Altium Designer, in conjunction with the Enterprise Server Workspace, brings support for an advanced project construct that targets 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 Workspace 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.
-
Advantages 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.
-
Ability to share the project with multiple people for editing, or for viewing and commenting only.
-
Full functionality when using the Project History feature, including VCS-related commit events.
Technically, a project is the combination of meta information stored on the Workspace along with tight integration with the Workspace's own Version Control service. The typical workflow is as follows:
-
You create a new project (via the Create Project dialog in Altium Designer, from the Workspace browser interface, or by making an existing local project available in the Workspace (from within Altium Designer)). During creation, you define the project's name and description.
-
In the Workspace browser interface, or directly within Altium Designer, access to the project is defined and managed.
-
All collaborators select the project for opening (from within Altium Designer) after which it is automatically checked out.
A major advantage of Workspace projects is that they are version controlled by default, and can be collaboratively worked upon without having to worry about shared drives, servers, agreements, etc.
This document takes a look at working with projects through the Enterprise Server Workspace's browser interface. For information on working with projects in your design software, see Getting Familiar with the Altium Design Environment.
Creating a New Project
A project can be created directly from the Projects page of the Workspace 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, then choose the Project entry in the menu's Create group to open the Create Project window.
Creating a new project through the Workspace browser interface.
The Create Project window will initially present in a simplified view, with the following fields:
The project name should start with, and can contain A-Z, a-z, or 0-9. Underscores, dashes, and spaces are allowed, but the latter can only be used within the middle of the name (leading and trailing spaces will be ignored). You can not use the following words: AUX, COM1-COM9, LPT1-LPT9, CON, NUL, and PRN. In addition, the name cannot contain the following characters: \ . / ? % * : | " < >.
-
Template – choose a project template if available – the associated drop-down field will list all 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, specify the type of project to be created (using the PCB Project, Multiboard, or Harness entries available from the list).
-
Description – enter an optional description for the project.
To access more controls, click the 
button. The following field will present:
-
Parent Folder – use this field to specify where the project is to be created within the Workspace's folder structure. This will be the currently open folder, or otherwise (by default) Projects. Note that the default folder path for new projects is specified on the Admin – Settings – Projects page of the Workspace browser interface. In the Create Project window, click the Change link at the right of the field to access the server folder structure for the Workspace, from which to select an alternate folder to store the project (
).
Note that if a writable folder is not selected in the Parent Folder field when the process is executed, then a Personal Folder structure will be created automatically for project storage. This is a private top-level folder named as your email address, with a My Projects subfolder. Examples of its creation and usage are:
-
The default folder for new projects (typically Projects) is not available to you or is read-only (not writable). In this case, the created/uploaded project will be stored in the personal My Projects folder (
).
-
The Parent Folder target setting is other than the default, but you have only view access to this folder (it is not writable). In this case, the project creation is blocked, and the My Projects folder is not added to (
).
See Project Creation Without Folder Write Access for more information.
After defining the new project as required, click 
. 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 browser interface.
The project will initially be shared for editing access with the designer who created it (the Author/Owner) and Workspace Administrators. Its additional access permissions will depend on the Default permissions for new projects setting in the Admin – Settings – Projects page view:
-
If this option is not enabled (the default condition) then the new project will inherit the sharing permissions of the ‘parent’ folder in which it is created and also include write (Edit) access for the Owner of that folder.
-
If this option is enabled, then the project will adopt the sharing permissions specified by that option rather than inheriting its parent folder permissions.
See Managing Project Creation Permissions for more information.
For more information on configuring project access permissions, see Sharing a Project below.
Upload an Existing Local Project
You can also upload an existing design project to the Workspace. To do so:
-
Click the button above the project list, then choose the Project entry in the menu's Upload group. Navigate to and select a project ZIP archive and click Open to invoke the upload.
-
The Upload Project window now appears. By default, the Project Name will be that of the existing project – change if required and add a suitable description. The Parent Folder will be set to the folder that was currently active when the upload process was started. Click the Change link at the right of the field to access the server folder structure for the Workspace, from which to select an alternate folder in which to store the project. You can organize projects into a hierarchy of sub-folders should you wish. For more information, see the section Creating a Hierarchy of Project Folders. With settings defined as required, click the 
button.
