Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Import your designs and then hit the ground running with tips on how to join parts, add hardware, and appearances.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
2 min.
Transcript
00:01
In this video, I'm going to show you how to import your files from other systems and give you a jump start on your next design.
00:08
First, let's bring in a fan I found that is in a STEP file format.
00:11
For single parts like this, I'll simply go to the file menu, then open.
00:15
Here, I can open files that would otherwise be found in my data panel, or files from my computer.
00:20
In this case, I've kept it on my desktop and when I go to open it, it happens near instantly.
00:25
This is because the simple nature of this part, but also because the translations are done locally for STEP
00:31
and a handful of other file types.
00:33
The first thing I'll often do after importing parts like this is change the View orientation.
00:37
To do this, I'll select a Standard View for my View Cube.
00:41
In this case, I'll look at this, from what is currently the Back View.
00:44
Then I'll right-click on the home icon and set the Current View as the Top.
00:49
This will enable me to leverage my preferred constraint, orbit, to great effect.
00:53
Next, I want to point your attention to this: the lack of history.
00:57
By default, when you import files, they will be in a history-free mode.
01:01
This can have its advantages.
01:03
For instance, I can use this Find Features option to pull simple features from the body, editable features at that.
01:11
But more often than not, our users want to be in a history-capturing mode.
01:14
So, let's go ahead and turn that on by right-clicking the top-level name and selecting Capture Design History.
01:20
Our familiar Design History bar can now be found at the bottom of the interface.
01:24
Next, let's see how to bring in a SolidWorks assembly and all its reference parts and sub-assemblies.
01:30
In this case, I'll skip past the File Open option we used last time, and instead select Upload.
01:36
This brings us to a slightly different dialog where we can now add multiple selections.
01:40
Here, I'll get two assembly files and five parts.
01:44
When opening more than one assembly file, it'll ask for user input to determine which of the assemblies is the top level.
01:50
This import process will take slightly longer and looks different for two reasons.
01:55
The number of files and therefore complexity has increased, but also because this translation happens on the cloud.
02:01
When the translation is done, it doesn't automatically open the file, so we'll need to find it in the data panel.
02:06
Once opened, I'll turn this up to hyper-speed and start applying Appearances.
02:10
I'll use those On-Brand Fusion colors from my favorite section.
02:15
To capture the proper mechanics of this system, I'll turn on my design history.
02:19
Then, and only then, I'll be able to add those as-built joints between these parts.
02:24
I'll start by adding a rigid joint between a stationary part, like the base and the top level component.
02:29
I do this instead of using a ground, which behaves differently than a fix, for those of you coming from SolidWorks.
02:35
I hope this import lesson has given you a jump start as you bring your design work over to Fusion 360.
Video transcript
00:01
In this video, I'm going to show you how to import your files from other systems and give you a jump start on your next design.
00:08
First, let's bring in a fan I found that is in a STEP file format.
00:11
For single parts like this, I'll simply go to the file menu, then open.
00:15
Here, I can open files that would otherwise be found in my data panel, or files from my computer.
00:20
In this case, I've kept it on my desktop and when I go to open it, it happens near instantly.
00:25
This is because the simple nature of this part, but also because the translations are done locally for STEP
00:31
and a handful of other file types.
00:33
The first thing I'll often do after importing parts like this is change the View orientation.
00:37
To do this, I'll select a Standard View for my View Cube.
00:41
In this case, I'll look at this, from what is currently the Back View.
00:44
Then I'll right-click on the home icon and set the Current View as the Top.
00:49
This will enable me to leverage my preferred constraint, orbit, to great effect.
00:53
Next, I want to point your attention to this: the lack of history.
00:57
By default, when you import files, they will be in a history-free mode.
01:01
This can have its advantages.
01:03
For instance, I can use this Find Features option to pull simple features from the body, editable features at that.
01:11
But more often than not, our users want to be in a history-capturing mode.
01:14
So, let's go ahead and turn that on by right-clicking the top-level name and selecting Capture Design History.
01:20
Our familiar Design History bar can now be found at the bottom of the interface.
01:24
Next, let's see how to bring in a SolidWorks assembly and all its reference parts and sub-assemblies.
01:30
In this case, I'll skip past the File Open option we used last time, and instead select Upload.
01:36
This brings us to a slightly different dialog where we can now add multiple selections.
01:40
Here, I'll get two assembly files and five parts.
01:44
When opening more than one assembly file, it'll ask for user input to determine which of the assemblies is the top level.
01:50
This import process will take slightly longer and looks different for two reasons.
01:55
The number of files and therefore complexity has increased, but also because this translation happens on the cloud.
02:01
When the translation is done, it doesn't automatically open the file, so we'll need to find it in the data panel.
02:06
Once opened, I'll turn this up to hyper-speed and start applying Appearances.
02:10
I'll use those On-Brand Fusion colors from my favorite section.
02:15
To capture the proper mechanics of this system, I'll turn on my design history.
02:19
Then, and only then, I'll be able to add those as-built joints between these parts.
02:24
I'll start by adding a rigid joint between a stationary part, like the base and the top level component.
02:29
I do this instead of using a ground, which behaves differently than a fix, for those of you coming from SolidWorks.
02:35
I hope this import lesson has given you a jump start as you bring your design work over to Fusion 360.
How to buy
Privacy | Do not sell or share my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use | Legal | © 2025 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved
Sign in for the best experience
Save your progress
Get access to courses
Receive personalized recommendations
May we collect and use your data?
Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement. May we collect and use your data to tailor your experience?
Explore the benefits of a customized experience by managing your privacy settings for this site or visit our Privacy Statement to learn more about your options.