Altium Concord Pro on A365 - Managed Projects

Parent page: Concord Pro - Hosted on Altium 365

Altium Designer, in conjunction with the Workspace (the incarnation of Altium Concord Pro when hosted on the Altium 365 infrastructure platform), brings support for Managed Projects. Managed projects target the development stage of the project lifecycle, simplifying the creation and ongoing workflow for version controlled projects. Centralized storage under the control of the Workspace also enables this feature to be a foundation for other collaborative services.

Some key benefits to using managed projects are:

• Simplified storage. No need to make decisions about storage locations. Backup and other basic services are taken care of.
• Foundation for collaborative features.
• Enforced version control.
• Beneficiary of a dedicated commenting system.
• Notifications and status. Document status including local modifications is visible to entire design teams.
• Concurrent PCB design works without any complex setup.

Technically a managed project is the combination of meta information stored in the Workspace, along with tight integration with the Workspace's inherent GIT-based version control. The typical work flow is as follows:

1. A user creates a new managed project (via the Create Project dialog in Altium Designer, from the Workspace's browser interface, or by making an existing unmanaged project available in the Workspace (from within Altium Designer)). During creation, that user defines the project's name and description.
2. In the Workspace's browser interface, or directly within Altium Designer, access to the project is defined and managed.
3. All collaborators select the project for opening (from within Altium Designer) after which it is automatically checked out.

This document takes a look at working with managed projects through the Workspace's browser interface. For information on working with managed projects in your design software, see Management of Projects from within Altium Designer.

Creating a New Managed Project

A managed project can be created directly from the Projects page of the Workspace's browser interface. The page lists all projects that have been made available to the Workspace, and which are shared with the currently signed-in user. To create a new project, click the  button above the project list to open the Project Creation window.

Creating a new managed project through the Workspace's browser interface.

The Project Creation window will initially present in simplified view, with the following fields:

• Name - enter the required name for the project

• Templates - choose a project template if available - the associated drop-down field will list all Managed Project Templates that exist in the Workspace (in the format <Comment> (<ItemID>)). Choosing a template will inherently define the project type. If you do not want to base the new project on an existing project template, simply specify the type of project to be created (using the PCB Project or Multiboard entries available from the list).
• Description - enter an optional description for the project.

To access more controls click the  button. The following fields will present:

• Vault Folder - use this field to specify where the folder for the project is to be created within the Workspace's folder structure. By default, this will be Projects\<ProjectName>. The default folder path for new projects is specified on the Admin - Settings - Projects page of the Workspace's browser interface.
• Repository - this field will display Versioned Storage, the Git-based design repository available as part of the Workspace, in which all new projects (and their files) are stored.

After defining the new project as required, click  to create the new project structure. You will come back to the summary-level project list, where you will now see an entry for the newly-created project.

The newly-created project, evident back on the Projects page of the Workspace's browser interface.

Browsing Managed Projects

The projects listing on the Projects page of the Workspace's browser interface includes all projects that are shared with you, and offers a range of controls to access project management features. Use the  button to switch the page to its project preview (graphical tiles) mode and the  button to switch the page to its detailed list mode.

The Projects page of the Workspace's browser interface - command central for working with your managed projects. Here, the detailed list mode for the page is shown. Hover the mouse over the image to see the project preview mode.

The list of managed projects is automatically sorted by the last modified date, with the most recently modified project appearing at the top of the list (in detailed list mode) or top-left of the list (in project preview mode). In either mode, the  button can be used to quickly toggle the order alphabetically by project name.

Each project entry in the detailed list mode includes the following information:

• Name - the name of the project.
• Author - the user who created the project.
• Kind - the type of project, which is typically PCB (PcbProject) or Multi-board (SystemDesign).
• Last Modified - the user who last modified the project. A System entry occurs when an automated Workspace process has changed the project, typically by adding computed information (such as a Preview or PCB statistics).
• Date - the date on which the project was last modified.

In the project preview mode, the tile for a managed project includes the name of the project and the last modified date. The tile also autopopulates with the 3D view of the project's PCB, where a PCB is available.

Example tile for a selected managed project when
the Projects page is set in its project preview mode.

For both project view modes (detailed list and project preview) the following controls are provided at the top-right of the list (and detailed in the linked sections that follow). They act on the currently selected project in the list :

(Share) - click to access the Share Project window, with all the controls necessary to share the project with other users.

(More) - click to access further options:

• Open - click to open the CAD-centric Projects Management view for the project. This will open on a separate tab of the browser.
• Edit - click to access the Project Editing window. From here, you can change the project's Name, Description and server Parameters. All other fields are non-editable, providing information only.
• Clone - choose this command to access the Project Cloning window, providing the controls to make an identical copy of the project.
• Watch - choose this command to follow the project. You will receive applicable notifications related to the project (e.g. updated, released, permission changes) through an email sent out from the Workspace (provided email notifications have been enabled for the Workspace by an Administrator). The creator of the project will automatically be set to watch that project.
• UnWatch - choose this command to stop following the project and cease reception of notifications for events relating to that project.
• Remove - choose this command to access the Delete Project window, from where you can remove the project from the Workspace's design repository, rendering it no longer managed. This does not affect the local working copy.

