Autodesk Fusion 360

[Bankesy]

Good morning,

 

We recently had an issue whereby Fusion 360 just wouldn't sign in and neither the error messages not their support were very helpful beyond establishing that we need to install a new version.

 

But the new version prompts for a team to be created which we don't really want to do so just wondering if anybody else has overcome this issue?

 

Thanks

[notsogenius]

I've found their support less than useless - we're using the free educational offering but generating the user accounts is painful for our D+T staff. I think if you generate a team you don't necessarily have to use it - I seem to recall doing it on my original setup and haven't done anything with it since. Can you just generate the team and basically ignore it afterwards?

 

As an aside generally I've found when it doesn't work its either its out of date or the display drivers are out of date.

[Bankesy]

@notsogenius

 

Thanks, think I will probably end up creating the team and ignoring like you say.

[Julian]

I also had problems with the Fusion 360 login not working, Gave up and used Autodesk Fusion (the browser based version), which worked. Also can be used by pupils at home, as no install required.

[Bankesy]

@Julian

 

That's cool, just had a look at that now and can't see why that wouldn't do.

 

My apprentice has found an updated admin installer though which he's testing as we already have a script for install.

 

Thanks

[PotNoodleTech]

Fusion 360 was a constant nightmare. We don't use it any more we use a few web apps like Onshape

[notsogenius]

I also had problems with the Fusion 360 login not working, Gave up and used Autodesk Fusion (the browser based version), which worked. Also can be used by pupils at home, as no install required.

 

 

How is the functionality on the web version in comparison? I've been tempted to push the browser version as an option but didn't know enough on how it compared.

[Julian]

Autodesk Fushion, is basically Fusion 360 in Webassembly (WASM) format, so that it will run in most browsers. So the functonality is the same.

Also as it is downloaded on each use, the school does not have to do the update of Fushion 360 every 6 weeks, as specified in the Autodesk agreement.

The download does make the Fusion slow to start, but the advantage of using a free industial standard product, which our student can also run on a home computer, makes for a compelling solution.

[WhiteStar1]

Fusion 360 was a constant nightmare. We don't use it any more we use a few web apps like Onshape

Hi how did you get the DPIA done for OnShape?

[highsky]

This piece of "software"...

 

Ok, so you need to enroll for their update notifications, as if not the lab version will stop working.

They have instructions for scheduled task updates, as these are frequent.

Every update takes 4GB and leaves behind the previous ones.

Terminal only option with the installer to remove the previous one.

 

The new version requires whitelisting a few domains in order for their browser login verification to work.

 

 

If the cloud one works go with it.

They posted domains to allow for this to work behind firewalls.

 

The license works when selecting educator or student options.

[F_admin]

I honestly despise F360 - we've not had it work for months since they moved to their browser sign-in method.

I'm yet to solve it - but I think in our case it has something to do with the default app tool we use not working.

 

Are these the domains we need to whitelist?

 

Also, anyone else notice that they no longer provide support through their agents to education users?

https://www.autodesk.com/support/subscription-support

 

It's almost as if they know their software is s**t and they can't resolve the issues it constantly springs up

[MYK-IT]

Does anyone know when the last update was? Usually receive an email every 6-8 weeks advising of update with download links. But last one was 31st January 2024...

 

I don't use the scheduled task updater method, but push the (latest) installer out via PDQ Deploy etc. Certainly doesn't help as software does not register within Add/Remove programs or able to obtain version number(s). May try the web-version as some have mentioned!

 

Thanks

[Bankesy]

@MYK-IT

 

Funny enough our Head of DT stopped me this morning to discuss Fusion updates, students aren't able to update themselves from the PCs they use but apparently this causes problems when they work on stuff at home that is created in a slightly higher or lower version.

[WhiteStar1]

Fusion 360 was a constant nightmare. We don't use it any more we use a few web apps like Onshape

 

I tried to use OnShape, but the Trust required a DPIA and I didn't get any help from them to do one.

[WhiteStar1]

Does anyone know when the last update was? Usually receive an email every 6-8 weeks advising of update with download links. But last one was 31st January 2024...

 

I don't use the scheduled task updater method, but push the (latest) installer out via PDQ Deploy etc. Certainly doesn't help as software does not register within Add/Remove programs or able to obtain version number(s). May try the web-version as some have mentioned!

 

Thanks

Hello

I just got the DT lab setup with F360 installer. Ran the Fusion Admin install.exe on each machine. I got the exe and package file from https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-support/new-links-for-fusion-admin-install/m-p/12532204#M191102 So far testing with a test user is working, but until I get the DPIA done I can't give any students access. I did ran the installer on a laptop and was able to see an uninstaller listed in Control Panel Programs. I was under the impression that I could do an update in place with the following command:

fusion Admin Install.exe --process update

Does this not work?

[WhiteStar1]

@notsogenius

 

Thanks, think I will probably end up creating the team and ignoring like you say.

 

My Teachers did the same thing.

[notsogenius]

Hello

I just got the DT lab setup with F360 installer. Ran the Fusion Admin install.exe on each machine. I got the exe and package file from https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-support/new-links-for-fusion-admin-install/m-p/12532204#M191102 So far testing with a test user is working, but until I get the DPIA done I can't give any students access. I did ran the installer on a laptop and was able to see an uninstaller listed in Control Panel Programs. I was under the impression that I could do an update in place with the following command:

fusion Admin Install.exe --process update

Does this not work?

