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Bug: Missing Machine Tools Libraries

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Message 1 of 6
rflulling
362 Views, 5 Replies

Bug: Missing Machine Tools Libraries

(I see many many mentioning missing tools files for many reasons)
Mine are no missing too and I am pretty sure I know why.

Theory based on all available evidence:

Mine are missing because I changed the name of the file inside Tools Library Manager, to something that should work in Fusion, but does not work in Widows.  Some developer decided to make code that said the file name typed under libraries are literal, not reference. That is they don't correspond to a lookup table a code named cache file. They are applied directly to a JSON as typed. Then said developer committed criminal negligence by instructing the interface to silence any errors. The kind you normaly get when you try to create a file, or change a file name with characters that Windows doesn't support in a file name!!

 

If you are trying to figure out what happened to your tools and you also happened to rename, or create a library this is likely why you cannot find your stuff, and yes it's gone forever. We should not at all be happy about this. There is no local backup whatsoever. Odds are if you are here, you also did not use cloud services.

 

---

 

What happened:

I changed the name of my primary library to "3018 CNC bits: Drill" from "3018 CNC bits".  In fact I created 2 more libraries to house my previously unsorted bits. I wanted to make folders but apparently sub folder are a higher level than libraries? That should have been my warning Fusion was doing something dangerous. I didn't notice. In the manager everything looked good. I created a library to hold a couple sampled tools from the Fusion catalog. I verified that all the tools showed up where I wanted. Then closed the window. A while later I opened it again to start adding some more bits. But now everything is gone.

 

What was I expecting:

After closing the window to The tools manager the files would be saved and I could continue to be oblivious to the way the data was stored or cached. When I reopen the tools manager my created bits would still be there.

 

My theory:

So looking over the damage, everything is exactly as I left it but the libraries with ":" in their name and all the bits stored within are gone.

 

What I did to recover:

I dug around on the forums and found where they should be stored in windows.

There is a Fusion360 folder in MyDocuments: But, there are no relevant files for this issue in there.

I looked into the Roaming/Autodesk/Cam360/libraries/local: There are two files, one with the previously named 3018 CNC bits, and it is a blank file, no contents at all, really just an icon saving space for a file. There is no file type. There is one other file F360 Default Models.json which correctly corresponds to the Library I created for the sample tools I downloaded earlier and they are showing in the manager.

 

Theory backed up by evidence:

So all of the evidence supports the theory that Windows refused to allow the name change. So all the data was held in RAM until the manager was closed. Since the error was suppressed, and ultimately ignored, the new libraries could not be created and the old library could not be full renamed and became a damaged file.

 

What else have I tried:

Cloud was disabled:

-from days past when online services and caching was causing issues and lost data.
-Turned it on. This created a new entry in Tools Manager but no new files.
Looked in Assets:

-that folder is a ghost town of what might have been, but nothing Fusion is actively using at all.

-Certainly no backup copies of anything whatsoever. Online and offline.

Checked assets copy in my online folder:

-Same.

Checked windows explorer Recycle Bin:

-to see if there was a copy erased when the new one was created.

-No file at all. Supports theory Fusion360 tried to rename directly and the error was suppressed.

Searched the Local and Roaming folders:

-any resemblance of a backup file. None found.

-I did find every single file ever created, downloaded from the servers, for 3rd party machines and all of their bits.

-But the ones that are user created? Poof. I mean really, who needs those? hehe

Checked Windows Event Viewer Logs:

-Although some stuff was reported for fusion360 there was no specifics as to what happened.

-The one and only reference to a backed up log, of course could not be found.

 

My opinion:

With this theory, and data, under my belt it is no surprise at all that to me there are so many complaints of missing files. Any time some one types in a name windows doesn't like. Poof, no more data. File could not be renamed. File could not be created. Shh keep that a secret. -Wheres my data?

Did you remember to put a floppy in the slot? Did you save often?

 

What will I do now:

So now I have the 7 new bits to create, 3 libraries to recreate and the 21 previously saved bits to recreate.

-No, Fusion360 does not already have these bits. I cannot just grab a generic copy.

