I want to use source control with Shapr3D to branch/tag/revert etc, and to record progress.
Can I do this?
It is certainly possible to export .shapr files and track them on git, I do that all the time, though it’s indeed a bit cumbersome as it requires an additional step. We absolutely plan to add “named versions” at some point, but we don’t have a specific timeline for that right now.
Is this something you do with other CAD apps? If so, do you use it on your own or also as a method to collaborate with others? Do you ever do diffs directly on the files or just check out different versions?
My current workflow is cumbersome. I have to keep exporting (if I remember) versions at random times to ensure I have a way back. I end-up with an insane directory of hundreds of files. One solution would be for Shapr3D to continuously write to the model file as changes are made via the UI. That file could then be “git commit -m”-ed periodically by the user. This kind of approach might also enable branching to support experimentation.
To add insult to injury: the Shapr3D export process is ridiculously convoluted, involving numerous mouse clicks. In the absence of version control support, exporting the current model to a Shapr3D file should be zero- or one-click (eg. “type ‘ch’; the ‘Export Checkpoint’ menu item appears; user smashes [return]”; all done) , non-blocking process.
Built in versioning, whether using git or something else, would be a nice-to-have, but I don’t see it as a priority over modeling features such as arrays.
Makes perfect sense. It’s actually a great idea: adding an “export again with the previous settings, overwriting the previous save” menu item along with a keyboard shortcut (it could even be Ctrl + S 
) would probably solve most of this. We’ll see what we can do.
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…talking about arrays, make sure you check out 5.160 going live today 
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