IGS File Extension

What is IGS?

IGS or IGES - Initial Graphics Exchange Specification, is file format that allows digital exchange of information between CAD – Computer-Aided Design systems. With IGES, a CAD user can exchange product data models in the form of wireframe, circuit diagrams, freeform surface and solid modeling representations.

IGES is published in January 1980 by the National Bureau of Standards, and official title is Digital Representation for Communication of Product Definition Data. Each line of IGES file is composed of 80 characters ASCII records. Text strings are represented in “Hollerith” format, the number of characters in the string, followed by letter “H”, followed by text string. IGES file is divided in 5 sections: Start (S), Global (G), Directory Entry (D), Parameter Data (P) and Terminate (T). File header contains Start and Global sections and contains basic information about file name and source. File data it contains Directory Entry and Parameter Data sections and contains basic data of IGES file format, it’s entitles. There are around 150 different entitles in IGES.

IGES standard was the first ANSI standard to be documented by itself. Since version 4, all of the technical illustrations for the printed version of the standard have been generated from IGES files.

How to open IGS file?

Programs that supports IGS files: