BIM versions: knowing which model is current
Version control helps a practice answer a simple but essential question: which model should we use now? Confusion usually arises when files, source drawings and review comments refer to different issues. A lightweight issue system can keep them aligned without making every minor working save part of the formal handover record.
Choose an issue convention
Agree a project identifier, model purpose, revision and date format that the team can apply consistently. Keep working files distinct from files formally issued for review or continued work. Do not rely on final, latest or a person's initials to establish approval status. Identify who is authorized to issue a model and who confirms acceptance. A short register should show the current issue, the previous issue and the reason for the change, making status understandable without searching through messages.
Connect models to their references
For each issued model, record the source drawing revisions and the assumptions or decisions incorporated. If Revit and IFC files are supplied together, label them as one matching package. When only one file changes, explain whether the companion format also needs updating. Keep the review comments attached to the exact issue they describe. A correction requested against an old model can otherwise be applied twice or conflict with a decision already incorporated in a newer delivery.
Make changes visible to reviewers
Add a concise issue note describing the affected floors or areas and any limitations that remain. State whether an issue is for review, accepted for a specific task or awaiting information. When new source drawings arrive, identify which previous instructions they replace. Archive superseded packages in a clearly separate location and avoid silently overwriting the file referenced by an earlier acceptance. Future colleagues should be able to reconstruct the decision path without depending on the memory of the original project team.
A current-issue check
- Make sure the active model, its source drawing references and the review comments all point to the same recognizable issue in the project record.
- When delivering Revit and IFC together, state their relationship and check whether any correction requires both files to be reissued as one package.
- Keep superseded issues separate from active files and record the reason for each formal change so project history remains understandable without inbox archaeology.
Keep the active package in the agreed project workspace and direct collaborators there when a new issue is released. Messages can announce the update, while the project record holds the actual status. Version discipline is successful when people can quickly find the correct file, understand what changed and see whether outstanding questions limit the next intended use of the model.
General guidance: each project's scope is confirmed before commissioning.