Two users working in parallel & save conflicts

[Anonymous]

Is there something I am missing in the following setup:

I have a project that is being worked on by more than one user. I've found that if we are working simultaneously on the same design file, one user can easily overrule the contribution of another user. Parallel edits will be saved as separate versions but it is hard to merge the work into a single version.

Our project is currently on a single design file done as "top-down", since that is often recommended for Fusion 360, but it seems this has the limitation that we can't split the work up and work on separate parts of the same project simultaneously.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm not sure exactly how you could overcome this, maybe try work on seperate designs in the same project folder.

What exactly are you trying to build though? Because if it's made of many components you can try individually build them and then piece them all together into a final design at the end.

Hope that helps, get back to me if you need more help,

Thanks,

Arran

[Anonymous]

I am currently working with a setup similar to what is described in the following link. The challenge is just to figure out how to split the project in natural sub-assemblies that would work. It would of course be great if multiple users could somehow reserve and work on different components within the same design file, but that is a separate feature request. 

https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/from-solidworks-to-fusion-360-distributed-design-t...

[TrippyLighting]

I agree that the challenge is splitting the assembly up into sensible subassemblies, but based on your description and the link, you've already done this.

The bigger and more important challenge is to define clear interfaces between the different assemblies so things fit together in the master assembly file.

My suggestion would also be to have a master assembly file that really is only an assembly file, with no components in it, just linked assemblies.

I work on a  distributed project for a client together with a couple of other designers/engineers  that we've structured like this and it works very well. It is a bit more up-front work but that pays off in having less headaches down the road.

If you can share more details about the project and hhow it is structured and where exactly your problems stem from I can provide better advice.

[MikeSmell_ADSK]

Hi @Anonymous -

I am a Product Manager on the Fusion 360 team and we are kicking off a project to start addressing some of the specific pain points you have described in this post. Would you be willing to have a more detailed discussion with us about your project and they way you are trying to work on this design?

Thanks, 

Mike Smell

Product Manager, Fusion 360

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike

Sure, I would be willing to discuss things that could lead to improvements.

To begin with, I could suggest that one could show/hide bodies, sketches and construction elements in referenced assemblies. That would make distributed design much simpler.

- birgir

[IngCEA]

I have the same issue. Basically you start a project, and the project start to get more complex as you progress, by the time you realize you want to make more progress in parallel it's too late. Autodesk Inventor have something called derive, where basically you can make one solid kind of a component, and work on it separately on another file. I'm not an expert on Fusion 360 but I'm wonder if there is a command to do something similar? I use both software, for some projects have been setup or requested by our clients to be made on Fusion 360, so it's kind of something we have to deal with.

If there is a way that I don't know, I'm all open hears. 

[TrippyLighting]

[TrippyLighting]

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@IngCEA wrote:

I have the same issue. Basically you start a project, and the project start to get more complex as you progress, by the time you realize you want to make more progress in parallel it's too late.

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I would generally structure such assemblies as distributed designs using mostly if not exclusively linked components/assemblies.

That should be a consideration from the beginning.

Using derived components after the fact is not the main use of the derive feature.