-
The upload will proceed, after which time an entry for the project will be added to the summary-level project list.
Any existing version control links in the local project are ignored, and the uploaded project becomes a fully managed, version-controlled, Workspace-based project. The local source project is not altered in any way.
As with a newly created project, an uploaded project is shared with editing access for the Owner (uploader) and Administrators. Any additional sharing access is determined by its parent folder permission set, or if enabled, the Default permissions for new projects settings.
Important Considerations
A project upload will include:
-
design files that have been added to the project, as registered in the project file (
PrjPcb).
-
all other files in the specified project folder.
A project upload will not include:
-
files in sub-folders of the specified project folder, unless they are included in the project (registered in the project file).
-
any files that have been added/linked to the project that are located outside of the specified folder.
-
any files in the Project Outputs for <project> folder, such as generated Gerber Fabrication outputs for example.
Recommendations:
-
Ensure that the source project folder contains one project file (PrjPcb) only. If multiple project files are uploaded to the Workspace repository, the Web Viewer may not show the correct design documents.
-
Avoid storing large additional files in the project folder, such as MCAD data, or archive files. Store these in a sub-folder so they will not unnecessarily be uploaded and processed.
-
Do not include files in your project that are stored outside the project folder, since as mentioned above, they will not be uploaded to the Workspace repository.
-
Use the Workspace History View to see a listing of the files that have been included in a newly uploaded Workspace project.
-
The best way to access the project's design and manufacturing files in your Workspace is to Make the Project Available Online from Altium Designer and then Release the Project. The resulting Workspace Release Package provides view access to the full set of design/manufacturing documents.
Uploading a Gerber or ODB++ Fileset
The Workspace also accepts sets of generated Gerber/ODB++ manufacturing files in archive format, which can be uploaded through the Manufacturing Files options available from the button menu. The upload process is essentially the same as the Project upload process outlined above.
Click on the Gerber/ODB++ project name or use the associated menu's Open option to load the fileset in the Workspace's dedicated viewer. This provides a composite view of all included files/layers, allows layers to be hidden or viewed exclusively, offers a point-to-point measurement feature, and accepts placed comments.
Creating a Hierarchy of Project Folders
Related information: Managing Content Structure & Access
The Workspace also provides the ability to create and manage project folders within the server's structure. Projects may then be created in, or moved to, any folder in the resulting folder hierarchy.
To create a new folder under the (default) top-level Project folder, click the 
button above the project list, then choose the Folder entry under the menu's Create group. In the Create Folder window that appears specify the name of the new folder, its parent folder, and an optional description. A new folder is always created under the currently selected folder, which becomes its parent folder. The new folder's permissions are inherited from its parent folder, which will include write access for the 'owner' of that folder if different to the current user.
If you already have a defined hierarchy of project folders, click the Change link at the right of the Parent Folder field to access the server folder structure for the Workspace, from which to select an alternate parent folder in which to create the new folder.
With attributes defined as required, click 
. The new folder (sub-folder) will be created and you will be taken to it.
Continue creating further folders as required, effectively building a hierarchy of folders in which to store and categorize your design projects. Those folders will then be available to choose from as the parent folder when creating a subsequent folder, as illustrated in the following image.
Example of a defined hierarchy of project folders.
Navigating the Folder Hierarchy
On entering the Projects page in its default graphical view, you will be presented with the project content of the default top-level Projects folder. All child project folders one level below will also be shown, across the top of the page. Depending on the length of folder naming, you may need to hover the cursor over a folder entry to pop the full name as a hover tip. In this respect, it may be easier to switch to the list view (click 
) to see the secondary level of folders available. Selecting a folder will present information for it in the right-hand pane.
To select a folder in graphical view click on its tile, away from its name.
Access a folder by clicking on its name (graphical view) or double-clicking on its entry (list view). Use the breadcrumbs at the top of the view to quickly jump back up the folder hierarchy.
You can also quickly jump back to the top-level Projects folder by clicking the Projects entry within the left-hand navigation tree.
Sharing a Folder
To modify the sharing permissions for an existing project folder, select its entry on the Projects page and then the Share entry from its associated 
control, or click the upper 
button. The Share Item window allows you to add folder access for specified users or groups (Share Item With entries), and view and modify the folder’s existing share permissions (under Share With) – the inherent Owner and Administrator rights cannot be changed.
Access to folder sharing permissions is available only to Administrators and the folder Owner.
The root Projects folder sharing permissions can be modified only by an Administrator through the Explorer page.
The Share Item window allows for additions and modifications of the share permissions that apply to the selected folder.
Note that some levels of user access (View, Edit, or No access) may be unavailable for selection in a Shared With entry. This is because a change in access level would otherwise contradict (demote) the permission set inherited from its parent folder – by default, Edit rights for all users. The folder’s permissions can be disconnected from those of its parent folder, thus disabling the permission inheritance and enabling all access level options, by disabling the Inherit parent folder permissions option under the Share Item window’s Advance Settings.
See the Managing Content Structure & Access page for more detailed information.
Editing a Folder
To edit the properties of an existing project folder select its entry on the Projects page, click the 
control above the listing of projects/folders, and choose the Edit entry on the associated menu.
The editing command is also available in the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required folder and then the Edit command from the 
icon's context menu. When the Projects page is in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required folder and choose the Edit command from the associated menu.
The root Projects folder cannot be modified.
In the following Edit Folder window you can change the folder's Name and Description. Click the 
button to confirm any changes you have made.
You can edit the Name and Description for a project folder at any stage.
Moving a Folder within the Hierarchy
To move (relocate) a folder under a different parent folder within the hierarchy, select its entry on the Projects page, click the control above the listing of projects/folders, and choose the Move entry on the associated menu.
The move command is also available in the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required folder and then the Move command from the icon's context menu. When the Projects page is in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required folder and choose the Move command from the associated menu.
The root Projects folder cannot be moved.
The Move folder window will appear, in which to choose the new parent folder. Click the 
button to effect the move. The folder will be moved to be a sub-folder of the chosen new parent, along with its constituent projects.
Note that the action of moving a folder (or project/item) to a different parent folder will adhere to the Workspace's advanced permission inheritance scheme.
See the Moving Folders section in the Managing Content Structure & Access page for full information.
You can move a folder within the folder hierarchy at any stage.
Removing a Folder
To remove an existing project folder from the Workspace, select its entry on the Projects page, click the control above the listing of projects folders, and choose the Remove entry on the associated menu.
The remove command is also available in the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required folder and then the Remove command from the icon's context menu. When the Projects page is in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required folder and choose the Remove command from the associated menu.
The root Projects folder cannot be removed/deleted.
The Remove window will appear, in which to confirm the removal. To proceed with the deletion, click the 
button.
The folder will be removed from the folder hierarchy, along with its constituent projects, and you will be taken to the removed folder's parent. A project folder can be restored, or permanently deleted from the Trash page. A project removed along with the folder can be restored or permanently deleted from the Trash page, but only by the owner of that project or a Workspace Administrator.
Deleting a project folder – sending it to the isolated Trash area for the Workspace.
Browsing Projects
The projects listing on the Projects page of the Workspace browser interface includes all projects you have access to and offers a comprehensive range of project management features and controls. Use the 
button to switch the page to its list view and the 
button to switch the page to its graphical view (the default view).
The list of projects is automatically sorted by the last modified date, with the most recently modified project appearing at the top-left of the list (in the graphical view) or at the top of the list (in the list view). In the graphical view (), the 
button can be used to quickly sort the project documents by name, description, author, owner, or last modified date (
).
In the list view (), the project listing can be sorted by Name, Description, Author, Owner, or Last Modified, using the column header in each case. Click once to sort in ascending order and click again to sort in descending order. The arrows to the right of the column name will indicate the currently active sort direction. The chosen sorting method in one view is applied to both views.
Use the filter (
) drop-down menu options to constrain the listing to a specific document type, owner and/or who has access.
In the default graphical view (), the tile for a project includes the name of the project and the last modified date. A project tile auto-populates with the top-down 3D view of the project's PCB, where a PCB is available.
Selected project and Managed BOM tiles in the page graphical view.
In the list view (), each project entry includes the following information:
-
Name – the name of the project.
-
Description – the description entered or generated for the project.
-
Author – the user who created the project.
