If you work with other people's models in SolidWorks, then you’ve probably encountered a STEP file. We'll show you the best ways to import and handle STEP files in SolidWorks. STEP files, or the standard for exchange of product model data, is a widely used neutral CAD format. Crucially, they aren't native SolidWorks files with full feature trees, just lumps of modeling data. But there are several reasons why designers need to export SolidWorks files to a neutral file, such as STEP. These could be guarding the intellectual property by not including mythologies of certain components, reducing shared file complexity so people only see the components they need to, collaboration with different CAD software that doesn't recognise SolidWorks files and potentially any IT policy requirements as well. There are three types of STEP file. These are AP 203, 214 and 242. All of these types contain geometric information, with 203 being the most basic. 214 can also include appearance information, whilst 242 adds on PMI or product manufacturing information. To find out if you actually need to export a STEP file. Check out our blog on Data Translation Hierarchy. As you might find, there's an alternative file format that may give you better results. To export a file from SolidWorks, which is a STEP file. Head to the file menu and save as. Then in the file dropdown, you can choose the type of STEP file format which you would like to export for additional options such as including appearance information click the options button before you click save. Using the SolidWorks open menu, browse to the location of your STEP file. Depending on the file type filter in place, you might not see it initially. To make sure STEP files are visible. Click on the File Type dropdown and select STEP or All files. Once selected, you can modify the import options using the options button. The recommended setting to turn on while importing files is 3D interconnect. Turn this on from within General Settings and then click okay. To learn more about 3D interconnect and why we use it, then check out our other video where we show you the recommended workflow for importing files into SolidWorks. For large STEP file imports, SolidWorks 2024 introduced a great new feature by selecting Enable Filter before opening the file, you can preview the import and select only the components which you need. Click generate 3D preview to view a preview for the file. This is perfect for cases where they may only need to obtain a few components within a large assembly, meaning the import process is faster and the resulting model does not contain unnecessary information. Discover more workflows across our website for importing files into SolidWorks. Learn how to manage your design data effectively with PDM and PLM systems, to enhance your efficiency and improve your design process.