Introduction
Parametric modeling enables setting the dimensions of a feature as an editable parameter rather than static number. This guide introduces the fundamental skills and applications of parametric modeling.
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Components are groups of sketches and bodies
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Fusion 360 treats components almost like independent parts. When designing multi-part products, creating new sketches and features in an individual component keeps each part independent.
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In the example design, a test cell for a polymer membrane, each component describes a different material
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Each component is boxed in orange. Note that some components contain multiple bodies.
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Parameters are essentially variables used to define a dimension rather than a static number
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The Modify dropdown menu houses the parameter menu
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Create a new parameter by clicking the + next to the User Parameters box
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Parameters can be definite numbers. In this example, we defined the variable1 parameter as 10 mm.
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Parameters can also be functions that depend on other parameters. In this example we defined the variable2 parameter with the following formula: variable2=2*variable1
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Creating multi-component designs with parametric modeling typically follows this workflow
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Create all of the relevant parameters
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Create all of the components
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Create a sketch in one active component. Dimension the sketch features with your parameters.
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Create a body from the sketch with dimensions from the pre-made parameters.
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Modify the body if necessary
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Repeat this process until the component is complete. Then repeat that process for each component until they are all complete.
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Assemble the components. For more detail on component assembly, see Assemblies
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Creating multi-component designs with parametric modeling can also follow this workflow if a few sketches form the basis of many components
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Create all parameters
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Create sketches using parameters
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Create bodies from sketches using the pre-made parameters
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Sort those bodies into components
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Modify the bodies sorted in components
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Features dimensioned with parameters will automatically change size if the parameters change
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To dimension a feature with a parameter, simply type in the parameter rather than a static number
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Parameters can be entered either when creating the feature or with a dimension tool
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Parameters can be added, subtracted, or multiplied when dimensioning a feature
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Plan parameters and the timeline before starting the design.
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Constrain sketch features in the desired shapes before shifting parameters. Constraints prevent the warping of sketch features when dimensions change.
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Completely constrain the dimensions of your parts with parameters. That way, changing dimensions later merely requires altering a parameter
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Design components and bodies with an exact fit, then add a "tolerance" parameter.
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The Tolerancing guide gives a more in-depth look at the process of designing tolerances to set this parameter
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