ISO 14306:2017

Overview

ISO 14306:2017 - JT file format specification for 3D visualization defines the syntax and semantics of the JT file format used for lightweight 3D visualization and interrogation of geometry and product manufacturing information (PMI) derived from CAD systems. The standard targets visualization software that does not require full CAD capabilities and complements the ISO 10303 (STEP) series as a 3D visualization capability. ISO 14306:2017 specifies file structure, data segments and content types but does not define a run-time viewing or processing architecture.

Key technical topics and requirements

• File structure and segmentation
  • File Header, TOC (table of contents) segment, and multiple Data Segments for organized content delivery.
• Lightweight geometry and tessellation
  • Facet information (triangles) with geometry compression and multiple Shape LOD (level-of-detail) element types (vertex, tri-strip, polyline, point set).
• Boundary representation (B‑Rep) options
  • Supports B‑Rep solid model representations, including alternatives tied to ISO 10303 geometry.
• Product Manufacturing Information (PMI)
  • Dimensions, tolerances, annotations and PMI metadata managed through dedicated meta-data segments and PMI manager structures.
• Visual attributes
  • Materials, textures, lighting and other rendering metadata.
• Configuration and product structure
  • Representation of configurations, variant handling, and part structure semantics.
• Compression and encoding
  • Multiple compression/quantization schemes, arithmetic and bitlength codecs, and zlib support for efficient storage and streaming.
• Conformance and metadata
  • Conformance requirements, hashing, late-loading semantics and metadata conventions to ensure interoperable JT files.
• Informative/Normative annexes
  • Implementations and guidance for coding algorithms, hashing, STEP B‑Rep integration and mesh topology.

Practical applications and who uses it

• Applications
  • Lightweight 3D viewers, digital mockups, supplier collaboration, manufacturing review, AR/VR visualization, and model-based definition (MBD) workflows.
  • Asynchronous streaming for web/remote visualization of CAD-derived content.
• Primary users
  • CAD/PLM vendors, visualization software developers, OEMs and suppliers, systems integrators, and technical teams managing 3D data exchange and downstream visualization workflows.

Related standards / interoperability

• Closely associated with ISO 10303 (STEP) for precise geometry/B‑Rep exchange.
• Uses encoding and metadata conventions that enable integration into PLM and MBD ecosystems.

Keywords: ISO 14306:2017, JT file format, 3D visualization, PMI, CAD, lightweight geometry, b-rep, Shape LOD, compression, ISO 10303.