STEP is the most widely used neutral format for exchanging data between CAD systems. STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product model data) is an ISO standard (ISO 10303) for representing 3D objects and related information. The development of STEP began in 1984 as a successor to IGES, SET, and VDA-FS. The initial plan was to achieve a single edition, but due to complexity, the standard was divided into separate parts (APxxx). Today, AP203 is still one of the most important parts of STEP and is supported by many CAD systems for import and export.
In a second phase, the capabilities of STEP were extensively expanded, primarily for product design in the aerospace, automotive, electrical, electronics, and other sectors. This phase ended in 2002 with the second major release, including STEP parts AP 202, AP 209, AP 210, AP 212, AP 214, AP 224, AP 225, AP 227, AP 232.
In mid-2010, the development of the AP 242 standard was launched. This edition will replace the most commonly used AP203, AP214, and other APs in the field of mechanical design. In particular, it will contain major updates in the areas of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, kinematics, and tessellation.
CAD Interop distributes several software programs for viewing, converting, and comparing STEP files. Below is a list of our solutions compatible with the STEP format:
