IGES, written to disk as .iges, is the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification — the first ANSI-standard neutral format for passing CAD geometry between systems from different vendors. An .iges file describes curves, surfaces, and annotation as numbered entities in a fixed-width text layout inherited from punch cards.
Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.
Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.The format was developed under the U.S. National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) with Boeing and General Electric and first published in 1980. Development effectively ended with version 5.3 in 1996 as the industry pivoted to STEP, yet decades of legacy data keep IGES import alive in every CAD package.
Import filters for .iges persist in every mainstream CAD, CAM, and CAE product precisely because of legacy archives, and export remains common as a fallback. The fixed-column text opens anywhere, but meaningful use requires CAD software — and for new work most vendors steer users toward STEP.
The Global section carries the sending system, author, organization, units, and creation date, but per-part metadata is minimal.
