Do you need to translate your CATIA files to another program? STEP and IGES are two neutral file formats commonly supported by many CAD and CAD-related programs. IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) was originally developed by the US Air Force and was first published in 1980. STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data) is a newer format and was originally released in the mid-1990s. While IGES files typically only contain surface data, STEP files can also include solids and even 3D annotation data, too.
IGES Export
CATIA natively supports the IGES file format – no extra licenses are needed. In general, to save a file as an IGES, it’s as easy as going to File > Save As… and selecting igs (*.igs) from the list.
Of course, the translation isn’t always perfect. Here’s a common scenario: A part is made up of a mix of solids, surfaces, and other wireframe elements. Unfortunately, when exporting, the surfaces don’t show up.
A possible fix here is to modify the export options. Head to Tools > Options > General > Compatibility > IGES and set the Representation Mode to “Surface.”
Now, surface elements will be created and exported for the IGES format.
STEP Export
Unlike IGES files, an add-on license is required to export STEP files. The license: ST1. To access this license, you may need to go to Tools > Options > General > Shareable Products and select it from the list.
Once you’ve got the license, head to File > Save As… and choose the stp (*.stp) option.
For many solid and wireframe parts, this is all that’s needed. However, if 3D annotations and other model-based information needs to be exported, then you may need to tweak a couple of options.
Here’s the problem: The default settings typically will not export 3D Annotation data, even though the STEP format has this ability.
The solution: Adjust the compatibility options. Head to Tools > Options > General > Compatibility > STEP. Under Export, set the Application Protocol to either AP203 ed2, AP214 ed3, or AP242ed1. And, make sure to set the 3D Annotations to “Graphic” or “Author-able and Graphic.”
Now, the 3D Annotation data is saved in the STEP files.
More STEP
Find yourself reaching the limits of the ST1 license? There’s also the SXT license that offers a few more features. Courtesy of CATIA’s built-in help file, here’s a quick chart explaining the feature differences between the two licenses:
*When those functionalities are not available, the corresponding options are dimmed and cannot be selected.
Happy Exporting!
IGES and STEP are two very common and necessary file types when exporting data. With the basics out of the way (and a couple of tweaks to help avoid some common pitfalls), you should have a solid start to CATIA file exports. There may be a little bit of trial and error involved when trying to find the best file type and export settings, so don’t be afraid to play around with them to get exactly what you need.
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