The popular CAD data management tool, GrabCAD Workbench, has been retired. GrabCAD was widely used by smaller engineering teams for its simplicity and effectiveness in managing CAD data. As a simplified PDM alternative, it provided an easy-to-use solution for teams to collaborate on projects. In 2024, some teams are still struggling to find alternatives that are both simple and affordable. Vistapoint PDM is a suitable alternative for smaller engineering teams that need simplified control over their CAD designs.
GrabCAD Workbench excelled in simplicity. It was easy to implement and use, with a mission to provide straightforward CAD version control. Many users familiar with software development version control tools, like GitHub, found GrabCAD to be similarly intuitive. Its seamless collaboration and version control features drew many parallels to GitHub, the most popular version control tool for software developers. GrabCAD Workbench was the “Github for CAD”. As a result, GrabCAD Workbench became widely popular among small engineering teams.
There were two key areas where GrabCAD Workbench could have been enhanced to better serve businesses:
GrabCAD Workbench lacked a check-out/check-in process. Users would work on a local copy of project files, and any changes made were tracked in a changes log before being uploaded to the main project version. This could lead to conflicts if two users made changes to the same file simultaneously. While there was a locking function, it wasn’t required for making edits.
A check-out/check-in function would require users to check out files from the archive for editing, automatically locking them to prevent simultaneous edits. This adds a critical layer of control to avoid conflicts.
For businesses, having configurable settings for permissions, roles, and release control is essential. Although GrabCAD Workbench offered basic permissions and revision control out of the box, it lacked the flexibility to meet the specific needs of different businesses. The addition of more configurable permissions would have been beneficial.
Moreover, GrabCAD Workbench offered minimal metadata management. If it had allowed users to manage metadata and add index fields (labels) to parts, it would have significantly improved search functionality.
Vistapoint PDM is a strong alternative to GrabCAD Workbench, offering a simplified PDM solution. However, it comes with key advantages, such as the check-out/check-in process and more configurable permissions and metadata management.
Vistapoint PDM allows you to download project files to your local computer while automatically locking them to ensure proper permissions for editing. By using the check-out/check-in method, Vistapoint PDM helps you avoid conflicts. To make changes, you check out the part, which unlocks the file on your local computer. After completing your edits, you check the changes back in with a version comment.
For businesses seeking more tailored permissions and search features, Vistapoint PDM offers customizable roles and index fields. You can define roles such as edit, view, download, or delete, allowing you to customize project permissions to fit your needs.
In addition, index fields enable you to add custom information to parts, such as project name, part number, supplier, or customer. Along with metadata extracted from CAD files, these fields make it easier to search and label parts. This ultimately allows you to make informed decisions faster, without having to open the file.
With the retirement of GrabCAD Workbench, many smaller engineering teams are still searching for a solution that provides simplified control over their CAD designs. What is the right solution for your team? To learn more about Vistapoint PDM or to schedule a demo, visit our website.