Catia V5 is a powerful Computer Aided Design (CAD) software developed by Dassault Systemes in 1998. It has enjoyed immense popularity in automotive, aerospace and other industries due to its capabilities and features. advances. The software enables designers and engineers to create complex 3D models of products and components, making it an essential tool for designing products of all shapes and sizes.
Catia V5 supports various file formats for storing and sharing data. The software uses different file extensions depending on the type of file created. The main Catia V5 file extensions are .CATPart, .CATProduct, .CATDrawing, .cgr and .3dxml.
- .CATPart is used to create part models in Catia V5. This file extension is used to store individual parts.
- .CATProduct is used to store an assembly of parts created using Catia V5. This type of file is used to combine different parts of a product and create a complete assembly.
- .CATDrawing is a file extension used to create 2D drawings in Catia V5. This file type is used to create detailed 2D representations of parts and assemblies created in Catia V5.
- .cgr is a file extension used to store faceted representations of Catia V5 models. This type of file is commonly used for viewing purposes.
- .3dxml is another file extension used to store lightweight representations of 3D models created in Catia V5. This type of file is used to share models with people who do not have access to Catia V5 software. It allows users to view 3D models without the need for the original software.
Catia V5 also supports various native or neutral file formats. File formats supported by Catia V5 include Catia V4, IGES, DXF, DWG, STEP and STL. This allows users to import and export files in different formats, making it easier to collaborate with other users who may use different software.
Singularity of the interoperability problems between Catia V4 and Catia V5, backward compatibility was not maintained between these two versions. Catia V5 has a migration tool allowing users to convert the construction history of Catia V4 models into Catia V5. However, this tool has some limitations. Assembly and multisolid are not supported, some special entities may not be supported, and parametric information may be lost during the conversion process.
Another feature, Catia V5 has a downward compatibility tool between versions of Catia V5 (a model designed under the latest version of Catia V5 can be converted to a lower version). But some limitations exist: assembly or multisolid is not supported, some special entities are not supported, and construction history is lost.
Available Catia V5 modules for CAD Interoperability
| Modules | P1 | P2 | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATIA - Extended STEP Interface | SXT | Extend STEP capabilities for long-term archiving and corporate processes. | ||
| CATIA - Product Data Filtering | DF1 | Remove sensitive information prior to data exchange | ||
| MultiCAx Products | DAL DGL DTL |
Import of 3D data from I-DEAS, Pro/ENGINEER, Unigraphics, SolidEdge, Inventor, SolidWorks, ACIS, Parasolid, DELMIA, CATIA Version 4, CATIA Version 5 and various other formats (IGES, STEP, STL, SLP, OBJ Wavefront, VRML, I-DEAS IFF ). | ||
| CATIA - CADAM Interface | CC1 | share 2D drafting information between CATIA CADAM Drafting (CCD) and V5 Drafting products | ||
| CATIA - IGES INTERFACE | IG1 | Exchange data through the neutral IGES format | ||
| CATIA - STEP Core Interface | ST1 | Read and write data in STEP AP214 and STEP AP203 data formats | ||
| CATIA - STRIM/STYLER to CATIA Interface | STC | Allow CATIA V5 to process the geometry from STRIM and STYLER applications | ||
| CATIA - ICEM Surf to CATIA Interface | ICC | Import / Export of ICEMDB files into CATIA | ||
| CATIA - V4 Integration | V41 | V4I | Catia V4 integration in Catia V5 | |
| CATIA - ENOVIAvpm Supply Chain Engineering Exchange | EW1 | EWE | Allows a sub-contractor to load up and work on a CATIA work package extracted by the OEM from its ENOVIA context | |
In summary, Catia V5 is a CAD system developed by Dassault Systèmes in 1998, currently widely used in the automotive, aerospace and others industries. The native or neutral formats supported by Catia V5 are Catia V4, IGES, DXF, DWG, STEP, STL. V4 to V5 migration tool and Catia V5 Downgrade compatibility tool have some limitation. Main Catia V5 file extensions are:
- .CATPart (part)
- .CATProduct (Assembly)
- .CATDrawing (drawing)
- .cgr (faceted representation)
- .3dxml (Lightened representation)
CAD Interop distributes several softwares to view, translate and validate Catia V5 files. Find below the list of our solutions compatible with Catia V5:
