![]() However, a designer should also consider the information being shared. For compatibility it is safest to start with IGES, since it is the more common format and therefore more likely to work with the receiving party’s software. In most cases where solid models or drawings are being shared, either file format will work fine. STEP files contain the same product definition information as IGES, with the following additions: However, most major CAD programs recognize STEP and its ubiquity is steadily growing as the standard improves. STEP is a newer standard, and is therefore not as widespread as IGES. Presentation elements (drafting elements like lines and annotations). ![]() 2D and 3D geometry (curves, surfaces, and wireframes).IGES is the most widespread standard, and is supported by nearly all major CAD systems worldwide.Īn IGES file contains basic CAD information: It is currently the largest of all of ISO’s standards. Due to the complexity of the undertaking, it has taken years of development and is still being continuously upgraded. STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product data) was created in the eighties as an improvement on the IGES standard by ISO (the International Standards Organization), with the goal of creating a global standard for a range of CAD-related data types. Since the eighties, the US Department of Defense has required that the IGES format be used for all weapons and defense contracts, and it has been adopted in other industries as well. The result was IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification), which is a flexible file format that codifies drawing, 3d geometry, and other critical CAD data in a format that can be shared between all major CAD systems. So, the Air Force launched a project in conjunction with Boeing and several other large industry partners to create a neutral file format. You can imagine how many times this scenario played out on a large project like an aircraft carrier or missile delivery system with hundreds of suppliers! With all of the unique proprietary CAD programs used by its different contractors, millions of dollars and countless hours were wasted on the tedious process of sharing and converting data between all the systems. In the mid-seventies, the United States government realized that it had a problem. You can recognize these formats because the file name will end in. The most common variants of these neutral file formats are the IGES (pronounces eye-jess) and STEP formats. ![]() Bob could use a neutral file format to pass his CAD model to Susan, who could then open it and work with it as needed. ![]() A neutral file format is one that can be passed between different modeling software packages. Luckily, a solution exists in the form of neutral file formats. Unfortunately, every major 3D modeling software company has done this, so communicating between them is a problem. Software companies want to promote the use of their own modeling packages, and one way to do this is to ensure that only their package can open a file created in their software. This issue of non-interchangeable proprietary file formats for CAD data has been around for decades. Bob’s Solidworks file can’t be opened in Susan’s software, so the simple transfer of a part file has now become a problem. Bob designed the part using Solidworks and Susan only works in Pro Engineer. For most design engineers, the following scenario should look familiar: Bob, the lead designer for company X, needs to send a CAD model to Susan, the design engineer for company Y. ![]()
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