[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1097},["ShallowReactive",2],{"{\"resolve_relations\":\"reference.source\",\"version\":\"published\"}resources/blog/5-myths-of-cad-data-translation":3},{"data":4,"headers":1074},{"story":5,"cv":1055,"rels":1056,"links":1073},{"name":6,"created_at":7,"published_at":8,"updated_at":9,"id":10,"uuid":11,"content":12,"slug":1046,"full_slug":1047,"sort_by_date":1048,"position":1049,"tag_list":1050,"is_startpage":292,"parent_id":1051,"meta_data":24,"group_id":1052,"first_published_at":1053,"release_id":24,"lang":926,"path":24,"alternates":1054,"default_full_slug":24,"translated_slugs":24},"5 Myths of CAD Data Translation","2026-11-06T22:00:57.362Z","2026-11-06T22:39:10.191Z","2026-11-06T22:39:10.288Z",238849463896698,"30d01786-6841-4da9-8d76-0ea1bc3a1bf5",{"_uid":13,"body":14,"date":866,"fold":867,"unit":954,"intro":955,"title":6,"author":963,"sidebar":964,"category":1023,"end_date":17,"location":17,"metadata":1032,"component":1037,"thumbnail":1038,"past_event":292,"disable_toc":292,"hide_author":292,"toc_entries":1042,"english_only":292,"hide_sidebar":292,"redirect_url":17,"hide_from_feed":292,"show_date_range":292,"is_external_page":292,"open_graph_image":1043,"external_page_url":17,"include_open_graph":44,"block_search_engines":292},"015c4825-95f3-4f19-abd8-1dcd8091b8a2",[15,19,45,282,316,408,421,703,726,736,754,779,810,828,836,847,857],{"_uid":16,"height":17,"component":18},"fc3725b4-7fbc-4e55-9c67-90291430fe64","","element-spacer",{"_uid":20,"body":21,"alignment":17,"component":43,"is_full_width":44},"d6494edd-4bb7-4c9f-ba48-c2d26b77a7c2",{"type":22,"attrs":23,"content":25},"doc",{"backgroundColor":24},null,[26,33,38],{"type":27,"attrs":28,"content":29},"paragraph",{"textAlign":24},[30],{"text":31,"type":32},"Tech Soft 3D has been providing industry-leading toolkits for developing engineering applications since 1996, supporting more than 650 independent software vendors, internal development teams within manufacturing enterprises, and hardware vendors during that time. From this experience, we have seen more CAD data than any other engineering toolkit supplier on the market, giving us a lot of insight into the practices that help teams succeed when it comes to reliable CAD data access and translation.","text",{"type":27,"attrs":34,"content":35},{"textAlign":24},[36],{"text":37,"type":32},"At the same time, we have seen our fair share of widely held myths about CAD data translation that often led teams in the wrong direction, leading to wasted resources and opportunity cost.",{"type":27,"attrs":39,"content":40},{"textAlign":24},[41],{"text":42,"type":32},"In this piece, we outline 5 myths about CAD data translation that commonly mislead developers, discuss why these misconceptions cause problems, and offer suggestions on what to do instead.","copy",true,{"_uid":46,"body":47,"alignment":17,"component":43,"is_full_width":44},"7812e101-c916-46a1-85bd-250067cbff7b",{"type":22,"attrs":48,"content":49},{"backgroundColor":24},[50,57,72,77,82,87,128,133,141,146,190,206,211,216,225,273],{"type":51,"attrs":52,"content":54},"heading",{"level":53,"textAlign":24},2,[55],{"text":56,"type":32},"Myth 1: Extensive Testing is the key to choosing CAD translation technology",{"type":27,"attrs":58,"content":59},{"textAlign":24},[60,62,70],{"text":61,"type":32},"Right off the bat, we want to be clear: testing CAD data translation tools is an important step, and you should absolutely use it as a part of your decision-making process. There is a reason we provide a 60-day free trial of our toolkits, along with the ",{"text":63,"type":32,"marks":64},"HOOPS Exchange Demo Viewer",[65],{"type":66,"attrs":67},"link",{"href":68,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://docs.techsoft3d.com/exchange/latest/start/evaluating-exchange-hdv.html","url",{"text":71,"type":32},", a prebuilt application that lets you evaluate translation quality quickly.",{"type":27,"attrs":73,"content":74},{"textAlign":24},[75],{"text":76,"type":32},"With that said, it is extremely difficult to test at scale and across enough circumstances to get an accurate representation of the tool’s capability from testing alone. Testing should be a part of your evaluation, not the entire process.",{"type":27,"attrs":78,"content":79},{"textAlign":24},[80],{"text":81,"type":32},"First, if you get a 100% success rate when running a CAD data translation test across the 10,000 files you prepared, you never challenged the tool. Without understanding the limitations of the translation