1. Home
  2. New eShare User Interface coming

New eShare User Interface coming

The fantastic new and plugin-free eShare user interface is coming. This means that you will soon be able to use it with any modern browser of your choice. Please note that the new user interface will require an HTTPS connection (see instructions below).

The new interface will be implemented in a stepwise fashion. In 2022T2, we will introduce it as a public preview with limited functionality, but you’ll already get a chance to see it in action and get a feel for it. We aim to have it fully ready for you in 2022T3.

In 2022T2, you will be able to access the new interface via a link on the top right of the eShare application. It is also possible to hide or force the selection in the eShare Application settings.

Please note that eShare’s administration pages will not yet be migrated to the new UI in 2022T2, and the admin links will open the “old” admin pages from the “new” UI.

Changing to HTTPS protocol

Due to the advanced web technologies used, the new plugin-free UI requires an HTTPS protocol. To use HTTPS properly, you’ll need a valid HTTPS certificate to avoid security-related warnings or domain policies that can prevent connection. In addition, using HTTPS is preferable because the data that is transmitted between browser and the eShare server is then encrypted.

Proper HTTPS certificates are issued by the Certificate Authorities, which the browser will trust by default. Domain computers can be configured to trust a certain certificate by installing it in the certificate store.

Please note that certificates are issued for a particular hostname (Fully Qualified Domain Name) and using that hostname when connecting is a prerequisite for a secure connection.

Not secure -window

Taking HTTPS into use

After you have acquired an HTTPS certificate, the license file can be loaded into Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, in the Server Certificates page.

As next step, HTTPS binding can be enabled for the eShare site in IIS and the loaded certificate can be selected from the dropdown menu. Port 443 should be used. More detailed instruction can be found from Microsoft’s IIS documentation: Set up HTTPS on IIS

Possible issues with HTTPS use

Please note that if HTTP binding is removed, all integrations to eShare need to be revised for possible configuration changes.

Possible issues related to a faulty HTTPS certificate 

  • When connecting to eShare, “Connection is not secure” warning is displayed, and user needs to manually select “Continue anyway” 
  • Some domain policies can prevent “Continue anyway” from being selected when an improper certificate is encountered 
  • CADMATIC eGo, eShare integrations and other administrative tools (eShare admin, backup restore...) can possibly not connect to eShare or will show warning dialogs 
  • eShare App's 3D component may have connectivity issues

Therefore, it is recommended to obtain a valid HTTPS certificate and to always use fully qualified domain name when connecting to eShare.

Installer changes

The eShare installer will now suggest binding to HTTPS by default, proposing 443 as the port, which is by default used with HTTPS. The certificate can then be added during the installation phase. Otherwise, a “Self-Signed certificate” is used, which is not valid, but can easily be changed into a proper certificate later.

Please note that this may fail if the current user does not have the right to add certificates.

Note that this does not affect eShare server updates, so HTTPS binding needs to be taken into use manually. The installer will notify the user if there is no HTTPS binding. The user can enable HSTS, which will redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS.

If you have any questions or queries about the new eShare UI or taking HTTPS protocols into use, please do not hesitate to contact us via the customer support portal.