Format Guide

Convert CATIA Exports (STEP/IGES) to STL, OBJ, glTF

Export to STEP from CATIA, then batch convert to 12+ formats

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Valve manifold (STEP → STL), rendered from the converted file — **STEP → STL**Valve manifold: 19.7 MB STEP → 24.3 MB STL, 486,121 triangles, 11.5 s (Ryzen 9 3900X).

Where this format fits

Your file

Solid CAD

STEP
IGES
BREP

Meshes

STL
OBJ
3MF
PLY
glTF
GLB
FBX
DAE
X3D
OFF
AMF

3D faces in drawings and scenes

3D CAD Converteropens, previews, converts

What you get

3D printing

Web, AR and games

glTF
GLB
FBX
DAE

Viewers and archives

VRML
X3D
OFF

CAD exchange

STEP
IGES
BREP

Solid CAD (STEP, IGES, BREP) can become a mesh or another solid format. A mesh converts to other meshes. Dashed formats (DXF, DWG, AMF, USD) can be read but not written. VRML (.wrl) is write-only in the app: it can be exported, not opened.

What it will not do

Convert a 2D-only DWG or DXF drawing. It needs 3D faces.
Turn a mesh (STL, OBJ, 3MF) back into STEP, IGES or BREP.
Read native SolidWorks, Inventor or CATIA files. Export STEP or IGES from that program first.

From CATIA to Any Format — via STEP

3D CAD Converter reads the neutral STEP and IGES files that CATIA exports. Save your CATPart or CATProduct as STEP in CATIA, then batch convert to STL, OBJ, glTF and more for manufacturing, 3D printing, and visualization.

CATIA files are locked to expensive Dassault Systemes licenses. In CATIA, export your model to STEP (AP214) or IGES for universal access across any downstream CAD or visualization tool.

3D CAD Converter handles STEP and IGES imports from CATIA exports, with full support for assemblies and precise geometry.

CATIA Workflow Features

Assembly Support

Convert multi-part CATIA assemblies exported as STEP AP214. (Native .CATPart/.CATProduct files are not read directly — export to STEP first.)

Manufacturing Formats

Output STEP, IGES, STL for CNC, 3MF for 3D printing.

Unit Conversion

Automatic mm/inches conversion with precise scale transforms.

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How to Convert CATIA Files

.CATPart → .stepIn CATIA: save as STEPSTEP keeps the exact solid geometry. No CATIA license? Ask whoever made the part to send you a STEP or IGES export.

.stepOpen it in 3D CAD ConverterDrop in the STEP or IGES file, or a whole folder of them. The exact geometry is read with no approximation.

.stl · .3mf · .glbSave the format you needSTL or 3MF for printing, GLB for the web, OBJ or FBX for rendering: one file or hundreds, on your own PC.

3D CAD Converter cannot open .CATPart files: only CATIA can. Saving the STEP file is the one step that needs a CATIA license.

# Convert one CATIA STEP export to STL
cadconvert convert -i part.step -o part.stl

# Batch a whole folder of STEP exports to STL
cadconvert batch -i ./step-exports -o ./stl -f stl -r

The STEP export is done in CATIA (File > Save As > STEP AP214); the commands above run the conversion half. Use --tessellation to set mesh quality and --units to convert mm or inches.

Why You Do Not Need a CATIA License

No third-party tool can read native .CATPart or .CATProduct files without the Dassault Systemes SDK — that includes 3D CAD Converter. But you do not need a CATIA seat to repurpose the geometry. Once anyone with CATIA exports a neutral STEP AP214 or IGES file, our offline tool handles everything after that: STL for 3D printing, OBJ for rendering, glTF for the web, and 12+ formats in one batch.

That means one paid CATIA seat on your team (or your supplier) can feed unlimited downstream conversions on machines that never touch CATIA at all. One-time $179, no subscription, your files never leave your PC.

CATIA Conversion FAQ

Can I open a .CATPart file without CATIA?

Not directly. Native CATIA files (.CATPart, .CATProduct) can only be opened by CATIA itself — no third-party tool reads the native format without the Dassault Systemes SDK. The standard workaround is to have a STEP or IGES file exported from CATIA (File > Save As > STEP AP214), which any tool, including 3D CAD Converter, can read. If you do not have CATIA, ask the supplier or colleague who owns the model to send you a STEP export.

How do I convert CATIA to STL or STEP?

STEP export happens inside CATIA: File > Save As and choose STEP (AP214) or IGES. To then produce STL, OBJ, glTF or other mesh formats, load that STEP file into 3D CAD Converter, or run the CLI: cadconvert convert -i part.step -o part.stl. Batch a whole folder of exports at once.

Is the converted geometry accurate?

Yes. STEP AP214 carries exact B-rep (boundary representation) geometry, so what is exported from CATIA is exactly what 3D CAD Converter reads — no approximation on import. Mesh outputs like STL and OBJ are tessellated at the quality preset you choose, and units are preserved or converted with precise scale transforms.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. The free trial gives you 10 conversions with every feature within 30 days, no credit card required, on Windows 10 and 11. After that it is a one-time $179 purchase with no subscription.

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