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CATIA Infrastructure User Guide

Basic Tasks

Site Map
Preface
Using This Guide
Conventions
What's New?
Basic Tasks
Starting Version 5
Starting a Session on Windows
Starting a Session on UNIX
Starting a Session Using Document Icons
Starting a Session in a Language Other than English on Windows
Starting a Session in a Language Other than English on UNIX
Getting Help
Displaying Tooltips and Help Messages
Using the What's This? Command
Accessing the Online Help Library
Searching the Online Help Library
Getting Contextual Help
Accessing the Dassault Systmes User Galaxy
Displaying Copyright Information
Accessing Sample Documents
Editing in Context Within the Product Structure
What Is the Product Structure?
Accessing the Navigation Tools
Creating a New Workbench Document in the Product Structure
Activating a Different Workbench in the Product Structure
Creating a New Document for a Different Workbench
Creating, Opening, and Saving Documents
About Data Sharing Between Windows and UNIX
About Filenames
Creating New Documents
Creating a New Document from an Existing One
Opening Existing Documents
Opening Existing Documents Using the Browse Window
Opening Most Recently Used Documents
Closing Documents
Saving Documents For the First Time or Under Another Name
Saving Existing Documents
Saving Documents In Other Formats
Saving All Documents

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Managing Document Save

Displaying Document Properties
Viewing the Spec Tree and the Geometry Area
About the Specification Tree and Geometry Area
Setting Document Window Layout Preferences
Using the Full Screen
Using Document Windows
Using the Specification Tree Overview
Using the Geometry Overview
Expanding and Collapsing the Specification Tree
Selecting Objects
Preselecting and Selecting Using the Pointer
Selecting Using the Selection Traps
Selecting Using the Preselection Navigator
Selecting Using the Other Selections... Command
Selecting Using the Search... Command (General Mode)
Selecting Using the Search... Command (Favorites Mode)
Selecting Using the Search... Command (Advanced Mode)
Storing Selections Using Selection Sets
Selecting Selection Sets
Selecting Using a Filter
Manipulating Objects
Undoing Actions
Redoing and Repeating Actions
Cutting and Pasting Objects
Copying and Pasting Objects
Using the Paste Special... Command
Deleting Objects
Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties
Using the Graphic Properties Toolbar
Using the Graphic Properties Wizard
Measuring Objects
Moving Objects Using the 3D Compass
About the 3D Compass
Manipulating Viewpoints Using the Mouse and Compass
Manipulating Objects Using the Mouse and Compass
Manipulating Objects Using the Edit... Command
Snapping the Compass to Selected Objects Automatically
Locking the Current Compass Orientation
Locking the Privileged Plane Parallel to the Screen
Locking the Compass to the Local Axis System
Swapping the Privileged Plane
Keeping the Privileged Plane the Most Visible during Viewpoint Manipulations
Measuring
Dragging and Dropping Icons and Objects
Dragging and Dropping Icons onto Objects
Dragging and Dropping Objects Onto Objects
Printing Documents
About Printing, Capturing Images and the Album
Printing a Document Quickly without Customizing Print Settings

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Previewing Documents Prior to Printing

Customizing Print Settings Before Printing Your Documents
Printing To a File
Printing Multi-Documents
Printing in Batch Mode
Capturing and Managing Images for the Album
Capturing Simple Images
Capturing Selected Areas of Images
Previewing Images in the Album
Editing Images in the Album
Deleting Images from the Album
Copying Images to the Clipboard (Windows Only)
Saving Images to Other Formats
Printing Images from the Album
Recording Interactions in Video Format
Viewing Objects
Activating Viewing Tools
Fitting All Geometry in the Geometry Area
Panning
Zooming In
Zooming Out
Zooming In On An Area
Viewing Along a Normal to a Plane
Rotating
Editing the View Angle
Testing Visualization Performance
Testing Visualization Performance
Navigating
Navigating in Examine Mode
Navigating in Walk Mode
Navigating in Fly Mode
Changing Views
Viewing Objects against the Ground
Magnifying
Looking At Objects
Turning Your Head To View An Object
Snapping Viewpoint
Hiding and Showing Objects
Hiding Objects
Displaying Hidden Objects
Using Rendering Styles
Shading (SHD)
Shading with Edges
Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges
Shading with Edges and Hidden Edges
Shading with Material
Rendering Style per Object
Customizing the View Mode
Displaying Perspective and Parallel Views
Setting Lighting and Depth Effects

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Setting Lighting Effects

Setting Depth Effects
Using Standard and User-Defined Views
Using Standard Views
Creating, Modifying and Deleting User-Defined Views
Using Layers and Layer Filters
Assigning Objects To Layers
Adding and Naming Layers
Using Visualization Filters
Recording, Running, and Editing Macros
Automating Repetitive Tasks Using Macros
Recording a Macro
Running a Macro
Editing a Macro
Creating a Macro From Scratch
Using Version 5 Data in OLE-Compliant Applications
About Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)
Embedding Existing Version 5 Data in OLE-Container Applications
Creating CATIA Version 5 Data in OLE-Container Applications
Copying CATIA Version 5 Images to OLE-Compliant Applications
Transferring Version 5 Data
Sending Version 5 Data In the Mail (on Windows Only)
Copying CATIA Version 5 Data To a Directory or Diskette
Managing Document Links in Version 5
Using the FileDesk Workbench
Displaying Document Links
Editing Document Links
Running Batches
Running Batches Using the Batch Monitor
Running the CATDUAV5 Batch
Running the Print Batch
Running the Version 5 Compatibility Batch
Running Data Life Cycle Batch
Advanced Tasks
Setting Up Your Printers on UNIX and Windows
About Setting Up Printers on UNIX and Windows
Adding a Printer
Removing a Printer
Configuring an Existing Printer
Testing the Printer
Customizing Print Driver Plug-Ins
Using Power Input Mode
About Power Input Mode
Entering Data
Running Commands
Using the Search Language
Virtual Reality Configurations
About Virtual Reality Support in Version 5
Stereoscopic Viewing

