Batch Convert STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ & 15+ 3D Formats
Convert entire folders between STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ, 3MF, glTF, and more. Mesh repair, unit conversion, tessellation control, and assembly support. Desktop alternative to CAD Exchanger — one-time purchase, no $590/year subscription. Powered by OpenCascade.
All the 3D Formats You Need
Convert between STEP (AP203, AP214, AP242), IGES, STL (ASCII & binary), OBJ (with MTL), 3MF, VRML, DXF (3D), PLY, BREP, glTF/GLB, FBX, Collada (DAE), AMF, X3D, and OFF.
Professional 3D Conversion Tools
Everything you need to convert, repair, and prepare 3D models for manufacturing, printing, visualization, and archival — in batch.
Batch Format Conversion
Convert entire folders between any supported format. STEP to STL for 3D printing, IGES to STEP for CAD exchange, OBJ to 3MF for additive manufacturing. Drag-and-drop folders, set output format, click Convert. File naming templates with variables ({filename}, {format}, {date}).
Mesh Repair & Optimization
Automatic mesh healing fixes non-manifold edges, self-intersections, degenerate faces, and open holes. Reduce polygon count while preserving shape accuracy. Remove duplicate vertices and unreferenced geometry. Essential for preparing models for 3D printing — catch errors before they waste filament and machine time.
Unit & Coordinate System Conversion
Convert between mm, cm, inches, meters, and feet automatically during import. Fix axis orientation mismatches (Y-up to Z-up, left-hand to right-hand). Critical for multi-vendor CAD exchange where one team uses millimeters and another uses inches — a single wrong unit can ruin a $50,000 CNC run.
3D Preview & Inspection
Built-in 3D viewer with GPU-accelerated rendering. Inspect models before and after conversion. Wireframe, solid, and X-ray display modes. Measure distances, angles, and bounding boxes. Verify conversion quality without opening your CAD software.
Tessellation Control
Fine-tune STEP/IGES to mesh conversion with adjustable chord deviation, angular deflection, and maximum edge length. Preview tessellation quality in real-time. Low-poly output for web/game assets, high-poly for precision manufacturing. Quality presets: Draft, Standard, Fine, Ultra.
Metadata & Property Preservation
Preserve part names, colors, materials, and assembly structure during conversion. Extract metadata to CSV/JSON for BOM (Bill of Materials) generation. STEP AP214 product data, IGES entity labels, and STL solid names are all preserved where formats support them.
CLI & Automation
Full command-line interface for scripting batch conversions. Watched folder mode monitors an input directory and auto-converts incoming files. Profile files store conversion presets. JSON output for pipeline integration. Exit codes for CI/CD. Perfect for automated manufacturing workflows.
Assembly Support
Convert multi-part STEP and IGES assemblies preserving the part hierarchy. Export as a single merged mesh or individual parts in separate files. Assembly tree visualization shows all components with their transformations. Supports nested assemblies and external references.
Built-In Workflows for Every Industry
Pre-configured conversion pipelines tuned for specific industries and use cases. One click, production-ready output.
3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing
STEP/IGES to STL/3MF with mesh repair and unit conversion (mm). Process entire job queues in batch. Tessellation presets from Draft to Ultra Fine for optimal print quality.
CNC & Manufacturing
STEP/IGES to STL/OBJ/STEP with unit conversion and coordinate system alignment. Mesh repair ensures clean geometry for CNC workflows. Batch convert entire project folders.
Multi-Vendor CAD Exchange
Convert between vendor-neutral formats (STEP AP203/AP214) and native mesh formats. Fix unit mismatches, axis orientation, and assembly structure. Eliminate file-translation bottlenecks between engineering teams.
Web & Real-Time 3D
STEP/OBJ to glTF/GLB with tessellation control for web and game engines. Prepare CAD models for web configurators, AR experiences, and real-time 3D. Batch pipeline with CLI automation.
Archival & Documentation
Convert legacy formats to modern standards. IGES to STEP AP242 for long-term archival. Batch convert entire file libraries with consistent settings and naming conventions.
How 3D CAD Converter Compares
See how we stack up against CAD Exchanger, TransMagic, and Glovius.
| Feature | CAD Exchanger ($590/yr) | TransMagic ($2,000+) | Glovius (subscription) | 3D CAD Converter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batch conversion | Limited | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Mesh repair | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Unit conversion | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| 3D preview | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CLI automation | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Tessellation control | ✔ | Limited | ✘ | ✔ |
| Assembly support | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fully offline | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cost | $590/yr | $2,000+ | Subscription | One-time |
How It Works
Add Your Files
Drop 3D files or entire folders. 3D CAD Converter reads STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ, 3MF, glTF, and 15+ formats.
