Long list of bugs/issues

[s21Q9J8A]

List of Fusion 360 Problems I'm experiencing below.  Sorry I don't have time to list them separately, but I hope the detail level is helpful for the software team.  I am sorry to say that I am not a very satisfied user but do hope the product will improve at a faster pace.   I have been looking for solutions for most of these issues for >2 years now.

I am generally pretty frustrated with the lack of consistency, stability, performance, and ease of use in the software, and I hope the below information is used to improve that.   I understand that individual bug reports and feature requests is what you may request, however please consider the time I have already spent documenting what I have.  I hope this list is actionable.  Thank you for your support.  Feel free to educate me where needed as I am sure some of the issues I experience might be avoidable.

Software and System information in detail supplied at end.  I am using Windows 11.

1. General: 2 year old issue where sometimes (in Windows)a selected sketch or body is highlighted and cannot be un -highlighted. It has been reported several times by others and has not been resolved.  Restarting Fusion resolves this.
2. General: A messaging/troubleshooting/diagnostic center should be considered: Where I go to troubleshoot timeline or computation failures. How do I identify conflicting geometries or features efficiently?
3. General: Allow me to customize exactly which input changes zoom, pan, rotate. Enough with this "Inventor" or "Solidworks" and other options. Let me be me.
4. General: Allow users to specify how grounding of objects will occur when adding/inserting them. Always grounding to parent is not always wanted, for example.
5. General: Consider rewarding people (subscription credits) when they help others troubleshoot or identify software issues.
6. General: Document Recovery popup (on launch after crash) is almost useless. It should show a comparison between the last saved and recovery version so the user can know what to choose.
7. General: Fix ALL the bugs, inconsistencies, oversights, and obvious omissions in features before introducing new features, especially pay-only features.
8. General: Fusion 360 crashes at least once every time I use it. Usually when dealing with a broken timeline or when the pc does a display change (monitor disconnected, etc.) Please fix.
9. General: Handle display/docking changes gracefully in Windows. The app shouldn't crash.
10. General: Handles to resize dialogues/windows do not appear properly or consistently. Why can't I resize from any corner? Why doesn't the mouse cursor change consistently to show I can resize?
11. General: If I am performing an edit that is specific to a subcomponent, and I do not have that specific subcomponent activated, at least warn me.  Help the user to avoid adding a timeline feature to the wrong component and having to do all of that work over again.  
12. General: if I forget to activate a component, allow me to move timeline features to the intended component. Don't make me delete and start over.
13. General: In some dimension values with handles (rectangular pattern as an example), if a user inputs a variable, the variable value is carried over to the main dialogue instead of the variable itself, causing parameter changes not to update.  Please check all functions for these inconsistencies.
14. General: Inconsistencies in the interface. Sometimes when filling out a text value field, clicking away will store the value, in other instances it will cancel and revert back to the old value.  Please check all functions for inconsistencies.
15. General: The threat of losing a recovery document forever should not exist, which is sometimes implied in the verbiage of this dialogue window/box.
16. General: When changing only the home view in a project, the save button does not activate. Only when closing the project, Fusion will prompt you to save.  
17. General: When inserting components (insert derive, insert, drag drop, etc) it is not clear as to what the limitations are. Sometimes I cannot edit the sketches, and it is difficult to figure out why.
18. General: When inserting components (insert derive, insert, drag drop, etc) the "make independent" option is not always available. It is not clear why. Make it easy for components to be duplicated and made independent. I know about "paste new". Still.
19. General: When inserting components (insert derive, insert, drag drop, etc), even if they are a duplicate linked component, please let me rename it whatever I want.
20. General: When something doesn't work, NEVER just do nothing. Tell me why the thing I asked for didn't work. Don't flash something at the bottom of the screen so fast I can't read it either.
