A neutral file format standard developed to enable the exchange of data between different computer-aided design (CAD) systems. The standard was developed by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST) and was first released in 1980.
IGES files can be used to exchange data 1g various CAD software, including mechanical, electrical, and architectural CAD. The format is supported by many different CAD systems, including AutoCAD, CATIA, and SolidWorks. IGES files can be used to exchange data between systems and to share data across departments and companies.
It’s worth noting that IGES is not the only neutral file format standard; another well-known standard is STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data), which also serves a similar purpose. However, STEP is considered more modern and better suited to handling more complex models, and it is more widely used in the mechanical engineering and aerospace industries.