File Management: Cannot Delete File,

Anonymous · ‎09-10-2015

There are two STL files in a Fusion 360 folder that I cannot delete. I also tried deleting them from A360 and cannot.

I imported the STL files into my current design, then chose to delete it and remove it from the timeline, but now it's permanently referenced in the design. If I try and delete the STL files I get an error saying it's being referenced in a design. If I clear the cache and restart Fusion 360, I get the same error.

James.Youmatz · ‎09-10-2015

Hi @Anonymous,

Do you mind creating a screencast showing what you are trying to do in Fusion. I think I have a pretty good idea, I just want to make sure I can see what is going on with the timeline as well as what the error message is. You can download screencast at www.screencast.autodesk.com. Thank you, and once I see it I will try to review what is going on and see if we can find a quick solution. Hopefully its just something simple that was missed!

Thanks,

James Youmatz
Product Insights Specialist for Fusion 360, Simulation, Generative Design

Anonymous · ‎09-22-2015

Hi @James.Youmatz, that is not the correct link for screencast - you're asking me to purchase Maya instead. I could not find screencast when doing a search either. Can you please link again?

keqingsong · ‎09-22-2015

Here's the link to Screencast: https://screencast.autodesk.com/

Keqing Song
Autodesk Fusion Community Manager
Portland, Oregon, USA

Become an Autodesk Fusion Insider

Anonymous · ‎09-22-2015

@James.Youmatz I believe this is what he is trying to do:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-and-documentation/unable-to-delete-a-previously-linked-design/...

From my thread:

"As a user, I want the ability to decouple designs and have the freedom to choose whether the decoupling should be tertiary, and only affect the current version of the parent design, or permanent, and affect all previous versions as well. If I choose permanent, I then want the freedom to delete/move the decoupled data file..."

I was told "This is currently as designed but we are gathering feedback on how people would expect it to work." If so, I would be interested in hearing the feedback you've gathered so far that supports leaving it the way it is. This functionality is riddling projects with obsolete designs that cannot be deleted, and which are not likely to ever see the light of day.

When designs are delinked, doesn' t the child design become embedded in the parent? Why maintain a link to the external file beyond this point? If you're worried that previous versions of the parent might contain the child design in a linked state, then shouldn't we have an option to delink the child design in all previous versions as well?

This would make it possible to delete/move the decoupled data file without fear of banging into file resolution errors.

promm · ‎09-23-2015

WorldBuilder,

The reason you cannot delete the files is due to them being referenced in other files. If the files are referenced in previous versions and have since been deleted they still are counting the older versions as being referenced. What nallenscott stated is correct, we have designed it this way in order to preserve versions. We recognize the desire to delete designs and we are working on a solution for this.

Thank you,

Cheers,

Mike Prom

Anonymous · ‎09-23-2015

Hi @promm, yes, @Anonymous is correct. Thanks for letting me know there's a proposed solution to this.

Anonymous · ‎09-25-2015

@promm If you are working on a solution, it's being done in a vacuum. I contributed an idea:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation-request-a/decoupling-referenced-files/idi-p/583...

What are yours?

Anonymous · ‎03-30-2016

You guys have allegedly been working a solution to this problem for six months. Any progress?

My proposal:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation-request-a/decoupling-referenced-files/idi-p/583...

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-and-documentation/file-management-cannot-delete-file/td-p/58106...

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-and-documentation/deleting-fusion-360-files/m-p/5819329

charegb · ‎04-05-2016

Hi @nallenscott

Sorry for the late response. As you know from older threads, we have not allowed deletion of referenced items till now because we were worried about existing and historical references between designs and how the parent relationships would be affected by deleting children in isolation etc.

After reading a number of posts and talking to users, we have come up with a model that I think is even simpler than your proposal.

Allow delete of designs or specific versions.
If a design is referenced by someone else, either currently or in a historical version, warn you before delete but allow the delete to proceed if you so choose.
Introduce a ‘Recycle bin’ concept in a project so that accidentally deleted items can be restored. Only project admins can empty the recycle bin.
On opening a design that was referencing a deleted item, you are informed that the item was deleted and if it is still in the recycle bin, provide a way to restore it. If its not in the recycle bin, its up to you to clean up the parent model to remove the reference to the deleted design.
At a team hub level, offer a secondary recycle bin that manages all the data that is emptied from project bins. Only Hub admins can access/empty/restore from this bin. This gives company level administrators an extra level of security over data.

What do you think of this plan? We are working on it now and hope to have it in product by summer.

Thanks,

Bankim

Anonymous · ‎04-06-2016

@charegb Thank you! This is very helpful. We've seen the recycle been concept before. Someone in another thread suggested creating a "recycle bin" folder and moving decoupled files there as a temporary fix. I've been doing this for a while, and it helps. I think expanding on this workflow is a great idea, and the features you mentioned are a great start.

Harold_Weistra · ‎06-20-2016

Sounds as a rather today than tomorrow plan to me!