Convert AVEVA to VDA-FS in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read AVEVA files and write VDA-FS, 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 VDA-FS
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
AVEVA to VDA-FS at a glance
AVEVA stores triangles; VDA-FS is an exact-geometry format. The mesh is written as faceted geometry: 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild smooth surfaces from triangles.
| AVEVA (source) | VDA-FS (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | AVEVA review model (E3D Design, PDMS) | VDA surface interface |
| Standard / owner | AVEVA | VDA (German automotive industry) |
| File extensions | .rvm or .rvt, with .att, .attr, .dat or .txt attribute files | .vda |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Exact curves and surfaces |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy | No 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 VDA-FS.
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Changes
Assembly structureVDA-FS has no native assembly hierarchy. Decide in your application how AVEVA product structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
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Changes
Faceted geometryAVEVA stores triangles, so the VDA-FS file holds faceted bodies, not solids. 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Why software vendors add AVEVA to VDA-FS conversion
Legacy CAD and CAM systems
Many established engineering tools still consume VDA-FS 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 VDA-FS in their exchange requirements. Your software can meet them directly.
Geometry-only workflows
When a downstream process needs exact part geometry and nothing more, VDA-FS is a simple, widely readable target.
Things to check before you ship
- Written VDA-FS versions: VDA-FS 2.0.
- The VDA-FS writer isn’t available in 3D InterOp CGM.
- 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
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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.
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Target format
What is a VDA-FS (.vda) file?
VDA-FS is a neutral surface-exchange format defined by the German automotive association VDA. It stores exact curves and free-form surfaces, and is still found in automotive supply chains.
Frequently asked questions
No. AVEVA stores triangles, and 3D InterOp writes them to VDA-FS as faceted geometry. It doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
VDA-FS has no assembly hierarchy, so your application decides how the AVEVA structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
No. The VDA-FS writer isn’t available in 3D InterOp CGM.
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 VDA-FS 2.0.
No. 3D InterOp reads AVEVA but doesn’t write it. To send data back to AVEVA users, write a neutral format they can import.
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Building software that needs to convert AVEVA to VDA-FS?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read AVEVA and write VDA-FS alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.