How to Create a 3D Sketch in Fusion 360 | 3D Sketching 101

Learn how to 3D Sketch in Fusion 360. The March 2020 Fusion 360 update brought significant enhancements to the 3D Sketch feature.
In this video, I’ll cover the core concepts and benefits of 3D sketching as we create an example side table.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - 3D Sketching in Fusion 360
0:49 - 2D Sketch vs 3D Sketch
2:07 - 3D Sketch examples
3:41 - Turning on the 3D sketch feature
4:30 - Starting the sketch
6:44 - Adding constraints with 3D sketches
8:20 - Connecting the rest of the sketch
8:55 - Fully defining a 3D sketch
10:07 - Using the Pipe command
12:50 - Creating the top of the table
TUTORIAL RESOURCES
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QUESTION
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#Fusion360 #ProductDesignOnline

[@ProductDesignOnline]

*TIMESTAMPS* 0:00 - 3D Sketching in Fusion 360 0:49 - 2D Sketch vs 3D Sketch 2:07 - 3D Sketch examples 3:41 - Turning on the 3D sketch feature 4:30 - Starting the sketch 6:44 - Adding constraints with 3D sketches 8:20 - Connecting the rest of the sketch 8:55 - Fully defining a 3D sketch 10:07 - Using the Pipe command 12:50 - Creating the top of the table

[@IceCreams62]

Thanks again Kevin....and for sure more 3D sketching :-)

[@channealpha]

Excellent tutorial! I would like to see more as well!

[@billkellogg1403]

Definitely more 3-D sketching tutorials! Very good!

[@MotorHead-qd8ls]

Thank you!! Yes, definitely more 3D sketching videos! I wish I would have watched this before the last model I made. It would have been a perfect use case for it instead of having to make tons of 2D sketches and connect them.

[@mdbelt1]

I always learn something new when I watch your Fusion 360 videos. Good job.

[@mkima]

What i like about your videos is they are short, concise, and easy to understand. thanks kevin.

[@younessid437]

Thanks kevin for this amazing tutorial, yes I would like if you do more 3d sketching

[@geoffbernard389]

This series of videos is making my hobby Sunday 100%

[@stinky59]

Thanks. This is a lot closer to sketchup which is what I already use, so it makes learning fusion a lot easier!

[@omarbaalbaki]

OMG you are killing it :) please more videos about 3D sketching

[@jarradbradley6934]

Awesome video. Been wanting to try 3D sketching for ages and now I can. Thanks Kev. Please do more advanced 3D tutes

[@thomaslum2]

Great video, really answered some questions about the new features. Would love to see some more in depth exploration of 3d sketching since it seems like a powerful tool when the design calls for it. Thanks for your work.

[@NabilTouchie]

Another mindblowing video that adds more tools to my creativity

[@coreymac2381]

Excellent video. I’d like to see more on 3D sketching. I enjoy all your videos. Thanks for making them.

[@emanuelfaria6048]

Hi! I want to thank you for your wonderful videos! I started to watch them a few months ago and I'm enjoying and learning a lot with them. Your channel is the reason why I persisted with fusion 360 software in the beginning. Congratulations and keep the good work!

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks, Emanuel! Glad to hear the videos have helped. Keep at it :)

[@MotorHead9871]

Thank you!! Yes, more 3D sketch videos please!!

[@alfineart]

Another great tutorial Kevin. I had seen the update info on this new tool, but your video really brought it to life. I started working with it and discovered that the mirror tool works also, during your tutorial of the table frame I thought about using mirror to speed up the design and viola! Keep the excellent videos coming!

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hi, alfineart. Great point with the mirror. I thought about reccommending that but wanted people to practice/get used to 3D sketching ;) Cheers!

[@SourceMinion]

Thanks for the great video Kevin. This was really helpful.

