Autodesk Fusion Automatic Drawings Template

Since early 2024, Autodesk Fusion has had Automatic Drawing functionality which will create a drawing with relevant views and dimensions based on your design. These will, by default, include a drawing sheet with an ISO view and Parts List (if an assembly), and a sheet with Orthographic views and Dimensions. There is also the ability to create drawing sheets for each component in an assembly. These options are now all configurable within your template file.

Creating a Template

To create a template file, head to the File menu in the top right corner of Fusions interface, next to the Data Panel Grid, select New Drawing Template.

This will open the Create Drawing Template dialog box, from here the drawing sheet Standards, Size, Units and Orientation are configured.

Once the drawing has been created, the Drawing Border and Title Block are configurable. This can be adjusted to meet your company standards.

The Document Settings contain all the styling options of the drawings, including Dimension, View, Text and Table styles to name a few. This is where the Automation Settings are located.

Configure Automation Settings

The last tab in the Document Settings window is the Automation Settings. This is broken into two sections, the first is a short Global options section which facilitates the omission of components by name, if you decide there are standard parts that don’t require their own drawing sheets.

The second section, Per Sheet Options, is a lot larger with some repeating options. This includes Sheet Types, Generation Options and Annotation Options.

Sheet Types

These settings can be configured for different Sheet Types: Main Assemblies, Sub Assemblies, Animations (Exploded Views), or Components (Standard, Sheet Metal, Sheet Metal Flat Pattern). These are then split into Generation Options and Annotation Options.

Generation Options

This section contains options related to which sheets are created and how. Including the option of a sheet with an ISO View, Ortho Views or one sheet for each. Each option then includes the ability to enable a Parts List against the views and the Location of Parts Lists within the drawing sheet.

Annotation Options

These settings determine how the views are annotated for each of the Sheet types. Dimension Strategy will drive the type of dimensions that are created on the drawing sheet. This could be Overall, Baseline, Chain, Ordinate or Symmetric (including with Baseline or Ordinate). Default Origin is enable when using Baseline and Ordinate dimensions, where the origin of these can be set. Hole Annotations options can also be set here per Sheet type, as well as the ability to Auto Arrange Dimensions.

Once the settings are configured, the dialogue box can be OK‘d and the file saved. If these same settings are required in an existing document, the Push to Template button will allow for these settings to be applies against a pre-existing template within Fusion.