Supported File Formats

View a list of supported file formats for import.

By default, models created in Inspire Render are saved in the native format with the file extension .irender.

The installation program allows you to select import plug-ins to be installed.

Tip: When opening and saving IGES or STEP files, if the default import option CT doesn't work properly, try changing it to PS.

Import

  • Inspire Studio models (.iStudio, .evo, .st, .stm)
  • Inspire Render models (.irender)
  • Thea Studio (.thea)
  • Altair Inspire (.stmod)
  • VRML (.vrml, .wrl)
  • Point cloud (.cld, .txt)
  • IGES (.iges, .igs)
  • STEP (.stp, .step)
  • Parasolid (.x_t, .xmt_txt, .x_b, xmt_bin)
  • ACIS (.sat)
  • CATIA V4 (.model, .dlv, .exp, .session)
  • CATIA V5 (.CATPart, .CATProduct, .cgr)
  • CATIA V6 (.3Dxml)
  • SolidWorks (.sldprt, .sldasm)
  • Pro/ENGINEER and Creo (.prt, .asm, .neu)
  • Unigraphics/NX (.prt)
  • Inventor (.ipt, .aim)
  • JT (.jt)
  • I-DEAS (.arc, .unv)
  • VDA (.vda)
  • STL (.stl)
  • 3DStudio (.3ds)
  • OBJ (.obj)
  • Rhino (.3dm)
  • Scalable vector graphics (.svg)
  • AutoCAD Drawing (.dwg, .dxf)

What type of data is imported?

File Format Import Export
3D STUDIO (.3ds)
  • Object
  • Camera
  • Colors and textures
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Polygonal surfaces
  • Colors and textures
  • NURBS curves are not exported. Objects with more than 65,535 faces or vertices can't be exported, as requested by the 3D Studio format.
ACIS (.sat)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
 Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
ARCH BILL (.txt)   Architecture objects

Creates a text file listing information (area, volume, quantity, etc.) about the objects created by the Architecture modeling tools.
AUTOCAD (.dwg)
  • Lines (2D/3D)
  • Ellipses
  • Arcs
  • Polylines
  • Splines
  • Polylines (3D)
  • Polyface meshes
  • 3Dfaces
  • Solids
  • Traces
  • Insert/Blocks
  • Dimensions
  • Layers with colors are supported. Only dwg files up to version 2000/2002 are supported.
  
AUTOCAD ASCII (.dxf)
  • Lines (2D/3D)
  • Ellipses
  • Arcs
  • Polylines
  • Splines
  • Polylines (3D)
  • Polyface meshes
  • 3Dfaces
  • Solids
  • Traces
  • Insert/Blocks
  • Dimensions
  • 3DSolid/Body/Region
  • Layers with colors are supported.
  • ASCII and binary formats are supported.
  • NURBS curve as Spline, Polyline, or Line sequence
  • NURBS surface as polyface mesh entity
  • Polygonal surface as polyface mesh entity
  • Dimensions
  • Layers with colors are not supported.
CATIA
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
  
I-DEAS (.arc, .unv)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
  
IGES - Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (.igs, .iges) All the main curve/surface/solid IGES entity types are supported.
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
INVENTOR (.ipt, .iam)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
  
JT (.jt)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
  
OBJ (.obj)
  • Objects
  • Colors and textures
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Polygonal surfaces
  • Colors and textures
PARASOLID (.x_t, .x_b)
  • Text, ASCII, and binary formats are supported
  • Open and save are supported, so you can import and export the file format.
  
PDF (.pdf)  
  • NURBS curve:
    • Curve with degree=1 and number of points=2: exported as lines.
    • Curve with degree=1 and number of points>2: exported as polylines.
    • Other curves exported as spline.
  • NURBS surface:
    • Exported as polyface mesh using the view tessellation.
  • Polymesh:
    • Exported as polyface mesh using the view tessellation.
    • Layers with colors are supported.
    • User can choose the paper dimension and orientation.
  • Color policy:
    • As Is: (default) Entities are exported using their own color
    • Monochrome: Entities are exported with black color (background is white)
    • Grayscale: Entities are exported using the gray scale
POINT CLOUD (.cld, .txt) Point clouds stored as X, Y, and Z coordinates in the file.  
Pro/ENGINEER and CREO (.prt, .asm, .neu)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
  
RHINO (.3dm)

Import (v.1 to v.5)

  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Polygonal surfaces
  • Point clouds
  • Layers and colors
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Polygonal surfaces
  • Point clouds
  • Layers and colors
SOLIDWORKS (.sldprt, .sldasm)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
  
STEP - Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (.stp, .step)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
STL - Standard Tessellation Language (.stl) Objects

ASCII and binary format are supported.
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Polygonal surfaces
  • ASCII and binary format are supported.
UNIGRAPHICS/NX (.prt)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • Where available, assembly structure is imported as hierarchical groups.
  
VDAFS - Verband der Automobilindustrie - Flächenschnittstelle (.vda)
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids
  • NURBS curves
  • NURBS surfaces
  • Solids