Browser based Fusion 360 or Virtual desktop install for Chromebook usage?

[randyT9V9C]

I just learned my students will be starting in an online only mode this fall. Most students have Chromebooks at home and they obviously can't natively run Fusion 360.

A few years ago I tried the browser based version and it was pretty rough. I haven't heard if there has been any development of the browser based version of Fusion 360 lately. Is it still in development? Based on my prior experience I can't imagine it's a viable option.

I can run Fusion 360 on a virtual desktop like Paper Space https://www.paperspace.com/, and it runs well, even on a Chromebook. Are there any other virtualization options I should be looking at?

[leowarren34]

Fusion online is alright when it works - I haven't used it a couple of months and I just tried to open a file only to get that the browser version is out of date. I've generally only used it for minor edits at college when I can't get to a computer with fusion on it.

I'd recommend looking at Frame Virtualisation as I've had great experiences running Inventor on it - the only issue can be ping but that is just a case of making sure a data centre is near you. CAD with lag is extremely painful to use.

[randyT9V9C]

@leowarren34, thanks for the information. I logged into the web-version last night and it is still very basic. It appears it only offers basic Design options without any Manufacture (CAM) capabilities. I didn't attempt to open any large assemblies. As you mentioned, it looks well suited for minor edits and that's about it.

I'm waiting for a response from PaperSpace on Team/Educational pricing and options. It appears I can build a base install template and then replicate it. I just don't know if I need a VM for every student or if I can use a shared pool of VMs. 

[Anonymous]

There is now official support for Fusion 360 running in the browser on Chromebooks. Check out this link for more information.

[randyT9V9C]

@Anonymous, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I tested it this morning and it appears to work really well. I have some students that will be testing it over the weekend. It will be interesting to get their feedback next week. We have been using the Paperspace VM and most are very comfortable with that arrangement. I'm really interested to see how the bandwidth usage and latency compares. Unfortunately,  many students have limited internet options where they live.