Unlinked 3D PCB cannot be deleted.

[jesper8W75R]

As I don't want to wait several minutes for the 3D PCB to load when opening a project, I unlink them from my 2D PCB after they have been generated.
But, I cannot delete them. So I end up with a new 3D PCB every time I generated one. Very annoying.

Easy to recreate.
1.  Push to a 3D PCB.
2. Save
3. In 2D PCB, on the SWITCH menu, "Remove 3D PCB link"
4. Save

Now, checking the 3D PCB, "In Use" and "Using" will tell you it is not being used or using anything, which is how it should be.
BUT, it cannot be deleted, neither in desktop or on the web.
It will complain that data is in use.

Reported to support, Case number 19005305

 @yiqiu.han , @Anonymous
This issue happens in the project I shared with you earlier for another bug.

[yiqiu.han · Accepted solution]

Hi, @jesper8W75R 

Your requirement is really reasonable. We have already enhanced the electronics design opening performance. 3D PCB will not be opened by default when you open an electronics design project. The change is planned to be deployed in the future release already(after April).

For 3D PCB you want to destroy, our suggestion is to create a folder that called "trash" and move all files you want to abandon to it.

Thanks,

Yiqiu

[jesper8W75R]

Thank you @yiqiu.han 

I look forward to that change.

Support also suggested me to get rid of unwanted 3D PCB files that way, but is IS a WORKAROUND.

There is a bug with the deletion as the file does not have any relations to anything (according to Fusion), but it STILL cannot be deleted.

And, here is what happens, when I followed the suggestion from support, to move the file to a trash folder and Archive it.

So clearly, there is something wrong with the status of In Use/Using.

[yiqiu.han]

Hi, @jesper8W75R 

We don't need to archive the trash folder. The reason we suggest doing this is that the reference relationship for the electronics design project/assembly can only be deleted from the parent file. In the electronics design area, breaking PCB link from 2D board sometimes would result in such problems. Currently, this is a limitation. Nowadays workaround is an easy way to bypass it.

Thanks,

Yiqiu

[jesper8W75R]

@yiqiu.han 
I know I dont HAVE to archive the TRASH folder.
But that is the only way of getting it out of the browser.

Here is why I want that:

I HATE the flat Project Model you have, it works when you have 4-5 projects, but imagine how it would look with 100, 500, 1000 projects. You could scroll forever, as you cannot even search for project name.
I am just started out, moving over a few of my customer projects to Fusion.
I organize in folders and already have a depth of 4, with 30-40 of subfolder. This will grow to hundreds pretty soon.
There is NO WAY I would have all that in separate projects in a one dimensioned browser list.

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @jesper8W75R ,

I can get not liking the flat Project Model that Fusion 360 has. Now one thing should be aware of is that the flat top level with all the projects can be filtered. In the data panel go to the top level (it only works at the top level) and look at the very bottom of the data panel. You'll see that you can enter the name of a project and the data panel will filter down to it.

I don't know why it's at the bottom but that can make the situation much more manageable. Projects give you atomic access control, folders within a project don't have this benefit so it's not in your best interest to have 4 or 5 big projects with hundreds of folders because you won't be able to control the access to the folders individually.

The project model goes beyond Electronics and is a core mechanism of Fusion itself. I would not expect it to change any time soon. If you adjust to the structure imposed by Fusion, I think you'll have an easier time controlling your data and finding the right project, even if you 1000's of them won't be difficult thanks to that search bar at the bottom of the data panel.

Best Regards,

[jesper8W75R]

@jorge_garcia Thanks, I'm aware of the search function.
Do you remember the exact name of all your 500+ projects?
I don't, maybe I'm getting old.

I know that this is not something that is going to change. But I will not be using that model.
I will never need to share anything, except the almost daily sharing of bugs with you, so I am not affected.

I think it's an insane system, not only for electronics, but also for "regular" CAD.
For instance, my CNC design uses hundreds of various screws, and 30-50 other parts. 
That looks like a MESS if all placed in the same place, so of course I have sub-folders for screws, alu profiles, linear rails, e.t.c et.c.

Also, at least for me, the revision handling, while working fine, is not suitable for electronics designs, IMHO.
You end up with a design file v23, schematic v32, board v14. And, despite all these different version numbers, they actually all define what I would normally call PCB_Design Rev A.
When you then start exporting schematics, Gerbers and other CAM files, you get this mess of version numbers, which you have to trim, so everything IS actually named PCB_Design Rev A.something, otherwise your customer would go insane.
Now, when starting on Rev B, you have to jump through all kinds of hoops to duplicate the Rev A files, making sure there is NO connection between the files.
And then you have a new Project again.... and again... and again.
With hundreds of projects, some reaching Rev G, I'm sure you can see the mess.

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @jesper8W75R 

The issue you mention in the last paragraph is technically what milestones are supposed to address. You can have different version numbers on the various files but once you are ready to define rev A, that's when you would use the milestone. We've spoken about the difficulties of copy projects and making sure they don't preserve links to the original design before and we are working on simplifying that process.

In the meantime maybe the milestone helps alleviate some of the pain?

Let me know.

Best Regards,

[jesper8W75R]

Thank you, @jorge_garcia 
I was aware about the milestone feature, but not exactly how it works.
I guess it could be a solution. I will try.

When it comes to the copy/duplicated process, I think the most confusing thing is the 3D PCB, that cannot be "unlinked" the same was as schematic and board.
Just ran into the issue myself.
Copied files over to another folder (except 3D PCB).
Went to design and removed schematic and PCB links.

Then thought all was good.
But no, the copied board file, of which I even changed name, STILL was linked to the originally 3D PCB.
Tricky.