STEP:Export

• CATProduct documents (resulting in STEP AP203 / AP214 files in compliance with Part 44)
  
• CATShape documents. However, if you re-import a STEP file made from a CATShape, you will create a CATPart.

Regarding AP 214, data are exported to STEP AP 214 IS files

You can find further information in the Advanced Tasks:

• Trouble Shooting,
• Best Practices,
• FAQ,
• VBScript Macros.
• and in the Customizing STEP Settings chapter.

Statistics about each import operation can be found in the report file and the error file created.

The table entitled What about the elements you export ? provides information on the entities you can export.

1. Choose the Application Protocol in Tools > Options > Compatibility, click the STEP tab.
   Select AP203, AP203+ext, AP203 ed2 or AP214,  and click on OK.

2. Open the CATPart or CATProduct document to be saved in STEP AP203 / AP214 format.

3. When the document is open, select the File > Save As... command.

   The Save As dialog box is displayed:

4. Specify the name you want to give to the STEP file in the File name:  field.

5. Set the .stp extension in the Save as type field.

6. Click the Save button to confirm the operation.

   A progress bar is displayed.

   You can use the Cancel button to interrupt the transfer at any time.

7. Open the .stp file you will see that the file header contains the following information:

   the file name the date of creation (with the year expressed in four digits meaning that your STEP data will be year 2000-compliant) the V5 version used for the conversion.

• Detailed report (not yet completely available for export)
• Geometric Validation Properties
• Groups (Selection Sets)
• Application Protocol (AP), to choose the AP203 or the AP214 Application Protocol,
• Assemblies, to use external references, thus reducing memory problems,
• Units, to choose the unit of the exported file,
• Show/NoShow, to export all entities or only visible entities.

After exporting data to STEP files, the system generates:

• a report file (name_of_step_file.rpt) where you can find references about the quality of the transfer 
• and an error file (name_of_step_file.err) .

These files are created in a location referenced by the CATReport variable. Its default value on Windows is 

•  
• and  $HOME/CATReport on UNIX.

You can find statistics about the quality of the transfer in those files.

Example of report file:

Note that the conversion summary in the report file takes assemblies into account.

Example of error file:

C:\\WINNT\\Profiles\\vmu\\Local Settings\\Application Data\\DassaultSystemes\\CATReport\03_ClosedTopology.err

Input FileName : E:\\users\\WebInterfaces\\ItfEnglish\\itfug.doc\\src\\samples\03_ClosedTopology.CATPart
Output FileName : E:\\users\\WebInterfaces\\ItfEnglish\\itfug.doc\\src\\samples\03_ClosedTopology.stp


============================================
*** = Processing new independent element
* = Intermediate processing
!! = Independent element K.O.
! = Intermediate error
--------------------------------------------
<I> = Information
<W> = Warning
<E> = Error
--------------------------------------------
[0000] = Message identifier : 0000
[T=xxx] = Entity Type Step : xxx
[#0000] = Entity identifier number : 0000
============================================
Actual display level : Customer

Exchanging 3D Geometry

One of the current primary uses of the AP214 Standard is to exchange geometry. The STEP Interface enables users to exchange the B-REP of exact solids. The exchange process is based on AP214. This application protocol is very similar to AP203 as it shares the same resources expressed in the PART 42.

Please remember:

• You can export the bodies (volumes, shells and faces) of CATPart or CATShape documents (resulting in STEP AP203 / AP214 files in compliance with Part 42).
• The export of Shells occurs with no limitation and all the structure information can be recovered. 
• When a CATProduct document is exported the geometry/topology of the CATPart or CATShape or .model documents is also stored in the .stp file.

Exchanging Visual Presentation of 3D Geometry

Another use of the AP214, AP203 edition2 or AP203 with extensions Standards is to exchange visual presentation information. The STEP interface enables users to exchange visual presentation of exchanged geometric elements.

Please remember:

• Layers:
  • Layers on exported entities are supported. 
  • The visibility of layers is not taken into account: all layers are handled in the same way, event if filters are defined.
  • The V5 number of layer is mapped with STEP attribute PRESENTATION_LAYER_ASSIGNMENT.ID

• Color:
  • Colors are not exported with AP203 edition1.
  • When the color of a given face is different from the color of its solid, an entity OVER_RIDING_STYLE_ITEM is created in the STEP file, and the face keeps the overriding color.
  • STEP limitation with assemblies: since attributes can not be set on instances of components, the color of instances are not taken into account. 

• Lines:
  • V5 handles 7 types of line whereas STEP proposes 5 types only. The mapping is the following:

    V5 line type	STEP line type
    	Continuous
    	Dotted
    	Dashed
    	Chain
    	Chain double dash
    	Dotted
    	Chain

• Thickness is supported at export.