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Preface
Welcome to Version 5!
Version 5 is the first release of the next generation of Dassault Systmes software solutions, and
addresses advanced mechanical process centric design requirements. In addition to leading edge featurebased design functions, it includes highly productive capabilities for the design of mechanical assemblies
and for drawing generation.
Available on both UNIX and Windows environments, Version 5 is built to be totally compliant with Windows
presentation standards.
In order to integrate to an extended enterprise where CATIA Version 4 designs need to be exchanged and
processed, it includes unique two-way interoperability with CATIA Version 4 data. Likewise, Version 5
benefits from the breadth of the CATIA Solutions Version 4 portfolio by offering interoperable applications.
As an open solution, it includes interfaces with the most commonly used data exchange industry
standards.
CATIA Team PDM
Please note that CATIA Team PDM (TD1) is no longer a CATIA product. The integration between CATIA and
SmarTeam is now a SmarTeam product named SmarTeam-CATIA V5 Integration available in the
SmarTeam product. If you are a former Team PDM customer, please contact your CATIA support to modify
your Team PDM seat to take account of the relevant SmarTeam product.
Using This Guide
Conventions

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Using This Guide

This book is the Version 5 Infrastructure User`s Guide. It contains information about the user interface
and basic tools common to all Version 5 applications:

starting a session

getting help

activating application workbenches

creating, opening and saving documents

laying out documents

selecting and manipulating objects

printing, viewing and navigating

rendering and lighting effects

using macros

using Version 5 data in OLE-compliant applications

customizing toolbars and settings

using the Knowledgeware Advisor.

Conventions

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Conventions

Certain conventions are used in CATIA, ENOVIA & DELMIA documentation to help you recognize and understand important concepts and
specifications.

Graphic Conventions
The three categories of graphic conventions used are as follows:

Graphic conventions structuring the tasks

Graphic conventions indicating the configuration required

Graphic conventions used in the table of contents

Graphic Conventions Structuring the Tasks

Graphic conventions structuring the tasks are denoted as follows:
This icon...

Identifies...

estimated time to accomplish a task

a target of a task
the prerequisites
the start of the scenario
a tip
a warning
information
basic concepts
methodology
reference information
information regarding settings, customization, etc.
the end of a task
functionalities that are new or enhanced with this Release.
allows you to switch back the full-window viewing mode.

Graphic Conventions Indicating the Configuration Required

Graphic conventions indicating the configuration required are denoted as follows:

This icon...

Indicates functions that are...

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specific to the P1 configuration

specific to the P2 configuration
specific to the P3 configuration

Graphic Conventions Used in the Table of Contents

Graphic conventions used in the table of contents are denoted as follows:

This icon...

Gives access to...

Site Map
Split View mode
What's New?
Overview
Getting Started
Basic Tasks
User Tasks or the Advanced Tasks
Workbench Description
Customizing
Reference
Methodology
Glossary
Index

Text Conventions
The following text conventions are used:
The titles of CATIA, ENOVIA and DELMIA documents appear in this manner throughout the text.
File -> New identifies the commands to be used.
Enhancements are identified by a blue-colored background on the text.

How to Use the Mouse

The use of the mouse differs according to the type of action you need to perform.
Use this
mouse button...

Whenever you read...

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Select (menus, commands, geometry in graphics area, ...)

Click (icons, dialog box buttons, tabs, selection of a location in the document window, ...)

Double-click

Shift-click

Ctrl-click

Check (check boxes)

Drag

Drag and drop (icons onto objects, objects onto objects)

Drag

Move

Right-click (to select contextual menu)

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What's New?
New Functionalities
Manipulating Objects
Using the Graphic Properties Wizard
You can now use the Graphic Properties Wizard that enables you to display the graphic properties
of the selected object and its parents. This wizard makes it easier to identify which parent each
graphic property of the object derives from.

Viewing Objects
Defining Dynamic Level of Detail and Dynamic Pixel Culling
You can drag and drop two new commands onto a toolbar to define more quickly the level of detail
(LOD) and the pixel culling while moving.

Knowledgeware
Hiding Relations
A visual indicator now indicates that the relations set contains hidden objects.
Creating Formulas based on Publications
The user can now create formulas based on publications.
Optimal CATIA PLM Usability
Safe save mode to ensure that data created in CATIA can be correctly saved in ENOVIA V5. See
also Working with for Design Tables in ENOVIA, Saving a Design Table in Enovia LCA,
Using a Design Table Saved in ENOVIA LCA in another Part, Versioning a Design Table,
Working with Design Tables in ENOVIA LCA Using VPM Navigator and Saving a Design
Table in Enovia LCA Using the VPM Navigator.

Enhanced Functionalities
Batch Monitor
Running the Data Life Cycle Batch
Ergonomic enhancements have been made for selecting the utilities to run.
Ability to open the generated report directly from the batch interface.
The access to CATIA documents has been improved and you can now filter the documents to be
processed.
Running Batches Using the Batch Monitor
Two new batches are availables from the Batch Monitor: CATDMUUtility and AnalysisUpdateBatch.
The Batch Monitor now provides a feedback on the batch completion.
Ability to access contextual help on the Batch Monitor: you can now access the documentation
specific to the batch you run or, if needed, access the general documentation on the Batch Monitor.

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Customizing Workbenches
Creating User-Defined Workbenches
Removing a dynamic license removes the corresponding favorite workbench. After adding the
removed license, the corresponding workbench now reappears automatically in the favorites.

ENOVIA/CATIA Interoperability
Optimal CATIA PLM Usability
The Customize command does not gray the commands that have been made unavailable by their
corresponding workbench in Safe Save mode.

Getting Help
Online Documentation Searching
Ergonomic enhancements have been made to the online documentation search engine.

Managing Document Links

Using the FileDesk Workbench
Ability to unload a document or a set of documents you select from the FileDesk workbench.

Managing User-Defined Views

Exporting User-Defined Views to VRML

in order to give access to these

predefined viewpoints in a default VRML viewer.
User-defined views can now be saved in VRML files

Printing Documents
Printing in Batch Mode
Ability to run the Print Batch utility in remote mode.
Customizing Print Settings
A new combo box in the Print dialog box lets you select the printer groups you defined via
Tools>Options>Printers.
Printing Drafting Documents
You can print the document area you defined in the Drafting workbench.
Printing CATDrawing Documents in Batch Mode
A new filter type has been added to print CATDrawing documents.
Printing .model documents
You can now print the drafting of Version 4 model documents.
Version 4 Sheets
The CATPrtSheet utility lets you generate an output file containing information on Version 4 sheets.

Saving Documents

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Saving Documents in Other Formats

CATDrawing documents can now be saved in JPEG and PDF format.

