STEP Exchange

The STEP Exchange options let you customize the import and export of STEP files for Converter for STEP and Extended STEP Interface.

This page discusses:

General

Validation Properties (VP)
Starts the Parameters for Validation Properties dialog box: Once you have activated this option, Validation Properties (VP) becomes active and Parameters becomes available.

Define or activate the following options:

  • Under Tolerances for Geometric Validation Properties checking:
    • Maximum Deviation (%) [0.01-10]
    • Centre of gravity deviation threshold
    • Clouds of points (COPS), with SAG for COPS creation density and Tolerance for COPS deviation
  • Under Assemblies:
    • Geometric Validation Properties (GVP)
    • Assembly Validation Properties (AVP)

Default Values reverts to the default values.

By default,

  • The option Validation Properties (VP) is not selected.
  • In the Parameters dialog box:
    • Maximum Deviation (%) [0.01-10] is 1.
    • Centre of gravity deviation threshold is 1 mm.
    • the option Cloud of points (COPS) is not selected.
    • SAG for COPS creation density is 0.1 mm.
    • Tolerance for COPS deviation is 0.01 mm.
    • the option Geometric Validation Properties (GVP) is selected.
    • the option Assembly Validation Properties (AVP) is not selected.

Detailed report
Includes the Detailed report in the report file.

By default, Detailed report is selected.

Groups (Selection Sets)
Activates the mapping of groups to selection sets and vice versa, at import and export.

By default, Groups (Selection Sets) is selected.

Composites
Enables the import and export of Composites data.

By default, Composites is not selected.

User Defined Attributes
Enables the import and export of user parameters as STEP User Defined Attributes (UDA).

By default, User Defined Attributes is not selected.

Import

Geometry quality enhancement
Checks the quality of the imported geometry and proposes tools to improve it when required.

By default, Allow deformation is not selected, and Maximum shape deformation is not active.

Tessellated geometry
Enables the import of tessellated geometry.

By default, Tessellated geometry is not selected.

3D Annotations
Enables the import of 3D annotations. They are automatically processed in graphic or semantic mode.

By default, 3D Annotations is not selected.

Export

Header of the STEP file
Gives access to the definition of the Header of STEP File.
Application Protocol (AP)
Specifies the STEP format into which the data is exported as explained in Dealing with STEP Data.

By default, Application Protocol (AP) is set to 242 ed1.

Units
Specifies whether the data is exported in mm or inches, independently of the session unit.

By default, Units is set to mm.

Show/NoShow
Defines the content to export:
  • Export also NoShow entities
  • Export non-visualized layers

By default, Export also NoShow entities nor Export also non-visualized layers are selected.

Geometrical Sets
Supports geometrical sets at import and export (for exact geometry only).

By default, Geometrical Sets is not selected.

Export all visible 3DShape Representations of the Reference
Merges all visible 3D shape representations of the reference into one and exports it.

By default, Export all visible 3DShape Representations of the Reference is not selected.

Exact geometry as
Select the required option:
  • Exact to force the export as exact geometry,
  • Tessellated to force the export as tessellated geometry,
  • Exact and Tessellated to keep both formats.

By default, Exact is selected.

Tessellated Geometry
Export also edges applies to the tessellated geometry created in the STEP file, either because it was present in the content to export, or because Tessellated or Exact and Tessellated is selected (see above).
  • When this option is cleared, exported tessellated solids and surfaces only contain faces, thus reducing the size of the STEP file.
  • When this option is selected, exported tessellated solids and faces contain faces and edges.
  • When 3D annotations are exported, solid and shells are always exported with their edges to keep the links between annotations and edges.

By default, Export also edges is not selected.

3D Annotations
Select the desired option:
  • None: 3D annotations are not exported.
  • Graphic: 3D annotations are exported as STEP PMI Graphic Presentation entities.
  • Authorable and Graphic: 3D annotations are exported as STEP AP242 PMI Semantic Representation entities and as STEP AP242 PMI Graphic Presentation entities, linked by STEP draughting_model_item_association entities (DMIA).

By default, 3D Annotations is set to None.

Assemblies
Lets you select the required export mode for assemblies:
  • One STEP file
  • External references to STEP
  • Global nested assembly
  • Partial nested assembly

By default, Assemblies is set to One STEP file.

Quality enhancement
Enable data quality enhancement at export
  • Controls and repairs body solids or surfaces of a model during the export to STEP.
  • Applies to the following elements, based on the given values, or their presence.
    • Small faces
    • Gaps
    • Small edges
    • Self-intersections
    • Duplicate faces
    • Embedded faces
  • Is not available for batch mode (DataExchangePLMBatch).

A message in the report file explains which enhancements have been done. If quality enhancement fails, the original model is exported.

Select the check box, then click Parameters to specify their values. The unit of the values depends on the unit specified in Common Preferences > Parameters, Measures and Units > Units > Units for Length..

By default,

  • Target value to repair gaps is set to 0.01mm.
  • Small faces max size is set to 0.01mm.
  • Small edges max length is set to 0.01mm.
  • Maximum deviation is set to 0.01mm