Product Data Exchange

This book charts the advances in product data exchange from the early days of computer aided design and engineering to the very latest developments in computer standards, including STEP. It will be of use to anyone engaged in the key area of data exchange and communications at the interface of computing and engineering technologies.; The necessity of communication and exchange standards is one common throughout the computing world. In the domain of engineering product data the demands are made more complex by the need to preserve large amounts of precise graphical and geometrical information, in addition to more conventional data.; In this book the authors describe three generations of international initiatives to produce powerful exchange media. As well as describing the process of evolution and development of the major standards, the book also outlines the technical challenges faced in product data exchange in a variety of formats and application areas. The book describes developments from IGES through to the 1994 publication of STEP. Related standards in OSI, electrical engineering, office documentation, invoicing and graphics are also covered with respect to their impact on product data exchange.; This will be an invaluable sourcebook for engineers addressing issues of product data design, management and exchange in both an academic and industrial setting.