Design of STEP Postprocessor

STEP postprocessor is an important part of STEP interface which translates data from a STEP physical file to an application software system. This can be done in 2 steps:

STEP File Parsing -- reads data from a STEP physical file and writes information into a STEP data model so that it could be searched and retrieved more easily. In the meantime it will test the validity of data from this physical file to some extent;
Data Model Mapping -- map STEP data model into a data model of the application system.

Since a STEP physical file is mapped from its conceptual model described in EXPRESS. Parsing and testing of STEP file can be directed by its conceptual model and therefore independent of the definition of its conceptual model.

Thus, when developing postprocessors for different CAX systems, the different parts are conceptual models of STEP, CAX systems and mapping of these two data models. Furthermore, as the conceptual model of CAX system and mapping of these models can also be described in EXPRESS, it is possible to generate a translator which is totally independent of CAX systems and conceptual models used. This makes the development of postprocessor faster and cheaper.

A preprocessor can be developed similarly.

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