Release notes
Discover what’s new in Relatics in the release notes below.
Relatics 6.6 - January 2025
Relatics 6.6 contains a whole range of enhancements, ranging from incremental refinements to significant upgrades, and introduces an entirely new way to gain insights into project status through widgets. Discover all the novelties for this release below!
From indicators to What’s happened
We’ve significantly improved how you monitor changes within your workspace with the introduction of What’s happened. This feature is accessible via a new button at the top of the type elements list.
The button displays an indicator when changes have been made to the workspace since midnight local time. Only when you click the button, and activate the feature, will you see what elements have changed in your project.
Once active, the type element list highlights the number of changes for each type element. Selecting a type element reveals individual changes, indicated by the color at the start of a row:
- Dark color: New element created.
- Light color: Existing element modified.
Hovering over a row color shows details about the change, including who made it and when. These indicators also appear in the tree view.
Using the dropdown menu, you can filter changes based on the following timeframes:
- Today (since midnight local time)
- Last 3 days
- Last 7 days
- Last 14 days
- Last 30 days
A change counter behind the timeframe indicates changes on top of the alterations made today.
Deactivating What’s happened sets the filter back to the default “Today” view.
What’s happened also accounts for the changes made by the current user, so you will also see your own alterations.
As this feature replaces the previous indicators, the “Clear indicators” button has been removed.
Dashboards
Power Users can now create customizable dashboards with widgets that display workspace data in a clear, digestible format. These dashboards are intended to determine whether there are triggers to take action.
You can find the Dashboards via the new chart menu icon in the sidebar.
Similar to use cases, Power Users can create multiple dashboards, each tailored to specific information needs.
The following widgets are now available:
- Top X
- Displays a top 5 or top 10 list based on a number property.
- Population divider (Donut or bar chart)
- Visualizes a type element’s population divided by a specific property or relation.
- Population in time (Line or bar chart)
- Illustrates the population of a type element over time.
- Supports up to 2 populations (e.g. actions with status open and in progress) using the same operator/function.
- Illustrates the population of a type element over time.
- Indicator
- A single counter displaying either the total number of elements for a specific query, or the sum or average of a number property.
When users hover over a widget, a tooltip provides additional information. Clicking on a widget, such as a doughnut slice or line graph, opens a popup displaying data filtered according to the widget’s settings. From this popup, users can also click through to the “All elements” view, which retains the same filters applied to the widget.
Widget graph colors automatically align with the environment’s color scheme. Power Users can rearrange widgets on the dashboard via drag-and-drop.
Dashboards and widgets can also be created in a template, and published to subscribed workspaces.
Users without access to certain parts of the workspace (based on the “No access” feature) will not see the contents of widgets containing restricted data on their dashboard.
Charts in reports
With the introduction of dashboards and widgets, you can now include certain widgets in reports as MS Word charts, making it easy to generate baseline or corporate management reports.
The following widgets are supported for use as charts in reports:
- Population in time
- Population divider
Widgets that can be included as a chart in a report offer the Copy report script option in the widget’s options menu.
It is also possible to generate a report with a graph back in time, provided the data is available and the type model has not undergone significant changes.
Graphs in the report can be styled directly using the settings in Microsoft Word.
Images in reports
A new report syntax is available, allowing you to include images in reports (uploaded in Relatics as attachment). This makes it easy to export reports, such as inspection reports, with images included.
Simply add the following syntax to your report template: {property_name | PICTURE}
Additional report syntax
New syntax has been added to easily include additional data in reports.
- Include the username of the person generating the report with {@User}.
- Add the workspace name with {@Workspace}.
- Insert the project’s date and time at the moment the report is generated with {@ProjectDateTime}.
Keyboard shortcuts list
Relatics offers numerous keyboard shortcuts, enabling users to navigate and work efficiently without a mouse. A complete list of current shortcuts is now available under the Help button (
) in the top right corner of Relatics.
Automatically generated changelogs
When a template workspace is adjusted and a new version is published, Relatics will now automatically generate changelogs that list the changes to the type model. These changelogs are visible to the Power Users of the subscribed workspaces, so they are aware of the modifications.
