Git-based version control for SolidWorks files

How OpenVault works with SolidWorks

OpenVault is a Git-based version control system for CAD files and engineering data. When you work with SolidWorks files (.sldprt parts, .sldasm assemblies, .slddrw drawings), OpenVault treats them like any other binary file your CAD tool produces, managing them with full version history, branching, and offline-first work.

SolidWorks files are large binary objects. OpenVault routes them automatically through Git LFS (Large File Storage) so your repository stays fast and usable. You work in Git as normal: clone, branch, edit, commit, merge. The plumbing is transparent.

Install OpenVault locally on your machine:

pip install openvault
openvault init

Then commit your first SolidWorks file:

openvault add models/bracket.sldprt
openvault commit -m "Add bracket assembly v1"

That's it. You now have full version history, branching, and offline work without a central vault server.

The commit and branch workflow

Working with SolidWorks in OpenVault feels like Git because it is Git. Here's the typical flow:

Branch for a design task. Create a feature branch for your engineering work. This isolates your changes until you're ready to merge.

openvault checkout -b feature/bracket-reinforcement

Edit in SolidWorks. Open your part or assembly in SolidWorks as normal. Make your design changes. Save.

Commit with context. Stage and commit your changes with a message that explains the design decision.

openvault add models/bracket.sldprt
openvault commit -m "Reinforce bracket flanges for 1.5x load factor"

Create more commits as you iterate. Each commit is a snapshot. If you need to back up one step or compare two iterations, the commits are there.

Open a pull request for review. Push your branch to GitHub, GitLab, or your Git host. Request a review from colleagues.

openvault push origin feature/bracket-reinforcement

Merge when approved. Once approved, merge the branch to main. All commits roll forward. The history is clean and traceable.

This workflow works for any Git host. You can push to GitHub for public open source SolidWorks projects, GitLab for private team repositories, Gitea for self-hosted control, or a shared NAS for air-gapped environments.

Visual 3D diff with ToolCrib

SolidWorks files are binary. You can't diff them in a text editor. That's where ToolCrib CLI comes in. Use it to visually compare two versions of your design:

pip install toolcrib
toolcrib diff models/bracket.sldprt models/bracket-v2.sldprt --visual

ToolCrib renders both geometries and color-codes the differences: green for additions, red for removals, gray for unchanged geometry. You spot geometry deltas at a glance.

You can compare across commits:

toolcrib diff <(openvault show HEAD~1:models/bracket.sldprt) models/bracket.sldprt --visual

Or across branches:

toolcrib diff <(openvault show main:models/bracket.sldprt) <(openvault show feature/reinforcement:models/bracket.sldprt) --visual

This is especially useful during code review. Instead of squinting at version numbers, your reviewers see exactly what geometry changed.

Assembly and drawing coherence

SolidWorks projects usually include parts (.sldprt), assemblies (.sldasm), and drawings (.slddrw). All three files reference each other. When you update a part, you want to rev the assembly and re-release the drawing.

OpenVault keeps these related files together in a single commit. Commit the part, the assembly that uses it, and the drawing that documents it all in one go:

openvault add models/bracket.sldprt models/assembly.sldasm drawings/assembly.slddrw
openvault commit -m "Update bracket geometry and assembly; release drawing rev B"

The commit message documents the intent and the release state. When you later ask "what drawing was current when this part was designed?", the answer is in the commit history. No separate tracking needed.

For larger projects with strict release processes, add metadata to your commits. Some teams use Git tags to mark released drawings:

openvault tag -a v2.1-released -m "Drawing rev B released to manufacturing"

All coordinated in Git. No separate system for parts, assemblies, and drawings.

Offline work and conflict handling

OpenVault is offline-first. Clone your repository once, then work anywhere without a network connection:

openvault clone https://github.com/yourteam/products.git

Make edits, commit locally:

openvault add models/*.sldprt
openvault commit -m "Field prototype updates"

When you reconnect, push your commits:

openvault push origin main

This is essential for field teams, remote sites, and traveling engineers. No dependency on a vault server or network uptime.

If two engineers edit the same file. Git flags the conflict. OpenVault shows both versions. The engineer with the most context decides which to keep, or they manually merge the geometry using ToolCrib diff output as a guide.

Because SolidWorks files are binary, OpenVault does not attempt automatic merge. Instead, it flags the conflict early and clearly, so the person who understands the design can make the call.