STEP AP203 vs AP214 vs AP242 — Which Version to Send Your Supplier (and the AP242 PMI Trap)
When SolidWorks shows you the Save As dialog, three STEP variants appear in the dropdown: AP203, AP214, and AP242. Most engineers pick one, never change it, and assume the output is correct. Sometimes it is. Sometimes half the data you expected to transfer isn’t in the file at all, and you find out when the supplier calls. This post explains what each version actually carries, what SolidWorks and Inventor write for each, and which one to choose based on what your recipient needs on the other end. ...