Conversations within Collaboration

Use

You can use the Comment and Redline tools to create different types of comments. Comments are then grouped together into a conversation, enabling you to easily follow a particular collaboration thread.

If you create a comment using the redline tools, you also have the option of being able to project that comment directly onto the model. The comment then follows the contours of the model when it is rotated.

When you select one of these tools, you can begin creating a conversation by clicking the model’s surface to place the start point. At this point the cursor changes to a small cross. Certain actions are then required to finish creating the comment, and these differ depending on the tool selected as described below.

Activities

Creating Conversations

In the Collaboration panel, choose New Conversation. To create a comment, enter the required text information in the dialog, and set a link, if required.

Once you have finished creating your comment, the conversation is added to the Collaboration window, and displays the user name, creation date, and creation time information. The Collaboration Layer object and the newly created thread display in the 3D Objects list in the Scene Tree.

Creating a Conversation and Comment

  1. Choose one of the comment tools in the Collaboration panel, and make the selections you require.

  2. Enter the conversation name and text for the comment.

  3. If you wish to attach a link to the comment, do one of the following in the Link field:

    • Select URL, and enter a URL link.

    • Select Model View, and select a model view from the corresponding field.

    • Select Step View, and select a step from the corresponding field.

Adding a Comment to an existing Conversation

Highlight the required conversation in the Collaboration window, and select the required comment tool. Create a comment by performing one of the following actions:

  • If you are creating a text, point, arrow, or a line comment, click where you want to place the start point and drag to the leader length.

  • If you are creating a circle note comment, click where you want to place the start point, drag outwards and inwards to set the circle radius, and click once more to set the leader length.

  • If you are creating an arc comment, click where you want to place the start point, click again to place the centre of the arc circumference, and click once more to place the end point.

  • If you are creating a circle comment or a rectangular comment, click where you want to place the start point and drag outwards and inwards to set the circle radius or size.

  • If you are creating a polyline comment, click where you want to place the start point, click to place the second point, and so on, then right-click to place the end point.

  • If you are creating a freehand comment, hold down the left mouse button and drag to set the shape.

  • If you are creating a cloud comment, click where you want to place the start point and drag outwards to set the size.

The comment is added to the selected conversation.

Projecting a Redline Comment onto the Surface of the Model

Choose Project onto Surface, choose one of the redline comment tools in the Collaboration window, and drag the comment to the required size in the viewport. If you are creating a conversation, make the selections you require and select OK.

The new redline comment displays in the collaboration window, and is projected onto the model in the viewport.

Showing and Hiding Comments

To display or hide comments, either deselect the conversation in the Collaboration window, or clear the object checkboxes in the Scene Tree.

Deleting a Conversation

Select the conversation that you wish to delete in the Collaboration window, and choose Delete Selected Conversation.

Deleting a Specific Comment

Select the comment that you wish to delete, right-click the comment, and select Delete from the context menu.