FAQ and troubleshooting

General

Do I need to know Git?

No. Strata never shows Git terms and never asks for commit messages. If you do know Git, see Using Git directly.

Does Strata need a server or internet access?

No. Everything works offline on one computer. A server, network folder or synced drive is only needed to share a project, and only while syncing.

Are my FreeCAD files changed?

They stay ordinary FreeCAD files that open without Strata. Strata rewrites a file only when you switch workspace, restore, merge or receive a colleague’s change by syncing. The previous state is always in history.

Which files are versioned?

Every .FCStd file in the project folder and its sub-folders, except hidden folders (names starting with a dot). Other files, such as STEP exports, drawings as PDF or spreadsheets, are not versioned.

How big does the history get?

Strata stores only what changed, compressed. Text-only history of the example project with a dozen saves takes a few hundred kilobytes.

Can I move, copy or back up a project?

Yes. Move or copy the whole folder, including the hidden .strata folder. Backing up the folder backs up the history.

How do I turn version control off?

Close FreeCAD and delete the project’s .strata folder. This deletes the project’s history permanently; the documents themselves stay.

Does it work with linked documents and assemblies?

Yes. See Assemblies and linked parts.

What about imported STEP or IGES parts?

They are versioned and restored exactly: their geometry is stored as BREP text inside the document, and Strata records it.

Fonts, macros and other add-ons?

Strata versions documents. Things that live outside them, such as system fonts used by text features, macros or other add-ons, are not captured.

Troubleshooting

Strata does not appear

  • Press Ctrl+Shift+H, or choose Tools  Versions and history. The panel may simply be hidden.

  • If the Tools menu has no Strata entries, open View  Panels  Report view and look for Strata failed to start with a description of the problem.

  • Check that the add-on is in the right Mod folder for your FreeCAD version (see Install by hand); FreeCAD 1.1 uses a v1-1 sub-folder.

  • Make sure Strata is installed only once.

"Strata needs Git to store history"

Git is not installed or not found. Install it (see Installing Git) and restart FreeCAD.

The panel starts hidden every time

Strata remembers whether you closed the panel. If it starts hidden, show it once with Ctrl+Shift+H; from then on it stays visible. (Versions before 0.2.0 could wrongly remember "hidden" when the panel was a background tab or when FreeCAD closed.)

"Save changes to …​ first?" right after opening an assembly

FreeCAD marks an assembly as modified when it refreshes external links on opening. Strata asks before switching workspace or restoring, so nothing unsaved is lost. Saving is harmless.

A keyboard shortcut does nothing

Another add-on may use the same keys. When two commands share a key, Qt runs neither. Change one of them in Tools  Customize…​  Keyboard; see Change a shortcut.

Sync fails

  • For a network folder: check that it is reachable and that you may write to it.

  • For a Git server: check the address and your sign-in. Git’s own credential helper handles passwords and tokens; Strata never sees them.

  • Strata reports Git’s message. Your work stays safe on your computer, so try again later.

Uninstalling with the Addon Manager says "Failed to remove some files"

See the note in Uninstall. Close FreeCAD and delete the empty freecad-strata folder.

The previews folder is large

.strata/previews holds the read-only copies opened with View. Close them in FreeCAD and delete the folder’s contents at any time.

Getting help

  • Ask in the FreeCAD forum thread.

  • Report bugs on GitHub. Include your FreeCAD version (Help  About FreeCAD  Copy to clipboard) and the Report view’s messages.