STEP Tools Weekly News for Monday May 24

[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).


-------------
STEP-NC Plans

ISO 14649 (also called STEP-NC) is an extension to STEP that covers
Part Programs for numerically controlled machines.  Currently, these
machines are programmed using a language called RS274. This language
is over 30 years old and severly restricts the range of information
that can be communicated to a machine tool controller.

ISO 14649 is divided into Parts. The following parts are being
refined over the summer in preparation for pliot projects beginning
in the Fall:

1. NIST is completing the introduction and overview of the standard
   (Part 1).

2. The University of Aachen in Germany is finishing the high level
   EXPRESS Model (ARM) for NC Milling (Part 11).

3. STEP Tools is mapping the Aachen model into the STEP Integrated
   Resources (Part 21).

4. STEP Tools is developing a Java language binding for Parts 11
   and 21 that will let programmers create Part Programs for NC
   machines in Java (Part 3). 

Today, many CAM vendors are beginning projects to read CAD AP-203 and
AP-214 files into their systems. The STEP-NC pilot projects will prepare
the ground for the next stage of development where the CAM vendors will
write STEP-NC files describing how to make a product, and NC controller
vendors will read these files and use them to control the production of
a part.

A demonstration showing some of the functionality of ISO 14649 can be 
found on our web pages at:

	http://www.steptools.com/library/stepnc


---------------------------------
How to Implement STEP Translators

June 15-18: If you are planning a project with STEP geometry, consider
our upcoming translator training class. This class will be right held
in the STEP Tools offices in beautiful Troy, New York!


------------------------
Demonstrations in Norway

Monday    - ST-Developer a suite of EXPRESS-G tools for information
            modeling, SDAI libraries for application development and 
            EXPRESS compilers for STEP validation. 

Tuesday   - ST-Parasolid library for STEP application development using
            the Parasolid solid modeling kernel.

Wednesday - ST-Visualizer for visualizing the geometry and product
            structure of large product models.

Thursday  - ST-ACIS library for STEP application development using
            the ACIS solid modeling kernel.

ST-Repository, our new enterprise product for product data
visualization, translation, and warehousing, will be shown by
appointment.


-------------------
Translation Service

More errors than usual this week because it is the first week
for the new Parasolid translators. 

Summary:
Period Covered: Sun May 16 03:25:02 1999 -- Sun May 23 03:25:02 1999
Total usage: 80
Successful usage: 64 (80%)
Errors: 16 (20%)


Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	34	7	79%
ap203-acis	6	1	83%
ap203-stl	2	1	50%
ap203-vrml	2	0	100%
ap203check	4	0	100%
expfront2	1	0	100%
gifviz		4	0	100%
para-step	8	4	50%
step-para	5	1	80%
step2xml	8	1	87%
steptoimage	3	0	100%
xml2step	3	1	66%

=======================================
All-Time stats

------------------------------------
Summary:
Period Covered: Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969 -- Sun May 23 03:25:16 1999
Total usage: 4255
Successful usage: 3732 (87%)
Errors: 523 (12%)


Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	907	45	95%
ap203-acis	1557	159	89%
ap203-stl	111	41	63%
ap203-vrml	382	101	73%
ap203-xml	87	18	79%
ap203check	209	18	91%
expfront	124	17	86%
expfront2	91	0	100%
express2html	261	2	99%
expxfront	11	1	90%
gifviz		162	45	72%
iges-ap202	10	0	100%
para-step	8	4	50%
sp203-xml	13	2	84%
step-para	5	1	80%
step2xml	82	10	87%
steptoimage	212	51	75%
xml2step	23	8	65%


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