Shared Links & Scratch Buffers

The editor can encode the full FSL buffer inside a URL query parameter. Without this feature you have to select the entire .fsl file, copy it into a chat or e‑mail, have the receiver open ProFacet, create a blank design, paste, and hope nothing was truncated. With shared links you hand someone a single URL that opens the design directly. This page explains how the feature works, what you should expect to see when you open one of these links, and how to promote (or dismiss) the scratch buffer.

Creating a Share Link

1. Make sure the editor contains the design you want to send. The link always captures the current buffer, not the last saved design.
2. Click Share in the upper toolbar. This renders a Share Link panel that contains a read‑only URL and copies the same URL to your clipboard.
3. Send the link however you prefer (chat, e‑mail, ticket, etc.). Anyone who opens the URL will see the exact FSL you shared—no clipboard gymnastics required.

Behind the scenes the app serializes the buffer plus a few metadata fields (name, timestamp) into the ?fsl= search parameter. No server round‑trip is required and nothing leaves the browser until you share the link yourself.

Opening a Shared Link

When a user opens a link that contains ?fsl=…, the workspace switches to a scratch buffer:

• The editor is populated with the shared source but is marked read‑only. Attempting to type, run the optimizer, or open files will highlight a warning banner.
• Toolbar actions that would mutate the buffer (New, Open, Process, optimizer start/apply buttons, interactive slicer edits, keyboard shortcuts, etc.) are temporarily disabled.
• A yellow banner explains that you are viewing a read‑only shared design, and Copy to Library and Cancel buttons become visible next to Share.

This safeguard prevents accidental edits that could overwrite your own work before you have consciously adopted the shared design.

Copying to Your Library

Use Copy to Library whenever you want to keep working on the shared design:

1. Click the button in the toolbar. The UI shows a short “Copying…” state while it persists the design locally.
2. On success the app exits scratch mode, removes the ?fsl= parameter, loads the newly saved design record, and re‑enables all controls (Open, New, Process, optimizer actions, interactive slicer, etc.).
3. The saved design inherits the metadata captured in the shared buffer. You can rename it, continue editing, or delete it like any other local design. The Copy/Cancel buttons hide because you are now editing your own version.

If the save fails (for example, IndexedDB is disabled) the workspace stays in scratch mode and an error message explains that the copy did not complete. You can attempt the copy again after resolving the problem.

Canceling a Shared Session

Not ready to adopt the design? Hit Cancel instead. The workspace drops the ?fsl= parameter, clears the scratch buffer from the editor, reloads your normal workspace (remembered design, latest file, etc.), and removes the scratch banner without saving anything from the shared link.

Tips & Limitations

• Shared links are entirely client‑side. Anyone with the link can read the raw FSL in the URL, so avoid posting sensitive work to public channels.
• Very large buffers will also result in long URLs. Most browsers handle this well, but if you frequently share complex designs you may prefer to zip the .fsl file instead.
• After you copy the design into your library you can re‑share it at any time—the Share button always reflects the current buffer, even if the design originated from another shared link.

This workflow removes the tedious “copy, alt‑tab, new, paste” exchange and still gives you an explicit “copy or cancel” decision before modifying the shared design.