Published on Online Documentation for Altium Products (https://www.altium.com/documentation)

Exploring the Browser-based Interface of an Altium 365 Workspace

Created: January 24, 2018 | Updated: November 18, 2024
 

Parent page: Altium 365 Workspace

In addition to connecting to a Workspace through Altium Designer – interfacing to it through the Explorer panel and Components panel (for direct interaction with the components therein) – you also connect to it through a dedicated browser interface, with access to management interfaces for the various services available as part of the Workspace. Indeed, with some of these services your only interaction with them is through this browser interface.

Accessing the Interface

The browser-based interface to a Workspace is actually presented as a constituent part within the overall Altium 365 Platform Interface. Access to this interface can be performed in a number of ways. Refer to the section Signing in to the Interface, on the Altium 365 Platform Interface page for more details.

The quickest way to access the interface is by using the direct URL: https://365.altium.com.

What's Provided?

Within the Altium 365 Platform Interface, the area for the active Workspace provides a number of key technologies and services and can be coarsely divided into two groupings, as shown in the following image and listed thereafter.

The Altium 365 Platform Interface showing the active Workspace.The Altium 365 Platform Interface showing the active Workspace.

In the above image:

  1. Interface elements that can be accessed by any Workspace user. To access a page, click on its name within the left-hand navigation tree.
  2. Interface elements that can only be accessed by a Workspace Administrator. A user is bestowed administrative powers by membership to the group Administrators. To access a page, choose the required entry within the Admin section of the left-hand navigation tree.
If you have access to multiple Workspaces, switch between them using the menu associated to the entry at the far right of the banner area, at the top of the interface (which shows your name and a picture). This menu also provides access to your own Personal Space (click My Personal Space), from where you can upload snapshots of designs in various supported formats, and manufacturing data (Gerber), which you can then share persistently with others as you wish.

General Access Interface Elements

The following sections summarize the elements of the Workspace's browser interface that can be accessed by all users of the Workspace – both administrators and standard users.

Help and Resources

As a new Workspace member you are invited to nominate a working role that best fits your needs, which once selected, will open the current Altium 365 Getting Started guide within the browser interface.

Javascript ID: Started

Click a Role type tile that best suits the way you work within the design and management process.

Use the Getting Started guide's left-hand navigation tree to select the topics that interest you. Note that your nominated role can be changed using the drop-down menu at the top of the page.

Projects

Related pages: Workspace Projects, Management of a Specific Project, Altium Designer Environment

This page provides the interface to the Projects service, to create and manage projects in a central location, in a CAD-centric way, and share those projects for team collaboration as required. The page lists all projects for the Workspace. Workspace-based projects target the development stage of the project lifecycle, simplifying the creation and ongoing workflow for version controlled projects. From here you can create new projects and open and manage existing ones. From this interface a project can also be shared, or rather its access permissions configured.

The 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. Version control is handled courtesy of the Workspace's built-in GIT version control service. All projects are stored in a single Design Repository within a Workspace, named Versioned Storage (a Git repository). If your project is under external version control, you can migrate it to be a fully managed project in the Workspace that hosts the design files in the server's own Git repository (effectively switching to the Workspace's native VCS). For detailed information on how to do this, see Moving from External VCS to Workspace Native VCS.
You can also keep your project unmanaged (a regular, or VCS-based project), but make a synchronized copy of it available online – sending it to your Workspace. Referred to as Simple Sync, this enables you to take advantage of the collaborative benefits offered through Altium 365.

Centralized management of your design projects – all part of your Workspace.Centralized management of your design projects – all part of your Workspace.

Altium Designer projects can be uploaded directly from your PC into the Workspace with the Upload Project option available from the button menu. In the following browser window, specify a folder containing the project files to upload.

A project created through this interface, or through Altium Designer, will initially be available to the designer who created it (the Owner), all Administrators for the Workspace, and the Users/Groups who have access to the project’s parent folder.

You can also access a detailed, 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 (or click on its name). The detailed management page for that project opens in a new browser tab incorporating the CAD-centric interface, which offers Design, Simulation, Releases, History, and Assembly view options:

  • Design – display and navigate source project design documents, view design object properties and place review comments. This view uses the Web Viewer interface to present your design across five distinct data sub-views, to show the source schematic(s), board in 2D, board in 3D, Draftsman document and Bill of Materials respectively. 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.

You'll be able to search, select, cross-probe, and inspect components and nets throughout the design and across the various sub-views as applicable. And when viewing the board in 2D, you can even take measurements.

  • Simulation – allows you to upload 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.

  • Releases – view the releases for the project. Access is provided for opening the full release data, or a specific assembly package, 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. From either the Releases view, or through the Manufacturing Portal for a specific release, you'll have access to controls for downloading manufacturing data at various levels of granularity (from full data set(s) to individual generated output files). A chosen release can also be sent – as a Manufacturing Package – directly to your manufacturer. You even have the ability to compare Gerber data between releases or against a locally-generated file set, and compare Schematic data or BOM data between releases.
The Altium 365 platform provides a dedicated Manufacturing Package Viewer – an element of the platform's Global Sharing support – which allows others to view a manufacturing package from any browser – anywhere in the world – but outside of your Workspace, so that your designs themselves and other valuable IP are kept off limits. For more information, see Global Sharing and Manufacturing Package Viewer.

  • History – browse a progressive timeline of major events relating to the project, including its creation, commits, releases, clones and MCAD exchanges. 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 supported where applicable. For release events, you also have the ability to compare BOM data between releases and compare Gerber data between releases or against a locally generated file set. Detailed Schematic comparisons are available between commits and/or releases.

  • Assembly – work with the interactive Assembly tool to check and progress through the board assembly process. The tool brings together the project's detailed BOM data and its 2D/3D assembly view to present an interface that provides the required set of graphical and component part information for stepping through the assembly process. See the Assembly App page for more information.

Components

Main page: Workspace Components

This page gives you convenient access for browsing all of the components that are currently stored within your Workspace. Not only can you quickly see which (and how many) components you currently have at your disposal (and gain detailed information about each and every component), but you can also view a summary of the health of those components. Delving deeper, you have access to view more detailed information regarding component health, through a dedicated Library Health dashboard. This provides greater detail on issues, and enables you to quickly assess and fix components accordingly.

