STEP Tools Weekly Newsletter

[Martin Hardwick]

== STEP Tools Weekly Newsletter -- 4 May 1998

This weekly newsletter is a brief update of what is going on in STEP
and at STEP Tools, Inc.  If you want to know more, try the STEP Tools
web site (http://www.steptools.com) or the contact for each article.

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STEP-NC Workshop

The workshop on the new STEP interface for machine tool controllers
was a big success. The conference room was overflowing with particpants.
There is a strong interest in this subject even though commercial tools
will not be available for another two years.

As promised, we gave the first USA demonstration of the ISO 14649
interface standard for Machine Tool Controllers. ISO 14649 uses STEP
AP-203 to define part geometry, AP-224 to define manufacturing features,
and its own language to describe the working steps necessary to make the
features.  We machined a part using ISO 14649 by reading an AP-203 file
into EASYCAM, a software package that Bridgeport uses to generate
control files for machine tools.  We then entered the other information
in an ISO 14649 file using a COM interface on EASYCAM. The EASYCAM tool
then produced the G codes and M codes necessary to make the part in wax.

In upcoming months, Bridgeport will put the EASYCAM software onto its
controller so that ISO 14649 can be processed on the controller without
intermediate G and M codes.  STEP Tools, Inc. will build a data
management tool for the ISO 14649 data so that a COM interface does not
have to be used to make the data that is not in AP-203.  With these
features, an enterprises will be able to make a part from an ISO 14649
file by sending that file to an intelligent controller that has all the
tools needed to machine a part without further human intervention.

--------------------
STEP Application Programming

The next Application Programming with STEP class will be held in Troy
NY on May 12-14. The class is a hands on tutorial that shows C and C++
programmers how to write application programs that read and write data
defined by the STEP standard. For some examples see the AP-203 mystery
programs at http://www.steptools.com.  For registration information
contact Annalara at anna at steptools.com

--------------------
Translation Service Statistics

The following is a usage summary for our translation service this week.
For more information see http://www.steptools.com/translate

Period Covered: Sun Apr 26 - Sun May  3 1998
    Total usage: 29
    Sucessful usage: 20 (68%)
    Errors: 9 (31%)

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Why Customers Prefer our Products

STEP Tools, Inc. software is installed at over 300 sites on a wide
variety of UNIX and PC boxes. It is used in commercial CAD, CAM, CAE
tools like Unigraphics, Bentley, 3D-Eye/Trispectives Hitachi Zosen,
Bridgeport Controls and Tecnomatix.  You can find a list of reasons
why people prefer our products at:
    
    http://www.steptools.com/products/stdev/reasons.html


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