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For software developers · 3D InterOp SDK

Convert SLDPRT to CATPart in your application

3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read SLDPRT files and write CATPart, 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 SOLIDWORKS part · Writes CATPart
  • Exact geometry → exact geometry
  • C++ / C# APIs
bracket.sldprtSOLIDWORKS part · exact B-Rep · PMI
Your application
3D InterOp SDK
SOLIDWORKS readerHealingCATIA V5 writer
bracket.CATPartCATIA V5 part · exact B-Rep · PMI

SLDPRT to CATPart at a glance

Both formats store exact geometry, so the model stays exact. The differences are in the product data each one can carry.

SOLIDWORKS part (source)CATPart (target)
Full nameSOLIDWORKS PartCATIA V5 Part
Standard / ownerDassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKSDassault Systèmes
File extensions.sldprt.CATPart
GeometryExact B-RepExact B-Rep
Assemblies / structurePart file (assemblies are SLDASM files)Part file (assemblies are CATProduct files)
PMISemantic (DimXpert) and graphical, SOLIDWORKS 2014 and laterSemantic and graphical
3D InterOp supportRead onlyRead and write

What's preserved, what changes

Here is what your application can expect to carry across from SOLIDWORKS part to CATPart.

  • Preserved
    Exact geometry
    Solids and surfaces stay exact B-Rep. The model is never reduced to a triangle mesh.

Why software vendors add SLDPRT to CATPart conversion

Deliver in your customer’s CAD format

Aerospace and automotive OEMs often require supplier data in CATPart. Writing it lets your users meet that requirement directly from your application.

Exact geometry, ready to edit

CATPart keeps exact B-Rep geometry, so the receiving engineer can measure, modify or machine the model in CATIA.

No neutral-format round trip

Writing CATPart directly avoids an extra STEP or IGES step, and the loss each extra translation can add.

Things to check before you ship

  • Written CATPart versions: CATIA V5 R15 to V5-6 R2026.
  • Supported SLDPRT input: SOLIDWORKS 98 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 Study

About the formats

  • Source format

    What is an SLDPRT (.sldprt) file?

    An SLDPRT file is a SOLIDWORKS part: a single component with its exact 3D geometry, feature tree and properties. SOLIDWORKS is built on the Parasolid kernel.

  • Target format

    What is a CATPart (.CATPart) file?

    A CATPart file is a CATIA V5 part: one component with its exact 3D geometry, features and, often, PMI. Assemblies of parts are stored in CATProduct files.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Both formats store exact B-Rep geometry, so the model is translated without being tessellated into triangles.

Yes. If your application uses Parasolid, a Parasolid-based SOLIDWORKS reader is available.

Semantic PMI from SOLIDWORKS 2014 to 2026, and graphical PMI from SOLIDWORKS 2014 onwards.

3D InterOp reads SOLIDWORKS 98 to 2026.

3D InterOp writes CATIA V5 R15 to V5-6 R2026.

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

  • Building software that needs to convert SLDPRT to CATPart?

    3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read SOLIDWORKS part and write CATPart alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.