Hackster PRO in the Wild: Will Donaldson Is Heading to Autodesk University

Hey there! I’m Will, and I’m heading to Autodesk University 2025 (AU2025) as a Hackster PRO and I want to bring you along for the journey! I’ll be diving into hands-on workshops that explore how Fusion can seamlessly unify MCAD and ECAD, learning the ways generative design is reshaping CNC manufacturing, and discovering how Autodesk is exploring the use of agentic AI in software tools. I’ll be filming my complete experience that you can follow along on Hackster’s official YouTube Channel.

But, who am I?

Day to day, I wear the hat of a freelance creative technologist. My projects range wildly: custom trade-show booths (think competitive bike-race game), activations for children's science museums, hardware prototypes like a joystick controller for an electric wheelchair, and interactive art that’s lit up the playa at Burning Man. I also post educational tutorials and build videos on YouTube.

These unconventional projects mirror the unconventional path that got me here. I have a formal background in mathematical physics, but my only “official” coding class was a first-year Python course with my only exposure to circuits being the theoretical application of Ohm’s law in intro physics.

Everything else I use day to day, I learned online. From my first Arduino blinky-light circuit to now designing custom PCBs and soldering tiny SMD components, I’ve learned by following other makers. From GreatScott! and Paul McWhorter to Sayanee Basu and DroneBot Workshop, I owe a lot to creators who share their knowledge freely. In many ways, my education was hacked together (like a Hackster) and now I’m passionate about paying it forward by making free educational content of my own.

That’s why I’m incredibly excited to head to AU2025. It’s a chance to sharpen my skills, connect with industry experts, and bring you along through the short form videos I’ll be creating for Hackster. Hopefully it sparks inspiration for your next project!

What I’ll be doing at AU2025

If you’ve ever been curious what Autodesk University is like, this is a great chance to follow along as I discover everything it has to offer.

With literally 586 sessions crammed into three days, I’m approaching the schedule through the lens of a hobbyist, tinkerer, and Hackster. I’ll be focusing on Fusion software sessions to see how MCAD and ECAD can work seamlessly together, sharpen constraints and assemblies in my parametric designs, and learn where generative design can be utilized in CNC fabrication.

I’ve already made a three-part tutorial series on designing PCBs in Fusion, but I feel like I am only just scraping the surface of what this software can do. I can’t wait to learn some new tricks and share them with you.

Sessions I'll be attending:

3332 | Fusion Community Meetup: Discover Avnet & meet Hackster

• I’ll be hanging out with the Avnet and Hackster teams, please come say hi if you are around! I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

1032 | From Schematics to Reality: Turbocharging Mechatronics with Autodesk Fusion

• Because who wouldn’t want to see how Fusion can be used in the design process of a Raspberry Pi controlled NERF turret?

2897 | Reimagining Assembly Design with Agent AI: A New Paradigm for Intelligent Systems

• I’m curious how agentic AI is being used in real CAD workflows. Two years ago I made a video called “ChatGPT Taught Me How To Build A Robot From Scratch”. I'm curious to see what has changed since, and what’s coming up around the corner.

2574 | Crafting Your Own Rabbit Bell: Integrating Seamless MCAD and ECAD in Autodesk Fusion

• Any excuse to build something in a workshop and I’ll be there! Although I am also curious to pick up some new skills in PCB design and synchronization between MCAD and ECAD.

5411 | Rock the Workflow: Music, Tech, and the Future of Design

• I'll be at this event to learn more about the Avnet Add-In for Autodesk Fusion and to watch a live performance too.

See you there!

If you’re also at AU2025 and see me roaming, say hi. If you can’t make it, follow along via Hackster’s YouTube channel and maybe I’ll see you there next year!