Open file shows multiple files with same name

[t_chapman6XJ7J]

Why are there sometimes 2-5 instances of the same exact file name under File>Open?   When using File>Open you have no idea which is the last version you were working on.  In Data Panel it is even more confusing because it has several versions with the same file names with V1 added at the end with different time stamps.  Why have multiples with V1?  Which V1 is correct?  Certainly you are not expected to have to dig through all these versions to find the last time stamp when there are multiple same version number?   I just want one file name for a design, not multiple choices you have to sort through. Any suggestions how to simplify this complex file system? 

[laughingcreek]

I've never seen this unless I purposefully saved the file a second time with the same name.  are you using save as instead of save when you do intermittent saves? 

can you post some screen shots of what your seeing so we understand the problem better?

[t_chapman6XJ7J]

Thanks. I have uploaded some screenshots to show the issue.  I only do save as If want to change the name to something different.  I always click the save icon which prompts me with "version description. User Saved".  But I save a lot like this after some changes. Saving many times on a detailed project. 

[Drewpan]

Hi,

When you save do you change the description from User Saved to something else?

If you do then it will save a new file under that name you have typed in. If you just leave it and press ok it will keep

the default name of the project and create a V1, V2 etc.

The Project name should never change but if you enter something in the User Saved part it is functionally the same

as doing a Save As. Annoying I know but the way it works.

The V1, V2 etc is a bit more intuitive and proper workflow based. It is supposed to be different versions of what you

have done so that if necessary you can roll back to an earlier version easily. In theory this works but us humans get

hammered into us to save regularly so we never lose work if there is a power failure. This means that we get way more

versions than we actually need and annoying by the time it gets to V50 or more. By the time you get into these larger

version numbers the advantage of opening a specific one to go back in time becomes somewhat redundant as any one

of several will do.

I personally do not like the way fusion versions like this. It makes sense if I am writing software code that changes a

lot over a short period and these different versions may be quite meaningful. If I am designing and I create a few parts

it really isn't a new version, just the work I have done for the last couple of hours. If I have completed an assembly of

parts and then gone back and created an alternative set of the assembly, THEN it is a different version.

I would suggest that the simple way to fix your problem is just hit the save button and ok. It will save a new VERSION

of the project and NOT create a new PROJECT, which is essentially what you are doing.

One design philosophy when using fusion suggests that the very first thing you should do when beginning a project

is to set up any defaults like units and such and then do a save before you do anything else. This sets up the project

so it has a default name and all future saves should default to different versions within this default.

Cheers

Andrew

[laughingcreek]

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@Drewpan wrote:...t if you enter something in the User Saved part it is functionally the same

as doing a Save As. Annoying I know but the way it works.... 

---

That would be annoying if that was actually the way it works.  

[Drewpan]

Hi,

I know it doesn't actually work like that but it does create a new instance of the project which is what he is complaining

about - all the extra copies of the project. I know what I was trying to say, it just didn't come out right.

Cheers

Andrew

[a.laasW8M6T]

Hi Andrew

To avoid confusion I would not call a Design Document a Project

A Project is the Root level Folder containing design files etc(Documents) and other Folders

See here:

https://help.autodesk.com/view/fusion360/ENU/?guid=GUID-D28CA076-F78E-41FC-8F97-98F311B1D01C

It seems the OP is somehow getting Copies of the DESIGN rather than saving the same design, I'm not sure how that's happening accidentally, I have never seen any instances of this in my years of using Fusion

Changing the Version description doesn't do a Save as and make a copy it just ads the description here:

[t_chapman6XJ7J]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I understand that save as and typing a new name creates a new file with the name you typed.  That is logical. but What I am experiencing is under Load File there are 5 files with exact same name.  File>Open does not show version numbers, but it does show Last Updated time stamps.  Still this is very annoying.  I always use version numbers that I create myself for coding so that I can add remarks in the file name for changes that I want to keep track of including bumping the version number sequentially. That is ok if Fusion wants to auto increment version numbers but I'd much prefer to rename and add version number plus short remarks in the file name, this would be crazy to try WHILE fusion is going to add incremental version numbers on its own. I'd rather Fusion not add any version numbers on save and let me add my own version numbers.  It's a messy system in my opinion. 

[laughingcreek]

I'm not convinced this isn't a self induced error(multiple files with the same name).  if very many people were experiencing what you seem to be describing I think we would have heard about it here by now.  but bugs do happen.

can you make a screen cast of the process your using that creates multiple files?

I would suggest that instead of renaming the design to add your own versioning and notes to the design name that you put that info in the version description when you do a manual save.  you can put your own version numbers there if you don't like fusions.  

[t_chapman6XJ7J]

I realize now the Fusion allows you to Save As the same name as many times as you want to.  Which seems very odd that it would allow multiples of the same name. Normal computer file saving to the drive will never allow a same name saved twice, it will warn OR add copy to the end or increment a number after (2).  Fusion allows any number of File>SaveAs (keep same name). So this must be where the issue is coming from.  In the DataPanel,  notice the same file name Glass and Wood Clamp 3D.   V1 shows up 4 times on the same day.  Time stamps are added for clarity.  Then V3 shows up followed by V2, V2 having a time stamp later than V3!  This is a mess that will require some sorting out to undo.  On the File name Glass Clamp Components, V17 has a time stamp 1:54pm and V1 has time stamp 1:58.  It looks like once you do a File>SaveAs with same name, it creates a new file with same name and resets Version to 1.  The moral of the story is never do SaveAs unless you intend to change the name.  Only press save.