Some holes in the cloud

[Oceanconcepts]

As much as I'm liking the Fusion Beta- and I'm liking it  a lot- the one thing that gives me considerable anxiety is the lack of local file storage/ local program access/ as an alternative to the cloud.  When connectivity is lost or something goes south with the Autodesk severs, there is absolutely nothing to be done except wait.  You could not even show someone a non-editable version. 

From what I can see, the PLM 360 error message appears when there is a remote server problem- am I correct?  I did not get that message today, though I had a local access problem here.  I didn't realize our internet had been down for quite a while- possibly hours. I was also pushing to do something "real" on Fusion for the first time, something I need to show our licensee next week.  I experienced the hang where the mouse won't disengage from the view cube. Quitting and restarting and trying to sign back on, I only get this guy:

 

Uploading cached versions after a crash or lost connections seems hit or miss, and there is no obvious way to check and see how much work I may have lost.  After a crash, this message appears, but it's not clear what effect, if any, clicking on it has.

No way to know when access to the program or the work I was doing will be restored. I know the point was made on the old forum, but it's going to be crucial to have a way out or a safety net when internet connectivity fails.

[Anonymous]

Some of the longest and most heated threads on the beta forums have been about the 'offline' issue. I think AD is trying really hard to make this a predominatnly-cloud app, but it seems like users (myself included) want something a little closer to solid ground. Not sure how they plan to deal with the issue, but I for one won't be adopting the tool until a solid offline solution is implemented.

[Oceanconcepts]

Yes, from what I understand by the replies on the old forum, an "offline" mode is seen as important by Autodesk, but not all capabilities might be enabled.  File conversion, for instance, might be best hosted on the cloud - certainly something I could live with.   I understand that if the cloud functionality is to be tested the beta would probably need to have that configuration alone, just so it gets used and tested. I'm hoping for a relatively smooth transition for those times when connectivity goes away.  

It does seem to me that there should be some sort of client side program notification if connectivity is lost, to let you know your work is not being saved- but I didn't see anything. 

[keqingsong]

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@Oceanconcepts wrote:

Yes, from what I understand by the replies on the old forum, an "offline" mode is seen as important by Autodesk, but not all capabilities might be enabled.  File conversion, for instance, might be best hosted on the cloud - certainly something I could live with.   I understand that if the cloud functionality is to be tested the beta would probably need to have that configuration alone, just so it gets used and tested. I'm hoping for a relatively smooth transition for those times when connectivity goes away.  

It does seem to me that there should be some sort of client side program notification if connectivity is lost, to let you know your work is not being saved- but I didn't see anything. 

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This is a very valuable discussion. We definitely see the value in an offline mode and are working hard figure out the details on how to make it work for everyone. In the mean time,as we migrate closer to the new dashboard experience, the latest update of Fusion 360 includes an export archive feature that allows you to save your work locally. Here is how to access it:

Does this help?

[Oceanconcepts]

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@keqingsong wrote:

....

Does this help?

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Probably for some things.  If I knew internet connectivity had been lost, I could keep working knowing I would be able to save changes locally- that's an improvement, provided I know that the connection was lost and save the archive before quitting the program.  It's not clear to me that I would be able to open this archive without a server connection.  Right now that connection seems necessary to start Fusion, though Fusion seems able to keep on running without connectivity. It's a step in the right direction. 

Ron

[keqingsong]

I hear ya. Definitely good feedback; will relay this to the team.

[michaelpgeyer]

Ron - thanks for bringing this up. Offline for Fusion 360 is a frequently discussed topic here at Autodesk. The more this community can help validate use cases and clarify expectations for offline, the better it will be when we finally get it. 

Keep pushing and help us make this stuff better.

Mike

[maruska]

On-line only is a deal breaker for me as well. We often find ourselves working onsite with a client overseas with limited network access. I wouldn't trust any real work to be done via an online only solution.

J.

[michaelpgeyer]

Josh - Mike Geyer here. Not sure if you remember me, Autodesk guy who visited your company a few times in Seattle. Have been thinking we need to get you involved in this beta and maybe some speaking opportunities or something. hit me up at mike.geyer@autodesk.com

[maruska]

Hey Mike! I'm on the beta - travel schedule has been a bit wonky lately so haven't been as engaged as I'd like to be on this one.

I hope to get some more time in on it over the next week though...