Convert SLDPRT to X_T

A customer’s CAM, CAE, or CAD system may require Parasolid geometry instead of a native SOLIDWORKS part. Exporting .sldprt to .x_t supplies editable boundary-representation geometry without exposing the SOLIDWORKS feature tree.

What the SLDPRT format is

SLDPRT is the native part format of Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS. A file can contain sketches, parametric features, configurations, equations, materials, appearances, custom properties, imported bodies, and references to other design files.

SLDPRT files represent individual parts; SOLIDWORKS assemblies normally use .sldasm. Direct SLDPRT import in other CAD applications depends on the translator and the SOLIDWORKS release that created the file.

What the X_T format is

X_T is the ASCII Parasolid exchange format. Parasolid is Siemens Digital Industries Software’s geometric modeling kernel and is used by Siemens NX, Solid Edge, and many CAD, CAM, CAE, and translation products.

An .x_t file carries precise B-rep solids, surfaces, faces, edges, curves, and topology. It is preferable to STL for machining, measurement, simulation, or further CAD work because it retains exact analytic geometry rather than a triangle mesh.

X_T is primarily a geometry-exchange format. Do not expect it to retain SOLIDWORKS sketches, feature history, equations, design tables, configuration logic, mates, or drawing data. Limited attributes such as names and colors may transfer, but depend on the exporting and importing applications.

Export with SOLIDWORKS

1. Open the required .sldprt file and activate the configuration to send.
2. Rebuild the model with Edit → Rebuild (Ctrl+B). Use Edit → Rebuild All (Ctrl+Q) if the part has changed configurations, external references, or rebuild warnings.
3. Select File → Save As.
4. Set Save as type to Parasolid (*.x_t).
5. Select Options, if available, and choose a Parasolid version supported by the recipient’s software. Use an older version only when the recipient cannot read the default version.
6. Save the file, for example, as housing_revA.x_t.

SOLIDWORKS can also export binary Parasolid as .x_b. Use .x_b only when the recipient requests or accepts it; .x_t is the common requested extension for Parasolid exchange.

Do not convert through DXF or DWG. Those formats are principally 2D drawing and basic-geometry exchange formats and can discard solid topology, surfaces, and part structure needed for a useful Parasolid model.

Desktop and online alternatives

If SOLIDWORKS is unavailable, use a translator that explicitly supports the source SLDPRT version and Parasolid X_T output. Siemens NX and Solid Edge are appropriate when their installed translators support the part version. Dedicated translators such as CAD Exchanger Lab, TransMagic, and CrossManager can be suitable for one-off or batch jobs, subject to their current format matrix and license level.

Open the converted result and inspect it before delivery; a translator may read an older SLDPRT release but fail on unsupported features, corrupted imports, or referenced data. For automated conversion, verify whether the selected product offers command-line or API export before purchasing.

For small, non-confidential files, reputable cloud services such as CAD Exchanger Cloud may be practical where the selected plan supports both SLDPRT input and X_T output. CloudConvert can also be considered only after its current format list confirms that exact output pair. Do not upload controlled, proprietary, export-restricted, or customer-owned geometry without reviewing retention, access-control, and processing terms.

Compatibility checks

Export each SOLIDWORKS configuration separately. A foreign-format export normally reflects the active configuration, so save distinct files such as bracket_machined.x_t and bracket_cast.x_t.

For multi-body parts, agree on the delivery requirement before export. A recipient may accept one X_T file containing multiple bodies, while another workflow may require individual files. In SOLIDWORKS, use Insert → Features → Save Bodies when separate derived part files are needed before exporting.

Before release, open the X_T file in the receiving application, or re-import it into SOLIDWORKS. Check body count, overall dimensions, units and scale, holes, fillets, thin walls, surface trims, and critical mating faces. If the import reports gaps, invalid faces, or failed healing, send the original SLDPRT or repair the source model and export again.

Use STEP, preferably AP242 when supported, instead of X_T when the recipient needs assembly structure, product-manufacturing information, or broad interoperability outside Parasolid-based software. Use X_T when the recipient specifically requests Parasolid geometry or uses a Parasolid-compatible downstream system.