Selecting Objects
Using the Preselection Navigator
A new auxiliary viewer lets you select elements more easily and perform local transformations such
as zoom or rotate.
Ability to highlight or not the preselected face(s).
Selecting Using the Traps
Two new icons lets you select elements that are fully or totally outside the trap.

Using Rendering Styles

Customizing the View Mode
Ergonomic enhancements have been made to manage more easily the visualization of edges and
the shading.
From V5R13 onwards, the Wireframe (NHR) and Dynamic Hidden Line Removal (HRD) modes are
not accessible from the View toolbar anymore. These two rendering styles can now be activated
from the Custom View Modes dialog box.
Shading with Material
This new rendering style available directly from the View toolbar allows you to display materials
applied onto objects without having to access the Custom View Modes dialog box.
Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges
This new rendering style allows you to display objects in shading mode with edges but without
smooth edges.
Rendering Style per Object
A new rendering style named "Rendering style per object" takes into account the rendering style of
V5 elements when displaying them in a 3D window.

Video Support
Recording Interactions in Video Format
Extended file format support.
The Video Player enables you to preview the recorded video.
MJPEG video files generated by Version 5 on UNIX can now be read on Windows.

Virtual Reality
Using Head and Hand Tracking Devices in Version 5
The Ascension Flock of Birds tracking system driver is now supported on UNIX.
The Art Optical tracking system is also supported.
Working with the Immersive System Assistant
All the drivers and brokers supported with Version 5 are now threaded, which avoids running
external processes.
The generation of the configuration information has been improved: a single XML file containing all
the necessary configuration information is generated in the folder of your choice. However, you can
still use the former generation method if needed (for instance, when using drivers that are not
supported).

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A new icon lets you define properties for your button devices.

Customizing Settings
Calibration
Note that the Calibration tab has been removed since all the supported drivers and brokers are
now threaded. In addition to that, the "Line immersive cursor" option allowing you to customize
the 3D picking device representation has been moved to the Devices tab.
Devices
You can choose your current Virtual Reality configuration from a list of configurations you have
previously generated in the Immersive System Assistant workbench.
Display auxiliary viewer for preselection navigator
This new option enables you to display the auxiliary viewer when using the preselection navigator
Document
Ergonomic enhancements have been made for managing DLNames.
Prehighlight faces for preselection navigator
This new option enables to highlight preselected faces when using the preselection navigator.
Printers
A new editor lets you define printer groups so that printers can be selected more easily.
Tablet Support
This new tab allows you to activate/deactivate the transformation pad used to perform local
transformations on a Tablet PC. You can also define settings such as the pad position, size and
transparency.
VRML
Ability to customize the background color to be used when visualizing the VRML file in a standard
VRML viewer.

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Basic Tasks
Starting Version 5
Getting Help
Editing in Context Within the Product Structure
Creating, Opening, and Saving Documents
Viewing the Spec Tree and the Geometry Area
Selecting Objects
Manipulating Objects
Moving Objects Using the 3D Compass
Measuring
Dragging and Dropping Icons and Objects
Printing Documents
Capturing and Managing Images for the Album
Viewing Objects
Navigating
Hiding and Showing Objects
Using Rendering Styles
Setting Lighting and Depth Effects
Using Standard and User-Defined Views
Using Layers and Layer Filters
Recording, Running, and Editing Macros
Using Version 5 Data in OLE-Compliant Applications
Transferring Version 5 Data
Managing Document Links in Version 5
Running Batches

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Starting Version 5
Starting a Session on Windows
Starting a Session on UNIX
Starting a Session Using Document Icons
Starting a Session in a Language Other than English on Windows
Starting a Session in a Language Other than English on UNIX

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Starting a Session on Windows

This task explains how to start the default CATIA Version 5 environment on Windows.

Method 1: Using the Desktop

1. On the Windows desktop, double-click the CATIA V5R13 default environment shortcut

Method 2: Using the Programs Menu

1. On the taskbar, select the Start->Programs-> CATIA->CATIA environment shortcut.

Method 3: Using the Start->Run... Command

1. On the taskbar, select the Start->Run... command, enter the command:
cnext
or:
cnext.exe
2. Click OK.
This method lets you start a session using the last environment installed.

Method 4: From the Command Line

1. Open an MS-DOS window.

2. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.

The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\code\bin

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3. Enter the command:

cnext
or:
cnext.exe

The options are:

-e: starts Version 5 and passes the name of the command to start
-env: specifies the name of the environment with which to start a session (for more
information, refer to Managing Environments); by default, the default environment is
started
-direnv: specifies the folder containing the environment
-batch: starts a session in batch mode (an interactive session is not displayed)
Used with "-e", it specifies that you want to run a batch utility. For example, you
would
run a batch utility like this:
CNEXT -batch -e CATV4ToV5Migration
-object: followed by object to load (between " ") when starting CATIA ; for example,
the following command runs CATIA and loads a document:
cnext -object "e:\users\steve\Product.CATProduct"
If the program you want to start requires parameters, you must enclose the program
name and the parameters between " ". For example: -object "arg1 arg2"

-macro: starts the specified macro

-admin: starts a session in administrator mode for the purpose of locking settings

-workbench workbench_name: starts a session and directly opens the workbench

specified. The string "workbench_name" is the name of the workbench as it appears in
the Start menu.
For example, when using CATIA, the command:
cnext -workbench Part Design
starts a session and opens the Part Design workbench directly.
-h: displays help.

Method 5: Using the catstart Command

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The principal command you will use is the catstart command.

This command is used to launch other programs for:

starting a Version 5 session (for example, CNEXT)

running Version 5 environment administration tools (catiaenv, setcatenv, delcatenv, lscatenv,
chcatenv, readcatenv)
running Version 5 software management tools (CATSoftwareMgt, CATNodelockMgt,
CATOptionsMgt and the equivalent batch commands).

1. Open an MS-DOS window.

2. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.

