Bring back the old file browser interface

[yoshimitsuspeed]

You used to be able to do all of your file browser work from inside fusion360. Getting rid of this feature has to be one of the stupidest things that has been done. I love the data panel and think it wold have made a great addition to the file manager but no replacement. I don't understand why that couldn't have been kept. It's not like having it there would have inconvienenced anyone. I'll bet the majority of users would like myself much rather be able to move files, roll back models, and do all the other stuff that was possible in the old browser instead of needing to open a separate web browser to do it. It is so inconvienent that I would rather come here and bitch about how much it sucks than go do the work I am supposed to be doing in my cad program that is supposed to be designed with a focus on convienence and easy work flow.

[Phil.E]

It was changed due to overwhelming customer requests. Actually most customers feel like it gets in the way because they cannot do both modeling and data management at once in the old version. So we changed Fusion such that you can model and look at your data online at the same time.

Just a suggestion, but you could open Fusion and your A360 page at the same time and toggle effortlessly between the two. Does that help?

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I can understand why the data panel was added. I don't understand why that meant the more advanced mode had to be removed.
Why not jot be able to toggle between them or have the file browser button at the top or however it used to be so you could still access it and have it integrated? 
And no that doesn't really help. I have about 20 active tabs at any one time going. 80% related to day to day business activities and a couple others.
When I could mange F360 from inside it everything was pretty organized. Now when I need to move a file into a folder or make other changes I usually don't bother because of the inconvienence. It takes too much time and is too much hassle to open the tab and navigate to a folder to move the one item I just saved in the wrong spot so it just gets left there.
If I need to roll back a file to an earlier version it takes three times longer than it used to. I don't understand how this is improved work flow.

[maruska]

I would actually like to see parity between the web interface and the data panel. I should be able to eveything in that panel that I do on web portal.

I've been traing a few people on Fusion360 and when I tell them that they need to have a web browser open to do some things and somethings are done in the app, they look at me funny or glaze over. It's too much to keep track - what I can do where...

[roambotics_scott]

I don't get why doing X precludes doing Y.

[Phil.E]

@yoshimitsuspeed@maruska

I see what you are saying. Greater parity between data panel and A360 would be helpful.

Just to be perfectly clear about where you think Fusion needs improvement in this area, I have to ask. Have you tried this workflow? You can access A360 from within Fusion, via the data panel, in two clicks.

After two clicks the A360 info for the design is available. Versions, move, copy, etc.

[maruska]

Yeah - I don't think it's a matter of number of clicks, or even ease of use. A360 is very easy to "get" to. I think it's something more fundamental. The users I watch in workshops think the data panel is a file system, and therefore, they think they should be able to do file system-like things within it.

We can rename and delete, but we can't duplicate or move. We can create a folder, but not delete it. There is no dragging and dropping of part files into other locations. All things we'd expect to do when presented with a file icon.

Somethings you can only do locally and have no cloud support at all (like import an SVG or image file) while others can only be done in the cloud, like file conversions. Somethings are both local and cloud-based, but there is no incication that these files exist in both worlds, or that others live in just one or another. There are a lot of crossed wires from a UX perspective.

I have 4-5 people that I'm trying to get ramped up on Fusion, and I'm constantly trying to help them define cognitively what is accessible from where. Just because something is "cloud" based shouldn't mean we have to have a web browser open to complete the app we are working in. It just seems half-baked.

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I didn't know about that info tab. I have only used clicking on my name at the top right and clicking on my account.
Either solution in my opinion takes it from completely rediculous to only moderately infuriating.
The biggest thing is that I was here when you guys had the old interface and you had me pretty much completely sold. It worked well, did most of what I needed it to do and with only small room for improvement. Then you just took it away and replaced a swiss army knife with some plastic pre school scissors. Then when I complain about it you say it's easy I just have to go up and check out the swiss army knife from lockup any time I need anything else.
Had you just started me out with the crappy plastic scissors I wouldn't knwo any better and might be totally fine with this system.

I do agree with Maruska though. It is much less intuitive.
In fact if I had one idea station suggestion for Autodesk in general it's make things intuitive. I shouldn't have to read through every manual and watch every video just to figure out how to use it. Inventor is the worst and this is why I hate using it. It's the most counterintuitive software I have ever used. F360 is leaps and bounds better in comparison but you guys still do some things in ways that people are just going to find frustrating. This will end up leading more people to Solidworks, Solid Edge, Alibre and a dozen others that are quicker to pick up and have more commonality with the others.
Needing to open a browser to manage your files is not easy, convienent or intuitive workflow.
Put 20 people in a room trying to learn F360 and tell them to move one file from one folter to another and you will have 19 asking you how the f you do that. In the old system it took me 5 minutes to figure it out on my own.
Same way it took 5 minutes to learn how to make a cam mate in Solid Edge and two days and 40 minutes of my time on the forums trying to figure out how to do it in inventor. I don't want to spend 30 minutes researching how to do somethign that should be a matter of cliking a link or selecting an obvious option.
I have lived with the white box behind my browser/history tab for a week because I can't figure out how to make it go away. The first time I searched and found the answer but this time was unable to. More importantly I have no idea how it switched. I must have clicked on it wrong or something. For me the logical and intuitive solution would be left or right clicking or double clicking on the background or title bar. Maybe right click on the title bar and select hide background or restore to default or whatever.
Because I already spent 10 min researchign it once and found an answer I know that I have to go somewhere in the prefrences or something to restore to defaults but even knowing that much still can't figure it out without help. This is just sad.

