Fusion 360 Sketch Basics

Updated: 2026-05*

This article was written before 2020. It is kept here as an archive — the content is outdated and some links may no longer work.

What Is a Sketch?

Sketching in Fusion 360 is a powerful tool that offers basic 2D CAD functionality. By using constraints and sketch dimensions, you can efficiently create precise shapes. However, because the workflow has its own unique characteristics, it takes some getting used to—if you don’t know the steps, you won’t be able to draw as you intend.

In this section, we will cover the basics of working with Sketch. Constraints and other techniques will be covered in a separate lecture note.

Sketch Menu by Mode

Sketch is available in Model Mode, Sculpt Mode, and Patch Mode.

General Process for Creating Sketches

1. Starting a Sketch

Click the “Create Sketch” button on the toolbar. You can also create a sketch from the marking menu.

② Select Reference Plane

Select the displayed reference plane.

For the reference plane, you can also select the plane within the browser’s origin, an offset plane, or an object’s face.

3. Drawing Shapes

The top half of the Sketch menu contains creation tools, so select the tool that suits your needs and start drawing.

4. Using the Editing Tools

Use the editing tools in the lower half of the Sketch menu as needed.

⑤ Using Dimension Constraints

You can apply dimension constraints using sketch dimensions.

⑥ Using the Sketch Palette

You can use the Sketch Palette to apply options and constraints.

⑦ Stopping a Sketch

When you have finished drawing, click the Stop Sketch button. You can stop a sketch from the toolbar, the Sketch menu, the Sketch palette, or the Marking menu.

Adding and Removing Sketch Menus

You can easily add or remove items from the menu.

Click the icon shown below on the right side of the drop-down menu to add a button to the toolbar.

Click the icon shown below to delete the button.

You can long-press a button on the toolbar and drag it to reorder the buttons.

You can also delete it by dragging it to the outside.

Line Segments (+Arcs)

With the Line Segment tool, you can not only draw a straight line by clicking repeatedly, but also draw an arc by dragging.

Click the checkmark icon to stop continuous drawing.

Automatic Restraint

In Sketch, constraints are automatically applied when drawing shapes.

Please note that if you place a point or circle at the origin, origin constraints are automatically applied.

Before a shape is finalized, constraint candidates are displayed as blue icons, as shown below.

Details on constraints are explained in “Fusion 360 Sketch Constraints.”

Alignment constraints are automatically applied to the connection points of line segments and curves.

To remove a constraint, right-click the constraint icon and select “Delete.”

Selection Tool Status

When creating a sketch, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the selection tool in the toolbar as you work.

When drawing shapes or applying constraints, the selection tool remains active, preventing you from performing other tasks. To exit this state, click the selection tool or press the ESC key.

Moving Points, Line Segments, and Sketches (When Editing a Sketch)

Method 1) Selection Tool

Use the Selection Tool to drag and move the point.

Use the Selection tool to drag and move line segments or curves.

Drag the circle’s edge to resize it. Drag the center point to move it.

You can select multiple shapes as a group and move them all at once.

Method 2) Move/Copy Tool

You can use the Move/Copy Tool to move and rotate objects.

Since you can’t copy using the Move/Copy tool in Sketch, use the Copy and Paste options in the Marking Menu.

Deleting Points, Line Segments, and Curves

Use the Selection tool to click on a point, line segment, or curve, then press the Delete key to remove it.

You can also delete multiple shapes at once by selecting a range.

Note that even if you delete the shape, an empty sketch will remain.

If you want to permanently delete a sketch, do so through your browser.

Moving Points, Line Segments, and Sketches (After Stopping a Sketch)

Even after stopping the sketch, you can still move points, line segments, and sketches within the workspace.

While the Move/Copy tool allows you to move multiple sketches at once, the selection tool does not.

Be careful about how the object behaves when you change its height. This is explained in the section titled “Relationship to the Reference Plane.”

Relationship to the Reference Plane

The sketch depends on the reference plane selected first.

For the reference plane, you can select the plane at the browser’s origin, an offset plane, or an object’s face.

For example, a sketch that uses an offset plane as its reference plane will follow the movement of that offset plane.

One confusing behavior is that if you change the height of a sketch feature (whether by moving it within the sketch or after exiting the sketch), you will no longer be able to make adjustments with the mouse on the workspace after exiting the sketch. To avoid this, always create sketches on the reference plane, and use an offset plane when changing the height.

Re-editing a Sketch

Method 1) From the Workspace

Right-click the sketch and select “Edit Sketch.”

Method 2) From the browser

Right-click the Sketch icon in your browser and select “Edit Sketch.”

Or double-click the icon.

Method 3) From the History

Right-click the feature in the History and select “Edit Sketch.”

Or double-click the icon.

Managing Sketches Using a Browser

If you create another sketch after stopping the current one, a new sketch will be created automatically. Since the number of sketches can increase without you realizing it, you’ll need to manage them in your browser.