Mstn has always been pretty good at handling external files. On the fly DWG referencing and workmode... IFC referencing... point clouds and reality meshes... raster files... SQLite... 3d Tiles... geo-referencing etc.
I.dgn's and i.models offer simplification of the geometry (Solids converted to Meshes) and i.models can make even smaller sized equivalents. STM's can make multi-resolution meshes... and multi-resolution streamed info.
There are also tools to smooth out incoming meshes... hopefully to be incorporated into the RFA and general import tools.
I am wondering if the next step shouldn't be some tools to simplify / shrinkwarp models coming in from the MCAD world. Maybe Bentley / SIemens should look at hooking up with companies like ITI, which has been providing simplification tools for plant equipment models. Should be interesting for Openplant etc, which is meshing up with TeamCenter and i.Model 2.0?
A good way to get a leg up on Navis and Neolant...?