The Power Users of the template workspace can still add additional information in the Description to provide further context for the update.
Attachment previews
The Attachment data type has been enhanced to support (image) previews in both element overview pages and on detail view. A small thumbnail is now displayed next to the file name, making it easier to identify the attachment in a list of data.
Clicking on either the thumbnail or file name opens a full-screen preview of the attachment, with the option to download the file. When selecting multiple attachments, whether from an element’s overview or detail page, you can download them all at once, bundled into a single .zip file.
Updates to RCS files & introduction of RCST
Starting from Relatics 6.6, you can seamlessly create new workspaces using .RCS files from previous Relatics 6 versions. This ensures full backward compatibility, allowing you to create new workspaces from .RCS files of Relatics 6.6 and all subsequent releases without any compatibility issues.
To further enhance flexibility, we introduce .RCST files for exporting and importing Relatics 6 templates. These files offer complete environment independence. You can use an .RCST file to either create a new workspace based on the template or update an existing workspace with a newer version of the template.
Workspaces derived from .RCST files maintain the same restrictions as the original template. This means that the inherited template structure cannot be altered within the subscribed workspace. However, you still have the freedom to add new type elements to the Systems Engineering model.
NOTE: Relatics 6 .RCS or .RCST files are NOT compatible with Relatics 5.
What’s more
- Power Users can now change the image associated with a workspace directly from the workspace tile on the Start page.
- The Start page now displays the last time a user was active in the workspace, visible only to the user themselves.
- The tree node selection has been updated to match the selection in the “All elements” view, allowing for both semantic and syntactic selections for edits.
- Filtering by property list values is now simplified. Instead of first selecting ‘Equals’, ‘Is empty’ or ‘Is not empty’, and then selecting values (if ‘Equals’ was chosen), you can now immediately select values from the dropdown, check the ‘Empty’ box to filter for empty values, or combine both methods to filter for specific values and empty values.
Relatics 5 updates
In addition to the developments for Relatics 6, our developers are also still working on bringing improvements to Relatics 5.
- The performance of the browse history has been improved.
- Environment administrators can now add an owner to a workspace from the Users menu.
- Client Webservices have been updated to support communication with the Microsoft Graph API Framework.
Release webinar
Watch the recording of our ‘What’s New’ release webinar from January 28, 2025, where we introduced the key new features and improvements in Relatics 6.6.
Relatics 6.5 - November 2024
Relatics 6.5 is now available and provides quite some improvements to existing functionalities that will make working with Relatics even more intuitive. Additionally, this release also features a new functionality to create templates.
The Type elements menu
The Type elements menu can now be opened or collapsed with the square bracket keys ([ ]) on your keyboard or the collapse/expand button. The workspace will remember if you want to work with the type elements menu collapsed or expanded. Additionally, you can adjust the width by dragging the splitter to your desired size.
Updates with regards to relations
Show all replaces Collapse
To provide users with more readability on the details view, we replaced the collapse button of relation tables with an automatic collapse function to show only 10 rows if a table contains more than 20 rows of data. With the “Show all” button, users can see all the data in the table when necessary.
Improvements to establishing relations
Three adjustments were made to establishing relations that will help make the job simpler. Firstly, an option to (Un)Select all for multi relations was added to make it easier to work with larger data sets. Secondly, we have added a double-click as quick-select for single relations, meaning you can just double-click the relation you want to create instead of selecting the relation and then selecting Apply.
And lastly, the selection pop-up now opens by default on the selected type when double-clicking the element that is part of the collection relation table on the detail view. This allows for quicker selections of relations.
Default relation to user
Last release we introduced a feature to link workspace users to elements representing people to create to-do’s. We’ve expanded upon this feature to be able to set a default relation between an element and a person, for example to create an ‘Has initiator’ relation that is automatically filled with the user that is logged in. With this feature enabled, when a user creates such an element, there is a default relation to themselves.
Multiselect
We have updated the multiselect possibilities within Relatics. You were already able to select consecutive elements by using the Shift key on your keyboard. You can now also select multiple elements that are not consecutive by using the Ctrl key.
