History marker keeps going missing on me.

[Anonymous]

The title pretty much covers it. As I'm working the marker for where I am in the timeline keeps going missing on me. If I shrink my window from full screen it will come back, but i have a big screen and I have it to take advantage of the real estate.

The monitor is 2560 x 1440. I'm running Win8.1 viva bootcamp on a 15" macbook pro with Nvida graphics.

[brysonwhitedesign]

This bug was reported almost four years ago? And it hasn't been fixed yet?

A couple people have mentioned that they think it happens with larger monitors. I have a 13" MacBook and I often experience the same issue. It seems to have more to do with the length of the timeline.

I've used the proposed workarounds, and they work, but they are not near as convenient. For one thing, it's nice to be able to see at a glance where the marker actually is. Also, when I have 100+ features in the timeline, the arrow button are not convenient at all for moving back and forth through the timeline. These might work as temporary workarounds, but they are far from replacements for the marker.

Any word when this 4-year plus bug might be fixed?

[Phil.E]

Do you see any difference if the data panel is open/closed?

[Phil.E]

Thanks for bringing it up again. There have actually been several bugs associated with this problem. Some were easier to fix than others, and the ones that remain were not. This was a good reminder to take a fresh look at the issues involved.

There are a few ways to trigger it. Please let me know if you know of other ways that we can add to the case.

1. Opening the data panel: If the timeline marker is off screen when you open the data panel it will not be visible again until you close the data panel.

2. Resizing the application frame. If the timeline marker is off screen when the application frame changes size, such as going from maximized to a smaller size. Maximize Fusion when this happens.

3. Repeatedly pressing "move to end" timeline control. This is the play control that puts the timeline marker at the end, and also changes the view to see the end of the timeline. Try scrolling timeline view back and forth, or pressing the button again.

4. Dragging the marker. When a sub-component is active, and the end of the timeline is off screen, and you drag the marker towards it, and bump into the right side of the screen.

In all known cases there is a recovery path that doesn't include restarting anything. If you find none of these remedies help your situation please let me know.

TIP: try pressing the "move to end" button on the timeline play controls, many times this will make the marker appear.

[paulvt12]

I have a large design on a Windows machine and I am having the same problem of the history marker going missing. None of the workarounds other than closing and re-opening the design work for me. It is August 2020 and this problem has still not been fixed after 4 years!!

[wjatevrr]

I can confirm that as of December 2020 this issue still hasn't been fixed, and that it is not related to large screen sizes as I am on a 2015 MacBook Pro 13" model. This issue has always been going on for as long as I have used Fusion 360 and it has been a major source of frustration.

The solutions suggested by Phil.E do not seem to make a difference. No matter how many times I click the "move to end of the timeline button", the history marker will never reappear. The only solution is to restart Fusion which is frustrating and hinders my workflow.

[it-ony]

I can also confirm. Latest version of Fusion 360 on a Mac. Non of the workarounds mentioned work for me. 

Additonal hint, if it's gone once, its gone also for timelines in components, where the timeline is pretty short. I first though it's related to havin just a too long timeline.

I finally found a workaround. Switching between design tabs, does bring the marker back. Seems, like the marker /timeline component is shared and then the marker is gone to a different tab. 

[Phil.E]

Thanks for letting us know. We are working on ways to improve this. You can help. 

We have identified 4 ways to make the marker disappear. This is helpful for you to know. It means that we think if you avoid doing the steps below you should never see the marker disappear. It also means that we are trying to fix the 4 cases below. We have already fixed item #4 in a recent update.

Here is what I ask: Please consider the list below. Do you see the marker disappear in some other unique way than what is listed? If so, respond and let me know how you are achieving that so I can add your case to the list of things we are trying to fix.

1. Opening the data panel: If the timeline marker is off screen when you open the data panel it will not be visible again until you close the data panel.

2. Resizing the application frame. If the timeline marker is off screen when the application frame changes size, such as going from maximized to a smaller size. Maximize Fusion when this happens.

3. Repeatedly pressing "move to end" timeline control. This is the play control that puts the timeline marker at the end, and also changes the view to see the end of the timeline. Try scrolling timeline view back and forth, or pressing the button again.

4. Dragging the marker*. When a sub-component is active, and the end of the timeline is off screen, and you drag the marker towards it, and bump into the right side of the screen.

(*this particular item should be fixed in the October 2020 update, please let us know if you continue to see it)

5. Timeline icon list not updated correctly when returning to a part after swapping between part tabs

• Timeline view is reset to beginning of timeline, scroll bar is in same position as prior to switching tabs.
• Remedy: move timeline scroll bar to see the marker, which is there, but it's off screen after switching tabs. 
• ht @moriarty.chch for finding this one.

[Anonymous]

Hello, Still Happens for me, the none of the workarounds are working.

I cannot point to the specific triggers,  but this issue is particularly persistent when I am traversing long timelines, in assemblies.   Which happens to be when this control is most useful.

Hope this can get corrected.

