Solid Edge - Format Overview
Table of Contents
General Information
This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database.
| Format Name | Solid Edge |
|---|---|
| Long Name | Solid Edge CAD Software |
| Extensions | .par, .asm, .psm, .pwd, .dft, .cfg, .mtl, .fam, .xlg |
| Internet Media Type (previously MIME) | application/vnd.solidedge, application/x-solidedge |
| Common Use Cases | Mechanical Design, Product Development, Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial Equipment, 3D Design, Simulation, Assembly Design, Sheet Metal |
What is the Solid Edge format, and what is it used for?
Solid Edge is a comprehensive 3D CAD software developed by Siemens Digital Industries Software, featuring innovative synchronous technology that combines the speed of direct modeling with the flexibility of parametric design. It provides advanced solid modeling, assembly design, simulation, and manufacturing capabilities for mechanical engineering applications. It is a file format mostly used for Comprehensive 3D CAD software with synchronous technology for mechanical design and product development.
Features supported by the Solid Edge format
| Feature | Supported? |
|---|---|
| Morph Targets | No |
| Rigid Animations | Yes |
| Skinned Animations | No |
| Animations | Yes |
| Free-Form Surfaces | Yes |
| Geometry Compression | No |
| Quad Meshes | Yes |
| Basic 3D Geometry | Yes |
| PBR Materials | Partial0 |
| Transparent Materials | Yes |
| Vertex Colors | Partial1 |
| Materials | Yes |
| Scene Composition | Yes |
| Hierarchical Scene Graph | Yes |
| Scene Nodes | Yes |
| Standardized Format | Partial2 |
| Embedded Textures | Partial3 |
| Multiple UV Channels | Partial4 |
| Normal Mapping | No |
| Procedural Textures | No |
| Texture Compression | No |
| Texture Transforms | Partial5 |
| Texturing | Partial6 |
Converting and Optimizing Solid Edge Files
There are various ways to convert between Solid Edge files and other 3D formats. With RapidPipeline, you can easily convert and and optimize Solid Edge files, at scale. It supports Solid Edge, as well as many other file formats (examples: 3dsMax, AutoCAD, CATIA, Creo, FBX, glTF, Inventor, Navisworks, OBJ, PLY, Revit, SolidWorks, STEP, STL, USD, USDZ, VRM), at high quality.
Due to the potential limitations aforementioned on the table above, in principle, this format cannot always perfectly convert 3D data between Solid Edge and other formats. In the following, you can find format conversion guides between Solid Edge and the most important other formats, along with a rough score for compatibility of this workflow:
Converting Solid Edge to Other 3D File Formats
- Solid Edge to 3dsMax
- Solid Edge to AutoCAD
- Solid Edge to CATIA
- Solid Edge to Creo
- Solid Edge to FBX
- Solid Edge to glTF
- Solid Edge to Inventor
- Solid Edge to Navisworks
- Solid Edge to OBJ
- Solid Edge to PLY
- Solid Edge to Revit
- Solid Edge to SolidWorks
- Solid Edge to STEP
- Solid Edge to STL
- Solid Edge to USD
- Solid Edge to USDZ
- Solid Edge to VRM
Converting Other 3D File Formats to Solid Edge
- 3dsMax to Solid Edge
- AutoCAD to Solid Edge
- CATIA to Solid Edge
- Creo to Solid Edge
- FBX to Solid Edge
- glTF to Solid Edge
- Inventor to Solid Edge
- Navisworks to Solid Edge
- OBJ to Solid Edge
- PLY to Solid Edge
- Revit to Solid Edge
- SolidWorks to Solid Edge
- STEP to Solid Edge
- STL to Solid Edge
- USD to Solid Edge
- USDZ to Solid Edge
- VRM to Solid Edge
What's the best way to get Solid Edge files into my 3D applications?
Doing 3D conversion right, especially at scale, can be tricky, as 3D data is in general a rather complex (yet very powerful!) medium. This also applies to Solid Edge files - the conversion guide above gives a rough idea. Once you know what you would like to do, tools like RapidPipeline can help you perform the necessary steps, and to automate the process.
However, especially when introducing pipelines and workflows at scale in an enterprise context, it is usually good to rely on dedicated expertise, making sure you do not introduce any steps into your 3D workflow that are detrimental to the final output's quality, or that take your team too much time (and money).
If you're interested to hire dedicated expertise from the best in the field to help your company reach your goals fast and reliably, please do not hestitate to contact DGG. Being the creators of RapidPipeline, and ambassadors for open 3D standards for more than a decade, we have been building some of the world's most advanced 3D pipelines, having processed many millions of 3D assets.
Therefore, our expertise will help you to reach your goals faster, at scale, and with the least possible friction, since we are focused on maximum interoperability.
To get started with 3D data conversion and optimization today, sign up for a free account!
If you have any questions, feel free to chat with our human team.
Meet the Author
3D Knowledge Team
3D Technical Artists
RapidPipeline lets you convert, optimize and prepare your 3D models, easily. Try it today, or meet our human 3D experts. The Best-in-Class Tools for Your 3D Processing Jobs