Overview#
This page condenses the section into lookup tables. Use it when you are standing at the Export dialog and need to decide quickly, or when a file arrives and you need to know what it can and cannot contain. The master table follows Autodesk's "Supported file formats" help page. Format availability depends on your license: the page says all listed formats are supported with commercial subscriptions and that a blank Personal Use cell means a commercial subscription is required.
Legend: I = import, E = export, I/E = both, "BRep" = exact boundary representation, "Mesh" = triangles.
Where to find it#
| Need | Where |
|---|---|
| Current official support table | Autodesk Fusion help, "Supported file formats" page |
| Export types available to you | File > Export, Type drop-down |
| Import types available to you | File > Open > Open from my computer and File > Upload |
| Mesh export | Right-click component or body in the Browser > Save As Mesh (3MF, STL binary/ASCII, OBJ) |
| Sketch DXF | Right-click sketch > Export DXF |
Step by step#
- Find the row for the format you hold or need.
- Read the "Carries" and "Loses" columns against what the receiver requires.
- Check the Import and Export columns, then confirm in your own Export or Open dialog.
- Follow the "Use when" guidance and the linked page for the workflow.
Master table#
Source: Autodesk's "Supported file formats" table (Fusion-Designs/TPD-SUPPORTED-FILE-FORMATS), the Open designs list and the Export designs list. Import = formats accepted by File > Open > Open from my computer or File > Upload; Export = the Type list in File > Export. In the published table every format is available with commercial subscriptions; a blank Personal Use cell means the format needs a commercial subscription. The text copy of that table available to this guide does not preserve the individual Personal Use and Export cell marks, so only the exclusions Autodesk states in the table notes are recorded here as Personal-use restrictions. The "Standard" and "Additional" tier names do not appear in the documentation we checked.
CAD application files#
| Format | Ext. | Import | Export | Personal use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion Design | .f3d | Yes | Yes | See Autodesk table |
| Fusion Template / archive with references | .f3z | Yes | Yes (cannot be exported as .f3d) | See Autodesk table |
| Autodesk Inventor | .ipt, .iam | Yes | Yes | See Autodesk table |
| SketchUp | .skp | Yes | Yes | See Autodesk table |
| Alias | .wire | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| 123D | .123dx | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| CATIA V5 | .CATPart, .CATProduct | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| Pro/ENGINEER and Creo | .prt, .asm | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| Rhino | .3dm | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| Siemens NX | .prt | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| Solid Edge | .par, .asm, .psm | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| SolidWorks | .prt, .asm, .sldprt, .sldasm | Yes (drawings .slddrw cannot be opened) | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| T-Spline | .tsm, .tss | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
CAD exchange files#
| Format | Ext. | Import | Export | Personal use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEP | .step, .stp, .ste | Yes | Yes (.stp, .step) | See Autodesk table |
| IGES | .iges, .igs, .ige | Yes | Yes | Export requires a commercial subscription |
| SAT | .sat, .sab | Yes (ACIS up to version 7 only) | Yes (.sat) | See Autodesk table |
| SMT / SMT Binary | .smt, .smb | Yes | Yes (.smt) | See Autodesk table |
| Parasolid | .x_t, .x_b | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| JT | .jt | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
| Pro/ENGINEER Granite / Neutral | .g, .neu | Yes | Not in Export list | See Autodesk table |
Mesh files#
| Format | Ext. | Import | Export | Units stored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | .stl | Yes | Yes (binary or ASCII via Save As Mesh) | No (choose the unit when saving) |
| OBJ | .obj | Yes | Yes | No (choose the unit when saving) |
| 3MF | .3mf | Yes | Yes | Yes (Autodesk describes units, colors and textures) |
| FBX | .fbx | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| USD | .usdz | Listed in the supported table | Yes | Not stated |
| SPD (form-Z) | .spd | Listed in the supported table | Yes | Not stated |
| LMV (Large Model Viewer) | .svf | Not listed | Yes | Not stated |
SVG (.svg) is listed in the supported table; in practice it is brought in with Insert > Insert SVG as sketch geometry (X/Y distance, Z angle, flips, scale; no unit setting).
Drawing, manufacturing and electronics files#
| Format | Ext. | Import | Export | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AutoCAD DWG | .dwg | Yes | Yes | Drawings also have their own output options |
| DXF | .dxf | Yes (Open, or Insert DXF) | Yes; File > Export needs a commercial subscription | All licenses can export a sketch with Export DXF |
| Fusion Drawing Template | .f2t | Listed | See Autodesk table | |
| Fusion CAM | .cam360 | Listed | See Autodesk table | |
| Autodesk Eagle | .sch, .brd, .lbr | Listed | See Autodesk table | |
| Fusion electronics | .fsch, .fbrd, .flbr | Listed | See Autodesk table |
Not in the Autodesk table or the Export list: glTF/GLB, PLY, IFC/Revit, PDF as a model format, MP4 and spreadsheets.
Quick decision grid#
| If the receiver is... | Send... |
|---|---|
| Another Fusion user | F3D or share the cloud design |
| A CAD user on a different system | STEP |
| A CNC machinist | STEP plus PDF drawing |
| A laser or waterjet operator | DXF |
| A 3D printer or slicer | 3MF (or STL) |
| A rendering artist | OBJ, FBX or USD |
| A web page | Shared link, rendered images, or OBJ/STL converted externally |
| A manager who wants to look | PDF or a shared link |
| An AutoCAD drafter | DWG or DXF |
| A Rhino modeler | STEP or IGES |
| An archive | F3D plus STEP plus PDF |
Default settings worth remembering#
| Setting | Recommended starting point |
|---|---|
| STEP units | Millimeters (or whatever the receiver states) |
| STL type | Binary |
| STL unit | Millimeters |
| Mesh refinement | Not a Save As Mesh option; set in Make > 3D Print or Tessellate |
| DXF export | Choose the unit in the Export DXF dialog (defaults to the design unit); check closed profiles |
| Naming | partname_rev_date.ext |
| Archive | Keep native master plus neutral copy |
Tips and pitfalls#
Tip: Print this page or pin it beside your monitor. Most exchange decisions reduce to three columns: what the receiver needs, what the format carries and what it loses.
Tip: Treat any "Check Autodesk table" entry as an experiment: export a simple test part and open it in the target. If it works once with a simple part, test with the real data.
Warning: The support matrix is a moving target. Autodesk adds and retires formats, and tiers differ (IGES export and File > Export of DXF need a commercial subscription). Autodesk's Supported file formats page is the authority; this cheat sheet is a map, not a contract.
Warning: A format listing says nothing about the quality of translation. A format can be "supported" and still lose things you care about. The Carries and Loses columns matter more than the Support column.
Warning: Extensions of the same name can hide different content. A .prt may be Creo or NX; a .dwg may be 2D or 3D; a .stp may be mesh-converted. Open the file and check.
Practice exercise#
- Choose five files from your own work (or downloads): one STEP, one STL, one DXF, one 3MF, one vendor native file.
- For each, fill in a personal table with: what it is, who sent it, what it carries, what you expect to be missing.
- Open each in Fusion. Record what actually arrived.
- Mark any cell where the cheat sheet was wrong for your version, and note the version number. Keep this as your personal addendum.
Expected result: a version-specific supplement to the cheat sheet that you can trust.
Related#
- Format landscape (format-landscape)
- STEP best practices (step-best-practices)
- Exporting for CAM, 3D printing, rendering and web (exporting-for-cam-print-render-web)
- Data loss and large files (data-loss-and-large-files)