-
Owner – the Author, unless the project has been transferred to a new owner. See Transferring Project Ownership for related information.
-
Last Modified – the date and time when the project was last modified.
For both project views (graphical and list), 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 window, with all the controls necessary to share the project with other users.
(More) – click to access further options:
-
Open – click to open the detailed management page for the project. This will open on a separate tab of the browser.
-
Share – click to access the Share window, with all the controls necessary to share the project with other users.
-
Move – click to access the Move Project window. From here, you can choose an alternate parent folder in which to move the project, from all folders available in the folder hierarchy.
-
Edit – click to access the Edit Project window. From here, you can change the project's Name, Description and server Parameters. The Parent Folder field is non-editable, providing information only. To change the parent folder, you need to use the Move command.
-
Clone – choose this command to access the Clone Project 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 the reception of notifications for events relating to that project.
-
Remove – choose this command to remove the project. The Remove window will appear in which to confirm the deletion. The action is a 'soft delete', whereby the project (including its Revisions and Releases) will be moved into the Trash area of the Workspace.
Also included is a project Search feature that allows you to search for projects across all project folders. You can search by Workspace parameters names and values – this enables you to craft custom project parameters for optimal searching (e.g., customer name, project number). 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.
When searching by project parameter, you can either search by parameter name, or a specific value (of a parameter that exists). In the case of parameter name, if the name has no spaces, enter the string <ParameterName> = into the search field. If the name includes spaces, enter the string as "<ParameterName>" =. Typically, it will be a parameter value that is used, such as the name of a customer (in a parameter such as Customer, Customer Name, etc.). However, a parameter could be used as a 'tag', and hence the ability to search for any project that has that particular parameter.
Example use of the search feature, in this case finding a project based on the value of a project parameter (Customer Name).
-
To quickly present a full listing of projects, across all project folders, enter * into the search field.
-
To clear search filtering either click on the main Projects page entry in the left-hand navigation pane, or clear the search field (x).
Properties Pane
If not already showing, click Properties at the top of the right-hand pane to access the Properties pane. This pane shows 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. The uppermost region of the pane presents the 3D view of the board (where a PCB is available for the project), along with general high-level information, including the project's name, description, owner, when it was created and last modified and also a link to the project's parent folder.
Additional properties are arranged under the following expandable headings (with example imagery to illustrate):
-
Child Projects (Multi-board projects only) – the list of sub-project PCBs included in, and linked to, a Multi-board project. Click on a sub-project link to open that PCB project in the Web Viewer as normal.
-
Who Has Access – a summary of the Workspace Groups and Members that have access to the project. Hover over the icons to see details of the represented share access, which is also summarized in the text below.
Use the Manage Access command to directly open the project’s Share dialog. See Sharing a Project below.
-
Reports – the Electrical and Design Rule checks (ERC and DRC) that have been generated for the currently selected project, including the number of errors/violations in each report. Select an ERC or DRC entry to access and inspect the report details within the project. See DRC and ERC Reports in the Web Viewer.
-
Parameters – a comprehensive collection of detailed data extracted or computed from the project design itself. Click the Show control to expand the full list, click Hide to contract again.
-
Where Used – a list of associated projects, such as Multi-board projects, that make use of the project as a child entity. Click on a listed Where Used project link to open that parent project.
-
Releases – a list of the Releases for the project. Multiple releases are shown in sequential order, with the most recent at the top. Click on an entry to open that release, which will be presented on a separate tab through a Manufacturing Portal. From this portal you can view and navigate the released file data, inspect the BOM, and view and comment on the snapshot of the design itself; the source for that released data. You'll also have access to controls for downloading manufacturing data at various levels of granularity (from full data set(s) to individual generated output file(s)). A chosen release can also be sent – as a Manufacturing Package – directly to your manufacturer.
Activity Pane
If not already showing, click Activity at the top of the right-hand pane to access the Activity pane. This pane shows activity information for the currently selected project. Each message highlights an event that 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.
Click on the entry for the project in any of the event messages to access the detailed management page for the project.
Sharing a Project
Once a project is available in the Workspace, you will want to determine which users can actually access that project. This is done by sharing the project rather than by configuring its access permissions as such.
Sharing Defaults
A 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 editing access.
-
The Administrators group: with full editing access.
