Supported File Types for Import and Export

You can open and insert files from other modeling applications, and you can save your designs into different file formats. If you insert a model while another is open, the material data from the second model is not imported.

For more detailed information than what is provided here, see the CAD Integration section of the product help or the Platform Support section of the Ansys Website, where you can view the CAD Support PDF for your release.

Import Support

Multiple files can be selected when you import a geometry. The application can import the file formats that appear in the table below.

File Type File Extension Reader / Plug-In Support Notes
SpaceClaim *.scdoc, *.scdocx N/A All versions
ACIS *.sat, *.sab Reader Up to 2023
Ansys *.agdb, *.pmdb, *.meshdat, *.mechdat N/A *.agdb up to 16, *.pmdb
Ansys Electronics Database *.def N/A Supported
Ansys Stride files *.stride N/A All versions
AutoCAD *.dwg, *.dxf Reader Up to 2024
AutoCAD *.dwg, *.dxf Plug-In 2023, 2024
CATIA V4 *.model, *.exp Reader Up to 4.2.5
CATIA V5 *.CATPart, *.CATProduct, *.cgr Reader Up to 2024
CATIA V5 (CADNexus CAPRI CAE Gateway V4.10.0) *.CATPart, *.CATProduct Reader 2022, 2023,2024
CATIA V6 *.3dxml Reader Up to 2024x
CREO Elements / Direct Modeling *.pkg, *.bdl, *.ses, *.sda, *.sdp, *.sdac, *.sdpc Plug-In 20.6, 20.7
CREO Parametric *.prt, *.xpr, *.asm, *.xas Reader Up to 11.0
CREO Parametric *.prt, *.xpr, *.asm, *.xas Plug-In 9.0, 10.0, 11.0
DesignSpark Mechanical *.rsdoc, *.rsdocx Reader Supported
ECAD *.idf, *.idb, *.emn N/A Up to 4.0
Fluent Mesh *.tgf, *.msh N/A Supported
Fusion *.f3d, *.f3z Plug-In 2.0.15995 onward
IGES *.igs, *.iges Reader Up to 5.3
Inventor *.ipt, *.iam Reader Up to 2025
Inventor *.ipt, *.iam Plug-In 2024, 2025
JT Open *.jt Reader Up to 10.10
Monte Carlo N-Particle *.mcnp Reader 2024.2
NX *.prt Reader Up to 2412
NX *.prt Plug-In 2312, 2406, 2412
OBJ *.obj N/A Supported
OpenVDB *.vdb Reader VDB 9+
OSDM *.pkg, *.bdl, *.ses, *.sda, *.sdp, *.sdac, *.sdpc Plug-In 20.4, 20.5
Other ECAD *.anf, *.tgz, *.xml, *.cvg, *.gds, *.sf, *.strm N/A Supported
Parasolid *.x_t, *.xmt_txt, *.x_b, *.xmt_bin Reader Up to 36.0
PDF Facets *.pdf N/A Supported
PLY *.ply N/A 1.0
PNG *.png Reader Supported
Point curve (text) *.txt N/A Supported
Rhino *.3dm Reader Up to 8
SketchUp *.skp Reader Up to 2021
Solid Edge *.par, *.psm, *.asm Reader Up to 2025
Solid Edge *.par, *.psm, *.asm Plug-In 2022, 2023
SOLIDWORKS *.sldprt, *.sldasm Reader Up to 2025
SOLIDWORKS *.sldprt, *.sldasm Plug-In 2020, 2021, 2022
STEP *.stp, *.step Reader Up to AP242
STL *.stl N/A Supported
VRML *.wrl Reader Supported

Export Support

The application can export to the file formats that appear in the table below.

File Type File Extension Support Notes
Discovery Export Files *.dscodat Supported
ANSYS Neutral Files *.anf Supported
ANSYS Stride Files *.stride Supported
ACIS *.sat, *.sab 5.0
AutoCAD *.dwg, *.dxf Up to 2018
Electronics Desktop Import File *.aedti Supported
Fluent CAS File *.cas.h5 Supported
Fluent Journal File *.jou Supported
Fluent Meshing faceted geometry *.tgf Supported
FM Database *.fmd Supported
GLTF *.glb Supported
Icepak Project *.icepakmodel Supported
IGES *.igs, *.iges Up to 5.3
JT Open Facets *.jt Up to 10.10
JT Open Geometry *.jt Up to 10.10
MCNP *.mcnp Supported
OBJ *.obj Supported
Parasolid *.x_t, *.xmt_txt, *.x_b, *.xmt_bin Up to 36
PDF2D Ansys Engineering Notebook *.pdf Supported
PLY *.ply 1.0
PNG *.png Supported
Rhino *.3dm Up to 7.0
STEP *.stp, *.step Up to 242
STL *.stl All
Touchstone 2 Format *.ts Supported
VRML *.wrl Supported