Document versions let you keep revisions of a file together under one document name. Project members can access the latest information while retaining a clear history of earlier revisions.
When a file is uploaded whose document name matches an existing document, BIMcollab adds it as a new version instead of creating a separate document. Unique and consistent document naming is therefore very important within a project.
📝 Note: You can read more about document names here.
View document version history
To view previous document versions:
Navigate to the Documents tab.
Click on the document name in the list.
Go to the Versions page.
Here you can see an overview of all document versions including information such at the version date, description, status, created on date, created by and publication status.
Add a new version from the Documents tab
Choose an upload method based on the number and type of documents you are updating.
Add versions to documents from Add to Location/Project/Phase button
You can add new versions for documents from the document list. To be recognized as new versions, the file names must match the names of the existing documents.
Navigate to the Documents tab.
Click on the Add to Location/Project/Phase button and choose Upload and share.
Choose the updated file and complete the upload.
A notification appears saying a new version has been added.
⚠️ Attention: If the Advanced upload method is enabled, files are uploaded to Drafts first. Review and complete the required metadata, then share the drafts to add the new versions.
⚠️ Attention: If a Document naming convention is applied, you need to ensure the correct metadata is selected and the correct free field is entered for an existing document.
Under the relevant file, a notification is displayed indicating that the document name already exists, therefore it will be treated as a new version.
⚠️ Attention: If a Document is archived, a new version can't be added.
Add a version to a single document
If there is only one particular document you would like to add a version to, you can do so from the document details:
Navigate to the Documents tab.
Open the document details by clicking on a document name in the list.
Go to the Versions page.
Click on Add version and choose the upload method.
Choose the updated file and complete the upload.
A message will appear saying the new version has been uploaded.
Add versions to multiple documents using an Upload list
When dealing with a large number of documents, you can use an Upload list to add versions in bulk.
Navigate to the Documents tab.
First filter the document list if necessary.
Click on the Download button and check Upload list.
Click on Download.
Open the Excel file.
Update the information including file name (if necessary), version number, version date, version description and status with the newest information.
Save the Excel file once you have completed the edits.
Return to the Documents tab and click on Add to Location/Project/Phase and then Upload list.
Upload the list together with the updated files.
A notification appears saying the new versions are successfully uploaded.
Click Go to drafts and review the metadata. To make changes, select the draft and click Edit, then save your changes.
If applicable, check that all relevant fields are completed according to the Document naming convention.Select the drafts that are ready and click Share to add them as new document versions.
If any selected draft has a validation error, an icon will appear next to it. Correct the error or deselect that draft before sharing the remaining documents.
The shared versions now appear in the document list. Check the Version number column to confirm the updates.
📝 Note: You can read more about how to use Upload lists by referring to this article: Upload list
Add a new version from the Model tab
When working in the WebViewer, you can also add new versions directly to your models.
Navigate to the Model tab.
Find the model in the list and click on the three dots.
Click on Add version.
Choose the updated model and complete the upload.
The new model version will be immediately visible in the WebViewer.
This is also recorded as a version if you switch to the Documents tab. This way a full history is always available.
Download document versions
Documents can be downloaded directly from the document list. By default, the latest version will always be downloaded.
However, it is also possible to download any version from the version history. The old versions can be found in the versions tab (1) of a document. Click on the download icon (2) to download the file of the specific version.
💡 Tip: New versions can originate from different upload methods. In addition to uploading files directly to BIMcollab, documents can also be added through an Autodesk Forma integration using BIMcollab Document Sync. When a file with the same document name is added, it will be stored as a new version regardless of the upload source.
View previous model versions in the WebViewer
⚠️ Attention: Available for Advanced and Enterprise tiers.
Model version history in the WebViewer lets you view an earlier model version and review how a model changed over time.
To view an earlier model version:
Open the Navigation panel.
Select the model’s More options menu (•••).
Select View versions.
Choose the version you want to view.
The version list shows all versions available to you and the date each version was created.
Access to model history depends on your document state permissions:
Team members who can view Shared models can view Shared and Published model versions.
Team members who can only view Published models can access only the published versions.
Published models are identified by the icon:
When you select an older version:
The model state dropdown changes to Custom, which indicates that you are viewing a previous version, rather than the current Shared or Published model.
The selected model's version number indicator appears next to the model.
💡 Tip: To go back to viewing the latest models, change the status Custom to Shared or Published, which will reset all models to their latest version.