-
Other Users or Groups as determined by the permissions inherited from the project’s parent folder – the folder in which it was created – or as a fixed set of default permissions specified by the Workspace Administrator.
The default location for newly created projects is defined/changed on the Admin – Settings – Projects page of the Workspace interface. Select and edit the Default path for new projects field to specify a different default location. New projects will be stored in this location, or in any other folder the user currently has open – provided they have Write access to that folder.
If the Projects folder (or an alternative default folder) is not writable for a user (View only) then a project they create in this location will be stored in a My Projects folder within a top folder based on the user’s email address – their Personal Folder structure (
). For folders other than the default location, a user with only View access will be blocked from creating a project.
See Project Creation Without Folder Write Access for more information
Manage the default location for new projects from the Admin area of the Workspace browser interface.
The default access permissions for newly created projects can be specified by enabling the Default permissions for new projects option on the Admin – Settings – Projects page, which will overrule the default behavior where a new project inherits its parent folder’s permissions. When enabled, this option allows the definition of an explicit set of access permissions that will apply to all newly created projects. This may be the desirable approach if all new projects are created in a single location such as the Projects folder. See Managing Project Creation Permissions for more information.
Specify a default set of access permissions for new projects from the Admin area of the Workspace browser interface.
The sharing of project folders can be configured on the Admin – Explorer page by accessing the Share Folder option from a folder entry's right-click context menu, or for Administrators or folder Owners, from the Projects page view – see Sharing a folder, above. With a newly activated Workspace, write access to the root Projects folder is available for all Workspace members – in sharing terms; Write permission for Anyone (all Workspace users can add to or edit the folder).
Sharing can be changed to specific Users or Groups, however, the recommended approach is to create a folder hierarchy below this top-level folder where sharing (and hence access) can be specifically controlled by applying custom sharing to specific folders and their constituent projects.
-
It is important to note that the Workspace features an inherited permission structure, so folder permission additions/edits will propagate down the folder hierarchy. See Sharing Folder and Items for more information.
-
You may be prevented from changing (specifically demoting) a folder’s permission that was inherited from its parent folder (
) unless that parent-child relationship is ‘disconnected’ by disabling the Inherit permissions from parent folder option under the Share window’s Advanced Settings ( 
). See related information.
The Projects folder is the Workspace's top level folder, accessible to administrators only. Create a permission-controlled folder hierarchy below this level to manage access for Workspace members.
Sharing Overview
To configure project access permissions from the Workspace browser interface, select the project’s tile on the Projects page of the interface and choose the Share command from its context menu, or click the upper button. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the associated control at the far right of the project entry and choose the Share command from the associated menu.
You can share a project with other users if you are the project Owner, a Workspace Administrator, or you have Edit and re-sharing rights for the project.
The following Share window includes all the controls necessary to share the project with other users.
With your design projects centrally managed in a 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/group has full editing access to the project when the Can Edit option is selected. Otherwise, they have View-only access.
-
The Owner and the Administrators group always have full editing access (Can Edit).
-
With the exception of the Owner and the Administrators group, permissions for all included users/groups may be individually set as Can View or Can Edit, or access rights completely removed.
-
A p roject may be explicitly shared with particular Users and/or Groups or shared with any member (or all members) of the Workspace.
Sharing with a Specific User or Group
The procedure for sharing a project in the Workspace with specified users and/or groups is as follows:
-
Add the required user/group name(s) to the Share Project With field in the Share window. To add an entry, begin typing the desired name/group in the field so the matching user/group can be selected from the dynamic list – which will only contain filtered members of your Workspace and existing groups defined for the Workspace. Multiple users/groups can be chosen. To remove an entered user/group, click the 
control associated with the entry.
-
Set the sharing access permissions for the added users/groups from the associated drop-down menu by selecting Can View or Can Edit, where the latter option inherently includes viewing capability. The setting initially applies to all entries (user/groups) 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 present the users/groups with whom the project is currently (and specifically) shared, which by default includes the Owner and the Administrators group.
With the exception of the Owner and the Administrators group, permissions for all included users/groups may be individually set as Can View, Can Edit, Owner, or access rights completely removed. Click on the current permission state to access controls.
See Transferring Project Ownership for more information on the Make Owner option.
