CoLab supports uploading of 2D files, 3D part files, and assemblies. For a complete list of all file formats that CoLab supports, see our Supported File Formats article.
You can upload CAD data and other documents to CoLab from your desktop or directly from your PDM or PLM system via one of our integrations.
This article explains how to upload files from your desktop. For information on uploading files to CoLab from your PLM or CAD software, visit the Integrations section of our knowledge base.
Uploading files to CoLab from your desktop
There are several locations within CoLab where you can initiate a file upload.
Uploading a file from the Home page
From the Home page in CoLab or the main page of any workspace, you can drag a file (or group of files) or select the "+" to upload files.
Note: If you are using the Home page to upload, you will need to choose the destination by clicking on "Select workspace" in the upload box to complete the upload.
Uploading a file from Drive
Within a workspace, open the Drive menu and click "+", then select Upload a file.
Uploading files directly into a folder
Within a workspace, right click any file folder and select Upload File to Folder.
The Upload Files modal will appear when uploading from Drive. You can add as many files as you wish for uploading. You also have the option to upload the files or upload and request a review at same time.
Uploading parent level assemblies
CoLab supports uploading parent level assemblies. To upload a parent level assembly, select or drag and drop the parent level assembly file any supporting subassemblies and all child part files into whichever option you chose above.
CoLab will automatically identify the file it believes to be the parent file and list it in the upload box as the parent of the other files.
Changing parent file
If the system has identified the wrong file as the parent, you can click the "pencil" icon to bring up the file upload modal. This will allow you to remove a parent by clicking on the "X" to the right, or directly assign a separate file as the parent.
Alternately, you can click on the "break link" icon to list all files separately. This will still allow you to choose a parent file by clicking on "Select parent" in the footer of the field, or by selecting the "Assign as parent" button beside the individual file.
Matching files
If the system identifies that you are attempting to upload what may be a new version of a file, rather than a unique file, it will show "Matching files" at the bottom of the upload box. Clicking on it will bring up an explanation of what the system is seeing, and an option to upload as a revision instead of a new file.
Once the correct parent assembly file has been selected, upload the file. The parent assembly file will be the only file that appears in Drive and it will contain all the data from the subassemblies and child parts.