CAD Data exchange Expert
2D & 3D interoperability

Data exchanges impact an increasing range of disciplines. This makes it natural and imperative to work with vendors to enable as many end-users as possible to exchange their CAD data. Actually, interoperability issues have increased the need for data exchange and considerably exceeded the scope of CAD.
CAD models provide a working basis for more and more disciplines.

The technology is based on the modelling paradigms used in the original models and assemblies. Hence its strong attachment to native formats, which alone let users recover complete CAD data structures and maximise the number of entities exchanged, Datakit can make a commitment to be able to read specific items of data. Datakit can make a commitment to be able to read specific items of data.

Datakit focuses on breaking down the entities into the finest grained detail possible and on building structures that enable data to be stored thoroughly and then used as needed by different applications. The solutions do not work like black boxes but deliver a level of visibility of data transfers.

In technical terms, the substantial growth over the last few years is the switch from IGES surface data to STEP, which does a much better job in handling solids and assembling data. This evolution is due to STEP's ability to better manage solids and assemblies. Datakit is closely involved with the institutions managing the development of the standard.

The current trend is all about managing FTA modules from Catia V5, UG's PMI and all the other data of this type. Companies must work from these modules to increase productivity. Exchanging 3D models that have dimensioning and tolerancing data is of course essential. Datakit has been proactive in this area for the last years. It has been working with vendors of data inspection solutions, for whom the ability to build this information into the 3D model is an additional guarantee of quality. Viewer developers, who facilitate access to CAD data, are also among our prime targets. Manufacturing departments are also interested and this could lead to 2D paper drawings disappearing completely from many workshops.

The checks and comparisons between modelised and original models are becoming ever more crucial issues in which Datakit is involved, as well as healing, simplifying models, especially for viewing or manufacturing.

To conclude, reliable and complete Cad Data exchanges are key factors regarding increasing demands to speed products launch. The recovery of the different data available in a model, does not only applies to Cad and Engineering departments or teams. It deals with a much more global enterprise issue. Among the fields of application concerned, CAD and CAD/CAM still dominate, but metrology, prototyping, digital simulation, visualisation and rendering are playing a major role in the development of CAD data exchanges. It's a sign of the times that the new software vendors who have chosen Datakit include players in the fields of design, reverse engineering, documentation publishing, visualisation, rendering and quality control.