Version control is critical in mechanical computer-aided design (CAD) to enable traceability, manage product variation, and support collaboration. Yet, its implementation in modern CAD software as an essential information infrastructure for product development remains plagued by issues due to the complexity and interdependence of design data. This paper presents a systematic review of user-reported challenges with version control in modern CAD tools. Analyzing 170 online forum threads, we identify recurring socio-technical issues that span the management, continuity, scope, and distribution of versions. Our findings inform a broader reflection on how version control should be designed and improved for CAD and motivate opportunities for tools and mechanisms that better support articulation work, facilitate cross-boundary collaboration, and operate with infrastructural reflexivity. This study offers actionable insights for CAD software providers and highlights opportunities for researchers to rethink version control.

翻译：版本控制在机械计算机辅助设计（CAD）中至关重要，它能够实现可追溯性、管理产品变体并支持协作。然而，由于设计数据的复杂性和相互依赖性，其作为产品开发关键信息基础设施在现代CAD软件中的实施仍面临诸多问题。本文对用户报告的现代CAD工具中版本控制挑战进行了系统性综述。通过分析170个在线论坛主题，我们识别出贯穿版本的管理、连续性、范围和分布等环节的重复性社会技术问题。我们的研究结果启发人们更广泛地思考应如何为CAD设计和改进版本控制，并推动开发能更好支持衔接工作、促进跨边界协作、并具备基础设施自反性运行能力的工具与机制。本研究为CAD软件供应商提供了可操作的见解，并为研究人员重新思考版本控制指明了方向。