Both multiselect options are also available in the tree view.
Position of an element or set
Three adjustments were made that influence the position of an element or set of data.
The sorting of the All elements view now also dictates the order of the elements in the tree view and the grouping of derived and middle elements.
When creating a new element under another element, the position is immediately secured, so after a refresh it will still be where you created it.
Relatics now also supports moving multiple adjacent elements. This means that you can move multiple adjoining items up or down at the same time via the toolbox. You can employ this in the tree view as well, where you can also drag and drop.
Tree view upgrades
We have made quite some improvements to the tree view for usability. For example, you are now able to navigate the tree view with your keyboard. Move up and down with the up and down arrows, and open and close nodes with the left and right arrow keys.
The toolbox for the tree view has been expanded and now includes options to copy and paste, an option to easily Create siblings and arrows for positioning elements.
You can make a selection of multiple elements within the tree view and drag that data set to where it needs to go.
Expand/Collapse all
We’ve added Expand all and Collapse all buttons in the ribbon of the tree view. As the name suggests, this allows you to quickly expand, or to quickly collapse the entire tree view.
Back in time
Our Back in time feature is now also available in the tree view. This feature gives you an opportunity to view the tree view at any past moment.
Adjustments to text properties
Feedback from our users had us expand the Single line text property from 100 to 255 characters.
Additionally, we’ve adjusted the Text property to support bulleted lists with multiple indented levels.
The Text property can now also be used as a display property for elements that do not have a Single line text property in, among others, the tree view, the history, and the recycle bin. The first line of the text property may be cut off with an ellipsis (…).
We’ve also added a new shortcut to exit the edit mode of the text property with Crtl + Enter (Command + Enter on Mac).
Redundant elements
If a user creates an item and they, themselves, delete the same item within 8 hours, Relatics detects that the created item had a very short lifespan and most likely should not have existed in the first place. For example, a data set was pasted into the workspace, but it turned out to be faulty, or a set of test data was created. This data is deleted because it wasn’t supposed to be in the workspace, thus Relatics marks the data as “irrelevant” in the recycle bin, and the element ID can be reused. The deleted items are still available in the Recycle bin and can be restored if necessary.
In the recycle bin, these deleted items have a slightly different color and, if the ID has been used again, it will be struck through. This is a clear indicator to other users that, should these elements be undeleted, they will not hold their original ID.
This functionality is designed to not have test data, or mistakes, influence your project’s element IDs and only applies if the user that creates the elements also deletes them.
History
The history of an element already included filters to search by properties, but it now also includes a filter to search by relations.
Relatics Templates
Relatics’ primary goal is to provide insight into project complexity. While it is true that every project is unique, in many organizations you see the need for standardization of working methods. To help with these standardized project processes, Relatics has created the functionality to work with templates. The Relatics Templates feature allows you to standardize the work and scale up without extra overhead, while still granting projects flexibility when necessary.
In short, Relatics allows you to start a new project from a standard template, while still maintaining the possibility to expand the singular project whenever the need arises, as projects are not restricted by the template.
The Relatics Templates feature allows Environment Administrators to specify whether a workspace can be used as a template. The Power User of the workspace creates a template version and new projects can be created based on the template. Any consecutive changes made to the original workspace can be published as a new version of the template and applied to all workspaces based on the template. The changes to a template are only rolled out to a workspace when the Power User of that workspace accepts the update.
A few things to note. A workspace does not have to be subscribed to a template, you can still create workspaces from scratch as well. A workspace subscribed to a template can end the subscription to a template if the project needs to deviate significantly from the vision of the template. Only the Environment Administrator is capable of marking a workspace as template and of ending subscriptions of workspaces to templates.
The Power User of a workspace can choose the timing of the update of the template, because we feel that they are the ones able to decide what is the most convenient moment for the project. For example, a project can have a hard deadline on the day the new template version comes out. The Power User knows this and can plan the update on a later moment.
Additionally if the update conflicts with the model in the project workspace in any way, the Power User will get a pop-up with a message that describes what is in conflict.
What's more
- You can now refresh an overview, or detail view by clicking on the tab.
