1 User Guide

The following sections describe how to use the add-in.

1.1 Symbols

The following symbols are used for notes in the program.

	Model note anchor (in model space)
	Model note anchor (in timeline)
	Model note anchor highlight (in model space)
	Sketch note anchor highlight (in sketch editor)

1.2 Model Notes

Model notes show up on the model and in the timeline. They behave mostly like other features (e.g. Extrude) with regard to creation, modification, deletion and visibility.

Model notes are anchored to vertices on the model. The anchors are shown as white dots. If highlighting is enabled, the anchors will be highlighted with lilac encircled dots and hovering the mouse over the anchor will show the note contents in a small pop-up.

Users who don't have the add-in will be able to see the model note anchors (white dots) and read the title of each note upon inspecting it in the timeline or in the browser. They can read the full note contents in the snapshot file, which is saved along with the design file.

1.2.1 Creating a Model Note

To create a new model note, select CREATE → Model Note from the SOLID or SURFACE panels. The note edit dialog will be opened. Select a point/vertex to which the model note will be anchored. Enter a title and/or a description. Click Save.

It is possible to skip selecting an anchor point. If a point was selected before opening the dialog, it will be pre-selected.

The note will appear on the selected point, if one was selected, and in the timeline. The note anchor can also be found under construction in the browser.

The note will be given a unique ID (TNOTE:nnnn). The unique IDs are never reused within the same document.

1.2.2 Viewing and Editing a Model Note

To edit a model note, select its anchor in the model space, in the timeline or in the browser, then right-click and select Edit Note. It is also possible to double-click the note in the timeline. The note edit dialog will appear. Edit the contents and click Save.

Note that clicking the note anchor in the model space might select another entity at the same location. Long press the mouse to select the note anchor in that case.

1.2.3 Deleting a Model Note

To delete a model note, first select the note anchor point on the model or the note in the timeline. Then press the Del key or right-click and click Delete.

1.2.4 Viewing all Model Notes

To see all model notes, select MODIFY → All Model Notes. A dialog showing all model notes will open. Each note has a Find and an Edit button.

1.2.5 Model Notes: Anchor Highlights

To make it easier to spot where model notes are added to the model, enable anchor highlights. Markers shaped as encircled lilac dots will appear on top of the anchor dots on the model. Hovering the mouse over a highlighted anchor will show the contents of the note. Click UTILITIES → NOTES → Enable/Disable anchor highlights to toggle anchor highlighting.

Only note anchors that are not obscured by other objects are highlighted by default. To make highlights appear for note anchors that are obscured, click UTILITIES → NOTES → Enable/Disable obscured highlights. This essentially makes the model transparent to the highlights.

1.3 Sketch Notes

Sketch notes are placed within sketches at user-selected positions, not tied to any specific entity in the sketch. They are not visible outside the sketch editor and will not appear in any way to users who don't have the add-in (but they do show up in the notes snapshot file).

The note will be given a unique ID (TNOTE:nnnn). The unique IDs are never reused within the same document.

Sketch note anchors are always highlighted and appear as lilac squares with a square border. The note contents are revealed by hovering the mouse over the anchor.

1.3.1 Creating a Sketch Note

In the sketch editor, click CREATE → Sketch Note. The note edit dialog will appear. Select a position on the sketch by clicking the mouse and then enter a title and a note text. Click Save to save the note.

1.3.2 Viewing and Editing a Sketch Note

Double-click a sketch note anchor to edit a sketch note. The note edit dialog will appear, where the position can be changed and the text edited.

1.3.3 Deleting a Sketch Note

To delete a sketch note, first open the note edit dialog by double-clicking on the note's anchor. Click Delete Note to delete the note. Use Fusion's Undo function to undo deleting the note.

1.4 Notes Snapshot File

Every time the design document is saved after modifying a note, the notes snapshot file will be updated. It is a text file (.txt) saved along with the design document in the same folder, with the suffix " - Notes Snapshot". The text file contains the contents of all notes and can be opened from the data panel in Fusion. Opening the snapshot file will show it in the cloud, where it is also possible to download the file.

1.5 Entering a license and About

To register the add-in, select UTILITIES → NOTES → License... . To find the add-in version, open UTILITIES → NOTES → About... .

2 Screenshots and Commands

Below are screenshots and menu commands.

Install:

The installer that ran when you downloaded this app/plugin from the Autodesk App Store may automatically start installing. If it has not, simply double-click the downloaded installer to set up the app/plugin.

Uninstall:

You can unload the add-in without uninstalling it by clicking the "Stop" button when the add-in is selected in the list box located on the "Add-Ins" tab of the "Scripts and Add-Ins" dialog.

Unchecking "Run on Startup" causes the add-in not to be loaded in future Fusion sessions.

To uninstall this Add-in:

• Exit the Autodesk product if you are currently running it, simply rerun the installer, and select the "Uninstall" button.
• Uninstall it from 'Control Panel/Programs and Features' (Windows 10/11)

• What about users without the add-in?

  The ID and title of timeline notes will be visible in the timeline and the note anchors will show up as white dots on the model. A file named "<document name> - Notes Snapshot.txt" is automatically uploaded next to the design document when the document is saved, if notes have been added or updated. Using this text file, it is possible to cross-reference notes to timeline notes and to sketches (but not positions within sketches).

• Why do the notes don't have note icons in the timeline?

  Due to technical limitations, the notes cannot be shown with note icons in the timeline. The required features in Fusion are marked as experimental and not yet supported by Autodesk.

• Does the add-in work with the built-in comments in Fusion?

  No. The notes created by this add-in are completely separate. The built-in comments in Fusion are not accessible by add-ins.

• Why can't I purchase the add-in directly in the Autodesk® App Store?

  The App Store does not handle VAT. Therefore, an external provider is used.

Disclaimer

The software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise, arising from, out of or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.

• Construction elements must be set to be shown for note anchors to be shown.

• Note anchor highlights can get displaced if the screen resolution is changed (e.g. by connection through Remote Desktop) or canvas high-resolution settings are modified. Start and stop the add-in to reposition the highlights.

• Note functionality only works when designing in parametric mode (history enabled).