Fusion 360 - Cloud solving will be the only option available for all simulation
Like here, why do I need to download a LOCAL FILE to import into this project? Why is importing files tied so heavily to the cloud that files have to process, and incredibly slowly at that and sometimes not at all, in the cloud before they can be imported?
Who thought this was good design? I can open this same .STEP instantly in Solidworks but no, Fusion has to mangle it and make it inaccessible.
@phillipJSCHJ wrote:
..STEP instantly in Solidworks ...
As @wmhazzard has already posted, STEP files can be opened with the file/open dialogue.
Small files open "instantly" in Fusion as well. The large files I work with, for example, a robotic packaging machine that was created in Creo and then exported as a STEP file and has 27.000 components, opens/converts locally in Fusion, but magnitudes faster than in SolidWorks.
While Windows and Mac are the 2 main OS types we support with Fusion, we also support multiple versions of those Operating Systems as well as different hardware configurations. Also, our cloud machines for Simulation are Linux, so we support that for our Simulation solvers.
As mentioned in the blog post, continuing to support local solvers makes Fusion more dependent on OS platforms and hardware. This means for each OS and platform, our code not only needs to be compiled and tested, but we also must ensure we produce consistent results, especially with each new version of the OS, especially on Mac.
Removing capabilities is never pleasing for customers. And yes, we lose customers in these situations, but we always try to ensure there is a path forward for the customers without incurring additional cost to them as well as where there will as little impact on their work as possible. This is why we no longer charge users to run Linear Static Stress study and the customers who were using other studies that could be solved locally were given a suitable path forward with the Fusion Simulation Extension. And the time freed up from having to support our solvers on multiple OS and their versions is being utilized towards improving cloud solve performance and efficiency as well as provide more features and capabilities in Fusion.
Rahul Patil
Principal Product Manager - Fusion Simulation and Generative Design
Inventor Nastran, CFD, Moldflow and Helius PFA
I've used CAD and 3D modeling software professionally for over 30 and over 20 in 3D starting with SolidWorks in 1998.
I've worked with Fusion for almost 10.
I've reported your post to the moderator. Calling folks names is unprofessional and unacceptable!
@hmortim wrote:
... your guys's time and money would have been better off adding a new feature like I and others have brought up regarding a ( any user place their favorite featiore requst here) feature...
I ( and many others) can make that same argument for my/their features! I am not getting all the things I want either!
There are many areas of Fusion where features are added, and if you follow the "what's new" section after each update or read through the reports Autodesk has to publish as a publicly traded company, it becomes clear where they see the market for Fusion.
About a year ago (or so), in response to other users who hypothesized that Fusion would either lose or already have lost hoards of users if this or that wouldn't be implemented, I went through those public reports.
I saw rapid growth in paying subscriber numbers. Those numbers validate Autodesk's direction, which is unfortunate for users who work more in fringe areas.
After Autodesk’s marketing policy, nothing gives me more satisfaction than this graph. There was all that talk about how great your sales were. You can charge whatever you like, but no one will buy from you.
@tomas.baborsky -this post has been edited due to Community Rules & Etiquette violation.
@tomas.baborsky , that chart is relatively meaningless as it represents an overall picture. Fusion isn't where Autodesk makes most (or loses any) of its revenue!
Autodesk is a publicly traded company, obviously, and they have to report their earnings publicly. Those reports can be found here.
So before you make another potentially ill-informed post, maybe go through the reports.
I did this a few years ago, and Fusion was doing very well at the time. I have no reason to believe that has changed.
@tomas.baborsky wrote:
Dear Trippy,
thank you for that answer. I read report for fiscal year 2025 but that report is old from june 2025 and it reflect curve in the graph if you look at it well. So explain me please why my post is ill?
You presented a graph that only shows the most recent year. I don't think Autodesk's pricing structure has changed all that much since I started using Fusion in 2014.
I think the connection you make between the chart and Autodesk's pricing strategy is very far-fetched.
Here is the MAX chart, fresh from Google. Aside from that Covid bump that many industries experienced, that looks pretty spectacular to me!
@tomas.baborsky wrote:
. Pricing is crazily set.
Is it? What other CAD products have you compared with Fusion?
When I get frustrated and think the grass is greener somewhere else I look the other CAD tools are out there and compare specs, features , prices, licensing and subscription models etc.
Every time I have done that I came to the conclusion that Fusion provides a pretty good bang for the buck.
For example if I wanted to create a render of a design, with OnShape I would have to get the professional subscription plan for $2,500 annually.
If you don't like Autodesk's product pricing, then choose a product from a different vendor and perhaps post on their forum. There is plenty of choice!
