The 2d Drawing Environment

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this.  I've posted in the Idea Station, starting my own post and commenting on others but haven't really had any response so figured I'd try here.

Im finding the 2d drafting environment in Fusion sadly lacking and as a result am not able to produce drawings of the quality that I can with my current setup.  I've seen a lot of posts on the Idea Station requesting drawing features and some (including me) feel that a major overhaul of the 2d drawing environment is required to bring it in to line with other competitor packages.  I've see people posting on the forum saying that the can only use F360 as a 'hobby' package, due to the shortcomings in the drafting environment. 

I'd like to know when / if the F360 development team will be putting some time into developing the 2d environment.  It is so far behind other applications that it renders F360 pretty much useless (for me) as a commercial modelling and drafting tool.  I see no point in spending time drawing up a model, developing and then rendering, if I can't then communicate the design to clients, fabricators and fitters on paper. 

I've had a Fusion (paid) licence for 2 years and have seen no progress on this; as such I'm thinking I'll just cut my losses and look for an alternative piece of software that will allow me to model AND draft to the level required.  I don't want to do this, because I can see that 'when' the 2d environment is overhauled, F360 will be a very powerful and well priced piece of software.  For now, for me, its just not worth spending the time modelling anything up in F360, as I can't then communicate the design effectively on paper.

Below is a list of topics I pulled from the first 2 pages of the 'drawings' ideas board (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/idb-p/125/label-name/drawings), so it's by no means an exhaustive list.  Every single topic is asking for improvements to be made to the drafting environment to improve functionality and, as far as I'm aware, all of these are issues that are still not resolved (some of them date back to 2016 and are duplicated in subsequent posts)!  Many of these seem like simple updates - allowing more font sizes, allowing coloured lines and text, better title blocks, custom paper sizes, more freedom to place items on page (balloons), import vector images (not just raster), sketching in 2d workspace, copy and paste text boxes, hatch type options.... etc, etc, etc.

As I said, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but there have been no responses from any of the posts in the Idea Station area so I figured I'd try my luck here.  One of the comments in list below was that "the drawing environment appears to be stuck in a early beta version - it is impossible to make correct 2D drawings of even very basic geometry" - this has been my experience and it is the main (infact, probably the only) reason that I'm currently searching for an alternative software option to Fusion.  I really hope there will be some indication soon that there will be some much needed development to the 2d workspace - I know I'm not alone in my frustration at the shortcomings in this area....

Thanks

Sam

List below (from first 2 pages of ideas station) requesting 2d workspace improvements.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawing-improvements/idi-p/8632714

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawing-space-needs-to-be-stronger/idi-p/85...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/insert-vector-graphics-into-2d-drawing/idi-p/8...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-geometry-in-drawings/idi-p/8672779

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/basic-functionality-of-drawings-environment/id...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-tools-should-catch-up-with-every-cad-p...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/improving-the-drawing-workspace-fusion-360/idi...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-utilities/idi-p/8366543

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/features-needed-in-2d-drawings/idi-p/8103137

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/please-upgrade-the-title-block-for-the-technic...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketch-option-in-drawings/idi-p/8050608

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/add-some-missing-drawing-features-like-in-inve...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/extend-titleblock-attribute-types-for-auto-pop...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/more-text-height-options-for-annotations/idi-p...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/control-of-line-weights-in-drawing-mode/idi-p/...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/support-for-showing-sketches-in-the-drawing-en...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketching-use-different-colors-for-different-l...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/basic-drawing-tools-in-drawing/idi-p/7997884

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/creating-drawings-different-layers-or-colors-f...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/dimensions-angled-to-horizontal-vertical/idi-p...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-environment-improvements/idi-p/7916292

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/allow-free-hand-sketching-in-drawing-layouts/i...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/weld-symbols-in-fusion-360-drawings/idi-p/5722...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/changing-line-weight-and-font-size/idi-p/58831...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawings-need-more-options-for-dimensions/i...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/in-sketch-mode-make-lines-in-current-sketch-th...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/request-to-bring-sketch-option-into-fusion-360...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawings-need-improvement/idi-p/6017568

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketching-on-2d-drawing/idi-p/8417362

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/dimension-colour-change-in-a-2d-drawing/idi-p/...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-manually-add-different-colors-thicknes...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketch-into-2d-drawing/idi-p/7423099

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/better-drawing-function/idi-p/6341578

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this.  I've posted in the Idea Station, starting my own post and commenting on others but haven't really had any response so figured I'd try here.

