Deta Studio

How to save back to Dropbox or Google Drive

Replace the linked PDF with Save, or create a separate file with Save As Copy and find its link in the version tree.

Updated

Find the controls

Save / Save As Copy

Viewer header → Save beside the Dropbox or Google Drive logo

Watch the walkthrough

Before you start

Open a drawing linked to Dropbox or Google Drive, then select the version or branch you want to save. Changes in Deta do not replace the provider’s PDF until you save back.

For files on your computer, see Open and save a local PDF.

Steps

Click Save in the viewer header, beside the Dropbox icon Dropbox or Google Drive icon Google Drive logo. Choose what to do with the source file:

Save menu: Save replaces the original; Save As Copy creates a new file.

Replace the original PDF

  1. Choose Save icon Save.
  2. Read the replacement confirmation, then click Replace original.

This writes the selected version and branch back to the linked file, including its markups. Anyone opening that source PDF will see the saved contents.

Replace the original in Dropbox confirmation with Cancel and Replace original buttons.

Save a separate copy

  1. Choose Save icon Save As Copy.
  2. Open Versions icon Versions on the right of the viewer. Find Saved copy beneath the version or branch you saved.
  3. Move over that row and click Open externally icon to open the copy in Dropbox or Google Drive.

Deta creates an (annotated).pdf file beside the original. The original stays unchanged, and the tree keeps a link to the separate copy. This does not create a new Deta version or change which source file the drawing follows.

Versions panel with the Saved copy row outlined in orange beneath V2 and its Synced layer.

Check your result

Save updates the linked PDF and its synced layer. Ordinary markup changes stay on the current version. Changes to pages or PDF content—including text edits, signatures and stamps—or saving an older version over the source create a new version.

Save As Copy adds a linked copy row. For how incoming source revisions appear, see Synchronization.

Troubleshooting

  • The source cannot be saved: connect an account that can edit the original file. Access to the drawing in Deta does not itself give access to its Dropbox or Google Drive source.
  • You only need a download: use Export PDF. For a fixed, dated record in Deta, use Issue.