 

I found the update process for us stopped working after a period of time and then needed a new installer downloading. If you didn't update then the application would stop working after a period of time. We saw other issues if the graphics driver wasn't updated regularly (admittedly not a big deal mind) Then they introduced issues with the sign in screen which stopped sign ins. This was after all the initial issues we had with having to register accounts using headed paper etc (which I think we've finally got past). No support whatsoever from Autodesk. The solution to the sign in issue from an Autodesk help page is Reset and Repair fusion using their service utility - which funnily enough even after trying manually still didn't fix the issue.

 

When it works I can definitely see the value of the application, but having no support from the provider combined with a program that is fussy to get working made it hard to justify the continued use of the on premise version. I won't go into detail on how messy the install seems to be.

 

Good luck if you can run the manual install and keep it working - we have enough stations where its in use where manually running the install each time (and per update) would have been impractical (not a dig by the way - I found it fussy even when manually installing/working on it when we were trying to get it working )

 

We're using the web version now - which once the correct filtering rules were in place seems to be working OK.

[MYK-IT]

Hello

I just got the DT lab setup with F360 installer. Ran the Fusion Admin install.exe on each machine. I got the exe and package file from https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-support/new-links-for-fusion-admin-install/m-p/12532204#M191102 So far testing with a test user is working, but until I get the DPIA done I can't give any students access. I did ran the installer on a laptop and was able to see an uninstaller listed in Control Panel Programs. I was under the impression that I could do an update in place with the following command:

fusion Admin Install.exe --process update

Does this not work?

 

Hi @WhiteStar1

 

Thanks for the link / support article. To be honest I never knew if the download link remained the same or was different for each new release? Hence why I wait for the email every 6-8 weeks.

 

Installation wise, even though I know there are parameters to deploy an upgrade (e.g. Fusion Admin Install.exe --process update --quiet) I have just used the normal install (e.g. Fusion Admin Install.exe --globalinstall --quiet) using PDQ Deploy, which to date has always worked (although never puts an entry within installed applications though!).

 

May check out the web-version if it saves all this faff!

 

Thanks,

[Sephiroth]

I have a set of powershell scripts that deals with this.

 

One on the deployment server that downloads the latest and run it with a diagnostics switch to dump the version which is then compared to the current contents of the repository. If it's newer it updates a file with the latest version number and renames the installer with the version in the name.

 

At startup a script on the PCs runs and checks:

• There is a directory for Fusion
  
• There is a registry entry for Fusion
  

 

If no to the former, it gets installed then a registry item gets added with the installed version.

If yes to the former and no to the latter, it is uninstalled then re-installed with the registry item added.

If yes to both and the registry is not the latest, it is uninstalled and re-installed then the registry updated

If yes to both and the registry is the latest or later, nothing happens.

 

If I get a chance tomorrow and anyone is interested, I'll dig them out for people to test

[dapaulio]

I have set a group policy that deploys a schedule task if it detect fusion 360 is installed present which is installed to select machines thru sccm software deployment.

 

The task will call a script placed also by group policy in the install root which runs

Streamer.exe from the meta folder within the install root. This goes out and installs the latest version of fusion 360.

 

Task is set to run at startup

We have smoothwall and I had to set the repository it downloads from as an authtication exception site

[taz]

I have a set of powershell scripts that deals with this.

 

One on the deployment server that downloads the latest and run it with a diagnostics switch to dump the version which is then compared to the current contents of the repository. If it's newer it updates a file with the latest version number and renames the installer with the version in the name.

 

At startup a script on the PCs runs and checks:

• There is a directory for Fusion
  
• There is a registry entry for Fusion
  

 

If no to the former, it gets installed then a registry item gets added with the installed version.

If yes to the former and no to the latter, it is uninstalled then re-installed with the registry item added.

If yes to both and the registry is not the latest, it is uninstalled and re-installed then the registry updated

If yes to both and the registry is the latest or later, nothing happens.

 

If I get a chance tomorrow and anyone is interested, I'll dig them out for people to test

If you still have those scripts, I would be very grateful please

[howartp]

If you still have those scripts, I would be very grateful please

 

Ditto.

[Bankesy]

I too am doing this by script now after my predecessor explained how the script he had for Fusion worked and only needs a simple edit to the path each time after manually updating on one PC manually.

 

From what I understood of what I was shown, only part of part of path changes for admin (all users) installer so script is designed to look for that path and update Fusion if folder exists or install if it doesn't.

 

Happy to share if anybody wants to PM.

[Space_Munkey]

I have set a group policy that deploys a schedule task if it detect fusion 360 is installed present which is installed to select machines thru sccm software deployment.

 

The task will call a script placed also by group policy in the install root which runs

Streamer.exe from the meta folder within the install root. This goes out and installs the latest version of fusion 360.

 

Task is set to run at startup

We have smoothwall and I had to set the repository it downloads from as an authtication exception site

 

 

This is what we do as per their extremely hidden documentation:

 

https://damassets.autodesk.net/content/dam/autodesk/docs/pdfs/Advanced_Fusion360_Lab_Installation_Instructions_en-GB.pdf

 

Scheduled task and batch file as detailed in the documentation.

 

GPO to copy the batch to the needed location and gpo for scheduled task on the Lab PC's.

 

Initially I manually set it up before finding that documentation

[Bankesy]

@WhiteStar1 I can't take credit for the following because it was my predecessor's work but we have a script that looks for a certain path and if it's not there installs Fusion from a shared location or upgrades it if it is there.

 

Your command looks the same as that line in the script though, happy to share a modified version of the script if you PM me.

 

Thanks