3D Sketching in Fusion 360

Here's a workflow you'll definitely want to add to your arsenal of design techniques. We're gonna design one of my favorite Platonic solids, an Icosahedron. But here's the fun part - we'll design the entire thing with only one sketch. How is this possible and what kind of sorcery is this you ask? Well, cue 3D Sketch. It allows you to sketch on any plane and in any direction.

In this video lesson I'll show how combining 3D Sketch with just one constraint allows you to create such a complex design using a simple process. An Icosahedron is made up of 20 equilateral triangles. By definition, an equilateral triangle has 3 equal sides and the interior angles are also equal. If we approach the design based on this simple fact, we can greatly simplify the design process. This enables us to design most of the model with just one sketch tool - the Line tool, and just one constraint - the Equal constraint.

This example is a powerful lesson in using sketch constraints to greatly simplify your design process in Fusion 360. You'll want to master these constraints because not only will it make you a much more efficient designer but will also allow you to create designs that can be amended without breaking. A great resource is my free Fusion 360 Sketch Constraint Cheat Sheet which you can get here. Download the Constraints Cheat Sheet and print it or save it to your desktop and have it ready to reference when you start your next Fusion 360 design.

Follow along with video above and create your own icosahedron. In a future blog post I'll show how I use this model to create some fun laser cut and 3D printed lantern designs. Make sure to come back and check it out.