Documentation

LocusSync Collaboration

Real-time PDF markup, issue, and chat sync between teammates. Create a room, name the session, and review drawings live.

LocusSync Collaboration

LocusSync enables real-time collaboration across multiple LocusBIM instances. Changes to markups, issues, comments, and chat messages sync automatically between connected peers — no manual refresh or file sharing required.

Starting a Session

Open the Sync panel from the toolbar and click Create Room to start a new session, or enter an existing room code and click Join. All data in the room is shared in real time.

When joining, you can enter an optional Session Name (e.g. "Mechanical Coordination — Level 3") to label the room for easy identification later. The active session panel shows the friendly name and a Copy Invite button that copies the session name and room ID to your clipboard, ready to paste into an email or chat.

Recent Sessions

The last 8 rooms you joined are listed under Recent Sessions in the Sync panel. Click any entry to rejoin instantly — no need to re-enter the room ID.

What Syncs

Key / Control	Action
PDF markups	Created, modified, and deleted markups sync instantly
Issue tracking	New issues, status changes, and assignments sync across peers
Markup comments	Comment threads on PDF markups appear on all devices
Issue comments	Comment threads on 3D viewer issues sync in real time
Peer cursors + presence	See where teammates are clicking and which page they have open
In-session chat	Ephemeral text chat — see the Chat subsection below

In-Session Chat

Every sync room has a built-in chat panel for quick coordination without leaving the app. Click the Chat toggle in the menu bar (it appears next to the sync status bar whenever you are in a session) to open the panel. Messages from teammates appear on the left in a neutral colour; your own messages appear on the right in the accent colour. The toggle shows an unread badge ("3", "10", up to "99+") when remote messages arrive while the panel is closed.

Key / Control	Action
Enter	Send the current message
Shift+Enter	Insert a line break without sending
Max message length	2000 characters (longer messages are rejected by the server)

Tip: Chat is ephemeral — messages reach everyone in the room at that moment, but they aren't saved and someone joining later won't see history. Use chat for live coordination ("I'm taking sheet A-101 next"). For anything you'll need to reference later, use Issue Comments instead.

Pending Changes Indicator

The sync status bar shows a badge when there are local changes waiting to upload — for example, markups drawn while offline or comments posted before the connection is ready. The badge clears automatically once everything is synced.

Offline Behaviour

If the connection drops, LocusBIM continues to work normally. Markup, issue, and comment changes are queued locally and sent automatically when the connection returns. If two people change the same thing while disconnected, the most recent edit wins.

Chat is the one exception — chat messages typed while disconnected are not queued (chat is live broadcast only). Wait for the connection indicator to go green before typing time-sensitive messages.

Tip: Keep the Sync panel visible during review sessions — you can see exactly who is connected and whether your changes have reached the room.