STEP Tools Weekly Newsletter

[Martin Hardwick]

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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EXPRESS-X Library

A library of EXPRESS-X examples has been added to our web site.  This
series of examples shows how common mappings are described using the
new EXPRESS-X. The first two examples show how a legacy database can
be converted to AP-203 CC1 (PDM information), and how the AP-203
mapping tables can be encoded using EXPRESS-X.

The library is on our home page and can be reached directly at:

	http://www.steptools.com/projects/express-x/homepage.html

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STEP-NC at Stuttgart

Several members of ISO STEP went to an ISO 14649 meeting in Stuttgart
in the week after Bad Aibling. ISO 14649 is a new standard for Machine
Tool controllers that is being developed by SC1 of TC184 (STEP is
being developed by SC4 of TC184).

Part 11 of ISO 14649 is an EXPRESS model for manufacturing features
and working steps. Each working step describes how a machine tool can
create a feature by removing material from a work piece. The
specification was originally developed under the sponsorship of a
European Esprit research program.  Interest in the specification is
growing because it is the final segment of an "Art to Part" pipeline
that converts a functional design to a physical artifact:

1. Functional design using AP-203 or an industry specific AP
   such as AP-214 or AP-217.
2. Manufacturing design using AP-224 or the industry specific
   AP if it includes definition of manufacturing features.
3. NC Part Programming using ISO 14649.

The impact of the new pipeline when it is completed should be
significant. In some respects the paradigm used to control the shop
floor has not changed for thirty years.  A part is designed using a
CAD system, an NC Part Program is written to make the part using the
APT programming language, and M and G codes are generated for a
specific Machine Tool controller.

At the end of the old pipeline, the machine tool controller only had
access to the M and G codes. With the new pipeline, the controller has
access to the entire pipeline of information. Therefore, it knows the
functional design of the part, the manufacturing features and the role
of the operation that it is executing with respect to both.
Consequently, the controller can become more "intelligent".  For
example, it can adapt to changes, give advice, check for mistakes and
assist in the scheduling of operations.

ISO TC184/SC1 is now struggling with how to best exploit the resource
that it has created. If the new standard will significantly change the
design to manufacturing pipeline, then what other parts of the process
should be changed during the revision?  Some changes being considered
include developing a new part programming language (Part 2), a library
of utility functions (Part 3) and a library of tools (Part 11/1).

The ISO STEP group brought a lot of knowledge about new parts of the
STEP standard to the Stuttgart meeting and they were able to indicate
where some of the proposed ISO 14649 extensions may already be covered
by proposed STEP extensions. Specifically, an SDAI Java binding to ISO
14649-11 may be able to replace the proposed part programming language
(Part 2), and EXPRESS-X may be able to define the link between Part 11
and the STEP AP's. Working papers showing how the SDAI Java and
EXPRESS-X can help the new standard will be brought to next STEP-NC
meeting at the end of August.

--------------------
Upcoming Classes

Those who want to know more about the EXPRESS language should be
interested in our Object Oriented Information Modeling with EXPRESS
class to be given in July 14-15. This class has been given to hundreds
of students over the last five years and is an excellent introduction
into how EXPRESS is used to model information in general and STEP in
particular.

	http://www.steptools.com/training/

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

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

Summary:
Period Covered: Sun Jun 21 - Sun Jun 28
    Total usage: 16
    Sucessful usage: 16 (100%)
    Errors:  (0%)

--------------------
The Translation Service

The Translation Service is set of resources that can be used to
administer, translate and visualize STEP files.  Anyone can use the
translation service. A set of example files is loaded into the service
for those who do not have STEP files. (Select the option "Use a file
already on the server" when the system asks you for data.)

* STEP AP 203 to ACIS/AUTOCAD. Convert a STEP file to ACIS
  for use in an ACIS based CAD system such as AUTOCAD.
* ACIS/AutoCAD to STEP AP 203. Convert an AUTOCAD or other
  ACIS file to STEP. (The ACIS file must have the ".sat"
  extension.)
* STEP AP 203 to VRML. Generate a VRML visualization file
  from a STEP file. The VRML file can be loaded into web
  browsers that contain a VRML plug-in.
* STEP AP 203 to STL. Generate an STL file from a STEP
  file and make a prototype of the part using a Stero
  Lithography machine.
* EXPRESS Syntax Checker. Check the syntax of an EXPRESS
  schema using the STEP Tools, Inc. EXPRESS compiler. 
* EXPRESS-X Syntax Checker. Check the syntax of a Toronto
  version EXPRESS-X schema view using the STEP Tools, Inc.
  EXPRESS-X compiler
* AP 203 Visualization tools for GIF, JPEG and VRML. New
  tools to translate an AP-203 assembly to a set of GIF,
  JPEG or VRML files for processing in a Java browser.
* STEP to XML. Convert an AP-203 file to XML using the XML
  encoding proposed by the ISO STEP PWI.


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