--- title: CAD (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, AutoCAD) description: Computer-aided design is how parts and products are modelled. You will learn sketching, parametric modelling, assemblies and drawings in Fusion 360, SolidWorks or AutoCAD, and design-for-manufacture habits. category: engineering subcategory: mechanical-engineering difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/cad-solidworks-fusion-360 --- # CAD (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, AutoCAD) Computer-aided design is how parts and products are modelled. You will learn sketching, parametric modelling, assemblies and drawings in Fusion 360, SolidWorks or AutoCAD, and design-for-manufacture habits. ## Available Resources 1 Books • 1 Courses • 2 Websites ## Books ### 1. Product Design for Manufacture and Assembly, 3rd Edition **Author:** Geoffrey Boothroyd, Peter Dewhurst, Winston A. Knight The reference text on designing parts that can actually be made and assembled: part-count reduction, handling and insertion time analysis, and process-specific rules for machining, injection moulding, casting, sheet metal and printed circuit assembly. CAD software teaches geometry creation; this teaches which geometry is worth creating, which is the design-for-manufacture half of the topic. **Difficulty:** Advanced | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/1420089277?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** design-for-manufacture, dfma, design-for-assembly, manufacturing-processes, product-design ## Websites ### 1. AutoCAD Quick Start Guide (Official Autodesk Learning) Autodesk's curated starting path for AutoCAD: touring the interface, drawing and editing 2D geometry, layers, blocks, annotation and dimensioning, and producing plotted sheets. Short tutorials with exercise files, aimed at first-time drafters. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.autodesk.com/learn/ondemand/curated/autocad-quick-start-guide **Tags:** autocad, 2d-drafting, technical-drawing, dimensioning, autodesk ### 2. Self-Paced Learning for Autodesk Fusion (Official) Autodesk's own learning paths for Fusion: interface and preferences, sketching, solid and surface modelling, configurations, drawings, then the manufacturing workspace covering milling, turning, multi-axis toolpaths, simulation and generative design. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.autodesk.com/learn/ondemand/collection/self-paced-learning-for-fusion **Tags:** fusion-360, 3d-modeling, cam, cnc-toolpaths, generative-design ## Youtubes ### 1. Learn Autodesk Fusion 360 in 30 Days for Complete Beginners! 2026 EDITION Thirty project-based lessons building one part per day, from sketch constraints and toy blocks through shell tricks, lofts, surfaces, assemblies and drawings. Rebuilt in 2026 for the current Fusion interface, with downloadable demo files. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrZ2zKOtC_-C4rWfapgngoe9o2-ng8ZBr **Tags:** fusion-360, 3d-modeling, parametric-modeling, sketching, assemblies ## Courses ### 1. How to CAD Almost Anything (MIT RES.16-002) **Author:** Andy G. Eskenazi Introduces 3D CAD through reverse engineering objects such as mugs, bottles, rocket parts and jet-engine blades, emphasizing modeling strategy over following drawings. Links to class materials and YouTube session recordings for SolidWorks, Creo, Fusion, Inventor, Onshape and NX, so learners can model objects independently. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/res-16-002-how-to-cad-almost-anything-january-iap-2024/ **Tags:** computer-aided-design, 3d-modeling, reverse-engineering, solidworks, fusion-360, onshape --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/cad-solidworks-fusion-360