# Version Control and Stacking ## Versioning and Comparison As you’re going through review and approval cycles for your creative work, Shade enables you to nest your versions in an organized way and visually compare what changes have transpired version over version. Comparing assets isn’t limited to nested versions; you can select files from within you folder hierarchy, views, collections, or search results, and compare those as well. Key features: * No limits to how many versions can exist within a stack * Compare up to 6 assets side by side at once * Compare mixed media types to ensure a cohesive look across videos, photos, and designs ### Comparing media that hasn’t been versioned From within your folder hierarchy, a view, collections, or search results: 1. Select up to 6 files 2. Right-click on any of the selected items 3. Choose **Compare X Assets** A viewer window will open showing all selected assets. * Press the play button to simultaneously playback any video files * Select a file to view existing or leave comments * Close the comment panel if you want to dedicate the full page to viewing whats being compared ### Versioning, managing versions, and comparing versions #### Creating versions There are 3 flows for versioning: 1. Upload a new file is in Shade in the same folder as the previous version or version stack 2. Drag and drop it directly onto the older version, or existing version stack OR 1. Right-click on the file where you’re looking to add your new version 2. Choose **Upload New Version** OR 1. Double-click a file to open it 2. Click the 3-dot menu in the top right corner 3. Choose **Upload New Version** #### Managing versions When viewing files and folder: 1. Right-click on a file that has versions 2. Choose **Manage Versions** 3. Click and drag handles next to version numbers to modify the order of versions 4. Click the 3-dot menu for a given version to remove from the version stack From within the asset viewer/player page: 1. Click the 3-dot menu in the top right corner 2. Choose **Manage Versions** 3. Click and drag handles next to version numbers to modify the order of versions 4. Click the 3-dot menu for a given version to remove from the version stack #### Comparing Version There are 3 flows for comparing versions: 1. Right-click on a file with versions 2. Choose **Compare Versions** 3. Select the versions you want to compare OR 1. Double-click a file to open it 2. Click the 3-dot menu in the top right corner 3. Choose **Compare Versions** 4. Select the versions you want to compare A viewer window will open showing all selected versions. * Press the play button to simultaneously playback any video files * Select a file to view existing or leave comments * Close the comment panel if you want to dedicate the full page to viewing whats being compared ## Snapshots Snapshots give you a continuous record of your drive's history, captured at regular intervals. If files are ever accidentally deleted or overwritten, you can mount a snapshot from before that change occurred and recover what was lost, without needing to contact support or restore the entire drive. ### How It Works Shade continuously tracks changes made to your drive and records a snapshot at periodic intervals. Each snapshot represents the complete state of the drive at that point in time, along with a record of who made the most recent changes. Snapshots are available in 5-minute, 15-minute, 30-minute, and 1-hour intervals, and can be browsed across any date range you select. Snapshots are retained for **30 days.** Anything older than that is automatically deleted and cannot be recovered. ### Accessing Snapshots Snapshots are found in your drive's settings. In the left sidebar, navigate to the drive you want, open its settings, and select **Snapshots**. The view lists all recorded snapshots in reverse chronological order, each showing: * The date and time the snapshot was taken * The commit hash identifying that state of the drive * The team member whose changes were most recently recorded at that time You can filter the list by date range using the **Snapshot range** pickers at the top, and adjust the sampling interval (5min, 15min, 30min, or 1hr) to control how granularly the snapshots are shown.
### Mounting a Snapshot Shade works by mounting your cloud drives directly to your local filesystem, making them accessible as if they were local folders on your computer. Snapshots work the same way. Clicking **Mount Snapshot** on any entry mounts that version of the drive to your local machine as a **read-only** volume. Once mounted, you can browse the drive exactly as it existed at that moment in time, locate any files that have since been deleted or changed, and copy them back to your current drive or local machine to restore them. The read-only mount ensures that the snapshot itself cannot be accidentally modified during recovery. ### Things to Keep in Mind * Snapshots are read-only. You cannot edit or delete files through a mounted snapshot — they are strictly for browsing and recovery. * Snapshot availability depends on your selected interval. Choosing a finer interval (e.g., 5 minutes) will show more snapshots within a given date range. * If you're trying to recover a specific file, narrow your date range to around the time you believe the file existed to find the right snapshot quickly. * Snapshots are only retained for 30 days. If a file was deleted more than 30 days ago, it will no longer be recoverable via snapshots. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://academy.shade.inc/assets/version-control-and-stacking.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.