STEP Import & Export
STEP is the universal language of professional CAD. BasicCAD reads and writes STEP entirely in your browser — no upload to a third-party server, no conversion service. Your geometry stays private and the round-trip is exact.
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Why STEP, Not STL
STL is a triangle mesh — perfect for 3D printing slicers, useless for engineering. A circle in STL is a polygon with 50 sides. You can't open an STL in SOLIDWORKS or Inventor and edit it as a real solid.
STEP (ISO 10303) stores exact boundary representation geometry: real surfaces, curves, edges, and vertices. A BasicCAD STEP export opens in SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Inventor, Fusion 360, FreeCAD, Onshape, or Catia as a native solid — ready for editing, simulation, or manufacturing.
- STEP — send to engineers, manufacturers, machine shops, other CAD tools
- STL — send to a 3D printer slicer
BasicCAD exports both formats from the same ribbon button.
Import and Modify Existing STEP Geometry
Many workflows start with existing geometry — a component from a supplier, a housing from a previous project, a colleague's SOLIDWORKS or Inventor export. BasicCAD imports STEP files and lets you add parametric features on top:
- Fillet and chamfer edges on imported solids
- Cut pockets and holes with sketch-based extrude cuts
- Add boss extrusions to existing faces
- Use imported solids as reference bodies in assemblies
No desktop install needed to open, modify, and re-export a STEP file.
Your Files Never Leave Your Device
Most "STEP viewer" web tools upload your file to their server for processing. That means your proprietary geometry passes through third-party infrastructure.
BasicCAD runs the OpenCascade (OCCT) kernel locally via WebAssembly. STEP files are read from your disk, processed in your browser's memory, and written back to your disk. No file data is ever transmitted.
Open a STEP File in Your Browser
1-month free trial. Import, modify, re-export — all client-side. No upload, no download, no credit card.
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