Multi-window / Multi-display support

[BWENGUK]

I was going to add this to the idea station, but it would appear that no longer exists, or at least I can't post to it! This is a carry over from another thread talking about being able to drag the tabs currently open to rearrange. I think we should go further than that, and allow multiple windows/workspaces.

Add the ability to drag a currently open tab out into a new window. This is mainly to benefit those of us using multiple monitors.

There are many times I find my self needing to look at two projects at the same time. Either to compare or copy information from one to the other. Or using one to check another. For example, I might be designing a jig to hold some parts. It would be good if I could drag those parts out onto a second monitor to easily go between the two work spaces.

Being restricted to a single work space massively effects efficiency. Especially for someone like me in a job shop where I might have loads of tabs open at any one time.

[TimelesslyTiredYouth]

What's wrong with having two fusion open at the same time?

I use 2 moniters connected to one computer, with an extended moniter display.

What's wrong with opening multiple fusions, and putting them on the seperate displays?

[BWENGUK]

@TimelesslyTiredYouth I have tried this previously, but it has led to crashing and massive instability. Every time I've tried it this way 1 or both instances seem to freeze up and crash significantly more often then if I have just one instance open.

Plus, having two separate instances open is not at all efficient in terms to cpu/gpu/memory usage. It duplicates a lot of the 'stuff' (for want of a better word) needed to run Fusion.

Edit to add: If this was implemented properly, I would be able to have 4 windows open on my second monitor in quad view, with a main window open on my main monitor. This would be my actual use case. As is, having 5 instances open would be impossible given my struggles with having just 2 open.

[mashopteam]

I find myself having the same issue, where I am designing a part in its own part file and would like to see the assembly file update on my 2nd monitor. This seems like a very basic feature that should be available. 

One more issue with trying to run two instances of Fusion is that you can't copy and paste toolpaths from one file to the other. 

[TimelesslyTiredYouth]

Re: A better way to multitask? - Autodesk Community

This currenlt on-going thread may give an asnwer.

[BWENGUK]

@TimelesslyTiredYouth Ha! The recommended solution is buy a whole other computer setup and another license. What a joke.

Everyday I think we're taking one step closer to moving away from Fusion. The constant crashing combined with the lack of basic multi window support or even tab management is getting pretty tedious. 

[TimelesslyTiredYouth]

What do you think is better? yet to hear of a CAD software with multi window support like browser dragging...

Englighten me with your "amazing" ability to do work without CAD softwares apparently.

[BWENGUK]

@TimelesslyTiredYouth Been a while since I've used it, but solidworks can 'span displays' as they call it. And with Solidworks you can have multiple windows open within one instance of the program. For example, here: https://help.solidworks.com/2021/english/SolidWorks/sldworks/t_fitting_to_displays.htm?id=84bf5ece34...

MasterCam also specifically supports and encourages multiple sessions on one machine so you can have as many things open as you like.

I'm sure there are other examples too. But those are the ones I know of.

[jeremyV3WR]

literally any professional CAD or other design package allows this. The lack of the ability to even undock tool/palletes and place on another display is so stupid. Not being able to make use of multiple displays, which most design professionals will have, is ridiculous. Loading an entire second instance is not a solution. 

this sort of thing and the noted instability make it not much more than a toy. When productivity matters, you tend to want dual monitor support. Its a memory hog already as it is, with just one instance and im running 256gb of Ram on an M3 ultra. Like all my other content craation softwares, I want to be able to have my main monitor with just an uncluttered viewport, with tool palettes and timeline on a second display. Even my freeware 3D printer slicer software has this ability.

[jeremyV3WR]

Its the lack of features like this that stops me in my tracks when I think of upgrading my license. I run a large, but not enormous 32” calibrated display and 2x 27” basic displays, along with a 65” 4K TV. Being likited to using just one of these is silly and people have been asking for years, so I doubt it will ever happen.

[TimelesslyTiredYouth]

Fusion 360 isn’t Autodesk’s flagship for productivity—it’s more of an experimental, cloud-based tool. A fairer comparison is SolidWorks to Autodesk Inventor, since both are professional desktop CAD systems. Inventor does support dual monitor workflows, unlike Fusion. It's unfair to compare an entry level product to a professional product.

But while your on Fusion a workaround may be using Fusion App along side Fusion Web. Also running two Fusion instances of Fusion shouldn't be too intensive on a m3 ultra with an unholy amount of RAM. I use an M4 air which I would say is weaker that your M3 ultra has run Fusion and Fusion Insider at the same time with little to no issues ( I had crashes but that was an issue with Insider being used of Mac) , (16GB RAM). Also working on such large screens, I wouldn't think that the tool Pallets and timeline would really take much of your space, I'm saying this on my own experience with a 27 inch monitor I connect to the m4 air.

Ricky

[jeremyV3WR]

Using 2 instances does not even allow the very basic use case I outlined above, where I want to have palettes and parametric timeline open on one and an uncluttered viewport on the other.

Lets say it did, Even if it has enough ram, it is using double the resources. You cannot copy paths between them, you cannot edit parameters on one instance and have it update the other without saving and reloading.

This is not a feature that you should need to pay many thousands to have access to, it is a very basic feature and can only be left out deliberately. The only reason is its at its heart a web based app, smooshed into a standalone app.

I had this ability in all my 3d apps that I was using 30 years ago and they were pretty entry level. Apps that cost hundreds to buy outright, rather than $1000AUD a year subscription (without plugins) fusion  already has poor and less than stable memory management, using multiple instances will only make this worse.

[jeremyV3WR]

Instead of trying to be all things to everyone and adding eagle etc into an already bloated application, maybe best to just add basic features that users have been asking for for years. I get that its a vehicle for sales of their other products and that probably 1/100 pay for it, but it makes it a pretty poor value to those that want to actually use it for work.

Using a 3D CAD application to design PCBs is very strange. Seems like a gimmick that nobody really asked for. I design PCBs as part pf my work and yes, the ability to open them in a 3D app is kinda cool, but actually designing in eagle, within Fusion? Never. Standalone eagle was a passable entry level EDA, but within fusion its a dog.

[TimelesslyTiredYouth]

Sure, Fusion isn’t perfect, but it’s impressive for a cloud-based platform that combines CAD, CAM, and even PCB viewing. The Eagle integration is optional, and the focus is on giving users a single ecosystem rather than juggling multiple apps. Multi-instance workarounds aren’t ideal, but the real advantage is the unified cloud-based workflow, automatic versioning, and cross-device access — things older standalone apps never had. For many users, that convenience outweighs the missing dual-monitor flexibility.

[rokenbuzz]

Maybe it works but this kind of scares me. Am I going to get hours into working only to find my work is corrupted and an "We told you so!" response?