In the project preview mode, Open, Share, Edit, Clone and Remove commands are also available directly from the project tile - click the  control to access the corresponding menu. In addition, double-clicking the tile for a project in this preview mode will access the CAD-centric Projects Management view for the project.

Also included is a project Search feature that can filter the project listing by Name, Author and Description. Type any part of a search string in the field at the top of the browser interface. The list will update to include only those project entries whose attributes include the search string.

Example use of the search feature, in this case finding a project based on its Description.

Properties Pane

If not already showing, click Properties at the top of the right-hand pane to show detailed property information for the currently selected project.

Access more detailed information for the currently selected project on the Properties pane.

The property data that is available in the Properties pane has been extracted or generated by the Workspace from the currently selected project. Properties are arranged under the following expandable headings (with example imagery to illustrate):

• General Info - high level information and current data about the project.

• Description - the description text added when the project was created. This can be modified through the project Edit feature.

• Releases - project releases presented in terms of the assembled packages (including assembly data, fabrication data for the linked/parent bare board, and source files from which both have been generated). Multiple releases are shown in sequential order, with the most recent at the top.

• Additional Info - a comprehensive collection of detailed data extracted or computed from the project design itself.

• Preview - generated thumbnail images of the project PCB 2D and 3D views, and the top-level schematic in the project structure hierarchy.

Activity Pane

If not already showing, click Activity at the top of the right-hand pane to show activity information for the currently selected project. Each message highlights an event which took place in relation to the project (property change, new commit, release, etc). The most recent event appears at the top of the list.

Access a history of events that have taken place for the currently selected project on the Activity pane.

Sharing a Managed Project

Once a project is managed (available in the Workspace), you'll want to determine which users can actually access that project. This is done by sharing the project, or rather, by configuring its access permissions. Remember that a managed project - newly created or made available in the Workspace - is shared, by default, with the following:

• The Owner of the project, which is usually the designer who created it (or made it available in the Workspace): with full (Read/Write) access permissions.
• The Administrators role: with full (Read/Write) access permissions.

To configure access permissions for a project from the Workspace's browser interface, select the project entry on the Projects page of the interface and click the  button.

Also available in the 'preview' display mode of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the  control and choosing the Share command from the context menu.

The Share Project window will appear, with all the controls necessary to share the project with other users.

With your design projects centrally managed in an Workspace, sharing with others is simply a case of managing each project's permissions.

Things to be aware of:

• In terms of permissions, a user/role has Read/Write access when the Can Write option is selected. Otherwise, they have Read access only. The Owner always has full Read/Write access.
• Access rights to a project can be removed for Administrators (not recommended), but not for the Owner of a project.
• A project may be explicitly shared with particular Users or Roles, or simply shared with all Team members.

A managed project in the Workspace is shared with specified users or roles by adding the user/role name(s) in the Share Project With field in the Share Project window.

To add an entry, begin typing the desired name/email/role in the field so the matching user/role can be selected from the dynamic list - which will only contain filtered users in your team or within your organization, and existing roles defined for the Workspace. Multiple users/roles can be chosen. To remove an entered user/role, click the  control associated with the entry.

Set the sharing access permissions for the added users/roles from the associated drop-down menu by selecting Can Read or Can Write, where the latter option inherently includes Read capability. The setting initially applies to all entries (user/roles) included in the Share Project With field. Click the  control to access a textual area if you wish to include information that relates to the sharing arrangement for this project.

Click the Shared With control to expose the total sharing permissions for the project, which includes the default settings of Owner and Administrators. In the image below, the project has already been shared with the user and role in the previous image, just to illustrate this section better.

With the exception of the project Owner, permissions for all included user/roles may be individually set as Can Read or Can Write, or access rights completely removed. Click on the current permission state to access controls.

To open access to all users, enable the Everyone in the team option and then set access rights to the required level - either Can Read (Read-only access), or Can Write (full Read/Write access). This option is disabled by default.

Click the  button to confirm the updated sharing permissions for the project. What happens next depends on the type of user being invited:

• A user that is already part of your Workspace Team will be added to the access list for the project directly. They will receive an email notifying them that the project has been shared with them (and what access rights they have to it).
• For a user in your own organization that already has an AltiumLive account, they will be added to the Workspace Team, the project will be shared with them, and they will receive an invitation email with which to gain access to the project within the Workspace.
• For a user that already has an AltiumLive account, but who is not in your organization, a pop-up window will alert you to this and ask if you would still like to invite them. Click . They will be added to the Workspace Team, the project will be shared with them, and they will receive an invitation email with which to gain access to the project within the Workspace.
• A non-AltiumLive user will receive an invitation email with which to gain access to the project within the Workspace. However, they will first need to sign up/register for an AltiumLive account before they are added to the Workspace Team. Once they have signed up to AltiumLive, they are subsequently added to the Workspace Team and the project will be shared with them.

