Convert Smart 3D to Parasolid in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read Smart 3D files and write Parasolid, 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 Parasolid
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
Smart 3D to Parasolid at a glance
Smart 3D stores triangles; Parasolid is an exact-geometry format. The mesh is written as faceted geometry: 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild smooth surfaces from triangles.
| Smart 3D (source) | Parasolid (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hexagon (Intergraph) Smart 3D review files | Parasolid transmit file (text X_T, binary X_B) |
| Standard / owner | Hexagon | Proprietary — Siemens |
| File extensions | .xml with its .vue | .x_t, .x_b, .xmt_txt, .xmt_bin |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Exact B-Rep |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy (.xml) | Yes (Parasolid assembly structure) |
| 3D InterOp support | Read only | Read and write · up to Parasolid 38 |
What's preserved, what changes
Here is what your application can expect to carry across from Smart 3D to Parasolid.
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Changes
Faceted geometrySmart 3D stores triangles, so the Parasolid file holds faceted bodies, not solids. 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Why software vendors add Smart 3D to Parasolid conversion
Hand models to kernel-based applications
Many CAD, CAM and CAE applications are built on the Parasolid kernel. Writing Parasolid gives them exact geometry they can load without another translation step.
Downstream modeling and analysis
An exact Parasolid 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 Parasolid kernel often prefer to exchange Parasolid files directly.
Things to check before you ship
- Written Parasolid versions: Parasolid 12 to 38.0.150.
- Writing Parasolid needs a Parasolid installation: there is no Parasolid Direct writer.
- 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 Parasolid (X_T) file?
Parasolid is the geometric modeling kernel developed by Siemens and used by many CAD, CAM and CAE applications. Its transmit files store exact B-Rep models as text (.x_t) or binary (.x_b).
Frequently asked questions
No. Smart 3D stores triangles, and 3D InterOp writes them to Parasolid as faceted geometry. It doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Parasolid has no assembly hierarchy, so your application decides how the Smart 3D structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
Yes. Writing Parasolid needs a Parasolid installation: there is no Parasolid Direct writer.
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 Parasolid 12 to 38.0.150.
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 Parasolid?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Smart 3D and write Parasolid alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.