Setting IGES Export Options

Set the export options when you export SOLIDWORKS part or assembly documents as IGES files.

To set the IGES export options:

  1. Select from the following options:
    Option Description
    Solid/Surface features
    • Output as

      IGES solid/surface entities

      Exports the data as solid or surface entities.

      Trimmed Surface (type 144)

      Converts the faces of the part or assembly to trimmed surfaces in the IGES file.

      Manifold Solid B-rep Object (type 186)

      Exports boundary representation (BREP) data to the IGES file.

      IGES Wireframe (3D curves)

      Converts the solid body to a 3D wireframe representation in the IGES file. Depending on the entity types required by the target system, select:

      B-Splines (Entity type 126)

      Parametric Splines (Entity type 112)

      Type of IGES 3D Curve Exported
      B-splines (entity 126) 126, 110, 102*, 100
      Parametric splines (entity 112) 112, 110, 102*, 100
      If you select both IGES solid/surface entities and IGES Wireframe (3D curves), the model is exported as both trimmed surfaces and 3D curves.
    • Surface representation/System preference

      Affects files exported as IGES solid/surface entities. Select a target system to determine the IGES entity types that compose the trimmed surfaces.

      Surface Representation

      Surface Representation Exported IGES Entity Types
      STANDARD 144, 142, 128, 126, 122, 120, 110, 102, 100
      NURBS 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      ALIAS 144, 142, 128, 126, 122, 120, 110, 102, 100
      ANSYS 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      COSMOS 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      MASTERCAM 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      SURFCAM 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      SMARTCAM 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      TEKSOFT 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      ALPHACAM 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100
      MULTICAD 144, 142, 128, 126, 110, 102, 100

      If the system you are exporting to is not listed, refer to the documentation for that system to see which entities are supported, and choose an appropriate setting.
    Export 3D Curve features Includes 3D curve features in the exported file.
    Export sketch entities Includes sketch entities in the exported file. All 2D and 3D sketch entities are included.
    Use high trim curve accuracy Affects files exported both with Trimmed surfaces and with 3D curves. High trim curve accuracy can sometimes help if the target system has trouble importing the IGES file or cannot knit the surfaces into a useful solid. The file size is larger if the check box is selected.
    IGES assembly structure

    Save all components of an assembly in one file

    (assemblies only). Saves all assembly components, subassemblies, and subassembly components in one file. Otherwise, the assembly components and the subassembly components are saved as individual IGES files in the same directory.

    Flatten assembly hierarchy

    (assemblies only). Flattens the assembly to one level of only part bodies. A flattened file contains a top-level assembly and a series of parts that contain imported features.

  2. Click OK.
    When you create a task, you click Options in the task properties dialog box to change the options for that task only. To change the default option values, click View > Options > IGES .