The evolution tree shows you which variants of an original file exist in the 4ALLPORTAL and how they are related. This allows you to see, for example, the different editing statuses of an image.

As soon as you edit a file and save it as a new file, the system automatically adds to the evolution tree and creates a new child file.

You can also edit the tree manually by linking, uploading or removing related files.

Open the detail view of a file in the "Files" module and click on "Evolution tree" in the menu bar:

a parent file with four automatically and manually linked child files

Technical requirements

Automatic linking is only possible if a file was downloaded from the 4ALLPORTAL before it was edited.
The links within the evolution tree can only be displayed for certain file formats.

Main view

The evolution tree is divided into three areas: the main view, the simplified tree structure to the right of it, and the toolbox.

In the main view and in the tree structure, the original version (parent file) of an editing series is always displayed at the top. You can expand or collapse child branches using the arrows ( double arrow or down arrow ).

The file you are currently viewing in detail is marked with a blue border:

What can you do here?

The evolution tree gives you a structured overview of the development of a file and its variants:

In the main view, you can see information about each file, including the creation and modification dates.
In the reduced tree structure, you can filter by file name or file extension in the search field.
You can select individual or multiple files using the checkbox in the main view or tree structure to perform further actions in the toolbox.

available actions in the toolbox for two selected files

Actions in the toolbox

Select one or multiple files in the main view or the tree structure to perform one of the following actions (depending on the file type and number of files):

Action	Description
View files	Open one or multiple files in their own evolution tree.
Download	Download one or multiple files to your computer.
Full screen view	Open one or multiple files in full screen mode.
Mass change	Open the bulk tagging function for two or more files.
Compare images	Display two images side by side for visual comparison.
Upload and link file	Upload a file that is not yet in the 4ALLPORTAL (e.g., an image edit). The uploaded file is created as a new child file.
Create link	Manually link a file that is already in the 4ALLPORTAL. You can choose whether the new file should be created as a parent or child file.
Remove link	Remove a child file from the evolution tree (the file itself is not deleted).
Add to shopping cart	Adds one or multiple files to the shopping cart.

In the tree structure, you can also use the three-dot menu next to a file name.

Unlink

The original version (parent file) cannot be removed from the tree structure. If you delete the file, the evolution tree will first be dissolved.
However, if there are other child files, their links will remain intact – the top child file will automatically become the new parent file.

Automatic linking

In order for variants of a file to be automatically linked in the evolution tree, the file must have been originally downloaded via the 4ALLPORTAL.

After editing (e.g., image editing, changing the file name) and re-uploading to the 4ALLPORTAL, the link to the parent file is automatically created in the evolution tree.

Technical process

When a file is downloaded, the system automatically stores XMP metadata (assigns a unique fileID).

If this file is edited and uploaded back to the system, the 4ALLPORTAL recognizes the fileID and automatically classifies the file as a child link in the evolution tree.

Example metadata: <xmpCM4AP:fileID>e6167534-ee16-424b-9c63-28f9526da53c</xmpCM4AP:FileID>

Examples of automatic links

An automatic link is created:

You download a JPG from the 4ALLPORTAL, edit it and upload it again under a new name.
You download a PSD file from the 4ALLPORTAL, save it as a TIFF and upload it back to the system.
You download an MP4 video, edit it and import it again.
You edit an image in the 4ALLPORTAL or save a file in the 4ALLPORTAL as a new version.

No link possible:

You open a JPG directly from the file system, change it and save it with a new file name in the file system (the file was not downloaded from the 4ALLPORTAL and therefore does not have a unique fileID).

Workaround without fileID

Without a fileID, the 4ALLPORTAL cannot recognize whether there is a parent file and therefore cannot create an evolution tree.

If you edit a file in a tool that does not support XMP metadata, the link cannot be created after re-importing.

It is possible to create a connection in the evolution tree manually. To do this, use the Create link or Upload and link file actions in the toolbox.

Supported file formats

Automatic linking is only possible with file formats that support XMP metadata:

JPG, TIFF, RAW, GIF, EPS, PDF
MP4, MOV, HEIF
PSD, INDD (limited)

Not supported are:

PPTX, DOCX, TXT, BMP, SVG
MP3, WAV, AVI, OGG, CSV

Adobe files

In the case of Adobe files (e.g., Photoshop), the automatic metadata <xmpMM:originalDocumentID> or <xmpMM:derivedFromDocumentID> is assigned by Adobe itself.

If this metadata is not maintained correctly when re-importing from Adobe (e.g., the originalDocumentID is not created as parentID), the 4ALLPORTAL has no influence on this.

In this case, the evolution tree cannot be displayed correctly.

Create a link manually

If the automatic link does not work, you can also create a link in the evolution tree manually. This is necessary in the following cases, for example:

You did not download a file via 4ALLPORTAL, but opened it directly via the file system and saved it there again.
You edited the file on your computer in a tool that does not support XMP metadata.

in addition to three automatically linked files, the PDF file was added manually

There are two ways to link one file to another:

Link file from 4ALLPORTAL

Open the evolution tree in the detail view of a file.
Select the desired file using the checkbox in the main view or tree structure.
Click on the "Create link" button in the toolbox.
A pop-up window will open. Select whether you want to link a file as a "child" or "parent" element.
A selection window with files from the system will open. Select a file to link.
Confirm your selection by clicking the "Add selection" button.
The file will automatically be created as a new parent or child file.

If you link an existing file, you can select the type of link (child or parent).

Upload and link a file from your computer

Open the evolution tree in the detail view of a file.
Select the desired file using the checkbox in the main view or tree structure.
Click on the button "Upload and link file".
A selection window with files from your computer opens. Select a file from your computer and upload it.
A second pop-up with a folder selection opens: Select the 4ALLPORTAL folder to which you want to upload the file. You can only select one folder.
Once you confirm your selection, the upload will start.
The file will automatically be created as a new child file.

💡 Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What happens when the format changes?
As long as the fileID remains the same, the file will be linked correctly.
What happens when a parent file is deleted?
The first child file automatically becomes the new parent file.
Why is my image not being linked?
The fileID is probably missing, or the file format does not support XMP metadata.
What is the difference between the evolution tree and versioning?
The evolution tree shows how different files are linked to each other (variants of a file). Versioning, on the other hand, saves different editing states of the same file.