When You’re Tired of Doing the Same Export Steps on Repeat
If you’ve spent any real time looking for ways to automate SolidWorks export workflows, you’ve probably come across both CadShift and CAD+ by Xarial. Both tools aim to cut down the manual grind of repetitive CAD tasks — but they approach the problem from very different angles.
This comparison is for engineers actively evaluating both options who want a straight answer: what does each tool actually do, where does each one fall short, and which one makes more sense for your situation.
No fluff. Let’s get into it.
What Each Tool Is Trying to Do
It helps to understand the intent behind each product before stacking them up side by side.
CadShift
CadShift is built specifically around repeatable export and conversion workflows. Its SolidWorks plugin focuses on batch DXF export — with proper bend lines, metadata, and consistent file naming — so engineers and manufacturing teams can stop re-doing the same manual steps every time a design changes. The goal is a configured workflow that runs the same way every time, without anyone babysitting it.
CadShift also includes GeoConvert, a separate product for batch geospatial data conversion. That’s relevant for GIS users but outside the scope of this comparison. For a full overview of CadShift’s capabilities, see our complete guide to CadShift.
CAD+ by Xarial
CAD+ is an open-source automation framework for SolidWorks developed by Xarial. It’s a broader toolset that lets users build macros, scripts, and custom automation routines inside SolidWorks — think scripting, custom commands, batch operations, and macro management. It’s designed for power users and developers who want to extend SolidWorks programmatically.
CAD+ is flexible and extensible. But that flexibility comes with a learning curve, and it assumes a level of technical comfort that not every engineering team has.
The Core Difference in One Sentence
CadShift gives you a configured, ready-to-run workflow for batch DXF export. CAD+ gives you the building blocks to create your own automation — if you’re willing to build it.
That distinction matters a lot depending on who you are and what you actually need.
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
SolidWorks Integration
CadShift: Installs as a SolidWorks plugin and integrates directly into the environment. Setup is straightforward, and the workflow comes pre-configured for DXF export with bend lines and metadata. You’re not writing anything — configure your settings and run the batch.
CAD+ by Xarial: Also integrates with SolidWorks, but operates more like a framework. It adds a custom toolbar and gives you access to a macro runner, batch processing engine, and scripting environment. The integration is solid, but getting it to do something specific requires you to define that behavior yourself — either by writing a macro or adapting an existing one.
Verdict: CadShift wins for out-of-the-box usability. CAD+ wins for teams that want to build custom integrations and have the development resources to do so.
Batch Processing
CadShift: Batch processing is the core feature. Point it at a folder of parts or assemblies, configure your export settings once, and it runs through the entire batch — exporting DXF files with bend lines, flat patterns, and metadata intact. The output is consistent and predictable. That’s the whole point.
CAD+ by Xarial: CAD+ includes a batch processing module that can run macros or scripts across multiple files. It’s genuinely capable, but the output depends entirely on what your macro does. If you want DXF export with bend lines, you need to find a macro that handles that correctly or write one yourself. The batch engine is there — the logic is on you.
Verdict: For DXF export specifically, CadShift is purpose-built and requires no scripting. CAD+ can technically do it, but you’re responsible for the implementation.
DXF Export with Bend Lines and Flat Patterns
This is worth calling out directly, because it’s where a lot of SolidWorks users get burned.
Exporting DXFs from sheet metal parts sounds simple until you realize how many ways it can go wrong — missing bend lines, incorrect flat patterns, inconsistent layer naming, metadata that doesn’t carry over. Doing it manually for dozens or hundreds of parts is slow and error-prone. Our batch DXF export guide for SolidWorks walks through the specific challenges of sheet metal DXF export.
CadShift: This is the primary use case the product is built around. Bend lines are included. Flat patterns are handled correctly. Metadata like part number, revision, and material can be embedded or mapped into the file naming convention. The output is clean and consistent across the entire batch.
CAD+ by Xarial: There’s no pre-built DXF export routine with bend lines out of the box. You’d need to script that behavior. Xarial’s community and documentation are decent, so finding or adapting macros is possible — but it’s not something you can configure in five minutes.
Verdict: CadShift is the clear choice here. If DXF export with bend lines is your primary need, there’s no real comparison.
Scripting and Custom Automation
CadShift: CadShift is not a scripting platform — it’s a workflow tool. You configure it, not code it. That’s a deliberate design decision. It’s built for engineers who want automation without becoming developers.
CAD+ by Xarial: This is where CAD+ genuinely shines. It supports VBA, C#, and other scripting approaches. You can build complex automation routines, chain operations together, create custom UI elements, and extend SolidWorks well beyond export workflows. If your team has a developer or a technically inclined engineer comfortable with macros, CAD+ unlocks a lot.
Verdict: CAD+ wins here, and it’s not close. If you need custom scripting and programmable automation, it’s the more powerful tool.
Metadata and File Naming
CadShift: Metadata handling is built into the export workflow. You can map SolidWorks custom properties to file naming conventions, so exported DXFs come out with consistent, meaningful names — part number, revision, description, whatever your convention requires. For teams feeding files into downstream systems like ERP or PDM, this is a significant time saver.
