Importing and exporting files in SOLIDWORKS can be complicated, especially if you don’t know the limitations and capabilities of each file type. In this Video Tech Tip, we try to make sense of Parasolid Files (*.x_t, *.x_b) by explaining how to import parasolid curves and export to DXF in SOLIDWORKS.

First, select your parasolids, choose their settings and import them as sketches into SOLIDWORKS. While the Parasolid translator does not support the import or export of point data, it does support the import and export of curves and wireframes—hence why importing as a sketch is so important.

To create a 3D sketch, you can select all your imported curves using Convert Entities in your sketch tools and convert them to sketch entities. Hide the imported curves, so all that shows is the 3D sketch you want to use for the DXF files. Then click Save As, change the file format to .dxf and save the finished product.