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CATIA V6 / 3DEXPERIENCE at a glance

Software

CATIA V6 / CATIA on 3DEXPERIENCE

Developer

Dassault Systèmes

Storage

Platform database, not individual files

Export formats

.CATPart, .CATProduct, .cgr, .3dxml

Versions read

Exports from up to V6 R2026x

3D InterOp
Read Write

Reads files exported from 3DEXPERIENCE

  • Building software that needs to read 3DEXPERIENCE data?

    3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application import CATIA data alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.
Export Content Typical use

CATPart, CATProduct

Exact geometry, structure and PMI in CATIA V5 format

Exchange with CATIA V5 and other CAD tools

3D XML (authoring)

Platform data for replication

Transfer between 3DEXPERIENCE sites

3D XML (review)

Lightweight structure and visualization

Viewing and review

STEP, IGES

Neutral geometry

Exchange with non-Dassault systems

CATDrawing

2D drawings

Documentation

  • Exact geometry

    B-rep solids and surfaces

  • Product structure

    Assemblies and component positions

  • Semantic PMI

    Dimensions, tolerances and GD&T

  • Visualization

    Tessellated display data

  • Drawings

    2D sheets and annotations

  • Attributes

    Names, colors and properties

Export Read support

CATPart, CATProduct, CGR

Exported from up to V6 R2026x: structure, B-rep, semantic PMI, visualization

CATDrawing

Exported from up to V6 R2026x: drawing sheets

3D XML (review)

Versions 4.0 to 4.3: structure and visualization

Writing to 3DEXPERIENCE

Not supported directly

  • Spatial doesn’t provide a 3DEXPERIENCE viewer or converter for end users. 3D InterOp is for software developers who want their own application to read CATIA data exported from 3DEXPERIENCE.
  • Expecting a native file

    3DEXPERIENCE data lives in a database. There is no single V6 file to send: it has to be exported first.

  • Choosing the wrong export version

    A CATIA V5 export targets a specific V5 version. Check that the recipient’s software supports it.

  • Sending review 3D XML for engineering

    Review 3D XML carries visualization data only. Exact geometry needs a CATIA V5, STEP or authoring export.

  • CATPart

    CATIA V5 part file
    CATPart
  • 3D XML

    Dassault Systèmes lightweight XML format
    3D XML
  • CATDrawing

    CATIA V5 2D drawings
    CATDrawing
  • XCGM

    CGM kernel format
    XCGM
  • CATIA V4

    Legacy CATIA format
    CATIA V4
  • Product · 3D InterOp

    3D InterOp for CAD applications

    Read and write 30+ CAD, BIM and mesh formats inside your own application.
  • Add CATIA import to your software

    Evaluate 3D InterOp on your own models with support from Spatial’s engineers.

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