Importing and Exporting STEP Files

This topic describes about the import and the export of FTA annotations as product and manufacturing information (PMI) into STEP AP242 semantic representation and graphic presentation entities. This import and export are based on the recommended practices for Representation and the Presentation of Product Manufacturing Information.
This topic provides the following information:

STEP Export
When you select the below options under Export in the Tools > Options > General > Compatibility > STEP tab, all the annotations are exported as STEP AP242 PMI semantic representation entities and as STEP AP242 PMI presentation entities:
  • 242 ed1 protocol from the Application Protocol (AP) list
  • Author-able and Graphic option for 3D annotations to be exported

All the FTA annotations are exported as STEP AP242 PMI graphic presentation entities and, when it is possible, as STEP AP242 PMI semantic representation entities.

The FTA semantic annotations which have an invalid status are exported only as STEP AP242 PMI graphic presentation entities.

All the FTA semantic annotations with valid statuses are exported as STEP AP242 PMI semantic representation entities. The features listed below are the exceptions, which are not supported or whose some semantic is missing as documented in the CAx-IF Recommended Practices for the Representation and the Presentation of Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) – Version 4.0, October 13, 2014:

STEP Export of Semantic Annotations

ISO 5459:2011 Feature Whether exported as STEP AP242 PMI Semantic Representation entities?
Datum features established from thread features No

All the geometrical tolerances using these datums or datum systems are not exported.
Projected datum modifier No

Datum systems made of datums having projected datum modifier and all the geometrical tolerances using these datums or datum systems are not exported.
Common datum definition using parenthesis No

Datum systems made of common datums and all the geometrical tolerances using these datums or datum systems are not exported.
 
ISO 1101:2012 features Whether exported as STEP AP242 PMI Semantic Representation entities?
Intersection planes No
Orientation planes No
 
ASME Y14.5-2009 Whether exported as STEP AP242 PMI Semantic Representation entities?
Datum features established from thread features No
 

STEP Export of Non-semantic Annotations

 
Non-Semantic Whether exported as STEP AP242 PMI Semantic Representation entities?
Datum features and Datum targets with invalid status No
Geometrical tolerances No
Surface texture annotations No
Weld symbols No
NOA annotations No
Notes and Flag Notes with valid statuses No
Notes and Flag Notes with invalid statuses No
 
ISO and ASME Whether exported as STEP AP242 PMI Semantic Representation entities?
Thread dimensions No
Chamfer dimensions No
All the FTA non-semantic dimensions with a valid status (except coordinate dimensions) are exported as STEP AP242 PMI semantic representation entities and as STEP AP242 PMI graphic presentation entities. All the non-semantic coordinate dimensions with invalid status are exported only as STEP AP242 PMI graphic presentation entities.

All the FTA coordinate dimensions are exported only as STEP AP242 PMI graphic presentation entities.
  • All the FTA annotations applied several times are exported as STEP AP242 PMI graphic presentation entities.
  • Annotation sketches are not exported to STEP files.

STEP Import
When the 3D Annotation check box, available under Import in the Tools > Options > General > Compatibility > STEP  tab is selected, all the PMI within the STEP file are taken into account while importing.
  • PMI graphic presentation entities are imported as result annotations belonging to a result annotation set.
  • PMI semantic representation entities are imported as author-able FTA annotations.
  • STEP texts (notes and flag notes annotations based on STEP UDA mechanism) are imported as author-able FTA annotations.
  • If the STEP file contains surface texture symbol or weld symbol PMI graphic presentation entities, they are imported as author-able FTA annotations.
  • An author-able FTA view is created for each as result FTA view.
  • An author-able FTA capture is created for each as result FTA capture with same 3D view point definition.
  • The position in the view, leaders or dimension lines attached to the geometry, and other presentation characteristics of the author-able FTA annotation are generated according to the default standard parameters and user preferences. If there is no suitable FTA view, a new view is automatically created. This behavior also applies to the STEP texts (notes and flag notes annotations) and to the surface texture symbol or the weld symbol PMI graphic presentation entities.
  • If the PMI semantic representation entity is not linked to a PMI graphic presentation entity, the corresponding imported author-able FTA annotation is not linked to any author-able FTA capture and is displayed in the first suitable author-able FTA view.
  • STEP semantic PMI imported annotation set always uses the last supported versions of the ISO or ASME-ANSI standards. It might result in different syntax.

The import of following STEP AP242 PMI semantic representation entities result in invalid FTA datum features (datums, datum systems, and geometrical tolerances using them):
  • Contacting feature
  • Point situation feature
  • Straight line situation feature
  • Plane situation feature
 

The import of following STEP AP242 PMI semantic representation entities result in FTA geometrical tolerances which do not use the corresponding modifiers:
  • Median feature modifier
  • Collection planes
  • Direction features
 

Compatibility
 

The STEP files with graphic presentation PMI created prior to V5 Release 2017 can be read in V5 Release 2017 and the PMI are imported as light PMI.
The STEP files created in V5 Release 2017  with semantic presentation can be read in any former CATIA versions and only the graphic presentation PMI are considered.