Clarification on Simulation Tools Access in Fusion Hobbyist Version

[mmojo_eth]

Hi Community,
(Joaquin thank you for the warm welcome and for extending the invitation).

I’ve been trying to find answers on the forum regarding simulation tools in the Fusion hobbyist version, but I found it quite difficult to navigate and extract relevant information—it feels a bit overwhelming and disorganized.

What I’d like to understand clearly is this:
Why is access to the pre-processing tools for simulation—like setting up constraints, boundary conditions, material properties, loads, geometry simplification, and meshing—restricted in the hobbyist version?

I understand and fully support the idea that running the actual simulation in the cloud requires credits, and that this should come at a cost. However, the current credit system forces users to purchase large batches of tokens upfront, which is quite limiting—especially for learners or hobbyists. A genuine pay-as-you-go model (e.g., pay only for the number of simulations actually run, when they are run) would be far more practical, accessible, and aligned with how people use the software casually or for educational purposes.
That said, what’s most puzzling is why the model preparation phase—which doesn’t require cloud computing resources—is locked behind this system as well. Preparing a model is time-consuming and fundamental to learning simulation workflows. Restricting that capability undercuts the core educational value of the hobbyist license.

From my background working with tools like CATIA, Nastran/Patran, LS-Dyna, and Fluent, I know firsthand how essential it is to have access to these steps in the simulation process—even more so when learning or experimenting.
Is there a reason this functionality is currently restricted in this way?
And if there isn’t an existing workaround or licensing tier that addresses this use case, could you please advise me on the best way to formally submit this suggestion through the forum or appropriate channel?

Looking forward to your response and thank you again for your time.

[rahul.patil]

Hello @mmojo_eth, 

Thank you for your patience with our response.

Hobbyist/Personal license is a limited version that includes basic functionality for home-based projects. We have restricted access to simulation pre-processing functionalities for Hobbyist/Personal license as it takes time and effort to maintain and improve the functionality. 

From learning perspective, we do enable access to all Simulation capabilities for users in the 30 days trial option or if they are a student/education user. There are some pretty cheap options you can check out to get access to all Fusion capabilities like, we currently have some discounts on purchasing a commercial license. You can also check if you could qualify for a start up license.  

Buying the smallest batch of tokens is also an option, where you can use the tokens not only to run Simulations, but also to access Fusion (3 tokens/day). This could be an option if you don't use Fusion very regularly.

Best regards,