The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\code\bin

3. Enter the command:

catstart -run CNEXT
or:
catstart
to start a session using the default global environment created at installation.
The options are:

-batch: used with "-object", this argument runs macros in batch mode (an interactive session is
not displayed)

-env: specifies a new environment name (for more information, refer to Managing
Environments); if you do not specify an environment, the default global environment created at
installation is used
-direnv: specifies the directory created at installation containing the environment (which may
be different from the default environment directory)
-object: followed by object to load (between " ") when starting a session; for example, the
following command runs a session and loads a document:

catstart -direnv E:\CATEnv -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -object

"E:\Product1.CATProduct"
If the program you want to start requires you to specify options, you must enclose the

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parameters between " " (for example, -object "arg1 arg2"). For example:

catstart -run CATSoftwareMgtB -object "-L"

-run
This option is used to launch other programs for:

starting a Version 5 session (for example, CNEXT)

running Version 5 environment administration tools (catiaenv, setcatenv, delcatenv, lscatenv,
chcatenv, readcatenv)
running Version 5 software management tools (CATSoftwareMgt, CATNodelockMgt,
CATOptionsMgt and the equivalent batch commands).

The "-run" option is followed by the name of the program to start. If this option is not
specified, a CATIA session is started by default.
These commands also have their own options. If the program you want to start requires
you to specify options, you must enclose the program name and the parameters between
" ". For example, the following command:

catstart -direnv E:\CATEnv -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -run "CATSoftwareMgtB -L"

lists the installed configurations and/or products on your workstation.
Note:

Include a referenced path inside backslashes (before the double quotation marks) if the
path contains blanks like this:
catstart -run myAppli -object "-open \"C:\My Documents\file0001.txt\" "

Running Macros Using the CNEXT Command

To start a session and run a macro automatically, run the command like this:
cnext -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -macro E:\tmp\Mymacro.CATScript

or like this:
cnext -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -macro -batch E:\tmp\Mymacro.CATScript

if you want to run the macro in batch mode.

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Starting a Session in Administrator Mode To Lock Settings

1. Enter the command:
cnext -env "my_env" -admin
where "my_env" is the name of the environment, if you want to run a session in
administrator mode for the purpose of locking settings. This prevents all users of that
environment from changing the settings you locked.
For more information, refer to Locking Settings.
Note: "Administration Mode" in now displayed in the title bar when starting a session in
administration mode.

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Starting a Session on UNIX

This task explains how to start the default CATIAVersion 5 environment on UNIX.

Method 1: Using the Desktop

1. On CDE desktops (AIX, HP-UX and Sun Solaris), open the Application Manager cabinet on the
front panel.

2. Open the CATIA directory.

3. Double-click the CATIA V5R13 icon.

On IRIX, access the CATIA tab Application Manager in the desktop, then double-click the
CATIA.V5R13.B13 icon.
You can also double-click document icons in your file manager to start Version 5. Note,
however, that this starts a new Version 5 session each time: the document is not added to
a Version 5 session which is already running.

Method 2: From the Command Line Using the catstart

Command
The principal command you will use is the catstart command.
This command is used to launch other programs for:

starting a Version 5 session (for example, CNEXT)

running Version 5 environment administration tools (catiaenv, setcatenv, delcatenv, lscatenv,
chcatenv, readcatenv)
running Version 5 software management tools (CATSoftwareMgt, CATNodelockMgt,
CATOptionsMgt and the equivalent batch commands).
1. Log on as either root or end user.

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2. Enter the command:

/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/catstart -run CNEXT
or:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/catstart
where "OS_a" is:

aix_a

hpux_a

irix_a

solaris_a

to start a session using the default global environment created at installation.

You can also run the command by changing to the directory:

/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/
If you do so, run the command like this:
./catstart -run CNEXT
or:
./catstart
The options are:

-e: starts Version 5 and passes the name of the command to start

-batch: used with "-object", this argument runs macros in batch mode (an interactive session is
not displayed).
Used with "-e", it specifies that you want to run a batch utility. For example, you would run a
batch utility like this:
./catstart -run "CNEXT -batch -e CATV4ToV5Migration"
-direnv: specifies the directory created at installation containing the environment (which may
be different from the default $HOME/CATEnv directory)
-env: specifies a new environment name (for more information, refer to "Managing
Environments"); if you do not specify an environment, the default global environment created at
installation is used
-object: followed by object to load (between " ") when starting a session; for example, the
following command runs a session and loads a document:

./catstart -direnv /CATEnv -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -object

"/tmp/Part1.CATPart"
If the program you want to start requires you to specify options, you must enclose the

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parameters between " " (for example, -object "arg1 arg2"). For example:

./catstart -run CATSoftwareMgt -object "-L"

-run
This option is used to launch other programs for:

starting a Version 5 session (for example, CNEXT)

running Version 5 environment administration tools (catiaenv, setcatenv, delcatenv, lscatenv,
chcatenv, readcatenv)
running Version 5 software management tools (CATSoftwareMgt, CATNodelockMgt,
CATOptionsMgt and the equivalent batch commands).

The "-run" option is followed by the name of the program to start. If this option is not
specified, a CATIA session is started by default.
These commands also have their own options. If the program you want to start requires
you to specify options, you must enclose the program name and the parameters between
" ". For example, the following command:

./catstart -direnv /CATEnv -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -run "CATSoftwareMgt -L"

lists the installed configurations and/or products on your workstation.

-s: non-verbose mode

-h: displays help

-remote: remote environment

-user: user environment

Exporting the runtime variables of the default global environment in

the current window

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Another quick way of running a program also exists:

1. Log on as either root or end user.
2. Enter the command:

/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/catstart -run ksh

which exports the runtime variables of the default global environment in the current
window.

3. Run the command, for example:

CATSoftwareMgt

Method 3: Running Macros Using the catstart Command

1. Log on as either root or end user.

2. Go to the directory:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command
where "OS_a" is:

aix_a

hpux_a

irix_a

solaris_a.

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3. Start a Version 5 session and run a macro automatically by running a command like this:
./catstart -run CNEXT -object "-macro /tmp/Mymacro.CATScript"
./catstart -run CNEXT -object "-batch -macro /tmp/Mymacro.CATScript"
./catstart -run "CNEXT -batch -macro /tmp/Mymacro.CATScript"
./catstart -run "CNEXT -batch -macro "/tmp/Mymacro.CATScript""
if you want to run in administrator mode (using the default environment) for the purpose
of locking settings. This prevents all users of that environment from changing the settings
you locked.
You could also enter the command:
./catstart -run "CNEXT -env my_env -admin"
where "my_env" is the name of your environment. For more information, refer to Locking
Settings.
Note: "Administration Mode" in now displayed in the title bar when starting a session in
administration mode.

