Rev A
- ProcedureCAM Setup Procedure: Sensor Bracket Family SB1 on the VMC (Fanuc 0i-MF)
- Test reportFirst-Article Inspection Report: Sensor Bracket SB1-M18 (NAS-SB1-103)
- Change noticeDesign Change Notice: Corner Radii to R5.5, Base Holes to Slots, E3Z Hole Pitch 25.4
- RegisterRevision Register: Sensor Bracket Family SB1
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Course content
14 modules 路 72 lessons 路 13h 24m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01Workspace, Terminology and the Fusion Way of Working4 lessons34m
- 02Sketching Fundamentals7 lessons1h 58m
- 03Sketch Constraints and Sketch Tools6 lessons1h 11m
- 04Extrude, Revolve and the First Solids6 lessons1h 6m
- 05Modify Tools: Fillet, Chamfer, Shell, Threads, Holes, Ribs and Draft7 lessons1h 27m
- 06Loft, Sweep and Transitions Between Shapes5 lessons1h 10m
- 07Patterns, Text and Thin-Wall Designs4 lessons47m
- 08User Parameters, Joints and Assemblies6 lessons59m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Beginner. No CAD experience needed.
- Software
- Autodesk Fusion: the free personal-use licence (non-commercial), the free education licence for students and educators, or a 30-day trial What to download, and how
- Hardware
- None required. A 3D printer helps with the printing modules but is not needed.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Required
- 01Free for personal use, with limits
Autodesk Fusion
Autodesk
- Runs on
- Windows 11 or macOS (see Autodesk's Fusion system requirements)
- Account
- A free Autodesk account
Fusion for personal use is free for three years for home-based, non-commercial projects by individuals earning under the revenue limit Autodesk sets; it has limited CAM, drawings and file export. It may not be used in primary employment, company environments or commercial training. A full 30-day trial and free education licences are also offered.
Steps
- 1.Open the Fusion for personal use page on autodesk.com.
- 2.Select Get Autodesk Fusion for personal use.
- 3.Sign in to your Autodesk account, or create one, and confirm you meet the personal-use terms.
- 4.Download and run the Fusion installer.
- 5.Start Fusion and sign in with the same account.
- If you are a student or teacher, use the Autodesk Education licence instead: it has the full feature set.
- Use the 30-day trial if you need features the personal-use version limits, such as full export.
Official download pageautodesk.comAlternatives
- Autodesk Education plan: Free one-year Fusion access for eligible students and educators.
- Fusion 30-day trial: Full-function trial linked from the same page.
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep at a glance
Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students and design engineers. It has 14 modules and 13h 24m of video lessons by Product Design Online, CAD CAM Tutorials, The Fusion Essentials and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students and design engineers
- Format
- 14 self-paced modules, 13h 24m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner. No CAD experience needed.
- Brand
- Autodesk
- Software
- Autodesk Fusion: the free personal-use licence (non-commercial), the free education licence for students and educators, or a 30-day trial
- Hardware
- None required. A 3D printer helps with the printing modules but is not needed.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Product Design Online, CAD CAM Tutorials, The Fusion Essentials, MAD' About Designs, Autodesk Fusion (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
Pairs well with
Electrical CAD 路 FreeAutoCAD Electrical for Control DesignControl drawings with the industry default tool: AutoCAD Electrical versus AutoCAD, install and interface, AutoCAD essentials, projects and drawings, templates and title blocks, wires and wire numbers, components, symbols and catalogs, three-phase and starter circuits, PLC modules and I/O addressing, terminals, reports and data exchange, and practice drawings.
CAD 路 FreeAutoCAD 2D and 3D FundamentalsThe drawing tool every engineering office expects: interface, files and navigation, drawing commands, drawing aids, modify commands, blocks, layers and properties, text, dimensions, tables and plotting, a complete beginner course, floor plan, elevation, mechanical and title block exercises, 3D basics, and the intermediate techniques that stop you staying a beginner.
CAD 路 FreeRevit MEP: Electrical BIM, HVAC, Plumbing and DocumentationBuilding services in BIM the way consultants deliver it: starting an MEP project and template, linking the architectural model with levels, grids and scope boxes, building envelope, spaces and zones, HVAC air terminals and systems, electrical families for sockets, panels and isolators, panels, switchboards and circuiting, panel schedules and load calculations, lighting plans, data, CCTV and access control, cable trays, power drawings and one-line diagrams, plumbing, piping and fire protection, views, annotations, sheets and printing, and worksharing.
CAD 路 FreeSOLIDWORKS 3D Modelling, Assemblies and DrawingsMechanical CAD the way machine builders use it: interface, settings, units and planes, sketching with relations, extrude and revolve, sweep, loft and boundary, fillets, shells, ribs and drafts, patterns, hole wizard and threads, timed practice parts, assemblies and mates, drawings with BOM and exploded views, sheet metal, advanced surfacing, configurations and equations, materials, mass, import and export, and complete beginner courses.More free courses: Free CAD courses
Learning paths with this course
- Mechanical and product CAD 路 3 coursesAutoCAD for 2D drafting, SOLIDWORKS for machine building and Fusion 360 for products and 3D printing: three modellers, one set of habits.
Learner reviews
No reviews yet
Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Is Fusion 360 free?
Autodesk offers a free personal-use licence for hobbyists and an education licence for students and teachers; either covers every module.
Fusion or SOLIDWORKS?
Fusion is cloud-based, cheaper and strong for makers and small product teams; SOLIDWORKS dominates machine building. Both have courses here and the modelling ideas transfer.
Do I need a 3D printer?
No. The printing modules teach design for printing; printing itself is optional.
Is the Autodesk Fusion 360 course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the Autodesk Fusion 360 course?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the Autodesk Fusion 360 course take?
Plan on about 20 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the fourteen modules at your own speed.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- Product Design Onlinethe Learn Fusion in 30 Days series, 2026 edition
- CAD CAM Tutorialsthe Fusion 360 tutorial and practice exercises for beginners
- The Fusion Essentialsthe Getting Started with Fusion 360 series
- MAD' About Designsthe graded beginner practice exercises
- Autodesk Fusiona lesson in "Practice Exercises and a First CAM Toolpath"
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.