Configure Document Revision Numbers
Meridian can automatically assign revision numbers to documents when they complete a workflow of any kind. This ensures that every new revision can be uniquely identified. The Revision Number options in Configurator give you much control over how and when revision numbers are incremented.
New document revisions can also be created during a workflow. Additional revisions can be created by a workflow definition state as described in Allow New Revisions In a Workflow State and by a workflow definition transition as described in Create New Revisions In a Workflow Transition.
To configure revision numbering:
- In Configurator, expand Document Types in the configuration tree to display the document types.
- Select the document type that you want to configure. The document type’s property pages appear in the right pane.
- Click the Revision Number tab. The document type’s revision number options appear.
- Click options or type values using the descriptions in the following table.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
|
Revision number |
Select one of the available formats from the list. Hierarchical – specifies revision numbers composed of major and minor parts separated by a selected character. Each part is associated with successive levels of project folders. The major part of the revision number represents revisions released for the master document, the first minor part represents revisions released within the highest level project folder, the next minor part represents revisions released within the first subproject folder, and so on. For example: revision 1 may exist for the master document while revision 1.1 exists in a project folder, and revision 1.1.1 is currently being edited in a subproject folder. A different number format may be set for each level to produce revision numbers that change format between in-progress documents and released documents. For example, a new document created in a project folder could start as revision A, iterate through several revisions B, C, and so on, and then when it is released as a master document it becomes revision 1. The cycle would repeat similarly when the document is revised in a new project and result in revision 2. Linear – specifies a simple revision number that increments linearly with each new revision; for example: 0, 1, 2, and so on. Master/Project Copy – specifies revision numbers the same as the Hierarchical format except that the parts are associated with the master document and its project copies regardless of folder depth. This format requires that the Increment the revision number option be set to After starting a new revision. None specifies that the revision number will not be incremented automatically. |
|
Number format |
Select a number format from the list that corresponds to each part of the revision number and then select a character from Separator character. Select Initially blank to assign no number to the initial revision of a document and then select a character from the Blank character list. Enable Exclude hard-to-read characters to skip the revision letters I (as in India) and O (as in Oscar) so that they are not mistaken for 1 (one) and 0 (zero) respectively. A dynamic preview of the resulting revision number format appears under Example. |
|
Increment the revision number |
Select an option to specify when the revision number will be incremented:
Select additional events to increment the revision number if they apply to your organization’s standards: When releasing the initial revision and When releasing the initial revision from a project are often useful when Initially blank is enabled. Select On Quick Change if you want the Quick Change workflow to increment the revision number. Disable this option if you want to use the Quick Change workflow for trivial changes that will not increment the revision number. The Quick Change workflow transitions can be managed by their own security privileges so that they can only be executed by members of specific roles. For more information on security privileges and roles, see Security Roles. Note:
The revision number of a master document is always updated from a project copy regardless of whether the Meridian Advanced Project Workflow Module is enabled and regardless of any other settings. |
|
Revision number for replacement documents |
Select an option to specify the revision number of new documents created by users invoking the Replace Document command in the Meridian client applications. For more information on replacement documents, see the Accruent Meridian Enterprise User’s Guide. |
A document type may only use one revision number format configuration. To switch revision number formats during a document’s life cycle when project folders are not used, such as from alphabetical to numeric when a preliminary document is released for production, consider using two nearly identical document types, each with a different revision number format. Documents may then be changed from one document type to another at the appropriate time either manually by users with the Change Document Type command in the Meridian client applications or automatically by custom VBScript event code.
