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Import CAD Model for Blender

A Blender addon that enables import of CAD files (STEP/IGES formats) through conversion to mesh formats using Mayo conversion toolkit.

Plugin Preferences

Plugin Demo

Features

• 🚀 CAD Format Support

  • Import .step, .stp, .iges, .igs files
  • Supports both drag-and-drop and traditional file import

• ⚙️ Conversion Options

  • Choose between GLTF or OBJ
  • Adjustable mesh quality levels (Very Coarse → Very Precise)
  • Custom scaling factors (0.0001x to 100x)

• 🧹 Automatic Cleanup

  • Optional deletion of intermediate files
  • Duplicate material cleanup system

• 🖥️ Workflow Optimization

  • Real-time conversion progress monitoring
  • Preset system for frequent configurations
  • 3D viewport integration

System Requirements

Windows and macOS are supported.

1. Mayo Conversion Tool

   • Windows: Download Mayo-x.x.x-win64-binaries.zip or Mayo-x.x.x-win64-installer.exe from:
     https://github.com/fougue/mayo/releases
   • macOS: No prebuilt binaries are published, but Mayo builds fine from source (Qt and OpenCascade are both available via Homebrew):

     brew install cmake qt opencascade
     git clone --branch v0.10.0 https://github.com/fougue/mayo.git
     cmake -S mayo -B build-mayo -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DMayo_BuildApp=OFF \
       -DQT_DIR="$(brew --prefix qt)/lib/cmake/Qt6"
     cmake --build build-mayo --target mayo-conv --parallel $(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)

     See also the official Mayo macOS build instructions. Only the mayo-conv CLI target is needed by this addon.

2. Blender

   • Blender:4.0 and newer

Installation

1. Download the latest .zip file from Releases.

2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.

3. Click Install... and select the downloaded .zip file.

4. Enable the checkbox next to "Import CAD Model ".

5. Configure Mayo Path

   # In Blender Preferences:
   Add-ons > Import CAD Model 
   Set path to the mayo-conv executable in addon preferences
   (mayo-conv.exe on Windows, the built mayo-conv binary on macOS)

Usage

Basic Import

1. File Import

   File > Import > STEP/IGES (.step/.stp/.iges/.igs)
   

2. Drag-and-Drop

   • Drag files directly into 3D Viewport

Import time test

Conversion Settings

Parameter	Description
Output Format	.gltf (hierarchy) / .obj (collections)
Mesh Quality	Controls BRep conversion precision (trade-off between speed and accuracy)
Global Scale	Adjust model scaling factor (0.0001-100)
Post-Process	Auto-delete temp files, clean duplicate materials

Languages supported

• English
• 中文
• 日本語

Todo

• Support opening multiple models at once
• Automatically update models (instead of re-importing them)

Disclaimer
This addon is not affiliated with the Mayo project. CAD conversion quality depends on Mayo's core functionality.

Support

You can support me directly via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/chenpaner

Or you can check out one of my paid addons: https://blendermarket.com/creators/cp-design