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From: brets@hpnmdla.hp.com (Bret Strain)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: IGES
Message-ID: <350008@hpnmdla.hp.com>
Date: 6 Mar 91 16:09:55 GMT
References: <1991Mar5.084757.28856@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz>
Organization: HP Network Measurements Div, Santa Rosa, CA
Lines: 36

>In comp.graphics, pdbourke@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz (Bourke) writes:
>
>    Could someone please supply me with information on the IGES graphics
>    file format. Like, who developed it, what are its strong points, 
>    what are its problems. How successful is it...etc...

IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification)  Current revision 5.0.

Developed by a committee of representitives of the CAE/CAD/CAM industry.

Published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S.
Department of Commerce.

Contact: Nancy Flower (703) 698-9600 extension 325 to order a spec.

Its primary use is to interchange design data and annotation for
(primarily) mechnical 2D and some 3D databases.

It is a well documented standard, and it is in common use with
mechanical CAD/CAM systems as well as some FE analysis packages.

The standard is not perfect.  It does not transfer 3D solid geometry.
It has a reasonbly rich specification in which many CAD/CAM systems only
implement a subset of its definition.

Strong points:

Documented standard.
Well accepted.

Weak points:

Like all standards, the semantics (based on implementations I've
seen) are not absolutely robust.
Does not handle 3D solid geometry.
The standard is "rich" (i.e. complex in many ways).