-
To open access to all members in the Workspace, choose a suitable permission level – either Can View (Read-only access), or Can Edit (full Read/Write access) – from the Workspace Members entry drop-down menu. When set to No access, only the Owner, Administrators and any users specifically added for sharing will have access.
Note that Workspace's permission inheritance scheme may disable some permission level options (
). This prevents permissions that were inherited from the parent folder from being demoted, which would contravene the existing parent-child inheritance relationship. To intentionally break the parent-child inheritance, disable the Inherit parent folder permissions option in the Share window's Advanced Settings.
-
The Share window’s Advanced Settings include options that allow you to control who can re-share or download projects that are shared with them. The settings provide the means to specify if those granted editing rights (Can Edit) are able to share the project, and if those with read-only rights (Can View) are able to download the project.
In practice, this allows you to restrict further sharing (
). And for users with view-only access, you can control whether they can download native data (the project itself) and derived data (for example, generated Gerbers or PDFs – 
). They can still view data in the Web UI and provide comments.
-
If a person with view-only access rights is not permitted to download, then they can only view the project through the Web UI. They can not view the project through Altium Designer, since the project would otherwise need to be downloaded first to do so.
-
Note that Editors can always download a project and Viewers can never share a project.
-
Click the 
button to confirm the updated sharing permissions for the project. The user(s) will be added to the access list for the project. They can open the project in Altium Designer (if permitted to do so) and access it through the Workspace browser-based interface (from the Projects page).
Within Altium Designer, access the project using the File » Open Project command and the associated Open Project dialog.
Sharing by Direct Link
You can also share a direct link to the project. The link is obtained by clicking the 
control, at the bottom of the Sharing window. The link provides access based on the project's current sharing permissions. User access is determined by the Workspace Members entry permission settings (No access, Can View, Can Edit) or by the permissions applied to an explicit Share Project With entry for their name (or a Group they are a member of).
Obtain a direct link to the project, the use of which is governed by the existing sharing permissions in the Sharing window.
The link is copied to the clipboard. When used, it provides the applicable user – where permitted – direct access to the detailed management page for the project, an overview of which is presented in the next section.
Sharing a Multi-board Project
A multi-board project is a special project type that encompasses multiple PCB design projects to create a complete functional system. The sub-projects are linked to the parent multi-board project so their data can be sourced to establish the electrical and physical connectivity of the overall system.
See Multi-board Design for more information on working with multi-board projects.
The links between the multi-board and its associated sub-projects are saved as relative paths within the multi-board project itself (*.PrjMbd), so these must remain valid when the projects are saved to the Workspace VCS from the design client (Project » Make Project Available on Server). In practice, this means ensuring that all the projects are saved to the Workspace and are located in the correct folder structure. In most cases though, all projects involved in a multi-board system are likely to be in the same folder.
When it comes to sharing a multi-board project the same considerations apply. Both the parent multi-board project and its associated sub-projects should be shared with the same View/Edit permissions to the same Workspace members. Users who then open the multi-board project for the first time in their design client must also open the associated sub-projects – again ensuring that the relative folder structure is locally correct.
Transferring Project Ownership
Along with Workspace Administrators, the Owner of a project – by default the user who created/added the project – has full project editing rights, while other members with shared access to the project have Edit/View permissions as specified in the project Share window.
The Share window indicates the current project Owner and provides the option to transfer ownership to another Workspace member.
A project's Owner status and its inherent editing rights can be transferred from one Workspace member to another through the project Share window, allowing the new owner to take full control over that project. This option is available to Administrators and the current project owner, and the transfer can target other Workspace members only (but not member Groups such as Engineers or Administrators).
A Workspace member must already have shared access to a project to receive its ownership status and permission set. The member's current View/Edit permission setting for the project can then be changed to Owner through the permissions drop-down menu in the Share window (Make Owner). Confirm the ownership transfer with the window's button and then the following warning window (
).
Transfer project ownership to a different Workspace member with the Make Owner option from the permissions drop-down menu.
If the server's Email Notifications are enabled, the new project Owner will receive an ownership transfer notification email.
-
Once the ownership has been transferred, the previous owner will be assigned Editing rights for the project. If necessary, the previous owner's access permissions can then be changed by the new owner or an Administrator.
-
Transfer of ownership is automatically invoked if the Owner is removed as a member of the Workspace. When an Administrator removes a member through the Users page, the removal process will request the nomination of a new Owner for any Projects and Items owned by the existing owner. Once confirmed and the transfer completed, the new owner will receive a related ownership transfer notification email (if enabled).
-
Project ownership also can be transferred to another Workspace member through Altium Designer's Share dialog – see Sharing a Design - Transferring Project Ownership for more information.
-
Workspace Folder ownership can be transferred to another Workspace member through Altium Designer's Transfer Ownership dialog – see Controlling Access to Workspace Content - Transferring Workspace Content Ownership for more information. Folder-level sharing and change of ownership also is available through the Workspace Projects page.
Workspace Project Activities
The Workspace offers the unique capability of applying configurable Process Workflows to Workspace projects in order to perform tailored tasks such as performing design reviews and creating new projects. Processes and their underlying Workflows are created and configured by a Workspace administrator, and when enabled, become available to users of both Altium Designer and the Workspace browser interface.
See Creating & Managing Processes for more information.
See Performing Design Reviews for information on these processes in Altium Designer.
From a user perspective, Process Workflows and their inherent steps are considered as Activities. Available activities can be invoked by users, and their workflow steps completed by assigned users as a sequence of tasks – available through the Tasks page.
Select the 
menu on the Designs page (Projects) and choose from the available Processes to initiate an activity for the currently selected project. Complete the required fields and options in the following process form windows, and then start the process (
). Depending on the Process Workflow that has been invoked, a following step may need to be submitted (
) to prepare the data for review.
Workflow Tasks are then created for the user, or users, assigned to the activity. A task that applies to a signed in user will appear in the Tasks page, where it can be acted upon to progress the Workflow to its next stage.
Note that if an activity has been assigned to a group – Engineers for example – a related Task becomes available to all members of that group, and also any individual users that have been assigned to the Activity. In such cases, any of these users can complete the review step and submit the result (
).
Along with the ability to assign Users and Groups to an activity during its preparation, specific assignments also may be added into the Process Workflow configuration itself, resulting in an activity that is inherently assigned to specific users/groups prior to its preparation. For example, the Engineers group could preset as an assignment within the AdHoc_Review workflow.
See Defining a Process Workflow for more information.
Accessing the Detailed Management Page for the Project
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 graphical view 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. Alternatively, click on the project's name within the tile. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required project and choose the Open command from the associated menu.
The detailed management page for that project opens in a new browser tab incorporating the CAD-centric interface, which offers a number of view options:
-
Design – display and navigate source project design documents, view design object properties and place review comments. The view uses the Web Viewer interface to present your design across distinct data sub-views. 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.
-
Simulation – allows you to upload (drag & drop) circuit simulation results files that will be associated with the current project or project Release. The files are effectively attached to the project, which allows members of the Workspace to inspect and/or download simulation results documents that relate to the currently open project. See Management of a Specific Project – Simulation for more information.
-
Tasks – view and interact with a flow-type interface that presents all Tasks (activity jobs) that apply to the currently project.
-
Releases – view summary information on all Releases for the current project, each of which can be opened in the Manufacturing Portal view. This in turn provides sub-views for the release package files, design documents and supply data in that selected release.
-
Activities – view active or closed Process workflow Activities that apply to the current project.
-
History – browse a progressive timeline of major events relating to the project, including its creation, commits, releases, and clones. Each time a supported event happens in association with the project, that event is added to the timeline as a dedicated tile with various actions (such as design data comparisons) supported where applicable.
-
Assembly – provides access to a visual board assembly tool based on an interaction between BOM entries and their graphical counterparts. An audited step-through process can be invoked that helps you move through the steps of physically assembling a PCB board.
The detailed management page for the project can also be accessed from within Altium Designer. For the active 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.
See Management of a Specific Project for more information.
Moving a Project
To move (relocate) a project under a different parent folder within the folder hierarchy select its entry on the Projects page, click the control above the listing of projects/folders, and choose the Move entry on the associated menu.
Also available in the graphical view of the Projects page by selecting the tile for the required project, then clicking the control and choosing the Move command from the context menu. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required project and choose the Move command from the associated menu.