Accessing the Detailed Projects Management Page

Main page: Management of a Specific Project

The Workspace provides an advanced, manufacturing-oriented CAD-centric view of the project, opened by selecting the required project, clicking the  control above the listing of projects, and choosing the Open entry on the associated menu. Alternatively, double-click directly on the required project entry in the list.

Also available in the 'preview' display mode of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the  control and choosing the Open command from the context menu.

The Projects Management page for that project opens in a new browser tab incorporating the CAD-centric interface, which offers Design, BOM and Manufacturing view options:

• Design - display and navigate source project design documents, view design object properties and place review comments. This view uses the Web Review interface. This view is for the latest version of the source project data, rather than a specified release from that project, and so could be considered to be a work-in-progress (WIP) view. You can review both the base design and any defined variant thereof.

• BOM - allows you to interactively examine work-in-progress (WIP) BOM data extracted from the design documents, including entries for Manufacturer and Supplier parts data derived from a project's populated ActiveBOM document.

• Manufacturing - view the releases for the project. Access is provided for opening a release, which will be presented on a separate tab through a Manufacturing Portal. From this portal you can view and navigate the released Assembly and Fabrication data, inspect the BOM, and ultimately download the data into a manufacturing Build Package. A chosen release can also be sent - as a Manufacturing Package - directly to your manufacturer.

The Projects Management page can also be accessed from within Altium Designer. For the active managed project, use the Project » Show in Web Browser command, from the main menus. Alternatively, right-click on the entry for the project in the Projects panel and choose the Show in Web Browser command from the context menu. When browsing the project through Altium Designer's Explorer panel - configured in its default Project View rather than Classic View - access to the Projects Management page is made by clicking the  button.

Editing a Managed Project

To edit the properties of an existing managed project in the Workspace, select its entry on the Projects page, click the  control above the listing of projects, and choose the Edit entry on the associated menu. In the following Project Editing window - which opens in simplified view - you can change the project's Name and Description.

Also available in the 'preview' display mode of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the  control and choosing the Edit command from the context menu.

You can edit the Name and Description for a managed project at any stage.

Click the  button to expose other project fields.

Additional fields accessed by clicking the Advanced button.

Click on the Parameters control to expand the area in which you can manage server-side parameters for the project. Parameter Name/Value pairs my be added (), edited, or removed ().

Edit server-side parameters for the project.

The Vault Folder and Repository fields are non-editable and provide information only.

Click the  button to confirm any changes you have made.

Cloning a Managed Project

To clone an existing managed project, select its entry on the Projects page, click the  control above the listing of projects, and choose the Clone entry on the associated menu. The Project Cloning window will appear.

Also available in the 'preview' display mode of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the  control and choosing the Clone command from the context menu.

You can clone a managed project to create an identical copy of it, along with its working files.

Use the window to set the naming, description and storage path for the cloned project (the latter accessed by clicking the  button). By default, the original project name will be used with the suffix ' - Copy'.

When changing the field entries, note that the cloned project name and server folder must comply to the system naming requirements - hover over a  icon for more information - and cannot use the same name or path as the source project.

After setting the fields as required, click the  button. The original project will be cloned (duplicated) along with its constituent files and data, and be added as a new project entry to the Projects page listing.

Deleting a Managed Project

To delete (remove) an existing managed project from the Workspace, select its entry on the Projects page, click the  control above the listing of projects, and choose the Remove entry on the associated menu. The Delete Project window will appear, offering various options for project removal, as shown in the following image and detailed thereafter.

Also available in the 'preview' display mode of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the  control and choosing the Remove command from the context menu.

Removing a managed project from a Workspace.

 - deletes the project only, leaving the folder and all content linked to that project, untouched. The project repository (VCS data) will be archived and can be restored only with the help of the IT department.

 - deletes the project, its folder, and all content stored within that folder (which could include release data items). There is no way to restore the data afterward.

 - deletes the project, its folder, all content linked to that project (within that folder or elsewhere), and the project repository (VCS data). There is no way to restore the data afterward. This level of deletion is not recommended.

Any of these actions effectively renders the project no longer managed. Removal is from the Workspace only - your local working copy is not affected.

Note that when using the  action, the project's host Folder and Project Item will remain in the Workspace's folder structure, along with any release-related Items, as can be viewed on the Explorer page of the browser interface. If you wish to use that project name again you will need to remove the Project Item and its host folder (via the right-click context menus), in that order.