The Library Health dashboard feature is currently in Beta.

The page is comprised of three regions, as shown in the following image and listed thereafter.

Browse the components currently available within your Workspace from the Components page of the browser interface. The Library Health region provides a summary of the components and their health.Browse the components currently available within your Workspace from the Components page of the browser interface. The Library Health region provides a summary of the components and their health.

The Components page, as indicated in the above image, is comprised of three regions:

  1. Library Health – this region of the page provides a summary of the health of your components since last running a health check. Access is provided to the detailed Library Health dashboard page, from where you can run health checks and inspect component health issues in greater detail.
The summary becomes populated once an initial component health check is performed. This is performed automatically the first time the Components page is accessed.
  1. Components – when the page is first accessed this region presents a tiled array of the various component types, along with the total number of existing components of each type. From here you are able to drill down to see individual components and get detailed information about them.
  2. Supply Chain Data Sources – this region of the page lists the supply chain data sources that are used. By default, your data source is Octopart. If you have a higher level of Altium software access, you also benefit from IHS Markit Parts Intelligence (and others) and the ability to connect to your own internal company parts database. For more information on these sources, see altium.com/part-data-sources.

Access to IHS Markit Parts Intelligence is fully automated. There's no setup, enablement, or configuration involved – just enhanced data through a monthly sync with the IHS Markit® Parts database. This data includes manufacturer lifecycles, part alternates, component parameters (technical) and datasheets.

For many organizations, component supplier data is (and must be) sourced from an internal company enterprise system that provides a proprietary set of parts supplier data – which might be based on a tightly approved range of vendors and/or special pricing structures. This situation is catered for by the alternative Altium Custom Parts Provider, which when configured for synchronization through Altium Designer, allows the supplier data from a specified database source to be mapped to the Workspace supply chain data. This functionality requires Altium Designer 20.2 or later. For more details, see Supply Chain Database to Workspace Data Synchronization.

When browsing a specific component, you can also delete that component (provided you have editing rights). The action is actually a 'soft delete', whereby the component will be moved into the Trash area of the Workspace. You can also opt to delete the component's related items (e.g. symbol, footprint model(s), simulation model, datasheet). Note that these can only be deleted if they are not being used elsewhere (by one or more other components). A component can be restored or permanently deleted from the Trash page. Permanent deletion is only possible provided it is not being used on a managed schematic sheet, or within a design.

Parts in Use

Related information: BOM Portal, Workspace Components

This page provides an aggregated overview of all manufacturer parts that are currently used in Workspace Projects and Managed BOMs. The listing is populated with key parameter columns (including SiliconExpert parameters if available) for each manufacturer part item, and includes active Used In links to the referenced BOM documents. The Parts in Use page allows you to quickly view all manufacturer part references that are applied in design BOMs while checking for active issues such as inappropriate Lifecycles, lack of standards compliance, or an extended manufacturing lead time. Note that the current report view can be saved as a CSV file using the download function ().

All Workspace Project and Managed BOM sources are included in the listing by default as indicated by the view options menu above the list (All Parts). Select this menu to choose other available views, or the Create View option to select a new set of BOM data sources in the Select BOMs to Include in the View dialog window.

Javascript ID: PView

Use the Create View option from the upper view options drop-down menu to make a new view configuration based on specifically selected BOM data sources.

The following Select BOMs to include in View window presents an expandable list of all available Project and Managed BOM part sources.

Optional: Open the window's side Properties pane () to see more information on the currently selected BOM data source.

Expand the list hierarchy to view and select the desired BOM data sources, which include Design Project Variants and Release files, and Managed BOMs and their Releases. Confirm the selections with the button.

The newly created View will include only those parts from the selected BOM sources – note the revised BOM/Parts count in the lower margin. Select the Settings option from the menu to rename the view.

Along with the option to rename the current view (Name), the Settings window allows the removal of a current BOM data source () and the option to add more sources through the Select BOMs to include in View window opened from the Manage option.

The new view name is updated in the upper menu. Note that Used in data column is now populated only with one or more of the BOM sources you have specified.

Use the view Name drop-down menu to change between viewing all available BOM parts and those filtered by custom views. Note that the current BOM view can be removed to Trash with the menu’s Remove option.

The listing's Used In column includes the associated BOM source name(s) where the part is currently used. This includes usage in Design Projects or Managed BOMs, or any of their Releases:

  • Where the part is used in a single BOM entity, hover over its name to view the related part designators. Click the entry to open the source in a new browser tab.

  • Where the part is used in multiple BOM entities, click the entry to view all the BOM sources with their related designators. Click on a source name to open it in a new browser tab.

Further insight into the current parts usage is provided by the Analytics summary information. This feature, opened from the listing’s icon, populates the upper page area with bar-graph indicators representing key parametric measurement data for the current Parts in Use view. The analytics data will dynamically change as different custom views, with different BOM content configurations, are selected.

The Analytics bar-graphs also interact with the Parts in Use list by filtering its content. Click on a bar to restrict the BOM list to entries that match that parametric data, click again to disable that filter, and/or use the Reset Filters option to restore the view – note that multiple filters can be applied (in an AND relationship).

Javascript ID: Anl

The Parts in Use interface offers a range of features for locating the information you need for assessing and auditing parts usage. These include column ordering, keyword searches and advanced column filters. When used in combination, the features offer a high degree of control over which entries are included in the Parts in Use report and how they are presented:

  • List order - Order the Parts in Use list entries by a specific set of parametric data by toggling the arrow option in that data column’s header. Click a header’s icon to reorder the parts list in ascending order by that dataset, click again for the descending data order, and click once more to remove the list order defined by that column data.

Javascript ID: Sort

  • Search – Limit the parts list entries to those that include keywords entered in the Search field, which is opened (and closed) with the icon. The search is case-insensitive, includes all part parameter columns (except Used in), and highlights the found search terms in the listed results.

  • Filters – Constrain the parts list to entries to those that satisfy specific parameter data requirements set by column Filters. A Filter is configured in a column header’s drop-down menu by checking one or more of the available parameter values, or for numeric parameters, by setting a From/To number range. Use the All option to toggle all checkboxes on/off, the Blank option (if available) to disable/enable entries where a value is not included, and the Search field to locate a specific value option. Note that multiple Filters can be enabled to tightly curate the report results.

