Convert IGS to SLDPRT

SolidWorks requires a native .sldprt part document when an IGES model must be edited, added to an assembly, or used in drawings. The conversion imports the exchanged geometry and saves it as a SolidWorks part; it normally does not recover the source model’s parametric feature history.

What the IGS format is

IGS, also called IGES, is a neutral CAD exchange format using the .igs and .iges extensions. It can store wireframe entities, curves, surfaces, trimmed surfaces, and boundary-representation solid data.

CAD systems such as SolidWorks, CATIA, Siemens NX, Creo, AutoCAD, and Fusion use IGES when models must move between incompatible platforms. Supplier files, legacy archives, inspection workflows, and manufacturing systems commonly provide IGES instead of a native part file.

What the SLDPRT format is

.sldprt is SolidWorks’ native part-document format. A part can contain solid or surface bodies, sketches, reference geometry, configurations, custom properties, and a feature tree.

Saving imported IGES geometry as .sldprt makes the body available to SolidWorks assemblies, drawings, measurements, and further modeling. The result is usually an imported body or imported feature, not a recreated sequence of editable extrudes, revolves, fillets, and sketches.

How to convert an IGS file in SolidWorks

1. Open SolidWorks and choose File → Open.
2. Change the file filter to IGES (*.igs; *.iges), select the source file, and click Options before opening it.
3. Confirm the intended units and choose the available solid-import option, such as Try forming solid(s). If SolidWorks imports surfaces, use the appropriate knit or healing operation after opening the file.
4. Open the file. SolidWorks may create an imported feature containing a solid, several surfaces, or separate surface bodies.
5. If the import contains gaps or faulty faces, run Tools → Evaluate → Import Diagnostics and repair the reported geometry. A surface model may need additional trimming or knitting before it can form a solid.
6. Inspect the FeatureManager design tree, count the bodies, and measure at least one known dimension to verify the unit interpretation and scale.
7. Choose File → Save As, select SolidWorks Part (*.sldprt), provide a filename, and save the part.

For repeated or batch conversions, Datakit CrossManager is a commercial desktop translator that supports many CAD exchange workflows and may write SolidWorks part files. Check its current source and destination format list, licensing requirements, and supported SolidWorks versions before purchasing; translator support can vary by release and file content.

Other CAD systems, including Solid Edge, Inventor, and Creo, can import IGES, but most cannot independently save a native, dependable .sldprt document. Use them only when their installed translator explicitly supports SolidWorks output, then open and validate the result in SolidWorks.

Online CAD services can be useful for nonconfidential files, but general converters commonly produce STEP, STL, or OBJ rather than a genuine SolidWorks part. Use an online service only when its current format list explicitly names IGES input and .sldprt output, identifies the supported SolidWorks version range, and permits downloading and checking the converted file. Do not upload proprietary supplier or product geometry without authorization.

Quality and compatibility limitations

IGES often transfers individual faces and surfaces less reliably than newer solid-oriented exchange workflows. A nominal solid can arrive as open surfaces, multiple bodies, or faces with small gaps, preventing mass-property calculations, Boolean operations, and solid features until the geometry is repaired.

The saved part generally preserves shape rather than design intent. Feature dimensions, sketches, constraints, configurations, materials, colors, custom properties, and other native-CAD metadata may be missing or incomplete. Remodel critical features in SolidWorks when a fully editable parametric model is required.

After conversion, verify units, overall dimensions, body count, face gaps, surface normals, and critical interfaces. Save the original IGES file with the converted part because the .sldprt file may not retain all source information. SolidWorks version compatibility also matters: a part saved by a newer release may not open in an older release, so confirm the recipient’s version before delivery.