STEP Tools to Develop a Direct STEP to Parasolid Translator

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Troy, New York, July 27, 1998

STEP Tools, Inc. has purchased a license for the Parasolid modeling kernel to develop a direct STEP to Parasolid translator. The licensing of Parasolid by STEP Tools marks the 100th license and another milestone in Parasolid's growth as the industry's leading solid modeler for CAD/CAM/CAE/AEC products.

STEP Tools' translator will use the Parasolid open XT data format to import non-Parasolid data via STEP into market leading Parasolid-based products such as Solid Edge (Unigraphics Solutions), SolidWorks 98 (Dassault Systemes), DesignWave (Parametric Technology Corporation), MicroStation Modeler (Bentley Systems), Solid Builder (Andor), SolidMAN (Altea), VISI-CAD (Vero International), Topcad (Missler) and Unigraphics (Unigraphics Solutions). These users will also be able to export Parasolid data via STEP to non-Parasolid systems. The translator will be available as an executable and as an extensible library.

"As the design market necessitates more translators, STEP Tools is responding with a line of products ensuring direct and efficient translation," said Ken Sears, director of the Parasolid Business Unit, Unigraphics Solutions. "By establishing a link between Parasolid and STEP Tools' translators, users of MCAD solutions can now more easily read, share and transport design data."

The new translator joins a growing library of "Direct to STEP" translators developed by STEP Tools, Inc. All of the STEP Tools, Inc. translators are direct because they translate directly to STEP and not another internal format. STEP Tools, Inc. implements direct translators because the STEP ISO 10303 International Standard translators are more efficient and less error prone than indirect ones because they do not require an additional translation into an intermediate form. The principle market will be those wishing to import designs into the ever-growing midrange MCAD market.

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 175 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.