Im finding the 2d drafting environment in Fusion sadly lacking and as a result am not able to produce drawings of the quality that I can with my current setup.  I've seen a lot of posts on the Idea Station requesting drawing features and some (including me) feel that a major overhaul of the 2d drawing environment is required to bring it in to line with other competitor packages.  I've see people posting on the forum saying that the can only use F360 as a 'hobby' package, due to the shortcomings in the drafting environment. 

I'd like to know when / if the F360 development team will be putting some time into developing the 2d environment.  It is so far behind other applications that it renders F360 pretty much useless (for me) as a commercial modelling and drafting tool.  I see no point in spending time drawing up a model, developing and then rendering, if I can't then communicate the design to clients, fabricators and fitters on paper. 

I've had a Fusion (paid) licence for 2 years and have seen no progress on this; as such I'm thinking I'll just cut my losses and look for an alternative piece of software that will allow me to model AND draft to the level required.  I don't want to do this, because I can see that 'when' the 2d environment is overhauled, F360 will be a very powerful and well priced piece of software.  For now, for me, its just not worth spending the time modelling anything up in F360, as I can't then communicate the design effectively on paper.

Below is a list of topics I pulled from the first 2 pages of the 'drawings' ideas board (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/idb-p/125/label-name/drawings), so it's by no means an exhaustive list.  Every single topic is asking for improvements to be made to the drafting environment to improve functionality and, as far as I'm aware, all of these are issues that are still not resolved (some of them date back to 2016 and are duplicated in subsequent posts)!  Many of these seem like simple updates - allowing more font sizes, allowing coloured lines and text, better title blocks, custom paper sizes, more freedom to place items on page (balloons), import vector images (not just raster), sketching in 2d workspace, copy and paste text boxes, hatch type options.... etc, etc, etc.

As I said, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but there have been no responses from any of the posts in the Idea Station area so I figured I'd try my luck here.  One of the comments in list below was that "the drawing environment appears to be stuck in a early beta version - it is impossible to make correct 2D drawings of even very basic geometry" - this has been my experience and it is the main (infact, probably the only) reason that I'm currently searching for an alternative software option to Fusion.  I really hope there will be some indication soon that there will be some much needed development to the 2d workspace - I know I'm not alone in my frustration at the shortcomings in this area....

Thanks

Sam

List below (from first 2 pages of ideas station) requesting 2d workspace improvements.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawing-improvements/idi-p/8632714

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawing-space-needs-to-be-stronger/idi-p/85...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/insert-vector-graphics-into-2d-drawing/idi-p/8...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-geometry-in-drawings/idi-p/8672779

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/basic-functionality-of-drawings-environment/id...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-tools-should-catch-up-with-every-cad-p...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/improving-the-drawing-workspace-fusion-360/idi...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-utilities/idi-p/8366543

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/features-needed-in-2d-drawings/idi-p/8103137

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/please-upgrade-the-title-block-for-the-technic...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketch-option-in-drawings/idi-p/8050608

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/add-some-missing-drawing-features-like-in-inve...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/extend-titleblock-attribute-types-for-auto-pop...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/more-text-height-options-for-annotations/idi-p...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/control-of-line-weights-in-drawing-mode/idi-p/...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/support-for-showing-sketches-in-the-drawing-en...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketching-use-different-colors-for-different-l...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/basic-drawing-tools-in-drawing/idi-p/7997884

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/creating-drawings-different-layers-or-colors-f...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/dimensions-angled-to-horizontal-vertical/idi-p...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-environment-improvements/idi-p/7916292

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/allow-free-hand-sketching-in-drawing-layouts/i...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/weld-symbols-in-fusion-360-drawings/idi-p/5722...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/changing-line-weight-and-font-size/idi-p/58831...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawings-need-more-options-for-dimensions/i...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/in-sketch-mode-make-lines-in-current-sketch-th...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/request-to-bring-sketch-option-into-fusion-360...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/2d-drawings-need-improvement/idi-p/6017568

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketching-on-2d-drawing/idi-p/8417362

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/dimension-colour-change-in-a-2d-drawing/idi-p/...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/drawing-manually-add-different-colors-thicknes...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/sketch-into-2d-drawing/idi-p/7423099

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation/better-drawing-function/idi-p/6341578

[whittakerdw]

You are not alone but sadly the best place to post this is the IdeaStation.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your response @whittakerdw.  Given the number of separate requests on the Idea Station for drawing environment improvements (a selection of which are listed in my post) I don't hold out much hope!!!  As I said I've been keeping a weather eye on this for 2 years and have seen no real improvements to the 2d space in that time.

The fact that every single thread in the idea station is voted on individually means that many of these ideas may never get off the ground.  I bet there are 10 plus threads that ask for an option to have more than 3 font sizes (for instance); if all of those are considered separately then the request will never fly.  Surely there should be a wishlist that people can vote on where suggestions from multiple posts are collated - perhaps there is (anyone know)??

Im sure there are some users who rarely if ever need to get a design onto paper but from my 20 years of professional design experience, these will be in the minority.  I understand that rapid prototyping / 3d printing is changing the way things work, but even if a manufacturer only produces rapid prototypes or 3d prints, there is still a requirement for a decent 2d drawing to show how the overall assembly fits together.  If you look at it just in terms of potential user numbers, Autodesk are either missing completely or (as in my case) turning off potential users by not having a stronger drafting workspace.  

I just don't understand how F360 can be adopted by professionals with such a weak and constrictive 2d environment?

[whittakerdw]

Trust me I understand exactly where you are coming from. About a year ago, just to show how long I personally had been trying to improve the 2D environment, I posted in the design, validate & document forum only for it to get moved to the IdeaStation. After that it got maybe 2 or 3 votes and that was that. I went through and voted on similar posts and even posted a few more times and still nothing. Its not something I'm holding my breath for and after seeing how many others had posted and still nothing had happened I quit trying.

[Anonymous]

Thanks again @whittakerdw - appreciate your comments.

I hope you don't mind if I don't mark this as 'resolved'.  I just don't understand how the 2d side of design can stay so low down the priority list!

[whittakerdw]

No by all means leave it as unresolved. Maybe it will get the attention of more people if it is left unresolved.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if there is a way to see who has voted on ideas in the idea station?  If a 'wishlist' was started that collated all the suggestions that people had voted on and everyone who started a thread or voted on a thread could be notified then it (the wishlist thread with all the ideas on) might stand a chance of gathering enough support / votes to get moved up the agenda...

[stollartist64]

Great idea! Can a link be posted to this voting? I'm new to this and not sure where to find it. I will vote right now!

Thanks

[Anonymous]

@stollartist64  - I wrote the post above because I was getting frustrated with making suggestions and voting on lots of 'ideas' on the idea station (that were calling for improvements in the 2d drawing environment). 

I was essentially finding that there were multiple 'ideas' all asking for roughly the same thing; each idea had a smattering of votes not enough individually to get them added.  I was keen to see if there was a way to collate the suggestion into a longer list and then contact and encourage all the people who posted individually (requesting features) AND all the people who voted for each idea to vote on one idea / thread so that we could collectively get more votes for all the feature requests in one place.  I haven't had time to read through all the 'drafting environment feature request' threads (as you can see from my message there are a LOT), contact the authors and then try to find the people who voted for them.  I think the demand for these 2d features is getting missed because there are so many different threads calling for the same thing!