solution, it will be a surprise when it does fail, potentially when it matters. Remember, all CAD data translation fails sometimes.",{"type":27,"attrs":83,"content":84},{"textAlign":24},[85],{"text":86,"type":32},"Second, even when you do encounter errors during testing, the most common issue is the test data itself, not the translator. The most common mistakes in preparing CAD data for testing:",{"type":88,"content":89},"bullet_list",[90,101,110,119],{"type":91,"content":92},"list_item",[93],{"type":27,"attrs":94,"content":95},{"textAlign":24},[96],{"text":97,"type":32,"marks":98},"The CAD data is from a very old version that isn’t well supported.",[99],{"type":100},"bold",{"type":91,"content":102},[103],{"type":27,"attrs":104,"content":105},{"textAlign":24},[106],{"text":107,"type":32,"marks":108},"The CAD data is corrupted.",[109],{"type":100},{"type":91,"content":111},[112],{"type":27,"attrs":113,"content":114},{"textAlign":24},[115],{"text":116,"type":32,"marks":117},"The CAD data was created for gaming, entertainment, or other purposes rather than manufacturing.",[118],{"type":100},{"type":91,"content":120},[121],{"type":27,"attrs":122,"content":123},{"textAlign":24},[124],{"text":125,"type":32,"marks":126},"The CAD data isn’t permitted to be used for testing.",[127],{"type":100},{"type":27,"attrs":129,"content":130},{"textAlign":24},[131],{"text":132,"type":32},"Far too often, we encounter vendors who are unsure of how to approach testing a CAD data translation tool. They spend six months trying to make decisions or simply slow down their time-to-market. Development could have finished much sooner with a more focused evaluation, and a clear understanding of what testing can and can’t tell you.",{"type":51,"attrs":134,"content":136},{"level":135,"textAlign":24},3,[137],{"text":138,"type":32,"marks":139},"Evaluating a CAD Translation Tool Without Endless Testing",[140],{"type":100},{"type":27,"attrs":142,"content":143},{"textAlign":24},[144],{"text":145,"type":32},"When choosing CAD translation technology, instead of spending months trying to test every circumstance, we encourage developers to use a shortcut: Use tools that are proven to work for others. An option that has been used for a decade by leaders in your industry (or those with similar needs) has been through more real-world testing than you can ever simulate in a trial period. Additionally, look for responsive, experienced technical support teams. All CAD translation fails at some point, and you want to ensure you have the backing of experts who can respond quickly to your needs.",{"type":27,"attrs":147,"content":148},{"textAlign":24},[149,151,157,159,165,167,173,175,181,182,188],{"text":150,"type":32},"We believe that ",{"text":152,"type":32,"marks":153},"HOOPS Exchange",[154],{"type":66,"attrs":155},{"href":156,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/developers/products/hoops-exchange/",{"text":158,"type":32}," can be that choice, coming with the trust of the biggest names in engineering, such as ANSYS, ",{"text":160,"type":32,"marks":161},"Hexagon",[162],{"type":66,"attrs":163},{"href":164,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/resources/case-studies/hexagon/",{"text":166,"type":32},", NVIDIA, Unity, ",{"text":168,"type":32,"marks":169},"RIB",[170],{"type":66,"attrs":171},{"href":172,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/resources/case-studies/rib/",{"text":174,"type":32},", ",{"text":176,"type":32,"marks":177},"Aras",[178],{"type":66,"attrs":179},{"href":180,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/resources/case-studies/aras/",{"text":174,"type":32},{"text":183,"type":32,"marks":184},"Oracle",[185],{"type":66,"attrs":186},{"href":187,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/resources/case-studies/oracle/",{"text":189,"type":32},", and hundreds more.",{"type":191,"content":192},"blockquote",[193],{"type":27,"attrs":194,"content":195},{"textAlign":24},[196,202],{"text":197,"type":32,"marks":198},"Did you know? ",[199,200],{"type":100},{"type":201},"italic",{"text":203,"type":32,"marks":204},"Tech Soft 3D tests 50,000 files every night across 160 workflows on six operating systems.",[205],{"type":201},{"type":27,"attrs":207,"content":208},{"textAlign":24},[209],{"text":210,"type":32},"If something does go wrong, Tech Soft 3D also provides premier-grade technical support to help you resolve issues. Through our support system, Jira, you have 24/7 access to check current status, recent updates, and the full history of your support