Javascript ID: Filters

Configure parameter data based filters from the related column’s menu. A filter will constrain the Parts in Use list to entries that satisfy the parameter value(s) defined in the filter's menu, along with the cumulative constraints applied by any other active filters.

The currently active filters are indicated by entries in the upper Filters list. Each filter entry can be deselected (x) or all filters removed with Reset Filters option.

Filters also may be applied to parameter datasets that are numeric rather than textural, such as Factory Lead Time, or Years To End Of Life (YTEOL) if SiliconExpert Integration is enabled for your Workspace.

With numeric parameter filters, enter the range of values that will be accepted for inclusion in the parts report entries. Note that the From and To labels also indicate the minimum and maximum values without a filter applied.

Compared to filtering by Analytics bar-graph selection, column filters offer more flexible options such as removing specific list entries by disabling individual parameter values.

Tasks

Related information: Working with Tasks, Web Viewer Commenting Window.

This page view allows you to access and manage all Tasks – job activity requests – that are currently active in the Altium 365 Workspace. Tasks are presented in a Kanban board flow style, with their progress state (ToDo, InProgress and Resolved) moving through Task rows. One row is reserved for general Tasks (those not associated with a project), and each remaining row applies to Tasks for a specific project. General Tasks are created from within the dashboard, and Project-specific Tasks are created by assigning a Workspace member to a project Comment.

The types of Tasks available in the dashboard is determined by the level of purchased Altium product access. These include:

Manage and work with collaborative job activity Tasks through the Altium 365 Workspace Tasks dashboard.Manage and work with collaborative job activity Tasks through the Altium 365 Workspace Tasks dashboard.

Although presented through a relatively simple interface, the Workspace Tasks dashboard offers a flexible and efficient way of both managing and tracking workflows within the actual design environment rather than via an external system. This page is a global view of all Tasks that are currently active in the Workspace, while the project-specific Tasks view available from the navigation tree when viewing a project represents only those Tasks associated with that project.

MCAD CoDesigner

Related page: ECAD-MCAD CoDesign

This page relates to ECAD-MCAD CoDesign functionality. MCAD CoDesigner synchronizes the PCB design between electrical and mechanical engineers. It works directly with ECAD and MCAD data via the MCAD CoDesigner panel on the Altium Designer side, and a corresponding panel plugged into your MCAD software. The latter is provided through installation (and registration to the MCAD software) of the Altium CoDesigner plugin.

The following MCAD platforms are supported when using the latest Altium CoDesigner plugins:

  • Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS®
  • Autodesk Inventor Professional®
  • PTC Creo Parametric®
  • Autodesk Fusion 360®
  • Siemens NX®

The versions of MCAD tools officially supported will depend on the version of Altium CoDesigner plugin being used. This information can be found on the New in CoDesigner page.

The MCAD CoDesigner page provides an overview of the area, along with links to the MCAD CoDesigner Plugins and further educational material. The MCAD CoDesigner page provides an overview of the area, along with links to the MCAD CoDesigner Plugins and further educational material.

The page offers the following:

  • A control to play an Overview Video.

  • Highlighting of which MCAD Software platforms are currently supported.

  • A Link to the MCAD CODESIGNER PLUGINS section on the Downloads page of the altium.com site, for access to the plugin required to add this co-design functionality to your MCAD design software installation.

  • Quick guidance on how to start collaborating from the ECAD or MCAD side – hover over the control.

  • Links to further documentation and how-to videos. The latter is to YouTube, but the videos can also be found here within the documentation.

If your MCAD platform is not currently supported, click the Let Us Know link to access a window with which to tell us. This will help us to gauge the level of interest and help to determine which MCAD platforms to consider supporting next.

Part Requests

Related page: Part Requests

Also available is an advanced Part Requests system based on Process Workflows.

This page enables you to create and manage requests for new components. An engineer can simply put in a request for one or more parts to be created and get notified when that request has either been completed, and the component(s) made available, or rejected (and why). The requestor supplies as much key information to support their request as possible (manufacturer and part number(s), description(s), any relevant datasheet (PDF or URL)). Stub Component Items can even be created that the librarian can then run with (and finish off).

Note that you'll need to specify which group (or groups) should be used to fulfill the role of Librarians for your organization. In essence, you are configuring a set of users of the Workspace that can be assigned to a part request. This is performed by an Administrator, through the Admin – Settings – Vault – Part Requests – Librarians Role page of the Workspace's browser interface. As part of the sample data installed at the time of Workspace creation, this will automatically be set to the Librarians group.

Adding a new part request through the Workspace's browser interface. Hover over the image to see the form presented to receive the details of the request.Adding a new part request through the Workspace's browser interface. Hover over the image to see the form presented to receive the details of the request.

Initially, a part request is visible to the original requestor and all members of the nominated librarian group(s). Once the request has been assigned to a particular librarian, only the requestor and that librarian will see it, and receive notifications about it.
Upon creation of a part request the requestor, members of the Librarian group and Workspace Administrators, will receive email notifications – provided the Email Notifications feature is enabled. This is performed by an Administrator, on the Email Notifications page (Admin – Settings – Email Notifications) of the Workspace's browser interface.

Workspace Members

Related page: Managing Workspace Membership

This page is used to create and manage a list of Workspace users – people who are members of the Workspace and have access to the Workspace and/or its associated technologies.

User members can be those with Altium Accounts within your own organization, or those in a different organization (in the case of the latter, inviting them in as members of a Workspace does not mean they become part of your organization). You also can invite users who do not have an Altium Account (who will need to then register for one). Users can submit a request to join your workspace, and existing users can submit a request for another user to be invited to the Workspace.

Determine which people are to have access to the Workspace from the Workspace Members page of the interface. Hover over the image to see the view for non-administrators. Determine which people are to have access to the Workspace from the Workspace Members page of the interface. Hover over the image to see the view for non-administrators.