- A tooltip was added to indicators to quickly see if an element is new or has been edited.
- The location of the Application integration setup is moved to the Settings.
- When deleting an element, Relatics will give a warning if there are underlying derived elements, but not when there are underlying inner elements.
- The Start page will only show once a day when working from the same browser.
Release webinar
See the latest features and upgrades demonstrated in our What’s New release webinar. We show you the improvements with regards to creating relations, templates and the upgrades to the treeview.
Relatics 6.4 - Augustus 2024
Relatics is continually evolving, focussing not only on new features but also on optimizing existing features. We’re excited to announce the release of Relatics 6.4, which is packed with numerous new features and improvements.
GIS integration
Developed in collaboration with Esri we have released a dedicated application integration for ArcGIS. With just a few clicks you can now connect ArcGIS and Relatics. Once ArcGIS is integrated with Relatics you can relate externally managed GIS information with your SE elements.
This new integration enables you to view all your project’s GIS locations on a map directly from the Relatics overview page. By clicking on a specific location, you’ll be taken to its detail page, which also features a map viewer focused on that single location. As with all elements in Relatics, locations can be enriched with properties and linked to other project elements. Additionally, users can select locations directly from the map to create new relationships. Finally, ArcGIS users now receive a direct link for each location within ArcGIS, leading them straight to the corresponding Relatics detail page.
My to-do's
Today’s construction projects demand a lot from users, whether it’s writing or approving requirement texts, reviewing risk control measures, or simply completing tasks from meetings. With the new ‘My to-do’s’ feature, users no longer need to search and filter to find their assigned tasks. A new button in the overview page ribbon gives instant access to their personal to-do list, with a counter showing the exact number of remaining tasks. As to-do’s are completed and their status updated, they won’t be visible anymore in the overview, and the counter automatically adjusts to reflect the remaining workload.
Start page
Every workspace now includes a convenient built-in Start page that provides users with all kinds of useful information. The page features a project image, the project’s time zone, the number of users in the workspace and a list of the Power Users of the workspace with their contact details.
Additionally, the start page displays personalized tables showing recently visited elements and a list of to-do’s, enabling users to start their day quickly and efficiently.
Middle and Derived elements
Significant enhancements have been made to derived and middle elements to boost usability and efficiency.
Swapping origin and target
The middle elements overview page now lets users swap the origin and target element within the first two columns, allowing them to view the information from their preferred perspective. This eliminates the need for separate menu entries, keeping the menu clean and organized.
Improvements on grouping columns
We’ve introduced a filter option for middle and derived element groupings in tables. Users can now apply filters directly within the first two columns of such tables, allowing for more efficient and focused work by filtering on the specific information that matters most.
Additionally, you can now resize the grouping columns by dragging them to be wider or narrower.
Ghost rows
Ghost rows have been introduced to simplify the creation of new middle or derived elements, making your work faster and more efficient. Users can start entering properties directly into the ghost row, and Relatics will automatically create the new middle or derived element for you.
- Improvements have been made to the ‘Back in Time’ feature to ensure it functions properly when the SE model has been changed, to avoid misinterpretations. This means the feature might be unavailable if the SE model has changed significantly, or you may receive a warning indicating that the model has been altered compared to your current version.
- We’ve made enhancements to the copy-paste functionality based on user feedback. Relatics now better interprets pasted values and is more flexible with data validation, increasing the likelihood of successful copy-pasting. If a copy-paste action fails, you’ll receive a detailed error message indicating the row number and part of the text where the error occurred. Additionally, you can now create external relations between two external type elements.
- Entering dates in report parameter fields can now be done in the workspace date format. Previously, this only worked with the yyyy-mm-dd format. This change might affect reports that use dates in other formats (mm-dd-yyyy and dd-mm-yyyy) as they may no longer work.
- We have adjusted the History feature to emphasize live data more than deleted data.
- A new quality reminder called “Required for each relation of” has been added. This quality reminder informs users if there are origin-target relations for which no middle element exists. The previous setting of “Require origin-target relation” will be automatically migrated to the new “Required for each relation of” option.
