Basic Fusion 360 Settings

This chapter introduces the basic settings and workflow of Fusion 360.

• Step 1: Saving and Opening Files
• Step 2: Configure the Workspace
• Step 3: Understand the Interface

Step 1: Saving and Opening Files

• Open the nine-square icon on the left to see all your projects. A project keeps the many parts of a design, such as a sumo robot, organized in one place.
• Click New Project and name it first project or XXX's first project.

• Create folders inside the project to organize CAD files for screws, nuts, motors, gears, and other parts.
• Fusion 360 files are stored under your account. A standalone design can be downloaded as *.f3d; an assembly containing referenced parts is downloaded as *.f3z.

💡TIP

Fusion 360 works through an online account. Always confirm that you are signed in with your own account.

Step 2: Configure the Workspace

⚠️WARNING

Use the English interface. Otherwise, later command searches must be entered in Chinese.

💡TIP

To switch languages, click your name in the upper-right corner, choose Preferences, and change the first option.

• Click the monitor-shaped icon near the bottom of the drawing workspace.
• Open Effects and turn off all effects to improve performance. On a powerful computer, you may enable selected effects for better visuals.

• Use the adjacent grid icon to show or hide the ground grid.

⚠️WARNING

Turn off Snap to Grid.

• Right-click the Home icon in the upper-right corner.
• Choose a camera mode. Perspective with Ortho Faces provides perspective in normal views and orthographic projection in front, top, and side views.

Step 3: Understand the Interface

• Top: workspaces and tabs. Use the Design menu to switch among Design, Rendering, Drawing, Simulation, and other workspaces. Common Design tabs include Solid, Sheet Metal, and Tools.
• Left: all parts in the current design. Components and sketches can have parent-child relationships. A common mistake is assigning a body to the wrong component.
• Bottom: the design history. Fusion 360 records feature operations so you can return to an earlier step and modify it, which is especially useful for 3D-printing projects.

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Translation notice: This English page was generated automatically by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human. It will be checked and revised page by page when time permits.