data exchange

Concerning the CORBA interfaces for CAD/CAM you should contact CAx OPEN GmbH (mailto:contact@caxopen.de). They already developed an CORBA based access layer to connect several CAx Systems on an STEP AP214 basis. CasCade also was a part of investigations. So maybe this is the right address for you.

> Working in the domain of industrial sharing
> at Aerospatiale MATRA Research Center, I'm
> particulary interested in data exchange
> module and STEP. Open CASCADE could be a
> tool allowing to validate and demonstrate
> concepts of data exchange and sharing
> technologies and methodology with such a
> module.

> What is your plan concerning STEP
> import/export? Which class of conformity for
> AP203 and AP214? What is the planning? Are
> CORBA interfaces for CAD/CAM systems
> planned?

Two topics are answered below : evolution of AP214/203 in CASCADE; and CORBA

Evolution of AP214 and AP203 in CASCADE Next version 3.0 Further version

The next version 3.0, planned for 20 March 2000, will bring following items. It will correspond to publication of data exchanges in Open Cascade, planned for end February

AP203 : description of the whole protocol, as a set of classes to describe the various types and provide tools to work with them : read/write with a file, check, graph of dependences ... And conversion to and from basic data types of CASCADE, according to conformance classes: CC1 : no conversion , STEP data are kept and accessed as they are CC2 CC3 CC4 CC6 : full conversion in both way, with shapes of CASCADE (with geometry and topology) CC5 (facetted brep) : converted when read (as a shape), not written This also includes the conversion of assemblies to/from compound shapes of CASCADE

AP214 : same as above for the description The level described and supported is CC2 Data which are relevant for shapes (geometry, topology) are converted to/from shapes of CASCADE. For assemblies, to/from compound shapes

Further version will add production and reading of these extensions of AP203 (also relevant for AP214) : - validation properties (center of gravity, etc) - colors

CORBA

About CORBA, we have no formal engagement yet. However, we can consider this item as possible subject for a new project. For this, we have already some starting bases :

In CASCADE, the norms (AP203 and 214) are described as sets of classes, for data, for basic services on them ... So, we can envision a new to bind this to, another way than actual physical file access.

For CORBA, among various possibilities, we can for instance consider an already available Open Source on this topic, which is mico ( access by www.mico.org ).

So, we can then build up a module (or modules) which can use these parts and bind them, in order to access data described as STEP by CORBA.

> Are other people interested in this aspect
> of CASCADE?

> How my research center can help in this
> area?

More generally, the way STEP data are described in CASCADE allows various ways of access. Also, the architecture of the STEP module in CASCADE allows modularity in these access, so that we can for instance, consider parts as relevant modules then combine them.

Sorry, I didn't send my coordinates and e-mail address last time

I'm Christian CAILLET from Matra-Datavision, in charge of Data Exchange issues for CASCADE

And my e-mail address is : c-caillet@opencascade.org