Comments can be used to gather and manage feedback from stakeholders at any point in the modeling process. Open ended comments can be created in UrbanCanvas and associated with a location on the map. Comments are available to all users associated with your account and can be downloaded as a CSV. Comments can be toggled on and off by clicking the comment icon button in the UrbanCanvas header. Individual comments can be managed by clicking on a comment icon on the map and interacting with it in the comments sidebar. Multiple comments can be created for a single location. Comments can be replied to and comments and replies can be edited and deleted. Once a comment is created its status is marked as open. You can change a comment’s status to resolve or reopen resolved comments.
Note
At this time all open and resolved comments and replies are visible to all UrbanCanvas users that have access to your account. In addition, all comments in your account can be downloaded by any user associated with your account. Only the user that authored a specific comment or reply can edit their own comments or replies. All users can delete comments.
Capture feedback from internal or external stakeholders on input data for scenarios such as base data, development projects, constraints, or adjustments:
Highlight locations in the base data where attributes may be under or over counted and suggest corrections to the data.
Propose new development projects on the map that are not yet represented in your data pipeline or provide feedback on existing development projects highlighting attributes to change or potential issues with the data.
Propose new development constraints in specific areas on the map or provide feedback on existing constraints highlighting attributes to change or potential issues with the data.
Propose adjustment records in specific areas on the map.
Capture feedback from internal or external stakeholders on the quality of the model base data.
Capture feedback from internal or external stakeholders on simulation results:
Capture questions from stakeholders regarding indicators at specific locations on the map.
Capture feedback from stakeholders regarding model performance and quality from indicators at specific locations on the map.
Comments can be toggled on and off by clicking the comment icon button in the UrbanCanvas header. When comments are turned on, all comments in your account will be visible on the map as comment icons and are colored by their status where blue icons are open comments and grey comments are resolved comments. See the comment icon legend. Individual comments can be viewed and managed by clicking on a comment icon on the map and interacting with it in the comments sidebar.
In the comment sidebar all comments that exist at the location selected are listed and you can interact with each comment. Each comment can be expanded or contracted by clicking on its card. When expanded the history of a comment is shown as a thread with metadata on the username and date and time stamps for each action attached to the comment such as when a comment was created, edited, replied to, reply deleted, or a comment’s status was changed to resolved or a resolved comment was reopened. Each element of the comment thread can be interacted with by placing your mouse over the comment or a comment’s reply to reveal the action menu icon that appears as three vertical dots.
To create a new comment on the map, click on the create new comment icon . A red comment marker will appear on the map. Move the marker to a location on the map you want to associate with the comment by dragging the red marker to the location. Then click on the confirm location icon to save the location.
The comment side panel will open and you can begin to write the comment. To cancel a comment click the cancel comment icon .
Click the green create comment button to save your comment. Comments will be stamped with the username that made the comment and the creation date and time stamp.
Replies can be made to comments to generate a discussion thread among users. Replies are a good way to let others know about supplemental information related to another author’s comment, to ask a question or request more information regarding a comment, or to describe why a comment has been resolved or reopened.
To reply to a comment, select the comment to reply to and click on the reply box under the comment. Enter your reply in the text box and click the add reply button to save your reply. To cancel, click off of the reply box to close it. Replies will be stamped with the username that made the reply and the date and time stamp of the reply.
To edit the text of a comment or a reply, select the comment or reply and click on the action button icon and select the edit option.
Make your edits and then click on the green edit button to save your edits or the grey x button to cancel your edits. Edited comments and replies will be stamped with the username that made the edit and the date and time stamp of the edit.
You can resolve open comments to mark that it has been addressed. To resolve a comment, click on the comment to resolve. Then click on the action button icon for the comment and select the resolve option.
The status of the comment will change to resolved and the comment marker icon on the map will turn to grey. Change of comment status will be stamped with the username that made the change and the date and time stamp of the change.
Resolved comments can be reopened by clicking on the resolved comment to reopen. Then click on the action button icon for the comment and select the reopen option.
The status of the comment will change to open and the comment marker icon on the map will turn to blue. Change of comment status will be stamped with the username that made the change and the date and time stamp of the change.
To delete a comment or a reply, select the comment or reply and click on the action button icon and select the delete option.
Note
At this time you are unable to undo a comment or reply deletion from the user interface. However, deleted comments and replies are archived and can be restored through a request here.
If your account has any open or resolved comments, you can download a CSV of all comments in your account by clicking on the comment icon in the UrbanCanvas header and then click on the Download Comments button to the left of the comment icon. The CSV will contain each comment’s thread history with the fields listed below. This includes information on the location of the comment with latitude and longitude coordinates (projected in World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) coordinate system), the unique record identifiers and body of text of the comment and associated replies with username and date and time stamps for each action. In addition, the CSV holds the comment status (e.g. open or resolved) and associated username and date and time stamps for each change of status. The CSV does not contain deleted comments or replies.
Comments¶
Comments can be used to gather and manage feedback from stakeholders at any point in the modeling process. Open ended comments can be created in UrbanCanvas and associated with a location on the map. Comments are available to all users associated with your account and can be downloaded as a CSV. Comments can be toggled on and off by clicking the comment icon button in the UrbanCanvas header. Individual comments can be managed by clicking on a comment icon on the map and interacting with it in the comments sidebar. Multiple comments can be created for a single location. Comments can be replied to and comments and replies can be edited and deleted. Once a comment is created its status is marked as open. You can change a comment’s status to resolve or reopen resolved comments.