Options for the CNEXT Program

The program:
CNEXT
also has the following options:

-admin: starts a session in administrator mode for the purpose of locking settings

-batch: starts a session in batch mode (an interactive session is not displayed)

-c: starts a session and activates the workbench you specify

-env: starts a session and executes an environment you specify

-macro: used with "-object", this argument starts a session and runs the macro whose name
you specify
-object: followed by object to load (between " ") when starting a session; for example, the
following command runs a session and loads a document:

./catstart -run CNEXT -object "/tmp/My.CATPart"

Or, followed by arguments between " "; for example, -object "arg1 arg2"

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-workbench workbench_name: starts a session and directly opens the workbench specified.
The string "workbench_name" is the name of the workbench as it appears in the Start menu.
For example, when using CATIA, the command:
./catstart -run "CNEXT -workbench Part Design"
starts a session and opens the Part Design workbench directly.
-h: displays help.

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Starting a Session Using Document Icons

This task explains how to start a session using icons for existing documents.

Method 1
1. Locate the document icon using your platform's Explorer (Windows) or File Manager (UNIX).

this is a Product Structure document icon:

this is a Part Design document icon:

this is a Generative Drafting document icon:

this a CATIA Version 4 model icon:

2. Double-click the icon.

This will run Version 5, open the document and activate the workbench used to create
the document originally.

Method 2
1. Drag and drop a document icon onto the CATIA V5R13 environment icon on your desktop
(Windows only).

Method 3
1. Drag and drop a document icon onto an open Version 5 window.
Note that this possibility is not available on IRIX.

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Starting a Session in a Language Other than

English on Windows
This task explains how to start Version 5 in a language other than English on Windows.
Installing Version 5 installs the user interface files for all supported languages:

English (default language)

French

German

Japanese

Italian.

You then simply use the tools on your operating system to choose the language in which you want
to start your session. If no language is chosen, your session will be started in English.

On Windows
1. On Windows, select the Start->Settings->Control Panel command, double-click the
Regional Settings control, then click the Regional Settings tab (if it is not displayed by
default).
The following dialog box appears:

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In our example above, English is selected.

2. Select the desired language from the languages available on the list.
For example, selecting any of:

French (Belgian)

French (Canadian)

French (Luxembourg)

French (Standard)

French (Swiss)

will start the session in French. The same applies to the other language variants.
Note that The Regional Settings tab does not activate your input locale: for example, it
does not activate the keyboard map for the language you selected.

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3. On Windows only, click the Input Locales tab if you want to select the input locale for your
language.
The Input Locales tab is displayed.

4. Select the appropriate input locale.

In our example below, you selected French (Standard).

5. Click OK, then start Version 5.

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Starting a Session in a Language Other than

English on UNIX
This task explains how to start Version 5 in a language other than English on UNIX.
Installing Version 5 directly installs the user interface files (message catalogs) for the following
languages:

English (default language)

French

German

Japanese.

The user interface files for the French, German and Japanese languages are already translated for
you. If you install in the default installation directory:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/
where "OS_a" is:
aix_a
hpux_a
irix_a
solaris_a
the following default environment is set up:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog (containing the English files)
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/French
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/German
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/Japanese
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/Italian
This default environment (/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog) is pointed to
by the environment variable: CATMsgCatalogPath.

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What about the other languages?

Installing the software also sets up in:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog
a subdirectory for each additional language supported (but for which translated user interface files
are not provided). The list of languages is:

Czech

Polish

Russian

Korean

Simplified Chinese

For example:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/Russian
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/Czech
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/...

How do I run Version 5 using translated files?

Copy the file to be translated from:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog
to:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/resources/msgcatalog/Russian
and translate the file. When you run a Version 5 session, your translated files will be loaded.

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What about the fonts for these languages?

The installation also sets up in each language directory a file named "Dialog".
This file contains all the font declarations for use as is, for the language and locale you want to use
(we have chosen the same fonts as used in Version 4 to facilitate the transition to Version 5).
If you want to use other fonts, comment out the previous font declarations and declare the new
fonts.
The file also contains other user interface texts.

You then simply use your operating system tools to choose the locale in which you want to start
your session. If no locale is chosen, your session will be started in English.

1. Open a shell window.

2. Export the LANG variable for the desired locale before starting a session.
For example, for the French language, enter this command on AIX:
export LANG=fr_FR
this command on HP-UX:
export LANG=fr_FR.iso88591
this command on Sun Solaris and IRIX:
export LANG=fr

3. Start Version 5.

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Getting Help
Displaying Tooltips and Help Messages
Using the What's This? Command
Accessing the Online Help Library
Searching the Online Help Library
Getting Contextual Help
Accessing the Dassault Systmes User Galaxy
Displaying Copyright Information
Accessing Sample Documents

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Displaying Tooltips and Help Messages

This task explains how to display tooltips and the corresponding help messages.

1. Point to an icon.
The tooltip is displayed in a small box, with the corresponding message in the status bar.

You can switch tooltip display on and off using the Tooltips option of the Options tab in the Tools>Customize... command, or by right-clicking any toolbar and selecting the Customize...
command to access the Options tab. But you have to restart a session to take the new settings into
account.

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Using the What's This? Command

This task explains how to use the What's This? command to get help on toolbar icons.

1. Click the What's This? icon

or select the Help->What's This? command.

The cursor takes on the shape of the What's This? icon.

2. Point to an icon, then click the icon.

This displays a long help message in a box:

In some cases, the What's This? command gives you help on dialog boxes. To do so, just click the
icon
in the top right corner of the dialog box then point to the desired area to display the long help message.

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Accessing the Online Help Library

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This task explains how to access the online help library.

The Version 5 documentation is totally Web oriented, using HTML, GIF and JPEG standard formats, allowing easy access and navigation using
a standard Web browser. Navigation aids includes full text searching and a framed layout allowing a direct access from the table of contents
to the information.
The online help library can be installed either at the same a time as you install the code, or later after the code has been installed.
For detailed information about the former, refer to "Installing the Online Documentation" in Installing Version 5 on Windows for the First
Time, and for the latter, refer to Installing the Online Documentation After Installing the Software on Windows (or on UNIX).

1.

Select the Help->Contents, Index and Search command.

