3.

Data Models for Engineering Data

Conventional and Specific Ways to

Describe Engineering Data
 Overview
• Conventional Models
– Overview of Data Models
– Logical Models
• Databases and the Relational Data Model
• Object-oriented Data Models
• Semi-structured Data Models
– Conceptual Models
• The Entity Relationship Model (ER)
• The Unified Modeling Language (UML)
• Engineering Data Models
– The Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP)
• STEP EXPRESS as a modeling language
• EXPRESS-G as a graphical/conceptual model
– STEP files

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Reminder: Data Model
A data model is a model that describes in an abstract way how data
is represented in an information system or a database management
system.

• A data model defines syntax and semantics, i.e.

– How can data be structured (syntax)
– What does this structure mean (semantics)
• Very generic term for many applications
– Programming languages have their data models (e.g. C++ and Java have
object-oriented data models)
– Conceptual design methods (e.g. ER, UML) represent a data model
– File formats either apply a data model (e.g. XML) or implement their own
– Database management systems implement data(base) models

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Information System Design Phases
Conceptual Models:
Requirements
ER, UML, EXPRESS-G
Analysis

Conceptual Logical Models:

Design Relational, Object-oriented,
Document-oriented, EXPRESS

Logical Design Physical Models:

SQL-92, SQL:2011,
XML, JSON, C++,
Physical Java
Design

Implementation

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Types of Data Models
• Conceptual Models
– Describing the concepts of the given Universe of Discourse and their
relationships
– Information requirements of system/users
– Independent of final structure implementation
– Often using graphical notation
• Logical Models
– Describes the logical structure of information (data) in the system to
be developed
– Independent of specific (database) systems or (programming)
languages
• Physical/Implementation Models
– Describes all details of how information is represented

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 The Relational Model (RM)
• Developed since early 1970s based on mathematical theory of
relations and operations performed on them (relational
algebra)
• SQL (Structured Query Language) as a strong standard to
access relational databases
• Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)
implement RM, most often based on SQL
• RDBMS are state of the art for database storage

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL/RM: Basic Concepts
• Data is stored as rows/records (tuples*) in tables
(relations) with values for each column (attribute)
• Rows can be identified by special columns called
primary keys, for which a unique value must exist
• Foreign keys can be used to establish connections
across data in different tables
• Constraints can be specified to grant consistency

* Terms in brackets relate to

relational theory/mathematics

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL/RM: Simple Example

PartID Name Weight SupplierID

GT-876-140425 Plunger 143.5 1
FT-852-130707 Shaft 77.0 3
FT-855-140809 Bolt 15.7 1
TT-707-778 Case 22.8 2

SupplierID Name Location

1 Reed & Sons New York
2 CaseStudio Boston
3 ToolTime Austin

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL/RM: Tables

Column

PartID Name Weight SupplierID

GT-876-140425 Plunger 143.5 1
Table FT-852-130707 Shaft 77.0 3
FT-855-140809 Bolt 15.7 1 Row
TT-707-778 Case 22.8 2

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL/RM: Primary Keys

Primary Key

PartID Name Weight SupplierID

GT-876-140425 Plunger 143.5 1
FT-852-130707 Shaft 77.0 3
Primary Key Value FT-855-140809 Bolt 15.7 1
TT-707-778 Case 22.8 2

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL/RM: Foreign Keys
Foreign Key

PartID Name Weight SupplierID

GT-876-140425 Plunger 143.5 1
FT-852-130707 Shaft 77.0 3
FT-855-140809 Bolt 15.7 1
TT-707-778 Case 22.8 2

SupplierID Name Location

1 Reed & Sons New York
2 CaseStudio Boston
3 ToolTime Austin

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 The Structured Query Language (SQL)
• Language to access databases structured according
to Relational Model
– Developed based on RM
– Introduces some minor differences to RM
– Not a programming language
• Consists of several parts, most importantly:
– Actual query language to read data
– Data Definition Language (DDL) to create (empty)
databases, tables, etc.
– Data Manipulation Language (DML) to insert, modify and
delete data
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 SQL: Query Language
SELECT <columns>
FROM <tables>
WHERE <condition>;

