What is STEP?

Source:
Don LaCourse, Principal Partner, eDocHelp

STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data) is an international standard, ISO 10303, whose goal is to interrelate all geometric and nongeometric data in a useful and meaningful way so that the complete description of a product can be shared between CAD systems.

Note that the STEP standard is very large because of the numerous 200-series APs devoted to specific disciplines such as automotive, sheet metal, and electronics. As you'd expect, 3D CAD vendors whose users represent the mechanical sector support APs 203 and 214. Vendor responses show that STEP is primarily used to transfer 3D solid models. At the time of this writing, PTC was the only participant that supported AP 202, the associative 2D portion of STEP, even though it reports zero use of that AP among its users at the time.