Why convert MODFEM to STP?
People convert a Femap model to .stp when they need to hand the raw CAD shape to another engineer or a CAD package that cannot read the proprietary Femap format. STEP is a vendor-neutral solid-geometry standard, so it travels cleanly between tools even though it carries none of the FE mesh or analysis data.
How to convert MODFEM to STP
Simcenter Femap PAID
Open the .modfem file, then choose File > Export > Geometry and pick the STEP (.stp/.step) type. Femap's Parasolid engine writes the solids and surfaces as neutral STEP.
FreeCAD (re-export) FREE
If you already have an intermediate CAD file, import it into FreeCAD and use File > Export with the STEP with colors (*.step *.stp) filter to produce a clean .stp.
About these formats
A .modfem file is the native model file saved by Femap (now Simcenter Femap), the finite element analysis pre- and post-processor from Siemens. It stores a complete FE model in one binary…
Open .MODFEM details →
.STP
STEP - Standard for the Exchange of Product Data (ISO 10303), .stp spelling
An STP file is a 3D CAD model - a part or assembly - stored in the ISO 10303 STEP format so it can move between different CAD programs. The fastest free options are FreeCAD, CAD Assistant,…
Open .STP details →Quality & what to watch
- Only geometry is exported - the mesh, element properties, materials, loads, boundary conditions and results in the
.modfemfile are all lost. - STEP is a translation format, so tiny gaps or sliver faces can appear on complex solids; check the model after import.
- There is no automatic re-import path: a
.stpcannot be turned back into a meshed Femap model without redoing the analysis setup.
Frequently asked questions
Does the STEP file keep my mesh?
Why not just save as Parasolid instead?
.x_t) is Femap's native geometry kernel and is often cleaner, but STEP is chosen when the receiving tool cannot read Parasolid.
