STEP

Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data

An ISO standard for the exchange of product data and is considered a neutral file format, which means that it can be used to exchange data between different computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems, regardless of the software or hardware that was used to create the original data.

The STEP standard is intended to provide a common format for the exchange of product data, including 3D models, 2D drawings, and related data such as dimensions, tolerances, and material information. It was developed to improve the exchange of product data between companies and organizations and to help to reduce the costs associated with translating data between different systems.

STEP is considered as a more advanced and capable neutral file format compared to IGES, it is more widely used in the mechanical engineering and aerospace industry. It can handle more complex models and provide more comprehensive information.