CAD
Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep
Learn Autodesk Fusion from scratch: sketch, model parts, build assemblies and prepare designs for 3D printing and manufacture.
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 takes about 20.3 hours, with written notes, a practice task per module, a practical project and a final assessment of 15 questions (pass mark 60%). Learning costs nothing and needs only a free account. The optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, is a one-off US$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Beginner
- 20.3 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students and design engineers
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: design engineer, CAD technician, draughtsperson and product designer. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- 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.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Sketch fully constrained profiles and model parts from them
- Drive a design with user parameters
- Assemble components with joints
- Design moulds and sheet metal parts
- Produce renders, 2D drawings and animations
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students and design engineers.
Level: Beginner. Beginner. No CAD experience needed.
What you need
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.. What to download, and how.
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
What you learn
14 modules in order, at your own pace. 20.3 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1Workspace, Terminology and the Fusion Way of Working18m
- 2Sketching Fundamentals1h 16m
- 3Sketch Constraints and Sketch Tools1h 11m
- 4Extrude, Revolve and the First Solids51m
- 5Modify Tools: Fillet, Chamfer, Shell, Threads, Holes, Ribs and Draft1h 27m
- 6Loft, Sweep and Transitions Between Shapes1h 10m
- 7Patterns, Text and Thin-Wall Designs47m
- 8User Parameters, Joints and Assemblies59m
Show the other 6 modules
- 9Surfaces and T-Spline Forms36m
- 10Mesh, STL Repair, Moulds and 3D Printing43m
- 11Sheet Metal and Multi-Part Models28m
- 12Rendering, 2D Drawings, Plans and Animations1h 5m
- 13Practice Exercises and a First CAM Toolpath1h 12m
- 14Final Assessment
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.
Show what to download (1 tool)
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.
What you practise
Course project, about 8 hours
Parametric sensor plate in Fusion: three sizes from one model, a drawing and a first toolpath
Model one sensor mounting plate for 40 mm aluminium extrusion frames, driven by named parameters for three sensor sizes. Assemble it with a sliding sensor, draw it, and simulate a first 2D toolpath. You deliver the design, a three-size check table, the drawing, the CAM screenshots and a one-page note.
- 4documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- 7things to hand in
- 8 hof work, at your pace
- Parts listParts List: Sensor Plate Family SP1, Parameters, Variants and Bought-out Items
- Drawing listDrawing and Document List: Sensor Plate Family SP1
- ReportDesign Check: Sensor Plate Family SP1 at 8.5, 12.5 and 18.5 mm Bores
- ProcedureCAM Setup Sheet: Sensor Plate SP1 on a Three-Axis Mill
The project is optional practice. The certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
After the course, your next step
Show what you can do, then keep going in the same field.
A certificate you can verify
Finish the modules and pass the final assessment (15 questions, pass mark 60%) and you can add a certificate with a public verification page. One-off, US$23.99 for you. It is not a vendor credential.
Want a free certificate? Do the matching Free internship: 4 weeks, nothing to buy, with a free certificate of completion.
Project work you can show
Weekly briefs and a work record, online. Pick the internship that fits you. Finish weeks 1 to 4 and the final, then claim a free Internship Completion Certificate with your real dates and study hours, and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. Training, not employment.
Find an internshipPart of a learning path
Courses in a planned order, so each one builds on the last.
More free courses
Roles that use this skill
- Design engineer
- CAD technician
- Draughtsperson
- Product designer
These are the kinds of roles where the skill is used. We make no promise of a job or an interview.
Plain notes
- Free: the whole course, the notes, the practice tasks, the final assessment and support from practising engineers.
- Paid, and optional: the course certificate, and the Engineer-verified internship (the Free internship costs nothing).
- No job promise: the course teaches a skill. It does not place you in a job.
- Lessons by: Product Design Online, CAD CAM Tutorials, The Fusion Essentials, MAD' About Designs, Autodesk Fusion. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Product Design Online · CAD CAM Tutorials · The Fusion Essentials · MAD' About Designs · Autodesk Fusion. If you are one of these creators and want a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@edwartens.com.
Why learn with EDWartens
What you get with this course, and what comes after it.
- Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
- Video lessons with written notes and a project.
- An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.
- Free internships to keep practising afterwards.
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 topics does the Autodesk Fusion 360 course cover, module by module?
The Autodesk Fusion 360 course has 14 modules. It opens with "Workspace, Terminology and the Fusion Way of Working", goes through "Sketching Fundamentals", "Loft, Sweep and Transitions Between Shapes", "Surfaces and T-Spline Forms" and "Practice Exercises and a First CAM Toolpath" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Autodesk Fusion 360 course?
After the Autodesk Fusion 360 course: 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. These are the practical outcomes the course is written around, and the final assessment of 15 questions checks them.
What software and hardware do I need for the Autodesk Fusion 360 course, and does it cost anything?
For the Autodesk Fusion 360 course, 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. The course itself is free.
Is the Autodesk Fusion 360 course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Autodesk Fusion 360 is rated beginner. Beginner. No CAD experience needed. It is written for engineering students and design engineers, and takes about 20.3 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Autodesk Fusion 360 course?
Skills from the Autodesk Fusion 360 course (for example: master the Fusion workspace, components, bodies and the timeline) are used in roles such as design engineer, CAD technician, draughtsperson and product designer, and in CAD designer work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
Start free today
Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.