STEP Tools Bi-Weekly News for Monday July 26

Mon Jul 26 15:27:01 EDT 1999

Since 1991 STEP Tools has been developing tools and databases for
product data. 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).

This issue is on STEP Visualization

-----------------------------------
How much for an Inexpensive Viewer?

We have been working on our visualization technology for the
last six months. In the near future we will be releasing two
products.

1. An inexpensive STEP Viewer called the ST-Viewer.
2. A programmable STEP Visualization System called the
   ST-Visualizer.

Both products will display a wide range of STEP data including STEP
geometry, STEP assemblies and STEP product identification. They have
been tested using AP-203, AP-209, AP-214 and AP-224.

Unlike traditional CAD Viewers that only show facets a STEP Viewer
can display solids and assembly information. Therefore, we think a
STEP Viewer can command a small premium price over regular viewing
systems. However, we are interested in your opinion. What do you
think is a fair price for an inexpensive STEP viewer? Please send
us a number and any other comments by return of e-mail.

---------
ST-Viewer

The ST-Viewer reads STEP files and displays the information it finds
in two windows. The first window shows the geometry of each product.
The second window shows the identity of each product and if the
product is an assembly it shows its bill of material.

When an item is picked in the shape viewer the same item is shown
in the identification window and vice versa. Consequently a user can
rapidly understand the organization of a product and the relationships
between its geometries and sub-assemblies. 

The shape viewer uses Open/GL to display each shape. This powerful
visualization system contains many options for setting lighting and
views allowing users to understand the full fidelity geometry of the
product.

The shape and identity viewers are connected to a Part 21 browser by
an OLE/COM interface. When an item is picked in either window the Part
21 browser shows the STEP definition of that item in the Part 21 file.

-------------
ST-Visualizer

The ST-Visualizer presents the functionality of the viewer in a 
customizable package. 

1. You can customize the supplied interface of the Viewer using
   an OLE/COM interface. For example, you can add an interface to
   display properties that are specific to a particular Application
   Protocol.

2. You can implement your own display system using the underlying
   tools in the Visualizer.

Expander is a tool that finds the geometry in STEP files and converts
that geometry into facets. Vizlib is a tool that traveres STEP assembly
trees and converts the geometry produced by Expander into VRML, GIF,
JPEG or Open/GL.

Custom features can be implemented for the ST-Visualizer using any
Windows 95/NT or UNIX tool kit. We recommend ST-Developer because this
tool kit was used to implement the Visualizer. Therefore, both tools
will always process the same STEP file.

--------
Training

If you would like to learn more about STEP or our tools check out
the classes at the following URL:

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

--------------------------------------
AUTOFACT/Computer Technology Solutions

We will be at AUTOFACT again this year (now called Computer Technology
Solutions). This year we will be featuring our new Engineering Database
solution ST-Repository. The show is much earlier on September 14-16
which is good because November in Detroit can be unpleasant.

There will be more on what we are showing in future Newsletters.

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

Summary:
Period Covered: Sun Jul 18 03:25:02 1999 -- Sun Jul 25 03:25:02 1999
Total usage: 122
Successful usage: 85 (69%)
Errors: 37 (30%)

Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	5	1	80%
ap203-acis	45	10	77%
ap203-stl	1	0	100%
ap203-vrml	7	1	85%
ap203check	1	0	100%
expfront2	2	0	100%
express2html	1	0	100%
gifviz		2	0	100%
para-step	8	3	62%
step-para	40	21	47%
step2xml	2	0	100%
steptoimage	7	0	100%
xml2step	1	1	0%

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

------------------------------------
Summary:
Period Covered: Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969 -- Sun Jul 25 03:25:20 1999
Total usage: 5035
Successful usage: 4339 (86%)
Errors: 696 (13%)

Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	997	50	94%
ap203-acis	1810	194	89%
ap203-stl	115	41	64%
ap203-vrml	522	159	69%
ap203-xml	87	18	79%
ap203check	235	23	90%
expfront	124	17	86%
expfront2	113	0	100%
express2html	271	2	99%
expxfront	11	1	90%
gifviz		182	47	74%
iges-ap202	10	0	100%
para-step	47	28	40%
sp203-xml	13	2	84%
step-para	86	36	58%
step2xml	111	15	86%
steptoimage	273	53	80%
xml2step	28	10	64%

---------
Resellers

Resellers for STEP Tools products are available in the following
geographic areas.  Please contact us if you would like further
information.

--North America
	Integrated Engineering Solutions, Iowa City IA
--France
	Espri Concept, Sophia Antipolis Cedex
--Germany
	EuroSTEP GmbH, Bad Aibling
--Russia
	Applied Logistics, Moscow
--Sweden
	EuroSTEP AB, Stockholm
--United Kingdom
	CADDETC, Leeds
	EuroSTEP UK, Denbigh
--China
	C-STEP, Beijing
--Japan
	Open Systems, Inc., Tokyo
--Korea
	Mani Information Systems, Inc.
--Taiwan
	Exartech International Corp., Taipei
	Axxon Technology, Taipei
	INTEXS International,Virgina Beach Va.
--Australia
	Logistics Pty Ltd., Victoria

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