View, Convert and Analyze CAD, BIM and 3D data
Load and convert models on Windows, Mac and Linux without having to deal with expensive CAD systems.
Work with CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, Creo, STEP, JT, IFC and many more formats.
Perfect for Your 3D Data Workflow
Connect different software
Exchange data between incompatible 3D and CAD software. Get a productivity boost with fast and accurate conversions.
Design review
Study designs made in any major CAD package: explore structure and properties, sectioned and exploded views.
Model inspection
Inspect models' dimensions and mass properties, perform measurements to compare against manufactured samples.
CAD data preparation
Convert models to standard formats, generate fine-tuned meshes from CAD geometry for downstream applications.
Your CAD Viewing and Conversion Needs, Covered
Flexible Licensing for Enterprise and Startups
Individual and floating licenses
For Windows, macOS or Linux
Access to all updates
Independent from expensive CAD software
Trusted by Industry Leaders
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Latest CATIA V5 and Creo versions, updated manipulator and image export in Lab, dashed line properties support in Web Toolkit, PMI and B-Rep simplifier enhancements in CAD Exchanger 3.18.0
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which OSes does CAD Exchanger Lab support?
CAD Exchanger Lab supports Windows, MacOS and Linux. License price is per OS.
How is CAD Exchanger Lab licensed?
There are two licensing models - perpetual and subscription - which differ in access duration, either perpetual or for 12 months.
There are individual seat licenses which are per user, per seat (and are linked to a fixed MAC address), and team licenses which enable group access, either on a server or within a network domain.
Any license includes access to all formats and all features.
Subscription includes access to all releases within the subscription period. To get access to new versions under the perpetual license, annual maintenance must be purchased additionally.
For further details please refer to this blog post.
What is a perpetual license?
Perpetual license enables life-time access to the application. So the application will continue to run forever on the computer the license was bought for.
However, to get access to new versions and releases the annual maintenance must be paid additionally. Maintenance price is a fraction of a full license price but grants access to all updates, typically four times a year.
Keeping maintenance current is much more cost-effective, as we continuously release enhancements, bug fixes and add support of new file formats. For example, NX and Creo in 3.8.0, glTF, COLLADA, and DXF in 3.7.0, FBX in 3.6.0, SolidWorks in 3.4.2 and so on. Users with active maintenance can simply upgrade to the new version to get the access to previously unavailable formats.
What is a subscription?
Subscription gives temporary access to CAD Exchanger Lab. You can think of it as 'renting' the software (typically for 12 months). With the active subscription you will always have an up-to-date version of CAD Exchanger Lab, as active subscription grants you access to all new versions and updates.
What is better for me - subscription or perpetual license?
Price-wise, the subscription is good due to lower upfront payment, whereas the perpetual license is more beneficial in the long-run.
Price parity is achieved within three-four years, so if you are going to use CAD Exchanger Lab for more than that it's better to invest into the perpetual license.
Subscription can be better for shorter projects, e.g. for freelancers and smaller companies, to reduce upfront investments.
For bigger customers and enterprises the perpetual licenses can be better, as purchasing approval cycles may take longer, and you may need continuous access to the software.
What is Floating License?
A floating licensing model allows the software to be used on an unlimited number of PCs. To enable the application, the system administrator needs to install a license server that manages end-user licenses. Simultaneous use of the software is limited by the number of purchased licenses. To let one more user run the software, any of the current users need to close the program and thus release the license.
The license is tied to the server via its MAC address. The users can connect to the server via the local network or VPN.
How is the fixed MAC address selected for the license key?
CAD Exchanger Lab scans available MAC addresses and selects the most stable one (e.g. connected to a network card or Wi-Fi adapter). You can override that and select any other available MAC address.
How to activate the license?
Upon completing your purchase you will receive a serial number via email, which you will need to register. Please follow this guide for details.
What if my computer breaks down / I am going to upgrade my computer?
We understand that sometimes hardware fails or requires an upgrade. For subscription licenses, we provide up to one free reassignment to another computer within a year. The same convention (one free upgrade within a year) applies to active maintenance. Customers with the perpetual license but without active maintenance can do an upgrade once in a life-time.
This reassignment can be done directly in the application or by contacting us.
CAD Exchanger Lab can't import/export the model, what do I do?
If you found that CAD Exchanger Lab is not working properly in your scenario, please contact us at support@cadexchanger.com. To make communication more efficient, please also include an overview of your usage scenario that triggers the issue. When CAD Exchanger Lab encounters an issue with import or export of some model, it's usually directly related to the model's contents. Therefore, to accurately diagnose the issue and fix it we always request the model that has triggered it. If you are open to providing the model, here's a few pointers:
- If the model is small enough (< 5 MB), you can attach it directly to the e-mail. Otherwise, you can share the file through your corporate file sharing service, Google Drive, OneDrive and the like or through the WeTransfer service. In any case, archiving the model in "zip" or "7z" will help keep the size down.
- Some formats can have models composed of multiple files. For example, SolidWorks assemblies are composed of multiple SLDASM and SLDPRT files. PTC Creo and Siemens NX also store models this way. In such a case please make sure that you provide all the relevant elements of the assembly.
All data is protected in accordance with the obligations defined in the confidentiality section in CAD Exchanger Lab license agreement.
I am completely new to CAD and 3D modeling. Where can I find a summary of CAD world concepts and entities?
You can learn the basics of CAD geometry and its properties in our Beginners guide to CAD data (pdf).