Creo is a family of Computer-aided design (CAD) apps supporting product design for discrete manufacturers and is developed by PTC. The suite consists of apps, each delivering a distinct set of capabilities for a user role within product development. They generally compete with SolidWorks, UG NX, CATIA, Solid Edge and Autodesk Inventor.
For over 3 decades Okino has been a primary conversion partner of PTC, especially for our core business focussing on the conversion of their native ProE/Creo (ASM and PRT) and ProductView (PVS, PVZ) files.
Their current product naming can be a bit confusing:
Okino licenses the real and actual ProE/Creo runtime toolkits from PTC directly and hence can guarantee perfect file conversions. Suggested conversion methods include:
This is the main and defacto method to import from native "Pro/Engineer (Creo) Parts & Assembly" files. Okino licenses the ProE/Creo software from PTC Corp. and embeds it directly into Okino software for use in importing complex native ProE/Creo datasets. This is one of the most demanded, used and refined of all Okino CAD conversion pipelines.
You would either want to import the top-level ProE/Creo .asm assembly file, or ask your client for "ProE/Creo Neutral files" and import the top-level .neu assembly file. Contrary to what some people initially try to do, please do not import every .prt file in a directory; rather, what you do with ProE/Creo datasets is only import the single, top-level assembly file. The name of that file must be provided to you from the client provider. NOTES-END Creo Elements/View (PTC ProductView) | .pvs, .pvz, .edz, .ed, .ol | Current PTC version NOTES-START
ProductView, now Creo Elements/View, is a 3D visualization tool developed by PTC. PTC is also known for their other software packages such as Creo Elements/Pro (previously known as Pro/Engineer) and Creo Elements/Direct (previously known as CoCreate).
For over 3 decades Okino has been a primary conversion partner of PTC, especially for our core business focussing on the conversion of PTC's native ProE/Creo (ASM and PRT) and ProductView (PVS, PVZ, OL) files.
Okino licenses the real and actual ProE/Creo runtime toolkits from PTC directly and hence provides the functionality to import native ProductView .PVS, .PVZ and .OL files. NOTES-END DGN (MicroStation) | .dgn | All key versions NOTES-START
DGN is a 2D/3D file format, with its roots going back to the early 1980s, that is used as the native file format of such programs as Bentley's MicroStation and Intergraph's PDS software packages. Relative to deep history, DGN could be considered a competitor or rival to the Autodesk DWG file format. Okino considers both DGN and DWG rather "crude" and old file formats, depending on what vintage of file is used and whether the files contain ACIS-SAT/Parasolid "BREP solids" geometry or just 2D/3D vector geometry.
To keep this explanation short, we offer several distinct choices for importing from MicroStation DGN files, or from any program which creates DGN files such as Intergraph PDS or Autodesk Navisworks:
Please also refer to the 'Tutorial: How to Import Massive DGN Files (PDMS Plants, Oil Refineries, etc)' section of the Okino DGN help file.
Okino considers a DGN V8 file to be of two varieties: (1) "GIS" like models defined using basic primitives like lines, curves, arcs and 3D objects defined by the extrusion and revolution of these basic elements - these types of files are typically glutted with an enormous number of basic elements which can result in massive scenes that can very slow to display and take up a lot of memory. (2) The second variety of DGN file uses the more modern "BREP solids" geometry type to define the 3D objects as lighter weight and more efficient NURBS surfaces and solids.
Okino spent over 20 years developing its DGN importer and exporter. As such, we understand the nuances of DGN and its related conversion issues. Please refer to our DGN importer WEB page which has extensive information on (1) the history of DGN and when to use DGN, (2) how to import massive DGN files (such as PDMS 3D plants, oil refineries, etc), (3) how to import from AVEVA PDMS and Intergraph PDS, and (4) our suggestions about using STEP or VRML2 as alternative conversion methods from Bentley's MicroStation. NOTES-END IGES (all variations) | .igs or .iges | Various NOTES-START
IGES was the defacto 'go-to' MCAD translation file format but has long since been overtaken by the STEP file format. IGES and STEP are equally good file formats to translate CAD and MCAD model data files but it all depends on how well the files are exported from the corresponding MCAD modeller software.
