Autodesk Fusion Intent Driven Design

The January 2026 update to Autodesk Fusion introduces a new workflow to the design process. This new workflow is called Intent Driven Design. Intent Driven Design aims to capture your design intent from the onset of the modelling phase. This will give you the ability to select the type of file intended; Part, Assembly or Hybrid. Each giving their own set of tools based on the intended use case.

Assembly Design Approaches

In any assembly design, there are a few approaches which could be used to complete the design. These include Bottom Up, Top Down, or a Hybrid of the two.

Bottom Up (Distributed Design)

This design approach is mostly used when the assembly is built from standard parts. This allows the individual parts to exist outside of the assembly file and follow their own design lifecycles. These Parts, or Sub-Assemblies, can be consumed by other assemblies within the business. They come together in different variations to create the assemblies required.

Top-Down (Multi-Body Design)

This design approach is used when the sub-components (Parts or Assemblies) are unique to the parent assembly file. This is particularly important when designs have known overall parameters, such as length, width and height, which drives the sizes of any sub-components. Creating these components in the context of the assembly allows for immediate visual feedback on sizing.

Hybrid

Using the Hybrid approach allows assemblies to combine the use of Standard and Unique components.

Either the overall design is unique, with unique parts, and only has a few standard parts (fixtures, clips, feet, lids etc).

Or most of the design itself uses standard componentry. Yet, based on the unique configuration of the assembly, certain sub-components are unique to the assembly itself (gaskets, plates, brackets of varying widths/hole positions etc). The unique components may drive the positions of standard parts, or the standard parts may drive the sizing or configuration of the unique parts. The assembly then acts as the central model for this workflow.

Intent Driven Design Workflow

Unit now, Fusion has used the hybrid design approach, where you can create internal components within a design file, or add external components into an assembly. However, this can become a tedious process and isn’t always straightforward. With the introduction of Intent Driven Design, when creating any new file, we are given a choice between Part, Assembly or Hybrid design. Along with a few other file types.

Based on the file design type selected, you will follow different workflows.

Part Design

This will be used in the Bottom-Up or Hybrid design approach.

Design this part by sketching, modelling or detailing and repeat as needed for each part.

We then need to add the Parts to the Assembly which can be done in two different ways. Within the Part file, there is an ‘Add to Assembly‘ tool which will let you create a new Assembly design, or select an existing design to add your part to. Alternative, components can be added within the assembly files themselves.

Assembly Design

This design type can technically be used in all three design types; Bottom Up, Top Down and Hybrid. But will be mostly used for Bottom Up and Top Down.

Bottom Up: Create a new Assembly design, insert and constrain external Parts and Assemblies as required.

Top Down: Create a new Assembly design, create new component, design component in Assembly context (Sketch, Model Detail). Repeat as needed.

The new component in an Assembly file will only create external components, the dialogue will let you name the new component, and select a location in which to save the file.

Hybrid Design

The design type takes the same principles as the Part and Assembly designs but supports the creation of Internal Components in addition to the use of External Components. The hybrid workflow enables both Bottom-Up and Top-Down options during the design of an assembly.

In addition to having a combination of tools from both the Assembly and Part design types, the new component dialogue includes an option to create an internal component; this component would only exist within this file.

This file type also allows Bodies created within the file to promote to components, giving a third option for the creation of components.

Converting Types

If you have accidentally chosen the wrong Design Type or just want to switch types during the development of a design, here is an option to Convert the Design Type. This is found within the Model Browser, Document Settings. While hovering over the Design Type and clicking on the Pencil symbol, this will bring up the Convert options.

New Design Options

Part files have the option between Standard Parts, and Sheet Metal Parts.

All design types have the option of a Unit System. The default option can be set in your install preferences, and a custom variation can be selected in this dropdown.