How are updates created?

When first saving an item to the empower library further information is automatically added to it that enables its identification. This item receives an individual ID number and a time stamp.

In empower, updates are distributed by root items to their connected update group. To specify an item as a root, select it in the library, and then click Update Links in the library menu. From the dropdown menu, select Mark for update link.

Any copy that is created from this item will be part of its update group; as soon as a copy has been made, the item you have previously memorized for an update link will become a root item.

You can also manually assign an item as a root item by right clicking the item and selecting Make this element the root.

Once a change is made to the root item, ensure that the Update is activated in the save dialog. Here you have two options.

1. Share updates: the update is shared to the connected items. Here a user will receive an update notification. The update link icon in the library will also receive a red badge. Via the Update button in the library menu or the right click context window, you can then select Update to root version, to manually update the connected item.

2. Force update: the update is automatically pushed to all connected items. All connected items will be updated, without users having to manually run the update.

A user is required to have writing rights to the folder in order to be able to force updates.

You also have the ability to share an update of the root item from the library without the necessity of having to upload the item first. To do so, simply select the root item, and either right click it or click the Update Links button in the library menu, and then select one of the two available options in order to distribute the update.

If you insert a slide that has received a shared update into a presentation, the update wizard will open, which will present you with different options in dealing with the updates.

Update distribution is not only initiated for elements placed in the empower® library, but also if a copy of the original element is saved locally. If a copy of an element from the library is saved locally, its ID and time stamp are also saved. If this element is opened at a later date, empower® will use this information to establish a connection to the original element and will send an update notification if an update is available for this element.

Update distribution can also consist of multiple elements. If a slide is used in multiple presentations (saved locally and/or in the empower® library), the root element and its copies will be joined in an update link. Changes to the root element will send update notifications to all its connected copies.

Clicking Break Link will remove the selected elements from the update link.

Please Note: It is currently only possible to create an update when e.g. a slide was already saved to the library and it has received its unique ID. This ID is currently unable to be transferred to a currently opened slide. This means that one is currently unable to save all individual slides to the library and then the whole presentation – it is a requirement that the individual slides are inserted into the presentation first. This limitation will be resolved in the next release of empower slides 8!