IGS file extension. How to open and convert files with IGS file suffix

Files with igs extension can be found as 3D graphics models saved in International Graphics Exchange Standard (IGES) format used for data exchange.

There is one other file type using
the IGS file extension!

.igs - Indigo Renderer scene

Detailed description

Software that open igs file

Add comment

IGS file extension - IGES 3D exchange format

What is igs file? How to open igs files?

File type specification:

3d graphics, CAD-CAM-CAE file type

File extension igs is commonly referring to files in International Graphics Exchange Standard (IGES), an ANSI-approved standard format used with 3D wire frame models originally created in 1979.

One must be very careful when sourcing CAD files from all of today's modern CAD packages, as most/many of them export the long-obsolete "Surfaces NURBS" variation (few people know these differences).

There are 3 primary versions of IGES:

The 1980's "Bounded Surfaces", the 1990s "Surfaced NURBS" and the 2000's modern "BREP Manifold Solids".

One should only export an IGES file in the latter "BREP Manifold Solids" version of IGES. If you try to convert via "Surfaced NURBS" (which has no BREP topology) then the model will be exploded into thounsads of individual NURBS patches, leading to patch cracking, flipped or randomly oriented surfaces, inverted vertex normals (for smoothing) and black banding effects.

People on forums often complain that IGES is not a good CAD conversion file format but that is only because they are using the wrong version and/or poor 3D IGES importers.

Note: IGES files are limited to a file size of 2GB due to their limited internal numeric range.

MIME types:
application/iges
model/iges

Updated: October 12, 2024

The default software associated to open igs file:

SolidWorks

Company or developer:
SolidWorks Corporation

A popular is 2D and 3D CAD (computer-aided design) and CAE (computer-aided engineering) construction software for Microsoft Windows developed by SolidWorks Corporation.

SolidWorks is distributed in three distributions: Solidworks Premium, Solidworks Professional and SolidWorks Standard.

CATIA

Company or developer:
Dassault Systèmes S.A.

PLM/CAD/CAM/CAE software suite used to create virtual 3D models, developed by Dassault Systèmes S.A. for Microsoft Windows. CATIA is written in the Fortran and C programming languages.

CATIA delivers the unique ability not only to model any product, but to do so in the context of its real-life behavior: design in the age of experience. Systems architects, engineers, designers and all contributors can define, imagine and shape the connected world.

AutoCAD

Company or developer:
Autodesk, Inc.

A CAD designing software with the powerful, flexible features. It is a CAD development platform that provides tools to build custom AutoCAD-based software products for specific markets. The default file formats using by AutoCAD are: DWG and DXF.

Help how to open:

Usually *.igs files can be imported to several CAD programs such as CATIA or Autodesk AutoCAD (might require plugin).

How to convert:

Most of the modern CAD/3D modelling programs support IGS/IGES format.

Find conversions from igs file:

Find converter to igs file type:

List of software applications associated to the .igs file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open igs file, edit igs file, convert igs file, view igs file, play igs file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting igs files.

Software that open igs file - IGES 3D exchange format

Programs supporting the exension igs on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open igs file action.