[@AthanCondax]

Excellent video. My brother recently wanted to learn modelling and I instantly recommended your channel to help him learn 80% of what he needs to know about Fusion 360 and general principles of 3D modelling. Your content is always well-paced and structured in a very clean manner. Your channel is the benchmark to which I compare all other software tutorials. Keep it up and of course feel free to include more 3D sketch content in the future.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hey, thanks, Athan! I appreciate your support and recommendation.

[@jerrymarshall9027]

It’s great love to see more

[@raphael-augustin]

Thank you, another great tutorial ! This is so instructive AND fascinating ! As sketching is mother of nearly any project, yes please, we would like more sketching tutorials ! ;-)

[@Mr_Chuckles]

Thank you, these tuts are very good!

[@user-py1mh5cm1e]

Thanks once again! I would love to watch more of 3d sketcing tutorials.

[@omkarkhade4602]

Very well explained. Thank you very much.

[@amicloud_yt]

thank you so much this cleared practically everything up for me i was so lost but now I am cranking out a 3d sketch with almost the same familiarity I was in blender

[@mechatron5683]

I learnt more just watching your videos thank you so much

[@brianbailey1048]

Great video, would love to see more! Thanks

[@StephenBoyd21]

3D sketching certainly looks interesting, I will have to include it in my workflow.

[@mustafacubukcu2969]

Thank you sir. You helped me a lot.

[@AgentLintZeal]

Definitely would like more about 3D sketching. Especially in how it can save time in complex designs, but also when using regular 2D is better. Thanks again for a very concise and informative demo. I did have problems off and on with getting it to work exactly as in the demo, so beware that it may be a bit buggy right now. I could not get it to work exactly as in the video even when I tried exiting and restarting. The 3D axis would not appear and I could not add constraints to 3D lines, among other things. Then I decided to uncheck 3D sketching checkbox, restart, and open another untitled drawing and suddenly it worked - after trying to get it to work for over half an hour. Not sure if it will happen again.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll have to play around with it more to see if I experience any bugs. So far... it's been working well for me. I may have just been lucky though :)

[@SRRotor]

great video. thanks Kevin. And yes, please go ahead with the next tutorial about 3d sketching.

[@mohamedelgamal6333]

Many thanks for this nice and informative video. It is one of the best I have ever seen. Of course, I am in favor of more 3D sketching. Thank you again

[@DougCooperTech]

Your video tutorials are awesome. I would love to see more examples of using the 3d sketch feature

[@americorosales2085]

thanks Kevin this was usefull for me , yes I would like more tutorial in 3D

[@casualuser2010]

Thank you for presenting this topic. I would also like to see more on this topic and when it’s more efficient to do so as opposed to do doing 2D sketches then extruding.

[@alamid001]

You're a great teacher

[@lokhincheung1344]

It's very good tutorial for Fusion 360 beginners like me, eager to see much more videos, Thankyou!

[@christopherzepf8841]

Excellent Video. Would love to see more :)

[@Alomphega]

Thanks again for these other tips and explanations ! Definitely yes, we need more ! ;-) For instance you show a guidon (handlebars) at the beginning, it could be very cool to show us how to do it within 3D sketching technique :)

[@theflyingdutchman787]

Truly the best instructor out there!

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks! :)

[@FatayerDMD]

That's a great video, please show more 3d sketching! Thanks!

[@humphreybfiftytwo]

Great tutorial about the new feature. Please show us more 3D sketching.

[@acehydraulic3003]

thx for the Video.

[@MarcelHuguenin]

Thanks Kevin. I hadn't used it so far, didn't need it. But it opens up interesting perspectives. Great video.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks for watching, Marcel. Glad it was helpful :)

[@jrstearns9658]

I would love to see more 3D tutorials please!

[@rodrigocristopherpelucchiv2970]

Please don't stop making these videos!

[@tusharmahajan1919]

Bro You do a great Job. I always recommend your channel to everyone. Please learn other softwares and teach us as.

