Convert Smart 3D to CATIA V4 in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read Smart 3D files and write CATIA V4, writing the Smart 3D facets as faceted geometry, since Smart 3D 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 Smart 3D · Writes CATIA V4
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
Smart 3D to CATIA V4 at a glance
Smart 3D 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.
| Smart 3D (source) | CATIA V4 (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hexagon (Intergraph) Smart 3D review files | CATIA Version 4 |
| Standard / owner | Hexagon | Dassault Systèmes |
| File extensions | .xml with its .vue | .model, .exp, .session |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Exact B-Rep |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy (.xml) | Yes (written as parts only) |
| 3D InterOp support | Read only | Read and write |
What's preserved, what changes
Here is what your application can expect to carry across from Smart 3D to CATIA V4.
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Changes
Faceted geometrySmart 3D 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 Smart 3D assembly into a single body before export, or the .model file is empty.
Why software vendors add Smart 3D 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 Smart 3D input: the .xml file with its .vue file.
- Provide the .xml with its .vue file: a standalone .vue gives visualization data only.
- 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 Smart 3D file?
Hexagon Smart 3D is a plant and marine design system. Its models are shared as review files: a .vue file with the geometry and an .xml file with the plant hierarchy and properties.
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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. Smart 3D 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.
Provide the .xml file with its .vue file. A standalone .vue file gives visualization data only.
3D InterOp reads the .xml file with its .vue file, as visualization data.
3D InterOp writes CATIA 4.1.9 to 4.2.4 (.model).
No. 3D InterOp reads Smart 3D but doesn’t write it. To send data back to Smart 3D users, write a neutral format they can import.
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Building software that needs to convert Smart 3D to CATIA V4?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Smart 3D and write CATIA V4 alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.