Configure
Choose output format, tessellation quality, unit system, and mesh repair options. Save presets for repeated jobs. Chain multiple operations in a pipeline.
Convert
Hit Start. Batch processing handles entire folders with per-file progress and ETA. Export individual parts or merged assemblies.
CLI & MCP Server
Automate 3D format conversion from scripts, CI/CD pipelines, or AI agents. CLI and MCP server included with every license.
CLI Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
cadconvert convert | Convert a single 3D file with format, quality, unit, and repair options |
cadconvert batch | Batch convert a directory with parallel processing and format selection |
cadconvert info | Inspect a 3D file — format, vertex/face counts, bounding box, units, assembly structure |
cadconvert formats | List all supported input and output formats |
cadconvert watch | Watch a folder and auto-convert new files as they arrive |
cadconvert register | Activate your license key |
cadconvert serve | Start the MCP server for AI agent integration (stdio transport) |
# Convert STEP to STL with fine tessellation cadconvert convert model.step --format stl --quality fine # Batch convert with mesh repair and unit conversion cadconvert batch ./models --format obj --repair --units mm # Inspect a 3D file cadconvert info assembly.step --json # Watch folder for new files cadconvert watch ./incoming --format 3mf -o ./converted
MCP Server — AI Agent Integration
Run cadconvert serve to start a Model Context Protocol server. AI agents like Claude can then convert, inspect, and query 3D files through natural language.
| MCP Tool | Description |
|---|---|
convert_cad | Convert a 3D file between any supported formats with quality, unit, and repair options |
get_file_info | Get detailed file info — format, vertices, faces, bounding box, units, assembly tree |
detect_format | Detect the format of a 3D file without full parsing |
list_formats | List all supported input and output formats with capabilities |
// claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"cadconvert": {
"command": "cadconvert",
"args": ["serve"]
}
}
}
Claude Code Agent Skills
Install the CAD conversion skill to let Claude Code use your CLI directly. Describe what you want in plain English — Claude knows all commands, formats, and options.
# Install the skill
claude skill install github:brunojanvier77/ContentaSoft/skills/contenta-cad
Once installed, ask Claude: "Convert all STEP files in D:\CAD to STL with fine tessellation and mm units"
What Engineers Say
Replaced our $590/year CAD Exchanger subscription. Same OpenCascade kernel, same quality, paid for itself in three weeks.
Batches our entire STEP library to STL for printing. The CLI slots right into our overnight build pipeline.
Handles 1 GB+ assemblies without choking. The 3D preview alone saved me from opening a dozen broken files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. 3D CAD Converter provides the same core functionality — batch conversion between STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ, and 15+ formats with mesh repair, tessellation control, and assembly support — as a one-time purchase instead of CAD Exchanger's $590/year subscription.
STEP (AP203, AP214, AP242), IGES, STL (ASCII & binary), OBJ (with MTL materials), 3MF, VRML, DXF (3D), PLY, BREP, glTF/GLB, FBX, Collada (DAE), AMF, X3D, and OFF.
Yes — automatic mesh healing fixes non-manifold edges, self-intersections, degenerate faces, open holes, and duplicate vertices. Essential for preparing models for 3D printing.
Yes — multi-part STEP and IGES assemblies are converted with full part hierarchy preserved. You can export as a single merged mesh or as individual parts in separate files.
Yes — auto-converts between mm, cm, inches, meters, and feet. Also fixes axis orientation mismatches (Y-up to Z-up, left-hand to right-hand coordinate systems).
No — 3D CAD Converter is fully standalone. No AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or other CAD license is needed. It includes its own 3D viewer for inspecting models.
Yes — full command-line interface for scripting batch conversions. Watched folder mode auto-converts incoming files. Profile files store conversion presets. JSON output and exit codes for CI/CD pipeline integration.
Yes — 100% offline. No cloud processing, no internet connection required, no file uploads. Your intellectual property stays on your machine.
One-time purchase — no subscription. All features are included. Sign up to be notified when we launch and get early-bird pricing.
Start Converting Your 3D Files Today
Download the free trial or buy a license. No subscription, no cloud required.