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open a version (maybe read-only) without promoting ?

open a version (maybe read-only) without promoting ?

It'd be awesome to be able to quickly go back into a previous version, grab a component that mysteriously disappeared (due to a crash or whatever other unknown reason) and bring it back into the current version without having to go through the whole process of promoting a past version (whcih, in addition to being annoying, non-obvious, and needlessly many steps, just psychologically feels a bit like you're risking losing all of the work that you've done since that version - and that's very much not a feeling you should be instilling into users who are already annoyed at losing work).

6 Comments
Oceanconcepts
Advisor

I am reasonably sure this idea has been suggested before (it should have been, anyway), but the search tool in the Idea Exchange isn't returning any useful results, and seems to be preferential for newest posts. It was discussed here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Get-Help-with-Fusion-360/How-does-promote-work/m-p/4450261/highlight/t...

 

But yes, it would be incredibly useful to be able to open just a copy of a version, extract a component or check some aspect of the design, and close it without mucking up the version history.

simoncrane
Contributor

From my experince over the last few months in Fusion, working with versions is potentially one of the most frustrating parts of the software to date. The natural way I have been approaching the software is to start a design and then iterate it through versions to get a final outcome. Sometimes I want to go back to a previous version and edit that as a new concept etc. These are some of the problems I am facing when using versions.

The inability to rename versions- this would be very useful because sometimes you get auto daved files which you cannot remeber where they came from etc. Also just for general file management and sorting, being able to rename these would be key.

Whenever you promote a version, it creates a copy of that version and puts it to the top of the list. Working on a number of different version/iterations in a design can quickly lead to the number of files spiralling out of control. I believe just moving the file should be enough, rather than copying it. Im not sure if Im using a stupid workflow method, but Ive been iterating on one design, creating 12 different concepts in a versions environment, and Ive ended up with 134 versions and counting becuase of various autosaves and a lot of promoting to edit different ones. Perhaps a different workflow would be better, but this is what came natural to me entering the product.

This bring me on to my 3rd problem, you cannot delete versions. As in my case, everytime you promote a version, you get a new one.  As well as all the autosaves fusion creates. This can create a large number of useless files that you do not want. Being able to delete them to streamline this would be great.

Being able to organise your version history would be great, aswell as opening a copy of the version as mentioned above.

Im nout sure I have the solution, but I beleive there needs to be a look at the workflow around versions and the management of them to allow for easier file management and file location. If I've been stupid and missed some solutions to these problems, it would be great to know.

Promoting in particular feels very weird to me.

 

I really think the right model is something closer to Git / Github with commits and checking out versions, tags/labels, and forking / branching replacing promotion (I think that's basically identical to what's there but the gui and the way of thinking about it would be different).

 

I'm not sure how you could handle merges with designs.. but if there were an elegant way of doing that, it'd be amazing.

 

The workflow could be just like software versioning where you make feature branches, merge those together, and then tag releases with a main development trunk and a way to merge bugfixes back into previous versions (ideally with nice integration into the future documentation system so that manufacturing / assembly drawings get versioned and updated properly).

Roland12345
Enthusiast

My needs are very simple. "Save" and "Save as" would be all I need, and would allow me to be much more productive with the program, especially if I could open any file at any time without promoting it. I'm sure versioning can be quite useful, but it's an annoyance to me and I wish I could turn it off.

colin.smith
Alumni
Status changed to: 実装済み
Great suggestion Scott. Members please comment and add Kudos if you think this should a top item for our team to look at. Thanks.
schneik-adsk
Community Manager
Status changed to: Implemented

Was added to March 2015 Update.

Activity pallet allows opening old version as read only.

 

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