How do I work with Groups in DS Circuit Simulator?
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DesignSpark Circuit SimulatorGroups are a hub for collaboration. Our group framework provides a flexible, dynamic environment for users to engage in novel ways both with teammates and customers.
Within a group, users have the ability to share and collaborate on designs and discussion boards, store relevant files, and more.
There are public, closed and moderated groups. Creating and joining public and closed groups is possible with any account and plan, while moderated groups require an Engineer subscription.
Keep reading to understand how groups work:
Group Search
From the 'Groups' tab, click 'Browse Groups' to see all public and closed groups.
Group Types
There are three types of groups: public, closed, and moderated.
A Public group is a publicly viewable area to collaborate with other users on a topic or theme. Anybody can join, but outsiders can only participate in Discussions if they are logged in. Available to all DesignSpark plans.
A Closed group is a publicly viewable area to collaborate with other users on a topic or theme. Users can request to join, but outsiders can not actively participate. Available to all DesignSpark plans.
A Moderated group requires an Engineer subscription and the group as well as its contents, cannot be seen by the public. It is a place to privately collaborate with invited DesignSpark Engineer subscribers and the DesignSpark moderators. Users are only able to view or participate in the group if they are invited by the group admin and choose to become members.
Joining a Group
To join a Public group, navigate to the group's homepage and click the 'Join Group' button. You will be immediately added to the group and have access to all group contents.
For a Closed group, the homepage will have a 'Request Membership' button. An admin will receive a notification to address your request, and then you will have full access to the group.
To join an existing Moderated group, you need to have an Engineer subscription, and be invited by the group admin or DesignSpark staff. The group admin has to click on 'manage members' and then 'invite members' to send the invite.
Creating a Group
A user must be logged in to create a group. Select the ‘Create Group’ button under the Groups tab to get started. Select if you want your group to be Public, Closed or Moderated, and then give your group a Title on the next page to create your group.
You can also add a logo, relevant tags, and a description of your group to get it started. All of this can also be changed later, except for your group’s type.
User Roles in a Group
There are two possible roles for a user in a group: Administrator and Member.
A group Administrator has the ability to manage member status of any user in the group. Admins also address membership requests for a Closed group and are the only ones who can send invitations to join a moderated group.
For closed groups, click on Members-> Manage members, to send an invitation for a new member.
A group Member has access to view, edit, and add to all group content. A group member cannot modify membership for themselves or others in a group.
Adding Group Content
Adding content to a group can be done on the group’s main page. Click the ‘Create Content’ button under your group’s logo and then select the type of content you would like to add.
Add an Existing Design to Group
You can add any existing design you own into one of your groups. When viewing the schematic in the Designer, on the right panel you will see a dropdown for ‘Group.’ Select the group where your design should be located, and it will be moved to the group. This will appear on the group timeline as well as in the group's designs collection. Note that this does not make a copy of the design for the group, the design will be directly placed in the group.
Sub-groups
Groups can also contain sub-groups when hierarchy makes sense for team or content clarity. A group admin can go to their group, click ‘Create Content,’ and create a sub-group from there.
Announcements
Announcements are a great way to communicate with your group. Announcements are content you can create in a group that will be displayed on the group homepage. You can set a timer for time-sensitive announcements.
Discussions
Group discussions work the same as the site-level forum under the 'Discuss' tab. Use this space to facilitate conversation and interaction relevant to the group's topic and members.
Timeline
The group timeline is where you can stay up-to-date with all group activity. Design creation and updates, announcement and forum comments, and any file activity will all be logged so you can know what’s happened right from the group home page.
Files
File upload allows you to store and share relevant documents within your group. Group files can be previewed in the group or downloaded.
Leaving a Group
Go to the group's homepage to leave. For Moderated groups, any designs added to the group by a member will be transferred to the group admin/moderator if that member leaves. This maintains the privacy of the design in context of the moderated group.