The tab options at the top of the page allow administrators to view all users with access to the Workspace, and manage any users requesting access to the Workspace:

  • Members – all users with member access to the Workspace based on their applied group membership and applied access permissions. This is the default view and the only option available to those not in the Administrator group.
  • Guests – users who are external to the organization Workspace (non-members) that have been granted shared access to a Workspace project. Such users are indicated by an associated icon.
  • Join Requests – request submissions by users of your organization who are seeking access to the company Workspace.
  • Invitation Requests – request submissions by members of the Workspace for allowing access to the Workspace by another user, or users.

A team member that is currently accessing the Workspace is distinguished by a green dot (e.g. ). Use the Search field to quickly find a member within the list.

Trash

This page presents all items that have been 'soft deleted' – items that have been deleted, but not yet permanently so. The Trash is essentially a recycle bin into which any item within your Workspace can be moved (through a soft delete action). It is isolated from the rest of the Workspace and so any item in the Trash is not available for use and cannot be found through searching, or through pages in the browser interface, or from within Altium Designer.

Soft deletion from within the design software is supported in Altium Designer 20.2 and later.
You will know if a Delete-based command within the Workspace interface or Altium Designer is of the soft delete variety, as the subsequent confirmation window will confirm that the deleted item(s) will be moved to the Trash.

When you delete an item in the Workspace through a soft delete action, it will be moved to the Trash. The Trash page provides the interface to this isolated area of the Workspace.When you delete an item in the Workspace through a soft delete action, it will be moved to the Trash. The Trash page provides the interface to this isolated area of the Workspace.

You will only see items that you yourself have soft deleted. An administrator will see all soft deleted items in the Trash. Each item is presented in terms of the following information:

  • Its content type icon
  • Its name
  • Its description
  • Its revision
  • By whom it was deleted
  • The date and time at which it was deleted (sent to the Trash).
Sort by any of the columns – click on a column header once to sort in ascending order, and click again for descending. Use the Search field above the listing to search across all content.

Select an item in the Trash, then use the controls at the top-right of the list to permanently delete that item, or to restore it, respectively. Corresponding commands are also available from the menu associated with the control (at the far right of the selected item).

  • For a Project, only the owner or an administrator can (soft) delete or restore. For any other item, you will be able to perform these actions as long as you have editing rights.
  • Complete 'hard' deletion of an item (Permanently Delete) is possible for Workspace Administrators only.

Select an item, then decide whether to fully restore it for use again, or to permanently delete it (a 'hard delete' if you will).Select an item, then decide whether to fully restore it for use again, or to permanently delete it (a 'hard delete' if you will).

Alternatively, to empty the entire Trash in a single, batch action, click the button at the top-left of the page. A confirmation window will appear alerting you to the fact that this action will delete all items permanently and that they cannot be restored thereafter. To proceed click the button.

When trying to permanently delete (hard delete) an item, you will be prevented from doing so if that item is used by a parent item – for example a component that is used on a managed schematic sheet, or within a design.

Admin-Only Interface Elements

The following sections summarize the elements of the Workspace's browser interface that can only be accessed by Administrative users of the Workspace – those who are part of the Administrators group. Access to these elements is through the dedicated Admin area of the left-hand navigation tree.

If accessing the Workspace as a non-administrative user, the Admin area of the tree will be hidden.

Admin – Settings

This page provides a collection of sub-pages for the configuration of options relating to various features and services provided by, and through, a Workspace.

The Admin – Settings area, part of the admin-only pages within the Workspace's browser interface. Hover over the image to see the interface for the minimal level of access.The Admin – Settings area, part of the admin-only pages within the Workspace's browser interface. Hover over the image to see the interface for the minimal level of access.

When changing any settings, be sure to click the button, at the top-right of a page.

The left-hand side of the page provides a navigation tree with which to quickly access various sub-pages of settings. The following pages are available:

General

Use this page to change the name, server address and description for the Workspace as required. The page also provides read-only information about the Workspace's type and its location. Changes can only be made by the Administrator who is also the Owner of the Workspace and not by any other Administrator of that Workspace.

Projectѕ

Use this page to specify the default path (within the Workspace's folder structure) for newly created projects. Projects will be created in this folder unless a folder is already open (where it will be created), or different path has been specified in the Create Project window’s Parent Folder field under the Advanced section – see Creating a New Project.

Users who create or upload projects will require access to this default folder (initially Projects), which is determined by its sharing permissions as specified in the Workspace Explorer page – see Sharing Folders and Items for more information. Note that if a user does not have access to the default project folder, the system will create a Personal Folder structure that incorporates a My Projects folder for project storage – see Project Creation Without Folder Write Access for more information.

Permissions for a new project are inherited from its parent folder, and always include administrators and the user who created the project (its ‘owner’).

Email Notifications

This page provides a control to enable the Workspace's email notifications feature. This facility flags a variety of events to key stakeholders, relating to component Items, projects and part requests.

See the Email Notifications page for more information.

Altium 365 uses the Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) as the sending email server. This is the same service that is used by Altium to send emails regarding an Altium Account (e.g. account activation).

Also available is an advanced Process Workflows and an associated Send a notification when no updates have been made to a workflow task for <number> days notification. When enabled, users with an active Task that requires them to complete a workflow step will receive a reminder notification if no action has been taken for the specified number of days.

Access Control

The Access Control section heading groups together settings that are used to control the flow of Workspace data for security purposes. This option is available to administrators with the Altium 365 GovCloud or when the Altium 365 Organizational Security Package is enabled for your organization.

  • Inbound Traffic – use this page to specify the IP addresses, IP ranges or subnets that can access your Workspace. IP filtering is applied using the single-entry Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation method to block incoming connections outside of the specified IP range. Inbound Traffic Filtering provides finer control over who can connect to your company Workspace, and for example, might restrict incoming access to a range of accepted IP locations or the IP address of an official VPN configuration. Multiple IP filter entries can be added.

Javascript ID: C

Check the Enable Inbound Traffic filtering option to activate the IP filtering feature. Any existing filter rules will be enabled.

Use the button to add a new IP filter rule.

In the Add IP filtering rule window, enter the desired incoming IP range (in CIDR notation) that will be accepted by the Workspace, and add an optional filter description. Confirm the new filter rule entry ().

The IP filter rule is now active. To disable an active rule and any others that have been created, uncheck the Enable Inbound Traffic Filtering option.

Users attempting a Workspace connection with an IP address that does not pass an applied filter receive a blocked access message.

