[CLOSED] What's your experience working in the cloud vs. Offline Mode?

[Allison.Leach]

The UX team wants to learn about your experience working in the cloud and Offline Mode, so that we can continue to improve our collaboration features.

• Do you find on design data in the cloud helpful? Have you had troubles with syncing data / privacy? Have clients requested you work offline?

• Do you use Offline Mode today? Why or why not?

• How do you typically share data that was created in Fusion 360? Why do you like to do it this way?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[GRSnyder]

I've been curious about offline mode, mostly to see if it makes the UI more responsive. However, the fact that it apparently turns off versioning has discouraged me from trying it. That's a pretty significant change in functionality.

[jeff_strater]

@GRSnyder - yes, versioning is one of the under-appreciated benefits to cloud data, IMO.  Also, I would not expect (nor have I experienced) offline being noticeably faster than online.  There is a tiny bit of "phoning home" that goes on when online (but that can be disabled by turning off analytics), but for the most part, the network is only involved at Save and Open time.

[Allison.Leach]

These are great points.

Would you work offline more if there was the same functionality as online?

And do you need Fusion's cloud capabilities to share data? Or do you tend to use another tool/method for this?

[GRSnyder]

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@Allison.Leach wrote: Would you work offline more if there was the same functionality as online? And do you need Fusion's cloud capabilities to share data? Or do you tend to use another tool/method for this?

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It sounds like you're following up on my post above, but I'm probably not the best person to be commenting on cloud features. My "collaboration" is pretty much limited to using other people's designs as a starting point or looking at models posted on these forums, so the propagation is typically offline.

My overall comment is that as a user who doesn't have much to gain from cloud features per se, I find the current system remarkably non-annoying. It's pretty good at staying out of the way.

The sluggishness of the Data Panel UI used to make me actively avoid it, but it has gotten much better over the last year. That was a primary motivation for being interested in offline mode: could I ditch the Data Panel entirely or at least make it faster? But that's less relevant now, and as Jeff Strater mentioned, it probably  wouldn't make much difference to performance. I don't think I have any real interest in "offline mode" per se - I use Fusion 360 on a desktop machine, and my Internet connection is pretty reliable.

My main remaining gripe is that the process used to import (local) files is tedious and obstructive. Why can't I just open these files directly? Yes, yes, I know they have to go through the cloud for import, but why do I have to supervise every step of that process: open the Upload panel, drag in the files, choose where to put them, upload, wait for conversion, then open the converted model? I'd be happy to designate a temporary folder in the cloud hierarchy where Fusion 360 can put new uploads. If I want to keep them, I'll resave them where I actually want them. Just let me double-click the darn files.

[dd.stork]

Working using the cloud/fusion teams was totally new to me after 5+ years of working with MCAD. Currently I am in a team of just me, reviewing designs with one other colleague.

Working with data in the cloud, provided that the data is safe as Autodesk assures, is fantastic for a company which doesn't need a VPM environment used by medium/big companies. It takes care of versioning and I can work from different locations as if I was bringing my workstation with me, this is a modern and wise approach.

I go into offline mode 20 times per day because I have a weak network connection at home. I saw no major functionality problems during these downtimes, just some minor ones:

• The offline mode baloon seems unavoidable and obstructs the interface on top-right while it is displayed; 
• When saving in offline mode, there is some disorienting behaviour because new version doesn't get updated until it goes back online (so I think I'm working on V6 while I'm actually in V7) and no user comment is prompted so I suppose a default one will be saved (that's not always what I want)
• Sometimes the network down event causes the entire application to hang for about 20 seconds.

I share data exporting STEPs or STL for manufacturing by now. Because it is not very handy to handle many (redundant) exported data on teams, I save them on company's Sharepoint site, mainly because it is shared among all company (even non-techincal members) and Office365, mail attachments etc..)

[Anonymous]

Did loose tools / tool libraries twice since having fusion360 in the cloud, and lost hand full of projects / project versions as well. Offline is a thing of the past, but from a reliability pov, fusion360's cloud is not convincing yet.

With local storage and GIT, even versioning is no issue and in times of overloaded internet/corona, having all you need offline is a good thing. For me, will now stick to offline.

[fleance2k]

Imposing cloud features is pushing 360 to the point of unusable for me.  6 min to export an stl file because of forced cloud translation when I'm running a 12 core 4.5ghz processor with 64G of ram?  That is inane.

All cloud operations are miserable slow compared to what could be done locally.  Waiting 5 min for a simple 3 second render makes me assume that a corner is being turned to fully monetize and force upgrades through sheer frustration.

[bart]

Same here, we use Fusion with 5 people at our work, and use the cloud library's alot, but now and than tools are missing from librarys, postproccessors wich we modify , the modifications get lost and we have to update the post again. very anoying, I hope this gets solved in the future!

otherwise, keep up the good work fusion team

[kellings]

@bart 

The following links will show you how to install a post so it doesn't get overwritten after updates. 

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-t...

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-t...

[Claus_J]

Not sure this reply will answer your question or if you want to know but the cloud thing is my biggest complaint about Fusion 360. I’m a freelance designer and share designs in step format. On my side I use several cad tools, I use Fusion only for jobs it does better, like when parametrics are required. However the cloud stuff is mostly annoying. It prevents me from searching my system for all files relating to a project in a single search. Saves and conversions take forever and when I’m working in remote locations without unlimited internet it eats away my precious data. In addition organizing files and folders requires learning a new filing system that is much less capable than my computers operating system.

