Convert Smart 3D to STP in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read Smart 3D files and write STP, 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 STEP
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
Smart 3D to STP at a glance
Smart 3D stores triangles; STEP is an exact-geometry format. The mesh is written as faceted geometry: 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild smooth surfaces from triangles.
| Smart 3D (source) | STEP (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hexagon (Intergraph) Smart 3D review files | Standard for the Exchange of Product model data |
| Standard / owner | Hexagon | ISO 10303 — AP203, AP214, AP242 |
| File extensions | .xml with its .vue | .stp, .step |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Exact B-Rep |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy (.xml) | Yes |
| PMI | None | Graphical and semantic (AP242) |
| 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 STEP.
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Preserved
Product structureThe Smart 3D product structure is written to STP.
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Changes
Faceted geometrySmart 3D stores triangles, so the STP file holds faceted bodies, not solids. 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Why software vendors add Smart 3D to STP conversion
Supplier and OEM exchange
STEP is the ISO standard most supply chains specify for exchanging 3D models. Writing it lets your users send data to partners on any CAD system.
Model-based definition
STEP AP242 can carry semantic PMI next to exact geometry, so your users can share models together with their manufacturing data.
Long-term archiving
As an ISO standard independent of any CAD vendor, STEP is widely used to archive product data.
Things to check before you ship
- Written STP versions: AP203, AP214 or AP242 (.stp, .step or .stpx).
- 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 STEP (.stp) file?
STEP is the ISO 10303 standard for exchanging 3D product data between CAD systems. Its application protocols range from exact geometry (AP203, AP214) to full model-based definition with PMI (AP242).
Frequently asked questions
No. Smart 3D stores triangles, and 3D InterOp writes them to STP as faceted geometry. It doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Yes. 3D InterOp reads the Smart 3D product structure and writes it to STP.
The STEP writer supports AP203, AP214 and AP242, with AP214 as the default. Your application sets the version at export; semantic PMI is written to AP242 only.
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.
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 STP?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Smart 3D and write STEP alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.