  • Outbound Traffic – available in the US-based Altium 365 GovCloud Workspace only.  Use this page to enable/disable specific traffic to external users or locations that are potentially outside the US, in line with company policies and government regulations. Each option presented in the page applies to data that may be sent from the Workspace when using that feature – see the associated notes for related information.

    • Supply Chain Data Acquisition: When unchecked, this option will disable data queries, such as Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) data requests, sent to external parts data sources. This will disable automated part queries sent to external parts data sources and services.

    • External Project Share and Manufacturer Packages: When unchecked this option will prevent the sharing of design data with external users – those who are not registered members of the Workspace. Attempts to do so will be ignored or result in an error message.

    • PLM Integration: When unchecked, this option will prevent data requests sent to external PLM systems. During actions such as the synchronization of parts, Workspace component data will not propagate to the remote PLM instance, resulting in a LibSync error.

    • Silicon Expert Integration: When unchecked, this option will prevent component data requests being sent to the Silicon Expert manufacturer parts data service. An attempt to activate the service will result in a warning/error message.

    • Z2Data Integration: When unchecked, this option will prevent component data requests being sent to the Z2Data manufacturer parts data service. An attempt to activate the service will result in a warning/error message.

Vault

The Vault section heading groups together settings related to specific functionality within the Workspace itself.

  • Part Requests – a sub-section that includes settings related to access and configuration of the Part Request feature:

    • Librarians Role – use this page to specify which user group (or groups) should be used to fulfill the role of Librarians for your organization. In essence, you are simply configuring a set of users of your Workspace that can be assigned to a part request. The sample group Librarians will already be prefilled here.

    • Custom States – use this page to customize opened and closed states for the Part Request feature.

For more information, see Part Requests.

  • Lifecycle Definitions – use this page to define and manage your Workspace's lifecycle definitions, complementing the ability to do this through Altium Designer. Providing better visibility of the states and transitions involved, each lifecycle is built in a graphical way to show the flows involved.

For more information, see Lifecycle Management.

This page also includes options for enabling additional features that will become available when editing Workspace-based components in Altium Designer (click to confirm a changed setting):

  • Components – use this page to define default target folders in which new models should be created, when creating a new component in the Workspace. To change a default folder, click the button. The Explorer window will appear with which to choose the desired new default target release folder for that model type. Once chosen, click OK to close the window and return to the Components page, with the applicable field updated with the new folder path.

    Note that custom pin-to-pad mapping is not backward compatible. If this feature is used for your components, the mapping will not be interpreted correctly when performing an ECO in a version of the software earlier than Altium Designer 21.

    • Enable Pin Mapping – When enabled, the pin mapping functionality is available when editing a component in Altium Designer's Component Editor (in its Single Component Editing mode). Mapping is driven through the dedicated Pins panel. By default, the numbered pins of the symbol will be mapped to the same numbered pads/pins in the referenced footprint and simulation models. Change the mapped pad/pin targets directly by clicking on a cell of the model and entering the required value. This allows for custom pin mapping.

    • Part Choices Revision Control – When enabled, Altium Designer's Component Editor (in its Single Component Editing mode) will open when editing a Workspace-based component's Part Choices List, instead of the Edit Part Choices dialog. This allows a new component revision to be created in response to a changed Part Choices List, providing more formal (and traceable) control of manufacturer Part Choices data – see Part Choice Revision Control for more information.

      Note: If the Part Choice Revision Control option is subsequently disabled, the history of any Part Choice revisions will be lost and the Part Choice data from the latest revision is used.

  • Data Cleanup – use this page to quickly delete data items from your Workspace. This is particularly useful after having experimented with creating and releasing content into your Workspace, for example when trying out the migration of unmanaged libraries, and now you want to 'flush' such experimental data. This functionality works on any and all Item types in your Workspace.

    Use the available checkboxes to determine whether to delete all data items (All) or specific item types. With your cleanup strategy configured, click the button. A window will appear asking for confirmation, and alerting you to the fact that this action cannot be undone. To verify and proceed, enter the text Delete my data permanently into the field and then click .

    Note that child items cannot be deleted if already referenced (in use) by parent items. The parent items must be deleted first. For example if a component is being used on a managed sheet or within a design project, the managed sheet and/or project would need to be deleted first.
    Remember that data cleanup is an action that cannot be undone. A snapshot of your Workspace will be created automatically prior to data removal. Note also that data cleanup operations can take a while to process, depending on the amount of data involved.

MCAD CoDesigner

This page provides controls to enable component recognition between the ECAD and MCAD domains, when using the ECAD-MCAD CoDesign feature. This facilitates the use of native components when a design is pushed and pulled between the two domains. The following options are available.

  • Specify how transferred ECAD models are named – set the naming convention used for models during the initial transfer to the MCAD domain. This is set to <FootprintName><ComponentID> by default, and can be changed to <ComponentID><FootprintName> or <CustomComponentProperty><FootprintName>. In the latter case use the Custom Component Property field (otherwise set to PARTNO) to define the custom property you wish use in the MCAD component name. This option allows engineers to include meaningful information, such as detailed part number data, into the component identification.

  • Recognize models placed in MCAD and use true electrical components in ECAD instead – enable this option to support use of native components when the board is being Pushed from MCAD and Pulled in to ECAD. The MCAD 3D model is linked to the equivalent Altium Designer component, so when the board is pulled into Altium Designer the MCAD 3D model can be replaced by an instance of the fully-defined Altium Designer component footprint, complete with a 3D model. Use the two sub-fields to determine the MCAD model property and the ECAD component parameter, used to identify components in the two design domains. By default, these fields are populated with the entry PARTNO. The MCAD model property can be your own custom property, or choose MCAD model name from the drop-down. The ECAD component parameter can also be your own custom parameter. These fields are required if the parent option is enabled. If one or both are left blank, the button will be disabled.

  • Use models from data management system on MCAD side when creating PCB assembly – enable this option to support use of native components when the board is being Pushed from ECAD and Pulled in to MCAD. The MCAD software gets the model of the component from the MCAD's data management system (by the model’s name) and then places that component on the MCAD PCB assembly, instead of the model that came from ECAD. Use the sub-field to determine the ECAD component parameter that will be used to store the MCAD model name.By default, this field is populated with the entry MCADModelName. This field is required if the parent option is enabled. If left blank, the button will be disabled.

