Overview#
Autodesk runs several cloud data sources. Autodesk Docs is the common data environment for documents and models, and it sits under the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) offerings Autodesk Build, Autodesk BIM Collaborate (and BIM Collaborate Pro) and Autodesk Takeoff. Autodesk Drive is lightweight file storage. Fusion stores design data in its own hubs and projects.
Name change. Autodesk's Desktop Connector help states that starting with Desktop Connector v2027.0.0 (March 2026), Autodesk Docs was rebranded to Forma Data Management, and that "Docs connector" now appears as Forma connector. Existing help links and local paths such as
ACCDocskeep the old name. Expect both names in older documentation, and treat "Autodesk Docs" and "Forma Data Management (formerly Autodesk Docs)" as the same data source.
The documented link between Fusion and these platforms is Desktop Connector, a Windows application that gives File Explorer a local drive (a connector) for each cloud data source: Forma, Drive and Fusion. This page explains what the Fusion and Desktop Connector help confirm, and where the boundary of the documentation lies.
Note: not confirmed in Autodesk's documentation: that Fusion hubs and projects automatically appear in the Forma Data Management / ACC web interface, or that Fusion's data services are "the same" as Docs. The mirrored Fusion and Desktop Connector help treats Forma and Fusion as separate cloud data sources side by side. Ask your Autodesk administrator how your hub is provisioned before designing a process that spans both.
Where to find it#
- Desktop Connector (Windows only): after installation, a tray icon appears in the Windows taskbar overflow area and the connectors appear in File Explorer. Left-click the tray icon for the Home Screen, which shows activity for the previous 24 hours in the Forma and Fusion connectors. Drag the tray icon onto the main taskbar to keep sync status visible.
- Fusion connector: a persistent drive in the File Explorer navigation pane at the same tier as This PC. Root folders run hub or team name, then the projects you have added, then project folders and content. The Forma connector is at the same tier; the Drive connector is a sub-tier under This PC.
- Fusion web client: where Fusion permissions are managed. Desktop Connector does not manage permissions; it reads them from the web.
- Forma Data Management web: where Docs/Forma project administration, file locking and reviews live (see the Forma help; the Fusion help does not cover them).
Platforms at a glance#
| Platform | Primary purpose | Desktop Connector connector | Fusion relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion (hub) | Design and manufacturing data | Fusion | Native home of Fusion designs and drawings |
| Autodesk Drive | File storage | Drive | Stores any file; separate connector |
| Forma Data Management (formerly Autodesk Docs) | Common data environment for project information | Forma | Holds Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D and other files; separate from Fusion hubs in the help |
| Autodesk Construction Cloud (Build, BIM Collaborate, Takeoff) | Construction workflows on the same common data environment | Forma | Rarely used directly by Fusion users |
| Fusion Manage | Process management for designs and drawings | None | See the PDM page |
How the connection works#
One tool, several connectors#
Desktop Connector creates a virtual drive that bridges your local file system and the Autodesk cloud. You read and write files in the connector and changes sync to the cloud. The folder structure is replicated but files are not downloaded until they are opened. During sign-in you select the projects you want, up to 80 projects combined across Forma and Fusion; unselecting a project removes its local presence (files stay in the cloud). A single project with more than about 300,000 files and folders slows sync. The Fusion and Forma connectors share one home screen and the Upload files with references tool.
Permissions: Fusion roles versus Forma levels#
The Fusion web help describes five project and folder roles (Viewer, Reader, Editor, Manager, Folder Admin); see the roles page. Desktop Connector reflects them like this:
| Fusion role | In Desktop Connector |
|---|---|
| Viewer | Browse folders and see file metadata; cannot open or view contents; files are read-only |
| Reader | Browse, view metadata, open and read contents; cannot create, move, rename, upload or delete; files are read-only |
| Editor, Manager, Folder Admin | Create, modify, rename, move, delete files and folders; upload new versions |
Forma uses a different scale (for example View only, View + Download, View + Download + Publish markups, View + Download + Upload, and so on, with "Upload only" listed as not supported in the connector). Role names and folder inheritance are set in each product's web interface. Do not apply the Forma scale to a Fusion project or the reverse.
