README.md

Project Scope

An online collaborative file view and edit web application that supports multiple file types.

Motivation

During online group discussion, most of the time we work with multiple files together (ie poster, writing proposal, referring to articles/slides/videos). This can get quite messy and we want to make projects more organized and have common platform that allows users to work on multiple files at the same time.

Idea

To simulate a table top discussion for projects/teaching/learning while leveraging on technology.

• Live Demo
• Ideation poster
• Ideation video
• Development Video
• Submission poster
• Submission

Features

• Real time file viewing and editing (similar to google docs)
• Flexible Tile Layout
• Supports wide range of file types
  • PDF (react-pdf)
  • Image
  • Video (Youtube)
  • Google Docs
  • Text (textarea for edit)
  • Markdown
• Drag and Drop Upload (react-dropzone-s3-uploader)
• Toolbar
  • Selection Tool
  • Drag Tool
    • Unlocks layouts to allowing dragging and resize (react-rnd)
    • Tile information provided on hover
      • owner
      • lastEditBy
      • lastEditTime
  • Whiteboard Annotations
    • Based on socket io implementation using html canvas
    • Pen with multiple colours
    • Eraser
  • Tile packing
  • Add Tile Form
    • For google doc/spead sheet provide full sharing link
      • https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xf0bxn-cvB18ycAxP27bDqeYAYq_JqKY6psZoPJuT-E/edit?usp=sharing
    • For youtube, provide end of url
      • https://youtu.be/**7TeuZ-MRs1k**
      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=**7TeuZ-MRs1k**
• Multiple Rooms for different groups
  • Home screen allows users to create/access rooms
  • https://collaborate-app.herokuapp.com/${room_name}
• Extensibility - abstract the implementation of tile so that other users can create their own tiles
• Feature Tour (react-joyride)
• Responsiveness

Future Plans

• Permissions
• Chat channels

Target Uses and Users

Project Work

Students who are working on projects

• Able to upload different references/sources to aid project discussion.
• Able to view different files that are due for submission side by side.
• Able to discuss project with reference materials flipped to the same pages.

Teaching

Platform for tutors to hold an online classroom for teaching.

• Able to upload multiple relevant resources (images, pdfs, videos) to facilitate teaching

How are we different?

Differentiate from similar platforms:

eg: Google Docs, Microsoft Office Live

• Supports editing of multiple file types.
• Able to view and edit multiple file types side by side in real time.
• Editable tile layout
• Extensibility: users are able to create their own tiles specific to their project (interpreter, .md reader, image editing tile)