CAD data exchange is a modality of data exchange used to translate data

between different Computer-aided design (CAD) authoring systems or between

CAD and other downstream CAx systems.
The exchange process targets primarily the geometric information of the
CAD data but it can also target other aspects such as metadata, knowledge,
manufacturing information, tolerances and assembly structure.
There are three options available for CAD data exchange: direct model
translation, neutral file exchange and third-party translators.
Although initially targeted for the geometric information (wire frame, surfaces, solids and drawings)
of a product, nowadays there are other pieces of information that can be retrieved from a CAD file:

 Metadata – non-graphical attributes

Metadata is "data [information] that provides information about other data". Three distinct types
of metadata exist: descriptive metadata, structural metadata, and administrative metadata.

 Descriptive metadata describes a resource for purposes such as discovery and

identification. It can include elements such as title, abstract, author, and keywords.
 Structural metadata is metadata about containers of data and indicates how compound
objects are put together, for example, how pages are ordered to form chapters. It describes
the types, versions, relationships and other characteristics of digital materials.
 Administrative metadata provides information to help manage a resource, such as when
and how it was created, file type and other technical information, and who can access it.

 Design intent data – e.g. history trees, formulas, rules, guidelines

 Application data – e.g. Numerical Control tool paths, Geometric dimensioning and
tolerancing (GD&T), process planning and assembly structure
The different types of product information targeted by the exchange process may vary throughout
the life cycle of the product. At earlier stages of the design process, more emphasis is given to the
geometric and design intent aspects of the data exchange while metadata and application data are
more important at later stages of the product and process development.

Neutral formats[edit]

 IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) – originated around the late 1970s and initially
published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1980 preceding the large-scale
deployment of the CAD technology in the industry.[7] This file format considers the product
definition as a file of entities, with each entity being represented in an application-independent
format.[2] After the initial release of STEP (ISO 10303) in 1994, interest in further development of
IGES declined, and Version 5.3 (1996) was the last published standard.[4]
 DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) – developed by Autodesk in 1982 as their data interoperability
solution between AutoCAD and other CAD systems. The DXF is primarily 2D-based and its
format is a tagged data representation of all the information contained in an AutoCAD drawing
file, which means that each data element in the file is preceded by an integer number that is
 called a group code indicating the type of following data element. As most commercial
application software developers have chosen to support Autodesk's native DWG as the format
for AutoCAD data interoperability, DXF has become less useful.[2]
 VDA-FS (Verband der Automobilindustrie – Flächenschnittstelle) – created by the German
Association of the Automotive Industry in 1982 as an interoperability method for free-form
surfaces.[8] This format differs from other formats in that it only supports the communication of
free-form curve and surface data with associated comments, but no other geometric or non-
geometric entities. Therefore, it is limited to representations by parametric polynomials, but this
covers the great majority of free-form CAD systems. It includes Bézier, B-
Spline and Coons tensor product types of surfaces and corresponding curves.[1] The VDA-FS
specification is released in the German Industrial Standard DIN 66301.[9]
 PDES (Product Data Exchange Specification) – originated in 1988 under the Product Definition
Data Interface (PDDI) study done by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation on behalf of the U.S. Air
Force. PDES was designed to completely define a product for all applications over its expected
life cycle, including geometry, topology, tolerances, relationships, attributes, and features
necessary to completely define a part or assembly of parts. PDES can be viewed as an
expansion of IGES where organizational and technological data have been added. In fact, the
later PDES contained IGES. The development of PDES under the guidance of the IGES
organization and in close collaboration with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) led to the birth of STEP.[2]
 STEP (ISO 10303 – STandard for the Exchange of Product model data) – the work with the ISO
10303 standard was initiated in 1984 and initially published in 1994, with the objective to
standardize the exchange of product data between PLM systems. It is a very comprehensive set
of specifications covering many different product types and many life cycle phases. STEP uses
the neutral ISO 10303-11 format, also known as an EXPRESS schema. The EXPRESS schema
defines not only the data types but also relations and rules applying to them.[4] STEP supports
data exchange, data sharing and data archiving. For data exchange, STEP defines the transitory
form of the product data that is to be transferred between a pair of applications. It supports data
sharing by providing access to and operation on a single copy of the same product data by more
than one application, potentially simultaneously. STEP may also be used to support the
development of the archive product data itself.[2] STEP consists of several hundred documents
called parts. Every year new parts are added or new revisions of older parts are released. This
makes STEP the biggest standard within ISO. The 200-series parts STEP are called Application
Protocols (AP),[4] with the specific parts directly related to CAD systems:
 203 (Configuration controlled 3D designs of mechanical parts and assemblies) – Mainly
used for 3D design and product structure. A subset of AP214 but most widely used.
 210 (Electronic assembly, interconnect and packaging design) – CAD systems for printed
circuit board.
 212 (Electrotechnical design and installation) – CAD systems for electrical installation
and cable harness.
 238 (STEP-NC Application interpreted model for computerized numerical controllers) –
CAD, CAM, and CNC machining process information.
 242 (Managed model based 3D engineering) – the merging of the two leading STEP
application protocols, AP 203 and AP 214.
 Parasolid XT – part of the Parasolid geometric modeling kernel originally developed by Shape
Data and currently owned by Siemens PLM Software.[10] Parasolid can represent wireframe,
surface, solid, cellular and general non-manifold models. It stores topological and geometric
information defining the shape of models in transmitting files. These files have a published
format so that applications can have access to Parasolid models without necessarily using the
Parasolid kernel.[11] Parasolid is capable of accepting data from other modeler formats. Its unique
tolerant modeling functionality can accommodate and compensate for less accurate data.[12]
A. STP (STEP)

