For the third time, I am attempting to get through an entire project in Fusion360 Electronics.
It is still crazy, but at the moment I can get though to the end at least. The first two efforts were total flameouts that could not be finished.
Check out the weird ass library system.
https://youtu.be/Cy7mnUepniY
Because I have the $300 Fusion360 license, I figured I'd try to do something simple with the Electronics/EAGLE thing, which is part of the package.
Total flameout. Trying to navigate the libraries and put parts on a schematic was way more difficult than it should be. Why oh why.
Funny, though, exporting a STEP model of a board from Kicad and importing it into F360 works well.
I mean, I absolutely see the value in having changes made to the PCB layout immediately reflected in the 3D model so the enclosure etc design can continue and be updated. The export-from-Kicad/Import-in-F360 means basically deleting the old board model in F360, importing the update, aligning it, all of that.
But damn, the Autodesk Electronics thing is a disaster.
But damn, the Autodesk Electronics thing is a disaster.
At least recently - they are willing to admit that in a public way. The first step to solving a problem is to admit you have one.
Trying to navigate the libraries and put parts on a schematic was way more difficult than it should be.
Hm ? Don´t know this problem here.
It´s all the same like working with eagle 7.0 or others.
BTW, licensed the private fusion 360 version, but using only eagle 9.6, which comes as the premium license version when you´re logged in...
I'm pretty happy with Fusion360 but the couple of times I tried the electronics part I gave up, even with an extremely simple project of just a few LEDs. Maybe I am simply used to the speed of EAGLE.
Library management somehow seems worse on Fusion. It's probably because I am trying to use v7 libraries but the act of adding a 3D STEP model seems extremely convoluted and difficult.
I wanted 3D models for the boards so I first tried DXF export from v7 (I think there is a better way in v8, right?). But the DXF file took hours to load in Fusion. So I opened my .brd and could get a working model, except that it does not capture the silkscreen layers! As I was using a PCB as a panel, I found a hack somehow by pasting some sort of image as a decal.
When I tried to load legacy files in Fusion, I felt like I could only open the .brd or .sch but never the two in sync.
So I don't really see a good reason to work with finicky cloud software when I have a full v7 license.
Any news on the future of Eagle on Linux?
I am using Eagle professionally since I am using Linux (long term Windows hater). I really like the integration with Fusion 360 and so does my MCAD colleague who uses Fusion 360 on Mac (also a Windows hater). Our workflow is such, that he gives me a board outline to work with, and some additional space constraints if any, I make the board in Eagle, and push the 3D design to Fusion 360 where he checks the fit. This integration works very well, but we are smart enough not to even try changing the board from Fusion. So, the direction is always Eagle -> Fusion and never the opposite.
There was a workaround to run Fusion 360 with Linux pre Eagle but I haven't looked at it in the last 6+ months.
(Recent convert from Ultiboard to KiCAD here.)
Ben
kicad is slowly killing the pcbcad market.
And so they should be able to compete with $20,000 funding each year.
Surprised they didnt take over years ago.
Any news on the future of Eagle on Linux?
I am using Eagle professionally since I am using Linux (long term Windows hater). I really like the integration with Fusion 360 and so does my MCAD colleague who uses Fusion 360 on Mac (also a Windows hater). Our workflow is such, that he gives me a board outline to work with, and some additional space constraints if any, I make the board in Eagle, and push the 3D design to Fusion 360 where he checks the fit. This integration works very well, but we are smart enough not to even try changing the board from Fusion. So, the direction is always Eagle -> Fusion and never the opposite.
I would be really surprised if Fusion360 was offered in Linux anytime soon, if ever. They have an enormous amount of challenges on their plate and likely little to no interest in supporting another OS that has a modest audience compared to Windows and MACOS. I use Linux and Windows. While I have gripes with Microsoft - the business and professional world is more complete in Windows.
Has anyone managed to renew the Fusion personal/hobbyist license that gave EAGLE premium for free? Mine expired recently and I'm back to the free version again.
I recall there was some form to fill out, but I couldn't find it seemingly as easily as I did last time.
You need to download the trial of Fusion, and run the installer.
