Convert SLDPRT to CATPART

A CATPART file is needed when a SolidWorks model must be opened or edited in CATIA V5, or delivered to a CATIA-based engineering workflow. The usual exchange route is STEP; licensed translators can convert directly when batch processing or automation is required.

What the SLDPRT format is

.SLDPRT is the native part format created by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks. It can contain three-dimensional solid and surface geometry, feature history, sketches, configurations, appearances, materials, reference geometry, equations, and design metadata.

SLDPRT files are used by SolidWorks designers, suppliers, manufacturers, and engineering teams. The format is proprietary, so software without a SolidWorks reader or translator generally cannot open or edit it directly.

What the CATPART format is

.CATPart is the native part format used by CATIA V5. It supports CATIA bodies, sketches, parameters, constraints, hybrid design elements, surface geometry, and manufacturing references.

CATPART is suitable for editing or assembling the converted model in CATIA V5, but it is not a general-purpose exchange format. A model imported from SLDPRT through STEP or a direct translator normally becomes an imported solid or surface body; the original SolidWorks feature tree is not recreated as native CATIA features.

Convert with SolidWorks and CATIA V5

Using STEP as an intermediate format is the most widely compatible desktop workflow because it transfers precise boundary-representation geometry rather than a faceted mesh.

1. Open the SLDPRT file in SolidWorks and select the required configuration. Check suppressed features, visible bodies, units, and the model orientation.
2. Choose File → Save As, select STEP AP214 (*.step; *.stp) or STEP AP242 if both applications support it, and export all required solid bodies. Use the AP203 option when the receiving CATIA installation has older STEP support.
3. Open CATIA V5 and choose File → Open to import the STEP file. Select the solid or exact-geometry import option offered by the installed CATIA configuration.
4. Measure known dimensions in CATIA and check body count, hole diameters, critical faces, coordinate orientation, and the presence of gaps or invalid geometry.
5. Choose File → Save As and save the imported result as CATPart (*.CATPart).

AP214 and AP242 can carry additional product and assembly information, but neither format preserves SolidWorks parametric history as CATIA features. STEP support and available export settings vary by SolidWorks and CATIA V5 release.

Use a direct desktop translator

Datakit CrossManager is a commercial desktop and batch translator that supports SolidWorks SLDPRT input and CATIA V5 CATPart output in supported versions and licenses. Select the source files, choose CATIA V5 or CATPart as the output, configure units and healing options, run the conversion, and inspect the result in CATIA V5.

Direct translators are useful for large folders, scheduled jobs, and workflows that cannot involve manual STEP exports. Confirm the exact input and output formats in the product’s current compatibility list: support for SolidWorks versions, multibody parts, surfaces, attributes, and CATIA releases depends on the translator version and license.

For an online option, CAD Exchanger Cloud may provide SolidWorks-to-CATIA conversion where the account and current service plan support both formats. Upload the SLDPRT file, select CATIA V5 or CATPart as the output when offered, start the conversion, and download the result. Online format availability, file-size limits, and CATPART export support can change, so verify the selected output before uploading a production file.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Feature history is normally lost. SolidWorks extrudes, fillets, mates, equations, configurations, and design-tree dependencies usually arrive as imported geometry rather than editable CATIA features.
• Validate the geometry. STEP or direct translation can produce gaps, invalid faces, missing small fillets, stitched surfaces, or separate bodies. Use CATIA geometry-checking tools and compare critical dimensions with the source model.
• Check scale and units. STEP stores unit information, but incorrect export or import settings can still cause scaling errors. Measure a known dimension before using the CATPART for design or manufacturing.
• Review unsupported data. Cosmetic threads, decals, appearances, weldment information, sheet-metal bend data, configurations, custom properties, and some manufacturing references may not transfer.
• Consider licensing. CATIA V5 requires the appropriate STEP or data-import capability, and direct translators require their own licensed modules. A file extension alone does not guarantee that a CATIA installation can import or edit the result.
• Protect confidential models. Online services upload source CAD to a third party and may impose retention, size, or processing restrictions. Use CATIA V5, SolidWorks, or a licensed desktop translator for proprietary or regulated designs.