STEP-File is the most widely used data exchange form.

This is due to its ASCII structure and it is easy to read with typically one instance per line.

The format of a STEP-File is as defined in a published international standard ISO 10303-21 consisting of a
Clear Text Encoding Exchange Structure.

The ISO10303-21 standard defines the encoding mechanism on how to correctly represent data
according to a given EXPRESS schema, but not the EXPRESS schema itself.

STEP-Files can also be called p21-Files and STEP Physical Files. The file extensions of .stp and .step
indicate that the file contain data conforming to STEP Application Protocols.

The STEP read in OneCNC is not subject to version change and provides a robust standard import from
all CAD sources that adhere to the published standard.

STEP translation is the preferred file import and export method in OneCNC. The main reason it is
preferred by OneCNC is that it is to an international standard, and does not rely on any other files to
function and yearly version free.

OneCNC reads its own STEP files directly and it does not require any other shared files or files in other
directories that may be subject to change.

This provides for simplicity of operation without the constraints of yearly versions and or the necessity to
become reliant on a particular brand of software because of the reliance on a restrictive file system that
may change from year to year.

A user may want to open files years later in other software and an ISO standard can be more assured.

B. IGES

The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification IGES , pronounced “eye-jess” defines a neutral data format
that allows the digital exchange of information among Computer-aided design (CAD) systems. The IGES
standard which is now 5.3 last published in 1996 and has not changed since.

The official title of IGES is Digital Representation for Communication of Product Definition Data, first
published in January, 1980 by the National Bureau of Standards as NBSIR 80-1978. Many documents like
the Defense Standards MIL-D-28000 and MIL-STD-1840 refer to it as ASME Y14.26M, the designation of
the ANSI committee that approved IGES Version 1.0.
Using IGES, a CAD user can exchange product data models in the form of circuit diagrams, wire frame,
free form surface or solid modeling representations. Applications supported by IGES include traditional
engineering drawings, models for analysis, and other manufacturing functions.

IGES only seems to be of any problem if the exporting CAD does not adhere to the specifications.

C. VDA
VDA-FS is a CAD data exchange format for the transfer of surface models from one CAD system to
another. Its name stands for "Verband der Automobilindustrie - Flächenschnittstelle", which translates to
the "organisation of the automotive industry - surface translation format". Standard was specified by the
German organisation VDA. VDA-FS is now superseded by STEP, ISO 10303. This is especially provided for
the users that do OEM automotive replacement parts. This was commonly used more before STEP
arrived.

D. 3DM (Rhino)

3DM Rhino is provided by the developers of Rhino in the interests of file translation between Rhino and
other CAD. This is provided through the OpenNURBS . The openNURBS Initiative was founded by Robert
McNeel & Associates in January 2000, with the sole purpose of providing CAD, CAM, CAE, and
computer graphics software users reliable methods for transferring 3-D geometry between applications.