MCAD-to-ECAD component linking is available for all supported MCAD platforms (except Autodesk Fusion 360®). ECAD-to-MCAD native component linking is currently only supported in:

SOLIDWORKS – requires SOLIDWORKS be connected to a SOLIDWORKS PDM system. The MCAD component must be defined in the ECAD component as a parameter, in the form "<vault>:folder\folder\component.sldprt", where <vault> is the name of the PDM vault. Consult your SOLIDWORKS documentation for information on how to connect to a SOLIDWORKS PDM system. If the component is not available in the SOLIDWORKS PDM system, CoDesigner places the model transferred from the PCB editor and saved in the Altium 365 Workspace instead.

PTC Creo Parametric – requires PTC Creo to be connected to a PTC Windchill® server, with the ECAD components stored in a Windchill Workspace. Consult your Creo documentation for information on how to connect to Windchill. If the component is not available in the Windchill Workspace, CoDesigner places the model transferred from the PCB editor and saved in the Altium 365 Workspace instead.

CoDesigner checks these settings on startup (from Altium Designer and from the MCAD tools). Restart your design software if the settings have been changed in your Workspace.

Dictionaries

Use this page to create custom parameters with several defined values (Dictionaries) that can be applied to Component Templates through Altium Designer. Multiple parameter Dictionaries can be added, with each entry containing a listed choice of corresponding parameter values. When used, this approach provides a more formalized control over the application of parameter data, where standardized parameters and their value choices are centrally managed in one accessible location.

Create predefined lists of parameter values using the Dictionary option under Admin - Settings. Create predefined lists of parameter values using the Dictionary option under Admin - Settings.

To add a Dictionary entry, click the button and then enter an appropriate parameter type name in the following Create Dictionary window. Add parameter values using the option associated with the Dictionary entry's name – press Enter to confirm the entered value.

Multiple Dictionaries can be created with multiple parameter values.Multiple Dictionaries can be created with multiple parameter values.

  • Double-click on an entry or use the associated option to edit a Dictionary name or value.

  • Use the associated option to add a new value to the Dictionary.

  • Use the associated option to delete a value entry or the Dictionary entry itself.

In Altium Designer, Dictionaries created in the Altium 365 Workspace become available as Parameter data Types when creating or editing a Component Template. Where that Template is used for creating a new component – or when editing a component based on that Template – the Dictionary-defined parameter entries will offer only those value choices defined in the Workspace Dictionary. Note that Dictionary-based parameters are indicated by their associated icon.

For more information, see Support for Dictionary-defined Component Parameter Data Types in Altium Designer's Component Editor.

Audit Export

This page provides the configuration settings for exposing the Altium 365 Workspace Events Log data to a suitable SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) system for compliance and auditing purposes. The Workspace API allows your organization’s security specialist to configure your SIEM system to retrieve audit data from Altium 365 using the Client ID and Secret Key parameters specified in this page by a Workspace administrator.

Note that the Altium 365 SIEM API is available when the Altium Organizational Security Package has been purchased and enabled for your Workspace. See Organizational Security Package for more information.

Open the collapsible section below to see related technical setup information for security specialists.

Admin – Groups

Related page: Managing Workspace Membership – Groups

This page is used to create and manage a list of user groups. Groups allow you to further organize your Workspace members according to, for example, the particular section of the organization in which they are involved, or the design team they are in. Groups also make the sharing of Workspace content, and the configuration of other served technologies, more streamlined.

Access and manage the groups defined for your Workspace from the Admin – Groups page of the interface.Access and manage the groups defined for your Workspace from the Admin – Groups page of the interface.

Several sample groups are defined for a Workspace. This includes the group Administrators. This group gives administrative privileges to its members. Anyone who is a member of this group has complete access to the Workspace and all associated technologies and services through its browser interface.

Admin – Part Providers

Related page: Part Source Configuration

This page enables you to define a Part Source – facilitating centralized supply chain management, with designers across the entire organization using the same approved list of Suppliers, with which to source supply chain intelligence for parts used in their designs.

The following part sources are available for a Workspace:

  • Altium Parts Provider – an aggregate supplier data service that provides access to live component information from a comprehensive range of parts suppliers.
The Altium Parts Provider settings that are established in a Workspace will override those in Altium Designer when a user connects to that Workspace.
  • Custom Parts Provider – for situations where component supplier data is (and must be) sourced from an internal company enterprise system that provides a proprietary set of parts supplier data, which might be based on a tightly approved range of vendors and/or special pricing structures. This part source is actually configured for synchronization through Altium Designer – using a Custom Parts Provider Synchronization Configuration document (*.PrtSync) – allowing the supplier data from a specified database source to be mapped to Workspace supply chain data.
This functionality requires Altium Designer 20.2 or later. For more details, see Supply Chain Database to Workspace Data Synchronization.

The actual supply chain intelligence – comprising Manufacturer (and part number), Supplier (and part number), Description, Pricing and Availability – is sourced from the Workspace's local Part Catalog and the relevant Part Source.

Each Workspace instance has its own dedicated Part Catalog. This is a part catalog database, dedicated to the management and tracking of manufacturer parts and their associated supplier parts. The catalog is installed as a service (Part Catalog Service), provided through the Altium 365 platform, and works only with the Workspace.

The Part Catalog stores items representative of actual Manufacturer Parts, along with one or more items representative of Supplier Parts – the incarnations of those Manufacturer Parts, as sold by the Suppliers/Vendors. Each Supplier Part is a reference to an item in a parts database – either the aggregate parts database of the Altium Parts Provider (which itself interfaces to, and gathers the parts from, enabled Suppliers), or a linked local parts database.

Enabling required Suppliers and determining Location/Currency ranges for the Altium Parts Provider.Enabling required Suppliers and determining Location/Currency ranges for the Altium Parts Provider.

Admin – PLM Integration

Related page: PLM Integration

This page provides the interface to the Altium 365 Workspace PLM Integration service. It is from here that you define the interconnection with a PLM instance and enable/configure synchronization of your PLM components with those in the Workspace.

