Skip to main content

Description

Real-time editing in Davinci means that changes made by any collaborator are visible to all other active users within seconds. This creates a truly concurrent modeling environment where team members can work together as if they were all looking at the same screen.

How Real-Time Updates Work

Update Propagation

When a user makes a change to the model:
  1. Local Change: The change is applied immediately in the user’s browser
  2. Server Sync: The change is sent to the Davinci server
  3. Broadcast: The server broadcasts the change to all other active users
  4. Remote Update: Other users’ browsers receive and apply the update
This process typically completes in 1-3 seconds, depending on network conditions and the complexity of the change.

What Gets Synchronized

Real-time synchronization applies to virtually all model changes:
  • Object Creation: New objects appear in everyone’s index
  • Property Updates: Changes to names, documentation, values
  • Attribute Changes: Value, unit, and equation modifications
  • Relationship Updates: New connections or deleted relationships
  • Document Edits: Text changes, formatting, block additions
  • Structure Changes: Objects moved or reorganized
  • Deletions: Removed objects disappear from all views

What You See from Others

Active Indicators: Visual indicators may show which objects or sections other users are currently viewing or editing. Change Highlights: Recently updated elements may be briefly highlighted to draw attention to changes. Lock Indicators: Objects or blocks being edited by others show lock icons, preventing simultaneous editing.

Working with Updates

Receiving Updates

Updates from other users appear automatically:
  • Background Updates: If you’re viewing a different part of the model, updates happen silently
  • Visible Updates: If you’re viewing an object someone else modifies, you see the change appear
  • Edit Protection: If you’re editing something and someone else tries to edit it, they see it’s locked

Making Updates

Your changes are sent to other users the same way:
  • Immediate Feedback: You see your changes instantly
  • Automatic Sync: No “save” button needed—changes sync automatically
  • Network Resilience: If your connection drops temporarily, changes queue and sync when reconnected

Stale Data Prevention

Davinci prevents stale data issues common in traditional collaboration:
  • No need to “refresh” to see latest changes
  • No risk of overwriting someone else’s work
  • No manual merge processes
  • No “which version is correct?” confusion

Performance Considerations

Large Team Collaboration

Davinci is designed to handle teams of various sizes:
  • Small Teams (2-5 users): Essentially no performance impact
  • Medium Teams (6-15 users): Minimal latency, typically unnoticeable
  • Large Teams (15+ users): May experience slightly longer update propagation times

Network Requirements

For optimal real-time collaboration:
  • Bandwidth: Modest requirements—typical updates are small
  • Latency: Lower latency improves update speed
  • Stability: Stable connections prevent queue buildup

Heavy Edit Scenarios

During periods of intense simultaneous editing:
  • Update frequency may increase
  • Short delays (2-5 seconds) may occur
  • System prioritizes data integrity over speed
  • All changes are eventually synchronized

Collaborative Workflows

Divide and Conquer

Split work across model areas to minimize overlap:
  • One person on requirements, another on design
  • Different team members on different subsystems
  • One person updating attributes while another writes documentation

Sequential Handoffs

Pass work smoothly between team members:
  • Designer completes component → Analyst adds attributes
  • Requirements author finishes → Designer links to design elements
  • No file handoff delays—next person can start immediately

Parallel Refinement

Multiple people refining different aspects simultaneously:
  • Technical content in documentation
  • Visual layout in presentations
  • Data accuracy in tables and matrices

Review and Feedback

Stakeholders can review and comment in real-time:
  • Open the model during a meeting
  • Make changes as feedback is given
  • Everyone sees updates immediately