As an ANSI standard since 1980, IGES has been used in the automotive, aerospace, and shipbuilding industries. Version 5.3 (1996) is the last published and stable standard of IGES. IGES is one of the original CAD vendor-neutral 3D data translation file formats which was designed for high fidelity data exchange between all major professional 3D modelling applications. IGES uses the .igs and .iges file extensions.
Okino's PolyTrans|CAD provides for a defacto 3D IGES file conversion solution used by the world's primary & professional engineering, aerospace, military, corporate, animation/multi-media and VR/AR industries.
A much deeper overview plus explanation of IGES, and how it can be best used + understood, is outlined in this Okino WEB page. It is vitally important to understand the differences between "old school" and "new school" IGES files, as this is little understood by most 3D graphics users.
We consider there to be 3 main types of IGES files:
This importer handles all variations of IGES files in a very robust and time tested manner. NOTES-END STEP | .stp, .step, .ste | AP203 and AP214 NOTES-START
STEP is the defacto 'go-to' MCAD translation file format when you do not have access to the original CAD part and assembly files. It is a long standing 'industry standard' that can be used to move MCAD/CAD file assets into many downstream 3D programs and file formats. Okino's PolyTrans|CAD provides for a defacto 3D STEP file conversion solution used by the world's primary & professional engineering, aerospace, military, corporate, animation/multi-media and VR/AR industries. STEP uses the .stp and .step file extensions.
STEP files are readable ASCII files which encode CAD parts and assembly information. Most respectable MCAD modellers will actively and correctly support the STEP AP203 and AP214 file formats. STEP was originally developed to supercede the IGES file format but has mostly supplemented but not replaced IGES. You would either want to export a "STEP AP214" file or an "IGES BREP solids" file depending on the MCAD modeller.
A much deeper overview plus explanation of STEP, and how it can be best used + understood, is outlined in this Okino WEB page.
Most people initially come to Okino asking for a STEP importer but it should only be used in specific situations as outlined in our "CAD Data Sourcing Suggestons and Rules".
STEP AP214 is a super set of AP-203 to define core data for automotive mechanical design processes.
NOTES-END
Parasolid | .xmt, .xmt_txt, .xmt_bin,
.xmt_neu, .x_t, .x_b, .x_n | Various
NOTES-START
Parasolid is a 3D geometric modelling toolkit developed by Siemens PLM's components group in Cambridge, U.K. This toolkit provides hundreds of complex mathematical algorithms and functions which allow software developers to create 3D modelling software based on "BREP solids" modelling techniques (among others). The toolkit uses a "transmit" file format to move data to and from the Parasolid toolkit in native format. The ASCII form uses the .x_t file extension and the binary form uses the .x_b file extension.
Since the late 1990s Parasolid has been used as the core modelling kernel by well known MCAD programs such as Unigraphics NX, SOLIDWORKS, Solid Edge, MicroStation, ANSYS, Delcam and others. Newer versions of the JT file format also include Parasolid functionality by way of the "XT BREP" geometry primitive.
Okino's PolyTrans|CAD provides for a defacto 3D Parasolid file conversion solution used by the world's primary & professional engineering, aerospace, military, corporate, animation/multi-media and VR/AR industries. However, we generally prefer that our core customers utilize either the original native CAD files (such as native SolidWorks files), a STEP AP214 file or an 'IGES BREP solids' file as outlined on our "CAD Data Sourcing Suggestons and Rules" page.
A much deeper overview plus explanation of Parasolid, and how it can be best used + understood, is outlined in this Okino WEB page. NOTES-END SAT (ACIS) | .sat | Various NOTES-START
ACIS 'SAT' (ASCII) and 'SAB' (binary) are the native 3D file formats of the Spatial ACIS solids modelling toolkit. Spatial licenses this toolkit to third party developers upon which they can develop their own 3D software and/or converters.
From Okino's own perspective, the ACIS SAT file format was more prevalent and popular in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. However, thereafter, several major software vendors moved off of the ACIS platform and onto other alternative platforms to build their software. We really do not have any of our customers utilize the SAT file format anymore as there are better or more native methods to source such MCAD data (such as STEP, IGES and Parasolid).
This ACIS .sat importer is written by PTC and does not use the native Spatial ACIS toolkit to import and handle the .sat file. NOTES-END Granite "g-plugs" | .g | Various NOTES-START This is an expansion mechanism that allows 3D data to be imported from other vendors by way of their own dynamic "g-plug" plug-in modules. NOTES-END