What are the various 3d CAD file formats and which is best?

[squale]

Just wondering what the difference between the numerous 3d cad file types are, such as Parasolid, IGES, STEP, etc.

and how do these compare to a Solidworks .slprt file? is one better than the other to use for exporting to other programs such as CAM software?

Thanks!

[gerrycrossey]

i am really only a beginner on the cam front but have been usign solidworks for years, my understanding is that iges. parabinary solid etc are old file types that were a residue from PRO E. the one that i use for 3d milling is .stl files. its been fool proof for me so far, but again im only a novice

[DareBee]

stl has potential issues if you don't know exactly what you are doing.
Stl turns your parts into (100s, 1000s?) of triangles. All dependant on the save settings that YOU chose. If not done to the needed precision it can make CAM work difficult. If I am making them for myself - fine - I can always go back and do again, but this is my very last choice for customer supplied models.
Parasolid, step, igs In that order for the most accurate "dumb" models.