21. Performance: Consider actively detecting long execution times, and suggesting to the user options to the user that may help. For example view detail level or other adjustment that may improve user experience due to long wait times or system resource limitation.
22. Performance: When a timeline is broken, (yellow or red timeline feature), and the history marker is placed prior to those broken features, it seems Fusion seems to still suffer from performance issues when it should not.  Try breaking some timeline features via sketch computation failure, etc to test.
23. Sketch: "Constraints were removed" warning is not enough information to trace back what I may have broken.
24. Sketch: "Failed to solve" is not adequate information to efficiently identify a conflict in a sketch.
25. Sketch: Consider allowing rectangles to be drawn at the displayed rotation angle rather than always parallel to the axes. Currently this requires lines or multiple steps.
26. Sketch: Consider changing the parallel and equal constraint icons so they are more differentiable
27. Sketch: Consider making points changeable to construction geometries in order to assist in displaying/hiding stacked points.  If a line can be a construction geometry, why can't a point?
28. Sketch: Does not seem possible to select a point if it is stacked with another point, then drag the point. This appears true even if no constraints are applied to the stacked points.
29. Sketch: highlighting a geometry blue during hover or highlight in right-click context menu is insufficient for troubleshooting overlapping and/or conflicting geometries or constraints
30. sketch: Make a copy of sketch geometries with constraints and dimensions. The copies will behave completely different and its impossible difficult to troubleshoot. One is fully defined and the other is not..
31. Sketch: Offset: once geometries have been offset, it turns itself into a dimension. This subset of offset geometries, once modified turns into a mess of divorced dimensions. Consider making offset editable similar to rectangular pattern.
32. Sketch: Once a set of geometries is mirrored, it becomes a mess of individual symmetry constraints. The sketch becomes cluttered and edits near impossible. Consider reworking mirror to be editable features similar to rectangular patterns.
33. Sketch: Perhaps introducing a layering approach would help in troubleshooting and differentiating stacked lines, points, etc. The current hover or hold right-click approach sucks.
34. sketch: sometimes hovering over points does not show the associated constraints. If there are no constraints, tell me so.
35. Sketch: There is currently no efficient way to make a copy of sketch geometries and keep them identical. Mirror does not do this. Individual constraints are not practical.
36. Sketch: When attempting to delete stacked points, sometimes nothing happens and there is no indication as to why. I can select the point via right click context menu, hitting delete does nothing. NEVER quietly do nothing.
37. Sketch: When I drag something and it doesn't move, tell me why. Don't make me hunt for a long time to find the constraint(s) that I'm looking for. Very frustrating.
38. Sketch: When linking a projected geometry, and the projected body or sketch changes, try to resolve the conflict on your own. Parametric/variable change should not cause this to break almost EVERY time.
39. Sketch: When trying to fully define a sketch, it is sometimes not obvious what is not defined. Need some help here. It almost seems like maybe the blue lines don't update automatically to black. How to check?
40. Sketch: Make filters for constraints that assist in troubleshooting. You may consider filters for individual types of constraints (filter concentric, parallel, coincident etc.) Make all options available not just a partial list of filters.
41. sketch: selection filters - need to provide all possible options. For example "projected geometries' is not available
42. Timeline: configure vs edit a step is confusing. What the heck is configure and why do you keep trying to upsell me and interrupting my work?
43. Tree navigation/selection: Collapse all, expand all, hide selected components, hide all bodies , show all bodies, show all sketches, hide all sketches, and all permutations need to be available
44. Variables: allow me to change the unit type without having to recreate the variable
45. Variables: allow me to have text variables so that I can use them for text in sketches.
46. Variables: it is inconvenient to want to assign a value or dimension but you haven't yet created a variable, so you have to quit what you're doing, and then go to the parameters table and add it then go back.

