Searched forever, how to display mouse position coordinates!?!?!?

[Anonymous]

I get a post from 2015 over and over again, and a pile of answers for Autocad, but neither google nor this forum's search function comes up with anything useful. 

I swear that it used to display in the corner. I can't scour the internet for an answer anymore, I can't believe I have to make a post about this. Why do I find this program so hard to find information for?

[TheCADWhisperer · Accepted solution]

Can you File>Export your *.f3d file to your local drive and then Attach it here to a Reply?

[TheCADWhisperer]

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I think I must be the only one with this problem. Search engines can't provide help and mentors need files to assist.

Coordinates of the mouse cursor position. What am I missing in my description? It must be me because everything just seems to shrug.

After years of F360 headaches I'm moving on to SW, carry on.

[jeff_strater]

Please explain why you think you need to see the mouse coordinates as you move it.  I'm just not seeing in what way this information will help you in your design.  Perhaps I am missing something obvious, but with the hundreds of thousands of existing Fusion users, this request just does not come up very often.

[stevenAC6ZW]

Autodesk, instead of questioning why WE need it. Why don't you question yourself why you don't have this feature whilst other software have it 😉

Sometime it's just easier to relate if X/Y coordinates show. So I would very much want this feature else I also am looking to SW.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@stevenAC6ZW wrote:

Autodesk, instead of questioning why WE need it. 

Sometime it's just easier to relate if X/Y coordinates show. So I would very much want this feature else I also am looking to SW.

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You can do this in Autodesk Inventor Professional.

Inventor is the Autodesk equivalent of SolidWorks, not Fusion 360.

[varney]

I would like to answer this question. Why do I want to know where my mouse is by coordinate? 

I am creating a bracket. I start in location 0,0,0. I make the bracket 30mm x40mm by 7mm thick. Now I need to add a hole at a very specific location. No coordinate so what I place it at random and try to get close? I don't think so. I have used AutoCad for 15 years, and the coordinates are always available. I found a few ways to make it work in Fusion, but it's not easy. It's just plain frustrating. 

When Fusion gets up to profession quality I will consider using it professionally. For now it's fun to play with the consumer version. I go back to AutoCad if I really need to get the job done. 

[jeff_strater]

You need to think differently in Fusion (or any other modern parametric CAD system).  You can precisely position things without knowing the coordinates, primarily using dimensions.  To make your 30mm x 40mm bracket, use dimensions to specify the length and width.  For the hole at a "very specific location", again use dimensions.  The hole need to be positioned relative to the boundaries of the bracket, not at a specific coordinate.  So, you use dimensions to place a circle at a specific distance from the edges of your bracket:

[Anonymous]

I cannot see my previous reply so I ma posting this again.

A quick question, are you developing the software for your needs or your customers needs.

Some of your paying customers have asked you for a feature that many feel they would find useful including myself.

It may not suit the way you work but don't your customers needs and satisfaction count for anything?

Displaying the coordinates on screen would take up little room and I am sure that internally the software knows or could very easily be aware of the coordinates of the mouse position.

They have given you an examples of why they feel it would benefit them and your response is that they use dimensions for example.

Your response is that they need to think differently, maybe you could think differently in this case and be a bit more flexible. Creating dimensions can't be as quick and as useful as a quick glance of the on screen coordinates in all cases.

I feel that paying customers and their receiving their money should be seen as a privilege and not a right and doing what you can to provide greater satisfaction should count for something.

Do you feel it would detract from the software or user experience of you displayed the coordinates of the mouse on screen?

[hapklaar]

Also looking for this feature. Actually really surprised such a basic thing is not possible.

For me the use case is that someone commented on my drawing specifying coordinates and I am not able to find what he is referring to 😞

[chromvision]

In free design I often nned to start line at certain point relatife to existing drawing (not rectangular). Currently I am designing cutting board of intricate shape and I need to approximately mark my existing design on actual board to see I there is sufficient space for clamping and where to position my inlays. The best way to do it would be to see cursor coordinates so I could mark them on the board. In existing version of Fusion360 I have to count grids - stone age type work. Why are you Autodesk insisting that it is not needed?

[chromvision]

This feature is needed. You have several topics on it. This will make many design much easier. We need it only in sketch mode.

[jhackney1972]

There is an easy workaround to place a point in space.  The Screencast will outline it for you.

[chromvision]

I stil do not understand, why do we need a workaround? I is like instead of driving 5 miles on highway we go 30 miles on backroads.

It is easy to add two fields for x and y cursor coordinates and make them editable and many difficulties will be solved. I could not understand why developers are so stubborn about it.

Practically all existing software, that deal with cartesian system does show cursor posiion: ArtCam, Vectrics, Abdobe PS an Illustrator, Inkscape. Fusion is very advanced software, but it is loosing customers due to its specific approach to UI. 

[radiumsoup]

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@jeff_strater wrote:

You need to think differently in Fusion (or any other modern parametric CAD system).  You can precisely position things without knowing the coordinates

If this is true, then why is there an origin point in the workspace? Why is there a visible grid? Why is there any visual representation of dimension outside the models at all? Surely, there is no need for absolute position reference if knowledge of absolute positioning isn't required. 

The answer, of course, is that Fusion DOES keep track of absolute position, but intentionally hides it from end users because of an arrogant, stubborn, antagonistic policy designed to funnel workflow methods into a static process defined by Autodesk developers, not by real world users. Therefore, it's not actually true. I'd go so far, based on the tone of the official responses, to say that it's an intentional lie.

There are MANY MANY workflows that would benefit from the end user's knowledge of absolute positioning. Not the least of which is creating new objects from real-world measurements where certain absolute measurements are known but internal relational measurements are not. The fact that this is so widely requested shows that this is true in actual practice, despite the theoretical suggestions by Autodesk to the contrary.

It will not break Fusion to display this known value. But it will absolutely break business relationships with customers if Autodesk continues to treat these simple requests with such a flippant and arrogant attitude.

[fjrpilotnc]

Creating constructions lines on every project at my bed limits is not a suitable workaround.

Again, many arrogant responses which basically say "You don't need it" or "Simple workaround; Just do these 100 clicks to determine your distance from the origin". Displaying Cartesian coordinates is not hard. The software already knows where the mouse pointer is...  It's just intentionally not displayed which is a bit irritating.... I'm tired of counting grid boxes to know if I'm outside of my CNC or 3D printer bed constraints.

--FJR

[BobGarrish]

fjrpilotnc is absolutely correct. What Jeff seems unaware of, despite being the director of engineering, is that Fusion isn't just parametric CAD software - it's also used for machining, printing, etc. This issue irritates me and every machinist who has to use it. When you're designing something, operating purely parametrically is fine. When you're making something (printing, machining) then absolute coordinates matter a whole lot. I should be able to drag my mouse around and check clearances, possible stock sizes, see what size mills will fit in a feature, etc, without having to run any commands.

I've recommended Fusion to people as capable software with a poor interface, but worth it for the cost savings. The interface has gotten better, but the response from the dev here explains why it's still behind the curve.

[ale3hs]

Switching back to Rhino... I gave this a try. It's missing too many things and is completely non intuitive. 

[jlgustrowsky]

Incredible that in 2022 we're arguing about this feature and how it's NOT present and how we need a workaround and how the company's only answer is "you need to think differently". A system that relies on cartesian space and won't tell you where your pointer is within it. This is absurd. . .