[@berniewasserman265]

Great video. Please make more

[@hotfuzz1913]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial and use of constraints my mind is blown

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Glad it helped :)

[@Nobody-fm3jh]

Thanks Kevin, it would be helpful to me if you would include several failure examples. Working through you tutorial, I decided to add fillets to the shape and it quickly failed. I adjust the diameter and fillet radius and not dice on getting it to work. Your videos are the best CAD instruction I've every came across. Thank you again.

[@montebrown8398]

Thanks!

[@vornamenachname8001]

thank you, i was afraid something like this wasnt possible

[@thomasboosinger5403]

thanks for the video

[@mxcollin95]

Great tutorial and I’d definitely love to see a more advanced 3D sketch tutorial too! 👍

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks, Collin! I will definitely do more in the future :)

[@leeelms]

Yes please to more about 3D sketching.

[@sergeybob3224]

Thanks Kevin ! Good luck !...

[@chekalpavan5742]

thanks bro

[@Brandon.Nichols]

Great job, new subscriber!

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks, Brandon! Happy learning :)

[@divencia]

Excellent work, I would like you to make a video explaining how to create a car wheel (rim) by using 3d sketch. Thank you for the content

[@sakayanko]

Hi! Im trying to model a wintercroft mask by using dimensions and constrains. Its basically a mask of the head of an animal made with poligons, printed on paper and cut out and folded. i was wondering if by transfering the paper template to fusion 360 it could be modeled

[@partsdave8943]

Thanks. Now I understand better how to use this feature. (I found it to be annoying at first as I don’t like change often. ) More details would be much appreciated. You might want to update some of your previous videos now that this option exists. It’s definitely cool! 😎

[@claytonsiemens3844]

Thanks for the video. I'm new to Fusion 360. Do you have any videos on making an angle iron frame? I have been running into a wall with it. Are there shape libraries or tools to make it easier?

[@skew8451]

Thank you for this, I am coming from inventor and still trying to learn how to maximize the funcionality of Fusion360.

[@nicksalloum12345]

This is great :) At the beginning of the video, you mentioned the table frame would be different pieces of pipe welded together in the end. In Fusion 360, the pipe feature with "chain" selected results in one solid body… Do you have any tips for splitting up a continuous pipe into multiple pipes, and also generating the cut sheets & flattened drawings for parts like that?

[@craigc6769]

Absolutely like to see more complex 3D modeling. Spherical and curvature would be beneficial

[@hoff_6112]

Nice vid! Is it possible to make custom pipe sections like rectangle and square/rectangle with radius corners? It would make modeling standard RHS and SHS tube so much easier! Currently the only way I know how now is to have a library with short bits of each size tube?

[@noelcolledge8027]

Hi Kevin Thanks for the video, would like to understand 3d sketching with curved lines rather than straight lines if you are looking for subject matter. Keep up the good work

[@ley90]

as always love your video, hope u will upload more tutorials on 3d sketch, make ze axe tutorial :D

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks, ley! I'll definitely do more 3D sketching tutorials :)

[@jamesheap2112]

Greatly needed this!! I'm working on a complex house roof design and 3d makes a lot more sense. I would like help figuring out how to snap to or find intersections of 2 3d reference lines if that is possible.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Roof is a good/interesting example for 3D sketching. Perhaps a video topic. You'll want to use construction planes to set up some of your sketch "points" as 2D sketches (I'd dimension and constrain them a distance) and then 3D sketch almost like you're doing a "connect the dots" book.

[@4funrc11]

Ya vol, das ist gut... 👍

[@JesseBuesking]

I think this tutorial would be more useful in the "Core Concepts of Fusion 360" playlist if it was placed before "Surface Modeling with Fusion 360" where you model an Iron. It took me roughly 30 minutes using 2D sketches to get the arc on the back of the iron to fully connect to the other sketches so that I could perform the loft. I just retried creating those sketches with what I learned here and it only took a minute or two. Trying to project points from the other lines onto the arc being created on an offset plane off of the YZ plane didn't give me an easy way to connect the arc like I'd expect. Hopefully that last sentence makes sense to you, it's difficult to explain a picture :D Thank you for the great tutorials btw!