- We’ve revised the functionality for choosing element icons in your workspace by adding a lot more systems engineering related tags. This enhancement makes it easier to find the right icon for your SE model.
- We upgraded the usability of the type menu organizer. You can now drag and drop items to arrange them in the desired order within the menu.
It is important to mention that you need to refresh the browser tabs in which your Relatics workspace is open after the update is rolled out, for all the new features to work properly.
Release webinar
See the latest features and improvements demonstrated in our What’s New release webinar. We show you the ArcGIS integration, the to-do’s, the Start page, and the improvements regarding middle and derived elements.
Relatics 6.3 - May 2024
Relatics 6.3 is now available, packed with exciting new features! Discover all the updates in the release notes below.
Type Graphview
This innovative feature provides users with a quick and visual overview of their type model, helping them understand the interdependencies between individual project disciplines. The Type graphview, accessible to all users, includes type icons and colors for easy recognition. Additionally, derived and middle elements, recursive relations, and multi-relations each have their own graphical representations for easy comprehension.
For Power Users, the Type graphview now serves as the primary interface for expanding or modifying the Systems Engineering model. They can easily reposition type elements by dragging them.
Hide/Show
This new feature allows users to hide specific type elements from the type list and use cases from the overview page. This helps users focus on the disciplines and overviews most relevant to them. As the project progresses or users’ information needs change, they can easily unhide the type elements and use cases.
Individual preferences are stored in the database, ensuring that hidden items remain hidden even when signing in from a different device.
Collapse/Expand
Users can now collapse and expand tables on detail views. This is particularly useful when a user wants to focus on a specific relation or task without being distracted by other information.
Collapsing tables on the detail view is less permanent than hiding type elements or use cases; in a new browser session or after signing in from a different device, all tables will be fully expanded again
No access
In addition to “Create & Delete,” “Edit,” and “View Only” roles, user roles now include a “No Access” setting. By applying this setting to specific parts of your Systems Engineering model, users assigned to this role will be unable to access the associated project information. This is particularly useful for protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.
Choosing the “No Access” setting ensures that users with this role cannot access the restricted information, even indirectly through for example use cases, reports, the History view, or the Recycle bin.
Webinar
Did you miss our Release webinar with the May 2024 updates? You can catch up by watching it below or via this link.
In the webinar, we thoroughly discuss and demonstrate all the new features.
Relatics 6.2 - March 2024
Relatics 6.2 has been released, introducing a range of new features.
Back in Time
The new ‘Back in time’ feature enables users to view project data at any past moment, providing valuable insights into past situations. This feature also comes in handy for generating reports or publishing data to Excel based on specific historical moments.
‘Back in time’ is accessible on every overview table, including My View and Use Cases.
Compare
Just when you thought ‘Back in time’ was powerful, the new ‘Compare mode’ takes it a step further. With ‘Compare mode’, users can analyze differences in their dataset between two points in time. Using colors, you can quickly identify changes such as new, modified, or deleted requirements.
The feature allows users to compare historic data with either the current moment or another moment in the past, when combined with the ‘Back in time’ feature.
Single Sign-On
The ‘Single Sign-On’ feature allows users to access Relatics using their organization-provided Microsoft user account, improving ease of use by eliminating the need for separate credentials. Moreover, it enhances security as system administrators only need to deactivate a user account in one location when someone leaves the organization.
What makes this feature even more powerful is its ability to support a hybrid setup, allowing certain users to sign in with their Microsoft account while others can still use email and password (e.g., external users).
What's more
Besides these major new features, this update contains a variety of smaller new features and improvements:
- Help users understand the model by using notes
- Publish to Excel, now also for multi-cardinality relations
- The possibility to include or exclude Archived elements in reports
Webinar
Did you miss our Release webinar with the March 2024 updates? You can catch up by watching it below or via this link.
In the webinar, we thoroughly discuss and demonstrate all the new features.
Relatics 6.1 - December 2023
Relatics 6.1 is now officially available, containing all the showcased features from the Relatics Event held on November 14th.
Introduction of a new, third pane
We’ve introduced a new pane, besides the overview and detail pane. This innovative feature facilitates the swift creation of relationships between elements. Simply drag an element from the third pane and drop it onto a table in the detail pane or the overview pane.
In case the element you’re looking for doesn’t exist yet, you can use the pane as well to create it. No more switching between screens or browser tabs.
Similar to the overview and detail pane, users can personalize this pane as well by creating a ‘My view’, allowing them to make their own ‘smart’ selections.
Sections in the type element list
Want to organize the type elements in a more intuitive way? You can now create sections in the type element list.
Easily arrange type elements within these sections, tailoring their positioning and order to your preferences.
For easier navigation, users can simply collapse or expand sections.
Introduction of middle elements
It is now possible to add middle elements to your model. A middle element is a special type element that is distinguished by the fact that these elements are positioned between two elements as an exploited relation.
You can use middle elements for different purposes, a typical and very common one being verifications. Verifying requirements has never been easier!
Just like regular elements, middle elements can be enriched with their own properties and relations.
Tables containing middle elements are automatically grouped in the most intuitive way.
More icons and colors
You can now choose from a large variety of different icons (+1.800) and 15 different colors when choosing the type element settings.
Application integration
Do you want to make use of certain information that is managed in an application other than Relatics? Besides dedicated interfaces with for example document management systems like SharePoint, you can now also create generic interfaces.
Using Excel, XML or JSON, it’s a breeze to stay fully in sync with the third-party application.
Besides manual file upload, the generic interface also supports automated synchronization, making integration smooth and easy through the use of middleware.
Archiving elements
Not all elements need to be visible throughout the entire project. Consider completed actions or discarded requirements, for instance.
The ‘auto archive’ feature provides an elegant solution to hide such elements from the interface. This ensures traceability without cluttering overviews with irrelevant information.
Users can easily identify archived elements and restore them to their normal state if needed.
Relatics 6.0 - November 2023
Relatics 6.0 is now available, offering a variety of new features.
List property value color
As of this release, a Power User has the capability to assign distinct colors to individual values within a list property.
As you would expect, the designated color will be uniformly presented throughout the entire workspace wherever the property is visible. This enhancement contributes significantly to the overall intuitiveness of the user interface.
Element node selection
We’ve made it easier to differentiate between selecting property values and element nodes in a table.
When you select a property value, this is indicated by a highlighted cell border. On the other hand, when you select an element node, you’ll see a highlighted circle around the element icon.
This change makes it clearer for users to understand exactly what they’re selecting. It enhances the overall intuitiveness, especially when users need to copy and paste elements or property values.
Good to know
- Pressing and holding the Shift button enables you to select multiple elements or property values.
- Double-clicking on an element icon allows you to create either a new element or relation, depending on where you perform this action.
Help function
With the next release, a collection of useful ‘help’ articles is accessible to all users. These resources offer guidance to both regular and power users on maximizing the software’s capabilities.
To explore these articles, click on the question mark icon located in the top right corner and employ the search bar to find information about the features you’re interested in.
Export to Excel
As of now, you will have the capability to seamlessly export your table data to Excel.
This feature empowers you to incorporate information from a Relatics table directly into an email, for example, or to conduct standard spreadsheet operations in Excel, such as performing calculations or generating charts and pivot tables.
Role based user access
We are introducing a sophisticated form of role-based user access, designed to empower your team like never before.
Power Users will now have the capability to create and manage Roles within the workspace settings. Each role can be tailored with precise permissions, overseeing the creation and deletion of elements and relations, as well as property editing.
Additionally, you’ll have the flexibility to manage permissions from the ‘opposite end’ by accessing the Type element settings.
Tips:
- Align your Roles with the actual responsibilities within your project. This not only keeps the number of roles manageable but also ensures that most project members require just one role.
- Start simple for new projects: for projects with smaller teams, consider creating a single role with maximum permissions. This can be automatically assigned to new users, providing them with immediate access. As your team grows, you can then refine and specify additional roles.
- Define a “View Only” role: for external users like the project client, or as a default role for new users, consider creating a “View Only” role. This ensures that new users can’t make any edits until they receive a more permanent role.