The welcome page of the Version 5 online help library is displayed:

If you installed the online documentation in the default location, the welcome page will be displayed immediately. If you installed the online
documentation elsewhere, you must first update the CATDocView variable in your environment to reference the environment containing the
online documentation.

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If you do not reset the CATDocView variable, a dialog box will prompt you to specify the location:

if you installed the online documentation locally on your computer, you can specify a path like this, for example, on Windows:
C:\online_doc_folder
where "online_doc_folder" is the name of the folder in which you installed the online documentation.

if you installed it elsewhere on the network, you must first map the appropriate network drive before starting a session, then specify a
path as above when prompted.

Doc Installation Path

In the General tab, accessible via the Tools->Options command. In the General category, select the General tab. The "Doc installation
path" field for the CATIA Documentation Location option displays the path of the folder in which the online documentation is installed. The
path is the same path you entered when installing the online documentation: the path displays the value of the CATDocView environment
variable.
When you request help using the Help->Contents, Index and Search command (or press the F1 key for contextual help), the online
documentation may not be displayed. This may be because the online documentation may have been physically moved to another location. If
the online documentation is not found, the following dialog box appears:

Browse to select the online documentation location. Selecting the location updates the "Doc installation path" field for the CATIA
Documentation Location option, in the General tab accessible via the Tools->Options command.
Note: You can also type the location in the "Doc installation path" field for the CATIA Documentation Location option option. You must enter
the real location; otherwise, the path you enter will be ignored.
Note that UNC (Universal Naming Convention) names on Windows is allowed. For example, you can specify the following path type:
\\remote_computer\online_doc_folder
2. Point to the different icons to the left to display the icons for the corresponding online users guides, then click on the icon of your
choice to access the documentation.

3. Click the Infrastructure icon to get familiar with Version 5 fundamentals, or the icon for the workbench you need information about.
In each case, the information you require is displayed in a framed layout:

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4. Select the Home button to return to the home page.

The Home page provides access to the following:

the full online documentation library

the Index button to access the indexes for all the workbench documentation

the Search button to perform a full text search throughout the online library: for more information about searching, refer to
Searching the Online Help Library
automation documentation.

The Print PDF icon is no longer available. PDFs are no longer installed automatically, but are delivered on a separate CD-ROM.

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Searching the Online Help Library

This task explains how to perform full-text searching in the online help library.
The online documentation is totally Web oriented, using HTML, GIF and JPEG standard formats, allowing easy access and
navigation using a standard Web browser. Navigation aids includes full text searching and a framed layout allowing a direct
access from the table of contents to the information.
This scenario shows you how to use the online documentation search engine on CATIA documentation for
illustration purposes. The user interface and search functions described are common to all Version 5 product lines.
Note that, when using the search function, the following special characters should not be used in the search string:
/\&
but the following characters are allowed:
-_:
The search is not case-sensitive.

Performing Simple, Fuzzy Searches

1. Select the "Search" button to perform a full text search throughout part or all of the online documentation library.

Search indexes are loaded the first time you use the Search button: once the indexes have been loaded, searching is
faster.
After you have performed the first search, the upper part of the window looks like this by default:

The lower part of the window contains help on using the Search function the first time you access the Search function.
Once you perform a search, it is then used to display the document containing search results.
The default settings let you perform a basic fuzzy search throughout the entire online library.

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2. For example, if you are looking for information about the CATDocView environment variable throughout all the
documentation, enter the string CATDoc in the "Search for" field, then click the Go button.
The search engine searches for the string CATDoc, and all words containing the string CATDoc at the beginning of
the word. The search results are displayed in the "Found in" list.
Once you have performed your first search, a new option becomes visible. The "Highlight searched string" option
highlights against a blue backgound, in the document containing the string, the string you searched for. The default
mode is non-highlight, so you must check the option first if you want to activate the highlighting.

Entering the string CATDocView produces the same results.

In the search result list, the name of the user guide in which the string has been found precedes the title of the task
containing the search string.

3. Double-click an item in the "Found in" list to open the document containing the search string.

The page containing the search string is then displayed at the bottom of the browser window, so your search query is
kept.

The Scope button can be toggled between Scope and Results:

toggling to Scope redisplays the list of solutions and/or products in the Found in field. Check the All Documents
option to perform a search throughout the whole library, or uncheck the option and check the Solutions or
Products option in the Search scope field to restrict your search to solution or product documentation only
toggling to Results to redisplays the search results.

Click the Reset button to reset the selection after selecting solutions and products.

Searching Across Solution and/Or Product Documentation

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1. Check the "All Documents" and "Solutions" options to search all online documentation for all solutions.
This is the default setting. When these options are checked, the solutions list is grayed out.

2. Check the "All Documents" and "Products" options to search all online documentation for products.
Once again, the products list is grayed out.

3. In either case, uncheck the "All Documents" option to access either individual solution or product documentation, and
select the documentation from the list.

Click an item in the list to select it, click again to deselect it. Multiple selection is also possible.

Searching for Exact Words

1. Check the "Match whole word" option.

2. Enter the exact whole word you are searching for, then click the "Go" button.

This time, if you search for the string CATDo, the search engine will not find any matches because the string CATDo
is not a whole word.
However, the string CATDocView will find matches.

Searching for Exact Phrases

1. In the "Search mode" pulldown list, select the "Exact phrase" option.

2. Enter the exact phrase you want to search for.

For example, enter the phrase "running in demo mode", then click the "Go" button.
Only those documents containing exactly the phrase you searched for will be listed.

Searching Using AND and OR Operators

You can use operators to search for several words or strings not forming a phrase (AND), or one of a list of words or strings you
specify (OR).
1. In the "Search mode" pulldown list, select the "AND" option.

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2. Specify the words you want to search for, then click the "Go" button.

For example, search for documents containing both the strings "cnext" and "admin".
To search for either "cnext" or "admin", select "OR" in the "Search mode" pulldown list, enter the words "cnext" and
"admin", then click the "Go" button.

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Getting Contextual Help

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This task explains how to get contextual help on the current command.

1. Select the Help-> CATIA V5 Help command, or press the F1 key.

For example, if you are using the Edge Fillet command, the online help library is displayed in HTML format in a Web browser
window, at the topic explaining how to use the Edge Fillet command:

Pressing the F1 key also lets you access the Companion, provided that the Computer-Based Training module and the Companion have been
previously installed.

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Accessing the Dassault Systmes User Galaxy

This task explains how to connect to the Dassault Systmes user galaxy.

