BUG: Cannot access files in "Work Offline" mode

[garygchouvln]

A. Scenario/Prerequisites:

1. Use Fusion 360 normally via Internet access.
2. Do NOT toggle "Work Offline".
3. Go to location without Internet access.
4. Open up Fusion 360.

B. Problem Statement:

1. After A.4., I am unable to open the file I want to work on. I assume this is because Fusion 360 cannot access the Cloud without Internet.
2. Sometimes after A.3., Fusion 360 will not even open, saying you don't have Internet access.

Suggested Solution:

1. Have Fusion 360 always save files locally while also mirroring to the Cloud.
2. Have a "Data Friendly" mode, where Fusion 360 defaults to "Work Offline", syncing files with the Cloud only when you return to reliable and fast Internet.

C. Rebuttals:

1. Not everybody works in an office tied to cable Internet. Remote work is here to stay.
2. Not every place in the United States (much less world) has Internet. This impacts remote workers. In a 1.5 month roadtrip, I probably had reliable Internet 75% of the time.
3. In the event that you have Internet, and it is slow, then it also means Cloud operations may run slowly.
4. Also, when Internet at your hotel/motel/AirBnB is down, there is not often much the staff can do about it in a timely manner. It's not likely the front desk staff or the middle-age parents you're staying with are also IT professionals.
5. Tethering to a cell phone is not a sustainable option. Tethering/hotspot data limitations on phone plans are VERY restrictive. Most tethering options are unusable after a finite amount of data is used, even "unlimited" options.
6. I understand there may also be license fraud concerns if Fusion 360 is not always connected to the Internet. However, keep in mind that other CAD packages allow offline usage. For example, Solidworks allows a user to check out a license via their Flexnet license server. They also allow users to check out files in PDM to work offline.

[jeff_strater]

This is exactly what "Add to Offline Cache" is for:

this marks a design as being available when you have no internet access, or you choose to work offline.  It does take some forethought, but, Fusion is by nature a cloud-centric product, and is likely never going to implement the workflow you propose.