CATIA V5/V6 (CATPart and CATProduct)
Import CATIA files into your digital twin
The CAD system behind aircraft and automobiles. CATIA models from your OEM partners can stand in the digital twin of your own plant.
- File extensions
- .CATPart, .CATProduct
- Developed by
- Dassault Systèmes
- Category
- Native CAD
- Geometry
- Parametric solids and surfaces
- Typical software
- CATIA V5, CATIA V6 / 3DEXPERIENCE
- Import pipeline
- Autodesk Platform Services translation
What is a CATIA file?
CATIA is Dassault Systèmes' high-end CAD platform and the design backbone of much of the aerospace and automotive industry. Its native files split by role: a CATPart holds the geometry of a single part, while a CATProduct defines an assembly, referencing the parts it arranges.
CATIA is known for advanced surface modeling on top of conventional solids, which is why it dominates industries where complex, high-precision outer surfaces matter. Files are tied to CATIA versions, with V5 remaining an industry workhorse alongside the newer 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Where these files come from
CATIA files arrive through aerospace and automotive supply chains: OEM-provided interface models, tooling data, and equipment designed by partners who work to OEM standards.
How to import CATIA 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 .CATPart or .CATProduct file along with any files it references. Moicon accepts multiple files in a single upload.
Step 2
Let it process
Moicon translates CATIA 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.
Before you upload
A few CATIA-specific details that save a second upload.
- A single CATPart is self-contained and can be uploaded on its own.
- A CATProduct needs the CATPart files it references. Upload the whole set together, since Moicon accepts multiple files in one upload.
CATIA FAQ
What is the difference between CATPart and CATProduct?
A CATPart contains the geometry of one part. A CATProduct is an assembly that references CATParts and other CATProducts and positions them, so like other assembly formats it needs its referenced files uploaded alongside it.
Can I view CATIA files without a CATIA license?
In Moicon, yes. Uploaded files are translated in the cloud and viewed in the browser, so no CATIA installation is involved on your side.
Which neutral format do CATIA users share?
STEP, most often AP242, is the standard neutral export in the aerospace and automotive world when the receiver does not run CATIA.