STEP Tools News for Monday November 29, 1999

Mon Nov 29 22:44:53 EST 1999

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 focuses on our viewing and programming tools.
There is no new STEP or STEP-NC news.

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

A new version of the ST-Viewer will be released shortly that
displays colors and allows geometry to be selected by layers.
Both of these features are enabled by AP-214. The viewer will
continue to display AP-203, AP-224 and AP-209 files and it
will be updated to display AP-227 files and the geometry in
AP-216 and AP-218 files.

The current viewer can be downloaded by vising the STEP Tools
web site. Anyone that purchases the current viewer will be
able to upgrade to the new viewer at no cost when it becomes
available. A complete description of the ST-Viewer including
some example translation files and a copy of the on-line help
can be found at the following URL.

http://www.steptools.com/products/stviewer

------------
ST-Developer

ST-Developer contains an integrated suite of EXPRESS-driven tools that
read and write Part 21 files, SDAI C and SDAI C++ programming libraries,
create and visualize EXPRESS-G diagrams, translate between EXPRESS models,
and test data instances for conformance to local and global rules.

You can find more detailed technical information about ST-Developer,
including on-line documentation, on our web site:

	 http://www.steptools.com/products/

This package has been used to build the STEP interfaces behind many
CAD systems (Unigraphics, Bentley, IronCAD, Alias/Wavefront, CADKEY,
and others) We also offer regular training classes on programming with
the STEP APs.  We have quite a bit of experience in this area.  We
founded the company in 1991, but many of us have been working in the
STEP arena for longer than that.

ST-Developer reduces the cost of implementing a STEP translator by
between 50% and 75%. It is used as the foundation of all the tools
produced by STEP Tools including the ST-Viewer and the ST-Repository
database. 

CAD vendors and others that use ST-Developer to implement their STEP
interfaces are automatically updated to include new features of the
STEP standard as they become available such as the amendment to
Part 21 that will soon be upgraded to Draft International Standard
status.

If this interests you, can set up an evaluation of ST-Developer and
send you any other quotes or information that you need.  

------------------------------------------------
Linking ST-Developer and ST-Viewer using OLE/COM 

The ST-Viewer has a sophisticated OLE/COM interface that will let you
implement custom extensions using ST-Developer. For example, the viewer
can be used to pick edges, faces or shapes in assemblies and will transmit
the Entity ID of the picked entity to another application using OLE/COM.
In the other direction an application can ask the viewer to highlight an
edge, face r shape by sending its Entity ID to the viewer.

We are making extensive use of the OLE/COM interface of the ST-Viewer
in our STEP-NC project. We have already implemented applications that 
link the viewer to spreadsheets and databases, and we are about to
implement a measurement library that will compute geometric facts 
about the selected geometry and put the data into a spreadsheet or
database.

If you would like documentation on the OLE/COM interface of the
ST-Viewer please send us an e-mail enquiry.

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

The class schedule for next year has been posted to our web site.
The classes include training on EXPRESS, EXPRESS-X, STEP and PDM
and STEP and CAD.

     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.

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

Summary:
Period Covered: Sun Nov 21 03:25:03 1999 -- Sun Nov 28 03:25:03 1999
Total usage: 123
Successful usage: 99 (80%)
Errors: 24 (19%)

Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	18	2	88%
ap203-acis	54	5	90%
ap203-vrml	17	11	35%
ap203check	6	1	83%
express2html	1	0	100%
gifviz		3	0	100%
para-step	2	1	50%
step-para	3	1	66%
step2xml	10	1	90%
steptoimage	9	2	77%

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

------------------------------------
Summary:
Period Covered: Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969 -- Sun Nov 28 03:25:26 1999
Total usage: 6805
Successful usage: 5797 (85%)
Errors: 1008 (14%)

Translator	total	errors	success rate

acis-ap203	1276	56	95%
ap203-acis	2403	258	89%
ap203-stl	144	53	63%
ap203-vrml	684	206	69%
ap203-xml	87	18	79%
ap203check	420	38	90%
expfront	124	17	86%
expfront2	147	1	99%
express2html	288	2	99%
expxfront	11	1	90%
gifviz		231	62	73%
iges-ap202	10	0	100%
para-step	172	92	46%
sp203-xml	13	2	84%
step-para	191	103	46%
step2xml	211	19	90%
steptoimage	332	61	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 -- 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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