The STEP File Analyzer and Viewer is a free software tool provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that supports the analysis and viewing of STEP files. STEP (STandard for Exchange of Product model data) is a file format used to represent parts, assemblies, and Product and Manufacturing Information (PMI) for data exchange and interoperability between Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Manufacturing (CAM), Analysis (CAE), and Inspection (CMM) software.
The STEP file format, also known as Part 21 with a file extension of .stp, .step, or .p21, is an ISO 10303 standard. It is used to represent parts, assemblies, and PMI, including Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), which is defined by the ASME Y14.41, ISO 16792, ASME Y14.5, and ISO 1101 standards.
The STEP File Viewer displays many features of a STEP file in a web browser, including:
The STEP File Analyzer generates a spreadsheet of all entity and attribute information and reports on semantic PMI, graphic PMI, and validation properties for conformance to recommended practices. The spreadsheet simplifies analyzing information from the STEP file at an entity and attribute level.
There are three types of reports that can be generated:
The syntax checker checks for basic syntax errors and warnings in the STEP file, including missing or extra attributes, incompatible and unresolved entity references, select value types, illegal and unexpected characters, and other problems with attributes.
The CAx Interoperability Forum (CAx-IF) tests software implementations of AP242 and previously tested AP203 and AP214. The CAx-IF is a joint testing activity between PDES, Inc. (U.S.), prostep ivip (Germany), and AFNeT (France).
All commonly used STEP file formats, also known as Application Protocols (AP), are supported, including:
The minimum system requirements for the STEP File Analyzer and Viewer are:
The free STEP File Analyzer and Viewer can be downloaded from the NIST website or from the GitHub release.
The STEP File Analyzer and Viewer User Guide provides detailed instructions on how to use the software.
The STEP part geometry is converted to X3D for the viewer with the NIST STEP to X3D Translator. The resulting X3D is displayed in a web browser with x3dom. If you are using this software in your own application, please explicitly acknowledge NIST as the source of the software.
For more information on STEP, visit the following resources:
