Format Guide

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

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

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Valve with handwheel (STEP → STL), rendered from the converted file — **STEP → STL**Valve with handwheel: 4.4 MB STEP → 4.5 MB STL, 90,085 triangles, 2.9 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 SolidWorks to Any Format — via STEP

3D CAD Converter reads the neutral STEP and IGES files that SolidWorks exports. Save your part or assembly as STEP in SolidWorks, then batch convert to STL for 3D printing, OBJ for rendering, or glTF for web 3D.

Need to share or repurpose SolidWorks designs without a SolidWorks license on every machine? In SolidWorks, use File > Save As and choose STEP (.step) or IGES (.iges). Then drop those neutral files into 3D CAD Converter and batch convert.

STEP is the universal interchange format. Once your designs are in STEP, convert to STL, OBJ, glTF, GLB, 3MF, PLY, DAE, and more — in one batch run.

SolidWorks Workflow Features

STEP/IGES Import

Reads the STEP and IGES files exported by SolidWorks, with full geometry preservation. (Native .sldprt/.sldasm files are not read directly — export to STEP first.)

12+ Output Formats

Convert to STL, OBJ, glTF, GLB, 3MF, PLY, DAE, and more.

Tessellation Control

4 quality presets: Draft, Standard, Fine, Ultra Fine. Side-by-side comparison.

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How to Convert SolidWorks Files

.sldprt → .stepIn SolidWorks: save as STEPSTEP keeps the exact solid geometry. No SolidWorks 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 .sldprt files: only SolidWorks can. Saving the STEP file is the one step that needs a SolidWorks license.

# Convert one SolidWorks 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 SolidWorks (File > Save As > STEP); 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 SolidWorks License

No third-party tool can read native .sldprt or .sldasm files without the Dassault SDK — that includes 3D CAD Converter. But you do not need a SolidWorks seat to repurpose the geometry. Once anyone with SolidWorks exports a neutral STEP 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 SolidWorks seat on your team (or your supplier) can feed unlimited downstream conversions on machines that never touch SolidWorks at all. One-time $179, no subscription, your files never leave your PC.

SolidWorks Conversion FAQ

Can I open a .sldprt file without SolidWorks?

Not directly. Native SolidWorks files (.sldprt, .sldasm) can only be opened by SolidWorks itself — no third-party tool reads the native format without the Dassault SDK. The standard workaround is to export a neutral STEP or IGES file from SolidWorks (File > Save As > STEP), which any tool, including 3D CAD Converter, can read. With no SolidWorks license at all, ask the colleague or supplier who created the part to send you a STEP export.

How do I convert SolidWorks to STL?

In SolidWorks, use File > Save As and choose STEP (.step). Then load that STEP file into 3D CAD Converter and convert it to STL, or run the CLI: cadconvert convert -i part.step -o part.stl. You can batch a whole folder of STEP exports to STL at once.

Is the converted geometry accurate?

Yes. STEP carries exact B-rep (boundary representation) geometry, so the shape you export from SolidWorks is the shape 3D CAD Converter reads — no approximation on import. Tessellated outputs like STL and OBJ are generated at the quality level you choose.

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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