Simple Wires Help

- Getting Started: /manual/docs/getting-started.html
- Projects Dashboard: /manual/docs/projects.html
- Sharing Projects: /manual/docs/sharing.html
- Drawings and the Start Page: /manual/docs/drawings.html
- The Drawing Editor: /manual/docs/editor.html
- Functional Blocks and Ports: /manual/docs/blocks.html
- Master Library: /manual/docs/equipment-library.html
- Warehouses: /manual/docs/warehouses.html
- Racks and Rack Panels: /manual/docs/racks.html
- Drawing Cables: /manual/docs/cables.html
- Off Sheet Pointers: /manual/docs/off-sheet-pointers.html
- Shapes, Text and Images: /manual/docs/shapes-text-images.html
- Page Setup and Drawing Settings: /manual/docs/page-setup.html
- Printing and Exporting: /manual/docs/print-export.html
- Project Data Grids: /manual/docs/project-data.html
- Signal Types: /manual/docs/signal-types.html
- Drawing Revisions: /manual/docs/revisions.html
- Teams: /manual/docs/teams.html
- Billing and Plans: /manual/docs/billing.html
- Your Account: /manual/docs/account.html
- Themes and Appearance: /manual/docs/appearance.html
- Keyboard Shortcuts: /manual/docs/keyboard-shortcuts.html
- FAQ and Troubleshooting: /manual/docs/faq.html


# Projects Dashboard

The Projects Dashboard lists every project you own or that has been shared with you. Use it to create, open, rename, copy, share, archive and delete projects.

You land on the dashboard when you sign in. From the drawing editor, click your initials at the top right and choose **Projects Dashboard**. From other account pages, click **Dashboard** in the top menu.

{{< screenshot name="projects-dashboard" alt="The Projects Dashboard with the project counters, search box and project list" >}}

## The project list

The page is titled **My Projects**. If you belong to a team, it is titled **Projects Assigned to Me**.

Each row shows:

- **NAME**: the project name, with **Date Created**, **Last Modified** and **Owner** underneath. Click the name to open the project.
- **Description**
- **Status**: a play icon for an active project, or an archive icon for an archived one.
- **Permissions**: an eye icon means you can view the project. A pencil icon next to it means you can also edit it. A row with only the eye icon is view only.
- The row menu (the vertical dots at the end of the row). See [The project menu](#the-project-menu).

The list shows ten projects per page, with page links at the bottom. Click the **NAME** column heading to switch between A to Z and Z to A.

To find a project, type part of its name in **Find by Name** and click **Search**. Clear the box and click **Search** again to see all projects.

## Project limits

The counters above the list show your plan's limits:

- **Project Count** shows your active projects against the number your plan allows, for example **3 / 5**. Archived projects don't count. Projects shared with you do count.
- **Drawings/Project Max Count** shows the most drawings your plan allows in one project.

If you are on a team, the counts are those of the team owner's plan.

When you reach the project limit, **New Project** and **Save As** are refused with a message. Archive a project you aren't using, or change your plan. See [Billing and Plans]({{< relref "billing#plans" >}}).

If you have more active projects than your plan allows, for example after moving to a smaller plan, the dashboard archives the extra projects when it loads. It keeps the first projects in name order active. On the Free plan only your first project stays active.

<!-- VERIFY: Drawings/Project Max Count appears to be enforced only on the Free plan (one drawing per project). Is it enforced for paid plans anywhere? -->

## Creating a project

1. Click **New Project**.
2. Enter a **Project Name**. It must be different from your other projects' names.
3. Enter a **Description** (optional).
4. If you are on a team, choose the **Team** the project belongs to. Everyone on that team is added to the project.
5. Click **Save Project**.

{{< screenshot name="projects-create" alt="The Create Project form" >}}

The new project contains one empty drawing, **Drawing 1**. Its standard signal types are added the first time you open it.

If your team role doesn't allow creating projects, the **New Project** button isn't shown. See [Teams]({{< relref "teams" >}}).

<!-- VERIFY: are team members added to the project only when a Team is selected, and is the Team list shown to every team member who can create projects? -->

## Opening a project

Click the project name, or choose **Open Project** from the row menu. The project opens on its Start Page. See [Drawings and the Start Page]({{< relref "drawings" >}}).

Archived projects can't be opened. Their name isn't a link until you extract the archive.

## The project menu

Click the vertical dots at the end of a row to open its menu. The commands you see depend on your permissions for that project and on your plan.

{{< screenshot name="projects-row-menu" alt="The row menu of a project open, showing Open Project, Edit Details, Save As, Delete, Sharing Tools and Archive Project" >}}

| Command | Shown when |
|---|---|
| **Open Project** | Always, for active projects |
| **Edit Details** | You can edit the project |
| **Save As** | You can edit the project |
| **Delete** | You created the project, or your team role can delete projects |
| **Sharing Tools** | You can edit the project |
| **Archive Project** | You can edit the project and you are on a paid plan |
| **Extract Archive** | The project is archived, you are on a paid plan, and you have room for another active project |

### Edit Details

Change the **Project Name** or **Description**, then click **Save Project**. Click **Back to List** to leave without saving.

### Save As

**Save As** makes a copy of the whole project under a new name. It isn't available on the Free plan, and it counts as a new project against your limit.

1. Choose **Save As** from the row menu.
2. Enter the new **Project Name** and **Description**.
3. Click **Save Project As**.

{{< screenshot name="projects-save-as" alt="The Save Project As page with its list of what gets copied" >}}

The copy:

- Is owned by you, with Date Created and Last Modified set to now.
- Contains copies of all the project's drawings, with their names and descriptions.
- Contains copies of the project's signal types and images. Images in the copied drawings point to the new project.
- Is not shared with anyone, even if the original was. Invite people again from **Sharing Tools**.

Drawing revisions are not copied. The copied drawings start with no revision history.

### Delete

1. Choose **Delete** from the row menu.
2. Check the project name, description and date on the confirmation page.
3. Click **Delete**, or **Cancel** to go back.

> [!WARNING]
> Deleting a project removes it, and all its drawings, for everyone it is shared with. This can't be undone. If you might need the project later, archive it instead.

### Sharing Tools

Opens the sharing page for the project, where you invite people and set their permissions. See [Sharing Projects]({{< relref "sharing" >}}).

### Archive Project and Extract Archive

Archiving takes a project out of your active project count without deleting it. The project stays in your list with the archive icon, but you can't open it.

To archive a project:

1. Choose **Archive Project** from the row menu.
2. Click **Archive** on the confirmation page.

To bring an archived project back:

1. Choose **Extract Archive** from the row menu. The page shows who archived the project and when.
2. Click **Extract Archive**.

You need room under your project limit to extract an archive. If you are at the limit, an archived project has no row menu. Archive or delete another project first.

An archived project's row menu offers only **Extract Archive**. To delete or share an archived project, extract it first.

<!-- VERIFY: what can a user on the Free plan do with a project that was archived automatically (no row menu is shown)? -->

## New drawing settings

Click **Config** to set the defaults that every new drawing starts with. **Config** isn't available on the Free plan or to view-only team roles.

{{< screenshot name="projects-config" alt="The Edit Your Settings page with the New Drawing Settings panel" >}}

Under **New Drawing Settings**:

- **Unit of Measure (in|cm)**: **Inch** or **Centimeter**.
- **Page Width** and **Page Height**
- **Margin Top**, **Margin Bottom**, **Margin Left** and **Margin Right**
- **Active Fill Color** and **Active Stroke Color**
- **Active Stroke Width**

If you belong to a team, a **Team Email Notifications** panel lets you choose which team events email you: when a drawing is deleted, a new drawing is created, a new project is created, a new team member is created, a project is archived or extracted, a project is deleted, or a team member is deleted.

Click **Save Settings**. The settings apply to drawings you create from now on. To change the page setup of an existing drawing, see [Page Setup and Drawing Settings]({{< relref "page-setup" >}}).