• Declarative language:
– Result is described, not how it is computed
– Actual execution can be optimized by DBMS
• Typical structure: SFW-block (SELECT-FROM-WHERE)
• Input as well as result are always tables
• Used from programming languages via standardized or
proprietary application programming interfaces (ODBC, JDBC,
etc.)
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 SQL: Query Language Example 1
SELECT name, weight
FROM part
WHERE weight > 50;

Name Weight
Plunger 143.5
Shaft 77.0

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL: Query Language Example 2
SELECT p.name, s.name
FROM part p, supplier s
WHERE p.supplierid = s.supplierid
AND s.name LIKE ‘Reed%’;

Part.Name Supplier.Name
Plunger Reed & Sons
Bolt Reed & Sons

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL: Data Definition Language
CREATE TABLE part (
partid INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
weight DECIMAL(10,2),
supplierid INTEGER REFERENCES supplier(supplierid)
);

• DDL= Part of SQL language used to define schema elements

(tables, constraints, views, etc.)

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 SQL: Data Manipulation Language (DDL)

INSERT INTO supplier VALUES (4,’Rex & Smith’, ‘Baltimore’);

UPDATE supplier
SET location=‘Woburn’
WHERE supplierid=2;

DELETE FROM part

WHERE supplierid=1;

• DML = Part of SQL language to insert, modify and delete data

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Engineering and RDBMS
• RDBMS often used for
– Product Lifecycle Management (Product Data
Management, Engineering Data Management)
– Applications for generic tasks, e.g. Enterprise Resource
Planning, Workflow Management Systems, Supply Chain
Management, etc.
• RDBMS less often or not used for
– Direct structured storage of product definition data
• Details in Section 4

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Object-oriented Data Models
• Enhanced semantic modeling
– Allows more flexible and re-usable definitions
– More semantic concepts add complexity to data model/languages
• Developed gradually until major breakthrough in 1980s
• Similar concepts of data modeling applied for numerous
application fields in computer science, e.g.
– Object-oriented Analysis and Design (e.g. UML)
– Object-oriented Programming (e.g. C++, Java)
– Object-oriented Databases (e.g. db4o, Versant)
– Object-relational Databases (SQL since SQL:1999)
– Object-oriented User Interfaces

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 OO: Enhanced Semantic Modeling
• Objects as instances (data) of classes
• User-defined Classes as definitions (schema) of
– The structure of objects with Attributes and Relationships
– The behavior of objects by Methods (class functions)
• Encapsulation to differentiate between appearance to use
user of objects of classes (interface) and their internal
structure and behavior (implementation)
• Re-usability of definitions by Specialization among classes
– Inheritance: specialized classes (subclasses) also posses the attributes,
relationships and methods of the classes they were derived from
(superclasses)
– Polymorphism: objects of a subclass are also objects of the superclass
and can be used accordingly
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 OO: Attributes
• Attributes represent properties of class Part
objects of a class, for which an {
object carries concrete values ...
string name;
• Defined based on data types int version_id;
– Basic data types defined of Date lastModified;
implementation model (e.g. ...
int, float, char in C++) };
– Pre-defined complex types (e.g.
string in C++) This and all following
– User-defined complex types (e.g. examples on OO are in C++
classes for Address, Date,
Coordinates, etc.)

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 OO: Methods
• Specification of behavior of objects in class Part
{
terms of functions on that object ...
• Interface (Signature, declaration): Part(string n);
void createNewVersion();
– Specifies how the method can be used
...
– External view of the method };
– Name, parameters and return value
...
• Implementation (definition):
– Provides executable source code for Part::Part(string n)
method {
name = n;
– Internal view of the methode version_id = 1;
• Interface and implementation }

may be separated (e.g. in C++) void Part::createNewVersion()

• Constructors as special methods to {
version_id++;
create objects of that class }

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 OO: Relationships
class Part
• 1:1 and N:1 Relationships {
between different objects ...
Engineer* responsibleEngineer;
most often represented by ...
};
pointers (physical address,
e.g. C++) or references class Engineer
(logical, e.g. Java) {
...
• Bidirectional, 1:N and N:M string name;
string department;
relationships require set<Part*> designedParts;
...
additional type construction };