Note: not confirmed in Autodesk's Fusion documentation: older descriptions of "Docs-style" roles such as Project Member or Document Manager, or companies and discipline roles. Consult the Forma help for those.
File types and viewing#
The Fusion web client can view more than fifty 2D and 3D formats, including those from Autodesk, SolidWorks, CATIA, Pro/E, Rhino and NX, and you can upload Office and media files too. In the Fusion connector, several Fusion file types are cloud-only: .FusionDesign, .FusionDrawing, .FusionDrawingTemplate, .ElectronicsBoard, .ElectronicsSchematic and .ElectronicsDesign. Desktop Connector creates empty placeholder files for them; Open and Copy do not work, although rename, move and delete do. Fusion design files are never downloaded by Desktop Connector and cannot be copied or exported from it, so use the Fusion web client or Fusion itself. A composite design (a viewable container of related files) shows as a .viewable file that cannot be opened. Fusion projects with duplicate filenames in one folder are not supported: the connector ignores both files until you rename one in the web client. Uploads are limited to 6 GB per file.
Upload with references#
Dragging files or folders into the Fusion or Forma connector triggers the Upload with References wizard (from v17.0): preview referenced files, include or exclude them, see missing-reference warnings and where files will land. You can turn the automatic behaviour off with the gear icon on the home screen (Always ask to include references). The Reference Explorer shows reference relationships including missing and circular references.
Use cases#
General scenarios (illustrative, not Autodesk examples):
- Reference geometry from another discipline. Bring a PDF or STEP floor plan into a Fusion project through the Fusion connector (or upload in the web client), then design fixtures to fit.
- Deliverables to a construction project. Export drawings as PDF and models as STEP from Fusion, then drag them into the Forma connector or upload them in the Forma web interface.
- Handover. The client keeps controlled documents in the Forma project; the engineering team keeps the native Fusion data in its hub.
Step by step: put Fusion deliverables into an Autodesk Docs workflow#
- Confirm you have project membership and upload rights in the Forma project (ask the project admin), and that the project is added to your Desktop Connector.
- In Fusion, finalise the design, create a version and export the deliverables (PDF drawings, STEP model).
- Open the Forma connector in File Explorer and browse to the agreed folder, or use the Forma web interface.
- Drag the exported files in. For files with references, complete the Upload with References wizard.
- Check the Home Screen for queued, syncing, completed or failed activities.
- For a revised deliverable, replace it with a file of the same name in the same folder. Desktop Connector syncs modified files as new versions of the same file.
- For formal review and distribution, use the Forma web interface; its reviews and transmittals are not described in the Fusion help.
Issues, RFIs and reviews#
Note: not confirmed in Autodesk's Fusion documentation: Issues, RFIs, Reviews and Transmittals. They are features of the ACC and Forma products, not of Fusion, and the mirrored help does not describe them or any Fusion link to them. Check the current Forma Data Management help.
Within Fusion, use comments, @mentions and markup (see the reviews page) for engineering discussion and keep the formal project record in the project platform. This split is general guidance.
Differences that surprise Fusion users#
| Topic | Fusion | Forma Data Management / Desktop Connector |
|---|---|---|
| New versions | Saves create changes; Create version marks versions; non-native files use Upload New Version or same-name upload | Modified files sync as new versions of the same file |
| Locking | Design Reservation (team admin setting) reserves a design while someone has savable changes | File locking in Forma; Desktop Connector tries to lock a file on open and unlock on close, one file at a time manually; referenced files are not locked; Inventor and 3ds Max files in ACC must be locked by hand |
| Permissions | Viewer, Reader, Editor, Manager, Folder Admin | Forma levels such as View only, View + Download, Upload; set in the Forma web interface |
| Sharing | Share Link with optional password and download | Controlled by Forma project permissions (details are in the Forma help) |
| Local files | Fusion designs are cloud-only, never downloaded by Desktop Connector | Many other CAD and Office files are synced locally on demand |
| Deleting | Move to Trash, restore from Trash in the web client | Deleting a file in File Explorer deletes it from the cloud, and moving a file out of the connector or into another project deletes it from the original project; Desktop Connector has a Recover Deletions procedure |
| Names | Project naming is your convention | Duplicate filenames in one Fusion folder are unsupported in Desktop Connector; leading or trailing spaces and long paths cause sync problems |
Working offline with Desktop Connector#
Desktop Connector has its own offline mode, separate from Fusion's (see the backup page). Choose Work Offline from the home screen menu (a yellow tray icon shows the state). Autodesk may also place it in Forced Offline to prevent data loss. Only files already opened and downloaded to the connector are available. Modified files sync as new versions when you reconnect, but if the cloud copy changed while you were offline, your offline changes to that file are not uploaded and the cloud change has priority (a Conflict Management feature lets you compare). Deleting offline only syncs after you confirm on reconnecting. Fusion design files are cloud-only, so they cannot be worked on offline through the connector; use Fusion's own offline cache for those.
