Convert IPT to XCGM in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read IPT files and write XCGM, with exact B-Rep geometry carried across and nothing tessellated.
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 Inventor part · Writes XCGM
- Exact geometry → exact geometry
- C++ / C# APIs
IPT to XCGM at a glance
Both formats store exact geometry, so the model stays exact. The differences are in the product data each one can carry.
| Inventor part (source) | XCGM (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Autodesk Inventor Part | CGM native file |
| Standard / owner | Autodesk | Dassault Systèmes / Spatial (CGM Modeler) |
| File extensions | .ipt | .xcgm |
| Geometry | Exact B-Rep | Exact B-Rep |
| Assemblies / structure | Part file (assemblies are IAM files) | Yes |
| PMI | Not imported by 3D InterOp | Semantic (read) |
| 3D InterOp support | Read only | Read and write |
What's preserved, what changes
Here is what your application can expect to carry across from Inventor part to XCGM.
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Preserved
Exact geometrySolids and surfaces stay exact B-Rep. The model is never reduced to a triangle mesh.
Why software vendors add IPT to XCGM conversion
Hand models to kernel-based applications
Many CAD, CAM and CAE applications are built on the XCGM kernel. Writing XCGM gives them exact geometry they can load without another translation step.
Downstream modeling and analysis
An exact XCGM B-Rep can still be edited, meshed or machined by downstream tools, which a tessellated export would not allow.
Exchange within one ecosystem
Partners whose tools share the XCGM kernel often prefer to exchange XCGM files directly.
Things to check before you ship
- Written XCGM versions: R2012 to 2025 1.0.
- PMI and miscellaneous data aren’t written to XCGM.
- Supported IPT input: Inventor V6 to 2027.
- 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 IPT (.ipt) file?
An IPT file is an Autodesk Inventor part: one component with its exact geometry, sketches, features and properties. Assemblies of Inventor parts are IAM files.
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Target format
What is an XCGM (.xcgm) file?
XCGM is the native file format of the CGM geometric kernel, used by CGM Modeler and Dassault Systèmes applications. It stores exact B-Rep geometry.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Both formats store exact B-Rep geometry, so the model is translated without being tessellated into triangles.
No. PMI and miscellaneous data aren’t written to XCGM.
Yes. Since 3D InterOp 2025 1.0.1, sketches from Inventor 2023 and later are imported as wire bodies.
3D InterOp reads Inventor V6 to 2027.
3D InterOp writes R2012 to 2025 1.0.
No. 3D InterOp reads IPT but doesn’t write it. To send data back to Inventor users, write a neutral format they can import, such as STEP.
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Building software that needs to convert IPT to XCGM?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Inventor part and write XCGM alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.