DVD Chat (Workspace Group Chat)
Standard tier
Available on Standard tier and above. Free / expired users see a 🔒 lock.
A task pane (right-side panel) embedding workspace chat directly inside Excel — no Alt-Tab to Zalo/Telegram needed when discussing with the team. Powered by Firebase Realtime Database + Firebase Storage for attachments.
Open the task pane
DVD Addin → group AI Assistant → ▼ dropdown → DVD Chat.
The task pane docks to the right of Excel — does not cover sheet content. Click the button again to toggle hide/show.
Workspace + groups
First-time setup
- Sign in with your DVDAddin account (same account as your license). If not signed in → menu License → Sign in first
- Chat auto-creates a personal workspace for each user (workspace = email)
- Admin (PM, team lead) can create shared workspaces for projects:
- Click ▼ above the task pane → New workspace
- Name it (e.g. "Khanh Hoa Project 2026")
- Invite members by email — they receive invites in their own workspace
Workspace structure
Workspace "Khanh Hoa Project 2026"
├── #general (default channel)
├── #schedule (schedule discussion)
├── #qaqc (share lab test results)
├── #report (weekly BCH reports)
└── DMs (1-1 chat)Permissions
| Role | Permissions |
|---|---|
| Owner | Create / delete workspace, invite / kick members, manage channels |
| Admin | Invite / kick members, create channels |
| Member | Chat, send files, react |
| Guest | Read + react only (cannot send) |
Features
Messages
- Text — Markdown rendering: bold, italic,
code, link - File attachment — drag-drop or 📎 paperclip → Firebase Storage upload (max 25MB / file)
- Image preview — PNG/JPG inline, click to zoom
- Voice messages — click 🎤 to record voice → upload WAV
- Reactions — emoji react on message (👍, ❤️, 🎉, ...)
- Reply — quote-reply to a message
- Edit / Delete — own messages within 5 minutes after sending
Push notifications
| Trigger | Behavior |
|---|---|
Mention @username | Number badge on ribbon DVD Chat |
| New DM | Badge + subtle sound |
| Channel has unread (no mention) | Number count on channel tab |
Ribbon badge resets when user clicks into a channel with unread messages.
Context Card
Excel-specific feature: copy a cell range → paste into chat → creates a context card with table preview + open-in-file link.
Workflow:
- Select a data range (e.g. Gantt chart range)
- Right-click → Send to DVD Chat
- Pick a channel
- The card appears in chat with:
- Mini preview of the table (15 rows × 5 cols)
- File name + sheet name
- Cell range
- "Open in Excel" button — click → file opens + jumps to that range
Other channel members click the button → file opens exactly at the cell you shared. Useful for pointing at specific numbers instead of taking screenshots.
Search
Click 🔍 on the task pane:
- In current channel — quick filter
- Whole workspace — server-side search via Firebase index
- Filters: by sender, by date range, has attachment, mentions me
Notification settings
Settings (⚙️ on task pane) → Notifications:
| Level | Behavior |
|---|---|
| All messages | Notify every message |
| Mentions + DMs | Only when @username or DM (default) |
| Mute | Disable all |
Per-channel settable: mute #general but keep #qaqc on.
Security
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Firebase Auth via JWT from the license server |
| Authorization | Firestore Security Rules — only workspace members can read |
| Encryption in transit | HTTPS / WSS |
| Encryption at rest | Firebase native encryption |
| Storage privacy | Uploaded files only readable by workspace members (Firebase Storage rules) |
| Retention | Messages stored indefinitely until user deletes |
Not a Slack replacement
DVD Chat is designed for small-to-medium construction teams (5-50 people). No threading, no advanced workflows, no integrations. For large projects, use Microsoft Teams or Slack.
License gating
| Tier | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Free / Expired | 🔒 — task pane opens with "License activation required" |
| Trial | ✅ — full access for 30 days |
| Standard | ✅ — unlimited workspaces, 25MB / file max, 1GB total storage |
| Pro | ✅ — same as Standard (Chat is not Pro-only) |
TIP
Although Chat is a Std-paid feature, its value comes from server-side bandwidth + storage quota DVDAddin pays Firebase for, not from AI or complex logic.
Related
- AI Assistant — single-shot AI differs from group chat
- Connect Server — connect to your company's private server (DVD Cons)
- Setup chat — sign-in step required first