Convert RFA to CATProduct in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read RFA files and write CATProduct, carrying across the exact geometry the RFA file contains.
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 Revit family · Writes CATProduct
- Mixed geometry → exact geometry
- C++ / C# APIs
RFA to CATProduct at a glance
Revit family can mix exact solids and facets; CATProduct stores exact geometry. Exact elements are written as exact geometry, and elements stored only as facets stay faceted.
| Revit family (source) | CATProduct (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Revit family | CATIA V5 Product (assembly) |
| Standard / owner | Autodesk | Dassault Systèmes |
| File extensions | .rfa | .CATProduct |
| Geometry | B-Rep and mesh (read); mesh (written by 3D InterOp) | Exact B-Rep (in the referenced parts) |
| Assemblies / structure | Nested families; assembly structure written by 3D InterOp | Yes |
| PMI | None | Semantic and graphical |
| 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 Revit family to CATProduct.
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Preserved
Exact geometryExact B-Rep read from RFA is written to CATProduct as exact geometry.
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Preserved
Product structureThe RFA product structure is written to CATProduct.
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Changes
Faceted partsParts the RFA file stores only as facets are written as facets.
Why software vendors add RFA to CATProduct conversion
Deliver in your customer’s CAD format
Aerospace and automotive OEMs often require supplier data in CATProduct. Writing it lets your users meet that requirement directly from your application.
Exact geometry, ready to edit
CATProduct keeps exact B-Rep geometry, so the receiving engineer can measure, modify or machine the model in CATIA.
No neutral-format round trip
Writing CATProduct directly avoids an extra STEP or IGES step, and the loss each extra translation can add.
Things to check before you ship
- Written CATProduct versions: CATIA V5 R15 to V5-6 R2026.
- A CATProduct written by 3D InterOp can’t reference files in other formats.
- Supported RFA input: Revit 2015 to 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 StudyAbout the formats
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Source 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.
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Target format
What is a CATProduct (.CATProduct) file?
A CATProduct file is a CATIA V5 assembly. It defines the product structure and positions, and references the CATPart files that hold the geometry.
Frequently asked questions
The exact B-Rep that 3D InterOp reads from RFA is written to CATProduct; parts stored only as facets stay faceted.
Yes. 3D InterOp reads the RFA product structure and writes it to CATProduct.
No. A CATProduct written by 3D InterOp can’t reference files in other formats.
3D InterOp reads Revit 2015 to 2026.
3D InterOp writes CATIA V5 R15 to V5-6 R2026.
Yes. 3D InterOp reads and writes both formats, so CATProduct to RFA is supported too.
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Building software that needs to convert RFA to CATProduct?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Revit family and write CATProduct alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.