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A commonly asked question we see is “How do I set my units?” Let’s walk through the various ways you can set or change your units in Autodesk Fusion.

Setting units correctly is essential for accurate modeling and communication in Autodesk Fusion. Whether you’re working in inches, millimeters, or another measurement system, Fusion provides several ways to set or change your units to fit your project needs. This article walks you through how to set units at various stages in Fusion—from individual designs to your overall default preferences.

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How to set units in a new or existing design

When you start a new design in Fusion, the first step to setting your units is through the Document Settings. Look for the gear icon in the browser panel. Clicking this expands your document settings where you’ll see the current active units displayed.

To change these, click on the “Change Active Units” link. This opens a dialog box that lets you select the unit system you want for that specific design, such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet. It’s important to note that changing units here affects only the active design—it does not modify units in any other existing projects you have open.

Additionally, within this dialog, there is a “Set as Default” option. If you often work in a particular unit system like millimeters, selecting this sets your preferred units as the default for any new designs moving forward. This helps you avoid manually changing units every time you create a new design.

How to set default units for all designs in Fusion

Beyond setting units on a design-by-design basis, Fusion allows you to configure overall default units in your Preferences. To access this, click your account icon or username in the upper-right corner and select “Preferences” from the dropdown menu.

Inside the Preferences dialog, navigate to the “Design” section found on the left-hand menu. Here, you will see the option to pick default units for all new designs. This means every time you start a new design, Fusion automatically applies your chosen measurement system without needing manual input.

Furthermore, Fusion lets you customize default units for specialized workflows: Manufacturing, Simulation, and Generative Design. By setting these defaults, you ensure consistent units across all aspects of your projects, saving time and reducing errors in unit conversions.

How to specify units for 2D drawings

Another place where setting units matters is when generating 2D drawings from your 3D designs. Fusion lets you specify what measurement units your 2D drawings should use independently from the 3D model units.

For example, you might create a 3D model in inches but want to have your drawing dimensions appear in millimeters. This flexibility helps when sharing drawings with colleagues or suppliers who prefer certain units or when working across regions with different unit standards.

How to use unit conversion in sketch dimensions

In flexible design workflows, you might need to input dimensions in alternative units without changing your entire design’s unit system. Fusion allows you to do this directly during sketching by typing a number followed by the desired unit during dimension input.

For instance, if your active units are in inches but you want to add a dimension in millimeters, simply type the dimension number and add “mm” after it. Fusion automatically converts that measurement to the active unit system while keeping your design consistent.

This unit conversion feature is convenient for quickly referencing measurements without having to change or remember which unit system your project uses.

How to set units in Fusion

In summary, setting units in Autodesk Fusion is straightforward and customizable at multiple levels:

1. Change units per design via Document Settings using the gear icon and “Change Active Units.”
2. Set default units globally through Preferences under the Design section for new designs and specific areas like Manufacturing and Simulation.
3. Customize 2D drawing units independently from 3D model units for better drawing communication.
4. Use inline unit conversion when entering sketch dimensions by typing the measurement number followed by the unit abbreviation.

And there you have it, set your units to avoid conversion errors, and make sure that your designs meet project requirements no matter the measurement system in use.

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