STEP Tools Translator for OLE

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Troy, New York, June 1, 1999

A STEP translator built using STEP Tools software is included in IRONCAD. Visionary Design Systems licensed the ST-ACIS libraries from STEP Tools, Inc. in 1996. In 1997, they contracted STEP Tools to use these libraries to build translators for the AP-203 (Configuration Controlled Design) and AP-214 (Automotive Design) data exchange standards. In 1997, this translator was released to the IRONCAD customer base of Windows 95 and Windows NT desktop users.

The ST-ACIS library is a set of function calls for translating STEP geometry to ACIS geometry and vice versa. The product has been on the market since 1995 and is included in the STEP translators of CADKEY 98, Hitachi Zosen Grade/Cube II, Newport News Vivid and numerous private systems. Blair Downie, Vice President for Product Development at STEP Tools, Inc., stated that the "inclusion of a STEP Tools translator in IRONCAD means that STEP is going to be included in a wide range of OLE/COM Windows 95 and NT applications."

The ISO Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP) grew from the need to represent digital product information for design and manufacturing. STEP accelerates the flow of product information, including CAD geometry, within and between engineering activities. The ability to condense and manage all the data related to a part, a process, or any related function can produce significant improvements in productivity. Using STEP, information pertaining to initial design, revisions, bill of materials, production, performance, and so on, can be centrally stored and electronically shared through networks, from LANs to the Internet.

STEP Tools, Inc., founded in 1991, provides software tools based on ISO STEP. STEP Tools products leverage STEP technology to facilitate the sharing of engineering product information for worldwide design and manufacturing. These products provide the flexibility of EXPRESS information modeling language, integration with existing tools and database systems, cross-platform portability, and ease-of-use. STEP Tools is the leading source of software for the ISO STEP community with over 300 customer sites worldwide, including many Fortune 100 companies.

Contact STEP Tools for more information about the entire STEP Tools product line:

Or access the STEP Tools web site: http://www.steptools.com.

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