Note
At this time all open and resolved comments and replies are visible to all UrbanCanvas users that have access to your account. In addition, all comments in your account can be downloaded by any user associated with your account. Only the user that authored a specific comment or reply can edit their own comments or replies. All users can delete comments.
Comment examples¶
Common use case examples
Capture feedback from internal or external stakeholders on input data for scenarios such as base data, development projects, constraints, or adjustments:
Highlight locations in the base data where attributes may be under or over counted and suggest corrections to the data.
Propose new development projects on the map that are not yet represented in your data pipeline or provide feedback on existing development projects highlighting attributes to change or potential issues with the data.
Propose new development constraints in specific areas on the map or provide feedback on existing constraints highlighting attributes to change or potential issues with the data.
Capture feedback from internal or external stakeholders on simulation results:
Capture questions from stakeholders regarding indicators at specific locations on the map.
Capture feedback from stakeholders regarding model performance and quality from indicators at specific locations on the map.
Viewing comments¶
Comments can be toggled on and off by clicking the comment icon button
in the UrbanCanvas header. When comments are turned on, all comments in your account will be visible on the map as comment icons and are colored by their status where blue icons are open comments and grey comments are resolved comments. See the comment icon legend. Individual comments can be viewed and managed by clicking on a comment icon 
on the map and interacting with it in the comments sidebar.
In the comment sidebar all comments that exist at the location selected are listed and you can interact with each comment. Each comment can be expanded or contracted by clicking on its card. When expanded the history of a comment is shown as a thread with metadata on the username and date and time stamps for each action attached to the comment such as when a comment was created, edited, replied to, reply deleted, or a comment’s status was changed to resolved or a resolved comment was reopened. Each element of the comment thread can be interacted with by placing your mouse over the comment or a comment’s reply to reveal the action menu icon that appears as three vertical dots.
Icon color
Description
Blue
Open comment
Grey
Resolved comment
Red
Draft location of a new comment
Yellow
Currently selected comment
Creating comments¶
To create a new comment on the map, click on the create new comment icon
. A red comment marker will appear on the map. Move the marker to a location on the map you want to associate with the comment by dragging the red marker to the location. Then click on the confirm location icon 
to save the location.
The comment side panel will open and you can begin to write the comment. To cancel a comment click the cancel comment icon
.
Click the green create comment button to save your comment. Comments will be stamped with the username that made the comment and the creation date and time stamp.
Replying to comments¶
Replies can be made to comments to generate a discussion thread among users. Replies are a good way to let others know about supplemental information related to another author’s comment, to ask a question or request more information regarding a comment, or to describe why a comment has been resolved or reopened.
To reply to a comment, select the comment to reply to and click on the reply box under the comment. Enter your reply in the text box and click the add reply button to save your reply. To cancel, click off of the reply box to close it. Replies will be stamped with the username that made the reply and the date and time stamp of the reply.
Editing comments and replies¶
To edit the text of a comment or a reply, select the comment or reply and click on the action button icon and select the edit option.
Make your edits and then click on the green edit button to save your edits or the grey x button to cancel your edits. Edited comments and replies will be stamped with the username that made the edit and the date and time stamp of the edit.
Resolving comments¶
You can resolve open comments to mark that it has been addressed. To resolve a comment, click on the comment to resolve. Then click on the action button icon for the comment and select the resolve option.
The status of the comment will change to resolved and the comment marker icon on the map will turn to grey. Change of comment status will be stamped with the username that made the change and the date and time stamp of the change.
Reopening comments¶
Resolved comments can be reopened by clicking on the resolved comment to reopen. Then click on the action button icon for the comment and select the reopen option.
The status of the comment will change to open and the comment marker icon on the map will turn to blue. Change of comment status will be stamped with the username that made the change and the date and time stamp of the change.
Deleting comments and replies¶
To delete a comment or a reply, select the comment or reply and click on the action button icon and select the delete option.
Note
At this time you are unable to undo a comment or reply deletion from the user interface. However, deleted comments and replies are archived and can be restored through a request here.
Downloading comments¶
If your account has any open or resolved comments, you can download a CSV of all comments in your account by clicking on the comment icon
in the UrbanCanvas header and then click on the Download Comments button to the left of the comment icon. The CSV will contain each comment’s thread history with the fields listed below. This includes information on the location of the comment with latitude and longitude coordinates (projected in World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) coordinate system), the unique record identifiers and body of text of the comment and associated replies with username and date and time stamps for each action. In addition, the CSV holds the comment status (e.g. open or resolved) and associated username and date and time stamps for each change of status. The CSV does not contain deleted comments or replies.
Column
Description
lat
Latitude of comment location
long
Longitude of comment location
comment_id
Unique comment record identifier
reply_id
Unique reply record identifier
text
Comment or reply body of text
author
Username of comment or reply author
creation_timestamp
Comment or reply create date and time stamp
is_comment_resolved
Indicator of comment status where True: comment
is marked as resolved; False: Comment is open
resolving_user
Username of author who changed comment status to resolved
resolving_timestamp
Date and time stamp of when comment status was
changed to resolved