Fusion 360 Defunctioning

Stonebriar

Rick
H-M Platinum Supporter
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
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378
I got this in an email today. We all knew they would start doing these type things at some point.

Hi Rick,
Important changes are coming to your Fusion 360 for personal use software that you need to know about.

Effective October 1, 2020, functionality in Fusion 360 for personal use will be limited, and you’ll no longer have access to the following:
  • Probing, 3 + 2-axis milling (tool orientation), multi-axis milling, rapid moves, automatic tool changes
  • Multi-sheets, smart templates, output options for drawings (print only).
  • Download options from public share links
  • Cloud rendering
  • Export options including F3Z, DWG, DXF, IGES, SAT, and STEP
  • Simulation and generative design
  • Unlimited active and editable Fusion 360 documents (10 doc limit).
  • Fusion 360 extensions
These changes are being made to allow us to scale, align intended usage with the various offerings, support advanced capabilities for Fusion 360 subscribers, and stay true to our guiding principles of democratizing design for everyone.

Fusion 360 for personal use is still free for those of you working on home-based, non-commercial design, manufacturing, and fabrication projects.

 
I received the same email. Looks like I'll be pouring more energy into FreeCAD.
 
Removing the export options of DWG, DXF, STEP, and IGES effectively neuters its usefulness to a whole lot of people, since that's how the design is typically conveyed to automated machinery.

" These changes are being made to allow us to... increase profits." Fixed that for them.
 
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Yes, we've been waiting for this shoe to drop for some time. I my biggest worry is the CAM defunctioning, as I don't quite understand what it entails. No use of G0? What does "multi axis" mean? You can only program a move using the tool feed rate in only the x or y or z direction? That essentially renders the CAD useless, which was one of the main draws of the program for me.
 
This sounds like the back end of "bait-'n-switch"!
There is a new FreeCAD evaluation commentary from Joko Engineering today. I am going to put it in it's own posting.

"Guiding principles" uttered as part of a justification for an action that should not have been necessary in the first place? If they believed so much in their "guiding principles", why was it necessary to not have them there, proud and working well, in the first place? If the original, (pretty much knobbled into dysfunction) deal was the one offered now, who would have gone for it?

OK - so they want new terms. So be it, but it did not have to come larded up with something I find utterly, nauseatingly, insincere! An apology for wasting our time might have gone down better!

More than ever, I am now convinced that the phrase "democratizing design for everyone" is something that belongs in the open source camp, because it truly is "for everyone" - no exceptions!
 
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I'm sure hobby users wouldn't mind a reasonably priced version, but it seems a bit much for home guys. A bit like what onshape did a while back. I've been considering switching to freecad just for vendor issues. I had some problems some time ago, but it looks like they have come a long way.
 
God, this is really disappointing. I have a bunch of projects that I am going to need to convert to prints soon.
 
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