NFS_2_1Managed Data and Processing Updates_ANS

The design data analysis and generation capabilities of the NEXUS Server have been enhanced in this release to provide additional Web Review information, improved performance and compatibility with older project structure formats.

Web Review

New graphic and data capabilities have been added to the Web Review feature in its WIP, Released and Preview modes.

3D Preview

The server's project Preview screen now offers Layer selection and 3D view capabilities when viewing a PCB document. Document Preview is available for both the current project, as a WIP preview, and for a specific Project Release.

When a project is open (by selecting its name or the associated icon) select the Preview tab for the WIP preview, or the Preview tab under the Releases tab for the selected release preview. The additional Layer Selection and 2D/3D buttons are presented in the upper display corner when viewing a PCB document. Their functionality matches that in the Web Review feature.

Variant Support

The server Web Review page, accessible from both the NEXUS client and server, now offers graphic support for project Design Variants. To view added variations of a project design, select an available Variation from the drop down menu at the top of the Web Review page.

Data Status Alert

The Web Review display now offers a Data Status pop-up that is triggered by an update in the current project data. When viewing the Web Review page, a coincident project update such as a new Commit or Release will cause the server to reprocess the design data. Since the currently viewed data is out of date, the Status pop-up alerts the user and provides a real-time indication of the reprocessing state, and then offers the option to open (reload) the page with the new data.

An alert will also indicate that project data is being processed when opening a Web Review. Select the button to view the updated page.

Activities Report Exporter

Additional reporting features are now available through the new CSV export for Activities. Available to users in the Administrators role group, the CSV export button () creates a detailed comma-delimited *.csv report file which includes all Activities (Process Workflows) that are currently listed. Active or Closed Activities can be exported, and the list may be filtered using the process name Search field. The CSV report exporter is available where Activities are listed, such as:

• When browsing server Processes (Admin » Processes – Browser tab).
• When a Project is open and the Activities tab is selected. Applies to both the server and the design client Explorer panel.
• When viewing Part Requests (Part Requests).

On the design side, the NEXUS Explorer panel includes an equivalent button (under the Activites tab) for downloading the currently listed Activities data that relate to the selected project. The Tasks and Activities that apply to the currently signed in user are presented in the Tasklist panel, which now automatically refreshes in response to task/activity changes on the server side.

Project Format Conversion

For those that have upgraded to the Altium NEXUS Server from legacy Altium Vault products, the retained Managed Projects that were created in versions prior to Vault 3.0 cannot benefit from the full data analysis and generation capabilities provided by the NEXUS Server.

On the design side, the most obvious shortcomings are in the Explorer panel, which lacks of the graphically-orientated Project View, and does not offer access to the Web Review or the detailed Analytics parameters generated by the server. Similarly, in the server browser interface, the opened project does not offer generated parameters, a project Part List, the Preview feature or the option to invoke a Web Review session.

The project structure incompatibility of these 'legacy' projects is now automatically detected by the NEXUS Server, and a correction solution offered in the form of the button. When invoked, the update process requests a target server folder location for the converted project, which will hold the updated project in its new compatible file structure. A new folder can be created through the dialog's right click options, if required.

Note that the signed-in user must be a member of the Administrator Role group to see and access the button.

When the conversion has completed, refresh the browser page to see the updated server project view, which will then offer the server's advanced data-derived features. In the design client Explorer panel, select the newly converted project from its alternative location to access the data-derived features delivered by the server.