Bring back the Version Number

[Webdad]

I've worked with Fusion 360 for 8 years, and developed workflows and SOPs that were heavily dependent on the version number in both the view as well as saving STL meshes.  The recent decision to not only stop adding the version number to mesh saves but also remove the visibility of the version number completely within Fusion 360 has severely crippled by ability to be productive with this software.

What recourse, besides moving to another CAD solution, is there for regaining lost / crippled functionality?

[olpprgeno]

I'm another one of the many users who thinks the loss of the save version dialog is a terrible idea, as is the change to how the history list and opening older versions works now.

I'm not sure what study group thought this new method improves the process, but from my view, this is a terrible way of doing things, is a huge step backward, and an even bigger workflow time waster.   Please at least bring back the old dialog and history view as a preference option. 

This new method, to be blunt, just plain sucks. 

[joecamisa]

Agreed - what we had worked and should be restored.

[cyan_perry]

Hi All, 

Thank you for your feedback. 

We’re actively tracking this and have shared more details in another thread. To keep updates and responses centralized, please continue the discussion here.

[scottprater]

This is probably the most serious issue with the new versioning system.

If you have a workflow where you deal with exporting STEP or STL files to vendors for quoting and manufacturing reasons, knowing the exact version of the file you exported is the only way to know exactly which version of your model the export was generated from. Having Fusion automatically tack the version number to the end of the file name of the export was really nice, especially if you have a lot of versions of a file.

With the new system, I don't know what's to replace that. Are we supposed to be assigning versions (milestones?) to stuff before we export it now? Also, our current workflow uses Milestones as our revision tracking system (usually typed in as "REV A" "REV B" etc). This was recommended to us by our Fusion support team and actually by Autodesk themselves; is this functionality being taken away from us now? Are we being forced into Manage?

-Scott

[joecamisa]

Hey Scott, agree with your comment.  The Version Number functionality we had is clearly still required.

If you could please share this comment in this thread: create-version-is-not-supported-for-this-design 

Thanks!

[joecamisa]

Thanks Cyan, glad to see this issue is being addressed, it clearly impacts many users.  Unfortunately data loss is not something we can workaround.

[Webdad]

Completely agree - I've got workflows that have been destroyed by this change.

For showing the version number now:

As we all know, previously, Version was a simple, automatically incremented number, so it was also very simple to show that on the file tab, in the draw panel, and in the data panel.  When they destroyed the version, they made "Create Version" and let you enter the string of your choice (Version 3, v3, Version 3 - This one, etc).  With that change displaying the string becomes much more difficult in terms of screen / UI real estate.

[rhetths]

I always open my files from local, and the way it was previously it would create dysfunctional version numbers when i resaved them.  I dont understand why anyone wouldn't open files from local unless they are using the cloud aspect for collaborating with others.  What i wouldn't mind is proper version numbers, but then again, sometimes i am happy to just resave the current version number.  I find that auto things typically cost more time than they save.  So i like the way it is now.

What i see as an obvious deficiency in the program is that you cant always 'save as'.  When i go to save a file, often i will not recall if it has been saved before or not, which means i do not know whether to go to 'save' or 'save as'.  If 'save as' worked all the time, as it should, as programs always did in the past (before they were made stupid), then i wouldn't head in the wrong direction and then have to change course.

Another thing, that i have mentioned previously, is the issue that when saving to local, it previously did the sane and logical thing of saving files to the local folder that they were opened from.  Some time ago it was changed such that if one file is opened from one folder, and then another file is opened from another folder, and you save the first file, it will save it to the folder of the second file.  This is utterly moronic and creates the issue of files being saved in the wrong places, which can mean an old version is considered current, or files can be 'lost', etc.  It is a very serious issue, that constantly costs me time to redirect files from going to the wrong folder.

There have been almost zero good ideas in IT over the last 15 or so years, and a lot of bad ideas have been pursued, young people working in IT need to study older programs to learn how to do things well.

[lance.carocci]

Fusion does not have a local save - it has an export, though, and the export directory is not tied to where the file was opened, since most files are opened from a Fusion hub.

[rhetths]

"Save" and "Export" are the same thing.

Fusion previously saved/exported files to the windows folder they were opened from.  I see no sense whatsoever in that being changed.

