Convert SLDPRT to PRT

What the SLDPRT format is

.sldprt is the native part format used by SOLIDWORKS. It can contain a parametric solid or surface model, sketches, features, dimensions, configurations, materials, display data, and design history. The file is normally created by SOLIDWORKS users and may also represent a component extracted from a SOLIDWORKS assembly.

What the PRT format is

.prt is an extension, not one universal CAD format. PTC Creo Parametric uses it for Creo parts, and Siemens NX uses it for NX parts; their native PRT files are different and are not generally interchangeable. Other CAD products may also use the same extension.

A native target PRT is useful when the recipient must place the part in native assemblies or use the target system’s drawings, analysis, CAM, and editing tools. A conversion normally transfers the geometry, not the original SOLIDWORKS feature tree, so the result may be a dumb solid or a set of surfaces rather than a fully parametric part.

How to convert the file for Creo

1. Open the .sldprt file in SOLIDWORKS and verify units, configurations, and the body or bodies to export.
2. Choose File → Save As and select STEP AP214 (*.step, *.stp) or STEP AP242 (*.step, *.stp). Use the STEP standard supported by the installed Creo release; AP214 is often the safer compatibility choice, while AP242 can carry newer product and manufacturing data.
3. Review the STEP export options, select the required solid bodies, preserve the source units, and save the intermediate file.
4. In Creo Parametric, choose File → Open, select the STEP file, and use the import options to create a solid or quilt. The exact options depend on the Creo release and available import modules.
5. Inspect the imported geometry, repair failed surfaces when necessary, and choose File → Save As to save the result as a Creo .prt.

How to convert the file for Siemens NX

1. Export the SOLIDWORKS part to STEP AP214 or AP242 using File → Save As; use the standard supported by the NX release.
2. In NX, use File → Open or the release-specific STEP import command, such as File → Import → STEP203/214.
3. Set the correct units and import the model as a solid where possible. Run NX geometry checks and inspect the body, then use File → Save As to create the NX .prt file.

SOLIDWORKS itself does not save a Creo or NX native .prt merely by changing the extension. Commercial translators such as CAD Exchanger Desktop, Datakit, and CAD Schroer tools can automate batch transfers through STEP or other exchange formats, but the output still requires validation in the target CAD system.

Online conversion options

CAD Exchanger Cloud can be used to upload a supported SOLIDWORKS part and export a neutral format such as STEP when the current service configuration lists .sldprt as an input. Onshape can also import supported SOLIDWORKS parts and export STEP from a document. These services generally produce an exchange file, not a native Creo or NX .prt; open that STEP file in Creo or NX and save it there.

Check the service’s current format list before uploading because web converters change supported versions and formats. Do not upload confidential or export-controlled designs unless the provider’s retention, deletion, access, and data-processing terms are acceptable.

Quality and compatibility limits

Do not confuse the target applications. A Creo .prt cannot normally be opened as an NX part, and renaming an extension does not convert either file.

STEP primarily transfers boundary-representation geometry. Sketches, feature history, feature names, equations, mates, configurations, SOLIDWORKS-specific appearances, and parametric dimensions may be lost. Threads, tiny fillets, holes, imported surfaces, and very small faces are common failure points. Recreate critical manufacturing or design features natively when downstream edits depend on them.

Before accepting the PRT, compare dimensions, units, mass properties, section views, body count, face continuity, edge gaps, surface normals, and model tolerances. If the target contains a quilt or surface collection instead of a solid, repair and knit it in the target CAD system. For repeated transfers, test the chosen STEP version, export settings, and target CAD release with representative parts before converting a production batch.