Initial Graphics Exchange Specification
Import IGES files into your digital twin
Decades of tooling, molds, and machine documentation live in IGES archives. Moicon turns those files into assets you can place in a living model of your plant.
- File extensions
- .iges, .igs
- Developed by
- US National Bureau of Standards / ANSI
- Category
- Neutral interchange
- Geometry
- NURBS surfaces and wireframe
- Typical software
- CATIA, Siemens NX, Creo, SolidWorks, Rhinoceros
- Import pipeline
- Autodesk Platform Services translation
What is a IGES file?
IGES was published in 1980 as the first widely adopted neutral format for exchanging CAD data, long before STEP existed. It describes models as collections of NURBS surfaces, curves, and wireframe entities. The last major revision, version 5.3, dates to 1996, so the format has been frozen for decades.
That age cuts both ways. In practice IGES carries neither the solid bodies nor the rich assembly structure that STEP does. The standard does define a solid entity, but so few CAD systems support it that exports come out as surfaces almost every time. What IGES has instead is reach, because nearly every CAD tool ever written can read and write it. That is why it survives in mold making, tooling, and aerospace supply chains with long product lifecycles.
Where these files come from
IGES shows up in older supplier archives, mold and die shops, and documentation for machines that were designed in the 1990s and are still running today. If a vendor's newest export option is IGES, you are usually dealing with a long-serving CAD installation.
How to import IGES files into Moicon
As simple as four steps, from file to factory floor.
Step 1
Upload your model
In the Moicon dashboard, select Add asset and drag and drop your .iges or .igs file.
Step 2
Let it process
Moicon translates IGES files through Autodesk Platform Services, the service behind its support for more than 70 formats. Translation time depends on the size and complexity of the model and the current service load.
Step 3
Name and organize it
Give the asset a name, add a thumbnail so it is easy to spot, and file it under the categories your team uses in the asset library.
Step 4
Place it in your project
Open your project and drop the asset into the viewport. From there you can position, clone, and scale it like any other asset in your twin.
IGES FAQ
Are .igs and .iges the same thing?
Yes. Both extensions point to the same format; .igs is just the three-letter spelling used by older systems.
Why does my IGES model import as surfaces instead of a solid?
That is how IGES data almost always arrives. The standard defines a solid entity, but hardly any CAD system writes it, so exporters fall back to trimmed surfaces. A watertight-looking part is really a shell of stitched surfaces, and small gaps between them are a known trait of IGES data.
Does Moicon accept IGES uploads?
Yes. IGES is among the 70+ formats Moicon translates through Autodesk Platform Services when you upload a file to your asset library.
Should I request IGES or STEP from a supplier?
Request STEP if they can export it. STEP carries solids and assemblies and is actively maintained. IGES is the fallback when the sending system predates good STEP support.