# Presentation: 421477

## Tips and Comments for Successful STEP Translations

- Peter Heath
- Sr. Product Manager
- Integration and Translators
- SDRC Imageware - 2600 Green Rd.
- Ann Arbor, MI 41005
- Mobile 734.260.3718
- Office 734.623-5809

## Overview

**SDRC's STEP Products**
**I-DEAS**
**AP214, AP203**
**Metaphase**
**AP232, AP203, AP214**
**SLATE**
**Requirements Exchange **
**PDES, Inc. Initiatives Support**
**History Translation**
**Verification**

## I-DEAS STEP Translator

**Optional product **
**Third party product using Open I-DEAS to read/write from I-DEAS database**
**Consistent reports as better than IGES**
**Product pricing has positioned it against Direct Translators rather than against IGES**

## SDRC Translation Directions

**Development cost versus capability and market ability to pay**
**Pay per conversion (ASP?)**
**License purchase (like today)**
**Special Services**
**Data verification**
**Healing/Repair**
**Part History**
**Customer Expectations**
**PDM**
**Standards vs. Customization**

## The Translation Process

**Import and Export**
**Understand the purpose of the translation**
**Config Management Data**
**Geometry assumptions**
**Design, Analysis, Visualization, or Meta-data only**

## The Translation Process

**Options**
**I-DEAS supports 4 variations of STEP**
**AP203 IS – Standard Default version**
**AP203 IS - with extensions**
**AP214 CD **
**AP214 DIS**

## Additional Options

**Entity Mapping**

## Geometry Translation Process

**Geometry Translation Process**

- CAD
- SYSTEM

- CAD
- SYSTEM

- STEP

- GeometryConversion

- GeometryConversion

- GeometryValidation

## Murphy’s Law

**Geometry **
**Curve and Surface Math Formulation**
**NURBS, Bezier, Others**
**Trim Curves**
**Parameter Space vs. Model Space**
**Tolerance to surface**
**Topology**
**Tolerance of edge vs. tolerance of trim curve on surface**

## Geometry Examples

- Surface with twisted Control points

- Single Surface with C0 discontinuities

- Trim curve lies outside surface definition (after trim is complete)

## Topology Example

- Two edges with common endpoints and a common center.  Partial overlaps close to tolerance are very subtle to discover.

## Recommendations

**Know the source of your data**
**Test YOUR parts between the systems and vendors you will be using**
**Set standards (flavors) and minimize variations**

## Metaphase:  MetaSTEP

**MetaSTEP**
**Supports Version 1.1 of the PDM Schema**
**Product History**
**Primarily of interest during evaluation phase and as a basis for customization**
**In the environment where a Tier 1 supplier is communicating within itself, there is little need for STEP.  Tier 1’s are still in the process of rolling out full up PDM solutions.**
**STEP appears to have the most value in Supplier integration**
**SDRC has identified requirements to update this product to support newer schema versions; just waiting for market demand to justify the expenditure.**

## STEP activities & PDES, Inc.

**MDA Group is participating in Tech meetings**
**Annotation may be next critical path item**
**Expectations for History project**
**Evaluating transfer quality**
**Ongoing efforts with ITI to support PDES, Inc. and STEP acceptance**
**Slate is working on AP233**
**Seen as a natural extension of SDRC activities in PDM and knowledge capture.**
**Metaphase**
**STEP is a central part of many customers implementation plans for PDM and supplier management**
**Customer Implementation support projects will drive STEP product enhancements**
**CAE investigating business case for AP209**
**General agreement that STEP is the standards based data exchange vehicle for the future**
**Continuing**** investigation of business drivers for enhancements.**

## Questions & Comments