Managing Documents

This guide covers everyday document tasks: uploading, linking documents to equipment, updating metadata and files, bulk updating, and archiving. For field descriptions and toolbar options, see the Documents reference.

(DOCUMENTS tab)

Uploading a Document

To add a new project-level document:

1. Go to the DOCUMENTS tab and click Add in the toolbar.

   (Documents toolbar)

2. Fill in the document metadata:

   • Doc Type — document category
   • Issue — revision or issue number
   • Doc No — document number or identifier
   • Desc. — brief description
   • Comment 1 / 2 — optional notes

   (Add New form)

3. Click Choose File to select the file, then click Add New Document.

Naming Convention

Use descriptive document numbers and descriptions to make searching easier. A consistent format like [TagNo]_[Type]_[Date] helps organize documents across the project.

Finding Documents

The sidebar on the left groups documents by type — click a category (Certificates, Drawings, Photos, etc.) to filter the grid to that type only. Click Reset Filter to clear the selection. Column filters are also available via the filter icon on each column header.

Viewing or Downloading a Document

To open a document:

1. Go to the DOCUMENTS tab and select the document row.

2. Click View to open it in the Ex-Online document viewer, or Download to save it to your computer.

   (View and Download buttons)

The Open Inline Viewer button previews the document within the application without opening a separate window.

Linking a Document to Equipment

To attach a document to a specific equipment item:

1. Switch to the EQUIPMENT tab and click the green expand icon on the equipment row to open the Equipment Window.

2. Switch to the DOCUMENTS tab in the Equipment Window header.

   (Equipment Window — DOCUMENTS tab)

3. Click the Add button in the Primary Item row.

   (Add Document dialog)

   • To link an existing document, select the row in the table and click Add.
   • To upload a new document, fill in the fields, choose a file, and click Add New Document.

Save Equipment First

The equipment item must be saved before documents can be linked. If you just added the row, click Save first.

IECEx Certificates

You don’t need to upload IECEx certificates manually. Enter the full certificate number (e.g. IECExPTB06.0025X) in the equipment record and Ex-Online fetches the latest issue automatically.

Copying Documents to Multiple Items

The Copy Selected Docs button in the Equipment Window copies selected documents from the Primary Item to all selected items in the equipment grid — useful for attaching the same certificate or drawing to many items at once.

Removing Document Links

To unlink a document from equipment without deleting it from the project:

1. Open the Equipment Window for the item and switch to the DOCUMENTS tab.

2. Select the document(s) to unlink.

3. Click the - Remove button.

   (- Remove button)

This removes the link from all selected equipment items. The document itself remains in the project under the DOCUMENTS tab.

Updating a Document

Documents cannot be edited inline. To update a document:

1. Go to the DOCUMENTS tab, select the document row, then click Update in the toolbar.

   (Document selected)

2. Modify the metadata fields as needed (Doc Type, Issue, Doc No, Description).

   (Update Document dialog)

3. To replace the file, click Choose File and select the new file.

4. Check Archive existing document to keep the previous version.

5. Click Update to save.

Version History

When replacing a file, check “Archive existing document” to maintain version history for compliance and audit purposes.

Bulk Updating Documents

To update shared fields across multiple documents at once:

1. Go to the DOCUMENTS tab, select multiple documents using the checkboxes, then click Bulk Update.

   (Bulk Update selection)

2. Modify the fields you want to change (Comment 1, Comment 2, Doc Type), then click Apply.

   (Bulk Update dialog)

Archiving Documents

To move documents out of the active view without deleting them:

1. Select the documents to archive, then click Archive in the toolbar.

   (Archive selection)

2. Archived documents are hidden from the default view. Click View Archive to toggle them back into the grid.

Archive vs Delete

Archiving is reversible — archived documents can be restored at any time. Deleting is permanent and cannot be undone without a backup restore.

Deleting Documents

To permanently remove documents from the project:

1. Go to the DOCUMENTS tab and select the document(s) using the checkboxes.

2. Click Delete in the toolbar.

   (Delete button)

3. Confirm the deletion.

Deletion Is Permanent

Deleted documents are automatically unlinked from all equipment items and cannot be recovered without restoring from a project backup. Use Archive if you may need the document again.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Upload fails	Check file size limits and supported formats (PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF)
Document won’t open	Try downloading instead of inline viewing
Can’t find document	Check filters and the archived view — use View Archive to toggle archived documents into the grid

Related Topics

• Documents Reference — Full field descriptions, toolbar options, and document types