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.
In the tables below, all file formats are supported for Windows 10. All file formats except
the following are supported for Windows 11:
- Creo Elements/Direct Modeling 20.4 Plug-In
- Inventor 2022 Plug-In
- NX 2007 Plug-In
- Parasolid 35 and 36 Reader
- SketchUp 2021 Reader
- Solid Edge 2022 Plug-In
- SOLIDWORKS 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Plug-In
- STEP AP242 Reader
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. Discovery 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, *.asat, *.asab | Reader | Up to 2023 |
| Ansys | *.agdb, *.pmdb, *.meshdat, *.mechdat | N/A | *.agdb up to 16, *.pmdb |
| Ansys Electronics Database | *.def | N/A | Supported |
| 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 2023 |
| CATIA V5 (CADNexus CAPRI CAE Gateway V4.00.0) | *.CATPart, *.CATProduct | Reader | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| CATIA V6 | *.3dxml | Reader | Up to 2024x |
| CREO Elements / Direct Modeling | *.pkg, *.bdl, *.ses, *.sda, *.sdp, *.sdac, *.sdpc | Plug-In | 20.5, 20.6 |
| CREO Parametric | *.prt, *.xpr, *.asm, *.xas | Reader | Up to 10.0 |
| CREO Parametric | *.prt, *.xpr, *.asm, *.xas | Plug-In | 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0 |
| ECAD | *.idf, *.idb, *.emn | N/A | Up to 4.0 |
| Fluent Mesh | *.tgf, *.msh | N/A | Supported |
| Fusion | *.f3d, *.f3z | Plug-In | 2.0.12392 onward |
| IGES | *.igs, *.iges | Reader | Up to 5.3 |
| Inventor | *.ipt, *.iam | Reader | Up to 2024 |
| Inventor | *.ipt, *.iam | Plug-In | 2023, 2024 |
| JT Open | *.jt | Reader | Up to 10.7 |
| NX | *.prt | Reader | Up to 2312 |
| NX | *.prt | Plug-In | 2206, 2212, 2306 |
| OBJ | *.obj | N/A | Supported |
| 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 | N/A | Supported | |
| PLY | *.ply | N/A | 1.0 |
| Point curve (text) | *.txt | N/A | Supported |
| Revit | *.rvt, *.rfa | Reader | Up to 2023 |
| Rhino | *.3dm | Reader | Up to 8 |
| SketchUp | *.skp | Reader | Up to 2021 |
| Solid Edge | *.par, *.psm, *.asm | Reader | Up to 2024 |
| Solid Edge | *.par, *.psm, *.asm | Plug-In | 2022, 2023 |
| SOLIDWORKS | *.sldprt, *.sldasm | Reader | Up to 2024 |
| SOLIDWORKS | *.sldprt, *.sldasm | Plug-In | 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| STEP | *.stp, *.step | Reader | Up to AP242 |
| STL | *.stl | N/A | Supported |
| VDA-FS | *.vda | Reader | Up to 2 |
| VRML | *.wrl | Reader | Supported |
Export Support
Discovery 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 |
| ACIS | *.sat, *.sab | Up to 2021 |
| AutoCAD | *.dwg, *.dxf | Up to 2018 |
| Electronics Desktop Import File | *.aedti | Supported |
| Fluent CAS File | *.cas.h5 | 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 10.8 |
| JT Open Geometry | *.jt | Up to 10.8 |
| OBJ | *.obj | Supported |
| Parasolid | *.x_t, *.xmt_txt, *.x_b, *.xmt_bin | Up to 35 |
| PDF2D Ansys Engineering Notebook | 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 |