The Workspace facilitates the uni- or bi-directional synchronization of component data with your company enterprise systems. Interaction between the Workspace data and the enterprise system – typically a PLM system – is configured and managed through the PLM Integration page. This provides an automated interface for easily configuring the interconnection, mapping parameter data, and specifying the direction of data synchronization. Component data synchronization between the Workspace and target enterprise system uses a built-in synchronization process which may be manually triggered or set as a timed repeating event.

The Workspace provides support for the following PLM systems:

PLM integration setup is performed through an automated interface for easily configuring the interconnection, mapping parameter data, and specifying the direction of data synchronization. PLM integration setup is performed through an automated interface for easily configuring the interconnection, mapping parameter data, and specifying the direction of data synchronization.

Admin – Processes

Related pages: Creating & Managing Processes, Defining a Process Workflow

This page provides the interface to create and manage Process Workflows that formally guide a company's designers through typical, everyday design processes such as:

  • Requesting new library parts.
  • Performing project-related activities, such as design reviews or publishing to a PLM.
  • Creation of new projects.

Each Workflow that is used to implement a particular design process is created as part of a Process Definition. It can therefore be referred to as that process's underlying Workflow, or simply a Process Workflow. Processes and their Workflows are created and managed through the Processes page interface, where a range of predefined processes can be enabled for use or cloned and modified to suit your needs using the included Process Workflow Editor.

Use the Browser tab to browse all active and closed processes and the other tabs to view, create, and manage the available Process Workflows. Use the Browser tab to browse all active and closed processes and the other tabs to view, create, and manage the available Process Workflows.

Admin – Explorer

Related page: Managing Content Structure & Access

This page gives you access to the structure of the Workspace, and is similar in presentation and layout to that of Altium Designer's Explorer panel. From here, you will be able to browse the folders and Items within the Workspace. And although you can't create or edit Items from within the browser interface (you can remove them), you are able to create and edit folders, and so build the structure of the Workspace, without having to be connected to that server through Altium Designer.

You also can define folder-level and Item-level sharing from this interface – controlling who is able to see what content in the Workspace and, at the folder level, whether other users can simply view a folder and its content, or also edit it (effectively releasing/committing/uploading design data into it). Content can be downloaded from the Workspace, directly from this interface.

Browse and define the structure of your Workspace as well as defining access to, and being able to download, content therein.Browse and define the structure of your Workspace as well as defining access to, and being able to download, content therein.

You can soft-delete folders and Items from the Admin – Explorer page – sending them to the isolated Trash area for the Workspace.

Admin – Events Log

The Events Log is a sequential list of notable Data and User events that have occurred in the Workspace. It provides a single point of access for administrators to monitor and audit key Workspace activity for data governance purposes. This option is available to administrators when the Altium 365 Organizational Security Package is enabled for your organization.

The logged events include the addition, removal and group assignment of Users (Workspace members), the addition and removal of design/component data, and the sharing of that data with users. Detailed information is included for each event entry such as when it occurred, who invoked the event, and what object or User was affected.

The administrator's Events Log records significant events related to design data and user access.The administrator's Events Log records significant events related to design data and user access.

Use the view's Search field to filter the events list to those of interest, based on the entered search term.

Refresh your browser's view (F5) if recent events have not yet appeared in the log.

Events Log Export to SIEM Systems:

The Altium 365 Workspace provides an API for transferring Events Log data to a suitable SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) system for compliance and auditing purposes. Note that the Altium 365 SIEM API is available when the Altium Organizational Security Package has been purchased and enabled for your Workspace. See the Audit Export entry above for more information.

Admin – Apps

This page provides setup access to additional licensed applications – software services and extensions – available in your Workspace. Applications (Apps) are presented as selectable tiles, which provide access to additional information and configuration options for that service.

Click on an App tile to launch the application’s setup view, where you can specify its connection credentials and any associated settings as required.

BOM Portal Application

The Altium 365 BOM Portal application allows you to create data-rich BOM procurement documents from Workspace design projects or uploaded (CSV/XLS) ECAD BOM files. Using Altium’s comprehensive data services, the Portal’s Managed BOM documents include up-to-date component manufacturer information and live Supply Chain data from multiple sources. The web-based system is automated, highly configurable, and offers advanced search capabilities for determining the optimal component parts for your design projects.

Select the BOM Portal application tile – available when the feature is enabled – to open its setup page.

Use the application setup page to specify the default settings for newly created/uploaded Managed BOM documents. The settings can be changed from these defaults in individual Managed BOM documents through the BOM Settings window.

  • General Settings: Specify the default purchasing Currency and Country settings. These are independent, so the preferred purchasing currency is not bound to location.

  • Favorite Suppliers: Specify the default parts vendors that are enabled for Managed BOM documents. See the BOM Portal’s Order List section for more information. Note that the available suppliers included in the Favorite Suppliers list are in turn defined by the Altium Parts Provider settings in the Workspace Part Providers page.

  • Checks Manager: Specify how BOM line Issues are reported in BOM documents. Each type of BOM validity check can be changed to report at any of the available Report Levels, including the option to ignore a check (No Report). See the BOM Portal’s BOM Checks section for more information.

Scroll to view the full BOM Portal configuration options.

The BOM Portal application is a purchased and licensed feature – see the altium365.com BOM Portal page for access information.

SiliconExpert Application

Altium 365 SiliconExpert Integration provides direct access to an additional set of advanced manufacturer parts data that is available to your BOM Portal documents, project BOM documents and the Library Health analysis. The enhanced parametric data sourced from SiliconExpert populates Workspace BOMs as specific parameter columns (YTEOL, Inventory risk, etc). SiliconExpert's advanced parametric parts data and ranked alternative part suggestions are also available when accessing Supply Chain Information features in Altium Designer.

This application is fully available for use when you have purchased an Altium SiliconExpert Integration license. To enable this service, open the SiliconExpert application by selecting its tile, enter the credentials provided to you by Altium, and then confirm the settings (). Also note that you can sample the benefits of integrating SiliconExpert with your Workspace by activating a trial period ().

Once your SiliconExpert service connection is established, the SiliconExpert Integration view will be populated with information relating to your account. This includes a configurable list of reporting levels and parameter data:

  • Information in the Part Quota Details section includes your current SiliconExpert parts data quota limits and usage.

