STEP Tools News for Friday Jun 2
Martin Hardwick
hardwick at steptools.com
Thu Jun 1 23:55:39 EDT 2000
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 Meeting
The second meeting of the Industrial Review Board for the Super
Model project was held in Troy last week.
The meeting showed a new XML driven process for adding data to
STEP files and databases. A demonstration showed the new process
being used to add STEP-NC features and Working Steps to a STEP
geometry file made by a CAD system.
The main advantages of the new XML driven process over the
traditional (SDAI) method are as follows:
1. Applications only have to manipulate fragments of the STEP
data and do not need to translate the whole database into
an internal data structure and vice versa.
2. The process is easier to understand and debug.
3. The software necessary to read and write data occupies a
smaller "footprint" within the client application.
There are three phases in the new process: discovery,
programming, and execution. The basic steps of the "discovery
phase" of the new process are as follows:
1. Find a STEP file containing the kind of information that
your application needs to add to your databases.
2. Use a STEP browser to search for the data fragments that
define the information.
3. Translate the data fragments containing the required
information into XML.
4. Use an XML browser (e.g. MS Explorer) to understand the data
encoding of the XML fragments.
When the discovery phase is finished, the programming phase is
implemented as follows:
1. Write an EXPRESS-X query to find the required data
fragments in any data set defined by the relevant
Application Protocol.
2. Use the Document Object Model (DOM) to write C++ or Visual
BASIC code to get/set attributes of the XML data fragments.
3. Link the DOM to your application.
The execution phase then uses ST-Repository as follows:
1. The EXPRESS-X query is executed to find the data
fragements and the result is translated to XML. (If there
are no fragments then default templates can be returned
instead).
2. The application uses XML to set and get values.
3. The modified XML is used to update the database.
For example in the demonstration we used a spread sheet to add
AP-224 feature parameters to a round hole.
1. We got an AP-224 data set produced by the RAMP program
containing round holes.
2. We used a STEP browser to find the information fragments
necessary to define a round hole (circular profile, linear
profile).
3. We translated the fragments to XML using the Containment
Early Binding.
4. We used MS Explorer to search the XML fragments to find
the data parameters required by our application (diameter,
depth, placement, tolerance etc).
5. We coded an EXPRESS-X query to find the hole information
in any AP-224 file.
6. We wrote a Visual Basic program that used the DOM
libraries to find and set these parameters
The new process can be applied to any application data described by
STEP and is an excellent way for PDM systems to add information to
STEP databases.
------------------------------------------
Two STEP-NC Pilot Projects now in progress
As a result of last weeks meeting two pilot projects are in
progress and planning to show results in December.
The first pilot project includes Honeywell, Electro-Mechanical
Integrators and STEP Tools. This pilot project is going to use
the FBMach feature recognition system to build a STEP-NC database,
and use an adapted "Bridgeport" control to process the database
on a milling machine.
The second pilot project includes General Dynamics Land Systems,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Virtual Gibbs and STEP
Tools. This pilot project will use the same data as the first
project but process the information on an OMAC controller using
Virtual Gibbs path planning software.
A third pilot project involving another major CAM vendor and an
Army laboratory is "in the wings".
-------------------------------
Mailing lists for WG11 and WG10
As a service to the community we have added mailing lists
to our Majordomo server as candidate replacements for the
WG10 and WG11 mailing lists currently being hosted by the
cme.nist.gov server. For information about the lists go
to the following URL:
http://www.steptools.com/forums
Unlike the old lists the new lists have built-in threaded
archives that should make it easier for new users to join
active discussions and for all users to discover why technical
decisions were made by the working groups.
Please contact us if you would like to add additional lists
to the service.
---------------------------
New Prices for ST-Developer
With the completion of ST-Developer v8, we have changed our
prices to make it easier for teams to buy group licenses of this
powerful tool. We have also reduced the basic price of our UNIX
solutions to bring them closer to the price of the NT/9x/2000
solution. Contact us for more information.
-------------------
Translation Service
Summary:
Period Covered: Sun May 21 03:25:02 2000 -- Sun May 28 03:25:02 2000
Total usage: 90
Successful usage: 82 (91%)
Errors: 8 (8%)
Translator total error success rate
ACIS to STEP: 25 1 96%
STEP to ACIS: 13 0 100%
AP203 Checker: 3 0 100%
Parasolid to STEP: 1 0 100%
STEP to Parasolid: 13 2 84%
STEP to XML: 14 1 92%
Visualization tools: 5 1 80%
Visualization Service: 8 3 62%
XML to STEP: 7 0 100%
=======================================
All-Time stats
------------------------------------
Summary:
Period Covered: Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969 -- Sun May 28 03:25:35 2000
Total usage: 9203
Successful usage: 8072 (87%)
Errors: 1131 (12%)
Translator total errors success rate
ACIS to STEP: 2099 53 97%
STEP to ACIS: 2988 233 92%
STEP to XML: 87 18 79%
AP203 Checker: 622 48 92%
EXPRESS Checker: 11 1 90%
Parasolid to STEP: 309 117 62%
STEP to Parasolid: 389 116 70%
STEP to XML: 325 25 92%
Visualization tools: 434 116 73%
Visualization Service: 74 12 83%
XML to STEP: 84 21 75%
---------------------------
Tools From STEP Tools, Inc.
The STEP Tools product line is used by the world's foremost firms to
leverage STEP technology to facilitate the sharing of engineering
product information. Over one million end users utilize product data
applications built using the STEP Tools.
Database Tools:
ST-Repository - Integrated database for design and manufacturing
Options:
- Web site manager with translation and visualization services.
- EXPRESS-X query language.
- XML Translation and Update.
Programming Tools:
ST-Developer - programming tools for writing STEP applications and
translators.
Options:
- ST-ACIS Library - programming functions for ACIS models and SAT
files.
- ST-Parasolid Library - programming functions for Parasolid models
and XLT files.
Translation Tools:
ST-Viewer - desktop tool to view STEP data.
Options:
- 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.
---------
Resellers
Resellers for STEP Tools products are available in the following
geographic areas. Please contact us if you would like further
information.
--France
Simulog, Sophia Antipolis Cedex
--Germany
EuroSTEP GmbH, Bad Aibling
--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.
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