Typical

Just as I start to get reasonable with using Fusion 360 it is now insisting that I am a start up and need to pay for continued use of the software, it is currently allowing me to use the software but I think that it won't be for much longer.

So can I ask how new users of alibre atom have found it ?

and is there still a special offer available to MEW subscribers?

Thanks,

Ian

Ian, Are you quite clear about the new license structure for F360?

The previous 'free' license was confusingly called a 'startup' license because it's primary focus was on startup type businesses. Hobbyists were treated able to use the software under the same banner.

The new license structure separates hobby use - now called a 'Personal' license, from licenses issued to true startup business users.

If you are purely a hobby user then when your existing license comes up for renewal you you can renew with a 'Personal' license which continues to be free. You will however lose a few features such as collaborative working and the ability to import certain commercial file formats. Otherwise there is no difference.

There is a lot of confusion being expressed on the Autodesk F360 forums and Blogs, but that is the essence of the change.

Anybody who is currently operating with the free to use license can, until the end of this month, take up a special low price subscription offer of $310 (whatever that is in GBP +VAT) per annum in perpetuity.

It has taken a lot of effort for me to fully understand these changes (shame on Autodesk) but I think I have it cracked and can point you to various links on the Autodesk site for you to check it out. PM me if needed.

Does $310 pa really work for an individual running it for personal use? It certainly wouldn't for me but other people may have a different value scale.

As stated in the earlier part of my posting, you can still use F360 for free under a 'Personal' license. Everything will be as it was under the old 'startup' license except for some features that most hobby folk would not have used anyway.

There are some of us though who have been caught out as a consequence of not fitting into the current license structure. For example, I have used F360 to build up a comprehensive library of obsolete parts for a particular marque of motorcycle in the '30's era. This is for the record, not for any commercial purpose as even when a few new parts are made to these drawings, they are one-offs for individuals at their own expense. It's more akin to a museum archive activity.

It has been useful to use the collaboration aspects up until now as some of the contributors are spread around the globe. Some of them also have access to professional CAD software whose files I need to translate.

With a library of many hundreds of parts, assemblies and drawings I have to choose either to continue for free with a few limitations or to pay for the commercial license.

As many of us have in effect been Beta testers for this software which is still evolving, I certainly would not want to pay full price for a license. This special offer is perhaps a worthwhile thing for people like me though, where so much effort has already been invested.

And yes, I do have backups in generic file formats and could migrate to my other CAD packages or indeed another. However, F360 does suit my needs very well and it's ability to back-track the timeline and edit within assemblies is very useful.

I have no wish to promote the product but when Ian asked his question I saw that he was possibly confused by what Autodesk were doing. The reduced price offering, if it were to suit him, is not well advertised and I thought that he should be advised of it.

Swarfmaker, thank you, it would be right to say that I was confused or at least wrong about my interpretation of what autodesk were saying. The fact that the orange banner across the top keeps coming up despite re-registering added to my concern. I will certainly stick with it and thanks for explaining what's happening.

Thanks,

Ian