Untangling the Timeline: Challenges and Opportunities in Supporting Version Control in Modern Computer-Aided Design

2026-02-09

AI Summary

This study addresses the persistent challenges of version control in modern computer-aided design (CAD), where data complexity and strong interdependencies hinder effective implementation, thereby limiting design traceability, variant management, and team collaboration. Through qualitative content analysis, the authors systematically coded and synthesized insights from 170 online forum posts, revealing recurring sociotechnical challenges that CAD users face in version management, continuity, scoping, and distribution. The work introduces “infrastructural reflexivity” as a novel design principle for CAD tools, emphasizing support for coordinated work and cross-boundary collaboration. This concept offers actionable guidance for software developers and opens new research avenues for reimagining version control systems in complex design environments.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Computational Creativity
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Solvers and Tools
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Other Foundations of Data Mining & Knowledge Management

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems
• Semantics and Knowledge: Provenance, trust, security and privacy, and ethical issues in managing semantic data
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Virtualization and resource management in Web systems and infrastructures

Abstract

Version control is critical in mechanical computer-aided design (CAD) to enable traceability, manage product variation, and support collaboration. Yet, its implementation in modern CAD software as an essential information infrastructure for product development remains plagued by issues due to the complexity and interdependence of design data. This paper presents a systematic review of user-reported challenges with version control in modern CAD tools. Analyzing 170 online forum threads, we identify recurring socio-technical issues that span the management, continuity, scope, and distribution of versions. Our findings inform a broader reflection on how version control should be designed and improved for CAD and motivate opportunities for tools and mechanisms that better support articulation work, facilitate cross-boundary collaboration, and operate with infrastructural reflexivity. This study offers actionable insights for CAD software providers and highlights opportunities for researchers to rethink version control.

Problem

• version control
• computer-aided design
• socio-technical challenges
• design data management
• collaboration

Innovation

• version control
• computer-aided design
• socio-technical challenges
• articulation work
• infrastructural reflexivity