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 OO: Encapsulation
class Part
• External (interface) and {
internal (implementation) public:
Part(string n);
structure of class maybe void createNewVersion();
private:
specified string name;
int version_id;
• Typically access modifiers Date lastModified;
Engineer*
such as responsibleEngineer;
– Public: attribute or method
};
accessible from everywhere
– Private: only accessible within
methods of this class
– Protected: accessible within
this class and in subclasses
– Package (Java only): within
this library
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 OO: Objects and Classes
class Part
• Objects of classes {
– Defined within source code, public:
Part(string n);
i.e. function and method void createNewVersion();
implementation private:
string name;
– Notion class implies set of int version_id;
objects conforming to the ...
};
defined structure
// Main program
– Carry values for attributes
– Methods are called on objects, int main()
{
e.g. using notations like Part* obj1 = new Part("Wheel");
obj.method() or Part* obj2 = new Part("Hub");
...
obj->method() obj1->createNewVersion();
...
return 0;
}

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 OO: Specilization
class Part
• Relationship between classes to {
model more specific subsets of public:
Part(string n);
objects with additional properties void createNewVersion();
private:
and methods string name;
int version_id;
• Inheritance: attributes and Date lastModified;
methods defined in superclass Engineer* responsibleEngineer;
};
are also defined in subclass (also
referred to as subtyping) class ManufacturedPart : public Part
{
• Polymorphism: wherever objects private:
of a superclass can be used, string manufacturingDepartment;
};
object of any subclass of it can be
used, too class PurchasedPart : public Part
{
private:
string vendor;
};

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 OO and Engineering Data
• Rich semantic modeling suitable to support complex data
structures
• Typical implementation model of engineering applications
– Conceptual Modeling
– Programming and Development
– File Storage
• Some concepts integrated with STEP data models EXPRESS
and EXPRESS-G
– Specialization
– Relationships
• Object-oriented and Object-Relational Databases suitable but
not commonly used for Engineering Data

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 XML
• eXtensible Markup Language
– Hierarchical structure of nested elements (tags)
– Elements may have attributes
– Actual data on the leave level
– Mix of content (data) and description (schema, metadata)
• Developed based on SGML (document processing) to exchange any kind of
data on the Web
• Inspired by HTML (also based on SGML), which is only useful to exchange
• Can be considered a neutral text format for files
• Application-specific schemas of valid documents can be defined by
Document Type Definitions (DTD) or XML Shema (XSD)
• Standard software/libraries for XML processing publically available

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 XML Example: EAGLE .sch File
<schematic>
<parts>
<part name="SUPPLY1" deviceset="GND" device=""/>
<part name="C1" deviceset="C-EU" device="050-024X044" value="22pF"/>
</parts>
<sheets>
<sheet>
<instances> <!-- Positions the parts on the board. E. g.: -->
<instance part="SUPPLY1" gate="GND" x="132.08" y="187.96"/>
<instance part="C1" x="-50.8" y="200.66" rot="R270"/>
</instances>
<nets>
<net name="N$1" class="0">
<segment>
<wire x1="9.44" y1="19.04" x2="8.9" y2="19.04" width="0.15"/>
<wire x1="8.9" y1="19.04" x2="8.9" y2="20.66" width="0.15"/>
<wire x1="8.9" y1="20.66" x2="2.4" y2="20.66" width="0.15"/>
<pinref part="C1" pin="5"/>
<pinref part="SUPPLY1" pin="1"/>
</segment>
</net>
</nets>
</sheet>
</sheets>
</schematic> [Source: Philipp Ludwig]
 XML Structure and Data Model
• Markup language intended to describe structure within documents and
document collections in files or databases
• Data logically represented according to Document Object Model (DOM)
as hierarchy/tree of
• Element nodes (labeled internal nodes)
• One labeled root node (represents document content)
• Text nodes as leaf nodes represent actual data
• Attribute nodes as special sub-nodes with a child text node
• Structure is
• Well-formed: conforms to general XML rules
• Valid: possible nesting of elements, attributes, etc. conform to a
schema defined as Document Type Definition (DTD) or XML
Schema (XS)

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 XML DOM Example
schematic

parts sheets

…
part part

…
name deviceset device
Element node
text text text Attribute node

Text node
”SUPPLY1” ”GND” ””

