Unigraphics is a former name for Siemens NX, an advanced CAD/CAM/CAE software application suite. However, veterans are still using the Unigraphics name.
In 2002, the new version of Siemens Unigraphics, merged with I-DEAS software, was released and called NX, which means "Next Generation". In fact, it was the last version of the software released under the Unigraphics name. All further releases became known as NX. So the addition of I-DEAS functionality to the core code of the Unigraphics has become the basis of the existing NX product line.
Siemens NX / Unigraphics use a .prt extension, which contains 3D CAD parts.
An IPT file extension is used for Autodesk Inventor objects.
Autodesk Inventor is a CAD application that engineers and product designers use to construct prototypes of mechanical products. These prototypes, referred to as assemblies, consist of several individual parts joined together. Each Inventor part is saved in an IPT file.
Inventor users can import IPT parts from outside the program or create their IPT parts using the Inventor's part design tools. Typically, users begin by creating a 2D drawing of a part before transforming that drawing into a 3D model. Thus, an IPT file may contain either a 2D or 3D object. Files in IPT format can be opened using Autodesk Inventor 2017, Autodesk Inventor View 2017, Autodesk Fusion 360, and SpaceClaim Engineer.
A CAD file is an output of a CAD software, containing key information about the designed object: its geometry and topology representation, 3D model hierarchy, metadata, and visual attributes depending on the format of the file.
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