Organization & Collaboration

Copy the Document

As before, start by copying the tutorial document to your own Onshape account.

Copy the collaboration document to your account

A. Getting Organized

Go to My Account → Teams to create a team and add members

Create a Team

Create a team in My Account → Teams and invite members

Onshape lets you create teams to manage permissions centrally. Go to My Account → Teams and enter your teammates' emails to invite them. When sharing documents later, you can share with the entire team instead of adding people one by one.

Organize documents into folders by subsystem

Folder Management

Create folders in Onshape to organize documents by subsystem

As your project documents grow, organizing them into folders becomes important. A recommended approach is to organize by subsystem:

• Drivetrain -- Drivetrain-related documents
• Intake -- Intake system
• Shooter -- Shooter/launcher system

Organizing Within a Document

Within the same document, use Tabs to organize different parts and assemblies. Give each tab a clear name (e.g., "Drivetrain Assembly", "Wheel Part Studio") so teammates can find what they need easily.

Ownership and Sharing

Share documents with team members, setting edit or view-only permissions

The document owner controls who can edit and who can only view. Set permissions carefully to prevent teammates from accidentally modifying critical designs.

B. Versions and Branching

View versions in the history graph and create branches from versions

What is a Version?

A Version is like a game save -- it takes a snapshot of your design's current state that you can revisit anytime. Versions are read-only and can't be modified.

How to Create a Version

Make some changes to the design, such as changing a part's color

1. Make some changes to the design (e.g., change a part's color)
2. Click the document menu in the top left → Create version
3. Give the version a name (e.g., "Pre-competition version")
4. View all versions in the History graph

Click document menu → Create version to take a snapshot of your design

When to Create a Version

• Before a competition -- Lock in the current design
• Before major changes -- In case things go wrong, you can revert
• Before a design review -- Give coaches or judges a stable version to review

What is a Branch?

A Branch is an independent workspace created from a version. You can experiment with new ideas in a branch without affecting the main design. If you're happy with the results, merge it back into the main workspace.

Creating and Using Branches

Create a branch from a version to start independent design experiments

1. Create a branch from a version
2. Make changes independently in the branch
3. If satisfied, merge back to main; if not, simply abandon the branch

Experimenting with an oscillating intake system design in a branch

Modify part dimensions in a branch without affecting the main design

Compare the branch and main workspace to see specific changes

Merge the branch back into the main workspace when satisfied

C. Comments and Communication

Leave comments on the model and import external files

Comments

Onshape supports leaving comments directly on models. You can:

• Click on a specific location on the model to leave a comment
• Use @ to mention teammates -- they'll receive a notification
• Add annotations to point out specific areas that need changes

Tasks and Notifications

Mark comments as Tasks and teammates will receive notifications. Mark them as resolved when done.

Filtering Comments

When comments pile up, filter them by type: tasks, resolved, or unresolved.

Importing External Files

Need parts designed in other software? Onshape supports importing multiple formats:

• STEP -- The most universal 3D format
• IGES -- Older but widely compatible
• STL -- Commonly used for 3D printing

Link Tab

Embed external links in your document -- such as game manuals, design documents, or team journals. Keep all related materials in one place.