Version control of electronic files defining a model of a system or component of a system

A method for controlling versions of a model file includes determining a format of a particular element of a plurality of elements of the model file. The model file defines a model of a system. The method also includes converting the particular element of the plurality of elements from a non-text format to a text-based format in response to the particular element including data in the non-text format. The method further includes writing the particular element converted to the text-based format to a model text file. The model text file is a text-based version of the model file and the model text file is used to detect changes in the model file and to control different versions of the model file.