requests.",{"type":27,"attrs":212,"content":213},{"textAlign":24},[214],{"text":215,"type":32},"There are additional benefits to choosing HOOPS Exchange, whether or not you test:",{"type":27,"attrs":217,"content":218},{"textAlign":24},[219,223],{"text":220,"type":32,"marks":221},"You Won’t Fall Behind the Competition",[222],{"type":100},{"text":224,"type":32}," – With so many industry leaders using HOOPS Exchange, you can ensure you won’t lose out based on CAD data exchange. To put it bluntly, if you can’t read a file, there is a good chance they can’t either. While reading extra formats is great, developers cannot afford to fail where their competitors don’t.",{"type":27,"attrs":226,"content":227},{"textAlign":24},[228,232,234,240,242,248,250,256,257,263,265,271],{"text":229,"type":32,"marks":230},"Experience Beyond CAD Translation",[231],{"type":100},{"text":233,"type":32}," – Because Tech Soft 3D provides not only CAD data exchange but also ",{"text":235,"type":32,"marks":236},"Siemens Parasolid",[237],{"type":66,"attrs":238},{"href":239,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/developers/products/parasolid/",{"text":241,"type":32}," for solid modeling, ",{"text":243,"type":32,"marks":244},"HOOPS Visualize",[245],{"type":66,"attrs":246},{"href":247,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/developers/products/hoops-visualize/",{"text":249,"type":32}," for visualization, and ",{"text":251,"type":32,"marks":252},"HOOPS Mesh",[253],{"type":66,"attrs":254},{"href":255,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/developers/products/hoops-mesh/",{"text":174,"type":32},{"text":258,"type":32,"marks":259},"Solve",[260],{"type":66,"attrs":261},{"href":262,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/developers/products/hoops-solve/",{"text":264,"type":32},", and ",{"text":266,"type":32,"marks":267},"Envision",[268],{"type":66,"attrs":269},{"href":270,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":24,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/developers/products/hoops-envision/",{"text":272,"type":32}," for simulation and analysis workflows, you can expect your workflows to be understood and supported by Tech Soft 3D.",{"type":27,"attrs":274,"content":275},{"textAlign":24},[276,280],{"text":277,"type":32,"marks":278},"The Perks of Broad Format Support",[279],{"type":100},{"text":281,"type":32}," – Because HOOPS Exchange supports more than 30 formats, your users have multiple ways of exporting data from native CAD formats like NX, Catia, Creo, and SOLIDWORKS to interoperable formats like STEP and Parasolid. If one format isn’t being properly exported from the authoring CAD system, another format can easily be used.",{"_uid":283,"messages":284,"component":312,"background":313,"remove_padding":44,"is_verticalized":292},"855377ab-df7e-4d84-8d8d-168de237ed32",[285],{"_uid":286,"icon":17,"buttons":287,"content":297,"headline":304,"link_url":17,"component":311,"icon_size":17,"link_label":17},"95ff1c1e-df7f-4175-83ef-69a057602477",[288],{"_uid":289,"href":290,"color":17,"label":290,"action":291,"new_tab":292,"outline":292,"alignment":17,"component":293,"text_link":292,"destination":294},"c2f841c7-44ef-418c-93c5-adc966f74ed5","talk to an expert","action-modal",false,"element-button",{"id":17,"url":17,"linktype":295,"fieldtype":296,"cached_url":17},"story","multilink",{"type":22,"content":298},[299],{"type":27,"attrs":300,"content":301},{"textAlign":24},[302],{"text":303,"type":32},"Chat with our team to see how Tech Soft 3D products could be right for you.",{"type":22,"content":305},[306],{"type":27,"attrs":307,"content":308},{"textAlign":24},[309],{"text":310,"type":32},"Want to learn more?","element-callout-child","element-callout",{"id":24,"alt":24,"name":17,"focus":24,"title":24,"source":24,"filename":17,"copyright":24,"fieldtype":314,"meta_data":315},"asset",{},{"_uid":317,"body":318,"alignment":17,"component":43,"is_full_width":44},"9c914167-be90-4181-b774-d479834ea981",{"type":22,"attrs":319,"content":320},{"backgroundColor":24},[321,326,331,336,341,346,353,358,363,368,382,387,392,397],{"type":51,"attrs":322,"content":323},{"level":53,"textAlign":24},[324],{"text":325,"type":32},"Myth 2: The best way to avoid CAD data translation problems is to use one system from one vendor",{"type":27,"attrs":327,"content":328},{"textAlign":24},[329],{"text":330,"type":32},"A decade or more ago, this myth was less of an issue. Major enterprises could get away with asking their suppliers to use the same CAD system, so engineering data simply