ShapeReach View / IGES
A free IGES viewer in your browser.
Open IGES files (.iges and .igs) right in your browser, with exact surfaces and colours. Nothing to install, no account, and the file stays on your own computer.
- .iges
- .igs
About the IGES format
IGES is one of the oldest neutral formats for exchanging CAD data, developed in the United States in the 1980s. It is still used, especially for surface models and by older CAD and CAM programs.
An IGES file stores exact curves and surfaces. Many IGES files consist of loose surfaces rather than closed solids, and an assembly’s structure is often not included.
What the viewer shows
- Exact surfaces and curves, computed with OpenCascade right in your browser
- Colours from the file
- Shaded with or without edges, with hidden lines or as a wireframe
- Sections through the model and measuring between points
- Size and surface area in the unit the file was saved in
How to open an IGES file
Open the viewer
Press “Open an IGES file”. The viewer opens with a sample assembly.
Pick the file
Press Open and choose the file, or drag the file into the viewer.
View and measure
Rotate with the mouse, and use Section and Measure for sections and measurements.
Good to know
Volume is only correct for closed bodies. If the model consists of loose surfaces, the number has no meaning.
If you have the choice, use STEP. It stores solids, assemblies and colours more completely than IGES.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between .iges and .igs?
None. They are two file extensions for the same format, and the viewer opens both.
Should I use IGES or STEP?
STEP, if the recipient’s program can read it. IGES is mostly relevant when an older program only takes IGES, or when the model consists of surfaces.
Other formats
ShapeReach View also opens these formats and several more.
Names of programs and file formats belong to their owners. ShapeReach View is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.