While these factors can easily be taken care of by using a pen and paper, a lot of calculations and thought are still left on the table. You need to know the exact dimensions, the angles, the process, and the extras that you will need while you’re working. You can’t just get your hands on some wood and some instruments and start carving through them.

What do all these things have in common? They all require proper planning. This is where design software like Fusion 360 for woodworking comes into the picture. You can easily make a small utensil or ornament with a piece of softwood, like birch, and a whittling knife, but when it comes to bigger products, you need to put a lot of thought and planning into it. It is no different when it comes to woodworking design. Your thought process is what makes or breaks everything today. Most things that had to be made by hand, including manual labor and brute force, are now automated, making it convenient for you to focus on the creative aspects of a project rather than on the grunt work associated with it. Many of these projects include design files which will give you a jump start on completing your first Fusion project, and put you on the path to becoming a CAD pro.We have come to a point in the world where technology has made things easier than ever.

To help you get your feet wet, I've gathered a range of projects that use Fusion 360, from simple custom brass rings to more complex wooden sunglasses, to one of my own more involved designs, a desk that transforms into a bar.

Either way, it will take your skills to the next level. You can use it to create paper templates that can be cut out by hand (see my Digital Fabrication by Hand Instructable) or design for digital fabrication machines like 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC mills. It's a free 3D and 2D modeling program that helps you design just about anything, exactly the way you want it. Fusion 360 is a great place to begin exploring these questions. When you like to make things, whether from wood, textiles, metal, plastics, or paper, sooner or later you wonder if CAD (computer assisted design) could make the process faster, easier, or more controllable.

Learn fusion 360 for woodworking