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BTW, I just spent quite a bit of time composing a response with a lot of details and information, but when I tried to Preview the message it gave me an "authentication error' (even though I had already logged in) and my entire message was gone. Even using the browser Back button could not retrieve it. I would suggest that anytime a person tries to Preview or Post a message, that the web page automatically performs a save so that the message will not be lost.
The STEP file format is undergoing more changes and being adopted by more companies and government departments than at any time in recent history. The new STEP AP242 format (a merging of the Aerospace Industry's AP203 and the Automotive Industry's AP214, as well as PDM and PMI support) is paving the way for companies and institutions to break away from proprietary CAD/CAx/PDM file archiving to using open standard neutral file formats for the storage and retrieval of IP (Intellectual Property) data.
Aerospace/Aircraft companies are required by government regulations to maintain the design accuracy and integrity of Electronic Type Design data for the life cycle of any FAA certified aircraft, which can exceed 70 years. During this period, the Design systems will undoubtedly change many times, but the archived data in neutral format(s) would likely change less frequently, be easier to update to a new neutral format, and could be imported into whatever primary design tool(s) are being used at the time.
LOTAR (LOng Term Archiving and Retrieval) is an evolving Aerospace and Defense Industry standard that advocates and contributes to the development of the STEP file formats (especially STEP AP242). It is expected that other industries, such as the Automotive industry will also adopt the LOTAR standard or equivalent for the long term protection of their IP data as well.
I am currently developing/upgrading the Electronic Type Design Data Management System, for the Aerospace company I work for, to be compliant with the LOTAR standard and FAA requirements. The eventual goal for all of our 3D CAD data from legacy, production, and future aircraft programs is to be converted to a 3D neutral file format such as STEP AP242. Since the STEP file formats are textual, they require a large amount of storage and network capacity to manage their archiving and on-demand delivery to approved end users. A compressed/binary format is obviously needed to mitigate this. The only formally defined neutral file formats for this usage are the ".stpz" or "stp.Z" file formats.
Currently Adobe and their 3D partner Tetra 4D support the import of the ".stpz" format, but I expect other 3D systems are currently planning to support the format, or will support it some time down the line. High-end CAD systems used for aircraft design may be first, but I am hoping that a more affordable, user friendly 3D application such as Fusion 360 would support it soon, so it could be the default application for opening this format for large number of downstream users of the system that need access to the 3D data.
I hope to use a compressed/binary form of the STEP AP242 format in the future for this system one way or another. Hopefully, an application such as Fusion 360 that supports this format will be available and affordable. If not I would still store the STEP files compressed, but I would uncompress them on-the-fly on the server to minimize storage requirements, or uncompress them on the client computer before opening the STEP files in a 3D app to minimize both storage and network bandwidth.
Here are a few relevant links to the use of compressed/binary STEP files and STEP AP242 as the Aerospace Industry's choice for the Archiving and Retrieval of critical IP (Intellectual Property) data.