JT (visualization format)

JT (Jupiter tessellation ) is a proprietary file format for 3D data. JT can be selected by some 3D graphics programs as storage format.

Format

The data model supports a wide variety of representations of the CAD geometry:

• " Tessellated " triangular surfaces geometry, optionally in multiple resolutions ( levels of detail )
• "Exact " Brep geometry in the form of the older JT BReps, in the form of XT- BReps ( format of the Parasolid modeling kernel ) or in the form of highly compressed but lossy LIBRA format.

JT is considered particularly compact and easy to be displayed and yet content- rich data format (eg dimensions and tolerances ) also supports object and metadata. This makes it suitable for many applications where CAD data is further processed (eg digital mock-up, as a substitute for subscriptions and for archiving ).

JT files have the default extension. Jt.

Overview

JT is an industry- focused " neutral 3D data format ", which in many application processes on the geometry creation, eg modeling in computer aided design systems ( CAD) is used instead of native CAD data formats.

This cooperation is independent of the geometry modeling system possible to represent such as 3D geometries to analyze and make the complex function on the 3D model of course. Additional information, such as dimensions, tolerances, material, structure, etc. - depending on configuration and use case - also found in JT available.

JT has already enforced compared to many competing formats in the industry as the de facto standard and is now ISO standard.

History and Status

JT (Jupiter tessellation ) was in its first version in cooperation by Hewlett- Packard and Engineering Animation, Inc. undefined ( EAI) in 1998 and developed by EAI based on the " Direct Model Toolkit ". After purchase of EAI by UGS (1999) and the subsequent acquisition of UGS by Siemens AG (2007) JT is now part of Siemens PLM Software.

JT will be further developed so since 1997 ( JT version 6.4 ) to the present (2013 ) (JT version 10.0) continuously along the customer's requirements from the productive application and has its place between visualization formats, such as VRML, IV, etc. and formats were designed for the exchange between modeling systems, such as STEP, IGES, VDA -FS, DXF, conquered.

By establishing the " JT Open Initiative" in 2003 and by the publication of the JT data format specification in 2007, the opening of the format was introduced up to the standardization. Complementing the work in the JT Open Consortium at international level, dissemination of JT in Germany by the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the ProSTEP iViP is currently being promoted. Within the framework of working groups are use cases - especially by representatives of the automotive industry - examined in productive customer processes.

End of August 2010 was launched by ProSTEP iViP eV, the first step in the ISO standardization process of the New Work Item Proposal on Ballot for JT (see SC4 N2625 ). The ProSTEP iViP has the aim to tune the standardization process of JT with the second running at the moment in the club big standardization projects STEP AP 242. It is planned JT and AP 242 be specified so that STEP and JT can be effectively shared for the data exchange.

In December 2012, JT was officially released the world's first audio file format standard for visualizing and sharing and high-performance compressed geometry data as an international industry standard in the first version ( V1.0 JT ISO ): ISO 14306:2012.

Beginning of 2013 was begun the second version of the industry standard, JT ISO to specify 2.0.

Content

In essence, the JT format is a scene graph with CAD - specific nodes and attributes support. Information facets (triangles ) are stored with sophisticated compression techniques. It supports the mathematically exact definition of geometry, product structure, product and manufacturing information ( PMI), visual attributes such as light, texture and shader and metadata. The JT format is complemented by the XML-based format accompanying PLMXML, which is mostly used in complex assemblies to define and save product structure and process information in legible form.

Applications and Tools

The aim of the user, it is first to take all relevant product data from the system that was used for geometry creation. For this purpose, so-called " translators " used, fill the "segments" in the JT format, depending on their configuration, more or less.

This information is then available in the JT format and can be evaluated both interactive machine with other applications.

Frequently this purpose include applications for interactive visualization of JTs (viewer, CAD systems ) are used to - for example, in competition with the 2D drawing - even untrained users using the 3D model to make the nature of a geometry better understandable. In such viewers extensive functionalities are available to visualize and analyze the contents of the JT format efficiently.

Numerous other software applications that are relevant to the development and production can read and process the JT. So JT is for example used in numerous processes that follow the geometry modeling. Often, the JT format will be integrated into " Product Lifecycle Management " -based processes to handle and can also communicate changes ( version and revision ) efficiently.

Standardization

The International Organization for Standardization ( ISO) is working on the publicly available specification ISO / DIS 14306th

Summary

With over 4,800,000 users in over 50,000 customers the potential of JT still does not seem to be maxed out. Reinforced by the ISO standard, the further application in the width and depth of the business processes of JT in the next few years will continue.