CAD+ by Xarial: Metadata handling is possible, but it’s something you implement in macro logic. Write a macro that pulls custom properties and uses them in file naming, and it works — but it’s not a configured UI option. It’s code.
Verdict: CadShift is easier to set up for structured metadata and file naming. CAD+ can match it, but requires development effort.
Ease of Setup and Onboarding
CadShift: Install the plugin, configure your export settings, point it at your files, run the batch. The learning curve is minimal. Engineers who aren’t interested in tooling or scripting can be up and running quickly.
CAD+ by Xarial: CAD+ is open source and well-documented, but it’s a framework, not a finished product. Getting it to do something useful takes real time investment — reading documentation, understanding the macro system, testing and debugging. For a developer, that’s normal. For an engineer who just wants to stop exporting DXFs by hand, it can feel like a project in itself.
Verdict: CadShift is significantly easier to onboard for non-technical users. CAD+ is better suited to teams with development resources or a dedicated power user.
Open Source vs. Commercial Product
CAD+ by Xarial: Open source, available on GitHub, free to use. That’s a genuine advantage if your organization has restrictions on software spend or wants to inspect and modify the code. The trade-off is community-based support and no dedicated team ensuring it works for your specific workflow.
CadShift: A commercial product with focused functionality. You’re paying for something built and tested specifically for the use case it addresses — and support and reliability come with that.
Verdict: This depends on your organization’s priorities. Open source is appealing on cost, but if you need something that works reliably without internal development effort, a commercial tool is usually worth it.
Support and Reliability
CadShift: As a commercial product, CadShift is maintained and supported. If something breaks or doesn’t work as expected, there’s a team behind it.
CAD+ by Xarial: Xarial has done solid work with CAD+, and the community is active. But open-source support has limits. Hit an edge case or a compatibility issue with a new SolidWorks version, and resolution timelines depend on community availability or Xarial’s own bandwidth.
Verdict: CadShift offers more predictable support. CAD+ depends on community and maintainer responsiveness.
Who Should Use CadShift
CadShift is the right choice if:
- Your team exports DXF files from SolidWorks regularly — especially sheet metal parts
- You need bend lines, flat patterns, and metadata handled correctly and consistently
- You don’t want to write or maintain macros
- You’re feeding exported files into downstream systems and need predictable naming and structure
- You want to configure it once and have it run reliably without ongoing maintenance
- Your engineers are engineers, not developers
If the core problem is “we spend too much time manually exporting DXFs and the outputs aren’t consistent,” CadShift solves that directly. If you’re not sure whether automation is right for your team, check the 5 signs your engineering team needs CAD automation.
Who Should Use CAD+ by Xarial
CAD+ is the right choice if:
- You need custom automation that goes beyond export workflows
- You have a developer or technically advanced engineer who can write and maintain macros
- You want to build proprietary internal tooling on top of SolidWorks
- Open source is a requirement for your organization
- Your automation needs are varied and don’t fit neatly into a pre-built workflow
- You’re comfortable with a longer setup and configuration process
CAD+ is a legitimate and capable tool. It’s just not a finished solution for DXF export — it’s a platform for building solutions.
Side-by-Side Summary
| Feature | CadShift | CAD+ by Xarial |
|---|---|---|
| SolidWorks integration | Plugin, direct | Framework-based |
| Batch DXF export | Built-in, pre-configured | Requires scripting |
| Bend lines in export | Yes, out of the box | Requires macro |
| Flat pattern handling | Yes | Requires macro |
| Metadata and file naming | Configurable UI | Scripted |
| Custom scripting | No | Yes (VBA, C#, etc.) |
| Ease of setup | High | Moderate to low |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Support model | Commercial | Community |
| Best for | Export-focused workflows | Custom automation |
The Honest Take
These tools aren’t really competing for the same user. They overlap in the sense that both live inside SolidWorks and both reduce manual work — but the overlap is mostly conceptual.
CAD+ is a developer’s tool that happens to be useful for engineers who code. CadShift is an engineer’s tool that happens to be powerful enough for production workflows.
If your team’s bottleneck is the DXF export process — the time it takes, the inconsistency of outputs, the manual checking afterward — CadShift addresses that directly. CAD+ could address it too, but only after you’ve invested the time to build and test the right macro, which is its own project.
For teams that don’t have that bandwidth, or don’t want to spend engineering time on tooling, CadShift is the more practical answer. For a comparison with another popular automation platform, see our CadShift vs DriveWorks comparison.
Conclusion
Comparing CadShift and CAD+ by Xarial is a bit like comparing a purpose-built fixture to a machine shop. One is ready to do a specific job immediately. The other gives you everything you need to build the fixture yourself.
Neither is wrong. It comes down to what your team has the capacity to do and what problem you’re actually trying to solve.
If you’re evaluating both because you want to stop manually exporting DXFs and get consistent, reliable outputs without writing a line of code, CadShift is built for exactly that.
Learn more at Cadshift.com.