HOOPS Exchange allows you to read and write a wide variety of file formats without needing to license any additional technology. You work through a standard interface, so once you complete an integration, you have access to the large number of formats supported by HOOPS Exchange and can easily access newly supported formats as well as updates to existing versions.
The writers are often used by developers to speed the development of integrating the HOOPS Exchange technology into their application. For example, if you are a Parasolid or ACIS based application you can use our XT or SAT export to export the B-rep definition of the model.
Below we detail the specific capabilities of each reader and writer in addition to detailing any other relevant features and limitations.
The data supported by the HOOPS Exchange readers can be broken down into six primary categories:
The information for each type of file is reviewed in the page specific to the corresponding reader. For a brief summary of the capabilities of each reader, see the supported file formats table, below.
Format | Version | Extensions | Tess | BREP | PMI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ACIS * | Up to v23.0 |
SAT, SAB | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Autodesk Inventor | Up to 2015 | IPT, IAM | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
CATIA V4 | Up to 4.2.5 | MODEL, SESSION, DLV, EXP | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
CATIA V5 | R4 to V5-6R2014 | CATDrawing, CATPart, CATProduct, CATShape, CGR | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
CATIA V6 [3DXML] | 2011 to 2013 |
3DXML | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Creo | Elements/Pro 5.0 Up to Parametric 3.0 |
ASM, NEU, PRT, XAS, XPR | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
I-deas | Up to 13.x (NX 5), NX I-deas 6 | MF1, ARC, UNV, PKG | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
IFC | IFC2x Editions 2, 3 and 4 | IFC, IFCZIP | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
IGES | 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 | IGS, IGES | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
JT | Up to v10.0 | JT | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Parasolid | Up to v27.0 |
X_B, X_T, XMT, XMT_TXT | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
All Versions | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
PRC | All Versions | PRC | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Pro/Engineer | Up to Wildfire 5 | ASM, NEU, PRT, XAS, XPR | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Rhino3D | 4, 5 |
3DM | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Siemens PLM-NX | Unigraphics V11.0 to NX 10.0 | PRT | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Solid Edge | V19 - 20, ST - ST7 |
ASM, PAR, PWD, PSM | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
SolidWorks ** | Up to 2015 | SLDASM, SLDPRT | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
STEP | AP 203 E1/E2, AP 214, AP 242 | STP, STEP, STP.Z | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Stereo Lithography (STL) | All Versions | STL | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
U3D | ECMA-363 (1st, 2nd and 3rd editions) |
U3D | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
VDA-FS | Version 1.0 and 2.0 | VDA | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
VRML | V1.0 and V2.0 | WRL, VRML | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
= supported
= this concept is not supported by this format
= unsupported
* Our ACIS importer is limited and requires the ACIS data to be structured in a particular way. Please contact the HOOPS Developer Support Team for further details.
** Our SolidWorks PMI reader is limited. See SolidWorks format notes for details.
HOOPS Exchange includes a number of writers. These writers are used to either implement export capabilities within an application or to facilitate the quick integration of HOOPS Exchange readers into an application. In this second case developers often have a model converted to ACIS, Parasolid or STEP and then import that data into their system. This allows developers to easily get the B-rep model definition into their system. When you are exporting the data HOOPS Exchange often has to translate or modify the data in order to adapt the data to the geometrical model of the destination system. The modifications that occur are detailed in the format specific document.
The information for each type of file is reviewed in the page specific to the corresponding writer. For a brief summary of the capabilities of each writer, see the supported file formats table, below.
Format | Extensions | Tess | B-rep | PMI |
---|---|---|---|---|
ACIS | SAT, SAB | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
IGES ** | IGS, IGES | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
JT ** | JT | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Parasolid | X_T | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
PRC | PRC | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
STEP ** | STP, STEP | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Stereo Lithography (STL) ** | STL | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
VRML ** | VRML | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
= supported
= this concept is not supported by this format
= unsupported
** requires a license to the HOOPS Exchange Export