Abstract
The first release of the International Standard STEP (ISO 10303)was made in 1994. It permits the exchange between dissimilar Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems of 2D drawings and of product models of the boundary representation type, including degenerate forms such as surface models and wireframes. However, the standard cannot currently capture and exchange the parametrizaiton and constraint information associated with the models generated by most modern CAD systems. The loss of this information during a model transfer makes it difficult or impossible to edit the model in a receiving system subject to the intentions of the original designer. The paper outlines the consequences of this loss of information, and describes the current status of work aimed at enhancing the STEP standard to enable its retention. Some of the technical problems arising in this work are discussed and possible solutions are outlined.