STEP Tools News for Monday November 22

[Martin Hardwick]

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).


-----------------------------
XML Solutions in ST-Developer

XML has been a hot topic lately among some sections of the STEP
community and the world at large. 

There are two XML solutions in ST-Developer 7.0.

1. A translator that converts STEP data to the late binding format
   developed by ISO STEP as Part 28.
2. A more generic template driven solution that makes it easy
   for a programmer to put STEP data into any kind of XML model.

If you have suggestions for other solutions that you would like
us to include in Version 8 of ST-Developer please let us know


------------------
New Class Schedule

The class schedule for next year has been posted to our web site.
This years schedule includes a new class on EXPRESS-X and our new
ST-Repository product.

     http://www.steptools.com/training

All five of our classes are available at STEP Tools at the times
shown. They can also be held off-site by arrangement.


------------------------------------------
ST-ObjectStore and ST-ORACLE to be retired

The ST-Oracle and ST-ObjectStore tools were our "first generation"
database tools, and the lessons learned have been incorporated into
ST-Repository.  As we concentrate our database efforts on expanding
our ST-Repository product we will be retire the ST-ObjectStore and
ST-Oracle products.  There will be no new releases, but we will
continue to support existing customers.


---------------------
New Database Solution

Our new database solution is ST-Repository. This product has been
engineered for STEP and EXPRESS defined data. It has three key
features that are not present in other products:

1. It uses EXPRESS-X as its query language. EXPRESS-X is an extension
   of EXPRESS that will become Part 14 of STEP. The advantage of using
   EXPRESS-X is that one seamless environment can be used to both
   define and manipulate data.

2. It knows how to integrate STEP data. Therefore, an ST-Repository
   database does not duplicate data items, instead new items are added
   to the database, and old items are updated when a STEP file is
   imported.

3. It scales well. We have test results showing that the time to extract
   1,000 entity instances from a database is almost the same when a 
   database contains 10,000 instances or 50,000 instances.



--------------------
Parasolid Translator

After a short absence our Parasolid translator is back on our
web site. The translator had to go back to the hospital because
it was not performing well. It is now better but still not 100%.
If you have any files that can help us find further problems
please send them to us.


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

Period Covered: Sun Nov 14 03:25:03 1999 -- Sun Nov 21 03:25:03 1999
Total usage: 88
Successful usage: 74 (84%)
Errors: 14 (15%)

Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	12	0	100%
ap203-acis	14	1	92%
ap203-vrml	6	0	100%
ap203check	2	0	100%
gifviz		1	1	0%
para-step	13	6	53%
step-para	21	6	71%
step2xml	4	0	100%
steptoimage	3	0	100%
xml2step	12	0	100%

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

------------------------------------
Summary:
Period Covered: Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969 -- Sun Nov 21 03:25:26 1999
Total usage: 6682
Successful usage: 5698 (85%)
Errors: 984 (14%)


Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	1258	54	95%
ap203-acis	2349	253	89%
ap203-stl	144	53	63%
ap203-vrml	667	195	70%
ap203-xml	87	18	79%
ap203check	414	37	91%
expfront	124	17	86%
expfront2	147	1	99%
express2html	287	2	99%
expxfront	11	1	90%
gifviz		228	62	72%
iges-ap202	10	0	100%
para-step	170	91	46%
sp203-xml	13	2	84%
step-para	188	102	45%
step2xml	201	18	91%
steptoimage	323	59	81%
xml2step	61	19	68%


--------------------
Our Tools

Programming:
* ST-Developer -- programming tools for understanding and writing
  STEP/EXPRESS applications, translators and databases.

* ST-ACIS Library -- programming functions to convert STEP data to 
  and from ACIS models and SAT files.

* ST-Parasolid Library -- programming functions to convert STEP
  data to and from Parasolid models.

* ST-Visualizer Library -- programming functions to visualize STEP
  data.

Desktop:
* ST-ACIS Translator -- desktop tool for translating STEP data to
  ACIS and vice versa.

* ST-Parasolid Translator -- desktop tool for translating STEP data to
  Parasolid and vice versa.

* ST-Viewer -- inexpensive desktop tool to view, analyze and annotate
  STEP data.

Database:
* ST-Repository -- Parts library database for the supply chain with
  services for translating, viewing and editing product data using
  web browsers and desktop applications such as MS Excel and MS Access.


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