PROTOFLOW/Docs

Collaboration

Real-Time Collaboration

ProtoFlow supports real-time multi-user schematic editing powered by WebRTC and CRDTs. Multiple engineers can work on the same schematic simultaneously with live cursors, instant synchronization, and automatic conflict resolution.

# Creating Sessions

Start a collaboration session to invite others to edit your schematic in real-time.

How to Start a Session

  1. Click the Collaboration icon in the toolbar
  2. Select Create Session
  3. Choose the scope: share a single schematic or the entire project
  4. A unique session PIN and invite link are generated
  5. Share the PIN or link with your collaborators

Sharing Options

  • PIN code — A short numeric code that collaborators can enter to join
  • Deep link — A direct URL that opens ProtoFlow and joins the session automatically
  • Invite system — Send invites directly to users. They can accept or decline from within the app.
[ Screenshot ]

Share session dialog showing PIN code, deep link, and invite options

# Joining Sessions

Join an existing collaboration session using a PIN code, invite link, or by accepting an invite.

Methods to Join

Via PIN Code

Click the Collaboration icon → Join Session → Enter the PIN code shared by the host.

Via Deep Link

Click the link shared by the host. ProtoFlow opens automatically and joins the session.

Via Invite

When someone invites you, a notification appears in the app with Accept/Decline buttons.

[ Screenshot ]

Join session dialog with PIN code input field

# Live Cursors & Presence

See where your collaborators are working in real-time with color-coded cursors and presence indicators.

Features

  • Live cursor tracking — Each collaborator's cursor position is shown on the canvas in real-time
  • Color coding — Each collaborator is assigned a unique color for their cursor and selections
  • Name labels — Cursor labels show the collaborator's name for easy identification
  • Presence indicators — The toolbar shows who is currently connected to the session
  • Heartbeat monitoring — Disconnected users are automatically detected and removed from the presence list
[ Screenshot ]

Multiple color-coded cursors visible on the schematic canvas during a collaboration session

# Conflict Resolution

ProtoFlow uses CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) and Hybrid Logical Clocks to ensure that concurrent edits by multiple users are automatically merged without conflicts.

How It Works

  • CRDT operations — Every edit is represented as a CRDT operation that can be applied in any order and still produce the same result
  • Hybrid Logical Clock (HLC) — Operations are ordered using HLC timestamps that combine physical and logical time for consistent ordering
  • Operation validation — Each operation is validated before being applied to catch invalid or stale edits
  • Automatic merging — When two users edit the same element simultaneously, the system automatically resolves the conflict using last-writer-wins with HLC ordering
  • WebRTC transport — Operations are transmitted directly between peers using WebRTC for low-latency synchronization, with Firebase as the signaling server

Zero-Conflict Editing

Unlike traditional file-locking systems, ProtoFlow's CRDT-based collaboration allows multiple users to edit simultaneously without ever encountering merge conflicts or data loss.

Next Steps