Why Traditional CAD File Management is Holding You Back

Every year, thousands of engineers face the same question: is it worth paying another renewal bill for SolidWorks or another file-based CAD system? If you’ve been relying on Pack and Go (file packaging method), Dropbox folders, or even GitHub to manage CAD data, you’ve probably felt the pain of juggling files, managing backups, and patching together collaboration tools.

The truth is you don’t need to live this way anymore. Let’s break down how file-based CAD systems like SolidWorks handle file management versus Onshape’s built-in, cloud-native data platform – and why it might be time to consider whether your next renewal is the right time to explore alternatives.

Pack and Go vs. Onshape Sharing

Onshape redefines how engineering data is controlled and shared. Unlike file-based CAD, where copies scatter across desktops and shared drives, Onshape runs entirely in a secure, cloud-native database with true version control built in. Engineers can branch, merge, and release with full traceability – without servers, scripts, or PDM add-ons.

Just as important, Onshape’s Google Docs-style sharing model ensures that your intellectual property never leaves your control. A file-based CAD system can be copied, emailed, or uploaded anywhere once it’s downloaded – the horse is out of the stable. In Onshape, access is permission-based, revocable, and tracked in real time.

It’s the difference between hoping your data is safe and knowing it is:

• File-Based CAD: With a system like SolidWorks, sharing a large assembly means creating a Pack and Go, packaging every file into a ZIP, and then emailing it, uploading it to Dropbox, or (if you’re paying extra) putting it on the 3DEXPERIENCE drive. If just one file is missing or renamed, you’re in trouble.
• Onshape: Sharing is as simple as sending a link. No file zipping, no emailing, no paying for an external service. Your recipient always has the right version – instantly.

Onshape delivers secure, cloud-native collaboration that file-based CAD simply can’t match. Instead of scattering copies across drives and emails, every Onshape design lives in a controlled database with built-in versioning and real-time, permission-based sharing. No Pack and Go, no ZIP files – just a single link to the right version, every time.

Onshape Publications, Reports, and Documents can be shared like they would in Google Docs, with permission schemes that are impossible to reproduce in file-based CAD and PDM.

GitHub for CAD? Really?

Every few months, someone suggests using GitHub or SVN for CAD – as if it’s the clever workaround for version control. It sounds logical at first: engineers love branches, commits, and history tracking.

But the moment you try to apply it to SolidWorks or any file-based CAD system, reality hits hard. CAD files aren’t text; they’re binary blobs that Git can’t compare, merge, or intelligently manage.

Each “commit” is a full file upload, turning what should be version control into digital clutter. It’s not agile design – it’s version control cosplay.

Onshape eliminates this guesswork entirely. Its built-in, database-driven version control is designed for CAD from the ground up: branch, merge, protect, and release – all without the scripts, servers, or side tools.

Some file-based CAD users, for instance, might try to hack their way around this with GitHub. On paper, GitHub sounds like version control. In reality:

• CAD files are binary blobs, so Git can’t compare or merge them.
• Every edit is a full file upload – slow, heavy, and prone to error.
• Branching is meaningless because you can’t merge CAD binaries like you can with code.

It’s a workaround that looks like version control – but adds overhead without solving the real problem.

Onshape, on the other hand, is built on true database-driven version control. You can:

• Branch off safely with Workspace Protection.
• Experiment on a branch, then merge visually with clear comparison tools.
• Protected release workspaces so nothing slips in by mistake.

Onshape delivers true, database-driven version control, enabling safe branching, visual merging, and protected release workflows. Plus, all the power of full PDM, without the servers, setup, or extra cost.

The interactive Onshape Versions and history graph, showing Workspace Branch B5 as active and the latest changes are part of B5.

Onshape Merge strategy, showing differences between branch B5 and MAIN, with selective merging options for different elements of the design.

Backups and Restores

Many companies believe they have a solid backup strategy – nightly scripts, scheduled copies, or network drives that “just run.” But here’s the uncomfortable question: when was the last time anyone actually tested a restore?

