Importing/Exporting SOLIDWORKS Documents

You can import files to the SOLIDWORKS software from other applications. You can export SOLIDWORKS documents to a number of formats for use with other applications. For links to help on the various file types, see File Types. The following table displays the data translation methods available:

  Parts Assemblies Drawings
Application Import Export Import Export Import Export
3D XML   X   X    
ACIS X X X X    
Adobe Illustrator X X   X X  
Adobe Photoshop X X X X X X
Adobe Portable Document Format   X   X   X
Autodesk Inventor X   X      
CADKEY X   X      
CATIA Graphics X X X X    
CATIA V5 X   X      
DXF/DWG files X       X X
DXF 3D X          
eDrawings   X   X   X
Highly Compressed Graphics   X   X    
HOOPS   X   X    
IDF 2.0, 3.0 (CircuitWorks Lite) X          
IDF 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 (CircuitWorks)   X X X    
IFC X X X X    
IGES X X X X    
JPEG   X   X   X
Mechanical Desktop X   X      
PADS (*.asc) (CircuitWorks)   X X X    
Parasolid X X X X    
PDF   X   X   X
Pro/ENGINEER X X X X    
ProStep EDMD (*.idx) (CircuitWorks)   X X X    
Rhino X          
ScanTo3D X X        
Solid Edge X   X      
STEP X X X X    
STL X X X X    
TIFF X X X X   X
Unigraphics X   X      
VDAFS X X        
Viewpoint   X   X    
VRML X X X X    
XPS   X   X   X
Application Import Export Import Export Import Export
The CATIA V5 Translator is a separate product.