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Free course · CAD

Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep

This free course teaches Autodesk Fusion 360 from scratch: sketching with constraints, extrude, revolve, loft and sweep, fillets, shells and threads, parameters, joints and assemblies, surfaces, mesh repair, sheet metal, rendering, drawings and a first CAM toolpath. It suits UK makers, apprentices, students and junior designers moving towards product design or CAD technician work. It helps with CAD technician, product designer and mechanical design roles. Autodesk offers free personal-use and education access and a trial.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
14
Video
20 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Sketch fully constrained profiles, model parts with extrude, revolve, loft, sweep, shell, fillet, thread and patterns, drive designs with user parameters, assemble components with joints, build organic shapes with surfaces and T-splines, repair and convert meshes, design moulds and sheet metal, and produce renders, 2D drawings and animations from a Fusion design.

  • 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
  • Assemble components with joints and design print-in-place hinges
  • Sculpt with surfaces and T-splines, repair meshes and design moulds
  • Produce sheet-metal flat patterns, renders, drawings and animations

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.

Syllabus

14 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Workspace, Terminology and the Fusion Way of Working4 lessons
  2. 2Sketching Fundamentals7 lessons
  3. 3Sketch Constraints and Sketch Tools6 lessons
  4. 4Extrude, Revolve and the First Solids6 lessons
  5. 5Modify Tools: Fillet, Chamfer, Shell, Threads, Holes, Ribs and Draft7 lessons
  6. 6Loft, Sweep and Transitions Between Shapes5 lessons
  7. 7Patterns, Text and Thin-Wall Designs4 lessons
  8. 8User Parameters, Joints and Assemblies6 lessons
  9. 9Surfaces and T-Spline Forms3 lessons
  10. 10Mesh, STL Repair, Moulds and 3D Printing5 lessons
  11. 11Sheet Metal and Multi-Part Models2 lessons
  12. 12Rendering, 2D Drawings, Plans and Animations6 lessons
  13. 13Practice Exercises and a First CAM Toolpath10 lessons
  14. 14Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Autodesk Fusion 360: 3D Design, Modelling and Manufacturing Prep

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Jobs

Jobs this course can lead to

The skills in this course are used in mechanical design and CAD work, for example as a CAD technician and a product designer. No course can promise a job, and employers also look for experience, so read what live adverts ask for.

Pay: Mechanical engineers (SOC 2122) had a median of £52,527 a year, full-time, in April 2026. Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 (provisional). Checked 28 Oct 2026.

Questions

About this course

Last reviewed 28 October 2026.

Is Fusion 360 free in the UK?
Autodesk offers a free personal-use version for eligible non-commercial use, a free education version for students and educators, and a 30-day trial. Terms change, so check Autodesk's current conditions before using it for paid work, where a commercial subscription is normally required.
Do I need a 3D printer for the Fusion 360 course?
No. A 3D printer helps with the printing modules but is not needed. Everything else, from sketching and solids to assemblies, rendering and a first CAM toolpath, can be done on a laptop that meets Autodesk's system requirements, and the whole course is self-paced.
Will Fusion 360 skills help me get a CAD job in the UK?
Fusion is used by makers, start-ups and product designers, and the modelling ideas transfer to other CAD packages. Some UK employers ask for SolidWorks or similar, plus drawings to BS 8888 or ISO standards, so treat this as a foundation and build a portfolio. No course promises a job.
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 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?
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 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.

Mechanical and product CAD

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Want a live class and career support?

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module
Engineers talking beside an automation test rig, one looking up and smiling