never needed translating. Today, we see more and more problems with this approach and no longer think it’s a good solution.",{"type":27,"attrs":332,"content":333},{"textAlign":24},[334],{"text":335,"type":32},"While single-vendor environments have a certain appeal, it comes with both monetary and opportunity costs.",{"type":27,"attrs":337,"content":338},{"textAlign":24},[339],{"text":340,"type":32},"The total cost of a CAD system can increase as you expand it to more users, need additional features, or add products to the final bill. Users don’t want to be locked into a single vendor, as they prefer the freedom to select the exact tools on the market to meet their engineering needs. All applications need to have robust file i/o to support these workflows",{"type":27,"attrs":342,"content":343},{"textAlign":24},[344],{"text":345,"type":32},"Finally, as CAD vendors have acquired CAD, CAM, and CAE companies and expanded their portfolios, they now manage data integrity across multiple formats within their own product lines. Data translation is routine, even expected, to the point where most engineers may not notice or care if the data they are working on has been translated. The benefits of supporting a single file format for interoperability are simply not as clear as they once were.",{"type":51,"attrs":347,"content":348},{"level":135,"textAlign":24},[349],{"text":350,"type":32,"marks":351},"Choose Tools Based on Features, Reputation, And Value",[352],{"type":100},{"type":27,"attrs":354,"content":355},{"textAlign":24},[356],{"text":357,"type":32},"For modern developers, we suggest choosing the tools that are most cost-efficient, have the best reputation, and provide the best quality and value. The potential convenience of a single-vendor environment is not worth creating a worse product.",{"type":27,"attrs":359,"content":360},{"textAlign":24},[361],{"text":362,"type":32},"When data translation needs to happen, take advantage of toolkits like HOOPS Exchange to provide the functionality you need without developing and maintaining it in-house",{"type":27,"attrs":364,"content":365},{"textAlign":24},[366],{"text":367,"type":32},"For high-level CAD data integrity, we also recommend using systems built on the Parasolid modeling kernel from Siemens. For Parasolid-based applications, HOOPS Exchange seamlessly integrates with Parasolid, so there is no data loss at the geometry level. You still have access to metadata, PMI, tessellation, CAD features, and other high-level data, all of which HOOPS Exchange supports.",{"type":191,"content":369},[370],{"type":27,"attrs":371,"content":372},{"textAlign":24},[373,375],{"text":374,"type":32},"Curious how about what switching to HOOPS Exchange would look like? Check out our guide: ",{"text":376,"type":32,"marks":377},"Switching to HOOPS Exchange: When to Do It, How to Do It, and What to Expect.",[378],{"type":66,"attrs":379},{"href":380,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":381,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/resources/blog/switching-to-hoops-exchange-when-to-do-it-how-to-do-it-and-what-to-expect/","_blank",{"type":51,"attrs":383,"content":384},{"level":53,"textAlign":24},[385],{"text":386,"type":32},"Myth 3: STEP Or Another Intermediate Format Is the Best Way To Exchange CAD Data",{"type":27,"attrs":388,"content":389},{"textAlign":24},[390],{"text":391,"type":32},"Working through a STEP file can make it fairly easy to simply move data from system A to B, and we see tons of software vendors start with this approach to support data translation. In our experience, intermediate formats inevitably cause issues, and many then have to make a costly switch to a different data translation approach.",{"type":27,"attrs":393,"content":394},{"textAlign":24},[395],{"text":396,"type":32},"Translating through intermediate formats like STEP inevitably degrades data quality.",{"type":27,"attrs":398,"content":399},{"textAlign":24},[400,402,406],{"text":401,"type":32},"Crucial information is lost in translation, such as PMI, tessellation, CAD features, and assembly-level constraints. CAD geometry may be altered, changing from a cylinder to ",{"text":403,"type":32,"marks":404},"NURBS",[405],{"type":100},{"text":407,"type":32},", having faces split, or the base surface altered.",{"_uid":409,"title":410,"contents":411,"component":412,"description":413,"exclude_schema":292},"9d14507f-9d09-4667-bc5a-152476d5b3eb","What’s the difference between an analytic surface and