Collaborating in Real Time through the Comments Panel in CircuitMaker

The Comments button opens the Comments panel in which you can add comments to a defined area or point in the active document of a Workspace project. The panel allows all users who are working on the document to add and view all comments without modifying the document itself, potentially serving as a 'to do' list as the design matures. This feature allows for the facilitation of strong collaboration processes and is invaluable when issues within the document need to be pointed out without receiving conflicts. 

The button is available from the schematic and PCB editors in the View | Collaboration region.

Display Settings

This panel allows you to place a comment directly to the design space, hide comments within the design space, and determine which comments you see.

The panel's  button toggles the visibility of comment marker pins on the document. Comment entries still may be selected as usual in the Comments panel listing.

Use the filter drop-down menu in the Comments panel () to configure comment filtering, and the associated  button to toggle between the filtered and unfiltered view:

• All – all comments placed on the design will be listed in the panel.
• My – show only those comments that mention my user name and/or are assigned to my user name.
• From – show comments placed by the selected user only.

Use the options of the  button menu to configure comment visibility and notifications:

• Group by Document – show only comments that have been placed on the currently active document.
• Unresolved Only – comments that have been resolved are not included in the listing.
• Notification settings – click to open the Notification Settings dialog and configure email alerts receiving for all comment activity in this design (All), for only those comments where you are mentioned or assigned (My), or not receiving email alerts at all (None).

Working with Comments

Placing a Comment

The Comment command allows you to add a new comment to a defined area of the active document. The command is available in the following ways:

• Click the  button available in the Comments panel.

• From the schematic and PCB editors in the Home | Collaboration region.

  
  

• Additionally, from the schematic editor, right-click in the design space, then choose Comment from the context menu.

Comments can be assigned to an object, a specific point, or an area on the active document. The command invokes the comment placement mode, and the cursor changes to a crosshair with a blue circle that detects and highlights objects for selection:

• Single click a highlighted object to attach (pin) a comment to that object.
• Single click in an un-highlighted area to attach a comment to that specific point on the document.
• Away from an object, click and drag the cursor to create a rectangular highlighted area, adding a comment to the specified area.

The placement action then opens a comment entry dialog that offers a field for entering the comment text, and also additional options for adding a freehand drawing to the comment (). Click  to confirm the comment creation, which will associate the comment with a numbered pin marker on the document and also add a comment summary entry to the Comments panel.

Editing a Comment

To edit a placed comment you first select it, either by clicking on it in the Comments panel, or clicking once on its icon on the schematic sheet. This opens the Details dialog, as shown below.  To edit the comment, click  in the dialog and select the Edit command in the menu that appears (left image below). Enter your edits in the text box and click Update when you are done editing. Comments may only be edited by the user who posted the comment.

Replying a Comment

Enter text in the Reply field to add a new entry to the comment thread. Click Reply to confirm the entry.

Resolving a Comment

Click the dialog's  /  button to toggle the comment state between Resolved and Unresolved (the default). A resolved comment (closed as complete) is inactive and non-editable, and both its entry in the Comments panel and its pin marker on the document are grayed out.

Deleting a Comment

To delete a comment click  associated with the comment, then select Delete. Comments may only be deleted by the user who posted the comment.

Notes

• When a comment is added, it is seen instantly by all other users that have the same project and document open in their design spaces.
• The Comments panel will track the entire thread of a specific comment. However, only the latest comment in that thread is displayed in the design space.
• Within a comment thread on the Comments panel, the latest reply is always added to the bottom of that thread. Where multiple comment threads are present in a document, the latest thread is presented at the top of the panel.