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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Sydney, NSW
    Posts
    1,249

    Default Alternative to Fusion 360?

    Good Morning Everyone,

    Apparently Fusion 360 is going commercial and no longer available for free.

    Anyone know a good free alternative?

    Thanks Ben.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    6

    Default

    F360 has always been commercial as far as I know. The Personal license is still listed: https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal

    I had a hiccup with renewing one time, and it (and the sales staff) always want to direct you to a paid subscription, but I can confirm my personal license is still in place as of this morning.

    Where did you see/hear that there was no longer a free option?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Newcastle, NSW Aus
    Posts
    9

    Default

    It remains free for personal use AFIK. No-one's asked me for any cash yet.

    https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,105

    Default

    They have crippled the free version quite significantly, there will be a lot of unhappy customers.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,943

    Default

    AutoCAD 2020 does a free "student" version, good for 3 years I think it is.
    I've down loaded it but can't seem to get my head around it so I go back to my 2000 virgin.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    South of Adelaide
    Posts
    1,225

    Default

    I always thought this would happen. Get everyone hooked on it, then jack the prices up. Autodesk also now expect a separate license for each user now, considering most machine shops hot seat their cam between a few machinists, if they enforce it there will be some serious backlash. I hate Autodesk.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

    Default

    https://www.freecadweb.org/

    Has some issues but it's worth more than you're going to be paying for it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Newcastle, AU
    Posts
    238

    Default

    I use Blender for all my CAD stuff - it's certainly not it's primary function but it has no trouble making things like male/female threads or doing precision work/complex shapes. Free and open source.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,651

    Default Alternative to Fusion 360?

    I’m using Freecad. It has its issues but as a new CAD user I’ve found it reasonably easy to work with and the different workbenches have done everything I’ve needed so far.

    Steve

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    6

    Default

    ah - here's the announcement.
    https://www.autodesk.com/campaigns/f...al-use-changes

    Not sure that it makes a big deal to me (although the "10 active/editable documents" seems archaic). I suspect the people most affected will be the Eagle convert crew, limitations in export to PCB manufacturing formats will hurt, as will pulling simulation.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,105

    Default

    Also the limitations in Import/Export will be an issue for some.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Mt Waverley Vic 3149
    Age
    81
    Posts
    44

    Default

    This is the email I received on Friday

    "
    Hi Bob,
    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 DWG, IGES, SAT, STEP, and DXF (Note: DXF can still be saved via sketch)
    • Simulation and generative design
    • Unlimited active and editable Fusion 360 documents (10 doc limit).
    • Fusion 360 extensions – Generative Design and Manufacturing 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.

    For more information about these changes, please refer here and the FAQ.
    Thanks again for choosing Fusion 360. Let me know how I can help.

    Shannon McGarry

    Community Marketing Manager
    [email protected]
    Autodesk, Inc. • 111 McInnis Parkway • San Rafael, CA 94903
    © Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal Notices & Trademarks. Privacy Policy
    If you do not want to receive commercial emails from Autodesk, please click here to unsubscribe.
    Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, Fusion 360, EAGLE, and HSMWorks are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

    Cheers,
    Bob

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    574

    Default

    I suspect that not every fusion360 user told the truth about their student/amateur status - I'm not a funsion360 expert but it looks as if the changes are aimed at curbing 'amateurs' and 'students' use of fusion360 in a commercial type way. I can't see the changes affecting me at all - the most significant for me MAY be the 10 active documents, I've got a lot of stuff I started and did not finish so I'll have to go through and either archive or delete them, more of a nuisance I guess - if I ever get to the stage (I seriously doubt it) where I need more than 10 active designs/files for the one project then I'll need to juggle things in and out of archive. I'm trying to keep designs how they were intended to be used ie all components in a design are in the one file/document, I believe 3D parametric design is meant to be done this way change one dimension on one component and all other affected dimensions on all components are automatically changed.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by familyguy View Post
    I believe 3D parametric design is meant to be done this way change one dimension on one component and all other affected dimensions on all components are automatically changed.
    yeah to me this is *THE* reason you want things to be parametric rather than how sketchup for example keeps it. Change the thickness of a material once, and have everything change because of that change, not go and change fifteen components to be the new thickness, not to mention having to change the notches and recesses in all those 15 parts to allow mating of the other parts!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    North Rocks
    Posts
    45

    Post I subscribe to Eagle which has changed its name to Fusion360 + Eagle

    Howdy
    I designed a project under the free Eagle software 3 years odd ago. It worked well.
    Then the specs in the project got more detailed and i change the board and it became bigger. Too big for free so I had to register and subscribe @ $130 odd a year so I could actually use the software to produce my PCB.

    They have just taken this years subscription again...

    Nobody sent me any letters saying things were changing?
    Even the name change was a surprise to me.

    I have had several Autodesk products over the years and the yearly renewal is costing me dearly.

    But as they say you get what you payfor i guess?

    james

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