NURBS?",[],"element-faq",{"type":22,"attrs":414,"content":415},{"backgroundColor":24},[416],{"type":27,"attrs":417,"content":418},{"textAlign":24},[419],{"text":420,"type":32},"CAD systems can describe a surface in two broad ways. An analytic surface is defined by a simple formula. A cylinder, for example, is stored as an axis and a radius, so any software reading it knows exactly what it is. NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) are a more general representation built from control points and weights, used for freeform shapes like car body panels or turbine blades. NURBS can reproduce a cylinder’s shape, but the “cylinder” label is gone. That means downstream tools can no longer directly read its radius or axis, which affects tasks like measuring hole diameters, applying features, or setting up simulation constraints.",{"_uid":422,"body":423,"alignment":17,"component":43,"is_full_width":44},"bba5f3de-272c-4047-9313-0fac157cffd0",{"type":22,"attrs":424,"content":425},{"backgroundColor":24},[426,431,438,443,448,453,458,463,470,475,480,485,566,579,584,589,594,601,606,641,646,651,656,669],{"type":27,"attrs":427,"content":428},{"textAlign":24},[429],{"text":430,"type":32},"Attempting to maintain data integrity across versions becomes tedious, complex, and time-consuming, with engineers having to translate each version into the intermediate format and send each update to all stakeholders.",{"type":51,"attrs":432,"content":433},{"level":135,"textAlign":24},[434],{"text":435,"type":32,"marks":436},"Read Native CAD Data Directly",[437],{"type":100},{"type":27,"attrs":439,"content":440},{"textAlign":24},[441],{"text":442,"type":32},"Using a CAD data translation tool that can preserve your data integrity is a key part of allowing you and your customers to take full advantage of the richness found in engineering data throughout workflows.",{"type":27,"attrs":444,"content":445},{"textAlign":24},[446],{"text":447,"type":32},"We recommend reading CAD data natively using HOOPS Exchange. The toolkit preserves PMI, tessellation, metadata, CAD features, assembly-level constraints, and much more. This allows you to read CAD data from every file format without the extra work of exporting to an intermediate format.",{"type":51,"attrs":449,"content":450},{"level":53,"textAlign":24},[451],{"text":452,"type":32},"Myth 4: Healing And Repair Are Critical for CAD Data Exchange",{"type":27,"attrs":454,"content":455},{"textAlign":24},[456],{"text":457,"type":32},"Just as testing plays a role in evaluating a CAD translation tool, healing and repair have a key role to play in CAD data conversion.",{"type":27,"attrs":459,"content":460},{"textAlign":24},[461],{"text":462,"type":32},"With that said, healing cannot fix everything. The process can take a computer 5 minutes to accomplish or an experienced engineer 5 hours. Some data never gets fixed, no matter the quality of the healing technology. In these cases, the only option is to go back to the upstream system and fix the data where it was created.",{"type":51,"attrs":464,"content":465},{"level":135,"textAlign":24},[466],{"text":467,"type":32,"marks":468},"Do Everything Possible to Avoid Healing",[469],{"type":100},{"type":27,"attrs":471,"content":472},{"textAlign":24},[473],{"text":474,"type":32},"Because of this, the best approach is to do everything possible to prevent the need for healing and repair. Start with a quality model and keep the data intact as it moves throughout the product lifecycle. Well-managed engineering data can often avoid needing repair altogether.",{"type":27,"attrs":476,"content":477},{"textAlign":24},[478],{"text":479,"type":32},"Today’s CAD applications produce higher-quality data, and we see fewer CAD data exchange issues that require healing.",{"type":27,"attrs":481,"content":482},{"textAlign":24},[483],{"text":484,"type":32},"With that in mind, we recommend the following approach depending on the source system:",{"type":486,"attrs":487,"content":489},"ordered_list",{"order":488},1,[490,509,555],{"type":91,"content":491},[492],{"type":27,"attrs":493,"content":494},{"textAlign":24},[495,499,501,507],{"text":496,"type":32,"marks":497},"Reading data into your own application, with no modeling kernel.",[498],{"type":100},{"text":500,"type":32}," If you only need visualization data, PMI, ",{"text":502,"type":32,"marks":503},"B-rep",[504],{"type":66,"attrs":505},{"href":506,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":381,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/resources/blog/what-is-boundary-representation-b-rep-/",{"text":508,"type":32},", assembly