# Exporting best practices?

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [November 17, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787 "2020-11-17T15:41:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MaxRobotnick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/maxrobotnick/32/6338_2.png) [@MaxRobotnick](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/MaxRobotnick)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/1 "2020-11-17T15:41:26Z")

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Hey team!, quick question. I’ve noticed when doing production models that are higher detail levels the export can take a considerable time. For instance I worked on a concept vehicle and exported as .step to render in fusion360. It had roughly 250bodies, 1 remaining sketch. However it took roughly 20-30mins to export. So I generally plug in my iPad \> export \> go get lunch and come back after. It always works but takes a long time. ( I have the latest iPad Pro).

Is there a way to speed up exporting?, or a format that is better suited for quicker export/iteration?. I generally use .Step as I read online it’s the most up to date format compatible with most cad software. I generally only need the export so I can texture/render. I don’t model or edit in fusion, I prefer shapr3d by far for my needs. So I really need just the model, even if not editable fully after the fact.

Does merging bodies reduce export times?, does reducing complexity on the bodies help?. I’m curious what contributes to longer or shorter export times. Curious what I should look out for 🙂

Thanks for any insights!.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/a/a9ccc450b6c8f50374f9f65cc823c93e89729a5e.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/2 "2020-11-17T15:48:35Z")

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Unfortunately there aren’t any tricks. STEP export times depend on many many factors, because exporting to STEP requires data translation, meaning that all the Parasolid geometry has to be translated to a different representation.

However, Fusion360 supports importing Parasolid (x\_t) files directly, and that should be blazing fast. So I would suggest to simply export the Parasolid file, and import that to Fusion.

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**Author:** ![TheBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@TheBum](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/TheBum)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/3 "2020-11-17T16:52:32Z")

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The same should be true of Shapr3D import speeds when exporting from F360 as .x\_t. I’ll have to remember that the next time I move a design from F360 to Shapr3D.

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/4 "2020-11-17T16:57:05Z")

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Yes. Whenever it is possible, use x\_t for data exchange between Shapr3D and other CAD systems.

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**Author:** ![MaxRobotnick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/maxrobotnick/32/6338_2.png) [@MaxRobotnick](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/MaxRobotnick)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/5 "2020-11-17T19:20:57Z")

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Ah great!, thanks I’ll try that format 🙂

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**Author:** ![symon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@symon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/symon)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/6 "2024-04-28T16:39:58Z")

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Will the names of all the objects in shapr3d be retained in X T. I find all my detailed names seem to disappear when I export with STEP to rhino.

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/7 "2024-04-28T18:35:10Z")

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We do write the names of the bodies into every CAD export format, including STEP and X\_T. It depends on the receiver side if they do anything with it.

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**Author:** ![APDesignMachine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@APDesignMachine](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/APDesignMachine)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:01pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/8 "2024-04-29T17:01:22Z")

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> [@Istvan](#):
>
> However, Fusion360 supports importing Parasolid (x\_t) files directly, and that should be blazing fast. So I would suggest to simply export the Parasolid file, and import that to Fusion.

Will there be any future support for importing f3d files directly into Shapr? Or is x\_t the best/only option?

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/9 "2024-04-29T19:29:51Z")

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What would be a better option than that?

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**Author:** ![APDesignMachine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@APDesignMachine](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/APDesignMachine)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 8:10pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/10 "2024-04-29T20:10:08Z")

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If we can import SLDPRT and SLDASM now, with the expansion of f3d users and files, it might be helpful to have that same option. Especially since SW, Fusion360 and Shapr are all parasolid based, unless i’m mistaken, my MacBook pro can’t run Shapr or Fusion due to age and not getting new updates.

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/11 "2024-04-29T21:41:35Z")

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No, Fusion is not Parasolid based.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![APDesignMachine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@APDesignMachine](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/APDesignMachine)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 4:17am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/exporting-best-practices/9787/12 "2024-04-30T04:17:21Z")

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Apologies, I stand corrected. I knew about the lawsuit decades ago between Autodesk and Dassault never followed up.