[Phil.E]

The list of 4 5 triggers above is clear enough. So you are finding other ways to achieve it. That's important if we want to get it all fixed.

Can you describe what this means?

"when I am traversing long timelines"

What does it mean to traverse long timelines? I'm happy to try whatever you describe to achieve the missing marker. 

[wjatevrr]

For what it's worth, I haven't experienced this issue with any of the 4 identified triggers, so there is something you guys are missing. I've never seen it happen when dealing with the data panel, and I never resize Fusion. I also rarely use the "move to the end" button, and I have seen this issue happen with the latest updates.

This usually happens after traveling through the timeline. I would either go back in time (usually a distant point, but I think I've seen it happen with some short distance travel as well) or go to a future point in time, then the cursor disappears.

I've tried the tip of "it-ony" but that didn't change anything.  Switching windows/project doesn't help, in fact when that happens the cursor is missing in the other projects' window as well, the only solution is to reboot Fusion. Perhaps this could give you guys a clue...

I haven't been able to replicate it on purpose, otherwise I would have gladly provided steps. It seems to happen randomly, usually when working on large projects with long timelines and many groups. One of the file I've seen it happen a lot with is over 50MB.

I appreciate you guys are trying to look into it and hope you will fix it or someone can find a way to trigger it. I will let you know if I find some way to replicate it on purpose myself.

[Phil.E]

Hi,

Thanks for the input. Can you describe what you do to make these things happen?

"This usually happens after traveling through the timeline. I would either go back in time (usually a distant point, but I think I've seen it happen with some short distance travel as well) or go to a future point in time, then the cursor disappears."

It sounds like how you "go to a future point in time" is related to a disappearing timeline marker. Please describe how you navigate the timeline.

[Anonymous]

I can indeed replicate the issue using the first 3 triggers on the list.   The fourth does not happen.     

The fifth issue (related to the scrollbar), I have seen it before, but does not replicate as easily, perhaps its just my opinion, but I find it would be more convenient if each component remembered the position the scrollbar was left at, instead of always going back to the beginning, but that its a different matter.

That being said, I do not think that what is happening to me is related to the 5 known triggers, it happens when I am working on the timeline of "large" assemblies (300 + bodies).   What I refer to as traversing long timelines.

As part of my workflow with Bommer, I often go back on the timeline to change parts (for example changing a screw for one that is used in other parts of the assembly to reduce BOM items, etc), As well as restructuring components so that they export a hierarchical BOM in a way that makes sense for assembly.  This involves rolling back the timeline and roll it forward step by step while making changes, going in and out of components.   And at a certain point the marker disappears.

Perhaps it has something to do with working on multiple screens?, I am constantly going between screens on my Win10 computer (laptop screen + hdmi screen + usb screen), sometimes I find that after going between screens, the right-click context menu starts showing up on the main screen while Fusion is on the HDMI.   Perhaps that can also be a clue?   Once the contextmenu thing happens, it also requires a Fusion Reboot

I will continue to look for more specific ways to replicate it, however as @wjatevrr mentions, once it happens the workarounds, or replicating the 3 triggers, do not bring it back.  The only way to get the marker back is to reboot Fusion.

Thanks and I hope this can be corrected.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I think there is another mechanism for reproducing the issue.  If the marker is approached quickly, it disappears.

I have a large(ish ~350 bodies) assembly, that I saved with the history timeline marker halfway.   When the file opens, or when I go in and out of subcomponents, the timeline goes back to the beginning, taking the marker off-screen.

When I use the scrollbar to scroll to where the marker is, if I do it slowly its ok, if I do it quickly and overshoot it, then it disappears.  Sometimes it kind of hangs around in random places, and then it disappears.

Once the marker disappears, I need to close the reopen the file to see the marker again.

I really hope this can be fixed, for certain workflows having the marker makes a huge productivity difference.

Thanks!

[Phil.E]

@Anonymous  Thanks I added another case based on your video.

[and.ranch]

This is still happening. 

[austinbcarlson]

Still happening in 2021 !

I believe it started for me when I rolled the marker back and added a new feature at that point. Should be able to do that though. 

[Anonymous]

Hello,

Still Happening on April 2021.

Just an Idea:  Perhaps a button (Next to the Beginning Step Play Step End) that takes you to the marker's current position would be useful.

All the Best!

[acondax]

May 2021 and the issue still occurs for me nearly 5 years since this thread had been created. The workarounds don't seem to work and the only solution is to either relaunch Fusion 360 or close the project. 

[nikolaiF9MJL]

This thread has been silent for a while but I have the same problem as described earlier.

Win 10 20H1, 27" screen, long timeline.

This is by far not the first time this happened but I am annoyed enough now to actually make a post here.

I was working for about 2h now and suddenly the timeline marker disappeared.

This happened after I went back in the timeline to make a change. When activating the toplevel component afterwards the marker was gone. Resizing the window or showing the data panel doesn't help, so far only a restart brought the marker back. 

Please fix this bug already.