Fusion version:  2.0.20508 x86_64

Device name dell9710
Processor 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11800H @ 2.30GHz 2.30 GHz
Installed RAM 64.0 GB (63.7 GB usable)
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display

Edition Windows 11 Home
Version 23H2
Installed on ‎2/‎6/‎2023
OS build 22631.4460
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22700.1047.0

[TrippyLighting]

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@s21Q9J8A wrote:

@jeff_strater 

Jeff,

Thank you for the well communicated question!  Much appreciated.

Let's take for example the function for rectangular pattern. After you plug in all of your parameters and hit "okay", the rectangular pattern is represented by a single icon which can be right clicked and reconfigured.  This is handy for reconfiguring and also identification of what was done previously in the sketch.  I believe there are other commands that could be candidates as well, like perhaps mirror, offset, or any other commands that result in multiple constraints being created.

Also, thank you for your points about achieving symmetry in the solid environment versus in the sketch environment for better performance. It's an important consideration and one I'm aware of, but sometimes "you gotta do what you gotta do", and I don't believe it's a good idea to burden the user with computer performance optimization when they're trying to be creative.  I don't believe most users,  will understand how, under the covers, Fusion and the computer will operate most efficiently (myself included with a previous career of 23 years as a UNIX System Administrator).

That being said, I know there are design constraints, and I did mention that it would be great if Fusion detected and notified the user if there were performance issues/considerations, and communicated suggestions on how to resolve/improve them (e.g. decrease display detail settings)  Also, a "troubleshooting center" where the user could go to review software warnings, messages, and troubleshoot computational and performance issues might be helpful.  The latter could be great for the times where, frustratingly, a command is issued, but quietly fails.  

Besides specifics about the mirror command, some other general thoughts to improve the sketching environment are:

1)  Create a layered environment in a sketch where layers can be turned on/off to clarify overlapping and congested sketch entities (constraints, dimensions, overlapping lines, etc that are user configured). This is already partially implemented (in a way) with the sidebar check boxes (for projected geometries, dimensions, etc).  Additional, user defined layers could be considered.  (I would also love to see some software intelligence implemented with this.  For example, have you ever turned off profiles in a sketch, forgotten, finished the sketch, and then have to go back to turn profiles back on so you can extrude a profile?  It would be great if Fusion was smart enough to know that you might need profiles on to extrude, and did it for you.)
2)  Supply selection filter options for ALL types of sketch entities, not just some.
3)  Supply display layers/check boxes for ALL types of sketch entities, not just some.

4)  Better display of computational issues or when constraints, dimensions, or other issues prevent the user from interacting the way they want.  For example, trying to drag a sketch that won't move could highlight the conflicting constraints/dimensions for the user, and/or post a message into a "Troubleshooting Center".

I appreciate the attention to these matters, and would love to see the product improved.  If you'd like more of my input, please contact me via DM.

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Patterns, operations that mirror an entire sketch-half, and most fillets do not belong in a sketch. That isn't only computationally advantageous, 

it is less work and requires much less debugging, if any. Most Fusion users are aware of this by now. It is common knowledge among professional CAD practitioners.

While I support the removal of bugs from the sketch engine and new features are "nice to have" if you follow the advice above, you'll find that you'll have a lot less need for these features 😉

[jeff_strater]

@s21Q9J8A - thanks for the reply.  I want to comment on a couple of things:

"I don't believe it's a good idea to burden the user with computer performance optimization when they're trying to be creative.  I don't believe most users,  will understand how, under the covers, Fusion and the computer will operate most efficiently (myself included with a previous career of 23 years as a UNIX System Administrator)."

I hope you will allow me to disagree here.  Regardless of the tool, it is always good to have an understanding of what it is good for, and how to use it most efficiently.  We've all used pliers as a hammer occasionally, and, while this can work in a pinch, I think everyone would agree that it is not an ideal usage of the pliers tool (or an efficient way to drive nails).  Or, my favorite:  my high school wood shop teacher, when discussing sanding, and the need for different grit levels, said:  "you could use extra fine sandpaper for the entire job, but it would take a very long time".  So, I don't think I buy your justification that Fusion needs to allow for any workflow with the same level of efficiency.  If you want to use sketch patterns or sketch mirror, no problem, but I think it is unrealistic to expect that doing so will result in the same level of efficiency as other workflows.  Also, I don't think that any deep knowledge of how Fusion works internally is necessary to understand that some workflows are more efficient than others.  Where I think there is a valid deficit here is in the documentation and training, or even in-product feedback:  "you are using sketch pattern with a large instance count.  Are you sure that you want to do that?  Consider making this pattern in the solid environment instead".

Second, regarding your list of desired sketch enhancements:  I would not argue that any of those suggestions would not be nice to have in sketch.  Most of them have been requested along the way, some many times.  However, the reality is that the Fusion team is finite.  If you watch these forums with any regularity, you will see many suggestions that are equally desirable, and would make great additions, usually combined with comments like: "I can't believe that is it 2024 and XYZ is still not implemented".  I'd estimate that I see 10-20 of these per week.  (not 10 unique new suggestions, but 10 topics with comments expressing outrage that the poster's favorite enhancement request has still not been implemented).  What we can deliver in Fusion in any given is limited by the size of the team available.  So, we have to prioritize, and do cost/benefit analysis, to determine what to fund, and what to keep on the list.  For instance, your suggestion to implement layers in sketch.  Great idea, but a huge project, as it would require changing some fundamental aspects of the sketch data model that then propagate across the entirety of Fusion (drawings, manufacturing, edit in place, configurations, etc).  And, honestly, not that many people are demanding it.  Most get around it with multiple sketches.  So, I don't suspect that it will make it any time soon.  The capacity is just not infinite.  Item 7 on your original list was "Fix ALL the bugs, inconsistencies, oversights, and obvious omissions in features before introducing new features, especially pay-only features".  Even the "fix all the bugs" part would more than consume the Fusion team for years.  So, like an ER, we have to triage:  What bugs are common, cause the most pain, and have no workaround?  Fix those first.  And, regarding the comment about "pay-only features".  Those, whether any of us like it or not, are essential to the continued existence of Fusion as a project.  Sorry, but we have to make money.

