F360 using multiple devices

[Anonymous]

It seems F360 is "kinda" cloud and "kinda" not cloud all at the same time - by this I mean:

While data may be stored in the cloud and even processed therein, it takes a local download and install (.exe) per machine to use it due to running in its own "application browser";

contrast this to a "true cloud" CAD system like Onshape where ALL processing is done in the browser of the user's choice, including logging in to one's account and nothing is stored on the user's system unless one exports/saves it thereto.

In addition to using my local systems, I utilize non-local systems such as a local public library for example, which environment prohibits the downloading and installing of .exe files, and even if one does, their systems are supposed to be be "reset" between users and at the end of the day - this resetting process wipes ALL work done by any given user off their system for security reasons so subsequent users can not access prior user's files.

So when I try to access my F360 account from said library, I can not do so without violating their policy about downloads/installs, and if I do, F360 wants me to start from scratch creating a whole new account again, and at least sometimes I am prevented from doing this because said account already exists.

Assuming I ever get logged into my account, F360 does not show up as my application to use, apparently because I am in a free trial period and will be in a hobbyist/startup (earning less than $x amount of dollars per year) when the free trial ends; ie, a non-subscriber.

So I am having difficulty using F360 as a "true cloud" application that is device/browser/system independent, and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.

Am I missing something here ?

Onshape's marketing strategy prevents me from using it (as nice as their system is), since to get private non-public design status requires a fee of $100USD/month; whereas F360 is only $40USD/month for paid subscription, and free for hobbyists/startups generating less than $100,000/yr as I recall - so Autodesk's F360 is the no-brainer winner in this regard.

[James.Youmatz]

Hi @Anonymous,

Welcome to the Fusion 360 Community!

This is going to be a bit lengthy of a post, but your observations are spot on. Yes, at this current moment in time, Fusion 360 uses the cloud for data management, and specific computations. For the most part, installation, computations, local caches are all done locally - hence the minimum requirements to use a compatible Windows or Mac OS. I did want to note however, that we are working towards building a fully featured cloud CAD package where modeling/computation is all done. I often to refer to it as "browser based CAD" and is similar to what you described with OnShape. More information about that can be found here and currently it is in Beta and useable with Fusion 360. Granted, there are limited features as opposed to the desktop version of Fusion 360. 

Now, with all that being said - I don't see why your workflow described isn't working! Yes, as you mentioned, the install is local - so if you are wiping the computer at the end of the night, Fusion will constantly have to be reinstalled. Theoretically locally saved machine preferences and local offline cache (these are created with every cloud save just in case you lose internet connection that you still have the ability to work with your files offline if need be) will be lost per reinstall (depending on what is actually wiped). 

Regardless, if you are saving to the cloud, per reinstall all you should have to do is sign in! Can you describe a bit more as to what is happening that you are forced to recreate accounts? For instance, if you installed Fusion right now on your machine and used my credentials to log in, you would have access to all my data! So, I'm not really sure why you have to keep creating accounts here - it should be as simple as reinstalling (just in case the issue is that you cannot get a new download link without creating a new account - here is a direct download link!) Now, once installed, you should have no issue logging into previous accounts and accessing all your cloud data. You can verify which accounts have what data by logging into your at A360 (which is in essence the data management "cloud" portion of Fusion 360)

Once reinstalled, you will be presented a login screen and you can log into your account. This should solve all issues, but yes - if you have to wipe the machines every day, you will have to reinstall every time. There is no way around this now. My suggestion too - once you log into Fusion next time, hit that "Trial Expires in" button and sign up as a hobbyist. This way Fusion will be reflected in your account. In the meantime as well, feel free to play around with our Browser CAD. It really has come a long way in a short time and I'm excited to see where it goes. 

Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. One theory I had - would it be possible for you to set up a virtual machine that you can access via a web browser client. Then, in theory, you wouldn't have to reinstall every time as it would live on the VM. Just a theory however, never actually tried it myself.

Thanks,

[aaronkcap]

Here is the browser based version of fusion https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-preview-functionality/browser-f360-getting-started/td-p/69...

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all for response.

Today, work sequence at library was as follows:

1) Logged into Autodesk account

2) Used direct link for download/install of .exe, (therefore not prompted to set up another account), and installed it even though not supposed to do this, the particular computer I was on let me do it.

3) F360, after install required another login

4) Files were not in the cloud, but that is probably due to not saving to cloud at home, although I thought saving automatically saved to cloud with a local save, I guess not

I think my simplest solution to work around the problem of having to re-install each time used from a non-local (home) system is to install to a USB thumb drive or DVD, and use that copy to run from; thereby I am not really installing any .exe file to their system (HD), which upsets them; such a solution lets me save my data files thereto as well, but if cloud saves were not executed then when I return home, I have to sync updated files to my local system, which is a nuisance but I can live with it.

I did click on the subscription button to register as hobbyist/startup, so guess F360 will start showing up in my Autodesk account as one of my applications. 

I will investigate the beta "browser version".

Thanks again for reply/assistance.

[Anonymous]

"Now, once installed, you should have no issue logging into previous accounts and accessing all your cloud data. You can verify which accounts have what data by logging into your at A360 (which is in essence the data management "cloud" portion of Fusion 360)"

Accessing through A360 DID have my files from the cloud saved at home - still in the learning curve here.