• Points:
  • Point styles are mapped as follows:

    STEP point style	V5 point style
    cross, triangle
    plus
    circle
    square
    asterisk
    dot

• Points belonging to a sketch:
  A point belonging to a sketch is exported only if the sketch contains only points.

Miscellaneous

Please remember:

• Units:
  The units used are V5 units i.e. MKSA (radians, mm). The angles are exported in radians and lengths in mm or Inch.

• Wires:
  If a feature contains several wires (result of a section), the wires will be exported as Composite Curves and will all have the same name (that of the feature).

• Show/NoShow:
  By default, hidden objects (i.e. that belong to the No Show space) are not exported. See option Show/NoShow.

• Selection set (AP 214 only!):
  For each selection set,an entity APPLIED_GROUP_ASSIGNMENT is created. This entity points to a GROUP entity and to a list of exported geometric entities. The attribute NAME of the entity GROUP is defined by the name of the selection set.
  The transfer of groups can be activated/de-activated via the Groups (Selection Sets) option.

• When a Body is contained in a Selection Set:
  • a GROUP entity is created in the STEP file for that Selection Set,
  • all the entities of the Body exported in STEP are put into that GROUP.
• When an exported entity is contained in a Selection Set:
  • a GROUP entity is created in the STEP file for that Selection Set,
  • the entity is put into that GROUP.
• A solid resulting from a PartBody is exported in a group if and only if the PartBody is in the Selection Set corresponding to the group.
  If a feature of a PartBody is in a Selection Set, it is not taken into account during export.

Assemblies

Support of External References to STEP or CATIA files on Export: the External References functionality is available only with AP214 or AP203 ed2. For more information about the Customizing export mode, refer to Customizing STEP Settings. 

• Multiple Instances of a Part in an Assembly is possible: a link with the same reference is established in order to limit the number of instances.
• STEP limitation with assemblies: since attributes can not be set on instances of components, the color of instances are not taken into account. 

You can save the structure of an assembly with links to CATParts files via  PRODUCT_DEFINITION_WITH_ASSOCIATED_DOCUMENT entities. 

.model files referenced by a CATProduct are exported in STEP with the following settings:

• Application Protocol AP203 + Structure and Geometry in one file
• Application Protocol AP214 + Structure and Geometry in one file
• Application Protocol AP214 + STEP external references
• Application Protocol AP203 edition2 + STEP external references.

are taken into account as follows:

The attributes of instances of products are taken into account as follows:

Wire (GSM, Free Style, etc.)

Not generated by V5

 OpenShell (GSM, Shape Design, Free Style, etc.)

Not generated by V5

 Geometrical set

geometrically bounded wireframe

geometrically bounded surface

edge-based wireframe

shell-based wireframe

manifold surface

faceted brep

advanced brep

geometric_curve_set

geometric_set

edge_based_
wireframe_model

shell_based_
wireframe_model

shell_based_
surface_model

faceted_brep
brep_with_voids

manifold_solid_brep
brep_with_voids

Point

cartesian_point

point_on_curve

N/A

N/A

N/A

point_on_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

point_replica

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

degenerate_pcurve

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Curve

line

thru edge_curve

N/A

circle

thru edge_curve

N/A

ellipse

thru edge_curve

N/A

hyperbola

thru edge_curve

N/A

parabola

thru edge_curve

N/A

polyline

N/A

b_spline_curve
(+ rational)

b_spline_curve_with_knots

thru edge_curve

N/A

uniform_curve (+rational)

N/A

quasi_uniform_curve 
(+rational)

N/A

bezier_curve

N/A

trimmed_curve

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

composite_curve

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

composite_curve_on_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

boundary_curve

outer_boundary_curve

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

pcurve

N/A

N/A

N/A

surface_curve

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

offset_curve_3D

N/A

N/A

curve_replica

N/A

N/A

Surface

plane

N/A

N/A

N/A

cylindrical_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

conical_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

spherical_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

toroidal_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

degenerate_toroidal_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

surface_of_linear_extrusion

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

surface_of_revolution

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

b_spline_surface

b_spline_surface_with_knots

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

uniform_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

quasi_uniform_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

bezier_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

rectangular_trimmed_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

curve_bounded_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

rectangular_composite_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

offset_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

surface_replica

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Topology

vertex_point

N/A

N/A

thru edge_curve

N/A

edge_curve

N/A

N/A

thru oriented_edge

N/A

oriented_edge

N/A

N/A

N/A

thru edge_loop

N/A

vertex_loop

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

poly_loop

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

edge_loop

N/A

N/A

N/A

thru wire_shell

N/A

face_bound

face_outer_bound

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

face_surface

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

advanced_face

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

oriented_face

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

vertex_shell

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

wire_shell

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

connected_edge_set

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

open_shell

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

oriented_open_shell

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

closed_shell

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

oriented_closed_shell

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A