SCI-P-266
Although the full document is not available on this site,
an online preview is
available in pdf format (you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader 4)
SUMMARY
This publication is the second of a series of six SCI publications
which document the second release of the CIMsteel Integration Standards
(CIS/2). CIS/2 is a set of formal computing specifications that
allow software vendors to make their engineering applications mutually
compatible. Taken as a whole, the CIS/2 documentation specifies what
information may be transferred between software applications, and how
that information must be structured in a repository or data exchange
file.
This publication guides software vendors through the process of
developing a CIS/2-conformant system. It also covers some of the
technology used in the development and implementation of the CIS,
including the IDEF0, IDEF1X, EXPRESS, and EXPRESS-G languages, the STEP
physical files format and SDAI. It also provides some example translator
programs.
CIS/2 has been developed to facilitate a more integrated method of
working through the sharing and management of information within and
between companies involved in the planning, design, analysis and
construction of steel framed buildings and similar structures. As this
new method of working is likely to evolve gradually, the standards may
be implemented in various degrees of complexity, from basic file
exchange through to advanced implementation in a Database Management
System (DBMS).
CIS/2 substantially extends the engineering scope of CIS/1, and
introduces advanced data management capabilities to enable data sharing.
At its simplest, the CIS provides specifications and guidelines for the
development and implementation of translators that enable the users of
engineering software to export data from one application into another.
However, CIS/2 also allows software vendors to support concurrent
engineering via more direct mechanisms for information sharing and
management. Thus, CIS/2 also provides specifications and guidelines for
the development and implementation of DBMSs built around the CIS and its
related technology. Such a DBMS is known as a Product Model Repository (PMR).
