Extract text from 3D geometry files (FACET)
To convert FACET geometry files to another format, you need Pointwise or other 3D software.
To convert other file formats to the "CFD Surface Mesh" file type, you need software like Pointwise or a similar tool.
The .FACET file extension is a specialized 3D geometry format predominantly associated with Pointwise (now part of Cadence Fidelity) and legacy MODELMAN software. It stores surface geometry as a raw collection of triangular facets - essentially a list of vertices and connectivity indices - commonly used in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) meshing and radar cross-section analysis (e.g., XPATCH).
Users often encounter .FACET files when dealing with legacy simulation data or specific aerospace workflows. The format's primary limitation is its simplicity: unlike modern CAD formats (NURBS), a .FACET file contains no topological intelligence - curves are merely approximated by thousands of flat triangles. This makes editing the geometry in standard CAD tools like SolidWorks or AutoCAD frustratingly difficult, as the model is treated as a "dead" mesh rather than editable features. Additionally, because these files are often ASCII-based text lists, they can become unwieldy (hundreds of MBs) for complex models.
For practical use outside of CFD simulation, we recommend converting .FACET files to STL for 3D printing and broad compatibility, or OBJ for visualization in software like Blender. For archiving or engineering reviews where strict geometry is less critical, converting to PLY or 3D PDF ensures accessibility without requiring expensive simulation licenses.
Convert.Guru analyzes your FACET file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert FACET file to , you can use Pointwise or similar software from the "3D CFD Mesh Geometry" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to FACET, try Pointwise or another comparable tool in the "3D CFD Mesh Geometry" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our FACET converter.