BricsCAD File Types Dictionary
Quick answer: BricsCAD natively supports a wide range of CAD, vector, HTML, and raster formats, from DWG and DXF to IFC, STL, and SVG. A separate add-on, Communicator for BricsCAD, adds direct interchange with formats like STEP, CATIA, SolidWorks, and Parasolid.
CAD Formats
| Format | Extension | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FBX binary file | FBX | Mudbox format for sending 3D models to animation and rendering software; binary keeps files compact. Use FBXEXPORT. |
| FBX ASCII file | FBX | Same purpose as binary FBX, but human-readable. |
| AutoCAD Drawing | DWG | The core CAD drawing format. Use SAVEAS to export to an earlier DWG version. |
| AutoCAD ASCII DXF | DXF | Drawing interchange format. Use DXFOUT to create binary DXF files instead. |
| Drawing Template | DWT | The basis new drawings are created from. |
| 3D DWF | DWF or DWFx | CAD viewing format for 3D models. |
| Binary DWF | DWF | Compressed, more compact than the standard DWF. |
| Zipped ASCII Encoded 2D Stream DWF v6.0 | DWF | ASCII DWF compressed into a ZIP file. |
| Compressed DWF v5.5 | DWF | Older, compressed ASCII version. |
| Binary DWF v5.5 | DWF | Older, compressed binary version. |
| ASCII DWF v5.5 | DWF | Older ASCII version. |
| IFC file | IFC | Saves a BIM model for IFC-certified applications, including BIM properties. The IFC4 Reference View is a simplified subset for tools that don’t support the full IFC4 feature set. |
| Revit Project | RVT | Autodesk Revit’s BIM format. |
| Unreal Engine | UDATASMITH | Exports BIM data for Unreal Engine, importable into Twinmotion. |
| MicroStation DGN File | DGN | MicroStation design files. |
| SketchUp file | SKP | Imported as meshes; use CONVTOSOLID and CONVTOMESH to convert between meshes and solids. |
| Standards File | DWS | Used by the STANDARDS and CHECKSTANDARDS commands. |
| ESRI Shapefile | SHP | GIS vector data. |
| Keyhole Markup Language | KML, KMZ | XML-based geographic data, used by mapping tools like Google Earth and Google Maps. |
Vector Formats
| Format | Extension | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Metafile | WMF | Microsoft’s vector format, used by the Clipboard. See WMFOUT. |
| Enhanced Windows Metafile | EMF | An updated version of WMF. |
| Scalable Vector Graphics | SVG | XML-based vector format for web pages; an open W3C standard developed since 1999, supports both static and interactive/animated graphics. |
| Lithography | STL | Native to stereolithography CAD software, widely used for 3D printing and rapid prototyping. Describes surface geometry only, no colour or texture. Supports both ASCII and (more common) binary. See STLOUT. |
| Collada file | DAE | 3D interchange format for rendering and animation software, managed by the Khronos Group and adopted as ISO/PAS 17506. |
| Slide File | SLD | Autodesk’s proprietary format for saving viewport screen grabs. |
| 3D PDF | Standard, application-independent document format. |
Windows Metafile, Enhanced Windows Metafile, and Bitmap exports all use the PICTUREEXPORTSCALE system variable to set the exported view size.
HTML and Raster Formats
| Format | Extension | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | HTM | Opens in a web browser. VMLOUT exports drawings as VML embedded in an HTML file. |
| Wavefront Object file | OBJ | Text-based 3D format storing vertices, normals, faces, and coordinates. Can reference a material (MTL) file, which can in turn reference image/texture files (JPG, PNG, BMP). |
| Bitmap | BMP | Microsoft’s raster format, used by the Clipboard. |
For 3D PDF exports specifically, if EXPORT3DPDFWRITER is set to 1 (the internal 3D PDF writer), you can also export Mechanical Structure or exploded-view animation.
Communicator for BricsCAD Formats
| Format | Extension | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard for Exchange of Product Data | STE, STP, STEP, STPZ | ISO standard for exchanging 3D product data between different CAD systems. |
| Initial Graphics Exchange Specification | IGS, IGES | Vendor-neutral CAD data exchange format. |
| CATIA V4 | model | Dassault Systèmes’ CAD/CAM/CAE suite, V4 format. |
| CATIA V5/V6 | CATPart, CATProduct, CGR | Newer CATIA format versions. |
| Parasolid | XMT_TXT, XMT_BIN, X_T, X_B | A geometric modelling kernel, now owned by Siemens PLM Software, licensed to other CAD software makers. |
| VDA-FS | VDA | German automotive industry surface data interchange format, for transferring surface models between CAD systems. |
| Autodesk Inventor | IAM, IPT | Autodesk’s 3D mechanical CAD software; IPT for parts, IAM for assemblies. |
| Siemens JT | JT | Product visualization, collaboration, and CAD data exchange format from Siemens PLM Software. |
| Solid Edge | PAR, PSM | 3D parametric feature solid modelling software. |
| NX | PRT | Listed in Octave’s documentation as used by PTC Pro/Engineer, but NX and Pro/Engineer are separate CAD systems from different companies (Siemens and PTC respectively), so this looks like a mix-up in the source rather than something to take at face value. |
| Creo Elements / Pro Engineer | ASM, PRT | PTC’s parametric 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software. |
| SolidWorks | SLDASM, SLDPRT | Dassault Systèmes’ 3D mechanical CAD; SLDPRT for parts, SLDASM for assemblies. IMPORTSOLIDWORKSROTATEYZ controls whether imported geometry auto-rotates to map the Y axis to Z. |
| 3D PDF | Same standard document format as above. | |
| ACIS | ASAB, ASAT, SAB, SAT | A geometric modelling kernel developed by Spatial Corporation. |
| XCGM | XCGM | Part of the Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) format family. |
Two things worth knowing about Communicator’s own settings: if EXPORT3DPDFWRITER is set to 0 (Communicator’s own 3D PDF writer, the opposite setting from the internal writer above), Mechanical Structure and exploded views aren’t supported. And for ACIS files, EXPORT stores a scale factor in SAT/SAB files relative to millimetres, which IMPORT then uses to scale correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need extra software to open STEP or SolidWorks files in BricsCAD? Yes. Formats like STEP, IGES, CATIA, SolidWorks, and Parasolid all require the separate Communicator for BricsCAD add-on rather than being supported out of the box.
What’s the difference between exporting 3D PDF from BricsCAD directly versus through Communicator? It comes down to EXPORT3DPDFWRITER. Set to 1, you get the internal writer, which supports Mechanical Structure and exploded-view animation. Set to 0, Communicator’s own writer is used instead, which doesn’t support those.
Does an STL file preserve colour and texture information? No. STL describes surface geometry only, no colour, texture, or other typical CAD attributes.
Can I import SketchUp files directly? Yes, SKP files import as meshes. Use CONVTOSOLID or CONVTOMESH afterwards if you need to convert between mesh and solid geometry.