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CAD Exchanger SDK

Software Libraries to Read, Write and Visualize 3D CAD files

CAD Exchanger SDK is a set of C++ / C# / Java libraries to develop fast and robust 3D applications.

Read and write STEP, JT, Solidworks, IFC, FBX, and other CAD formats.

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Comprehensive API to Work with 3D CAD data

CAD Exchanger SDK | Libraries to read and write 3D CAD files

Import/Export

30+ 3D formats

Precise geometry and meshes

Assemblies and parts

Colors, materials and textures

Meta-data: names, IDs and user-defined properties

Visualize

Shading and wireframe displays

Materials and transparencies

Multi-LOD support

Analyze

Geometrical definitions

Measurements: distances, angles, volumes and surface areas

Bounding boxes

Centers of masses

Innovate Engineering from Idea to Manufacturing

Explore industry use cases See select apps

Collaborate in the Multi-CAD World

Need to work with CAD files in numerous formats? No worries.

From JT to STL, from NX to OBJ, CAD Exchanger gets you covered.

Browse all supported formats

Develop Faster

Developer-centric

Clear and structured API with easy-to-follow guides and examples allow to rapidly build production-ready applications.

Comprehensive docs

Examples

C++, C#, Java and more

View documentation

using namespace cadex;

...

ModelData_Model aModel; // format-neutral document

STEP_Reader aReader;
aReader.ReadFile ("bolt.stp");
aReader.Transfer (aModel);

STL_Writer aWriter;
aWriter.Transfer (aModel);
aWriter.WriteFile ("bolt.stl");

using cadex;

...

var aModel = new ModelData_Model(); // format-neutral document

var aReader = new STEP_Reader();
aReader.ReadFile (new Base_UTF16String("bolt.stp"));
aReader.Transfer (aModel);

var aWriter = new STL_Writer();
aWriter.Transfer (aModel);
aWriter.WriteFile (new Base_UTF16String("bolt.stl"));

import cadex.*;

...

// format-neutral document
ModelData_Model aModel = new ModelData_Model();

STEP_Reader aReader = new STEP_Reader();
aReader.ReadFile (new Base_UTF16String("bolt.stp"));
aReader.Transfer (aModel);

STL_Writer aWriter = new STL_Writer();
aWriter.Transfer (aModel);
aWriter.WriteFile (new Base_UTF16String("bolt.stl"));

Key Features

Import, export and analysis

Unified data model API

Assemblies and parts

Precise geometry (B-Rep) and meshes

Meta-data: names, IDs and user-defined properties

Colors, materials and textures

Visualization

High-performance visualization

Shading and wireframe displays

Materials and transparencies

Selection and hover

B-Rep modeling

Solid, sheet and wireframe B-Rep bodies

Analytical and NURBS curves and surfaces

Solid body primitives

Extrusions and rotations

Bottom-up creation (from vertex to solid)

Mesh generation

Faster parallel tessellations

Higher quality mesh generators for FEA

Water-tight meshes

Fine-tuned and automatic parameters

Multi-LOD (Level of Details) support

PMI

GD&T (Geometric Dimensions and Tolerances), annotations, surface finishes and more

Graphical and semantic PMI

Associations with B-Rep faces and edges

Unified API for convenient access to format-specific data (JT, STEP AP242, etc)

Measurements

Bounding boxes

Lengths, curvatures, angles

Surface areas and volumes

Centers of masses

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Flexible Licensing for Enterprise and Startups

For app distribution, SaaS, or in-house use

Individual components and cost-effective bundles

Independent from expensive CAD software

Access to all updates

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Frequently Asked Questions

What programming languages and configurations does the SDK support?

CAD Exchanger SDK supports C++, C#, Java; Windows, MacOS, Linux and Android; 64-bit and partially 32-bit architectures. For the detailed list please refer to User's Guide.

Does CAD Exchanger require any CAD system to be installed?

No. CAD Exchanger SDK is a self-contained set of libraries without dependencies on any expensive CAD system API. This enables truly cross-platform functioning (such as reading Solidworks files on MacOS).

How is CAD Exchanger SDK licensed?

Please refer to the licensing FAQ page for details.

Is support included?

During the license term you will have access to all updates and major releases and online resources.

We strive to keep documentation very detailed, with numerous examples covering various scenarios, so that human support is not required. We will accept bug reports with clear reproducers and the original CAD files (the license agreement already contains confidentiality protection provisions).

If you anticipate need for extended support with assistance and consulting, enhancement requests, video calls, more predictable response times and custom NDA’s please consider subscribing to one of available support plans. Contact us for details.

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).

From Our Blog

5 Applications Built With CAD Exchanger SDK

In this article we highlight a few applications from the fields of EDA (Electronic Design Automation), Visualization, 3D printing and cost-estimation.

4 3D Visualization Applications Built With CAD Exchanger SDK

Learn about several 3D visualization apps for virtual tours, design animation, and BIM collaboration.

Direct Unity Integration, Enhanced Parasolid Procedural Geometry Support, and X3D Import in CAD Exchanger SDK 3.8.1

CAD Exchanger SDK 3.8.1 with conversion to .cdxfb, programmatic selection, Unity support, X3D import, Parasolid and STEP improvements, and lots more.

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