Convert DAE to CATIA V4 in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read DAE files and write CATIA V4, writing the DAE facets as faceted geometry, since DAE 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 COLLADA · Writes CATIA V4
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
DAE to CATIA V4 at a glance
COLLADA stores triangles; CATIA V4 is an exact-geometry format. The mesh is written as faceted geometry: 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild smooth surfaces from triangles.
| COLLADA (source) | CATIA V4 (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | COLLADA Digital Asset Exchange | CATIA Version 4 |
| Standard / owner | Khronos Group, ISO/PAS 17506 | Dassault Systèmes |
| File extensions | .dae, .zae | .model, .exp, .session |
| Geometry | Triangle mesh | Exact B-Rep |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: scene hierarchy | Yes (written as parts only) |
| 3D InterOp support | Read and write | Read and write |
What's preserved, what changes
Here is what your application can expect to carry across from COLLADA to CATIA V4.
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Changes
Faceted geometryDAE stores triangles, so the CATIA V4 file holds faceted bodies, not solids. 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
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Changes
Assembly flattenedThe CATIA V4 writer exports parts only: flatten the DAE assembly into a single body before export, or the .model file is empty.
Why software vendors add DAE to CATIA V4 conversion
Deliver in your customer’s CAD format
Aerospace and automotive OEMs often require supplier data in CATIA V4. Writing it lets your users meet that requirement directly from your application.
Exact geometry, ready to edit
CATIA V4 keeps exact B-Rep geometry, so the receiving engineer can measure, modify or machine the model in CATIA.
No neutral-format round trip
Writing CATIA V4 directly avoids an extra STEP or IGES step, and the loss each extra translation can add.
Things to check before you ship
- Written CATIA V4 versions: CATIA 4.1.9 to 4.2.4 (.model).
- The CATIA V4 writer isn’t available in 3D InterOp CGM.
- Supported DAE input: COLLADA 1.4.1, .dae and .zae.
- 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 a DAE (COLLADA) file?
COLLADA (.dae) is an XML-based open format from the Khronos Group for exchanging 3D scenes: meshes, materials, cameras and lights. It is common in visualization and AR/VR pipelines.
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Target format
What is a CATIA V4 (.model) file?
CATIA V4 is the legacy generation of Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA, whose models are mostly stored in .model files. Many aerospace and automotive archives still hold CATIA V4 data.
Frequently asked questions
No. DAE stores triangles, and 3D InterOp writes them to CATIA V4 as faceted geometry. It doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
No. The CATIA V4 writer exports parts only: flatten the assembly into a single body before export, or the .model file is empty.
No. The CATIA V4 writer isn’t available in 3D InterOp CGM.
Yes. 3D InterOp reads the visual material properties of COLLADA files, from .dae and .zae.
3D InterOp reads COLLADA 1.4.1, .dae and .zae, as visualization data.
3D InterOp writes CATIA 4.1.9 to 4.2.4 (.model).
Yes. 3D InterOp reads and writes both formats, so CATIA V4 to DAE is supported too.
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Building software that needs to convert DAE to CATIA V4?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read COLLADA and write CATIA V4 alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.