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks, Jesse. I need to revisit the order of many of my playlists...Generally, things are jut placed in order of date created :D

[@sanperez313]

I would also like to see more of this very useful technique please! Maybe tracing an object that we would like to upgrade. For example, I would like to update/upgrade an object but I don't want to start it from scratch so maybe I could upload the STL, trace what I want to keep with the 3D sketch tool used in this tutorial then 3d sketch my upgrades to the model.

[@patstenzel]

How would you do this with a right-angle shape instead of pipe or square?

[@tarakai3703]

Hey, would it be possible for you to make a tutorial of how to draw a painting easel on Fusion 360?

[@wfpelletier4348]

In a 3D sketch, what exactly do the 'horizontal' and 'vertical' constraints mean? I get the impression that 'vertical' means along the z axis, while 'horizontal' could be along either the x or y axis. Is this correct?

[@norwaynate]

Fantastic tutorials. You've helped me learn so much in such a short time. Was a little confused at the first line though. You state a dimension of 45cm but it shows 650mm and looks like it snaps to the 625 part of the grid. There is an edit there so I'm assuming you changed your design. Keep up the great work.

[@Ertrosveli]

What about curvutures that moves to/through two or three axis?

[@FMHeatSink]

For me it would've been more beneficial to do the axe because even though this was technically a 3d sketch, every line was uniplaner. I'm trying to figure out if I can do scroll type designs on multi dimension curved areas or do I need to go back to Blender to do so.

[@ricocamus]

how about sketching from an image or an imported mesh model?

[@mytubehkjt]

Cool. Just like Sketchup.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Finally :)

[@happywanderer5632]

Could you please tell me why my 4th line is not constraining? I follow exactly as you do, but that line just won't appear as constrained on my model. What am I doing wrong? Thx

[@NightmareMusicCo]

Thanks for the good detailed video, there were a few points in there new to me. I do wish that they would include some miter/ trim / extend features like you see in Solid Works. This way you could use the program to create 2d, 3d and a cut list for weldment manufacturing. Maybe on one of the future updates... This is a big improvement so far.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Former SolidWorks user... so I agree with you, Ethan :) I think a lot of those will definitely come in future updates.

[@NightmareMusicCo]

​@@ProductDesignOnline Ill keep an eye out for more F360 update videos! Keep up the good work.

[@botoepfer8588]

Kevin this helps a good bit, I am attempting to draw a pipe fence enclosure like one would find on a Pontoon boat can you help please . in the future I will be designing other pipe structures

[@psanchez1150]

Thanks for the tutorial! Could this new feature be used to create cables between two components using spline?

[@ProductDesignOnline]

It sure could :)

[@twm4259]

Please do a video on this! Be sure to include editing the sketch after creation.

[@bobbyvidal8221]

I loved this video,. Just one thing: at the point where you explain about the advantage of the Pipe command vs the Sweep command, maybe a mention of, not "HOW TO" , but an "if you were creating a welded design"...just a thought from an analytical thinker. Thank you for your understandable explanations.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Thanks for the feedback, Bobby!

[@joshfrancisco4262]

I’m in the middle of designing a bed desk design and I’m still trying to get used to the interface of the software. Can I get help with this? Great tutorial by the way, I got to learn more about 3D sketch!

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hi Josh. I can't do any work on the project, but I'd be happy to help direct you in the right direction with relevant tutorials or resources. What point(s) are you struggling with?

[@frogs84ss]

More please. Everything you is 90 degrees. How does it work when creating angles in a 3d sketch.

[@ReidarVik]

When using the tube command, will the dimensions be the outside, middle or inside?

