Convert Smart 3D to XCGM in your application
3D InterOp is a CAD interoperability SDK that lets your software read Smart 3D files and write XCGM, 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 XCGM
- Triangle mesh → faceted B-Rep
- C++ / C# APIs
Smart 3D to XCGM at a glance
Smart 3D stores triangles; XCGM is an exact-geometry format. The mesh is written as faceted geometry: 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild smooth surfaces from triangles.
| Smart 3D (source) | XCGM (target) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hexagon (Intergraph) Smart 3D review files | CGM native file |
| Standard / owner | Hexagon | Dassault Systèmes / Spatial (CGM Modeler) |
| File extensions | .xml with its .vue | .xcgm |
| Geometry | Tessellated geometry | Exact B-Rep |
| Assemblies / structure | Yes: plant hierarchy (.xml) | Yes |
| PMI | None | Semantic (read) |
| 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 XCGM.
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Changes
Faceted geometrySmart 3D stores triangles, so the XCGM file holds faceted bodies, not solids. 3D InterOp doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
Why software vendors add Smart 3D to XCGM conversion
Hand models to kernel-based applications
Many CAD, CAM and CAE applications are built on the XCGM kernel. Writing XCGM gives them exact geometry they can load without another translation step.
Downstream modeling and analysis
An exact XCGM 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 XCGM kernel often prefer to exchange XCGM files directly.
Things to check before you ship
- Written XCGM versions: R2012 to 2025 1.0.
- PMI and miscellaneous data aren’t written to XCGM.
- 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 XCGM (.xcgm) file?
XCGM is the native file format of the CGM geometric kernel, used by CGM Modeler and Dassault Systèmes applications. It stores exact B-Rep geometry.
Frequently asked questions
No. Smart 3D stores triangles, and 3D InterOp writes them to XCGM as faceted geometry. It doesn’t rebuild exact B-Rep from a mesh.
No. PMI and miscellaneous data aren’t written to XCGM.
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 R2012 to 2025 1.0.
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.
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Building software that needs to convert Smart 3D to XCGM?
3D InterOp is an SDK that lets your application read Smart 3D and write XCGM alongside 30+ CAD and BIM formats.