-Alternatively abandon the mess entirely. Find another way to generate my cut files without using any part of Fusion360.

 

My expectations from Autodesk:

Now that this issue has been identified. I will expect a patch so that we do not keep looking data because of naming and suppressed windows errors. -It makes sense that libraries cannot have folders, if they are literally windows folders and JSON files. I would have liked to have known that before saving.

 

 

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5 REPLIES 5
Message 2 of 6
rflulling
in reply to: rflulling

I was fortunate that back when I was building the tools for the first time. I was also looking for a faster way to input data. I was looking at seeing if there was a way to edit a single file or a spreadsheet. I had exported what I had at the time, in like 3 formats. I don't remember much of it. I must have hit a bunch of walls, because it was never used and sat to rot in my downloads folder.

 

But I was able to re-import the data just now. Which gave me back 25% of the bits a a dozen place holders pre-named. So it's better than nothing and I can at least say the import export functions work well.

Because of this I also discovered that although we cannot rearrange the order the bits are shown on screen we can drag and drop them to another library, or rather it copies them... Huff, well, good enough to get some work done. Still have a long road ahead measuring bits and entering data all over again.

 

And one more bit was recovered from the project I had loaded, the actual cut file. More would have been there if not that I had been vigilantly clearing the trash (unused bits) after testing various setups.

-Anyway thats a total of 6 recovered and 7 named place holders.

-none recovered from Fusion itself. There is at this time ZERO expectation of any sort of recovery.

 

One might ask, what of Fusion360 online? Surely everything is backed up?
NO, it is not. The only data accessible from there is whats in the teams repository. Stuff like favorites, are not backed up. As far as I can tell these are 100% local only. They are never accessible online. I would assume they are also not accessible on a 2nd PC, if I had a license to test such a theory.

Message 3 of 6
jeff.pek
in reply to: rflulling

Hi @rflulling -

 

Sorry you ran into this problem. You're right that the files in the "Local" area are not backed up. This is one of the advantages of using the Cloud libraries over the local ones.

 

I just tried to re-create what you ran into -- renaming a library to something that has invalid characters. For me, it showed an error: "Failed to rename folder/library", and left the file untouched. I don't know why you would be seeing different behavior.

 

Jeff

Message 4 of 6
rflulling
in reply to: jeff.pek


I just tried to re-create what you ran into -- renaming a library to something that has invalid characters. For me, it showed an error: "Failed to rename folder/library", and left the file untouched. I don't know why you would be seeing different behavior.

Good morning Jeff, Thank you for looking, and testing.

 

When I renamed the library, there was no error whatsoever. No notices. I have checked everything I know to check for a record of the event. Anything more than my own memory of it. Some place there was a log file. I have included the diagnostic logs just in case but I have a feeling they wont show any such information either. 

-Ironically Fusion has no issue about complaining about literally everything else. Cant do it, cant do it, nope, not going to work. Undo everything. Just create a new file. It's just not going to work. It's just impossible to add a round over here... As if Fusion was always so fourth coming with it's errors. 

 

The cloud thing to me is a pure accessory, almost a gimmick at this point. Something they complain we have over used later, likely recreate into a billed service as google did. But up front, use as an excuse as to why there are no back ups, we didn't have it turned on, we didn't move copies of files into it. -I'm not buying any excuses because there is that whole folder in assets, it's sitting un used by anything. And everything else is otherwise backed up, so why not libraries, materials, and appearances, etc. Just updating Fusion and everything has to be downloaded again.

 

Sorry, its been a long night. I have been rebuilding my tools. Got some sleep after 4AM. Back up and at it again. Still have 16 bits to update/add.

 

rflulling_0-1725288836137.png

 

Message 5 of 6
jeff.pek
in reply to: rflulling

Are you able to put together a short video of this happening, with a scratchpad library? Also, can you confirm which build of Fusion you're running?

Thanks,

  Jeff

Message 6 of 6
rflulling
in reply to: rflulling

Just to keep this alive. I have not been on my CNC in a couple weeks. Also had internet issues finally resolved.

Will see if I can make something for you this weekend.  However, i am not sure what it will add here that hasn't already been said.

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