Circle

Draw a circle from its centre, or through three points: wheels, dowels, knobs and round holes.

What other CAD programs call it
SchoolCAD	Onshape	Fusion	SOLIDWORKS
2-point circle	–	2-Point Circle	Perimeter Circle
2-tangent circle	–	2-Tangent Circle	Perimeter Circle (tangent)
3-tangent circle	–	3-Tangent Circle	Perimeter Circle (3 tangent)
Circle	Center point circle	Center Diameter Circle	Circle
3-point circle	3 point circle	3-Point Circle	Perimeter Circle

Circles make round parts and round holes: a wheel, a dowel, a knob, a hole for a cable or a pencil. There are two circle tools.

Tool	How to draw it
Circle `C`	Click the centre, then click to set the size.
3-point circle	Click three points the circle passes through. It is under the ▾ next to Circle.

How to use it#

In a sketch, click Circle, or press C.
Click the centre: for example the origin, or a corner of your shape.
Move out and click to set the size. The pointer shows the diameter, such as Ø40 mm.
Use Dimension D: click the circle, click where the size goes, and type the diameter.

More ways to draw a circle are under the ▾ next to Circle:

Tool	How to draw it	Good for
3-point circle	Click three points the circle passes through. Points you click on (such as corners) stay on it.	A circle through three corners.
2-point circle	Click the two ends of its diameter (Fusion: 2-Point Circle).	A circle that just fits between two points.
2-tangent circle	Click two lines, arcs or circles, then where the circle goes between them (Fusion: 2-Tangent Circle).	A round corner pad, or a wheel touching two edges.
3-tangent circle	Click three lines, arcs or circles (Fusion: 3-Tangent Circle).	The biggest circle inside a triangle, or a roller between three parts.

Tangent circles stay touching what you clicked (tangent constraints), so they follow when those change.

A circle inside another closed shape makes a hole: a circle inside a rectangle gives a board with a round hole when you extrude it.
Dimension a circle and you get its diameter (Ø). An arc gives its radius (R).
For two circles with the same centre, such as a washer, select both and click Concentric (◎).
To make several circles the same size, select them and click Equal (=).
For drilled holes with screw sizes, countersinks or counterbores, use Hole. It puts a hole at the centre of each circle in the sketch, and at each point you placed with Point.

Those three points are in a straight line, so no circle goes through them. Try again. Click three points that are not in a line.