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For software developers · 3D InterOp SDK

Convert PSM to RFA in your application

3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read PSM files and write RFA, writing a Revit family (.rfa) as mesh geometry.

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 Solid Edge sheet metal · Writes Revit family
  • Exact geometry → triangle mesh
  • C++ / C# APIs
enclosure.psmSolid Edge sheet metal · exact B-Rep
Your application
3D InterOp SDK
Solid Edge readerHealingRevit writer
component.rfaRevit family · BIM component

PSM to RFA at a glance

Solid Edge sheet metal stores exact geometry; Revit family stores triangles. The translation is a tessellation, and the settings you choose decide how close the mesh stays to the original.

Solid Edge sheet metal (source)Revit family (target)
Full nameSolid Edge Sheet MetalRevit family
Standard / ownerSiemensAutodesk
File extensions.psm.rfa
GeometryExact B-RepB-Rep and mesh (read); mesh (written by 3D InterOp)
Assemblies / structurePart fileNested families; assembly structure written by 3D InterOp
3D InterOp supportRead onlyRead and write

What's preserved, what changes

Here is what your application can expect to carry across from Solid Edge sheet metal to Revit family.

  • Changes
    Geometry written as mesh
    The Revit writer writes mesh only: exact B-Rep from PSM isn’t exported to the family.

Why software vendors add PSM to RFA conversion

Bring product content into Revit

Manufacturers publish their products as Revit families so architects can place them in building models. Writing RFA files lets your users produce that content from CAD data.

Coordinate with Revit-based teams

Many building projects are modeled in Revit. A Revit family gives those teams the geometry in a form they can load into their project.

Fewer manual remodeling steps

Without a direct export, CAD parts are often remodeled by hand in Revit. Writing the family directly saves your users that step.

Things to check before you ship

  • Written RFA versions: Revit 2026 families (.rfa).
  • Revit families are written in millimeters, without Revit parameters.
  • Supported PSM input: Solid Edge V18 to SE 2026.
  • 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 Study

About the formats

  • Source format

    What is a PSM (.psm) file?

    A PSM file is a Siemens Solid Edge sheet metal part: a formed part with its bends, flanges and flat pattern.

  • Target format

    What is an RFA (.rfa) file?

    An RFA file is a Revit family: a reusable component such as a door, a window or a piece of equipment, with its geometry, types and parameters, loaded into Revit projects.

Frequently asked questions

No. The Revit writer writes mesh geometry only, without B-Rep or Revit parameters, for the latest Revit version (Revit 2026 in 3D InterOp 2026 1.0.1).

No. The Revit writer writes the geometry as mesh, in millimeters, without Revit parameters.

Yes. If your application uses Parasolid, a Parasolid-based Solid Edge reader is available for sheet metal parts too.

3D InterOp reads Solid Edge V18 to SE 2026.

3D InterOp writes Revit 2026 families (.rfa).

No. 3D InterOp reads PSM but doesn’t write it. To send data back to Solid Edge users, write a neutral format they can import, such as STEP.

  • Building software that needs to convert PSM to RFA?

    3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Solid Edge sheet metal and write Revit family alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.