Dassault Systèmes
Exporting STEP from CATIA and checking your BOM.
In CATIA V5 you set the STEP protocol once in the options and then simply export with Save As. You get the Bill of Material from the Analyze menu.
Published 20 September 2026
01 Export
Exporting STEP from CATIA V5.
- 1 Set the protocol via Tools > Options > General > Compatibility > STEP: choose AP214 or AP242.
- 2 Open the product (CATProduct) and choose File > Save As.
- 3 Choose STEP as file type and save.
- 4 Check the file in the free STEP viewer.
The protocol is in the options, not in the save window
Unlike most packages, in CATIA V5 you choose the application protocol beforehand in the settings. Check that setting if a recipient asks for another version.
Publications and cache
If you work with cgr representations or a visualisation cache, check that all parts are really loaded before you export.
02 BOM
BOM from CATIA V5 to Excel.
- 1 Open the product in the Assembly Design workbench.
- 2 Choose Analyze > Bill of Material.
- 3 Click Define Format and move the properties you need from Hidden to Displayed.
- 4 Click Save As and save the list as an Excel or text file.
No BOM at hand? The free STEP to Excel makes one from the model itself: per part the total quantity, the material and the dimensions.
03 Check
Does the model match the BOM?
Export the STEP and the BOM at the same moment: otherwise you compare two versions. Then you can lay them against each other.
Free, in your browser
- Parts or subassemblies lying double in the same place
- Parts that touch nothing, with the distance in mm
- Parts without material or with a default value such as Generic
- The same shape under different names
With BOMproof
Your drawing and your BOM as well.
BOMproof lays the STEP from CATIA V5 next to your PDF drawings and your Excel BOM: quantities per position, title block and revisions, materials on the drawing against the model. Every comment gets a pin in 3D and a balloon on the drawing.
Sources
04 Frequently asked questions
CATIA and STEP.
01 Which properties end up in the Bill of Material?
Only what you move to the Displayed list under Define Format, and you set that separately for parts and for products. So add the column with the number or part number as well, otherwise a line cannot be matched to the model later.
02 Which STEP version is best to export from CATIA?
AP214 or AP242. Both contain the product structure with assemblies, parts and quantities, which is what you need for a BOM and a check on the model. AP203 works too, but contains less (for example no colours).
03 Can I view such an export without a CAD licence?
Yes. Open the .stp or .step file in the free STEP viewer on this site: you see the 3D model, the product structure and the BOM, and you can download the BOM as Excel. The file stays on your own computer.
05 Other packages
Working with something else?
From export to demonstrably good release.
Export your STEP from CATIA V5, upload the drawings and the BOM with it and let BOMproof check them against each other. Book a demo with your own design.