structure, and similar information, no healing or alteration is needed. HOOPS Exchange gives you the data exactly as it exists in the file.",{"type":91,"content":510},[511,520],{"type":27,"attrs":512,"content":513},{"textAlign":24},[514,518],{"text":515,"type":32,"marks":516},"Converting into a Parasolid-based system.",[517],{"type":100},{"text":519,"type":32}," Here, the source matters:",{"type":88,"content":521},[522,533,544],{"type":91,"content":523},[524],{"type":27,"attrs":525,"content":526},{"textAlign":24},[527,531],{"text":528,"type":32,"marks":529},"Parasolid-based systems",[530],{"type":100},{"text":532,"type":32}," (NX, Solid Edge, SOLIDWORKS): The ideal case. HOOPS Exchange reads the data using Parasolid itself, with no translation involved.",{"type":91,"content":534},[535],{"type":27,"attrs":536,"content":537},{"textAlign":24},[538,542],{"text":539,"type":32,"marks":540},"Other major CAD systems",[541],{"type":100},{"text":543,"type":32}," (CATIA, Creo): These produce consistent, high-quality models, and HOOPS Exchange can read them fully with minimal healing.",{"type":91,"content":545},[546],{"type":27,"attrs":547,"content":548},{"textAlign":24},[549,553],{"text":550,"type":32,"marks":551},"Unknown sources, usually STEP files",[552],{"type":100},{"text":554,"type":32},": Try HOOPS Exchange’s healing and see whether it resolves the issues. If you can, get the original CAD data from before it was converted to STEP.",{"type":91,"content":556},[557],{"type":27,"attrs":558,"content":559},{"textAlign":24},[560,564],{"text":561,"type":32,"marks":562},"Converting into another modeling kernel (ACIS, CGM, Open CASCADE, Granite, and others).",[563],{"type":100},{"text":565,"type":32}," In many cases, some healing or data alteration will be needed to make the geometry conform to the target kernel’s requirements.",{"type":191,"content":567},[568],{"type":27,"attrs":569,"content":570},{"textAlign":24},[571,573],{"text":572,"type":32},"Could you be getting more out of your CAD data? Find out in our blog post ",{"text":574,"type":32,"marks":575},"3 Ways Your CAD Data Is More Valuable Than You Thought.",[576],{"type":66,"attrs":577},{"href":578,"uuid":24,"anchor":24,"target":381,"linktype":69},"https://www.techsoft3d.com/resources/blog/3-ways-your-cad-data-is-more-valuable-than-you-thought/",{"type":51,"attrs":580,"content":581},{"level":53,"textAlign":24},[582],{"text":583,"type":32},"Myth 5: Use A 3D CAD Application’s Built-In CAD I/O",{"type":27,"attrs":585,"content":586},{"textAlign":24},[587],{"text":588,"type":32},"Most modern 3D applications can read and write a wide range of formats, leading engineers to treat their CAD application as a data exchange tool itself.",{"type":27,"attrs":590,"content":591},{"textAlign":24},[592],{"text":593,"type":32},"While teams should take full advantage of these features, these tools are built for creating and editing models. These workflows require geometry that is fully consistent and adheres to specific conventions. When CAD applications import a file, they run extensive consistency checks along with complex healing and repair, making imports slow and modifying geometry in ways you may not expect.",{"type":51,"attrs":595,"content":596},{"level":135,"textAlign":24},[597],{"text":598,"type":32,"marks":599},"Use The Right Reading Tools for the Job",[600],{"type":100},{"type":27,"attrs":602,"content":603},{"textAlign":24},[604],{"text":605,"type":32},"Many engineering workflows don’t need imported data to be healed or transformed significantly. We recommend reading CAD data the way you actually need it, for example:",{"type":88,"content":607},[608,619,630],{"type":91,"content":609},[610],{"type":27,"attrs":611,"content":612},{"textAlign":24},[613,617],{"text":614,"type":32,"marks":615},"Accurate measurement or model comparison:",[616],{"type":100},{"text":618,"type":32}," Read the data exactly as it is. 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In our experience, these are all only part of the answer.",{"type":27,"attrs":652,"content":653},{"textAlign":24},[654],{"text":655,"type":32},"Teams that handle CAD data well-read native data directly, match their data translation needs to their workflows, and evaluate and build on technology with real world-testing beyond what any trial could replicate.",{"type":27,"attrs":657,"content":658},{"textAlign":24},[659,661,667],{"text":660,"type":32},"HOOPS Exchange can offer a reliable CAD data translation foundation for you to build on. 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