[@ProductDesignOnline]

I believe it's always on the middle. Would be nice if they let us choose though :)

[@deonsmit819]

Kennedy is all good and well and wonderful to sculpt and model products but how do you get them in a physical drawing with dimensions for someone to physically produce it. If you can make a video like that'll be awesome..ps. you are an great tudor.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hi, Deon. Have you checked out my video on creating 2D drawings? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmGsqJl-Yp55qdU and understanding dimensions kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmWmmqlpbc2XaNk

[@shrekiic6630]

Kevin I want to first say that I just love all your tutorials and I did your whole learn fusion 360 in 30 days. But I was wondering is there any way to design a tire mold? What I am looking to do is design some street tires for my Rc car that they no longer make anymore.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hi, Shrekii C. You'll likely want to design the tire itself first, and then you can use the "Combine" command to cut out the tire shape from the mold box - similar to what I did with the Day #21 from the 30 days series.

[@shrekiic6630]

@@ProductDesignOnline Thank you Kevin for getting back to me. I did try think about that mold if I was going to make a solid tire. That's why I was thinking wedge design. Hook them all together they form a circle. But there would have to be some kind of flaps on the side to make the sided walls. Now the mold would have to be able to take heat about 250F or so and about 50lbs or so of pressure to force the green rubber into the mold.

[@IdahoSpudnick]

I have been trying to sketch a 3 d pipe on guarding for a cattle truck I have had a unsuccessful time of it. I think this video will help me figure it out

[@ProductDesignOnline]

The latest enhancements make it A LOT easier than before... the old way with the move command was... bad :)

[@bartkeereman6987]

Great Tutorial ! I have a problem when using fillets in the 3D-sketch. I can't get a fully constrained sketch anymore.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Make sure you don't have any sketch points or anything floating out in space. With 3D sketches it can be easy to forget about one or two end points, which prohibit the sketch from being fully defined.

[@bartkeereman6987]

I start with a fully constrained 3d-sketch, i do fillet on the corners => not fully constrained anymore.

[@173roberto]

The pipe command looks amazing but what would I need to do if I want to cut 2 pipes let's imagine a car tube frame made of many bended tubes joined all by weldings

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Fusion 360 doesn't offer 'weldments' like Solidworks, but you can definitely simulate several pipes. You can create them as one and split the pipe or you can create individual pipe features... it really just depends on the shape and how you create your 2D sketches.

[@musoangelo]

Thanks for this. Is today also the day for the woodworking update?

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hi, musoangelo. Sorry it was sent out a few days late. Several more hiccups with the current event of things.... did you get an email?

[@RobertLugg]

For others: Before you begin click on your user on the top right, then preferences,then General, then "Default modeling orientation" change to "Z up" which is what they are using.then start a new design.

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hi Robert. Thanks for sharing this! Z up should be the default setting, so you can also simply 'Restore Defaults' in the Preference. Happy learning! Cheers :)

[@DrFiero]

The pipe feature is great - but what if you’re using say 2*3 rectangular tubing. Is there a way to do that in a similar [easy!] fashion?

[@DrFiero]

Ha ha - nothing like just playing with things! Do a square pipe, and under size hit 2*3. Done! :D

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Great work. Glad you found it :)

[@orlandomosquera4784]

Hello Sir, thank you very much for your videos, I used Auto Cad and Revit pretty well, but I started with fusion 360 couple of months ago and I love it, I am retired right now and I am a shoemaker by trade, I have a 3d printer and I printed a shoe last that I downloaded, but I would like to draw my own custom shoe last, I have spent hours trying it but with not good results, could you make a video on this subject, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[@andrewcash8884]

Not sure why but changing the section from circular to tubing generates an error message 'Avoid self-intersecting inputs' any ideas? Cheers

[@ProductDesignOnline]

Hmm. Where you following along with the side table shape or did you create your own shape? That error could be caused from a shape crossing paths or from the lines not being one continuous path.

[@marklevenspiel9036]

Great videos - Slowly getting use to 360 ( old Autocad 14 user ) - I need to convert 3D sketches into G code directly from the sketches but HOW !!!! - needs one of your videos to instruct many users ( artists )of F360- PLEASE