Reviews, Markups and Comments

Overview#

A design is only as good as the feedback loop around it. Fusion gives you several lightweight feedback tools: comments on a design, Comment on Points and Comment on Objects pins in the web client, markups drawn over a snapshot in the viewer, @mentions that notify people, and alerts and email notifications for project updates. Together they are enough to run a disciplined review without leaving the platform, even though they are not a formal approval engine.

The cloud-collaboration page introduced these tools. This page explains how to use them as a repeatable process: how to prepare a review, how reviewers should behave, how to capture decisions, and how to close the loop so nothing falls through.

Note: Comment tools differ between the desktop client and the Fusion web client; the two are described separately below.

Where to find it#

• Desktop client: click + at the bottom of the graphics window to open the Comments pane (enter a comment, optionally click the camera to attach a captured image, then Post or Cancel). Press Ctrl+Alt+A (Windows) or Option+Command+A (macOS) to hide or show the pane. The design must be saved before it can share feeds, and only people invited to the project can see the comment feeds.
• Fusion web client: on the Overview tab click View and comment in the comment panel; on the View tab click Comments at the top right of the navigation bar. The bottom toolbar of the viewer has Comments (with Comment On Points and Comment On Objects), Show Markers and Markup.
• Shared link: anyone opening a Share Link gets the Markup tool (a subset of the web client's markup tools).
• Mobile: Autodesk's free Fusion app lets you select a project and design; the mirrored help does not describe comment tools in the app.
• Alerts and email: the Alerts icon in the web client; email notifications under My Profile > Settings.

Comment types#

Comments on points and objects show as blue pins in the canvas; Show Markers toggles them, and hovering shows the comment. Comments can be deleted with the trash can icon. The documentation does not describe a "resolved" flag.

For Electronics, schematics and 2D PCB documents support comments and markup in the desktop app and the web viewer, but point and object comments are only in the web viewer (use the Snapshot option from the desktop); 3D PCB supports the same features as design documents.

Note: not confirmed in Autodesk's documentation: that a comment is bound to the design version that was open when it was written. A markup is saved with a snapshot of your view, and clicking its marker returns the viewer to the viewpoint where it was added, so state the version in your meeting notes anyway.

Running a design review: the process#

A review process that works for a small team:

1. Prepare#

1. Finish the work, save, and update all references.
2. Create a version with a description such as REVIEW-3 so everyone can name the state under discussion (see the versions page). Note that a Share Link follows the latest version.
3. Write a short brief: purpose of the review, what is in scope, what feedback is wanted ("check clearances, not aesthetics"), and the deadline.
4. Set up the view. Use Comment on Points or an image snapshot so reviewers land on the right region; the documentation does not describe named review views.
5. Share: add reviewers as project members with the Viewer role, which can view, post and read comments, or send a Share Link if they only need to look and mark up with the reduced tool set. A person with only Basic Access can still comment and mark up.

2. Review#

1. Reviewers open the version named in your brief, not whatever happens to be latest.
2. They orbit, section and measure to verify claims (Section Analysis is an Inspect tool in the desktop client).
3. They add Comment on Points or Comment on Objects pins on the exact geometry. One thread per issue.
4. They mention the owner with @ when action is needed.
5. They avoid writing "looks fine" on every part; they flag only things that need attention, plus an explicit "approve" comment at the end if that is your convention.

3. Consolidate#

1. The owner reads all threads, replies to each ("done in V13", "won't fix because ...", "need to discuss").
2. In a short meeting, go through unresolved threads with the design on screen.
3. Record decisions in the thread itself, so the decision lives next to the geometry.

4. Close#

1. Make the changes and save, then create a version with a description that mentions the thread ("Addressed review #3: wall 2.5 mm").
2. Reply to each thread ("done in version 13") so the reply records the outcome; there is no resolve button.
3. Create a release version when no threads remain.
4. Archive the review: screenshot the Comments panel into the 00_Admin/Reviews folder (the documentation describes no comment export).

Writing good comments#

Good feedback is specific, located and actionable.

Add the reason, the proposed fix and the severity (blocker, major, minor, nit). A simple convention such as a prefix [BLOCKER], [MAJOR], [MINOR] helps owners triage.

