Create and modify sketch geometry

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In Fusion, you can create and modify 2D sketch geometry to build a sketch profile.

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The sketch profile can then be used to create 3D solid, surface, or T-Spline bodies in Fusion.

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When creating a design that will contain multiple components,

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it is best practice to create and activate the component that you want the sketch to appear within.

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To enter Sketch mode, on the Design workspace toolbar, Solid tab, click Create Sketch.

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On the canvas, in this case, select the XY sketch plane.

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The view orients to the selected plane or face and the Sketch contextual tab is added to the toolbar.

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On the toolbar, click Center Diameter Circle or type “C” to start the circle command.

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Click anywhere on the canvas to place the center point.

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Move the mouse pointer away from the center point to see a preview of the circle, along with the diameter value box.

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If you specify a value for the diameter, a dimension is added to the geometry automatically.

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However, if you simply click to place a circle, it remains unconstrained.

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It is best practice to define your geometry relative to the origin on the sketch plane, although you can constrain it later.

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You can switch circle types from the Sketch Palette.

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For example, if you prefer to create a circle by placing 2 points to define the diameter, in the Sketch Palette, click 2-Point Circle.

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On the canvas, click 2 points to place the next circle.

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Select the Snap and Sketch Grid checkboxes to snap to the sketch grid and quickly create precise geometry.

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When you have finished creating circles, you can press Esc to exit the Circle command or start another command and continue sketching.

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You can also use the Toolbox to access commands more quickly.

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Type “S” to open the Toolbox.

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You can then type a command, such as “Line”, and select Line from the results.

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If you place the pointer over existing sketch geometry, snap symbols show to help you snap to the geometry.

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If you snap and drag away from certain geometry, a dashed blue tracking line shows to help you align geometry as you sketch.

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To temporarily hide these snap features, press Ctrl on Windows or Command on a Mac while you sketch with auto snap enabled.

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You can add other geometry types to existing geometry by snapping and clicking as needed until you complete your base geometry.

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When connecting points or line endpoints, Fusion continues to add to these lines until you end the command.

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Click the green check mark or double-click the endpoint to end the current chain of lines and remain in the Line command,

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or press Esc to exit the command.

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To switch the line type, select the geometry.

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Then, in the Sketch Palette, click the desired Linetype, or in the right-click Marking menu,

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select Normal/Construction or Normal/Centerline.

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In this example, Normal/Centerline is selected.

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The centerline geometry still contributes to the sketch profile, acting as a boundary to close it.

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You can identify a closed profile by the blue highlighted area.

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If you have trouble closing a profile, in the Sketch Palette, make sure that both Profile and Points are selected

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to help identify and close any small gaps where endpoint geometry may be close to,

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but not touching other geometry.

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Once you have sketched the general shape of your sketch profile,

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on the toolbar, you can use the tools in the Modify drop-down to offset geometry,

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add details like fillets and chamfers, and adjust existing geometry.

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In this case, select Break to split the geometry into multiple segments,

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so that you can switch some of the segments to Construction or Centerline geometry.

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Place the pointer over the geometry to preview where it will break, then click to break it.

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Press Esc to exit the Break command.

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Now, select the segments that you want to change.

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To select multiple objects at once, press Shift while you select them.

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Any changes you make apply to all the objects selected.

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Here, switch the line type to Normal/Construction.

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Some commands enable you to automatically select an entire series of connected segments using chain selection.

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In the toolbar, click Offset, then click the geometry to select the connected segments.

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Drag the manipulator handle on the canvas to adjust the offset, then press Enter or click OK in the Offset dialog to complete the command.

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When your sketch geometry is unconstrained, you can click and drag it on the canvas.

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This can help you understand where the sketch profile is still free to move versus where it is already constrained.

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Ideally, you want a fully constrained sketch, so that when you click and drag a point or other sketch geometry, the sketch does not move.

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For now, you are just looking to create a general shape before locking down the design with constraints and dimensions.