How to create a Design Block

[SebastianE123]

Hey,

I just saw that there are Design Blocks for Fusion360 Electronics since the last big update.

I'm familar with creating and inserting these Design Blocks in Eagle 9.

But I did not find how I can create my own new Design Blocks in Fusion360. I only find how to Insert a existing one.

Can anyone help?

[HelenChen-ElectronicsQA · Accepted solution]

Hello @SebastianE123 ,

Thank you very much for asking.

For Design Blocks in Fusion 360 Electronics, so far we only have insert Design blocks function, but no create Design blocks function in Fusion 360 yet.

But as a workaround, you could choose to save or export the design (sch/brd) or multiple select assets and then copy to a new sch/brd file to save or export them, and then use Insert schematic / Insert board file instead.

Hope it helps.

Hope you have a great day.

Best regards,

Helen

[SebastianE123]

Thank you for your fast answer. Yes it helps.
But now im wondering.

When there is only the Insert Design Block function yet. How you can insert a Block if no one can create them? Or do I miss something?
So someone has to create one in Eagle 9 and you can insert it in Fusion?

[HelenChen-ElectronicsQA]

Hi @SebastianE123 ,

Yes, in Fusion 360 Electronics, you could reuse the design blocks created in EAGLE. Just select the design block file from local computer, then you should able to reuse them in Fusion 360.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,

Helen

[pblase]

How long until this is fixed?

[deepak_elango]

Hi @HelenChen-ElectronicsQA 

Now is there any provisions to create a design block from a part of circuit in schematic?

Best Regards,

Deepak Elango

[jorge_garcia]

Hello @deepak_elango,

I hope you're doing well. The Designblock authoring functionality is not available in Fusion, we are reworking it in order to provide a better solution that doesn't have the issues that designblocks suffered, namely when you have nets the go beyond your selection the block functionality didn't handle them correctly.

For now in Fusion, the solution is to take that circuit piece and save it as its own electronic design. You can then insert that electronic design in new designs.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[tomhughes5XEES]

@jorge_garcia 
Can you please confirm that the above post is still the current state of play please, I am currently using Fusion 2.0.20981 version. ie does fusion 360 still not support design blocks?

[jorge_garcia]

Hello @tomhughes5XEES ,

I hope you're doing well. Yes my response above is still the current state of play. You can consume designblocks but you can't create them. 

Best Regards,

[pblase]

I would definitely encourage a solution, and soon. I am currently having to have a second rev of a board made because of a connector mismatch between it and a daughter card. There's no way in Fusion to ensure that the flow through the mezzanine connectors is correct between boards, you have to verify it manually. Also, since the motherboard has 4 identical daughter cards, I had to lay everything out four times on it. 

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @pblase,

I hope you're doing well. You can avoid the duplication of effort by drawing the daughter card as it's own electronics design. Then you can insert the electronics design 4 times into your top level design. The layout will be preserved and you can avoid the duplication.

That's the recommended solution for now.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards, 

[tomhughes5XEES]

@jorge_garciathanks for your feedback a couple of days ago my manager is asking do you have an indication of when the full design block functionally is likely to be added to fusion 360? ie creating and consuming design block functionally?

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @tomhughes5XEES ,

I hope you're doing well. The current decision is that the Design blocks will be replaced by a feature that can encompass it's functionality and more. 

So as of right now, there's no intention of re-implementing design block creation. I will pass these comments up the chain, who knows maybe it can change the decision.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[tomhughes5XEES]

Thanks @jorge_garcia do you have a timeline for the feature in 360 which will replace design blocks?

[jorge_garcia]

Hello @tomhughes5XEES,

I hope you're doing well. Unfortunately there's no firm ETA at this point. If I had to venture a guess it's more than a year out.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,