White MLC Logo
CONTACT US
White MLC Logo
CONTACT US
White MLC Logo
CONTACT
Skip to main content
You are here:

What's The Difference Between SOLIDWORKS PDM Local Version and Revision Variable

One of the benefits of using SOLIDWORKS PDM is the ability to increment the revision of files automatically through a workflow. There are several options and components that must be configured to manage the revisions correctly. One of the often puzzling components is the difference between Revision variable and the Revision (Local Version) or ‘Local Revision’ in older versions of PDM.

 

      • Revision variable is simply a variable which stores a value of the approved engineering revision that is visible to users in the data card and can be mapped to the revision of a file’s custom properties. This is similar to other variables such as Description and PartNumber.

 

      • Revision (Local version) is the system variable PDM uses to identify revised files. This value is used in the file’s history and for the ‘Show working versions’ permission to determine which files have not yet been assigned a revision. If this value is blank, then only PDM users with the ‘Show working versions’ permission may see them in the local vault view.

 

You can view the two values on the Preview tab of any file in the vault.

Viewing preview tab on file in the vault

The example below shows different values for the Revision variable and the Revision (Local version). If your PDM vault is configured correctly, then the values should match. If they do not, there are a few steps listed below that you can use to troubleshoot the behavior. Once you identify the root cause, you can then use the Set Revision command to correct any files that have mismatched revision values.

Viewing revision type in preview tab

If Changing the State Does Not Change the Revision (Local version)

For PDM to change the Revision (Local version) during a workflow transition, the transition must contain the action ‘Inc. Revision’ as shown below.

Viewing change approved properties actions menu

For the Inc. Revision action to work properly, the state being transitioned into also have the Revision Number set correctly along with an Increment By value in the transition being used as shown in the next two images. Note, the Increment by value can be set in either the State or the Transition properties but not in both or the revision will increment twice.

 

This example contains the Increment by value in the state being transitioned into. This is a good method to configure your workflow if there are multiple transitions to the same state—all files from any of the transitions will increase the revision. If you only want a specific transition into a state to increment the revision, then you would add the Increment By value to that specific transition instead of the state.

 

State Properties

Viewing state properties popup

Transition Properties

Viewing transition properties popup

If Changing the State Does Not Update the Revision Variable

If the Revision variable is not updating during the state change, there are a few options to check in the workflow’s transition action for setting the revision.

  1. The action is set to run on the correct files, i.e., Run for Files or Only run for files with these extensions.
  2. Verify the Variable is set to Revision or whichever variable your company uses for revision. You can set the variable using the dropdown list.
  3. Check the Value to be used as the revision. Typically, the value is set to %nextrevision% by default as long as the revision action is set above the Inc. Revision action.
Viewing transition action run files value popup

Technical Support

Get help from our team by Calling us at 800-364-1652 x 2. You can also get assistance by clicking the Technical Support button or the Email Our Experts button below. 

Technical Support
Email Our Experts
Get Training Now
Last Updated On
byRick Braine
MLC will be closed on October 12-13 as our team participates in a company-wide event focused on strengthening the services and support we provide to our customers.
Technical Support will resume normal operations on October 14. Cases submitted during the closure will be addressed in the order they are received.
Thank you for your patience while we invest in our team so we can better support yours.
Scroll to Top