It’s common to discover, too late, that backups weren’t capturing the right files, versions were overwritten, or dependencies were missing. In file-based CAD, that means broken assemblies, lost references, and hours of manual repair. A backup that’s never tested isn’t a safety net – it’s a false sense of security.

Onshape eliminates that risk entirely. There are no scripts to maintain or restore tests to perform. Every change is saved automatically and instantly, and you can revert or branch from any version without ever touching a file system.

• File-Based CAD: Manual. You either copy folders, set up custom scripts, or pay for PDM (which itself is another server to maintain). Restoring usually means overwriting files, breaking references, and wasting time.
• Onshape: Automatic. Every edit is saved in real time, with infinite undo. Want to go back? Create a version and roll forward from it. No IT overhead, no late-night panic copying folders.

Onshape Restore strategy, showing differences between branch B5 and a prior PDM issued release of the design at ECO-00002409C, with selective restore options showing that I want to restore just the changes to the sheet metal parts and not the wiring elements.

Who Did What?

Understanding who changed what – and when – shouldn’t require detective work. In file-based CAD, that’s exactly what happens. Unless you’re paying for SolidWorks PDM Pro or some other bolt-on PDM system, there’s no easy way to see who made edits or why. Instead, teams rely on filenames like bracket_final_FINAL_v7.SLDPRT and email threads to piece together what happened. The difference?

• File-Based CAD: Unless you’re running PDM Pro (again, extra cost), you can’t easily see who made a change, when, or why. You’re left sifting through filenames like bracket_final_FINAL_v7.SLDPRT.
• Onshape: Every change is preserved and auditable. Furthermore, the Analytics Panel shows you exactly which user worked on what with charts and graphs, with filters down to the part or feature. You get clarity without the guesswork.

Onshape removes the mystery. Every edit is automatically tracked, versioned, and auditable. The Analytics panel goes even further, visualizing activity across users, parts, and features through interactive charts and filters. Whether you’re tracking project velocity or investigating a design change, you can see exactly who did what – bringing real accountability and insight to engineering collaboration.

Onshape Analytics, available with Onshape Enterprise, Government, and Education Enterprise, showing a complete engineering dashboard for the Isomantle document with time allocated, collaborators, and Publications utilizing the information contained therein.

Task Management and Workflows

In most CAD environments, managing work happens outside the design tool. Engineers jump between emails, spreadsheets, and third-party systems just to track assignments or approvals.

It’s a disconnected process that slows teams down and creates gaps between design intent and project execution. The difference?

• File-Based CAD: CAD is separate from task management. You’re bouncing between email, spreadsheets, or a third-party PLM or CRM tool just to assign work or track progress.
• Onshape: Task management is built in. You can assign tasks, manage releases, and enforce workflows without ever leaving your CAD system. It’s engineering and project management in one place.

Onshape brings task management and workflows directly into the design environment. Assign work, manage releases, and enforce approval rules – all without leaving your CAD workspace. By connecting project management with design, teams stay aligned, accountable, and focused on moving products forward instead of chasing status updates.

The Onshape Action Items screen shows all work assigned to three engineers, with a custom ECR form and task management workflows that enable issue tracking.

The Cost of Standing Still

Here’s the harsh truth: if you’re still paying for traditional CAD subscriptions, like SolidWorks, but not upgrading your software because of regulatory requirements or just the time and pain it takes to upgrade, you’re burning money. You’re paying for a tool that keeps you stuck in file-based workflows from the 1990s.

Meanwhile, modern design engineering organizations are moving to systems like Onshape, where data management, sharing, workflows, and analytics are all included in the platform. No extra servers. No extra costs. No duct-taped “solutions” like GitHub for CAD.

Is it Time to Break Free?

If you’ve ever had to:

• Repackage an assembly with Pack and Go,
• Wonder if the “final_v7” file is actually final,
• Spend hours restoring a corrupted backup, or
• Pay extra just to host files somewhere…

…then you already know it’s time for change.

Onshape offers:

• Simple sharing with a single link.
• True branching and merging for design versions.
• Built-in task management and workflows.
• Automatic backups and restores.
• Analytics that actually tell you who did what.

Don’t let your next renewal deadline keep you locked into yesterday’s CAD. Make it the last one.