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Hard locks give a user exclusive write access to a specific path in a repository. While soft locks are non-blocking indicators that show when someone is editing a file, hard locks prevent other users from committing changes to the locked path until the lock is released. Hard locks are especially useful for binary files (such as .uasset, .umap, or .fbx) that cannot be merged and require exclusive editing.
Hard locks are available on Studio and Enterprise plans.

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How Hard Locks Work

  • A lock is per-repository and per-path — each lock applies to a specific path in a specific repo.
  • A lock is tied to the user who created it.
  • Once a path is locked, only the locking user can commit changes to that path.
  • If another user edits a locked file locally, a warning is displayed but the edit is saved. However, committing those changes will be blocked.
  • Only the locking user or a repository admin/owner can release the lock.

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Locking and Releasing Paths

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Using the Desktop or Web App

To lock a path, right-click the file or folder in the tree view and select Lock from the context menu. Lock option in the context menu Once locked, a lock icon appears next to the path in the tree view, indicating who holds the lock. Lock status indicator in the tree view To release a lock, right-click the locked path and select Unlock from the context menu.
Only the user who created the lock or a repository admin/owner can release it. If the locking user is unavailable, contact a repo admin.

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Using the CLI

Lock a path: 
dv lock <path>
Release a lock: 
dv lock -d <path>
List all locked paths in the repository: 
dv lock

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Auto-Lock

Repository admins can configure file patterns (by extension) so that matching files are automatically locked when a user begins editing them. This removes the need for manual locking on common binary or unmergeable file types.

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How Auto-Lock Works

  • When a user edits a file that matches a configured pattern, Diversion automatically locks it for that user.
  • If the file is already locked by another user, auto-lock does not apply — the existing lock is preserved.
Auto-lock is particularly useful for binary files like .uasset, .umap, or .fbx that cannot be merged and always require exclusive editing.

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Configuring Auto-Lock Patterns

Auto-lock is a per-repository setting configured by a repo admin or owner.
  1. Open the repository settings
  2. Navigate to the Hard Locks settings
  3. Add file extension patterns (e.g., .uasset, .umap, .fbx)
  4. Save changes
Auto-lock configuration in repository settings

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Auto-Release

Locks can be automatically released when the locking user commits changes on specific branches. This is configured alongside the auto-lock settings.

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How Auto-Release Works

  • A repository admin defines which branches trigger auto-release (e.g., main, develop).
  • When a user commits or merges to one of these branches, their locked files included in the commit are automatically released.
Auto-release branch configuration in repository settings

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Viewing Locked Paths

  • Desktop or Web App: Lock icons appear in the tree view next to locked paths. Hover over the icon to see who holds the lock.
  • CLI: Run dv lock with no arguments to list all locks in the repository.

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Permissions

ActionWho can do it
Lock a pathAny user with write access
Unlock own lockThe locking user, repo admin, or owner
Unlock another user’s lockRepo admin or owner
Configure auto-lock/release settingsRepo admin or owner