Markups on the web#

The viewer lets you draw on a snapshot of the model. Click Markup in the toolbar: the viewer stays in Markup Mode until you save or cancel, and other viewer tools are unavailable, so set your view first. Tools are Freehand, Lines, Area Selection, Callouts and Text; callouts come in point, rectangle, circle, cloud, custom cloud and polygon forms. You can set background, background opacity, line colour, width and opacity (reduce opacity to zero for a white background), move and resize markups, cut, copy, paste, undo and redo, and edit text until you save. Save Snapshot names the image and saves it; a markup is saved as a comment with a snapshot of your current view, with a blue pin. You may save several snapshots in one session.

Autodesk states only a subset of the web client's markup tools is available on shared designs. Opening a marked-up 2D file shows existing markups dimmed, and you can add new ones over them; selecting a comment highlights its markup and dims the others.

Tips:

• Capture the view after sectioning so the issue is visible.
• Keep markups readable: large arrows, short text, one issue each.
• Do not use markup for dimensional changes that belong in the model (general guidance). Describe the change and let the owner update parameters.

Mentions, notifications and subscriptions#

• Type @ followed by a name to notify a specific person of your comment.
• Use mentions sparingly. Mention the person who must act, not the whole team (general guidance).
• Follow a project to receive alerts for new posts, updates and comments (including @mentions). By default you follow a project you create or join. You also start following an item implicitly if someone @mentions you, you upload a file or you comment on it. Autodesk notes there is no way to stop following an item, so you continue to get alerts on such items even if you unfollow the project.
• The Alerts pane also shows membership requests and invitations, and you can mark alerts read.
• Email notifications (My Profile > Settings > Send email notifications) cover projects (for example join requests) and data (new files and folders, updates, new versions, mentions). They apply across all projects you follow.
• The Project Details panel has an Activity tab showing new members, project type changes, new content and comments.

Reviews and formal approval#

Comments are conversations, not signatures. They have no enforced sign-off, no required reviewers and no electronic signature. If your company needs a controlled approval, consider:

1. Fusion Manage change orders: a workflow with reviewers and approvers, recorded workflow history and actions, which you can review and approve in the Fusion web client. See the PDM page.
2. Process by convention: approver adds a comment "APPROVED REL-B, , " on the design, and the release log records it. Weak but better than nothing.

Note: not confirmed in Autodesk's documentation: a Reviews feature in Autodesk Docs that accepts Fusion files. The Fusion help does not describe one; check Autodesk Docs help for your account.

For auditors, the combination of a version, a comment recording approval, and an exported PDF is a minimum evidence trail (general guidance). For anything regulated, use a system with proper e-signature controls.

Reviewing drawings and 2D documents#

The documentation describes markup of 2D files in the web viewer, with existing markups shown dimmed and new ones added over them. Reviewers can also annotate the PDF export in their own tool. Because a drawing references a model version, make sure the drawing and the model are reviewed together; a mismatch between the drawing's referenced model version and the model reviewed last week is a classic source of mistakes. Update the drawing to the latest model before the review, or note the version used.

Review hygiene for teams#

• Time-box: give reviewers a deadline; stale threads rot.
• One reviewer for each concern: mechanical checks, manufacturability, electronics fit, safety.
• Keep it in the tool: email replies fragment the record. Copy conclusions back into the thread.
• Reply, do not delete: deleting a comment (trash icon) erases the record. Reply with the outcome instead.
• Number the reviews (REVIEW-1, REVIEW-2) and keep the numbers in version descriptions.
• Retain: when a project ends, keep screenshots of the threads in your archive (see the backup page).

Options reference#

Tips and pitfalls#

Tip: Name the version under review in the brief so the geometry does not change under the reviewers' feet; a Share Link always shows the latest.

Tip: Put the review checklist (clearances, material, tolerances, draft angles) in the README so every review starts from the same list.

Warning: A point or object pin is placed on the geometry as it was when you commented. If a feature later moves or is deleted, the pin might point to nothing (general expectation). Re-state the issue in a new comment if needed.

Warning: Comments are visible to people who can see the file's comment feeds (project members). Keep internal commentary (cost, personnel) out of shared files.

Warning: Do not treat "no comments" as approval. Ask for an explicit approval comment.

Practice exercise#

Create a small design with two parts and a deliberate flaw (a 1 mm wall). Create a version described REVIEW-1. Invite a colleague (or use a second account) as a Viewer. Have them add one Comment on Points pin with a severity prefix and one @ mention. Reply, fix the flaw, create a version described REVIEW-2, and reply to the thread with the outcome. Expected result: a thread whose history shows the issue, the decision and the new version number.

Related#

• Sharing and Public Links (this section)
• Versions, Milestones and Lifecycle States (this section)
• Fusion Manage and PDM Concepts (this section)
• Getting started: Cloud Collaboration