The EXCHANGE tab is the entry and exit point of any workflow in Cognitive Design. It contains all components used to import geometry and field data, convert between Mesh / FRep / BRep, and export final models back to CAD. Any workflow typically starts here (import) and often ends here (export).

Sections in this tab:

• Model Import/Export
• Data Conversion

Model Import/Export

Import Mesh

Brings a mesh file into the project: STL, OBJ, GLB, GLTF, 3MF or PLY.

Inputs

• Import File — Pick the file from the media manager. Files are stored with the project, so the workflow still opens on another machine.

Outputs

• Mesh out: The imported mesh.
• FRep out: The same geometry as implicit body, so you can go straight into the modification tools without adding a conversion.
• Dimensions: A read-out of the bounding box. Check it right after importing — it is the quickest way to catch a file that came in at the wrong scale (a part in metres or inches instead of millimetres).

Import BRep

Brings a CAD model (.STEP / .STP) into the project. This is the preferred way to start a workflow: CAD faces can be picked individually, which makes selecting functional regions far easier than working from triangles.

Inputs

• Import File — Pick the STEP file from the media manager.