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In Dimensioning Mode, the Import Tool loads a .STEP file as the nominal CAD body for your scanned part. Profile and Position measure the scan against that body. Datums and Frames can be built on its faces the same way they are built on the scan. Alignment places the scan on the body so those datums can be copied across. The CAD picker in Profile, Position, and Alignment lists every STEP file in the Project and only lets you select one that has finished processing. A file that is still processing, or that failed, is shown with that status and cannot be chosen.
This page covers the Dimensioning Mode workflow for nominal CAD import. For the broader Import Tool — including .STL Mesh import in Analysis Mode — see the main Import Tool article.
Uploading a CAD file and creating Datums

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Why a separate workflow

Nominal CAD import is the only point in 3D Auto-Dimensioning where data enters Voyager from outside the scanner. The CAD body provides:
  • The exact nominal geometry that Profile compares against your scan.
  • A surface on which you can build a CAD-side Datum Reference Frame that mirrors the DRF defined on the scanned part.
Because STEP carries native units and exact geometry, no scale entry is required at import time — Voyager preserves the units defined in the file.

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Workflow

1

Switch to Dimensioning Mode

Select the Dimensioning tab from the Mode tabs on the left-hand side of Voyager.
2

Open the Import Tool

Select the Import Tool from the Toolbar. In Dimensioning Mode the Import Tool accepts .STEP files.
3

Upload your .STEP file

Choose the STEP file representing the nominal part. The imported body appears in the Data Panel as a new Data Object.
4

Wait until processing finishes

Profile, Position, and Alignment cannot use the CAD until its status is ready. Leave the Project and come back if the import is still marked processing.
5

Align, then define datums

Align the scan to the CAD. Define datums on one side and copy them to the other, or build the CAD datums by picking faces directly.
6

Run Profile or Position

Run Profile for a surface, or Position for a hole, against the imported body.
Export STEP files from your CAD tool with the part isolated as a single body. Multi-body assemblies should be split before upload so Profile evaluates the intended geometry.

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File guidance

A few practical tips for clean STEP imports:
  • Single body per file. If your CAD model contains assemblies or fixtures, export only the part to be evaluated.
  • Native units preserved. STEP files declare their own units; Voyager respects them. There is no scale field to set, unlike the .STL flow in Analysis Mode.
  • Geometry, not tessellation. STEP is exact geometry, so polygon count is not a concern — unlike the .STL flow used by the Compare Tool, where polygon density affects accuracy.