Fusion
Welcome to the Fusion Community Support Board! I’ve created this post to help everyone get the most out of the the Support board in the Fusion 360 Community. Please read carefully below.
In this post, I’m going to share:
- Where you should post
- Tips for Searching for answers
- When you should post
- Tips for leveraging this community to get support, learn, share & discuss
- When you should reach out to support
Where do I post?
Below is a description of each board. Autodesk staff are everywhere, but posting in the correct place will help you get the fastest response. Have faith in your fellow community members, they're rockstars and experts at sharing their knowledge!
> Support Board
This board is not for learning or training questions. This board is a place to report critical issues, blocking issues with the software or product defects (a.k.a. "bugs"). This is not the place to post if you are trying to figure out how to accomplish a task. The Autodesk team and experts will watch this board for those in need of some help. Break glass in case of emergency.
For a user with a commercial subscription of Fusion 360 - you can leverage one of your subscription benefits which is contacting support! To do this - please email or schedule a call with Technical Support via the Contact Us page on the Autodesk Knowledge Network.
For all other users, please post to the Forums. The Fusion 360 Community has been helping all users for over 5 years running now, and is an amazing resource and wealth of knowledge. Try searching for your issue, as well as posting a new topic for any issue you may be having!
Do you not have a Support Entitlement and want one? Consider purchasing a Subscription of Fusion 360 which includes access to Autodesk Customer Support.
For more information on customer support, try this article.
> Design, Validate & Document Board
This board is best for a few things. Want to share a tip or something totally gnar-gnar you’ve been working on? Post here! Feel free discuss the future of the product, talk about what computer hardware works best, or whatever the topic of the day is. This is also a great place to garner support for your Ideastation requests.
> CAM Board
This is similar to the Design, Validate & Document board but specific to the CAM environment. Yes, you rockstars get your own board. 🙂
> Feedback Hub
Talk directly with Fusion 360 Product Managers, User Experience Designers, and Researchers to help us develop the product to better fit your needs. Anyone can reply to topics on this forum. Only Autodesk Employees can write new posts.
> Preview Board
Sign up for, learn more, discuss, or provide feedback for a technology Previews in Fusion 360. Previews are like “beta” features that are working their way into production.
Forum Best Practices
> Searching
Always search before you post! There are incredible support & learning resources available. If you're not sure how to search, please learn more about self-service on the Autodesk Knowledge Network, in the below link.
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/article/59931
> Marking Solutions on the Forum
Did a suggestion solve your issue? Be helpful and mark the solution. There’s a button in the lower right hand side of every post.
Marked solutions improve the findability of a conversation. Marked solutions are searchable in the Autodesk Knowledge Network. They also make it easier to navigate through a long conversation, saving everyone time. On the right hand side of every forum board, you’ll find a list of recently marked solutions for that board.
> When & Where to Post
Fusion 360 is updating at a tremendous pace. If you’re looking at a discussion from a year or two ago, it’s likely that things have changed and the discussion is no longer relevant. The issue is likely to have changed in some way, so in this case it is better to start a new thread.
Has someone already marked a solution? Start a new thread! Don’t pile onto a thread that has a solution with what may be a completely different issue. It just creates more confusion.
Don’t crowd the original poster (OP). Don’t hijack a thread with a new topic, start a new discussion to reduce confusion.
Have the same problem? It’s normal to join in a current conversation about an issue if you're having the same problem. In this case, it’s better to join the existing discussion than start a new discussion. This helps reduce the duplication of efforts to solve a given issue. If you’re unsure if you’re experiencing the same issue, then it is better to start a new thread.
Autodesk is a big place and so are our discussion boards. Have a question that is adjacent to Fusion, but not quite a Fusion question (e.g. Eagle, HSM, Remake, A360, etc), try looking for that product’s board. If English isn’t your thing (..and somehow you’ve made it to this point in this post), there are also International boards where you can discuss in your preferred language. See the index below for a comprehensive list of forums.
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/custom/page/page-id/Discussions-Page?nobounce
> Having difficulty finding something in the Forum?
Try using the advanced search functionality in your search results.
You can limit or expand the search locations to more boards. You can refine the search keywords and filter types, by attachment, user, or the time that the discussion was created. You can also sort the results to make it easier to find (by date, best match, kudos, etc..).
> Have a potty mouth?
I understand the urge to vent. Software issues and learning new software can be frustrating. We are not robots! However, following the Etiquette and Ground Rules will ensure we stay on task improving the product or solving your issue. There’s the idiom “you’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” I like to think this holds true in the Forum as well. Stay fair and constructive for optimal results. This is the perfect transition into the next major topic.
> Build out your Profile
Tell us about yourself! Your contributions to the forum, AKN and other.
Effective Communication
The most impactful thing you can do on the board is communicating clearly. In many cases, the forum can be just as fast as calling in or opening a direct support request. The trick is to reduce the number of iterations required to get the answer you’re after. There’s a few items in the toolbox to help with this.
> Don't make Assumption, Make it Easy!
Try not to make assumptions. For example, if you tell someone to reset their preferences, try including some screenshots or a numbered step list of the process. The poster may not know where the preference command is even located. If you want to make it easy for everyone to read this post for years to come, then share as much knowledge as possible every time you post.
Some common assumptions that get us into trouble:
- Do not assume that anyone, including Autodesk employees, have access to your data without explicit permission or sharing it.
- We don’t know what operating system you are using, so if you want carefully curated instruction then be sure to share this information up front. It may prevent someone from suggesting to upgrade your graphics drivers on your MacBook.
- We may not be familiar with the error message or workflow you’re trying to use. In your initial post, try to include as much information as possible about the nature of the issue and where and when you’re are experiencing it. Include screenshots, Screencasts, and the exact verbiage of the error message.
> Make it Easy - Must Do List:
- Carefully Review the section below on log files and include them in your initial post if applicable.
- Include a Screencast whenever possible, take the guesswork out of the equation. Don’t feel like typing out a long error message or describing something? Include screenshots of the error message or the issue. A picture is worth a thousand words!
- Submit Error Reports to Autodesk.
- Share the design! In many cases, issues are data specific and hard to reproduce from scratch.
- When describing an error message, don’t paraphrase. Many error messages are slightly different. Include Screenshots!
- Use numbered step lists to document the reproducible steps for a problem or for instructions. Tell us exactly what you're doing or you want someone to do.
- Describe your expectation versus the results.
- Include a description of how the issue is impacting you. The severity of an issue may not be obvious without this information.
Below, I’ll go into more detail about some of these asks.
> Log Files
Use the Diagnostic log file command to collect all of the log files on your computer. You’ll find a command in the help menu to help you with this. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
If you are having trouble signing or launching Fusion 360, you can manually collect the log files.
Not sure which files to include?
- Having problems installing, updating, or installing Nastran solvers for the Simulation? We will need the installation log file, autodesk.webdeploy.streamer.log.
- The applog files are useful for troubleshooting issues related to data (e.g. AppLogFile20170406T132345.log).
- All log files installation, applog, and web services are useful to troubleshooting network related issues or sign in problems (WebServices.log)
- Still not sure? Save everyone time and include them all!
> Autodesk Screencast
I can’t advocate for this application enough! This is the best thing since sliced bread. Use Autodesk Screencast to document your issue!
Autodesk Screencast is a fast and convenient method to document something. Screencast can save you from typing out a long message filled with inaccurate terms to describe an issue. It is a recording Utility that captures keystrokes, mouse movement, and builds Timeline of the features used in Fusion 360. Take the mystery out of your description and use Screencast instead.
When recording a screencast, don’t be a Mime! Tell us who you are and what is happening. Use your computers microphone to talk through what you are doing/seeing. Captured audio can be helpful. Click slowly and deliberately while recording so it’s easy to follow along. You can use the editing tools to clip out sections of low activity or loading. Please make the screencast unlisted or public so that other can view it.
You can embed the screencast in the forum. Look below html editor where you type your reply for a tool to help embed your screencast. See this Screencast for how to embed a screencast in the forum.
Some other tips to help improve the quality of your screencast:
- Include a detailed description if you don’t speak
- Draw focus to what’s important, don't get sidetracked
- Attach the scene file, the file you actually worked with
- Include a link to the forum post in the description
You can also share tips and tricks by making Public Screencasts. These will be noted in your Autodesk Profile, improve your reputation, and can be searchable in the AKN. Share your knowledge! Screencast is free and can be download from the below
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast
> Customer Error Reports (CER)
Whenever an Autodesk application crashes, you may receive an opportunity to submit an error report. This only take a brief second to do and is truly important. These reports are extremely useful and do not go into some black hole. Take a moment to fill out and submit these reports.
We use the reports to track trending issues and improve our products. In support, we can use the reports to learn more about the nature of the issue you’re experiencing. Submitting these can enable us to spare asking you unnecessary questions and speed up resolutions. Please Submit these reports!
> Managing Date to share or collaborate
Don’t wait for someone to ask for the design! If you have an inquiry about something sharing the design upfront will allow everyone to more quickly assess the issue. Many issues are specific to the design and can be very difficult to reproduce from a description or from a blank design.
Knowing how to do the very basic things in the below links will save some time.
- Share your design (Upload an archive file to the post or share a public link Note: You can Private Message a password to keep the design private)
- YouTube video about sharing designs
- How to export a local Fusion archive file of a Fusion design
- How to import or upload a Fusion design
Support
If you aren't getting the help you need in the community, you may want to reach out to support directly. From time to time, questions arise about whether a request is within the scope of a technical support request, or if it is a training question. The classification can be somewhat subjective and difficult to define, but there are a few easy to recognize what category a request may fall into.
If the issue you are seeking help starts with the words “How do I” or “What is the best way to..” then the inquiry may be better directed at the Design, Validate & Deliver board. In general, these are training questions. In these cases, our professionally trained staff of technical support specialists are happy to point to resources to help get you started. However, there should be no expectation to perform a remote desktop session or stay on the phone to walk you through the steps to accomplish a task. The support staff is not available to explain engineering, design, or manufacturing principles, and frankly, your peers in the community are better equipped to help you. Rather than train how to accomplish a task, we will be happy to point you to a training resource to help get you started.
If you have questions about how to do something? Don’t be greedy.
It’s likely you’re not the only one with this question. When you ask a training question on the forum, more than one person can benefit from the interaction in the public forum. Don’t ask a one on one training question to the support team. Post in the Design, Validate & Deliver board so the knowledge can be share with everyone.
If you do have an error/warning message that doesn’t makes sense, spotted a bug or are seeing an unexpected behavior, please report these issues to the technical support team. The Support board can be used for this purpose, but there are some additional options, below.
> Contact Technical Support or Customer Service:
First try searching for your solution on the Autodesk Knowledge Network (AKN). If can’t find a solution, use the Contact Support button on AKN
> Create a Web Case:
The below link is how you can submit a support request to the Fusion support team. Note that your subscription entitlements determine whether or not this option is available to you.
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/contact-support/using-my-product
Finally, here's some helpful information on navigating your way successfully in the community discussions.
Please take time to read the following link for information on community etiquette and ground rules.
To give us feedback on Fusion 360, please join us on the Feedback Hub.
I hope that helps! Happy Posting!
Thanks-
