Convert CATPART to X_T

Downstream CAD, CAM, simulation, or inspection software may require Parasolid geometry instead of native CATIA V5 data. Converting the part to .x_t provides an editable solid or surface model for exchange, but not CATIA's original feature history.

What the CATPART format is

.CATPart is CATIA V5's native format for individual mechanical parts. It can contain sketches, parametric features, solid and surface bodies, constraints, formulas, construction geometry, and display information.

CATPART files are used by CATIA V5 designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and product-data systems. A CATPART is different from a .CATProduct assembly; external links, published geometry, or referenced documents may be unavailable when the part is opened outside its original CATIA environment.

What the X_T format is

.x_t is the text-based version of the Parasolid exchange format. Parasolid describes precise boundary-representation solids and surfaces and is supported by many mechanical CAD, CAM, CAE, metrology, and manufacturing applications.

Unlike STL, X_T can transfer exact analytic and freeform faces rather than a tessellated mesh. Depending on the translator and receiving application, it can also carry multiple bodies, curves, colors, names, and limited attributes. X_T is generally larger than the binary Parasolid .x_b format; use the text version when the recipient specifically requests it.

How to convert CATPART to X_T

Using CATIA V5

1. Open the CATPART in CATIA V5 and run Update. Resolve missing references, failed features, and invalid or incomplete solids before export.
2. Check the specification tree and retain only the bodies required for exchange. Hide or remove construction geometry and unwanted bodies where appropriate.
3. Use the installed Parasolid export or save command and select the Parasolid text format. The command name, available options, and supported formats depend on the CATIA V5 release and licensed data-exchange translators.
4. Select a Parasolid version supported by the recipient and confirm the unit convention. Do not apply scaling unless the receiving system requires it.
5. Open the X_T in the target application and check dimensions, body count, holes, wall thicknesses, and important curved surfaces.

Standard CATIA V5 installations may not include Parasolid export. If Parasolid is absent from the available commands, a licensed translator or separate conversion application is required; changing the filename extension does not convert the file.

Using CrossManager

1. Install CrossManager from Datakit and verify that the specific edition supports CATIA V5 CATPART input and Parasolid X_T output.
2. Add the CATPART, choose Parasolid text as the output format, and set the destination folder. Use the available options for unit handling, body selection, and Parasolid compatibility.
3. Run the conversion and inspect any reports about unsupported features, invalid topology, or skipped references.
4. Open the resulting .x_t in the recipient's CAD or inspection software and compare critical measurements with the CATPART.

Using CAD Exchanger

1. Open the CATPART in CAD Exchanger Desktop, using an edition that lists CATIA V5 as an input format and Parasolid as an output format.
2. Inspect the imported bodies and apply available healing or repair operations if the software reports topology problems.
3. Choose Export or Save As, select Parasolid (*.x_t), configure the requested version and units, and save the file.
4. Reopen the exported file and verify geometry before sending it for manufacture or analysis.

CAD Exchanger Cloud may provide the same translation through a browser, subject to its current format and plan support. Upload proprietary, confidential, or export-controlled designs only when the organization's policy permits cloud processing. Datakit and TransMagic also offer commercial translators, but CATIA V5 input and Parasolid X_T output must be confirmed for the exact product edition.

Quality and compatibility limits

The converted file is normally a Parasolid boundary-representation model, not a parametric CATIA model. Sketches, pads, pockets, dress-ups, formulas, constraints, design tables, feature history, and workbench-specific metadata generally do not survive. The recipient can usually edit faces or add new features, but cannot restore the original CATIA specification tree.

Conversions can fail or produce gaps around complex blends, thin or self-intersecting geometry, multi-domain solids, unsupported surfaces, and defective source topology. If a recipient cannot handle a multi-body part, export the bodies separately. Verify units after import because applications can interpret model values according to document or session settings.

Use a Parasolid version supported by the receiving system; newer versions may not open in older software. Preserve the original CATPART and, when compatibility is uncertain, provide a STEP copy as a secondary exchange file.