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Terminology

The words GitM's UI uses, and what they mean. These are the terms to use in documentation — match them exactly.

Term Meaning
Check Out icon Check Out Acquire the lock on a file and make it writable so you can edit it.
Check Out icon Check Out & Open Check out and open the file in SolidWorks in one step.
Check In icon Check In Publish one file: save, push to GitHub, and release its lock — one action. Adds a new cloud version of that file. Does not create a snapshot.
Check In icon Check In All The primary bottom-bar action when you have pending changes. Publishes all files with pending changes to GitHub and releases their locks. Does not create a snapshot.
Undo icon Discard all changes Revert all uncommitted tracked edits to HEAD. Keeps your check-outs so you stay checked out. Untracked files are left in place. Available in the ⋯ bottom-bar overflow.
Undo icon Undo all check-outs Discard all uncommitted edits and undo every check-out you hold. Use when handing work back to the team. Available in the ⋯ bottom-bar overflow.
Publish Snapshot icon Publish Snapshot Snapshot the whole repository's current state as a numbered milestone (pushes any unpublished work first, then tags). Available as the primary bottom button (when the repo is clean) or in the overflow. The only action that creates a snapshot.
Save Local Version Save a local-only checkpoint without publishing or releasing the lock. In the file's right-click menu (Save Local Version icon). Adds an L badge.
Get Latest icon Get Latest Pull the newest published state from GitHub into your working folder (includes everyday check-ins, not only snapshots). Blocked when there are uncommitted modifications to tracked files — use Check In or Discard first.
Get Latest count badge A blue count on the Get Latest icon showing how many new content files (CAD, library parts, PDFs, STEP/IGES, docs) a teammate added or changed that you haven't pulled yet. Hover for a per-type breakdown. Ignores GitM's internal data (thumbnails, BOM, registry). Populated after a Refresh (manual or timer); clears after Get Latest. Caps at "9+".
Snapshot A deliberate capture of the whole repository's state at a moment, numbered (Snapshot 7, Snapshot 8, …) and visible to the team on the Snapshots tab. Created by Publish Snapshot, not by everyday Check In or Check In All.
Cx (cloud version) The cloud version coordinate of a single file (e.g. C3) — its 3rd distinct published content version. Identical bytes don't mint a new number.
Local version An unpublished Save Local Version checkpoint, on your machine only. Shown as L1, L2, … (e.g. C3 · L2 = two local versions on top of cloud C3).
Placeholder A file tracked in the repository whose full bytes are not on your PC. Shown dimmed with a ·placeholder· badge.
Make Available icon Make Available on this PC Download a placeholder's full bytes so you can open/edit it.
Free up space Remove a file's bytes from your PC, leaving a placeholder. (Currently unavailable — temporarily removed.)
Checked out by me You have the file checked out (amber). You can edit.
Checked out by others A teammate has it checked out (green). You must wait or coordinate.
Available No one has the file checked out; it's read-only until someone checks it out.
Undo icon Undo Check Out Give up your check-out without publishing, discarding unpublished work (was "Release Lock"). Distinct from Release, which stamps a revision.
Force Unlock An admin action to undo someone else's check-out when they're unreachable.
Freeze icon Freeze Mark a file as not to be edited; it is protected from further check-out/changes.
Milestone A snapshot flagged as significant in the snapshot history.
Restore this Snapshot Reset your whole working project back to a chosen snapshot (non-destructive — history is not rewritten).
Restore (a file version) From a file's right-click Show Versions overlay, bring just that one file back to a chosen version, leaving other files untouched.
Source file A native SolidWorks file (.sldprt/.sldasm/.slddrw/…). Lockable, part-numbered, in the BOM. The default working set.
Library / reference part A read-only reference file under a library folder (default Library/). Shown with a REF badge and "Reference · read-only" status; never checked out.
Derived file A neutral or 2D export (STEP, IGES, STL, Parasolid, DXF, …). Tracked, not lockable, no part number. Shown with an extension badge (e.g. STEP) and "Derived export" status.
Document / Image A supporting document (PDF, Office, txt/md/csv) or picture. Tracked and editable, not lockable. Shown with an extension badge and "Document"/"Image" status.
Working set The files shown by default in the Files tab — Source + Library.
Doc toggle icon Doc toggle The eye icon labelled Doc with a count badge, in the Files toolbar after Sort. Shows or hides the derived/document/image rows; the icon shows a slash and the badge counts the hidden rows when they are collapsed.
Add Library Part icon Add Library Part Copy a standard part from a declared source (Git repo or local folder) into the repo's read-only Library/ folder. In the Files tab it lives in the menu. See Add a standard part to the library.
Part number An identifier allocated from the shared registry and stamped into a file's SolidWorks property.
BOM Bill of Materials generated from an assembly and stored under .gitm/bom/.
Profile A bundle of repository conventions (.gitm.json) applied on connect — Generic, FRC, Consultancy, or Custom.
Add-in version (Vx.y.z) The GitM add-in's own release number, shown in the ? tooltip. Distinct from a repository snapshot.

Terms to avoid

  • "hydrated" / "dehydrated" — say placeholder / available on this PC instead.
  • "commit" / "push" / "pull" / "fetch" — these run underneath but are not user vocabulary. Use Check In / Get Latest.
  • "vault" — appears in the original PRD but not in the product UI. Don't use it.
  • "Build" / "Publish Build" — renamed to Snapshot / Publish Snapshot throughout the product. Only the underlying data contract files (.gitm/builds.jsonl, buildNumber) retain the old name for backward compatibility; do not use "build" in UI or docs.

Underneath-the-hood mapping (for reference only)

UI term Git operation
Check Out icon Check Out git lfs lock + clear read-only bit
Check In icon Check In (one file) git add <file> + git commit + git push + git lfs unlock — no tag/snapshot
Check In All icon Check In All git add <files> + git commit + git push + git lfs unlock (all pending) — no tag/snapshot
Publish Snapshot icon Publish Snapshot push any unpushed commits + record a snapshot milestone (tag + .gitm/builds.jsonl entry) for the current whole-repo state
Save Local Version icon Save Local Version git add + git commit (local only)
Get Latest icon Get Latest git pull
Refresh (Refresh icon) git fetch (refs only — no file download) + local status refresh + live GitHub metadata
Restore this Snapshot git checkout <snapshot.Sha> -- . (whole working tree to the snapshot)
Restore a file version git checkout <commit> -- "<file>" (single file)
Make Available icon Make Available on this PC git lfs fetch + git lfs checkout
Free up space drop local LFS object, keep pointer
Revision (Rev A, B, C…) a deliberate, controlled release of a source file, recorded in .gitm/revisions.json (distinct from a per-file version / Cx)
Release stamp the next revision on a file's latest checked-in version (gated; metadata-only)
Releaser a user allowed to Release, named in Release Control (Admins/Owner always can)
ECO (Engineering Change Order) a structured record (.gitm/ecos.json) that authorizes a non-first revision: number, reason code + reason, affected files, approvers, status In review→Approved→Awaiting release→Closed (terminal: Rejected, Cancelled). Submitted on creation (no draft); immutable once submitted
ECO freeze affected files lock while an ECO is open — amber (pending approval), blue (editable by the requestor), green (awaiting release); shown as a badge in GitM and GitMCloud
Release Control the admin-gated repo setting (.gitm/release-config.json) for the releasers list + revision scheme