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It’s time for another sketch quick tip in Fusion 360. Ever wonder why, when sketching, circles only seem to dimension from the center point? Even though this is the default behavior, if I right-click while in the dimension constraint, I can select Pick Circle or Arc Tangent. Now when I select the circle, an x appears on the perimeter. When I click, the dimension applies to the tangent, or the outside, instead of the center point.

Where I select can also change where the dimension is applied. If I wanted to dimension the maximum condition, meaning to the far side of the circle, I’ll just click on that side when applying the dimension. As you might have guessed from the right-click description, I can also use this to dimension arcs. I can even use it between two arcs or between two circles! The possibilities are almost endless. To see this in action, check out the following QUICK TIP:

I hope this helps you create sketches that better match your design intent, and please share your favorite sketch tips in the comments!

-Marti