Generative Design overview

Use Generative Design in Fusion to create multiple designs that meet your geometric, performance, and manufacturing requirements. You can then explore the designs to select the optimal one for manufacture.

What is Generative Design?

Generative Design is a multi-objective design exploration tool that helps you discover new ways to design parts with geometric, manufacturability, and performance constraints. After you specify initial inputs, it automatically provides you with multiple editable design solutions using a single cloud solve. Generative Design enables you to design beyond the human imagination and develop manufacturing-ready solutions that you might not otherwise consider.

Watch this short video to learn about what you can achieve with Generative Design in Fusion.

Access the Generative Design workspace

To use Generative Design, you need to work in the Generative Design workspace, which you can access from the Workspace menu list.

GD workflow

To access Generative Design, you must have one of the following entitlements:

A commercial subscription to Fusion.
An active trial of Fusion.
A current start-up license of Fusion.
A valid educational license of Fusion.

To perform Generative Design tasks you can use one of the following ways:

Use the Fusion Simulation Extension and generate numerous studies without limits.
Use tokens each time you generate a study (unless on the Fusion Simulation Extension or 14 day extension trial).

If you can't see the Generative Design workspace watch this short video:

Note: The capabilities previously offered by the Generative Design Extension are now available as part of the Fusion Simulation Extension.

Generative Design workflow

When in the Generative Design workspace, use the tools to work through the different stages of creating a generatively designed part. These stages are:

Edit a model to make changes specific to the requirements of a generative study.
Set up a study by specifying the design space, conditions, and criteria.
Generate and Explore outcomes to identify the manufacturing-ready solution that best meets your requirements.

GD workflow

An example of a typical workflow to generate outcomes with Generative Design in Fusion

To familiarize yourself with the Generative Design workspace, its basic tools and the primary workflow, see: Tutorial: GE bracket quick start.

Note: Try a new Fluid Path study available to members of the Fusion Insider Program.

Examples demonstrating key benefits of generative design

Generative Design has lots of different applications that can help improve your design and manufacturing processes. Here are some examples of how Fusion customers are using Generative Design to improve their processes:

EXAMPLE	BENEFIT
	MANUFACTURABLE OUTCOMES Evaluate multiple manufacturing methods using Generative Design and discover solutions to improve and optimize product durability and eliminate areas of weakness. MJK Performance used generative design to create a set of triple clamps for a drag bike. The resulting designs were not only lighter and stronger but appropriately stylish and fully machinable on a 2.5-axis mill. Learn more.
	QUICKER PROTOTYPING Quickly identify solutions to minimize mass and material used while maintaining performance standards, meeting design goals, and respecting engineering constraints. VOLVE combined AI-powered design with flight simulation and generative design tools in Fusion to automate the design of a lightweight, high stiffness racing drone frame. Learn more.
	LIGHT WEIGHTING Meet your light weighting and sustainability goals by using generative design to reduce material usage which in turn decreases production waste. It also helps you explore the impact of using different types of materials. Briggs Automotive Company used generative design to create one of the lightest wheels in the world. With a weight of only 2.2 kilograms (4,8 lbs), BAC produced a wheel that was 35% lighter than the previous version and could be manufactured traditionally on a CNC mill. Learn more.
	COST REDUCTIONS Explore a range of design solutions that allow you to consolidate multiple components into solid parts, reducing assembly costs and simplifying your supply chain. PIX Moving uses generative design in Fusion, robotics, and 3D printing to create a decentralized way of automotive manufacturing. Learn more.

Useful links

Use the following resources to expand your knowledge of Generative Design in Fusion:

Tutorials: This area of learning content consists of a series of tutorials that provide you with detailed, step-by-step instructions for a variety of different tasks, and are a great way to get started with Generative Design in Fusion.
Generative Design learning path: The path includes a series of five courses containing videos that guide you through the generative workflow, key features, and concepts. To get started with Generative Design in Fusion, we recommend that you complete the five courses in sequence.
Fusion YouTube channel: On this channel you can find general and useful videos on how to use Fusion. Also here you can find videos that are specific to Generative Design.
Get certified: On this page you can find information about the details of the Autodesk Certified Expert in Generative Design for Manufacturing certification. How to prepare for certification exam and how to earn it.
Automated Modeling: Try our new Automated Modeling tool that provides you with inspiration to accelerate your development process. Simply by choosing the connection points in your design and any geometries to avoid, Fusion can automatically generate a range of suggested geometry for you to consider.

Additional tips

360 LIVE: Generative Design Tips & Tricks