Convert Smart 3D to RFA in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read Smart 3D 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 Smart 3D · Writes Revit family
- Triangle mesh → triangle mesh
- C++ / C# APIs
Smart 3D to RFA at a glance
Both formats store triangles, so the facets carry over without re-tessellation. The differences are in structure, appearance and metadata.
| Smart 3D (source) | Revit family (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hexagon (Intergraph) Smart 3D review files | Revit family |
| Standard / owner | Hexagon | Autodesk |
| File extensions | .xml with its .vue | .rfa |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | B-Rep and mesh (read); mesh (written by 3D InterOp) |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy (.xml) | Nested families; assembly structure written by 3D InterOp |
| 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 Revit family.
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Preserved
Mesh dataThe Smart 3D facets are read and written to RFA without being re-tessellated.
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Preserved
Product structureThe Smart 3D product structure is written to RFA.
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Changes
Geometry written as meshThe Revit writer writes mesh only: exact B-Rep from Smart 3D isn’t exported to the family.
Why software vendors add Smart 3D 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 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 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).
Yes. 3D InterOp reads the Smart 3D product structure and writes it to RFA.
No. The Revit writer writes the geometry as mesh, in millimeters, without Revit parameters.
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 Revit 2026 families (.rfa).
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 RFA?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Smart 3D and write Revit family alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.