Obsolete web page for info and historical purposes only!

CAD interface tools

To exchange data between you CAD-system and other packages, you use the neutral file interfaces of the CAD-package. (Typically found in an INTERFACE menu in your CAD-system.)

It is recommended to use the ISO STandard for Exchange of Product data (STEP) but several CAE exchange formats (DXF, IGES, SET) are in use.

[[Transfer Methodology][IGES tools][SET tools]{Test files][How to get CERN EUCLID data]

General information:

"CAD/CAM and the Exchange of Product data", tutorial presented at the CERN School of Computing 1996.
How to exchange data between you CAD-system and other packages

STEP Interfaces:

Yes, they are becoming available! The list below refers to commercially available tools which you may consider!.

General information about the STEP standard
Currently released STEP Translators (List from PDES Inc
Trans-3D from Coretech International, Lyon, France fax: +33-78945632 allows you to export and import STEP AP203 from EUCLID3 until Matra Datavision delivers STEP interfaces for EUCLID...
Tri-Spectives a cheap CAD-package with a STEP interface.

IGES based tools

CAE-data transfer is often done using the American IGES format, which implies some limitations.

The following tools are availble to improve data transfer between HEP CAD-systems:

Consult: CONSULT is a tool for accessing the objects designed under EUCLID. It allows downloading of natives 2D and 3D subjects under all the available formats. (Courtesy of EST/ISS)
CIFAS: CERN IGES File Adaptation System; is a local online system at CERN providing adaptation and correction of IGES files. (Somewhat old application, not necessary with modern CAD-systems and available "as is")
Other IGES tools: a list of commercial and public domain IGES tools from other sources than the CADD project.

Other CAD information exchange tools

E2WWW (French)

An interface from EUCLID to WWW. May be of interest if your site has EUCLID3.

HPGLView

A nice HPGL viewer developed by Serguei Mankov EST division. A binary distribution is available in the ftp/tools/HPGLVIEW directory on the CADD FTP server.

i3D

a high-speed three-dimensional scene viewer. I3D supports the VRML format, which is rapidly becoming ta de-facto industrial standard for 3D product visualisation.

Test files:

The test directory on the CADD FTP server contains many test files from different CAD-packages. (Old, dates back to 1992-94)

We offer IGES and STEP test filesfrom CERN or CALS.
We also recommend the STEP AP203 Test Cases from Grumman data systems.
Please also check the ProSTEP AP214 STEP Benchmark files
IGES 5.2 files are available on a NIST IGES example server

The guide "How to exchange data between CAD-systems at CERN" may be useful to you.
If you do not want to read a long document, there is a short guide as well!

NjH 1994, links updated 1998

This page is obsolete and not maintained. For up to date information, please consult EDMS or the IT web site