CoCreate CAD - CAD Recommended STEP settings


OneSpace Designer Modeling (OSDM) data exchange with other CAD applications: 

The following settings enable best data transfer results - in most cases.

Remind: to import data into OSDM

NOTE: Any input is welcome, please let us know your experiances.



Recommendations are available for:

 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to ProE  .  .  .  ProE: export to OSDM   parameter value 
Mixed  ON  NURBS  OFF  write CONEs as conical surfaces  . 
BREP  ON  Surface  OFF  .  . 
AP214  ON  AP203  OFF  .  . 
OSDM: import from ProE (*7)  .  .  .  ProE: import from OSDM  parameter value 
Resolution: Custom.  0.001  .  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to SDRC  .  .  .  SDRC: export to OSDM  parameter value 
Mixed  ON  NURBS  OFF  .  . 
BREP  ON  Surface  OFF  .  . 
AP214  ON  AP203  OFF  .  . 
OSDM: import from SDRC  .  .  .  SDRC: import from OSDM  parameter value 
use default settings  .  .  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to EDS-Unigraphics  .  .  .  EDS-Unigraphics: export to OSDM  parameter value 
Mixed  ON  NURBS  OFF  .  . 
BREP  ON  Surface  OFF  .  . 
AP214  ON  AP203  OFF  .  . 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
OSDM: import from EDS-Unigraphics  .  .  .  EDS-Unigraphics: import from OSDM  parameter value 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
Resolution: Custom.  0.001  or better  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to ComputerVision  Cadds5  .  .  ComputerVision: export to OSDM  parameter value 
Mixed  ON  NURBS  OFF  .  . 
BREP  ON  Surface  OFF  .  . 
AP214  ON  AP203  OFF  .  . 
OSDM: import from ComputerVision  Cadds5  .  .  ComputerVision: import from OSDM  parameter value 
Resolution: Custom.  0.01  (*8)  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to CATIA  .  .  .  CATIA: export to OSDM  parameter value 
Mixed  ON  NURBS  OFF  (*9)  . 
BREP  ON  Surface  OFF  .  . 
AP214  ON  AP203  OFF  .  . 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
OSDM: import from CATIA  .  .  .  CATIA: import from OSDM  parameter value 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
Resolution: Custom.  0.001  (or 0.01)  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to STRIM  .  .  .  STRIM export to OSDM  parameter value 
Mixed 
in some cases (*5): 
ON 
OFF 
NURBS  OFF 
ON 
.  . 
BREP  ON  Surface  OFF  .  . 
AP214  ON  AP203  OFF  .  . 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
OSDM: import from STRIM  .  .  .  STRIM: import from OSDM  parameter value 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to Euclid  .  .  .  Euclid: export to OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  .  . 
OSDM: import from Euclid  .  .  .  Euclid: import from OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to AutoCAD  .  .  .  AutoCAD: export to OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  .  . 
OSDM: import from AutoCAD  .  .  .  AutoCAD: import from OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to Intergraph  .  .  .  Intergraph: export to OSDM  parameter value 
Mixed  ON  NURBS  OFF  .  . 
BREP  ON  Surface  OFF  .  . 
AP214  ON  AP203  OFF  .  . 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
OSDM: import from Intergraph  .  .  .  Intergraph: import from OSDM  parameter value 
select STEP version  IS (*1)  .  .  select STEP version  IS (*1) 
Resolution: Custom.  0.001  (or 0.01)  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to CADKEY  .  .  .  CADKEY: export to OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  .  . 
OSDM: import from CADKEY  .  .  .  CADKEY: import from OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               
 
 
On OSDM side  
(export/import) 
.  .  .  On 2nd CAD system  
(export/import) 
Back to Contents 
OSDM: export to TEBIS  .  .  .  TEBIS: export to OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  (*7)  . 
OSDM: import from TEBIS  .  .  .  TEBIS: import from OSDM  parameter value 
no information available yet  .  .  .  .  . 
                                 
       
        
    
                                 
               

 
.  Remarks 
(*1)  STEP IS format in OSDM is available since OSDM 3.5 release 
(please refer to 3) for IS/DIS in OSDM 4.0 ff) 
.  How to select DIS/IS versions in OSDM:  
default: without any changes OSDM starts up in DIS mode 
to start in IS mode, set the environment variable 
STEP_TOOLKIT=PRODEX 

in running OSDM-session: 
(load "step") activates STEP in DIS mode 
(load "prodex") switches to IS mode [after (load "step") ] 
(step-toolkit-prostep) returns to DIS mode 
(step-toolkit-prodex) returns to IS mode 

Users might as well add two new buttons to their toolbox: 

ADD_TOOLBOX_BUTTON :ACTION "(step-toolkit-prostep)":LABEL "STEP in DIS" COMPLETE  
ADD_TOOLBOX_BUTTON :ACTION "(step-toolkit-prodex)" :LABEL "STEP in IS" COMPLETE 

(*2)  STEP IS version in OSDM 03.50  

the lines: FILE_DESCRIPTION and FILE_NAME contain three empty brackets "()" 
which could include a string. 
These empty brackets could cause problems for other systems reading the header 
and should be extended with "''" . 

e.g. FILE_DESCRIPTION((),'1'); 
=> FILE_DESCRIPTION((''),'1'); 
and 
e.g. FILE_NAME('/tmp/a.step.is','1995-09-19T22:13:56',(),(), .... 
=> FILE_NAME('/tmp/a.step.is','1995-09-19T22:13:56',(''),(''), .... 
(*3)  STEP IS format is the default setting in OSDM 4.0 ff  
to switch from IS to DIS use: (step-dis)  
to return to IS use: (step-is)  

of course you might as well add toolbox bottons here as well: 
ADD_TOOLBOX_BUTTON :ACTION "(step-dis)":LABEL "STEP in DIS" COMPLETE  
ADD_TOOLBOX_BUTTON :ACTION "(step-is)" :LABEL "STEP in IS" COMPLETE 

(*4)  A structure like: 
#12345= DIRECTION('',(0.,0.,1.)); 

is typical for an IS written STEP file 
while: 
#12345= DIRECTION((0.,0.,1.)); 

is part of a DIS written file. 

The first element in the brackets in the IS version surrounded by "'" may include a String/name of that entity. 

(*5)  A STEP output option to convert all faces 
(even analytical ones) to NURBS is available with OSDM 4.0 
(*6)  PTC's ProE version 16 including an updated STEP processor is released 
(*7)  On CeBit'96 TEBIS mentioned not to enhance their STEP processor unless the international standars have been released. This could mean as well, not before 2000. 
(*8)  We once received CADDS 5 STEP files containing very long lines that even vi could not handle. 
OSDM was/is currently not able to handle files like this. 
If those lines are truncated/wrapped, the model can be loaded successfully. 
(*9)  CATIA works with relative accuracy.  
That means if you specify an accuracy of 0.01, a small model should be accurate enough to be read successfully by OSDM, while the size of a large model "scales" the accuracy to values inacceptable by OSDM.  

When projecting curves onto surfaces, CATIA normally uses this relative accuracy. If the value is too bad for OSDM, it leaves the face untrimmed - or if they are analytical surfaces ignores them. (ref.: Supported IGES entities )  

Note: This is matter has to be regarded during the design cycle. 

 

For recommended transfer protocols please refer to:

 

For details on IGES parameter settings please refer to: