Integrated computing environment for managing and presenting design iterations
Techniques of managing design iterations include generating data linking selected snapshot histories with contextual notes within a single presentation environment. A designer may generate a design iteration in a design environment. Once the design iteration is complete, the designer may show a snapshot of the design iteration to a stakeholder. The stakeholder then may provide written contextual notes within the design environment. The computer links the contextual notes to the snapshot and stores the snapshot and contextual notes in a database. When the designer generates a new design iteration from the previous design iteration and the contextual notes, the computer generates a new snapshot and a link to the previous snapshot to form a timeline of snapshots. The designer may then present the snapshots, the timeline, and the contextual notes to the stakeholder as a coherent history of how the design of the mobile app evolved to its present state.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by processing circuitry of a computer configured to store and display iterations of content data, first snapshot data representing a first snapshot of first content, the first snapshot data including (i) first artboard identification data including one or more addresses identifying a first set of artboards, each of the first set of artboards including an iteration of portions of the first content comprising one or more of graphic data and audio data and (ii) contextual note data representing a set of contextual notes, the set of contextual notes representing comments concerning the first set of artboards;
acquiring, by the processing circuitry, second snapshot data representing a second snapshot of second content, the second snapshot data including second artboard identification data including one or more addresses identifying a second set of artboards, each of the second set of artboards including an iteration of portions of the second content based at least in part on the first snapshot data;
generating, by the processing circuitry, snapshot link data indicating that the second snapshot follows from the first snapshot, the snapshot link data being included in the second snapshot data, the snapshot link data including pointer data representing an address in physical storage of the first content; and
displaying, by the processing circuitry and on a display device, a first graphic representing the first set of artboards, a second graphic representing the second set of artboards, a third graphic representing a history based on the snapshot link data, and a set of annotations to the first graphic corresponding to the set of contextual notes, the history indicating that the second snapshot follows from the first snapshot.
2. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, on the display device, a fourth graphic that includes a textual representation of the contextual note data.
3. The method as in claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving data indicating a selection of a textual representation of a contextual note of the set of contextual notes; and
performing a highlighting operation on the set of annotations to highlight the annotation corresponding to the contextual note relative to other annotations of the set of annotations.
4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein receiving the first content data and the contextual note data includes:
generating a first content data file;
generating a contextual note data file separate from the first content data file; and
generating, as the contextual note data of the first snapshot data, contextual note link data including pointer data representing an address in physical storage of the contextual note data file.
5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein generating the snapshot link data indicating that the second snapshot follows the first snapshot in time includes:
receiving copy/paste data representing a history and copy commands and paste commands within the application window; and
producing the snapshot link data based on the copy/paste data.
6. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the second content data in a session synchronous with the receiving of the contextual note data.
7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein generating the snapshot link data indicating that the second snapshot follows the first snapshot in time includes:
generating, as snapshot link data included in the first snapshot data, pointer data representing an address in physical storage of the second content data.
8. A computer program product comprising a nontransitory storage medium, the computer program product including code that, when executed by processing circuitry of a computer configured to store and display iterations of content data, causes the processing circuitry to perform a method, the method comprising:
first snapshot data representing a first snapshot of first content, the first snapshot data including (i) first artboard identification data including one or more addresses identifying a first set of artboards, each of the first set of artboards including an iteration of portions of the first content comprising one or more of graphic data and audio data and (ii) contextual note data representing a set of contextual notes, the set of contextual notes representing comments concerning the first set of artboards;
acquiring second snapshot data representing a second snapshot of second content, the second snapshot data including second artboard identification data including one or more addresses identifying a second set of artboards, each of the second set of artboards including an iteration of portions of the second content based at least in part on the first snapshot data;
generating snapshot link data indicating that the second snapshot follows from the first snapshot, the snapshot link data being included in the second snapshot data, the snapshot link data including pointer data representing an address in physical storage of the first content data; and
displaying, on a display device, a first graphic representing the first set of artboards, a second graphic representing the second set of artboards, and a third graphic representing a history based on the snapshot link data, the history indicating that the second snapshot follows from the first snapshot.
9. The computer program product as in claim 8 , wherein receiving the first snapshot data includes:
obtaining artboard selection data selecting at least one artboard from an initial set of artboards; and
identifying, as the set of artboards selected by the first snapshot, the at least one artboard selected by the artboard identification data.
10. The computer program product as in claim 9 , wherein the initial set of artboards is stored as a database file in a database, and
wherein obtaining the artboard selection data selecting at least one artboard from an initial set of artboards includes:
receiving a database query identifying portions of the database file that includes the at least one artboard.
11. The computer program product as in claim 10 , wherein the database is a NoSQL database.
12. The computer program product as in claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving contextual note data representing a set of contextual notes, the set of contextual notes corresponding to the first set of artboards identified by the first snapshot identification data and representing comments concerning the first set of artboards; and
displaying, on the display device within the application window, a set of annotations to the first graphic corresponding to the set of contextual notes.
13. The computer program product as in claim 9 , further comprising:
displaying, on the display device, a fourth graphic that includes a textual representation of the contextual note data.
14. The computer program product as in claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving data indicating a selection of a textual representation of a contextual note of the set of contextual notes; and
performing a highlighting operation on the set of annotations to highlight the annotation corresponding to the contextual note relative to other annotations of the set of annotations.
15. The computer program product as in claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving the second snapshot data in a session synchronous with the receiving of the contextual note data.
16. An electronic apparatus configured to store and display iterations of content data, the electronic apparatus comprising:
a network interface;
a memory; and
controlling circuitry coupled to the memory, the controlling circuitry being configured to:
receive first snapshot data representing a first snapshot of first content, the first snapshot data including (i) first artboard identification data including one or more addresses identifying a first set of artboards, each of the first set of artboards including an iteration of portions of the first content comprising one or more of graphic data and audio data and (ii) contextual note data representing a set of contextual notes, the set of contextual notes representing comments concerning the first set of artboards;
acquire second snapshot data representing a second snapshot of second content, the second snapshot including second artboard identification data including one or more addresses identifying a second set of artboards, each of the second set of artboards including an iteration of portions of the second content based at least in part on the first snapshot data;
generate snapshot link data indicating that the second snapshot follows from the first snapshot, the snapshot link data being included in the second snapshot data, the snapshot link data including pointer data representing an address in physical storage of the first content data; and
display, on a display device, a first graphic representing the first set of artboards, a second graphic representing the second set of artboards, a third graphic representing a history based on the snapshot link data, and a set of annotations to the first graphic corresponding to the set of contextual notes, the history indicating that the second snapshot follows from the first snapshot.
17. The electronic apparatus as in claim 16 , wherein the controlling circuitry configured to receive the first content data is further configured to:
obtain artboard selection data selecting at least one artboard from an initial set of artboards; and
identify, as the set of artboards selected by the first snapshot, the at least one artboard selected by the artboard identification data.
18. The electronic apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein the initial set of artboards is stored as a database file in a database, and
wherein the controlling circuitry configured to obtain the artboard selection data selecting at least one artboard from an initial set of artboards is further configured to:
receive a database query identifying portions of the database file that includes the at least one artboard.
19. The electronic apparatus as in claim 16 , wherein the controlling circuitry configured to display the first graphic, the second graphic, the third graphic, and the set of annotations is further configured to:
display, in a first application window, the first graphic and the second graphic; and
display, in a second application window different from the first application window, the first graphic, the third graphic, and the set of annotations.