Custom Application Menus 

Administrators and users can now create custom Application Menus that can be used to execute scripts, run reports, open finds, create new jobs, open browser windows, open dashboards, and much more. This provides administrators with the ability to organize and optimize how they and their users work. Application Menus may be set up by administrators and shared to users based on their permissions.

Dashboards 

Provide users with easy to use visual Dashboards that present virtually any information upon logging in, or on demand. For example, Dashboards can be used to present users with navigational choices, user To-Do lists, button driven automation, and reports. These are a great way to provide users with information and automation pertinent to their work.

New Standard Forms 

The standard forms installed with every database have been updated to include improved organization and a great new appearance. If upgrading, new standard forms will be added with a "[Workgroups 2010 R2]" suffix, providing you with the opportunity to review and choose the new features, designs, and form elements you would like to adopt.

Find and Replace in MetaScript Editor 

MetaScript, Custom Query, and Stored Files editing gets more convenient and efficient with Find and Replace functionality.

New File Collector
Capabilities 

File Collectors have a range of new properties and functions in this release. Cosmetically, snap-to sizing is replaced by continuous resizing in order to provide for more control in designing the appearance of file collectors in forms. At a functional level, several new properties provide greater flexibility in designing how the file collector behaves and new metascript functions provide administrators and developers with the ability to programmatically refresh the contents of a file collector, sync with the file system, and work with mouse-click events in file collectors.

Additional details are provided in the release notes.

Server-Side Script Execution 

Make your system run lightning fast, even across the Internet. The new server-side scripting capabilities make it easy to optimize performance by running transaction-intensive scripts on the Application Server. Results of scripts executed on the server are transparently available to the form.

Improved Library
Import/Export 

Library import and export capabilities have been enhanced to include:

• Single-click installation of ticket and solution libraries downloaded from the Developer Center.
• User Groups and Permissions can be exported and imported with corresponding entities.
• All entities can be skipped, replaced, or renamed on import.
• New and open XML-based library format.

Integrated Feedback 

A built-in feedback system provides a simple way for users to send feedback (and optionally logs) to MetaCommunications. This new features enables you to communicate your comments, suggestions or bugs directly to our engineering department. This makes for quicker technical support responses and ultimately, a better product.

Document Organizer

Perhaps one of the most powerful features in the Workgroups 2010 release is the Document Organizer, a new folder mode in file collectors. With this new mode, users can use file collectors placed in their tickets to organize their files and keep everything in the right place! Files, emails, email attachments, scanned documents, and even entire directories can be dropped into these new file collectors and the system will automatically copy them to the correct location in the file system. This location can be set by the user or determined programmatically. For example, use the Virtual Ticket module to automatically create the correct folder on the file server for each new Job. Then, use the file collector's new folder mode so that everyone working on the job has a single place to drop their job-related files, emails, attachments, etc... The file collector automatically copies these resources to the right folder on the server and the system indexes, thumbnails, and extracts all the metadata. Not only do misplaced files and a poorly organized file repository become a thing of the past, but achieving this for your team, department, or workgroup is as easy as dragging and dropping!

Copy/Paste File Management

Users can take any digital resource (files or folders) and copy/cut and paste it into a file collector. If the file collector is set to the new folder mode, the files or folders will be copied or moved automatically. It’s that simple. No file system navigation to tread through to ensure your files are placed in the right location.

Folder Searches

Right mouse-click on any file collector and search its contents. The system will automatically build a find that searches the referenced locations and can also help you add additional filter criteria to make finding your files even easier.

Desktop Application Deployment Page

Using just a standard web browser, users can automatically download, install, and log in to Workgroups through the Virtual Ticket module. A web server has been embedded into Workgroups to serve a deployment page complete with the appropriate desktop installer and a simple link to automatically log in to the correct server and database. The deployment page may be distributed to users via a simple URL, or the link can be sent through an auto-generated email invitation.

Plug-ins for Popular Graphic Design Tools

Use automation plug-ins for QuarkXPress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign (including the latest CS5 releases), and the Mac OS X Finder. These integrated plug-ins provide users with the ability to access the Virtual Ticket module's capabilities right from within their native graphics applications. Look up job tickets, find digital assets, copy images from job tickets, and more!

Support for AppleScript

Use the powerful AppleScript language to automate activities in the Virtual Ticket module or to drive any number of the hundreds of AppleScriptable applications directly from the system. Your scripts can even be stored centrally in the Workgroups database, distributed, and then executed by individual client computers or offloaded to the server for processing.

Solution Libraries

Solution Libraries are designed to enhance and extend the core functionality of Workgroups and can include tickets, searches, scripts, and reports. Use Solution Libraries to add substantial functionality to your system: for example, a full CRM or a Help Desk solution. Each may be easily customized with built-in tools, giving your organization the flexibility it needs to adapt the software to your unique environment. Most Solution Libraries are downloadable free of charge at the MetaCommunications Developer Center.

Plug-in for Mac OS X Finder

Quickly look up file metadata and even archive files and folders directly from the Mac OS X Finder. Using a plug-in integrated into the familiar Finder application, users have instant access to the Workgroups database while working in their desktops an navigating their local and network file systems.

Visual Database Editor

Design and develop your MS SQL Server database without knowing Structured Query Language (SQL). An advanced visual database editor provides even non-programmers with a point-and-click means for designing and developing the databases for their workgroups, teams, and businesses.