Key Features
Following are the key features in Central.
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Projects
The Projects page displays a grid, which lists all projects that have been created in Central or uploaded to your Central license. Creating a project using Central’s UI is a convenient way to make basic projects in the cloud. Users associated with the project can always import it later from Central to Flare if more advanced features are needed.
Uploaded projects are copies of the local projects located on users’ desktops. Some reasons to upload (i.e., bind) projects to Central, are the following: (1) You can let Central build and host your output, which means you can publish without having to involve an IT department; (2) the connection between your local project files in Flare and the cloned files on Central can be used as a source control solution, with branching integrated in various places in Central; and (3) you can use Central as a platform for topic reviews.
Regardless of whether you create a project in Central or upload it, you can do the following: (1) author, add, and edit project files directly in Central, with the ability to tap into the power of ChatGPT; (2) manage progress on topic development by using checklists; and (3) create a translation branch, using MadTranslations or a third-party language service provider to get translations done. See Projects.
Analytics
The Analytics page lets you view user activity on published HTML5 output. This includes search phrases used, search phrases with no results, topics viewed, context-sensitive Help calls, and demographic statistics (browsers and operating systems). See Analytics.
Sites
The Sites page lets you manage and view sites on the license. A site is a collection of information about an output and its destination. In other words, after you generate output, you want to make it available to your customers. That's what sites are all about. Four page views are available: Sites, URLs, Security, Themes. See Sites.
Reviews
The Reviews page lets you view, edit, and manage review packages that have been sent for review on a particular branch. Bundling files in Flare enables monitoring the progress of a review and updating packages as needed in Central. The data grids for packages and files gives at-a-glance review package information such as recent activity, reviewers, status, and more. Those reviewing files in Central can see them in a contextual TOC view (i.e., assembled order of topics for output). See Reviews.
Tasks
The Tasks page lets you keep track of work that needs to be completed and visualize the work flow. When creating a task board and then tasks within it, you can provide various kinds of information. See Tasks.
Teams
The Teams page can be used to organize users into groups. This provides a convenient way to associate authors with projects, as well as to give users permissions on the license. Teams are also important if you produce private output, because only members of a team that is associated with the private site can view that output. See Teams.
Users and Permissions
The Users page lets you see and manage all of the users on a license. The first person to log in to MadCap Central using your company's license has “User Administration” permission. From the Users page, this person can invite other individuals to join the license. A person with “User Administration” rights can assign permissions to other users (authors only, not SMEs or viewers). Some users might receive only basic permissions, while others might be granted higher administrative rights. See Users and Setting User Permissions.
Widgets
After you’ve added content and information (e.g., projects, tasks) to your license, you will probably want to add widgets to your Home and Project dashboards.
Server Management and Purchasing
Users with the appropriate administrative permissions can manage the Central license on the server. This includes the ability to configure single sign-on (SSO), change the license label, set up Slack integration, and choose security settings. Also, some users are allowed to buy more user seats and purchase additional storage space. See License Management and Purchasing.
