What is HOOPS Exchange ?
HOOPS Exchange is a set of software libraries that help developers read and write popular 2D and 3D formats when developing applications. HOOPS Exchange supports reading CAD data in popular 3D file formats and supports conversion of 3D data into PRC data format, a highly compressible and open file format certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14739-1:2014). PRC is also one of the formats used for 3D in Adobe PDF. HOOPS Exchange continues to optimize its ability to read all kinds of 3D data, especially from computer-aided design (CAD) systems.
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Typical uses of HOOPS Exchange (2)
(1) Read 3D files
HOOPS Exchange supports reading CAD format is a very simple application process, the first step needs to set options to determine the read data, the second step calls a single API to load the CAD file, which can provide access to the original CAD data in the PRC data format.
(2) Support HOOPS Exchange to work with Parasolid
HOOPS Exchange includes the Parasolid connector component. This connector uses the native Parasolid API to ensure that the mathematical representation of the source data correctly matches the Parasolid modeler, and throughout the process, various repair and optimization algorithms are used to ensure the highest quality imported models. If developers are only interested in B-rep data, they can use a single high-level API to extract a B-rep from any file and bring it into an active Parasolid session. This approach greatly reduces the time required to integrate HOOPS Exchange into Parasolid-based applications.
(3) Support HOOPS Exchange to be used with other kernel modelers
HOOPS Exchange provides full access to a model's B-rep definition, which developers can use to import their models into their geometry engines. An API is also provided that allows developers to adapt the model to the constraints of their geometric kernel. This API enables operations such as splitting periodic surfaces and converting trimmed curves between parametric space and 3D space.
HOOPS Exchange is capable of exporting to a variety of B-rep formats including STEP, IGES, JT and ACIS. Developers can easily and automatically convert a model to a B-rep file of their choice via HOOPS Exchange, then import that model into their system. It is of course possible to perform an export of the entire model through a high-level API, but also of individual parts depending on the preferred use case. Face and body level attributes are preserved during export.
(4) PRC format
The PRC format is a compressed format for products, a highly accurate and highly compressible format for describing 3D CAD models, including assembly and Product and Manufacturing Information (PMI). PRC files are sequential binary files written in a portable manner.
The PRC format is a publicly released format subject to the ISO certification ISO/AWI 14739-1. Specification files are included in our documentation and can be viewed here.
PRC supports PDF-based documentation workflows and is also available as a standalone 3D visualization file format. By using PRC, you can create documents that are interoperable with computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) applications. PRC supports documentation requirements for design review and distribution of detailed design documentation to the supply chain. Additionally, its use helps support regulatory mandates that require the use of open standards.
Specifically, PRC supports the following data forms:
- Supports storing large CAD files in a highly compressible form at a fraction of their original size. The complete product structure of a part as defined by the CAD system is contained in a PRC file.
- Can represent Product and Manufacturing Information (PMI), including Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and Functional Tolerancing and Annotation (FT&A).
- Allows the use of geometries in CAD, CAM and CAE applications, which can be stored in tessellated or exact form (B-rep).
PRC is currently used in 3D documentation workflows across several industries, including aerospace, automotive, and construction. The manufacturing industry has become accustomed to using PDFs for exchanging manufacturing documents, distributing services, parts manuals, and obtaining and submitting regulatory documents.
The publication of the PRC to ISO accelerates innovation around the PRC, promotes the widespread use of the PRC, and helps ensure that the PRC continues to evolve to meet the 3D documentation needs of product manufacturing and related industries.
While there are many other 3D file formats, PRC integrates well with document formats such as PDF and XML. Specifically, PRC supports:
- Structure and Geometry Representation
PRC directly supports various higher-order primitives used by CAD applications. Support for preserving more of the original design intent of the file. PRC retains more information about the product structure and relationships defined in the original design application than other 3D file formats. Other 3D formats take a more generic or display-oriented approach to product structure. This can make it more difficult or impossible to rebuild aspects of the original design relationships needed to support "manufacturing from file" or maintain workflows.
- Compressed file size
PRC captures meshes and compresses them more efficiently than native CAD formats. Files containing exact and tessellated geometry will be significantly smaller when converted to PRC. This brings huge benefits when transferring and storing data, especially with limited bandwidth or to a wider group of data censors and consumers. Even large 3D models can be easily shared via email.
- Product and Manufacturing Information
PRC can stand for Product and Manufacturing Information (PMI), and it is primarily used to communicate complete design intent to suppliers and their workshops. Without PMI embedded in the file format, OEMs need to send many 2D drawings to their suppliers to convey complete design intent. Using PRC reduces the need to create 2D drawings from 3D models for distribution to the supply chain.
- PRC memory and disk
In common usage, the term PRC is used to refer to the PRC file format.
Developers working with HOOPS Exchange will come across another use of the term PRC, generally for a data structure that exists in the HOOPS Exchange process memory either directly after loading a file or after the application populates the structure before exporting it.
HOOPS Exchange stores CAD data in modeler-specific form using in-memory PRC as an intermediate format
HOOPS Exchange uses these internal data structures to store CAD data in a common format that is very close to the format used to define PRC files on disk. During the process of reading a CAD file and importing it into a host application, the file does not need to be written to disk.
- PRC Copyright Control
The PRC file format supports backward compatible version information. This means that each new version of HOOPS Exchange can read PRC files from earlier PRC format versions.
Adobe Acrobat can also maintain forward compatibility when PRCs are embedded in PDFs by skipping data that may have been added in newer PRC versions.
(5) China ISO certification process
In December 2008, Adobe Systems released the PRC format to AIIM ( http://www.aiim.org ).
AIIM is an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) accredited standards development organization. AIIM also hosts the secretariat of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Committee TC 171, which focuses on information management compliance issues. TC 171 is the ISO committee that developed existing ISO standards related to Adobe PDF/A and PDF/E. Therefore, AIIM is the authority used by ANSI to submit proposed standards to ISO.
In June 2010, Adobe transitioned the future development of the Chinese standard to Tech Soft 3D, and the company is committed to working with AIIM to further develop the Chinese specification into an open ISO certification standard.
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