CAD Data Interoperability Solutions

What is CAD Data Interoperability?

• Every CAD package stores information internally in a format that is best suited for that package
• These proprietary formats can only be read by the specific program and are extremely difficult to use for other programs
• For most modern engineering applications it is necessary to be able to transfer CAD models between dissimilar computer programs
• Standard file formats are the best method for storing and transferring CAD geometries (and other information) between dissimilar programs
• Standard Formats to read and write are – ACIS, Parasolid, IGES, STEP, VDA, JT, STL, Obj, PRC, U3D, 3D PDF, VRML
• Main CAD formats are Autodesk Inventor, DWG/DXF, Solidworks SolidEdge, ProE/Creo, Siemens, Rhino, Ideas.

What are Data Translators or Data Interoperability Software? What are various types available?

• The software programs which help import or export data from one CAD format to another are called Data Translators/Data Interoperability Software programs.
• There are various ways in which the Translators work:
  • Independent translators: These Softwares run independently of the file format and their host application. For example, a translator software which converts Solidworks file to IGES without requiring Solidworks installed is an independent translator.
  • Host-based translators: These Softwares require access to another software to be able to execute translation. For example, an Autocad plugin which exports a 3D PDF file from Autocad (.dwg). The plugin will only run in the Autocad environment and hence it is the host-based translator.
  • End user translator application: These are standalone translation application which offers the ability to load a file of specific format and output to another format. These types of application may also provide rudimentary visualization, model, edit, repair etc.
  • Data Translation SDK: These programs are available as modules (library/DLL) which can be integrated into the another application. In this way, a software can offer seamless translation without the user needing or realizing the use of another software.

What are the various options available for Data Translation?
Following are some of the options that are available in the market for data translation. The brief information about the toolkit is not endorsed by the vendors and we recommend that you visit the respective vendors of the latest and exact information.
ProtoTech has used for development of various projects for its clients. Many other toolkits are also available in the market.

1. HOOPS Exchange (by Tech Soft 3D)

• Available as SDK (library to be embedded in your software)
• Supports various formats to read and write
• Supports visualization data, BRep data and PMI data for many formats
• Is compatible and integrated with other SDKs which are provided by Tech Soft3D

 2. 3D InterOp (by Spatial)

• Available as SDK (library to be embedded in your software)
• Supports various formats to read and write
• Supports visualization data, BRep data and PMI data for many formats
• Supports geometry repair
•  Is compatible and integrated with other SDKs which are provided by Spatial (ACIS)

3. 3D Evolution (by CoreTechnologie)

• End user application. Scripting available for automation
• Supports various formats to read and write
• Supports visualization data, BRep data and PMI data for many formats
• Foreign language support
• Has Geometry Compare, Thickness Checker and other additional tools

4. CrossManager (by Datakit)

• End user application
• Supports various formats to read and write
• Supports visualization data and BRep data
• Foreign language support

5. TransMagic Expert (by TransMagic)

• End user application. Scripting available for automation and batch process
• Supports various formats to read and write
• Supports visualization data, BRep data and PMI data for many formats.
• Supports data repair, analysis, optimization
• Allows dimensioning, annotations, re-positioning
• Foreign language support
• Has add-ons for compare, repair and batch processing

6. Teigha SDK from Open Design Alliance (for importing DWG/DXF/DGN)

• Native support for .dwg and .dgn files
• Powerful rendering
• Interact with other file formats
• Creation of fully functional custom objects
• Rich feature set for editing, manipulating and rendering CAD data

7. RealDWG® SDK from Autodesk (for importing DWG/DXF)

• The RealDWG® developer toolkit is a software library that allows C++ and .NET developers to read and write AutoCAD® software DWG™ and DXF™ files

How can ProtoTech help?

If you want a solution to import/export data into different universal formats, feel free to contact us. ProtoTech has decades of staff years of experience in solving interoperability problems for engineering applications. We can help you get the right solution, suitable to your scale, and on time.

Author: Shilpa Bhartiya
Contact us:
info@prototechsolutions.com
ProtoTech Solutions and Services Pvt Ltd