Convert IPT to PRT

A recipient may require a native .prt part for editing, detailing, or manufacturing in Creo Parametric or Siemens NX. Renaming an .ipt extension does not convert the file because these applications use different internal data structures.

What the IPT format is

.ipt is Autodesk Inventor's native part format. It can contain solid and surface geometry, feature history, sketches, constraints, parameters, materials, appearances, and references to other Inventor documents. Autodesk Inventor creates and edits IPT files; related formats include .iam assemblies and .idw or .dwg drawings.

What the PRT format is

.prt is not a universal CAD interchange format. Creo Parametric uses PRT for native parts, and Siemens NX also uses PRT for native part files, but those PRT variants are different and are not interchangeable. Other software can assign the same extension to unrelated data.

A native PRT provides the best compatibility with the application that created it, including that application's modeling, detailing, and manufacturing tools. It does not normally retain Inventor's feature history when the geometry is imported from a neutral format.

How to convert the file

Using Creo Parametric

1. Open the IPT in Inventor and resolve suppressed features, missing references, and modeling errors.
2. Export a neutral solid with File → Export → CAD Format, then choose STEP. Use AP242 when the receiving Creo installation supports it; AP214 is a suitable fallback.
3. In Creo, open or import the STEP file through File → Open. Enable import validation, geometry healing, or feature recognition if available.
4. Check the imported geometry, units, and solid count, then use File → Save As to save a native Creo .prt.

Some Creo releases and licenses can open Inventor IPT files directly through their available foreign-data or Unite translators. If that option is present, direct import can avoid an intermediate STEP file, but the result still requires validation and is usually an imported or simplified feature rather than the original Inventor history.

Using Siemens NX

1. In Inventor, export the part as STEP AP242 or AP214 through File → Export → CAD Format.
2. In NX, use File → Open or the available STEP import command to load the file.
3. Run NX geometry checks and repair any gaps, invalid faces, or failed sewing operations.
4. Save the validated result as a native NX .prt using File → Save As.

Using a CAD translator

CAD Exchanger Desktop or CAD Exchanger Cloud can be used if its current format list explicitly includes the required Inventor IPT input and the correct Creo or NX PRT output. Select the exact destination dialect, import the IPT, inspect the body and model tree, and export the PRT. Cloud conversion uploads the design to a third party, so use desktop software for confidential, regulated, or export-controlled data. Other online services should be considered only when they explicitly document both formats; many general file converters do not support native CAD parts.

Quality and compatibility limits

STEP normally transfers boundary-representation solids and surfaces, and may transfer colors, names, and limited product metadata. It generally does not preserve Inventor feature history, sketches, constraints, adaptive relationships, iLogic rules, or Inventor-specific parameters as native Creo or NX features. The receiving system may represent the model as one imported feature or a single “dumb” solid.

After conversion, verify units, body count, orientation, colors, surface continuity, holes, threads, and critical dimensions. Rebuild features that must remain parametrically editable. For assemblies, converting one IPT does not preserve assembly constraints or the complete assembly structure; export the assembly using a destination-supported workflow or convert and verify each referenced part separately.