The why, what, and how of Previews

[keqingsong]

What are Previews?

If you’re using Fusion 360 and have been involved in the community in one form or another, you’ve probably heard of the term “preview” or “preview functionality” being dropped like it’s hot. We noticed that we haven’t really explained what they are or why we have them, and have continued to talk about them assuming you’re all on the same page. So here it is - what previews are and why we have them.

• Previews refer to functionality in the product that are still being worked on by our development teams, but are available in Fusion 360 for you to try. Previews are most commonly known as “technology previews” or “preview functionality”. And no, previews are not betas. Betas are more locked-down and less susceptible to changes. Previews are more nimble.  

Why do we have Previews?

There are 4 main reasons why we have previews in Fusion 360 and why it’s a win-win for everyone.

1. Back-stage Access

Many of you have asked to be more involved in the development process and we’d love to have you be part of that. Previews give you opportunities to influence our teams by trying it early and directly engage with our developers and those closest to the code.

2. Uncover Workflows

As we develop functionality, we will inevitably miss workflows that we have not thought of. Previews allow us to uncover certain workflows that were not obvious to us, but probably very obvious to you since you use it every single day. Because you are what makes Fusion 360 awesome.

3. React to feedback

Unlike betas, previews allow us to be more flexible with changes. Our teams can take your feedback, iterate on those requirements, and quickly iterate on the experience .

4. Deliver better features

By the time preview functionality “graduates” and becomes ready for prime time, we all arrive at better place. You get the functionality you’ve been asking for and we delivered on that promise. This is the difference between nailing it versus not feeling confident about a feature.

Stages of a progressive rollout for previews