PDM File Version Icons and What They Mean
File version icons in SOLIDWORKS PDM provide quick visual status information for vaulted files. These icons are displayed in both Windows File Explorer and the SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-in within SOLIDWORKS (add-in only available when using a PDM CAD Editor license).
Understanding these icons can help you quickly determine whether you have the latest version of a file, whether local changes exist, or whether a file is currently cached in your local vault view.
What File Version Icons Exist?
SOLIDWORKS PDM operates by creating a local workspace called a vault view. When you access a file, SOLIDWORKS PDM downloads a local copy from the archive server into the vault view. Users then work with that local copy to view or modify the file before checking changes in to update the vault.
The file version icons compare the status of the local cached file to the version stored in the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault.
Note: The below legend can be found in your SOLIDWORKS Interface, under Tools, SOLIDWORKS PDM, Options, View Setting.
Latest File Version
The equals sign icon (=) indicated that the local cached file is the latest version available in the vault.
If a file has four total versions and displays this icon, your local cached copy is version 4 and matches version 4 stored in the vault.
File Version Increase
The green arrow with a clock icon indicates that the local file contains modifications that will create a new version when checked in.
If you perform a Get Latest Version or other overwrite operation on a file displaying this icon, any unsaved local changes will be lost. Unless backups are enabled or another copy exists, those modifications cannot be recovered.
Older File Version
The red arrow with a clock icon indicates that the local file is older than the latest version stores in the vault.
This situation commonly occurs when another user checks in a newer version after you have already cached the file locally.
If a file is not behaving as expected or appears outdated, check the version icon. If the older file version icon is displayed, perform a Get Latest Version operation to retrieve the most current revision from the vault.
No Local File Cached
The disk drive with a question mark icon indicates that no local copy of the file currently exists in your vault view.
This can occur when:
- The file has never been retrieved using a Get operation.
- The local cache was manually cleared.
- The vault view was newly created and no local copies exist yet.
- The file was removed from the local cache through automatic cache management operations.
In some situations, such as using SOLIDWORKS templates stored in the vault, this icon can help identify the source of a problem. SOLIDWORKS may attempt to open a template or referenced file, but no local copy exists because the file has not been cached.
File Outside the Vault or Private State File
The crossed-circle with a question mark icon indicates that the referenced file is either outside the vault or is a private state file. In these situations, SOLIDWORKS PDM generally cannot perform normal vault operations on the file.
You will rarely see this icon in Windows File Explorer. It is most commonly displayed within SOLIDWORKS through the PDM add-in when a referenced file is located outside the vault or has not yet been checked into the vault for the first time.
SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-in Version Icons
When viewing file references through the SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-in in SOLIDWORKS, file version icons are displayed alongside referenced files and assemblies. The example below demonstrates several common icon states.
To turn off the warning icons and background colors in the SOLIDWORKS PDM Task Pane:
In SOLIDWORKS Design, click SOLIDWORKS PDM > Options > View Setting.
- Latest File Version
The files labeled LEG SUPPORT display the equals sign icon (=) indicating that the local cached files match the latest versions stored in the vault. These files are up to date and no action is required. - Local Changed Pending Check-In
The file HANDLE-NEW displays the green arrow with a clock icon indicating that local modifications have been made and the file will create a new version when checked in. This file contains changes that do not currently exist in the vault. - Outdated Local Version
The file BLADE displays the red arrow with a clock icon indicating that the local cached version is older than the latest version available in the vault. A Get Latest Version operation may be required to update the local file. - No Local File Cached
The file AXLE CAP displays the disk drive with a question mark icon indicating that no local copy of the file currently exists in the vault view. The file exists in the vault but has not been downloaded to the local cache. - Important Note
Version icons are evaluated independently for each referenced file. It is common to see multiple icon types within the same assembly, as shown in the example above. Reviewing these icons can quickly identify files that require a Get Latest Version, files with local modifications pending check-in, or files that have not yet been cached locally.
Summary
File version icons reflect the relationship between the local cached file and the vaulted file. They do not indicate whether a file is checked out. Check-out status is represented by separate overlay icons and status indicators within SOLIDWORKS PDM. Understanding both icon types can help quickly diagnose versioning, caching, and file access issues.
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