[s21Q9J8A]

Jeff,

I hope you can appreciate my user experience here:  Someone who spends most of the day designing with the software.   I am a 3rd year Industrial Design student who has been using Fusion for over 3 years daily.  I can tell you that Fusion is not well regarded by my student body, and that they are reluctant to pay for it when they are frustrated with it for this long, especially when they understand that employers are often using different software.

As I mentioned to @Steven_Gao, I think that a user observational study would reveal the pain points and how painful some are vs. others.  I appreciate your verbosity and I would love to reciprocate, but as I've stated before, I cannot work for free.   So I will say thank you and bye for now.  Cheers.

[Steven_Gao]

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@FrodoLoggins wrote:

In regards to the hidden body problem:

I believe (but not sure) it usually (or always IDK) happens when switching from the manufacturing environment [where the body/component is hidden as expected as it's not part of the milling setup that I have activated] to the Design environment.

 Thanks you @FrodoLoggins We have found an issue - Body visibility is not saved in the MFG workspace. Dev team is investigating it now and try to fix it later. 

[FrodoLoggins]

Just FYI this just happened to me again and I did not switch from the manufacturing environment. I can't remember what I did. I think I hid a component > used the move command > unhid the component > but the component was still hidden.

[s21Q9J8A]

Please let me know if you would like me to test or provide feedback when any of these items have been addressed.  I am still experiencing most of these issues.

[s21Q9J8A]

@jeff_strater Jeff,

I have been thinking about your response and I wanted to mention that there seems to be a substantial conflict of interest between the customer's and developer's perspective that you conveyed.  From my perspective, the issues I describe are foundational:  2D sketch functions, performance, consistency and robustness of navigation and display, and ability to use parameters in a design.   From your perspective, they are optional feature requests.  You seem to describe these issues as optional to resolve, and furthermore that they are unpopular requests.  Your response leads me to believe that the development team may not be aware of how painful these issues are, which is why I recommend an ethnographic study.  Again, please contact me privately if you wish, as I am not able to send a DM.

[s21Q9J8A]

The most recent update with the Home Page is so disappointing compared to fixing at least some of the problems described here.  I don't know who is prioritizing a home page, while disabling old ways of navigating to files, and not addressing basic functionality described above.   This is so annoying.

[s21Q9J8A]

Please let me know if you would like me to test or provide feedback when any of these items have been addressed.  I am still experiencing most of these issues.

[s21Q9J8A]

Please let me know if you would like me to test or provide feedback when any of these items have been addressed.  I am still experiencing most of these issues.

[TheCADWhisperer]

@s21Q9J8A 

This is not the proper way to do this sketch.

[s21Q9J8A]

Perhaps.  But it's also not the proper way to design the interface.  

[TheCADWhisperer]

@s21Q9J8A 

The sketch has absolutely nothing to do with the design of the interface. 

You should have asked, "OK, please show me the correct technique".

[s21Q9J8A]

The sketching environment is the interface I'm referring to that needs to be improved.  The argument, "you're doing it wrong" has very little place in software that is designed to help people create.  Flexibility should be a core value if not prioritized, and if I'm "doing it wrong" the software should suggest something different.  What I did, trying to mirror some splines in a 2d environment, is not complex, nor should it be.  I'm not interested in workarounds,  I'm interested in not having to work around.  I'm interested in higher quality software, even if that means less extraneous functionality. 

For example, the software team coming on here and bragging about finally adding a 3 year old 3d-printer to their compatibility list for the manufacture workspace (Bambu lab), which, even if it worked nicely (which it doesn't) does not add practical value that didn't already exist in an open source slicer for 5+ years.  I'm interested in smart, easier to use software that doesn't get in my way.

That being said, the manufacturing workspace for subtractive manufacturing is quite good despite some rendering bugs here and there.  Additive manufacturing stinks.  Rendering environment has been overly stagnant and is lacking modern niceties, but is useful and does work.

The sketching environment stinks and, since it is a/the foundation of creation in fusion, I think it should be much better.  So, if workarounds are the responses I get, I will be looking for streaming video services, while Autodesk (AKA soon to be Blockbuster video) tries to rent me VHS tapes.

Performance generally stinks too.

As you can tell, I am absolutely frustrated with this software, and my support experience.