Design a 3D-Printable Hexagon Pot in Fusion

Watch the full Fusion Tutorial at the bottom of this blog post:

Looking for a great 3D-printed gift or a product to sell online? This hexagon pot is both stylish and functional. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the entire process in Fusion, from sketching the base to finalizing the design for 3D printing.

Step 1: Setting Up the Sketches

Every great Fusion project starts with a new component. This keeps your design organized and makes future edits easier.

We begin by creating two polygon sketches at different heights along the Z-axis. First, we’ll use a circumscribed polygon, centered at the origin, with a diameter of 100 mm. Feel free to tweak the dimensions—customization is a great way to learn.

Next, instead of closing the sketch environment, we activate the Offset Plane command, setting an offset of 50 mm to create the base for our second sketch. This time, we’ll use an inscribed polygon, also centered at the origin, positioned 50 mm above the first polygon. Now, we have two stacked polygon sketches—ready for lofting.

Step 2: Lofting the Surfaces

Instead of lofting every side manually, we take a more efficient approach. By lofting a single edge from the lower polygon to a midpoint on the upper polygon, we ensure precise alignment.

After lofting the first surface, we use the circular pattern tool to distribute it evenly around the model. With the blue axis at the center, selecting the correct rotation point is simple. Setting the pattern to six instances completes the shape.

While I could have patterned two lofted surfaces at once, demonstrating each step separately makes the process clearer. Once you’re comfortable, combining steps will speed things up.

Step 3: Sealing the Model with the Patch Command

Now that the side surfaces are in place, we need to close the top and bottom. Using the Patch command, we select the boundary edges to seal both openings. If your sketches are hidden, toggle their visibility back on to make selection easier.

Even though the model looks complete, it’s still a surface model—meaning it has zero thickness. A quick section analysis confirms this.

Step 4: Converting to a Solid Body

To make the model solid, we use the Stitch command to join all the surface pieces together. Once stitched, the section analysis now shows a fully enclosed solid model—ready for further refinements.

Step 5: Hollowing and Refining the Shape

Next, we use the Shell command to hollow out the pot, setting the wall thickness to 3 mm. This strikes a good balance between print time, material usage, and durability.

Adding a fillet to the edges enhances the design, making it look more polished while also improving printability.

Step 6: Applying Materials and Rendering

For the final look, we apply a metal flake appearance—though you can experiment with different materials. Rendering the model in Fusion’s Render workspace brings out its details.

Switching to a photobooth environment optimizes the lighting, and adjusting the focal length fine-tunes the final image. Before rendering, double-check the resolution settings to ensure high-quality output.

Step 7: Making Design Changes with Parametric Modeling

One of Fusion’s greatest strengths is parametric modeling, which allows easy modifications. For example, if we increase the top polygon’s radius from 50 mm to 75 mm, Fusion automatically updates all dependent features. This ability to iterate quickly is key to refining designs without starting over.

Final Thoughts

This hexagon pot is an excellent example of how Fusion’s surface modeling tools can be used to create complex, 3D-printable designs. You can take this project further by designing a mold for injection molding or experimenting with different dimensions for a unique look.