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SAT File Format Explained

The Standard ACIS Text (SAT) file format is a 3D geometric modeling file format developed by Spatial Corporation. It is primarily used to store and exchange precise CAD data across different engineering and manufacturing platforms.

	Icon	Extension	Original Software	Year	Primary Industry	Geometry	UV Maps	Textures	PBR	Animation	Rigging	Open Use
		.SAT	ACIS 3D	1989	CAD Engineering	B-Rep	–	–	–	–	–	–
SAT File Format Details What It Stores It stores precise 3D geometric data, including solid geometry, topology, curves, and surfaces. Unlike polygonal mesh formats, it represents shapes using Boundary Representation (B-Rep) modeling. Primary Use Cases Interchanging data between CAD/CAM/CAE systems. Storing precise 3D CAD models for mechanical engineering and related design workflows. Transferring precise solid geometry for downstream CAD and manufacturing workflows. Strengths High accuracy with mathematical geometric descriptions. Strong interoperability among ACIS-based software. Limitations Designed for CAD solid modeling and is not intended for animation or rigging workflows. Based on exact boundary-representation geometry rather than polygonal meshes, so it often requires conversion before use in many non-CAD tools. Common Software Support Supported by CAD tools such as AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS for cross-platform CAD exchange. Rhino supports export to SAT, while SAT import may require third-party conversion tools or plugins.