Solid Edge parts, sheet-metal documents and assemblies normally use .par, .psm and .asm native files. Open the original in the Solid Edge viewer for approximate visual review without installing Solid Edge. Viewing does not require an account; selecting a file uploads it for server processing. Renaming a native file to STEP, STP or X_T does not translate it.
What the native preview can show
| File | What it usually is | Current viewing path |
|---|---|---|
.par |
Solid Edge part | Exact B-Rep when the embedded Parasolid model passes the checks below; otherwise recoverable embedded Parasolid bodies or supported saved primary-body meshes; thumbnail fallback |
.psm |
Solid Edge sheet metal | The same exact and approximate preview paths; auxiliary flat-pattern caches omitted |
.asm |
Solid Edge assembly | Supported saved preview scenes with verified occurrence placements; older or unsupported layouts fall back to a saved thumbnail and unresolved component names when available |
A complete embedded Parasolid transmit does not on its own establish complete recovery of the native model or its current feature state, so CADProps checks it. A PAR or PSM preview is marked exact when its embedded Parasolid model rebuilds every face into closed, valid solids and exactly one saved Parasolid stream matches the part's saved display. A part saved without a display is checked on its own instead, and only when a single stream could be the part. An exact preview provides B-Rep measurements, surface area, volume and exact STEP export. Other PAR and PSM previews provide none of these. ASM model export is unavailable. On approximate previews, 3D bounds and point distances are approximate; a saved thumbnail is an image with no physical dimensions. Feature history is not replayed, and native editing or flat-pattern generation is unavailable.
Supported display coordinates use metres, normalized to millimetres, including supported ASM placement translations. Check unit and completeness notices and a known dimension. Saved meshes use a neutral color; it does not identify the source material.
Review the part or supported assembly
- Upload the original PAR, PSM or ASM and wait for processing.
- Rotate and fit a 3D result, or read the fallback notice if only a thumbnail appears.
- Compare the visible bodies and read any missing-component list. A partial preview describes only the recovered geometry.
- For supported ASM scenes, supply referenced PAR/PSM files in a ZIP with expected filenames and relative paths. Verified saved part meshes reuse the assembly's saved placements; missing or undecodable bodies remain listed. Older layouts and nested assemblies are not reconstructed, and packaging files cannot supply an unsupported placement layout.
- If the required geometry is absent or exact work is needed, ask for a STEP or standalone Parasolid export from Solid Edge.
ZIP packages are limited to 50 entries and 200 MiB expanded. Encrypted archives, nested ZIPs, symlinks and parent paths are rejected. Do not assume that a top-level assembly or a ZIP contains every component you need.
Choose the export before you upload
Ask for a specific deliverable:
- the released configuration, not an unnamed working copy;
- units, usually millimetres unless the drawing says otherwise;
- a closed solid when you need volume or mass;
- assembly components resolved, if the scope is the product rather than one part.
STEP is the safer request when the next system is unknown. Parasolid X_T or supported binary X_B is appropriate when the recipient already uses a Parasolid path. Exact STEP export from these standalone files requires complete exact reconstructed B-Rep; omitted or approximated faces disable it. Parasolid vs STEP is the comparison. Neither export restores Solid Edge sketches, features or ordered/synchronous history.
Inspect the file you actually received
- Keep the native Solid Edge attachment unchanged for traceability.
- For exact geometry work, open the supplied STEP in the STEP viewer, or standalone X_T/X_B in the Parasolid viewer.
- Confirm the expected bodies and read any missing-reference warning.
- Check one known dimension before trusting area, volume or mass.
- Use Parasolid to STEP only if the downstream system asked for STEP, then repeat the dimension check.
A shaded view can hide an open shell. Volume is available only for a valid closed solid. Mass is that volume times a density you confirm. It is not a material definition stored by Solid Edge.
Sheet metal is a special case. An export of the flat pattern and an export of the formed part are different solids. Say which one you need, because a thickness or bend state that looks plausible can still be the wrong manufacturing stage.
If the export will not open
Do not cycle the native file through unrelated converters. Ask which Solid Edge release saved it, whether the attachment is PAR, PSM or ASM, and for a fresh STEP of the released configuration. A file that fails in one reader is not automatically corrupt.
Seeing the model does not approve the revision, tolerances or material. Keep the drawing or the agreed specification with the export you reviewed.
Confirm the formed part or flat pattern explicitly
For a PSM source, state whether the receiving task is checking the assembled shape or preparing a flat manufacturing profile. These are different deliverables. The formed model's envelope cannot substitute for the flat blank size, and a nominal surface cannot establish material volume without thickness.
Request a STEP or supported text X_T of the intended state, with the source revision and units. If the job needs a 2D cutting profile, agree that separate profile with the manufacturer rather than extracting a silhouette from a shaded screenshot.
If an exchange file opens but the local measurement method you need is unavailable, inspect its imported representation. A converted mesh preview and readable engineering B-Rep provide different measurement evidence. Use the supported output only for the tasks it actually supports.
For an assembly, keep a list of intentionally omitted hardware separate from missing dependencies. Both can reduce the apparent scope, but only the former may be part of an agreed export. Attribute approximate native-preview evidence to the PAR, PSM or ASM file and exact geometry checks to the supplied STEP or standalone Parasolid derivative. Neither establishes inspection of the manufactured part.
Original article: CADProps · https://www.cadprops.com/guides/open-solid-edge-without-solid-edge/