STEP

STEP (ISO 10303) is an international standard for CAD data exchange, preserving precise geometry with NURBS and solid modeling. Widely used in mechanical design and manufacturing, it retains parametric features and assembly structures, unlike mesh formats (STL/OBJ), enabling lossless transfer between CAD software.

STEP suits engineering precision, not real-time rendering. Browsers and game engines require conversion to mesh. Recommended workflow: design in CAD, export STEP for archiving, then convert to STL/GLB for preview or printing. .stp and .step are identical variants.