IGS File

What are IGS files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an IGS file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your IGS files.

What is an IGS file?

IGS files have multiple uses, and Ignition Spreadsheet is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Ignition Spreadsheet

We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

How to open IGS files

Important: Different programs may use files with the IGS file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your IGS file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different IGS openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 7, 2026

All known file formats using extension .IGS

While Ignition Spreadsheet is a popular type of IGS-file, we know of 4 different uses of the .IGS file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Indigo Renderer Scene

Indigo Renderer Scene files (extension .IGS) store descriptions of 3D scenes for Indigo Renderer. They are XML-text files containing all the definitions of cameras, materials, geometry and lighting needed to render a scene. An exporter or modeling package writes it; Indigo reads it to build the scene for rendering. It is good for exchanging full-scene data, editing scenes before rendering, or automating scene creation.

Scenes saved in .IGS typically refer to external models or textures, or embed mesh data directly. Workflow: use a 3D modeling program or exporter plugin (for example Blender via Blendigo) to convert your live scene into an .IGS file, then load that file in Indigo Renderer. Render settings, materials, UV sets, environment maps, geometry, medium definitions and camera configuration are all represented in XML.

Technically, .IGS files begin with an XML declaration and contain XML elements such as scene, material, spectrum, diffuse, albedo, UV_SET, gamma, name, etc. Strings include keywords MATERIAL, SPECTRUM, DIFFUSE, ALBEDO. The scene's root element is

IGS opener for Windows

We have identified one IGS opener that is compatible with this specific type of IGS file.

Initial Graphics Exchange Specification

Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files store digital design data for the exchange of 2D and 3D models between different computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems. They are created by CAD‐based authoring tools that need to share geometric models, drawings, annotations or solid/surface data with other systems that may use entirely different native file formats. Such files are especially useful when transferring product definition data across software platforms in engineering, manufacturing or aerospace workflows.

An IGES file is written in plain ASCII text using fixed-width lines that follow strict layout rules. The file is organized into five required sequential sections: Start (human-readable comments), Global (general file and system metadata), Directory Entry (fixed-size summary entries for each entity), Parameter Data (detailed, variable-length data for each entity), and Terminate (summary counts for the other sections). Optionally there may be a Flag section before Start when using compressed or binary variants. Entities in the file represent geometrical or non-geometrical elements like curves, surfaces, solids, annotations, and structure groupings.

Lines in a standard (fixed) IGES file are exactly 80 characters long. Each line includes a section identifier in column 73 (one of S,G,D,P or T), followed by a right-justified sequence number in columns 74-80. Strings are often encoded in Hollerith style, for example "4HSLOT" to mean "SLOT" with length information.

Programs that open these IGS files

We have identified 2 IGS openers that are compatible with this specific type of IGS file.

Instant Graphics And Sound

We know that one IGS format is Instant Graphics And Sound. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of IGS files. Remember, different programs may use IGS files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about IGS file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.