Collaborating in Real Time through the Comments Panel in Altium Designer

The Comments panel

Summary

The Comments panel allows you to add comments to a defined area or point in the active document of a managed project. The panel allows all users who are working on the document to add comments and view all comments without actually modifying the document itself. 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 Comments panel essentially can be used to create a 'to do' list and as the design matures. the comments can be resolved and closed.

Panel Access

The panel is accessed from a managed project by performing one of the following then clicking in the document to define the point or area for the comment:

• Click Place » Comment for Area from the main menus.
• Click Place » Comment for Point from the main menus.
• Click Place » Freehand comment from the main menus.
• Right-click then select Place » Comment for Area.
• Right-click then select Place » Comment for Point.
• Right-click then select Place » Freehand comment.
• On the Standard toolbar (View » Toolbars » Schematic Standard), click (to begin a new comment thread for an area), (to begin new comment thread for a point) button or (to enter freehand comment mode).

Accessing the Comments Panel When Not Signed In

The panel may be accessed when not signed-in to an Altium Account or connected to a server, where it provides guidance for the next steps to enable project commenting.

The following options may be selected to connect to an Altium Account or server:

• Sign in - use this option to open the Sign in dialog, where you may sign in to your account.
• Register - use this option to open the Register for Altium 365 page, where you may register your account.
• <Workspace> - click one of the provided Workspaces to become connected. These Workspaces will only appear if you are already signed in to your Altium Account.

Display Settings

You may click the () icon to reveal the Show resolved comments option. This option, which is enabled by default, ensures that comments marked as resolve still appear in the panel. Resolved comments will appear dimmed to distinguish their standing from active comments. Disabling the Show resolved comments option removes resolved comments from the panel, though they will reappear if the option is enabled again.

Working with Comments

Adding a Comment

The above image demonstrates how to add a new comment.

Editing a Comment

To edit a placed comment, click the  in the top right corner, then the Edit button associated with the comment you want to change. 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.

The above image demonstrates how to edit a comment.

Resolving a Comment

To resolve (closeout) a comment, click in the top right order of the desired comment, then choose Resolve. Once resolved, the comment will dim and move to the bottom of the list of comments. You may resolve your comments as well as those of others.

Viewing and Reopening Resolved Comments

To view Resolved comments , click the  control at the top right of the panel. You may resurrect comments that have been resolved by clicking the Unresolve button associated with a relevant comment. The comment will be reinstated in the panel and in the design space.

Deleting a Comment

To delete a comment, click the Remove button associated with that comment. Comments may only be deleted by the user who posted the comment.

Collapsing a Comment

You can collapse a comment in the design space by clicking on the small triangle at the top-left of the text area.

Freehand Comments

When using the Freehand comment feature (Place » Freehand comment, which allows you to add comments to a document by freehand drawing), the entry for a comment on the Comments panel will contain context information as follows:

• If you draw a freehand shape around a component, the comment will be tagged with the string <UserName> commented on <ComponentDesignator>.
• If you draw a freehand shape anywhere else on the document, the comment will be tagged with the string <UserName> commented on <DocumentName>.

Right-click to finalize the drawn shape and access its related text box in the Active Comments section.

Controlling Display of Comments in the Design Space

The display and appearance of comments are controlled from the Document Comments region on the Data Management - Servers page of the Preferences dialog. Controls are provided independently for comments displayed on schematic and PCB. To turn off the display of comments in the design space, relying on just the Comments panel, disable the respective Show Comment Threads option. For information regarding the other controls that relate to the look and feel of comments and reference lines, refer to the documentation page here.

Tips

• When a comment is added, it is seen instantly by all other users that have the same Managed 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.
• The active/selected comment on the Comments panel is highlighted. In the design space, the area/point/component that is the focus of the active/selected comment is zoomed and centered in the main design window (where applicable). For a point, area or component type comment, its associated reference line is also displayed.
• The active/selected comment on the Comments panel is highlighted. In the design space, the active/selected comment is distinguished by a dashed reference line.
• You can move a comment around in the design space, only in terms of the area in which the text is displayed. The initial defined point or area cannot be modified. The reference line extends from that point/area to the text area.