I have all sorts of files related to a product in my windows folders, it makes total sense to keep fusion files there.  The windows environment has a variety of features that make it good at this.  Why would i open my files from the internet when i have it on my computer already, that would make no sense unless someone else had modified the file and i wanted to look at it.

What i notice is that over time software tries to exert greater and greater power and influence over users, and as software becomes more linked to the internet it becomes less secure.  Imagine having all of my files stored how i like them in fusion and then one of the highly frequent software changes disrupts that.  Disruption, undue influence, insecurity, unreliability, etc, are massive issues with current software, and trash productivity.

[joecamisa]

I've been storing my designs online because it is convenient.  The CE Hub Migration is making me rethink this workflow.

To those users who relied on the Fusion File/Save Version numbers being always available, the loss of these Version numbers is LOSS OF DATA.

Call it Metadata if you prefer.

Having Date and Timestamps is a great addition but will never be a replacement for File/Save Version numbers.

Why is this is such a difficult concept to grasp?

[Webdad]

Beg to differ, but Save and Export are not the same thing.

As a test, I exported a model to a local directory and then opened that local file using File | Open | Open from my computer... and selected the newly exported file.

After modifying the file, I then selected File | Save and the only destination options for saving were in the cloud.  If I wanted to save it back to the local directory I would have to do File | Export and select the Location: at the bottom to be in a local directory.

[rhetths]

So you were saving to the cloud, and they junked your version numbers?  That means they also junked the version numbers on my saves to the cloud?

Edit:  I just checked and my historical version numbers seem unaltered.

[rhetths]

I meant that, functionally, 'exporting' is just saving to local.

I can readily export a file to my local windows folder, then open it, modify it, then export it to local again, as well as save to the cloud.  Just make sure it is a .f3d file.

I save most files to the cloud as well as exporting to local, because there have been instances where one or the other has not been reliable, and losing files relating to business activity is a serious problem.

Opening files from the cloud is not only superfluous, but takes more time to find the file, is reliant on internet connection, wastes internet connection data, and in the case of large files would be slower.

[lance.carocci]

The application has always been built around saving to and opening from a Fusion hub rather than managing files from local disk - to the extent that Export and Open from my Computer workflows largely defer to default UI framework behavior and are not something we explicitly define. We recently updated many of Fusion's internal libraries, and it's possible the framework now manages these directories separately. In any case, the two commands have no documented relation with regard to file browser destination directory. Export is mainly intended for archival and collaboration purposes (it's especially helpful for product support!); Open from my Computer is really just there to save you the need to close the Open command and use Import.

[joecamisa]

In 20-20 hindsight I would still have the pre CE Hub Migration Version numbers available IF my prior workflow included Exporting designs with the Version number in the file name.

Unfortunately that was not my workflow, I rely on Version Numbers being auto assigned by Fusion at each Design Save at which time I ALSO entered a Description.

I am stuck with no Version Numbers until they are restored in Fusion. 

Never expected to be in this predicament and still haven't heard a reasonable explanation why Version Numbers were discarded with no warning.

No objection to adding Date and Timestamp to each Version but they are not a replacement for Version numbers we have been using for years.

[rhetths]

Managers and programmers driven by corruption, misguided ideology, a desire to dominate or exploit, and that have no care for what matters to consumers, can want consumers to do things in a less favourable way, but it doesn't bode well for the future of the software or society.

[rhetths]

My version numbers are still in place on files i saved to the cloud.  My impression is that the only difference for you is you now have to generate those version numbers yourself when you create new files and new versions of existing files.

[bwalker145]

@lance.carocci Couple question about the transition to CE hubs & versioning:

I currently use milestones to indicate major releases, and add my internal release number assigned via ERP to the milestone description; this is tracked across the drawing as well.

1. Will the historic milestone description information (i.e. my ERP release levels) be carried over & be readily available once my hub is migrated to the new system?

2. Will the new versioning system allow for a similar input?

Simple example below:

[joecamisa]

Yes, going forward if automatic Version numbering is really discontinued I will have to add my own version numbers to designs in the Description field at every save.

This is tremendous step backward of course vs. the functionality we had  pre CE Hub migration.
Unfortunately I have found no way to access the Version numbers that were assigned by Fusion pre CE Hub migration - this is major issue for all users who rely on this for mapping Fusions designs to finished products created months or years ago.