Dartfish 2026 introduces a clearer and more structured approach to online document editing and synchronization.

The goal of this update is to:

  • Clearly distinguish between local and remote versions

  • Prevent accidental data loss

  • Improve merge conflict handling

  • Make synchronization behavior transparent

  • Improve publishing reliability

This article explains how online editing works and what users should expect.


This short video gives you a brief overview of the feature



Core concept

When editing online documents:

  • A document exists on dartfish.tv

  • A user opens it

  • The user edits it locally

  • The user synchronize it

  • The changes are uploaded successfully


The diagram below illustrates this standard workflow.



Step 1 - Local version creation

The video clip and the notebook are stored on dartfish.tv.

When you Double-click the remote document, or drag it into the Tray, Dartfish downloads the document structure and creates a local version. The video clip remains online.


At this stage, the remote version remains unchanged and the editing will happen locally.


Step 2 - Edit / Tag

When you edit and/or tag the document, the changes are saved locally.


At this stage, the remote version is not modified yet. The local version becomes different from the remote version.


Step 3 - Synchronization

When you synchronize, Dartfish compares the local version with the remote version. If no online changes occurred, local edits are uploaded and the remote document is updated. 

After a successful synchronization, local and remote version are aligned again.


Editing is always local.
This design prevents accidental overwriting and enables safe collaboration.

Remote Document Caching

When a remote document is opened:

  • A local copy is stored in:

    %LOCALAPPDATA%

  • Files are stored per user account ID

This enables:

  • Offline work

  • Safe editing

  • Version comparison


Conflict handling

A conflict occurs when:

  • You edit the document locally
    AND

  • Another user edits the same document on dartfish.tv

The diagram below illustrates this situation.


After adding the document to the Tray:

  • You edit the Local version

  • Another user edits the Remote version

Now:

  • The local version contains changes

  • The remote version also contains changes

  • Both versions differ from the baseline

This triggers a merge conflict.


Why is this a problem ?
If Dartfish simply uploaded your local version, the remote edits would be lost.
If Dartfish simply downloaded the remote version, your local edits would be lost.
To protect data integrity, Dartfish requires a merge process.


Merge Process

When a conflict is detected during synchronization, Dartfish displays the following dialog: 


Dartfish cannot automatically decide which version should prevail. The system requires the user to make a decision.


Merge changes

Review changes and resolve confilcts between the two versions.


What Happens:

  • The Merge Panel opens

  • Differences between local and remote versions are displayed

  • The user manually resolves conflicts

  • A merged version is created

  • The merged version is uploaded



When to choose this:

  • In collaborative environments

  • When unsure what changed online

  • When preserving all edits is important


This is the safest option, and prevents accidental data loss.


Overwrite Online Version

Replace the online version with your local version. Other authors’ changes will be lost.


What Happens:

  • The local version is uploaded immediately

  • The remote version is completely replaced

  • Online edits made by others are permanently removed


When to choose this:

  • When you are certain your version is the correct one

  • When online changes are irrelevant or invalid

  • In controlled single-author workflows


This action cannot restore overwritten remote changes.


Undo Local Changes

Discard your local changes.


What Happens:

  • Local edits are deleted

  • The remote version is downloaded

  • The local document is replaced with the current online version


When to choose this:

  • When your local edits are no longer needed

  • When online edits must take priority

  • When resolving accidental local modifications


Local edits cannot be recovered after this action.


Opening a Document That Has Local Changes

If a document already contains local edits, a warning dialog appears.


 


There are two possible situations:

  1. Document edited locally only
  2. Document edited locally and online (merge conflict)


User options:

  • Keep editing the local version

  • Discard local changes

  • Cancel the operation


If local changes are discarded, the local version is replaced by the current online version.

If both versions changed the same elements, a merge conflict must be resolved.


Key Takeaway

The online editing system in Dartfish 2026 is designed for safe collaboration. 

It ensures:

  • Clear separation between local and remote versions

  • Conflict detection before overwriting

  • Structured merge resolution

  • Reliable publishing behavior

  • Transparent synchronization


Important Reminders

  • Editing always happens locally
  • Remote edits may happen at any time
  • Dartfish never silently overwrites data
  • Merge conflicts are protection mechanism