﻿ 72 File Extension - What is it and how to open 72 format - Review

Opening 72 files

Have a problem opening a .72 file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what 72 files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.

What is the .72 file type?

Most commonly, the appearance of a dotted numeral like ".72" in the role of a filename extension has to do with Pro/Engineer versioned project backups. Pro/Engineer is a well-established powerful and sophisticated parametric CAD system by PTC and an industry standard for the most demanding applications.

To safeguard project data and provide a way of tracking changes, Pro/Engineer implements a system of versioned backups. A copy of each active project is made every time any changes are about to be committed, with a sequential numerical index assigned to it as an extension. Thus, a .72 file is the seventy-second version of a (likely, much edited) Pro/Engineer project.


Versioned Pro/Engineer project files (like .72) are handled the same way as regular project files.

Apart from that, any trailing dotted string within a filename (e.g., ".72") can appear or actually become a provisional filename extension, if the original extension is missing or simply concealed by the operating system (the default behavior on Microsoft Windows). To avoid confusion, the "Hide extensions..." option should always be turned off. If the original extension is still missing, it should be replaced manually, basing on the knowledge of the correct file type.

Lastly, the ".72" string acting as a filename extension can also be a malformed representation of the .7z extension (7-Zip Archive). If a given .72 file can be opened with the 7-Zip archiver, the .72 extension should manually corrected to .7z.


Software to open or convert 72 files

You can open 72 files with the following programs:
3D-Tool by 3D-Tool GmbH & Co. KG
3D-Tool by 3D-Tool
VLC media player
VLC media player by VideoLAN

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