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**IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) **is an intermediate file format for exchanging geometric data such as drawings and 3D models between CAD (Computer-Aided Design) systems. It was established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1980 with the aim of ensuring compatibility between different CAD software. It has been widely used as a standard format for sharing and reusing design data of parts and structures between vendors, especially in the manufacturing and mechanical design industries.
IGES files are basically ASCII text files and consist of the following five sections:
Comments including information about the file creator and CAD system
Unit system (mm, inch, etc.), date, format version, etc.
Overview information about the entity (type, attributes, hierarchy information, etc.)
Details of the actual shape, dimensions, and geometry data
Section indicating the end of the file
IGES has been used extensively in the manufacturing industry and in the fields of mechanical and automotive design. For example, IGES has served as a “common language” for the exchange of product design data between companies using different CAD systems due to its high compatibility. The IGES format is also used to share design data with external parties in the early stages of 3D printing and when migrating design assets from legacy CAD systems to new environments. It has also been used as a bridge to CAE (numerical analysis) and CAM (manufacturing and processing), and has played an important role as an intermediate medium to facilitate a series of data exchanges from design to analysis and processing.