The Move project window will appear, in which to choose the new parent folder. Click the 
button to effect the move. The project will be moved to the chosen folder and you will be taken to that folder.
Editing a Project
To edit the properties of an existing 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 Edit Project window – which opens in simplified view – you can change the project's Name and Description.
Also available in the graphical view 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. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required project and choose the Edit command from the associated menu.
You can edit the Name and Description of a project at any stage.
Click the 
button in the Project Editing window to expose additional property data derived from and stored with the project. Select the Parameters control to access and add (
), edit, or remove (
) parameter Name/Value pairs.
These Workspace-side project parameters are saved in the Workspace with the project and can only be edited within the Workspace. By contrast, design-side project parameters are saved in the project file (*.PrjPcb) and can be edited in Altium Designer. Both parameter types may be used as Special Strings in Altium Designer accessed from the Properties panel with a placed Special Strings selected in the design space. All parameters defined for the project – design-side and Workspace-side – can be viewed on the Parameters tab of the Project Options dialog (Project » Project Options).
Click the 
button to confirm any changes you have made.
Cloning a Project
To clone (make a copy of) an existing 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 Clone Project window will appear.
Also available in the graphical view 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. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required project and choose the Clone command from the associated menu.
You can clone a project to create an identical copy of it, along with its working files.
Use the Clone Project window to specify a name for the project and an optional description. By default the original project name will be used with the suffix – Copy, and a default description will be pre-filled.
Note that the cloned project name should start with, and can contain A-Z, a-z, or 0-9. Underscores, dashes, and spaces are allowed, but the latter can only be used within the middle of the name (leading and trailing spaces will be ignored). You can not use the following words: AUX, COM1-COM9, LPT1-LPT9, CON, NUL, and PRN. In addition, the name cannot contain the following characters: \ . / ? % * : | " < >. You cannot use the same name as the source project.
Click the button to access the Parent Folder field. By default, this will be set to the folder in which the source project is located. Click the Change link at the right of the field to access the Workspace folder structure, from which to select an alternate folder in which to store the cloned project. You can organize projects into a hierarchy of sub-folders should you wish. For more information, see the Creating a Hierarchy of Project Folders section.
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 (under the chosen parent folder). Since the created clone is effectively a new project, its permissions will be established in the same way as when creating (or uploading) a new project – that is, permissions are inherited from the parent folder (by default), and the user who performed the clone is the Owner. Also see Managing Project Creation Permissions for related information.
Removing a Project
Related page: Trash
To remove (delete) an existing project from the Workspace, select its entry on the Projects page, click the control above the listing of projects or the control within the project's tile, and choose the Remove entry on the associated menu. When the Projects page is presented in its list view, click the control at the far right of the entry for the required project and choose the Remove command from the associated menu.
Removal is only possible provided you are the owner of the project or a Workspace Administrator.
The following Remove <project> window will list any Items related to the project, such as associated Releases, that also will be removed. Select the Show details option to open the project's Releases view and inspect its associated releases. A simplified Remove window is presented when the project has no associated releases (
).
The action of removing a Workspace project is actually a 'soft delete', whereby the project and any associated Items will be moved into the Trash area of the Workspace. Confirm the removal process with the Remove <project> window's button.
When the removal is complete, the project entry will be removed from the main listing of projects. In Altium Designer, your local working copy is not affected by this action, but you will no longer be able to save changes to the Workspace. You can close and reopen the local working copy to access a range of suggested actions, since the local project now references a VCS repository that no longer exists.
All projects removed in this manner can be found on the Trash page of the interface. Note that you can only view projects (and any other items for that matter) that you have personally soft deleted. Administrators will be able to see the full content of the Trash page – so all items that have been soft deleted.
Things to consider in relation to a soft-deleted project:
-
The project will not be available to open and browse from your design software, or from within the Web interface.
-
When browsing any items that have been used in a project, the Where Used entry for the project will reflect that the project has been removed.
-
A project can be restored or permanently deleted from the Trash page, only by the owner of that project or a Workspace Administrator.
Note that if you have soft deleted a project – moving it to the Trash – you can create a new project with that same name again. If you were to subsequently restore the project and the original name is taken, an integer suffix will be used to keep its name unique within the Workspace.
