Key Features

Following are the key features in Central.

Projects

The Projects page displays a grid, which lists all MadCap Flare projects that have been uploaded to your Central license. These are copies of the local projects located on users’ desktops. There are many good reasons to upload (i.e., bind) Flare projects to Central, including (but not limited to) 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 Flare project files and the cloned files on Central can be used as a source control solution, with branching integrated in various places in Central; (3) you can use Central as a platform for topic reviews; (4) you can add and edit project files directly in Central, with the ability to tap into the power of ChatGPT; and (5) you can manage progress on topic development by using checklists. See Projects.

Analytics

The Analytics page lets you view user activity on published Flare 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.

Collaboration

Central lets you collaborate with others using various features.

  • Authoring MadCap Central's cloud environment empowers you to author Madcap Flare project files directly without having to use Flare's desktop application. You can add new files, edit existing content, upload files, and even use integrated ChatGPT (see AI Assist). The Central interface includes an easy-to-use editor for content viewing and editing, and if permission is granted, you can also edit in a code editor. See Authoring.

  • 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.

  • Message Center The Message Center is an area where users can hold conversations with other users in Central. Conversations can be with other individuals or entire teams. See Message Center.

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.

Translation

The Translation page lets you quickly obtain a quote for translating your Flare projects and other files into various languages. This quote originates from MadTranslations, which is the translation services division of MadCap Software. The translation process usually involves the use of MadCap Lingo, either as the translation tool or to package your Flare files for translation work. See Requesting a Translation Quote.

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. Widgets are objects that let you see important information at a glance. For example, on your Home dashboard you might want to see widgets showing storage and usage, project bookmarks, reports, build activity, and a task calendar. And on your project dashboards, you might want to see widgets showing project properties, live builds, checklists, and target build history. See Dashboards and Widgets.

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.