There is no form on the website. It was some searching for me as well. But then it gets reactivated.
You need to download the trial of Fusion, and run the installer.
There is no form on the website. It was some searching for me as well. But then it gets reactivated.
Ah, awesome. Thanks! I was right in the middle of a 4 layer board (I suppose I could try and design simpler things, but my projects just always seem to be really complicated).
So what I found was that I didnt actually need to download and run the installer, I just logged into my account and then clicked "start free trial" (or something close along those lines, I forget right now) which took me to the download page where I just didnt start the download, and this seems to have reactivated the premium license.
(although I could swear there was a form where I had to specify what type of user I was and what I was doing, but maybe that was only for the first time)
If you find a bit of spare time or can handle having it on in the background this is worth a listen/watch. I missed it at the time but interesating hearing from some of the heads.
It would be much more interesting to know the roadmap for Eagle standalone...
It would be much more interesting to know the roadmap for Eagle standalone...
Unfortunately I can see development ceasing on it going forward and not much more than security updates before long and then ceasing much the same as Microsnot 'phased out' W7 and XP.
It would be very hard to see a case for continuing development of Eagle where the $/year license was less than the combined including Fusion. Anyone wanting an anti perpetual rant please piss off in advance!
It would be much more interesting to know the roadmap for Eagle standalone...
Eagle has no roadmap. It have a grave at the end of its very short remaining road.
It would be much more interesting to know the roadmap for Eagle standalone...
Eagle has no roadmap. It have a grave at the end of its very short remaining road.
Care to elaborate?
Watch the video above and then try and find anything similar being said about Autodesk Eagle standalone (crickets). It seems at least to me they have thrown all their resources behind the Fusion integration as a path forward. Still has a way to go too IMO but there is steady signs of progress.
List of upgrades to Eagle last one May LAST year
http://eagle.autodesk.com/eagle/release-notes
I guess they realized that it's difficult for Eagle stand-alone to compete with KiCad.
Specially if you take into account the price/quality ratio...
I guess they realized that it's difficult for Eagle stand-alone to compete with KiCad.
Specially if you take into account the price/quality ratio...
Sort of a self-fulfilling situation there.
I'd still be happily buying new versions of Eagle standalone every year, if I could actually buy the license instead of rent. Yeah, I'd stop if it were rolled into Fusion like they are doing now. So maybe the subscription model's roadkill aroma was a blessing in disguise, forcing many of us to move to other options while watching Eagle bloat up and eventually vanish into the back of a municipal service truck.
With the advent of good free pcbcad software does anyone actually buy it any more ?
Surprised they didnt take over years ago.
It's not as finished as even Eagle was in terms of UI and integration between parts.
Seems like all effort went into making cool stuff at lower levels, like using nanometer coordinates for precision and auto-routing differential pair buses, but not into UI and user experience in general. KiCad is still hard to use compared to Eagle: no synchronization between editors, library is a centralized mess, weird key/mouse mapping with no way to reconfigure to make it behave like any other editor a particular user had used to, etc.
Autodesk started killing Eagle from the very beginning when they introduced Web content into Eagle projects and "urn"s began appearing in DTD.
When projects stopped being strictly local and became online dependent this was the beginning of the end. And now it just finished its way into oblivion.
No one 'killed' anything they have just stopped developing Eagle as a platform. Its far from the first bit of software to go this way.
With the advent of good free pcbcad software does anyone actually buy it any more ?
Why do you feel the ongoing need to spray other PCB platforms not of your design AGAIN?
No one 'killed' anything they have just stopped developing Eagle as a platform. Its far from the first bit of software to go this way.
This is exactly the definition of being killed. You can no longer use the software independently of its provider and physically own your work and modify it in a meaningful way with alternative tools (cause they don't exist). Now you have to pay a ransom (subscription fee) recurrently to even access the tools and your work in full capacity.
The only viable alternative is not getting involved with Fusion360 and other products like that in the first place.
And this is a terrible choice for some folks, because from technical point of view Fusion360 is very appealing.
However, the forced online nature of this product combined with monetary burden and bundled DRM makes it plain F dangerous product to use.
And above that it doesn't run on Linux.