Other formats overview:
Introduction
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) history began in 1994. The intention behind its creation was to provide a neutral and open specification for the exchange of design data in construction and structural engineering applications. There’s a term Building Information Modeling (BIM) which describes a paradigm where software is used to model and keep track of all information and processes that pertain to the construction of a particular civil engineering structure. …
Other formats overview:
Introduction
Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) was created in the mid-1990s as a format to put 3D scenes on web pages. In 1997 a second version of the format was designed and it was standardized by ISO. It didn’t see widespread use though, because the bandwidth was quite limited at the time. In the early 2000s the successor to VRML, named X3D (which stands for Extensible 3D graphics), was released with the same goal of integration of 3D graphics on the web. …
Other formats overview:
Introduction
STL (stands for stereolithography) was created in the late 1980s by the 3D printing equipment manufacturer 3D Systems. In the years since the format has become almost universal due to its simplicity while still maintaining its foothold in the 3D printing space. It can now also be encountered in CAM systems targeting classic subtractive manufacturing processes, in the data workflows resulting from 3D scanning and in general data exchange workflows. Pick any software dealing with 3D data (CAx, 3D graphics, etc.) …
Over the years we’ve accumulated a lot of knowledge on what CAD files can be like, what their peculiarities are, and where some of them would and would not be efficient. We’ve already shared a dozen blog posts on this topic, but we’d like to streamline all the information so that you could use it as a CAD files handbook. So since you are already here, go on in and enjoy!
Table of content
- What is a CAD file?
- Which properties can a CAD file store?
- Most common CAD file formats and extensions
What is a CAD file?
CAD (Computer-Aided Design) file is an output of a CAD…
Other formats overview:
Introduction
JT was originally developed as a part of DirectModel toolkit by Engineering Animation and HP. The former was eventually acquired by Siemens and now JT is the standard exchange format across the whole Siemens PLM ecosystem. The name of the format stands for Jupiter Tessellation (DirectModel was originally named Jupiter), so naturally, mesh data is a cornerstone of this format both from the point of view of its implementation and its usage in the real world. In the early 2010s the format was standardized by ISO.
Technical details
JT is a binary format and its…
Companies ordering custom parts want to have a better choice when it comes to manufacturing contractor search. Some customers need the shortest lead times and vote for local manufacturers, while others require highly specific fabrication methods and are ready to choose expertise over speed. It is the custom parts marketplaces tha try to meet this demand offering dozens of options all over the world.
Custom parts marketplaces are online platforms presenting numerous manufacturing vendors. Usually, suppliers are arranged according to the processes they support, industries they focus on, and their location. Managing the catalog of available offers, marketplaces contribute…
Previous parts
Introduction
Parasolid is another popular geometric kernel; like ACIS from the previous post in this series, its development began in the ’80s and, currently, it’s developed by Siemens. It is at the heart of many popular CAD applications: SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Siemens NX, OnShape, and others. As is standard for any serious kernel, it has a persistence format, usually called Parasolid-XT, which is designed to transmit the B-Rep geometry of the model. …
The study on consumer behavior by IBM Institute for Business Value clearly shows that there is a high awareness of new digital shopping technologies. What’s more, a large share of respondents expressed their desire to try them: visual search (40%), smart dressing room (41%), and virtual reality (50%). So classical photos of the product, even from several angles, are not enough for winning the market anymore.
The brands, for their part, respond to these market demands. Such giants as Google, Pinterest, Bing, and eBay integrate visual search solutions. Timberland, Topshop, and Lacoste are among the…
Previous parts
Introduction
ACIS is one of the two most popular geometric kernels, powering a lot of CAD, CAM, CAE, and AEC software. It’s more than 30 years old, having been originally created in the ’80s and is currently developed by Spatial (part of Dassault Systemes). Like any other 3D geometry kernel it provides a basis for the engineering and design applications in the form of data structures to represent 3D models and various geometric algorithms to operate on them. To enable saving and loading of 3D models in between the modeling sessions it exposes…
Our only regret in this CAD Exchanger version is that being released during the low season, it competes for your attention with such a stronghold as summer vacations. But when it comes to two new native formats and an all-formats reader and writer, none of the sunny routines can beat us.
Here are the highlights of CAD Exchanger GUI 3.10:
- 3D XML (CATIA V6) import
- Solid Edge import
- Mesh colors import in SOLIDWORKS
- Broader versions coverage for CATIA, JT, Parasolid, SOLIDWORKS
- Y-axis upward orientation in Collada, FBX, GLTF, OBJ
- Read and write PMI options for STEP and JT
3D XML (CATIA V6) import
