Merging

When you merge a selected Source (workspace or version) into the currently active Target (workspace), you can (1) Replace all changes from the Target with the Source, (2) Merge all changes from the Source into the Target, or (3) Keep all changes from the Target. In addition, you can specify how each individual tab in the workspace is merged, using these same 3 merge strategies.

You cannot select individual changes within a tab. All changes from each tab must be either kept, merged, or replaced.

StepsCopy link

1. Open the Versions and history flyout:

   

2. The currently active workspace is highlighted dark blue (this is referred to as the Target; Main in the image below). To merge another workspace or version (the Source; B1 in the image below) into the Target, right click on the Source and select Merge into current workspace:

   

3. The merge dialog opens, showing changes made since the Source and Target branches diverged:

   

4. Optionally, select the Overall merge strategy:

   • Keep [Target] - Changes in the Target are kept.

   • Merge changes - This is the default. Changes in both the Source and Target are merged.

     When merging changes, the base of the merge is either the change at which the branches diverged (for example, the version where the branch was created), or, if it exists, the last point where the same Source branch was previously merged into this Target (provided that merge was not reverted).

   • Replace with [Source] - Changes in the Source will replace changes in the Target.

5. Optionally, select a merge strategy for each tab to override the Overall merge strategy. The merge strategy options are the same as the Overall merge strategy, except where a tab is created or deleted, or for tab types that do not support the Merge changes from both option (see the first tip below). In these instances, you can only elect to (1) Keep [Target] or (2) Replace with [Source]:

   

   • A change with a green checkmark icon indicates edits to the tab in that workspace are kept in the Target workspace after the merge.

   • A change with a red x icon indicates discarded edits (deleted features, for example) in the workspace tab are kept in the Target workspace after the merge.

   • A change denoted with an exclamation mark icon indicates the tab will not exist in the Target workspace after the merge.

   • An information icon indicates that for this tab type, changes from separate branches cannot be merged (a drawing, for example). You must select either the Target (Keep [Target]) or Source (Replace with [Source]). See Tabs where changes from separate branches cannot be merged.

6. Click Merge.

Restoring (Undoing) a MergeCopy link

To undo a merge operation:

1. Open the Versions and history flyout and click the Show changes link under the current workspace.

2. Right-click on the change prior to the merge and click Restore to [Target] from the context menu:

   

3. After this restore, all tabs in the Target workspace are reset exactly as they were before the merge. Future merges view changes as if the merge did not occur:

   

   Changes displayed in the Target workspace showing the merge restore point.

4. Optionally, immediately merge into the current workspace to use a different merge strategy.

See Document Management for more information.

Tabs where changes from separate branches cannot be mergedCopy link

When selecting tabs to merge, the Merge changes from both option is only available for Part Studio, Assembly, and Feature Studio tab types. All other tab types (for example, Drawing, Render Studio, etc.) only allow you to select either the Target (Keep [Target]) or Source (Replace with [Source]) tab. Selecting one overwrites changes in the other.

For this reason, when working in a tab other than a Part Studio, Assembly or Feature Studio, it is recommended you work in one workspace (branch) and merge from that branch into other branches. Working in any other tab type on two or more branches simultaneously may result in lost changes when you merge from one branch to another.

For example:

1. Create a drawing (Drawing 1) in the Main (Target) and insert a part.

2. Create a version (V1), and then a Branch from this version (B1; the Source).

3. In the B1 workspace, add a dimension to one side of the part in the Drawing 1 tab.

4. In the Main workspace, and add a dimension to a different side of the same part in the same Drawing 1 tab.

5. Merge changes into the Main (Target) workspace from the B1 (Source) workspace.

6. In the merge dialog, selecting the Tab merge strategy for the Drawing 1 tab prompts you to select one of the following:

• Keep Main - This keeps the Drawing 1 tab from the Main workspace. The dimension added in the Main workspace is retained and the dimension added in B1 is overwritten.

• Replace with B1 - This Replaces the Main workspace Drawing 1 tab with the B1 workspace drawing 1 tab. The dimension added in the Main workspace is overwritten, replaced with the dimension added in B1.

  

In both scenarios above, one dimension is retained and the other is overwritten. To avoid this situation, do all your work for the Drawing 1 tab in only one workspace (Main, for example). Then select Keep Main when merging B1 into Main. In this way, all changes on the Drawing 1 tab are retained.

TipsCopy link

• Since a merge cannot be undone using the undo icon, after a merge is performed, a message opens where you can click a link to revert the merge. This message persists when switching tabs, workspaces, and comparing between workspaces, so you can inspect the results of the merge. Press the close icon to accept the merge and exit the message:

  

  If you or another user makes a change to the document after you merge the document, and then you revert the merge, that change is lost.

• If there are no changes that require a merge between the Source and Target, the only options in the merge dialog are (1) Keep [Target] or (2) Replace with [Source]. Replace with [Source] is the default selection:

  

• Click the Compare with base link in the merge dialog to open a new browser tab where both Source and Target are compared. See Comparing for more information.

• To merge one or more tabs' changes without changing anything else in the current workspace, select Keep [Target] for the Overall merge strategy, and select Replace with [Source] or Merge changes from both (for each tab), depending on your specification.

• Tabs in the merge dialog are ordered by those that have changes at the top, and those that have no changes at the bottom. Each section is then ordered top-to-bottom according to their left-to-right location in the tab bar, with the Target branch first, and the Source branch second. Folders are not displayed.

When you merge a selected Source (workspace or version) into the currently active Target (workspace), all changes made in the Source are merged into the Target, including any additional features, tabs, etc.

StepsCopy link

1. Tap the Versions and history icon to open the panel:

   

2. Tap the information icon next to the Source workspace and tap Merge:

   

All changes made in the Source are merged into the currently active workspace (Target). This action is recorded in the Versions and history flyout entries and you can restore from a previous record to reverse the merge action, if necessary. For more information about restoring versions, see Document Management.

When merging workspaces containing drawings, images, PDFs or other tabs that are not Part Studios or Assemblies, if changes have been made to the tab in both Source and Target branches, then the changes in the Source branch overwrite the changes in the Target branch. For example, if you update a PDF tab in both branches (Source and Target) and then merge the branches, the PDF in the Source branch will be in the Target branch after the merge.

TipsCopy link

When merging workspaces containing drawings (as in a Drawings tab), the drawing that has changes is favored during the merge, and when the drawing has changes in both the Source and Target branches, the Source drawing will be favored, specifically:

• If a drawing in the Source has changes that are not in the drawing in the Target, then the drawing in the Source is copied into the Target, replacing the drawing in the Target. Any changes made in the drawing in the Target that are not in the Source will be overwritten.
• If a drawing in the Source workspace has no changes (compared to the drawing in Target), then the drawing in Target is left unchanged.

We recommend that you work in a drawing in one workspace (branch) and merge from that branch into other branches. Working in a drawing on two or more branches simultaneously may result in lost changes when you merge the drawing from one branch into another.