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Significant Performance and File Structure Changes when Exporting STEP from Allegro 24.1 compared to Allegro 23.x

ST4654

Hello everyone,

we are currently facing an issue when exporting STEP files from Allegro 24.1, which results in significantly longer save times and a considerably different file structure compared to Allegro 23.x.

The problem occurs regardless of the STEP protocol used.
Tested with Autodesk Inventor.

  1. Comparison of Measurements

Allegro 23

Allegro 24.1

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(could not upload any pictures)

Elements in Export Folder: 300

Elements in Export Folder: 1179

Save Time: 1 min.

Save Time: 6 min.

File Size: 25 MB

File Size: 31 MB

Hierarchical levels: 4

Hierarchical levels: 6
  1. Observations
  • Significantly higher number of files in the export directory with Allegro 24.
  • STEP file structure in CAD programs has changed – more hierarchical levels appear in the CAD tree.
  • Performance drop is especially visible when saving, less during import.
  • Difference is independent of the selected STEP protocol.
  • Behavior occurs with both “3Dx Canvas” and “Old 3D Canvas” export methods.
  1. Questions
  • Does anyone know the reason behind the completely changed STEP structure in Allegro 24?
  • Is this a known bug or an intentional change in the export process?
  • Are there settings in Allegro 24 to make the export behave more like in version 23, in order to speed up STEP file saving?
  • Has anyone found effective workarounds to save STEP files more efficiently?

System Environment:

  • Allegro 23.x and 24.1
  • Autodesk Inventor 2024

Thanks in advance!

  • Elecguy

    I haven't noticed any significant change. Are you sure this is not a corner case due to a corrupt file or file source? have you tested with several files from different sources?

  • ST4654
    in reply to Elecguy

    Hi Elecguy,

    we've already tested the export with several different board files, including newly created test designs, and the behavior is consistent across all of them.

    To summarise what I’ve observed so far:

    • Tested with multiple PCB designs from different projects and sources (both legacy and freshly created in 24.1).
    • The increase in saved elements and deeper hierarchical structure appears in all cases, so it does not seem to be file-specific.
    • The exported STEP files from 24.1 always contain more subfolders and a deeper assembly structure compared to 23.x, regardless of STEP protocol or 3D canvas mode.
    • Key difference identified: Allegro 23.x exports were generated using STEP converter ST-DEVELOPER v16, whereas Allegro 24.x now uses Spatial InterOp 3D for STEP generation. This change could explain the altered hierarchy and file structure, as different converters often interpret or segment assemblies differently.

    It seems more likely that the change is related to the updated export engine in Allegro 24.x rather than an isolated data corruption issue.

    I’d be interested to know if other users see the same folder/file counts and hierarchy depth when exporting identical designs in 23.x vs. 24.1 – that could help confirm if this is a systemic change introduced by the new converter.

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