# \[WISH\] Display Rhino and Grasshopper file version

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832>\
**Category:** Serengeti (Rhino BETA)\
**Tags:** wish, wip, rhinowip\
**Created:** [June 8, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832 "2017-06-08T02:23:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Angel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/angel/32/371127_2.png) [@Angel](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Angel)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/1 "2017-06-08T02:23:22Z")

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Hi everyone,

I don’t know if I’m the only one, but is been a nightmare to introduce the WIP in my daily workflow having to control perfectly which files were created on each version. I know that if you try to open with an earlier version of RH RH6 files will not open but could be easier to be able to detect that before opening (and even for file organisation purposes).

Thanks.  
Cheers.

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**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/2 "2017-06-08T03:24:03Z")

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Hi Angel,

The attached plug-in for Rhino 5 prints the Rhino file version number to the command line when you open a file.

Is this what you are looking for?

– Dale

[RhinoFileVersion.zip](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/8/e/8e6e143a217ad50173e6024053892d16ef397235.zip) (21.8 KB)

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**Author:** ![Angel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/angel/32/371127_2.png) [@Angel](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Angel)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/3 "2017-06-08T03:38:15Z")

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Hi @dale,

Not really, what I want is a way of detecting prior to the file is loaded in Rhino, what version it is, for instance looking at the Type column in windows explorer, etc. I don’t know if there is any way for you to embed the Rhino version into the files so we can see without opening them in rhino.

In the capture, there is one file that was created with RH WIP, can you tell me which one?

![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/2/0/2061bae96864cb2a8e88d9fd6a7ec912da43dabd.png)

I hope that I explained myself well.

Thanks for the fast reply and the interest in the wish.  
Cheers.

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**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/4 "2017-06-08T17:36:24Z")

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Hi @Angel,

Yes, the extra information was helpful.[quote=“Angel, post:3, topic:44832”]

I don’t know if there is any way for you to embed the Rhino version into the files so we can see without opening them in rhino.  
[/quote]

This information is embedded in 3dm files. The ‘trick’ will be to get Windows Explorer to show it to on some reasonable way.

Explorer’s “Type” column only shows type of file - basically a descriptive name for the file extension. So this isn’t going to work.

Windows files can have _Properties_. To view, right-click on any file and pick Properties \> Details. It may be possible to provide some additional data here. If so, you could view by turning on additional columns in Explorer’s Details view.

Another approach would be to provide a Shell Extension (aka plug-in) for Explorer. Rhino already installs a shell extension which lets you view a 3dm file’s thumbnail preview. Perhaps we can just extend this to show you the version of Rhino that wrote the file.

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/2/c/2c7be66f55673caae8048fb07c5f0f3dbd0280d5.png)

Thoughts?

– Dale

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**Author:** ![wim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/wim/32/747482_2.png) [@wim](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/wim)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/5 "2017-06-08T19:11:21Z")

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> [@dale](#):
>
> Perhaps we can just extend this to show you the version of Rhino that wrote the file.

That would be nice, yes!

The area where you are showing this in that picture currently shows the notes that are in the file. Would it be possible to overlay it on the thumbnail?

It doesn’t have to be quite so verbose - one can start wondering if “created by” means something else than “last modified by”. Perhaps just “5.12”?

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**Author:** ![Angel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/angel/32/371127_2.png) [@Angel](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Angel)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/6 "2017-06-08T23:49:51Z")

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Hi @dale,

Thanks for the reply. From the options commented above I would definitely prefer one option integrated in the columns that explorer can show. Building it over plugins or as an overlay over the small capture could bring problems later. Plain text over any field in the details will work.

There are several candidates for that, for instance: “File version”, “Kind”, “Label”,…

Cheers.

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**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/7 "2017-06-09T20:55:22Z")

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@wim

> [@wim](#):
>
> Perhaps just “5.12”?

Rhino’s 3dm file format does not change between service releases. So I don’t know why you’d display this.

– Dale

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/8 "2017-06-09T20:57:46Z")

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Hi @Angel,

I’ve added your request to the pile.

[https://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-39743](https://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-39743)

– Dale

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/wim/32/747482_2.png) [@wim](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/wim)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 10:39am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/9 "2017-06-10T10:39:09Z")

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> [@dale](#):
>
> So I don’t know why you’d display this.

It’d save me from running Audit3dm on files from this discussion group all the time… Never mind.

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**Author:** ![norbert\_geelen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/norbert_geelen/32/476003_2.png) [@norbert\_geelen](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/norbert_geelen)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 12:13pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/10 "2021-01-28T12:13:25Z")

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As I am concurrently using Rhino versions 5 to 8 WIP (and sometimes forget to include the version number in the file names) this feature would be really helpful for me.  
Any news about this?

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**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/11 "2021-02-01T18:35:19Z")

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Hi @norbert_geelen ,

Have you seen this?

> **[RhinoFileVersion](https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/rhinofileversion)**
>
> RhinoFileVersion is a simple utility plug-in that prints the Rhino file version number to the command line when you open a file.

– Dale

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**Author:** ![norbert\_geelen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/norbert_geelen/32/476003_2.png) [@norbert\_geelen](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/norbert_geelen)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/12 "2021-02-01T19:43:47Z")

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Hi Dale, I have and it looks to be better than nothing, but ideally I would like to be able to get information about the file version without opening the file in Rhino. (that means from within Rhino’s “open” menu and within windows explorer)  
My problem is mostly with opening rhino 6 or 7 files in Rhino 5 (needed for VSR plugin) just to see the dreaded “…created with a newer version of Rhino” pop-up message.  
With big files this can be quite annoying and time consuming.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/13 "2021-02-01T19:51:04Z")

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Hi @norbert_geelen,

I’ve been putting together a non-Rhino, command line tool that should help. I’ll let you know when I have something you can test.

– Dale

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/15 "2021-02-02T19:01:52Z")

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Hi @norbert_geelen ,

I just pushed an updated version of the `RhinoFileVersion` utility to our package manager that includes a new `RhinoFileVersion` command. The command allows you to pick a Rhino file and determine the version of Rhino that last saved the file.

To get the update, just run Rhino 7 and run `PackageManager`.

– Dale

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**Author:** ![Akash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/akash/32/475465_2.png) [@Akash](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Akash)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-display-rhino-and-grasshopper-file-version/44832/16 "2021-02-02T19:49:12Z")

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Thanks a lot for this very useful add on.  
Now, wouldn’t it make sense to add an option : “open file” after the version name is printed…?

with best regards  
Akash