You can create and work with design Options if your network is contained in a single project, or if it is segmented into in multiple and related sub-projects.

In this article we explore the latter scenario to show you how to load design Options from related sub-projects, and visualise them in the main project.

We start with a blank design for the main project, and two existing sub-projects ready to be connected to the main project to form an overall network view.

We'll create those relationships, and walk through the steps to import changes from the sub-projects as Options into the main project.

This is done in the Sources section of the Layers panel.

Click the (+) to the right of any group of tabs in the main project's workspace, and on the popup select Layers. The Layers tab will open, with an empty section under Engineering Model called Sources

Click the (+) to the right of the Sources section and choose Import from project:

On the popup, if you know the URL of the project you're importing a design from enter it into the space provided. Neara will validate the URL before import.

Alternatively you can also use the Cloud picker to browse all projects that you have access to:

Click Next, and when prompted place a checkmark next to the design Options you'd like to import from that project:

You can also change the Name of the Option before you import it, so that it's meaningful when listed in your main project. For example, you might add a version number or status text to the Option name.

Click Import when ready; the design Option will be imported and displayed.

If this is the first time you have imported an Option from a related project, the Sources section of the Layers panel will be updated with that project's name, and the imported Option will be listed underneath it.

To show or hide an Option, click the eye icon next to its name in the Sources section.

You can relate multiple projects as Sources in your main project by repeating these steps for different Projects.

You can remove a previously imported Option from the project with the Archive option feature. Under the related project in the Sources section of the Layers panel, click the action (…) menu next to the relevant Option and select Archive:

Before archiving an Option, Neara will automatically save a Version of your project, so that it can be restored later if you need. You'll be prompted to give this Version a meaningful name before the archive is done:

Once archived, the Option will be removed from the Sources section and the design will be updated in the Perspective and other views.

You can not import an Option with the same name as an existing or archived Option. If you need to re-import a previously archived option, follow the steps below to give it an unused Name first.

In the above example, you could not place a checkmark next to the South - 21 August 2023 Option, because that Option has already been imported into the main project:

To re-import that design Option either: