Question:easy
Which ONE or MORE among the options given is/are well established format(s) of data transfer used in geometrical modelling related to computer aided design (CAD)?
Which ONE or MORE among the options given is/are well established format(s) of data transfer used in geometrical modelling related to computer aided design (CAD)?
Show Hint
Ask whether each option is something you can export a 3D model as; NDC is a screen coordinate concept, not a file format.
Updated On: Aug 5, 2026
- IGES
- STEP
- NDC
- STL
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A, B, D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Sort the four options by what kind of thing they actually are:
Before checking each one against a definition, it helps to ask a simple question: is this option even a file format, or is it something else entirely?
IGES, STEP and STL are all names you would see in a Save As or Export dialog box of a CAD software, which is a strong hint they are file formats.
NDC is not something you ever export a model as, it is a coordinate frame used inside rendering pipelines.
Step 2: Trace the history of neutral CAD formats:
IGES was introduced early on as the first widely adopted neutral format so that a model built in one CAD system could be opened in another.
Later, STEP was developed as an improved, ISO standardised format that could also carry manufacturing and assembly information along with geometry.
Both of these formats exist purely to move CAD models between systems, which matches exactly what the question is asking about.
Step 3: Place STL in the picture:
STL takes a different approach: instead of exact curves and surfaces, it approximates the model as a set of flat triangles.
This makes it heavier in file size for curved parts, but it is universally accepted for rapid prototyping and 3D printing, so it still counts as an established data transfer format for geometry.
Step 4: Eliminate NDC on the basis of what it does:
NDC only describes how coordinates are normalised for display on a screen, for example scaling x and y between -1 and 1.
It never stores a model on disk and cannot be exchanged between CAD systems, so it fails the basic definition of a data transfer format.
Final Answer:
The formats built for CAD data exchange are IGES, STEP and STL, and NDC does not belong in this list. \[ \boxed{\text{(A), (B) and (D)}} \]
Before checking each one against a definition, it helps to ask a simple question: is this option even a file format, or is it something else entirely?
IGES, STEP and STL are all names you would see in a Save As or Export dialog box of a CAD software, which is a strong hint they are file formats.
NDC is not something you ever export a model as, it is a coordinate frame used inside rendering pipelines.
Step 2: Trace the history of neutral CAD formats:
IGES was introduced early on as the first widely adopted neutral format so that a model built in one CAD system could be opened in another.
Later, STEP was developed as an improved, ISO standardised format that could also carry manufacturing and assembly information along with geometry.
Both of these formats exist purely to move CAD models between systems, which matches exactly what the question is asking about.
Step 3: Place STL in the picture:
STL takes a different approach: instead of exact curves and surfaces, it approximates the model as a set of flat triangles.
This makes it heavier in file size for curved parts, but it is universally accepted for rapid prototyping and 3D printing, so it still counts as an established data transfer format for geometry.
Step 4: Eliminate NDC on the basis of what it does:
NDC only describes how coordinates are normalised for display on a screen, for example scaling x and y between -1 and 1.
It never stores a model on disk and cannot be exchanged between CAD systems, so it fails the basic definition of a data transfer format.
Final Answer:
The formats built for CAD data exchange are IGES, STEP and STL, and NDC does not belong in this list. \[ \boxed{\text{(A), (B) and (D)}} \]
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