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Managing Revisions

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How and Where Revisions are Displayed

In this article, you will be able to learn where revisions are displayed and how to update them for both: PDF and 3D models. 

View Revision Info

There are a few places where you can find a revision number within the app or WebPortal. 

3D Model Revision

Within the app, you can find 3D model Revision number within the Assembly Info screen: 

Assembly info

To get to this screen, please login into FabStation App via the tablet, PC or phone > Choose project > Choose Assembly > Choose quantity. 

After that, you will see an Assembly Info screen with the relevant details. 

And it’s also visible with the Reports:

Report example

Within the Webportal, it is available on the Drawings page: 

Revision no

PDF/Drawing Revisions

You can check PDF revision within the app only, via the PDF name or a drawing itself. 

For that, navigate to Assembly Info screen in the app, as mentioned above.

There, click on “Drawings” button:

If you mention the revision number in the PDF name, it will be reflected within the drop-down, and you can also zoom-in to see the revision number on the drawing itself:

Note

Please note, that "Drawings" button is present only if there are PDF attached to that assembly.

Uploading Files: Revisions Overview

3D Model Revision

FabStation handles 3D model revision data differently based on project type you uploaded your files into: Steel or Metal.

These project types require different files:

  • Steel will always have a project IFC + a KSS file from various detailing softwares that can provide both required files. 
  • Metal doesn’t need a KSS file, but there 1 file should correspond to 1 assembly.

Here are some of the examples: 

steelvsmetal

Here are all file formats we support at FabStation. 

And here is how you can upload both Steel and Metal projects. 

We will talk about how we handle revisions for each of those project types in the next section. 

PDF/Drawing Revisions​

For PDFs, we track revisions based on the PDF file name, regardless whether it’s a Steel or Metal project.

  • If the file name is the same, the new file will replace the existing one.
  • If the PDF file name is different, it will be added as an additional file under the same assembly.

For example:

  • If the initial PDF name is B2100 (with Rev 0 inside) and in the next package you upload a new PDF with the B2100 (with Rev 1 inside) – you will only see 1 PDF B2100 with the latest uploaded file attached to the assembly in FabStation.
  • If you initially upload B2100 and then uploaded B2100.Rev1 you will see both B2100 and B2100.Rev1 attached to the assembly.

Steel: Revision Files with a KSS file

For Steel projects, KSS file has the exact revision number for a 3D model. It is provided by your detailer, exported within the KSS file and automatically displayed in FabStation.

Revision-kss

Here you can learn more about the KSS file structure. 

Revision / Processing Filter

Proseccing filter

To track revisions efficiently and reduce package processing time, we created a Revision/Processing Filter. It’s located within package upload page and only available for Steel projects: 

  • If the filter is ON: the assembly revision number will be tracked and only new assemblies or the ones with the higher revision number will be processed.

What it means – if you have some old revisions of assemblies in the files you upload, they will not overwrite the assemblies with the same or higher revision number. 

For instance, initially, B1000 had Rev 2 within the KSS file. FabStation processes it and stores the revision number of that assembly. If a new package KSS contains the B1000 with Rev 2/Rev 1/ Rev 0, it will not be processed. 

  • If the filter is OFF: all the assemblies from the KSS file will be processed, regardless of the revision number.

Usually, you want to keep the filer ON.

Exception

Turn the filter OFF when you uploaded an assembly that was exported incorrectly by the detailer (for instance, only bolts were exported) and you want to correct it with the reexported file - since in that case Revision will not change, turn OFF the filter, so the assembly is re-processed. 

Metal: Revision Files with Individual Assemblies

Unlike Steel projects, Metal Project assemblies do not have a standard revision numbering within the file data.

So, to track it, we use the file Creation Date as the revision reference. 

This is the Creation Date you can find opening the file properties. The revision is displayed in UTC time in the format yyyy-mm-dd, ensuring that the time zone does not affect revision tracking.

image-20250131-232919

How to Track Revisions

Steel Projects

To help manage revisions efficiently, we provide a revision filter:

  • You can toggle the filter to ignore assemblies with the same or lower revision number while processing new packages in the pipeline.

  • This prevents older versions from overwriting the latest assembly files.

Metal Projects

For metal assemblies, revisions are handled differently:

  • When you upload a file with the same name, it overwrites the existing file.

  • Ensure you are only uploading the latest version of the file to prevent data loss.

By following these guidelines, you can efficiently track and manage revision files in FabStation.

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