Patran can access geometry from an external CAD system user file. Geometry can also be imported (or read) from a PATRAN 2 Neutral file or from an IGES file. Patran can export (or write) some or all geometry to an external PATRAN 2 Neutral file or IGES file.

Geometry can be accessed or imported into the user database either by using the File/Import menus or by using the File/CAD Model Access menus on the Patran main form. Geometry can be exported from the database using the File/Export menus.

For more information on executing the File/Import and File/Export forms, see File>Import, 78 and File>Export (p. 197) in the Patran Reference Manual.

For more information on accessing CAD models, see Direct Geometry Access of CAD Geometry, 47.

For more information on import and export support of geometry for the PATRAN 2 Neutral file, see PATRAN 2 Neutral File Support For Parametric Cubic Geometry, 57.

For more information on which IGES entities are supported by Patran for importing and exporting, see IGES Entities Supported for Import, 108 and Geometric Entity Types and their Supported IGES Equivalents (p. 207) in the Patran Reference Manual.