I would wish for the cloud to be optional. Opting out of all this supposed smartness should let me choose to store my files where I want them. I would never, ever share my working fusion files as they may contain a complete development history that I consider confidential. It’s even more of a paradox since developers seem to imagine their users be large groups of corporate engineers and designers collaborating worldwide, while from these forums it seems Fusion 360 is mainly used by small shops and by hobbyists for 3d printing.

[Anonymous]

Yes I think Design data In Cloud is more Flexible and Easy to access at anywhere and Any time, It has very effective way of storage for design data, it gives all the data in a well managed way. I am not using the offline mode much more now as cloud is handy for me now.

[Miha-M]

I wish there was automatic backup in neutral format (STEP) for each file on local disc in the same tree form as is in cloud. 

[ltomuta]

I see a lot of people asking about "where are my files?" because they want to bulk delete, archive or transfer between accounts. I wonder if it would be possible for Fusion to handle the files transparently at the file system level, like OneDrive/Google Drive does, allowing direct file manipulation (with monitoring from a Fusion service that can still take care of uploading changes and versioning).

Some operations in Fusion's file browser are cumbersome. Take for example the many clicks required just to find a vice model and copy it to your current project's folder. Some things can't even be done with the files in the app (moving folders comes to mind) while they are possible online.

As for versioning, you should also add a rollback option. There's a tool library bug now which manes in necessary to always promote an older version of the library file in order to fix it. Pretty soon the version number will get really high if I keep promoting the 2nd last update as the new current one.

[jlucasemail]

I often work in a remote location with very poor Internet.  If I don't remember to manually turn off wifi or set off-line mode Fusion will sometime lock up saving or loading files.  Normally I don't use features in the cloud, its the file load/backup that is the problem.  The lockup occurs when Internet is available but too slow to use.

In this situation it would be nice to have a setting that will store everything locally and just do the cloud copy when Internet is active.  That way I won't get stuck unable to load a file from the cloud with no Internet.

I'm not working with a team. 

[pkoepfgen]

• Do you find on design data in the cloud helpful? Have you had troubles with syncing data / privacy? Have clients requested you work offline?
  • I use one laptop to do all of my work. I don't see the value in using the cloud.

• Do you use Offline Mode today? Why or why not?
  • yes, when a lot of internet bandwidth is being used both others on the network.

• How do you typically share data that was created in Fusion 360? Why do you like to do it this way?
  • I can't really share it, with the way you have it set up very easily. I wish I could.

[engineguy]

@Allison.Leach 

Unless I absolutely have to use online in order to save a file out in a different format to f3d or work with someone else  I avoid it like the plaque, it slows everything down even if I am not doing anything that requires online access, also as others have already said losing tools/data/access to tools/data after Updates is a huge downside.

I save everything to my PC which does an automatic daily backup to a stand alone external drive, so even in the event of a complete catastrophic HDD failure I can quite quickly turn a new blank PC into one exactly the same as the one that died.

This is not possible if most things are in the "cloud", any new PC is not able to access everything, a lot of data is lost so as requested above can we please have the same facilities available offline as we have online, faster, safer and much more efficient !!

Good as Fusion is the above issues are driving people away from Fusion, I now only use Fusion for helping out on the Community, as for actually using it to manufacture anything with? No I don`t, I have purchased another brand of software that is a full "stand alone" type that doesn`t require any Internet connection whatsoever to make a wage with !!

Regards

Rob

[Anonymous]

My experience with offline vs online is that online is slow, unpredictable and forced when there is no need for it. I would happily buy a fully offline version of fusion and start using it as my main cad software, because internet... is not magic. it's slow. it's annoying. it is forced for no good reason. if there is an offline version that proves the software CAN work offline, but coded so you are forced to go online to check your license (which is free, so...) then... there really is no good reason for it to require an online connection. it just slows everything down. if it was OPTIONAL for you to be online, and then you'd have more features while online, sure, ok, that could be ok, I guess... but still. optional.

if I am offline or my internet isn't working, I cannot even start the software. it doesn't matter that it's a once a monthly checkup, because that still scuffs up my workflow because one day the software works, and another day I cant use it at all because an update ruined it... and the updates? they are forced. well, mostly. you won't update if you are in offline mode, but I find myself using an old copy of 123d design more than f360 because sometimes I cannot do that once monthly check that the software so craves for... and its a shame, cos I love fusion.

[Anonymous]

This is more of a comment on applications of the cloud vs offline mode, but certain industries (i.e. aerospace) have regulations regarding data security. Currently Fusion 360 is not ITAR compliant, which is a huge detractor and prohibits certain commercial customers from using the software. Other industries have similar security concerns. Having an offline or network-based storage system available for use (with possible a connection to the cloud for certain simulation studies) would be very beneficial to many customers, and would most likely extend the user base into the aerospace market. 

Maybe there is a possibility to use part of the Autodesk Vault software to handle the offline data management portion/versioning of Fusion 360? Just a thought.

That being said, I have not experienced anything detrimental working in the cloud except when internet bandwidth is slow, which slows down saving of parts/assemblies. It would be nice if instead of Fusion always trying to save, if a minimum bandwidth/speed was detected it would wait until above the minimum was reached and after that begin uploading models to the cloud. 

[sundansx]

In light of the latest changes to the personal version, it appears one reason to start limiting it further is the ongoing cost to Autodesk for maintaining it.  I would use the offline version exclusively if it had the same functionality as the online version (project versioning/histor, etc.) if it would help aleviate cost to Autodesk.  The online features are not really useful to me...I have a very powerful PC and the could computing environment is not really helpful.  I do backups of my systems on a regular basis, so the cloud storage is not really useful.  That said, the online stuff is sluggish at startup sometimes, but overall is non-invasive, but not much of a value for my personal use.