If users check the “Surface/solid entities” checkbox, SOLIDWORKS will import any 3D geometry it can from the file. Users can import one or the other or both and each have some sub-options that let you control exactly what data you’d like to import from the STEP file. The “Surface/solid entities” checkbox and the “Free point/curve entities” control what exactly we’re trying to import. Only the general settings are important here, as the STL/VRML and IDF settings only apply to specific files types and don’t apply to STEP files. The defaults are usually safe to use, but it sometimes pays to take a quick look before importing a STEP file to make sure you get the results you’re looking for. Select “Open” and change the file type to look for STEP files.īefore we click “Open,” click the “Options” button to go over some of the options. The best way to import a STEP file is through the “File” drop-down menu. In the video tutorial above, we have a STEP file received from a vendor that we’d like to look at and potentially modify in SOLIDWORKS. However, importing a STEP file from another system can be a little tricky. With a part file open, you just go to “File,” select “Save as…” and choose STEP as the file type.

This file format is well-known and is a widely used way to exchange CAD data between platforms.Įxporting a STEP file out of SOLIDWORKS is easy. The full name is the Standard for The Exchange of Product Model Data or more commonly, a STEP file. The International Standard Organization (ISO) tried to solve this by creating a uniform standard format. Not all CAD programs have the same capabilities as and so exchanging things like a STEP file between SOLIDWORKS and other CAD software packages can become troublesome.

Save as solidworks 2017 file in 2018