Convert Smart 3D to VDA-FS in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read Smart 3D files and write VDA-FS, 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 VDA-FS
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
Smart 3D to VDA-FS at a glance
Smart 3D stores triangles; VDA-FS is an exact-geometry format. The mesh is written as faceted geometry: 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild smooth surfaces from triangles.
| Smart 3D (source) | VDA-FS (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hexagon (Intergraph) Smart 3D review files | VDA surface interface |
| Standard / owner | Hexagon | VDA (German automotive industry) |
| File extensions | .xml with its .vue | .vda |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Exact curves and surfaces |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy (.xml) | No assembly hierarchy |
| 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 VDA-FS.
-
Changes
Assembly structureVDA-FS has no native assembly hierarchy. Decide in your application how Smart 3D product structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
-
Changes
Faceted geometrySmart 3D stores triangles, so the VDA-FS file holds faceted bodies, not solids. 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Why software vendors add Smart 3D to VDA-FS conversion
Legacy CAD and CAM systems
Many established engineering tools still consume VDA-FS first. Writing it lets your users hand data to them without leaving your application.
Supplier and partner exchange
Some suppliers and manufacturing partners still specify VDA-FS in their exchange requirements. Your software can meet them directly.
Geometry-only workflows
When a downstream process needs exact part geometry and nothing more, VDA-FS is a simple, widely readable target.
Things to check before you ship
- Written VDA-FS versions: VDA-FS 2.0.
- The VDA-FS 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
-
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.
-
Target format
What is a VDA-FS (.vda) file?
VDA-FS is a neutral surface-exchange format defined by the German automotive association VDA. It stores exact curves and free-form surfaces, and is still found in automotive supply chains.
Frequently asked questions
No. Smart 3D stores triangles, and 3D InterOp writes them to VDA-FS as faceted geometry. It doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
VDA-FS has no assembly hierarchy, so your application decides how the Smart 3D structure is grouped or flattened before writing.
No. The VDA-FS 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 VDA-FS 2.0.
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.
-
Building software that needs to convert Smart 3D to VDA-FS?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Smart 3D and write VDA-FS alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.