  • The Checks Manager section includes the default Report Level settings for SiliconExpert parameter values. Use the drop-down list associated with each entry to choose a different reporting level (Fatal/Error/Warning) or the No Report option to prevent a value condition from being reported. Note that you also can edit the Years to End of Life values (in years) that will trigger the three YTEOL report levels.

  • The Data Visibility Settings list includes all SiliconExpert parameters available to you. Use the parameter checkboxes to toggle their visibility in parts data listings (project BOMs, Managed BOMs, etc) for both Altium Designer and your Altium 365 Workspace – hover over icons associated with parameters to see related information. Note that the base SiliconExpert YTEOL and Lifecycle parameters are always available, and their visibility state cannot be toggled.

Connection and Quota details Checks Manager Data Visibility Settings

Scroll to view the full SiliconExpert configuration options.

Z2Data Application

Altium 365 Z2Data Integration brings enhanced manufacturer part information and supply chain data directly into your Workspace. The rich proprietary data sources from Z2Data help you make more informed decisions about the selection and procurement of parts used in your designs. Z2Data integration in Altium 365 is implemented in a similar manner to SiliconExpert Integration as outlined above, and is available in BOM Portal documents, Alternate Parts, and Workspace Component Part Choices.

Z2Data Integration is a purchased and licensed feature – see the Z2Data Integration page.

A Z2Data application tile is included in the Admin – Apps page when Z2Data Integration is enabled for your Altium 365 Workspace. Select the tile to open the Z2Data application and then the button to invoke basic access to Z2Data resources.

Once your Z2Data access is active, the Z2Data Integration view will be populated with information and settings relating to your current level of access:

  • Information in the Part Quota Details section includes your current Z2Data parts data quota limits and usage.
  • The Checks Manager section includes the default Report Level settings for Z2Data parameter values. Use the drop-down list associated with each entry to choose a different reporting level (Fatal/Error/Warning) or the No Report option to prevent a value condition from being reported. Note that you also can edit the Years to End of Life values (in years) that will trigger the three YTEOL report levels.

Note that you also can purchase an advanced level of access to Z2Data, which includes a large parts data quota plus a significantly expanded set of information and risk assessment details. Click the button or go straight to the Z2Data access form.

Jira Application

Altium 365 Jira Integration enables bidirectional data synchronization between Atlassian Jira® issues and Altium 365 Workspace Tasks. The integration allows the remote creation of Jira issues directly from your Altium 365 Workspace as dedicated Jira Tasks, or existing Jira Issues can be linked to a Workspace project. Once a Jira Issue to Workspace Task relationship is established, its Comments and status settings (priority, progress, assignee) are synchronized in real time, which provides enhanced and interactive project management insight into Altium design projects in the Jira space.

See Working With Jira Tasks for more information.

Provided as an Altium 365 Workspace application in the Admin - Apps page, Jira integration is configured by mapping Workspace projects to a specified Jira Project. The application is available when Jira Integration has been enabled for your Workspace – see the altium365.com Jira Integration page for related information.

Javascript ID: D

When enabled, the Jira Integration is presented as a tile in the Workspace Admin – Apps page. Click on the Jira tile to begin the configuration process.

Select the button to connect to your Atlassian Jira account. You may be asked to sign in to your account.

Confirm your Jira account, or select one from the Use app on drop-down list, to authorize Jira access for your Altium 365 Workspace. Click to confirm.

Return to and open the Workspace Jira application to establish an Altium Workspace project to Jira project relationship by choosing the Add mapping button ().

Enter an Altium and Jira project in their respective fields – begin typing in a field to filter the drop-down list results. Multiple Jira-Altium projects mappings can be added, or removed with the button. Select the button to confirm.

The Jira Integration setup page includes the following additional options:

  • The button opens the default view for your Jira account in a new browser tab.

  • The button will disconnect the Jira application from your Jira account, as listed under Jira Connection. This reverts the Jira Integration page to its initial pre-setup configuration.

  • When the Allow project mapping to all workspace members option (under Access Settings) is enabled, all members of the Workspace can map projects to the Jira project specified by this configuration. The project mapping is performed from the project Edit window – see a mapping access example.

Jira Integration is a purchased and licensed feature – see the Jira Integration page.

Requirements and Systems Portal Application

The Requirements and Systems Portal is an advanced system engineering application that integrates with Altium 365 to define and manage technical requirements for project designs. Requirements instances created in the portal can be placed in Altium 365 Workspace design documents and also assigned as user Tasks. Compliance with a Requirement definition can then be verified within the project design space, the status of which is synchronously reflected in the Requirement instance in the Requirements and Systems Portal.

See Working With the Requirements and Systems Portal for more information.

The synchronous link between your Altium 365 Workspace and the Requirements and Systems Portal is defined by mapping a Workspace project to a portal’s System Design Block that has associated Requirement definitions. The link can be established in different locations:

  • In the Requirements and System Portal web interface by assigning an Electronics type Block to a Workspace design project – related information.

  • In a Workspace design Edit Project window by assigning a portal Block to a Workspace design project – related information.

  • In the Requirements and System Portal application entry in the Workspace Admin - Apps page (as shown here) by adding a new Project-Block link to the Link Requirements list – see below.

Javascript ID: ReqSys

When enabled, the Requirements and Systems Portal is presented as a tile in the Workspace Admin – Apps page. Click on its tile to open the settings view.

The view’s Link Requirements list includes the current Workspace design projects that are linked to a corresponding system design Block (Requirement Block) in the Requirements and Systems Portal. Click the option to add a new Project-Block pair link.

Select the project name field to choose a Workspace project from those available in the drop-down list.

Select the Link Requirements field and choose an available portal Block for linking to the Workspace project. Only Electronics type Blocks can be linked (information).

Expand the Link Requirements window list to locate and select a suitable Requirement Block from the portal Project entries.i Click to confirm the addition.

The new Project-Block linked pair is added to the Link Requirements list. You can remove the paired relationship with the entry's associated command.

You can use the Requirements and Systems Portal option from the ‘nine dots’ menu () or the button to open the Requirements and Systems Portal interface in a new browser tab.

 

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Source URL: https://www.altium365.com/documentation/exploring-browser-based-interface