Administration and licences#
- Fusion licenses are assigned to hub members (see the admin page). Desktop Connector shows No projects available when you lack the required product entitlements for Forma, Fusion or Drive, or have not been added to any projects. Restart Desktop Connector after access changes because it checks access at startup.
- Desktop Connector is for Windows 10 and 11. If you upgrade to v17.0 from 15.x or 16.x the Fusion connector requires uninstalling the old version first.
- Product licensing for ACC and Forma is separate from Fusion licensing; the mirrored help does not give details (check your contract).
Integrations and automation#
- Fusion has its own API (Python and C++) that runs inside the application; the reference documentation is mirrored in this guide's sources.
Note: not confirmed in Autodesk's Fusion documentation: Autodesk Platform Services (formerly Forge) Data Management API, Model Derivative and Webhooks for hubs or ACC projects, and third-party connectors. These are general developer options that need app credentials and OAuth; check Autodesk's platform documentation for current scopes and hub support.
Options reference#
| Option | What it does | Notes/default |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Connector home screen | Shows activity for the previous 24 hours, menu options, Work Offline | Left-click the tray icon |
| Project selection | Adds projects to connectors | Up to 80 across Forma and Fusion |
| Upload with References | Wizard for uploading design files with their references | Automatic since v17.0; gear icon to turn off |
| Reference Explorer | Visualises references, missing and circular | |
| Lock / Unlock | Forma file locking from File Explorer | One file at a time; Forma only |
| Work Offline | Pauses sync and works on downloaded files | Cloud changes win conflicts |
| Free up space | Frees local disk while keeping the file in the cloud | Use instead of deleting |
| Recover Deletions | Restores files deleted through the connector | See the Desktop Connector troubleshooting help |
Tips and pitfalls#
Tip: Agree one folder, one name, one owner for each deliverable type before the project starts. Same-name uploads become new versions, so stable names matter (general guidance).
Tip: If your team is product-only, you may not need Forma or ACC. Use it when you share a project with architects or contractors (general guidance).
Warning: Do not assume features visible in one product exist in the other. Permissions, locking, sharing and deletion differ (see the table above).
Warning: Do not use Desktop Connector to move Fusion data between projects or out of the connector: moving files out of the workspace or into another project deletes them from the original location, and Fusion designs are cloud-only anyway. Use Fusion's Copy or Copy across hubs instead.
Warning: Autodesk renames these products (Docs became Forma Data Management in March 2026) and moves features between plans. Always check current documentation.
Practice exercise#
If you have access to a Forma Data Management (Docs) project and Desktop Connector, create a folder Fusion_Deliverables, export a PDF drawing and a STEP file from a Fusion design, drag both into the Forma connector (complete the Upload with References wizard if it appears), and check the home screen. Replace the STEP with a revised file of the same name and confirm in the web interface that it is recorded as a new version. Then try to open a .FusionDesign placeholder in the Fusion connector and note what happens. Write down which of your Fusion habits (change history, comments, Share Link, Design Reservation) behaved differently. Expected result: a short table of differences specific to your hub. If you do not have access, draw the folder layout and permission matrix you would request.
Related#
- Roles and Permissions (this section)
- Hubs, Projects and Folder Architecture (this section)
- Admin Console and Team Best Practices (this section)
- Getting started: Autodesk Drive