Convert AVEVA to IGES in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read AVEVA files and write IGES, writing the AVEVA facets as faceted geometry, since AVEVA stores triangles rather than solids.
Spatial does not offer an online converter or a desktop conversion app. 3D InterOp is a component that software vendors embed in their own products.
- Reads AVEVA · Writes IGES
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
AVEVA to IGES at a glance
AVEVA stores triangles; IGES is an exact-geometry format. The mesh is written as faceted geometry: 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild smooth surfaces from triangles.
| AVEVA (source) | IGES (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | AVEVA review model (E3D Design, PDMS) | Initial Graphics Exchange Specification |
| Standard / owner | AVEVA | ANSI |
| File extensions | .rvm or .rvt, with .att, .attr, .dat or .txt attribute files | .igs, .iges |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Exact B-Rep and surfaces |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy | No native assembly hierarchy |
| 3D InterOp support | Read only | Read and write |
What's preserved, what changes
Here is what your application can expect to carry across from AVEVA to IGES.
-
Changes
Assembly structureIGES has no native assembly hierarchy. Decide in your application how AVEVA product structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
-
Changes
Faceted geometryAVEVA stores triangles, so the IGES file holds faceted bodies, not solids. 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Why software vendors add AVEVA to IGES conversion
Legacy CAD and CAM systems
Many established engineering tools still consume IGES first. Writing it lets your users hand data to them without leaving your application.
Supplier and partner exchange
Some suppliers and manufacturing partners still specify IGES in their exchange requirements. Your software can meet them directly.
Geometry-only workflows
When a downstream process needs exact part geometry and nothing more, IGES is a simple, widely readable target.
Things to check before you ship
- Written IGES versions: IGES 5.3.
- Supported AVEVA input: .rvm or .rvt files with their attribute files.
- The AVEVA .rvt extension isn’t a Revit file: don’t route it to the Revit reader.
- Validate a sample of translated files in the target system your users actually work with.
Working with Spatial was a real milestone for us: Thanks to the powerful 3DInterOp library, we were able to successfully bring our complex CAD-based solutions to the cloud while remaining flexible to meet individual customer requirements. For us, Spatial is not just a technology partner, but a true enabler of our product strategy.
Dr. Arno Michelis, Founder, Simus Systems
Read the Case StudyAbout the formats
-
Source format
What is an AVEVA RVM file?
RVM files are review models exported from AVEVA E3D Design and PDMS, the plant and marine design systems. They describe the plant geometry and hierarchy, with attributes in a companion file.
-
Target format
What is an IGES (.igs) file?
IGES is one of the earliest neutral CAD formats, an ANSI standard for exchanging 2D and 3D geometry. It stores exact curves, surfaces and solids, but not the product structure and manufacturing data STEP can carry.
Frequently asked questions
No. AVEVA stores triangles, and 3D InterOp writes them to IGES as faceted geometry. It doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
IGES has no assembly hierarchy, so your application decides how the AVEVA structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
No. The AVEVA .rvt extension isn’t a Revit file: route it to the AVEVA reader, with its attribute files.
3D InterOp reads .rvm or .rvt files with their attribute files, as visualization data.
3D InterOp writes IGES 5.3.
No. 3D InterOp reads AVEVA but doesn’t write it. To send data back to AVEVA users, write a neutral format they can import.
-
Building software that needs to convert AVEVA to IGES?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read AVEVA and write IGES alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.