[charegb]

Hi Scott,

We agree with the need for all of this functionality in the tool and that going to the browser is a stopgap.

We are already working on the ability to promote versions and moving designs between folders or projects inside in the data panel. Are there any other data management tools that you end up having to go to the browser for?

Thanks,

Bankim

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I would have to think about it but honestly I wish it were possible to just be able to access the old browser as you used to be able to.
I really don't understand why you eliminated it alltogether before teh new browser had full functionality. It seems to me like it would have taken less work and made everyone happier had you left access to both until the new one was completed then let people choose which to use or vote on whether the old browser is still necessary. I would vote to keep it and be able to toggle between the two. I can't imagine why this wasn't done in the first place.

The old browser was really nice and I liked all it's cabability including being able to browse thrugh files with an image of it, the full functionality of being able to add, edit and do everything you needed to do with projects. Quite frankly after getting used to having it fully integrated I will be frustrated any time I have to open a browser to do anything I used to be able to do right there in the software.

[maruska]

Bankim,

Other than duplicate, move, drag-and-drop, and delete folders (oh, and rename and/or delete projects!), I would imagine there will be need to be forking and merging features once the GIT-like functionality comes into play.

I haven't played with the x-refs functions yet, but there may be a need to manage how they work as well (move and maintian links, move and break links?)

Beyond file management, I would like to bulk export of files - select a bunch parts, right click and export - mainly for interoperability formats, STEP and the like (I would like bulk exporting implemented on the web side as well, but that's another topic).

A trash can would be nice as well (I have accidently deleted things  - mainly when moving files via the web inerface and not all the files moved).

Cheers,

Joshua

[yoshimitsuspeed]

On the subject of deleting things it would be nice if when you go to close an unsaved file it was a little more clear. As it is it gives you the option to save it or to cancel. IN most other programs cancel would cancel the close and take you back to the project window. In F360 it just delets the project. In my opinion it should be more clear and give three options. Save, Don't save, and cancel operation taking you back to the project.

[Phil.E]

This has been addressed already. Screenshot below is from latest build 2.0.1484. Clicking cancel puts you back into the model.

[yoshimitsuspeed]

Awesome thanks. Guess I haven't tried since the last update.

[promm]

Thank you for idea - this is getting archived.   Additional functionality has been added to the data panel in Fusion 360 as Phil has pointed out during the discussions in this idea.  I did not change this to implemented because we did not "bring back" the old interface. 

Regards,

Mike Prom

[Phil.E]

So to be clear about what happened here.

Early in Fusion development we included the "cloud" part of the workflow as a modal environment inside Fusion. Modal means you can only be in one mode at a time. So a user could not do modeling at the same time as manage data. It was one or the other.

We heard from users that this should be a separate experience, as I tried to explain before. Users want to model their designs and also have access to the cloud management at the same time. So we made the Data Panel. This is what the user is complaining about in this Idea Station request.

Today, the Data Panel items carry a powerful set of management tools. We think this is the best of all worlds.

* Users are not blocked from designing while managing their data.

* Users that prefer to manage their data inside Fusion have access to many commands from the Data Panel.

* Data panel items open in their own windows, to keep them separate from your normal web surfing.

If you wish for more commands for data panel items, please log more Idea Station requests and let us know!

Thanks,

[yoshimitsuspeed]

The main point is that there is no reason these should be mutually exclusive.
I will admit that as the data panel gets more functionality these things are becoming less of an issue but I still think the old manager should have been left in place with the new data panel added.
The biggest mistake was removing the old interface before the new one was close to having similar capability. This happens repeatedly with F360. If you come out with something new, especially if it's not fully functional let the old style and the new style run paralel or let people switch between them if they want to. Then if the new thing becomes completely better and everyone is happy with it get rid of the old one. Don't completely replace it before the replacement is a completley suitable replacement.
With that said I would still like the old file browser to be integrated back into the program. I hate needing to log into a browser to have that interface and functionality.

[sanket223.patil]

Its good now , I think It should be more improved . I mean dont remove anything , just add more something more usefull .