E. DGN (AusCAD)

The DGN is provided by OneCNC to read the files from the original AusCAD. AusCAD was a previously
developed CAD/CAM and the forerunner to now OneCNC.

F. DXF

AutoCAD DXF (Drawing Interchange Format, or Drawing Exchange Format) is a CAD data file format
developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs.
DXF was originally introduced in December 1982 as part of AutoCAD 1.0, and was intended to provide an
exact representation of the data in the AutoCAD native file format, DWG (Drawing), for which Autodesk
for many years did not publish specifications. Because of this correct imports of DXF files has been very
difficult over these years. Autodesk now publishes the DXF specifications, on its website for versions of
DXF dating from AutoCAD Release 13 to AutoCAD 2009.
As AutoCAD has become more powerful, supporting more complex object types, DXF has become less
useful. Certain object types, including ACIS solids and regions, are not documented. Other object types,
including AutoCAD 2006's dynamic blocks, and all of the objects specific to the vertical-market versions
of AutoCAD, are partially documented, but not well enough to allow other developers to support them.
While this has helped to some degree almost every CAD on the planet often have their own version of
DXF because of so many years of non publication.

OneCNC only imports the ASCII format DXF files.

G. SAT

SAT files are current developed by Spatial. They maintain a current version or release number which is
now 19 so therefore there is 19 versions of SAT files. SAT or as it is known ACIS was acquired by
Dassault Systemes and is not openly published. This is also a very difficult format for this reason.

I. STL

STL is a file format native to the stereo lithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format
is supported by many other software packages also. It is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-
aided manufacturing for this purpose. STL files describe only the triangulated surface mesh of a three
dimensional object without any representation of color, texture or other common CAD model attributes.
The STL format specifies both ASCII and binary representations. Binary files are more common, since
they are more compact.
An STL file describes a raw unstructured triangulated surface by the unit normal and vertices ordered by
the right-hand rule of the triangles using a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.
STL is definitely not a preferred file format for importing into OneCNC. Reason being it is just a mesh
format and any machining done on this format would have the same roughness as the polygons
OneCNC supports the ASCII and Binary formats of STL.

J. SLDPRT (Solidworks)

SolidWorks files use the Microsoft Structured storage file format.

This means that there are various files embedded within each SLDDRW, SLDPRT, SLDASM file, including
preview bitmaps and metadata sub-files.
Various third-party tools can be used to extract these sub-files, although the subfiles in many cases use
proprietary binary file formats.
The Structured storage (variously also known as COM structured storage or OLE structured storage) is a
technology developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows operating system for storing hierarchical data
within a single file. Strictly speaking, the term structured storage refers to a set of COM interfaces that a
conforming implementation must provide, and not to a specific implementation, nor to a specific file
format (in fact, a structured storage implementation need not store its data in a file at all). In addition to
providing a hierarchical structure for data, structured storage may also provide a limited form of
transactional support for data access. Microsoft provides an implementation that supports transactions,
as well as one that does not (called simple-mode storage, the latter implementation is limited in other
ways as well, although it performs better).
Structured storage is widely used in Microsoft Office applications, although newer releases (starting with
Office 2007) use the XML-based Office Open XML by default. It is also an important part of both COM and
the related Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) technologies. Other notable applications of structured
storage include MSSQL, the Windows shell, and many third-party CAD programs.

The file reading is performed by a Solidworks provided document manager not by OneCNC so it is also
important to have the correct document manager dll installed in the Solidworks Shared directory. This
can also be dependant on operating system and SW version. These read files are stored in the Solidworks
Shared directory.

K. XT (Parasolid)

Parasolid is a geometric modelling kernel originally developed by ShapeData, now owned by "Siemens
PLM Software" formerly UGS Corp USA, that can be licensed by companies for use in their 3D computer
graphics software products.
It is used in many Computer-aided design (CAD), Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), Computer-aided
engineering (CAE), Product visualization, and CAD data exchange packages.
When exported from the parent software package, a Parasolid commonly has the file extension .x_t and
.X_B. Most Parasolid files can communicate and migrate only 3D solids and/or surface data.
Parasolid files currently cannot communicate and migrate 2D data such as lines and arcs.