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 XML Example: eagle.dtd
• DTD used for schema definition, i.e. valid .sch files
• Small excerpt of eagle.dtd (publically available):
<!ELEMENT schematic (description?, libraries?, attributes?,
variantdefs?, classes?, parts?, sheets?, errors?)>
<!ATTLIST schematic
xreflabel %String; #IMPLIED
xrefpart %String; #IMPLIED
>
…

<!ELEMENT part (attribute*, variant*)>

<!ATTLIST part
name %String; #REQUIRED
library %String; #REQUIRED
deviceset %String; #REQUIRED
device %String; #REQUIRED
technology %String; ""
value %String; #IMPLIED
>
 XML in Engineering
• Many formats based on XML
• Especially intended for data exchange
• Some examples:
– Collada for interactive 3D applications
– 3DXML for the exchange of geometrical data
– EAGLE board (BRD) and schema (SCH) files for electronic
circuits (see above)
– CAEX general purpose language for the exchange of
engineering data by European consortium
– AutomationML for plant engineering
– …
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 JSON
• JavaScript Object Notation
• More recent, “lightweight” {
"firstName": "John",
alternative to XML "lastName": "Smith",
"age": 25,
• Also provides Schema "phoneNumber":
definition language [
{
• Developed for Web and },
"number": "212 555-1234"

Cloud applications {
"type": "fax",
• In Engineering: "number": "646 555-4567"
}
– No major usage ]
}
– Current development of CAD
JSON export to support web-
Based on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON]
based interoperability

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Conceptual Models
• Used during Conceptual Design
– Early development phase
– Independent of implementation
– Focus on completeness and soundness description of universe of
discourse
• Typically using graphical notation
• Covered here:
– General purpose models:
• Entity Relations Model (ERM or ER Model)
• Unified Modeling Language (UML)
– Specialized model for application areas
• EXPRESS-G for engineering data

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Focus of Conceptual Models
Conceptual Models:
Requirements
ER, UML, EXPRESS-G
Analysis

Conceptual Logical Models:

Design Relational, Object-oriented,
Document-oriented, EXPRESS

Logical Design Physical Models:

SQL-92, SQL:2011,
C++, Java
Physical
Design

Implementation

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 The Entity Relationship (ER) Model
• Developed by Peter Chen in 1976
• Commonly used for design of relational databases
• Set of rules for mapping ER concepts to tables
• Several derivatives with more efficient notation, e.g.
– Idef1x
– Crows foot/Barker’s notation
• Several extension, to introduce more powerful (e.g.
object-oriented) concepts

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 ER Model: Basic Concepts

Part Supplied Supplier

by

PartID SupplierID

Name Name

Weight Location

• Entity types (rectangles): represent sets of real-world entities with

common attributes
• Attributes (ovals or rounded boxes): hold property values of entities, keys
(underlined) as identifying attributes
• Relationship types (diamond shaped boxes): possible relationship
between instances of entity types
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 ER Concepts: Cardinalities /1
[1,*] [1,1]
Teacher offers Lecture

Equivalent to:

* 1
Teacher offers Lecture

• Cardinalities: indicate how often instances of entity types might

participate in a certain relations
• Min/max cardinalities or, alternatively but less precise, only maximum
value
• Optional relationships: minimum cardinality is zero
• 1:1, 1:N or N:M relationships (example above: 1:N relationship) as typical
classes of relationships based on cardinalities
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 ER Concepts: Cardinalities /2
Student attends Lecture

Equivalent to:

[0,*] [0,*]
Student attends Lecture

or

* *
Student attends Lecture

• Example above: N:M relationship

• Unspecified cardinalities indicate default case of optional N:M
relationship
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
 ER Concepts: Further Relationships

married to Building Teacher Lecture

[0,1] [1,*]

has offers
Person
[0,1] [1,1]

Room Room

Self-referential relationships Relationships expressing Relationships between more

on the type-level existential dependencies than two entity types (n-ary
(weak entity types) relationships)

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Mapping ER Schema to Relational
• Simple rules
– Entity types map to tables
– Attributes map to columns
– Key attributes map to primary key columns
– N:M relationships map to tables with keys of participating entity types
as columns
– 1:1 relationships
• Non-optional: entity types and relationship can be merged into one table
• Optional: map to table with keys of participating entity types as columns
– 1:N relationships
• Non-optional: entity types and relationship can be merged into one table
• Optional: map to table with keys of participating entity types as columns
• Some variance allowed to improve performance, simplicity,
etc.
Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
The Unified Modeling Language (UML)
• Object-oriented modeling language/model for general
software engineering
• Developed in mid 1990s as a combination of several
languages/conceptual models
• Contains several diagram types for describing different
aspects of structure and behavior
– Class diagrams
– Object diagrams
– State diagrams
– Sequence diagrams
– Etc.
• Class diagrams useful to describe database or file schemas

