Parametric Modeling with Autodesk Fusion

From Sketches to Mechanical Designs ⚙️

Parametric Modeling with Autodesk Fusion is a practical training guide for learning solid modeling and parametric design with Autodesk Fusion. Written by Randy H. Shih, it is organized as a sequence of sixteen tutorial-style lessons that move from basic sketches and extrusions to intelligent mechanical parts, multi-view drawings, and assembly models.

The book focuses on the habits that make parametric CAD effective: capturing design intent, choosing constraints carefully, understanding feature history, and learning why a model behaves the way it does when dimensions change.

What the Lessons Cover

• Getting started with the Autodesk Fusion interface, navigation, and data management
• Parametric modeling fundamentals, rough sketches, geometric constraints, and dimensions
• Constructive solid geometry concepts and modeling strategy
• Model history tree, timeline control, and direct part modifications
• Parent/child relationships and the BORN technique
• Part drawings, associative functionality, multi-view drawings, and assembly models

A Hands-On Approach 📐

Each lesson introduces a new set of commands and concepts, then applies them in a guided design. The sequence is cumulative: skills from earlier chapters return in later projects, so the material feels less like isolated software tips and more like a developing CAD workflow. Review questions and exercises at the end of chapters give readers a way to test their understanding and practice independently.

Who This Book Is For

The preface describes the book as a practical training guide for students and professionals, and it is especially suited to beginning CAD users who want a structured introduction to Autodesk Fusion. Readers with experience in other parametric CAD packages may also find it useful because the core ideas—sketches, constraints, features, and history-based edits—transfer across feature-based software.

Edition and Scope

This Spring 2024 edition reflects the eighth edition of the book, dated March 2024. It does not attempt to cover every Autodesk Fusion feature. Instead, it provides a foundation for exploring computer-aided engineering with confidence.

Why It Works as a CAD Reference

Parametric modeling rewards careful planning. A sketch that is fully constrained, a feature placed in the right order, and a drawing that updates when the model changes—these details separate a fragile model from a flexible one. The tutorial format keeps those ideas concrete, giving readers repeated opportunities to see how design intent is built into a model and how it can be revised later.

Start Modeling with Design Intent

If you are ready to move from occasional 3D modeling to a more deliberate parametric workflow, this edition offers a clear, exercise-driven path. Work through the lessons in order, keep Fusion open beside the book, and expect your understanding of CAD to grow with each completed part.