Quick answer · 2 minutes
No browser opens a raw .CATPart / .CATProduct file, OmniView included. An export to STEP (.stp, AP214) solves it:
I have CATIA
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Someone sent me the file
Ask the sender for a STEP (.stp, AP214) export: they are the one with CATIA.
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Hello, I can't open the CATIA file (.CATPart / .CATProduct) you sent me: I don't have the software. Could you send it exported as STEP (.stp, AP214)? From CATIA: File → Save As… → type STEP AP214 (.stp). It takes about thirty seconds. If it's easier, you can also send it as a 3D link from omniview3d.com (free): I'll open it in my browser, with nothing to install. Thank you!
Need to view a CATPart or CATProduct without a CATIA license? Exported to STEP by the sender (30 s), it opens in the browser as a shareable 3D link.
CATIA (Dassault Systèmes) is the CAD reference in aerospace, automotive, and defense. A CATIA license costs between $10,000 and $50,000 per seat. Yet hundreds of collaborators, purchasing, quality, maintenance, sales, need to view CATPart and CATProduct files without editing them. OmniView 3D is the free online CATIA viewer that solves this: export from CATIA to STEP, then view and share the model in the browser with nothing to install.
CATIA files (CATPart, CATProduct, CATDrawing, CGR) can't be opened without an active license. The solution: export from CATIA to STEP, IGES, or STL, then upload to OmniView 3D for instant browser-based visualization. The export from CATIA takes less than 30 seconds.
Organizations using CATIA, Airbus, Boeing, Renault, Stellantis, Safran, Thales, and their suppliers, generate thousands of CATPart and CATProduct files per project. Enabling non-CAD teams to visualize these files is a persistent bottleneck. OmniView 3D removes it.
OmniView 3D reads the most common CATIA export formats. Direct .CATPart / .CATProduct native opening is not supported, no independent viewer can read Dassault's proprietary formats, but the STEP export from CATIA takes under 30 seconds and preserves the geometry and assembly structure.
| Export from CATIA | What it carries | Best for | OmniView 3D |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEP (.step / .stp) | Exact B-Rep solid + assembly structure (AP242) | Universal exchange, review, machining | Recommended |
| IGES (.igs / .iges) | Surfaces and curves (geometry only) | Legacy aerospace supply chains | Supported |
| STL | Triangulated mesh (no exact geometry) | Mesh checks, 3D printing | Supported |
| .CATPart / .CATProduct | Native features + design history | Editing inside CATIA only | Not readable (export to STEP) |
Prefer STEP whenever possible: it is ISO 10303, the neutral standard every CAD system reads. Getting the exchange format right is not a detail, a landmark study for NIST estimated that imperfect interoperability costs more than one billion dollars per year in the U.S. automotive supply chain alone, and STEP's most advanced part, ISO 10303-242 (AP242), was designed precisely to carry assemblies and PMI between aerospace and automotive systems. For a deeper comparison, see the free STEP file viewer and the IGES / IGS viewer guides.
In aerospace and automotive supply chains, OEMs often share CAD data with suppliers for manufacturing. Sending a native CATIA file carries IP risk. Sharing a STEP via OmniView 3D, where each model is private by default, a link is published only if you choose to and can be revoked at any time, with files hosted in the EU (AWS eu-west-1) under GDPR and never used to train an AI, is a safer alternative: the supplier sees the geometry needed for fabrication without accessing the source CAD file. For a full checklist, see our guide to protecting IP when sharing CAD files.
The move to browser-based tooling makes this practical at scale: the global 3D CAD software market was worth about USD 10.38 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 17.34 billion by 2030, a 6.7% CAGR, per Grand View Research.
CATIA parts usually end up with a supplier or customer who does not run CATIA. Our guide to sending a 3D file to a client without a CAD licence compares the ways to do it, from email attachments to browser links.
Sources: ISO 10303-242, STEP AP242; NIST / RTI, cost of CAD interoperability (automotive); 3D CAD software market, Grand View Research.
From CATIA, go to File → Save As → choose STEP (.stp). Upload the STEP file to OmniView 3D and you get a shareable interactive 3D viewer in about 60 seconds. If you don't have CATIA access, ask your counterpart to send a STEP export instead of the native file.
OmniView 3D is the best free CATIA viewer for collaborative sharing, shareable link, no install, mobile-ready. For advanced desktop features (redlining, PMI), 3DVIA Composer Viewer (Dassault, free) and Kisters 3DViewStation (free limited version) are alternatives, though both require installation.
Yes, export the complete assembly from CATIA as STEP AP214 or AP242 (which preserve assembly structure). OmniView 3D displays the full assembly with all components. For very large assemblies (500+ parts), export key sub-assemblies separately for best performance.
Yes. Export from CATIA to STEP, then open in OmniView 3D (free, online) or FreeCAD (free desktop). OmniView is the only option that generates a shareable browser link the recipient opens with nothing installed.
No. CATPart, CATProduct, CATDrawing and CGR are Dassault's proprietary formats with no public specification, so no independent viewer can read them without CATIA's own engine. The standard workaround is a STEP export from CATIA (under 30 seconds), which OmniView 3D reads natively, geometry and assembly structure preserved.
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In your browser, no account: the file stays on your computer. A free account then gives you a share link your client opens with no software.
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