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 UML Class Diagrams
• Cover basic data model aspects such as ER Model
– Classes entity types
– Attributes and key attributes for classes
– Relationships with cardinalities
• In addition, object-oriented concepts:
– Specialization and inheritance
– Encapsulation
– Methods

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 UML Class Diagram Example

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 STEP
• STandard for the Exchange of Product model data
• Developed since 1984 by international consortium
• Standardized since 1990s as ISO 10303
• Contains
– General methods for describing data and schemas
– Definitions of generic file formats
– Application-specific methods for engineering domains

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 STEP Parts relevant for Data Modeling

• Parts most relevant for Geometric Models:

– 10303-1x Description Methods, e.g.
• 10303-11 EXPRESS and EXPRESS-G
– 10303-2x Implementation Methods, e.g.
• 10303-21 STEP files
• 10303-22 Standard Data Access Interface SDAI
• 10303-23, 24 … SDAI C++, C etc. Language Bindings
• 10303-28 STEP XML
– Further 10303-XX Integrated generic resources
• 10303-42 Geometric and topological representation
• 10303-52 Mesh-based topology
– 10303-2XX Application Protocols
• …
• …

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS and EXPRESS-G
• Represent Data Model of STEP Standard
• EXPRESS: textual notation
– Formal notation to describe data structures
• EXPRESS-G: graphical notation
– Easy to understand
– Most concepts of EXPRESSED can be described 1:1, except
for complex constraints
• For storage/implementation mapped to file format
(10303-21) or concrete language (10303-22 ff.)

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS-G: Basic Data Types

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS-G: Entity Types and Attributes /1

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Entities and Attributes (Remarks)
• Entity types as plain rectangles
• Attributes as relationships to basic types or defined
types

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS-G: Defined Types

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS: Entity Types and Attributes /1
SCHEMA Parts;

TYPE Date
day : INTEGER;
month : INTEGER;
year : INTEGER;
WHERE
WR1: (SELF\day > 0) AND (SELF\day < 32);
WR1: (SELF\month > 0) AND (SELF\month < 13);
WR1: (SELF\year > 0);
END TYPE;

ENTITY Part
name : UNIQUE STRING;
department : OPTIONAL INTEGER;
last_modified : Date;
END ENTITY;

END SCHEMA;

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Defined Types (Remarks)
• Can be used just like basic types
• Defined as
– based on one basic or
– composed of several basic or defined types
• Constraints maybe used to
– Limit domain of values
– Specify any consistency requirement

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS-G: Enumeration Data Type

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS: Enumeration Data Type
SCHEMA Parts;

ENTITY Engineer
name : STRING;
status : ENUMERATION OF (internal,external);
END ENTITY;

END SCHEMA;

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Enumeration Data Type (Remarks)
• Enumeration is special type for categorical attrbute
• Consists of definition of small set of possible values

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS-G: Relationships

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS Relationships
SCHEMA Parts;

ENTITY Part
…
responsibleEngineer : Engineer;
versions : LIST[1:?] OF PartVersion;
END ENTITY;

ENTITY Engineer
designedParts : SET[0:?] OF Part;
END ENTITY;

END SCHEMA;

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Relationships (Remarks)
• Relationships between entity types are directional
• Bidirectional relationships represented as two relationships
• Multiple participation can be represented by Aggregation
types
– List (L): ordered collection
– Set (S): unordered collection without duplicates
– Bag (B) : unordered collection with duplicates
– Array (A): collection of fixed size (ordered, with duplicates)
• Cardinalities with [min:max] notation where ? indicates an
arbitrary cardinality

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS-G: Subtyping

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 EXPRESS: Subtyping
SCHEMA Parts;

ENTITY Part
ABSTRACT SUPERTYPE OF
(ONEOF (ManufacturedPart, PurchasedPart));
…
END ENTITY;

ENTITY MaufacturedPart
SUBTYPE OF (Part);
END ENTITY;

ENTITY PurchasedPart
SUBTYPE OF (Part);
vendor : STRING;
END ENTITY;

END SCHEMA;

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Subtyping (Remarks)
• Inheritance (supertype attributes are also defined for
subtype) and polymorphism (substitutability) are
supported
• Multiple inheritance (more than one supertype) is
possible
• Instances may be of several subtypes at the same
time
– Can be constrained by cardinalities, e.g. ONEOF = instance
only of either one of the specified subtypes

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Further EXPRESS-G Constructs
• Schemas as blocks consisting of entities and relations
• Select types to represent alternatives of various (entity or
defined) types to use for relationship
• Methods according to object-oriented concepts
• Derived attributes as calculated properties
• Communication relationships to indicate interactions
• Entity and page references for complex or
• …

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 ISO 10303-21: STEP Files
• ASCII-based textual file format for step data
• File extensions .stp or .step for files according to
application protocols
• Commonly used for data exchange in engineering
• Typically structured according to an EXPRESS schema
• Files typically consists of
– ISO-10303-21-declaration in first line
– Short HEADER section containing metadata, including a reference to
the schema (typically STEP Application Protocol)
– DATA section with lines each representing a numbered entity instance
according to schema

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 AP 214 EXPRESS Schema (Excerpt)
(* SCHEMA geometry_schema; *)

ENTITY cartesian_point
SUPERTYPE OF (ONEOF(cylindrical_point, polar_point, spherical_point))
SUBTYPE OF (point);
coordinates : LIST [1:3] OF length_measure;
END_ENTITY;

[Source: steptools.com]

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Example AP214 .STEP File
ISO-10303-21;
HEADER;
FILE_DESCRIPTION( ( '' ), ' ' );
FILE_NAME( 'pumpHousing.stp', '2004-04-13T21:07:11', ( 'Tim Olson' ), ( 'CADSoft Solutions
Inc' ), ' ', 'ACIS 12.0', ' ' );
FILE_SCHEMA (('AUTOMOTIVE_DESIGN { 1 0 10303 214 2 1 1}'));
ENDSEC;
DATA;
. . .
#3716 = POINT_STYLE( ' ', #6060, POSITIVE_LENGTH_MEASURE( 1.00000000000000E-06 ), #6061 );
#3717 = CARTESIAN_POINT( '', ( -1.10591425372267, 3.05319777988191, 0.541338582677165 ) );
#3718 = CURVE_STYLE( '', #6062, POSITIVE_LENGTH_MEASURE( 1.00000000000000E-06 ), #6063 );
#3719 = LINE( '', #6064, #6065 );
#3720 = CURVE_STYLE( '', #6066, POSITIVE_LENGTH_MEASURE( 1.00000000000000E-06 ), #6067 );
#3721 = CIRCLE( '', #6068, 1.75849340964528 );
#3722 = CURVE_STYLE( '', #6069, POSITIVE_LENGTH_MEASURE( 1.00000000000000E-06 ), #6070 );
#3723 = CIRCLE( '', #6071, 0.540114611464642 );
#3724 = SURFACE_STYLE_USAGE( .BOTH., #6072 );
#3725 = FACE_OUTER_BOUND( '', #6073, .T. );
. . .
ENDSEC;
END-ISO-10303-21;

[Source: Paul Bourke

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications
http://paulbourke.net/dataformats/]
 STEP SDAI
• Standard Data Access Interface ISO 10303-22 defines
standard bindings to languages (C, C++, Java) for STEP data
access
• Similar to an API for an RDBMS (ODBC, JDBC) or ODBMS
defines basic functionality such as
– Sessions
– Database connectivity
– Data dictionary
• Defines mappings of EXPRESS types to language constructs, e.
• Not specific to geometrical data → used more often for other
applications

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications

 Further Readings
[1] Ramez Elmasri, Shamkant B. Navathe:
Fundamentals of Database Systems.
Addison-Wesley

[2] Owen Jon: STEP – An Introduction. Information

Geometers, 1997

[3] Douglas A. Schenck, Peter R. Wilson: Information

Modeling the EXPRESS Way. Oxford Press, 1993.

Schallehn: Data Management for Engineering Applications