1. Select the Help->User Galaxy command.

A Web browser appears displaying the User Galaxy, a full online information package
helping you to find all the general information you expect to find about existing and
upcoming products, partners, training, hardware, R&D, services, and much more.

You can also click the CATIA P2 Solutions logo in the bottom right corner of the main
window to access the User Galaxy.

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Displaying Copyright Information

This task explains how to get background information about the product you are using.
1. Select the Help->About CATIA V5 command.
A dialog box appears providing you with copyright information about the product, version
and release number, build date, etc.

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Accessing Sample Documents

This task explains how to access sample documents.

Sample documents (installed along with the online help library) are provided in many (but not all) cases, to support the topic scenario
explaining how a specific command works.
1. Access the online help library using any of the usual methods.

2. Locate a help topic containing a prerequisite step prompting you to open a sample document.
For example, the topic "Preselecting and Selecting Using the Pointer" looks like this:

The step highlighted in red prompts you to open the document "Select.CATProduct". The name of the document is a hypertext
link.

3. Click the link.

If your default browser is Internet Explorer, the browser then prompts you to choose whether to save the file to disk or open it
from its current location:

If your default browser is Netscape, the browser then prompts you to choose whether to save

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4. Check the option "Open this file from its current location" if you using Internet Explorer, then click OK. Simply click OK if you are
using Netscape because the "Open it" option is already checked.
Your session is opened and the sample document is loaded:

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The online documentation is installed by default on Windows in:

C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13doc\English
The sample documents are installed in user guide-specific sample folders. In the online documentation filetree, there is one samples
folder for each users guide, in the following location:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13doc\English\online\xxxug_C2\samples
where "xxx" represents the three-letter code for the product. For example, the folder:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13doc\English\online\prtug_C2\samples
contains the sample documents for the Part Design User's Guide.

Wherever you install the documentation, if you attempt to activate the sample documents from within the online documentation without
first installing the code, the samples will not work: the Version 5 document extensions must be registered on a computer where the
code is installed. The registering of extensions in the registry is performed automatically on the computer during the installation of the
code on Windows.

Problems Encountered with Sample Documents Containing Links to Other

Documents
Sample documents can be either self-contained (for example, CATPart documents), or contain links to other documents (for example,
CATProduct documents can contain links to CATPart documents). When you open a document containing links to other documents, note
that the document location strategies you set using the Document tab (via the Tools->Options... command) determine where the
software looks for the pointed documents.
One strategy, "Folder of the pointing document", must be activated. Otherwise, the linked documents will not be located when you open
the sample.
Furthermore, after installing the samples along with the online documentation, we recommend that you do not copy the samples
elsewhere. If you do, do so using the appropriate Version 5 tools (File->Send To->Directory, File->Save Management..., etc) and not
operating system tools.
For more details about document location strategies, refer to Document.

Problems Encountered with Sample Documents when Using Netscape

Declaring MIMEtypes on UNIX
However, users of Netscape in a UNIX environment who want to open sample documents (for instance .CATProduct documents
containing .CATPart documents, .model documents, .CATDrawing documents, and so on) need to register these extensions by setting
MIMEtypes using Netscape preferences. If you do not do so, the documents appears as garbage text.
On Windows, this step is not necessary because the appropriate extensions are registered in the Windows registry.
To do so:
1. Select Edit->Preferences.
2. Click Navigator->Applications in the Category frame of the window that appears.
3. Click the New... button.
This displays the Netscape: Application window:

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4. Start declaring the MIMEtypes (begin with CATPart) by entering the following information:

CATPart in the Description field,

"application/catia" in the MIMEType field

CATPart in the Suffixes field.

5. Click the Application button in the Handled By frame.

6. Enter the application path in the field. For a default installation, the application path is:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/catstart -object %s

7. Click OK when done.

8. Repeat the same steps for each type of data your sample documents may contain. Note, however, that in the MIMEType field,
you should increment the application number like this for each MIMEType created:
application/catia2
application/catia3

because specifying "application/catia" for each MIMEType will overwrite the previous application setting.

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Problems Encountered on Netscape when Opening Documents Containing Links to Other Documents
On both Windows and UNIX, you may encounter problems opening certain sample documents (for instance .CATProduct documents
containing .CATPart documents, .model documents, .CATDrawing documents, and so on). When you open a .CATProduct, for example,
the CATProduct docmuent is successfully opened but a warning dialog box informs you that the documents it points to cannot be located.
This is because Netscape copies the documents to a temporary directory before opening them.
When this occurs, you can open the sample manually and recover all the links using one of following two recommended solutions:

use the File->Open... command in Version 5

or, when reading the online documentation containing the link to the sample in the Netscape window:

on UNIX, right-click and select the "Copy Link Location" command, then paste the command in Version 5 in the File ->Open...
command dialog box, then remove the characters "File:" (if you don't, you will not be able to open the sample)

on Windows, right-click and select the "Copy Link Location" or "Copy shortcut" command, then paste the command in Version 5
in the File ->Open... command dialog box without modifying it.

If you check the option "Save to Disk" instead of "Application", the sample document will be saved on your workstation and will not open
directly in a Version 5 session.

Accessing Sample Documents via a HTTP server

When accessing sample documents via a HTTP server, Internet Explorer replaces a file extension containing more than 8 characters by
the default extension ".txt". Consequently, it is not possible to open by double-clicking with the mouse any documents whose extension
exceeds 8 characters such as: CATProduct, CATAnalysis, ...
To open them, you must use the File->Open menu.
Furthermore, if you try to use the " Save this file to disk" option, the file will be saved with no extension, rendering the file useless.
Consequently, if you want to save the document, you have to type the full name of the document with the appropriate Version 5
extension.
For example, if "xxxxx" is proposed by the File->Save dialog, then you must complete it like this: "xxxxx.CATProduct" before saving.
These limitations do not apply to Netscape.

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Editing in Context Within the Product

Structure
What Is the Product Structure?
Accessing the Navigation Tools
Creating a New Workbench Document in the Product Structure
Activating a Different Workbench in the Product Structure
Creating a New Document for a Different Workbench

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What Is the Product Structure?

Every industrial product can be organized in as a logical structure comprising a large number of assemblies,
sub-assemblies and parts: for example, a car (the product) has a bodywork sub-assembly (roof, doors,...),
a wheel sub-assembly (comprising four wheels), and a large number of other parts.
The Version 5 infrastructure provides you with a set of product structure management and navigation tools
designed to help you structure and organize your products logically, and navigate within your product
structure: the Product Structure workbench.
If the configuration you are using provides access to the Product Structure workbench, when you open a
Version 5 session, you will automatically be placed in a product structure context, and an empty product
structure document (a .CATProduct document) like this will be opened by default:

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The added value of this approach is not simply the possibility to structure and organize your products
logically. You can also work exclusively on one type of the document, the Product Structure document.
Inside this document, you can navigate from one sub-assembly or part to another, and edit them using the
workbench used to create them, directly inside the product structure. This is referred to as "editing in
context".
Saving the product structure document also saves all the data inside the product structure. However, data
created using the Part Design, Analysis and Generative Drafting workbenches is created and saved in
separate documents outside the product structure.

What Is the Product Structure Workbench?

The Product Structure workbench is activated by default, and the product structure icon is displayed
as the current workbench.
An Assembly toolbar is also displayed (beneath the Select icon):

The Product Structure workbench also provides commands on the Edit and Insert menus. These
commands are also available when you activate the Version 5 - Assembly Design workbench. They allow
you to organize, structure and manipulate your product by:

inserting new and existing components

inserting new parts

moving parts and components

establishing context-specific representations, or hierarchical designs of assemblies in specific contexts

(engineering, manufacturing, etc.)

For more information about these commands, refer to the Version 5 - Product Structure User's Guide.

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Accessing the Navigation Tools

Understanding the Navigation Assistant

The product structure contains a specification tree. The easiest way to navigate in the tree is by simply clicking on a branch. Doubleclick an object in the tree to activate the object-specific workbench.
The navigation assistant manages transitions between different workbenches. Three situations are possible when navigating from one
workbench to another. Depending on:

which workbench you come from

to which workbench you want to go

and what you selected before navigating

the navigation assistant will:

create a new workbench document in the current product structure

activate a different workbench in the product structure

or create a new document for a different workbench.

The navigation assistant will always privilege the creation of a new document in the current product structure. Note that activating the
Analysis or Generative Drafting workbenches creates new documents in a new window, not in the Product Structure.

1. You can navigate from one

workbench to another using the
"Welcome to CATIA V5" dialog
box, which appears when you
start a session or when you click
the icon representing the
current workbench.
This contains the icons for
the workbenches belonging
to the configurations and/or
products you installed.
In our example, the
workbenches illustrated are
the result from installing the
Mechanical Design
configuration.

If you do not want to display this dialog box at the start of each session, uncheck the appropriate option "Do not show this
dialog at startup".

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2. You can also access the

workbench icons by rightclicking the current workbench
icon:

3. Select the Start menu to access

the same icons:

the workbench names

and the associated icons
are displayed at the top
of the menu
the second area in the
menu contains the list of
the solutions containing
the
configurations/products
you installed. These
entries in turn provide yet
another means of
accessing the same
product workbenches
a check list lets you
switch between document
windows
the User Galaxy lets you
access the Dassault
Systemes Galaxy online
information package
accessible via html
browser (refer to
"Accessing the Dassault
Systmes User Galaxy"
for more information).

Note that, on SGI workstations, the icons do not appear next to the names on the Start menu.
When the user exits the Start menu, the display area is redrawn, but on the SGI platform, a special technique has been
implemented to improve display redraw performance. The use of this technique prevents icons from appearing on the menu.
If you want the icons to be visible, export the following variable before starting a session:
SGI_NO_OVL=YES
Keep in mind, however, that if you are displaying a large model, this will degrade display performance when exiting the
menu.

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4. To customize the list of

workbench icons available, rightclick any icon in any toolbar to
display the Customize... dialog
box, or select the Tools>Customize... command.
The Favorites list contains
the workbenches available on
the Start menu, the Welcome
dialog box and by rightclicking the current
workbench icon.
To remove icons from these
locations, drag the icon name
from the "Favorites" list and
drop it on the "Available" list,
or select the icon and click
the <---- arrow.
To add icons, do the reverse:
drag them from the
"Available" list and drop
them onto the "Favorites"
list, or select the icon and
click the ----> arrow.
Then click the Close button to confirm.
Note that the "Available" list remains the same because it contains all available workbenches. The list varies according to the
configurations and/or products installed.

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Creating a New Workbench Document in the

Product Structure
This task explains how to create a new document inside the current product structure document,
and activate the workbench for the new document.

1. Double-click the Product document in the specification tree to

activate the product structure workbench and select it.
Selecting it indicates your intention to create a new document
inside the product structure.

2. Select the workbench using the Start menu, the "Welcome" dialog box or from the list
accessed by right-clicking the current workbench icon.

For example, if you select Part Design, a Part Design component

is added to the product structure, and the Part Design workbench
is activated.
Note that the symbol next to "Part1" is a product structure
symbol.

3. Expand the tree (by clicking the "+" symbol) to see the Part
document itself:

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Activating a Different Workbench in the Product

Structure
This task explains the how to activate a different workbench inside the same product structure document.

1. Identify the current workbench.

For example, in this product structure document, the product structure workbench is active:

and the product structure document is active:

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To activate the Part Design workbench, for

example, double-click the Part document, or
select the Part document and access the Part
Design workbench.
You can use the Start menu, the "Welcome"
dialog box or the list accessed by right-clicking
the current workbench icon.

The Part Design workbench is activated in the same product structure window:

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Creating a New Document for a Different Workbench

This task explains how to create a new document and activate the corresponding workbench.

1. Click the Product document in the specification tree to activate the product structure workbench.
Note that the document color is blue in the tree.

2. Select the workbench using the Start menu, the "Welcome" dialog box or from the list accessed by right-clicking
the current workbench icon. For example, if you select the Part Design workbench,a new Part Design document
will be created in a separate window, and thePart Design workbench will be activated:

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Creating, Opening, and Saving Documents

About Data Sharing Between Windows and UNIX
About Filenames
Creating New Documents
Creating a New Document from an Existing One
Opening Existing Documents
Opening Existing Documents Using the Browse Window
Opening Most Recently Used Documents
Closing Documents
Saving Documents For the First Time or Under Another Name
Saving Existing Documents
Saving Documents In Other Formats
Saving All Documents
Managing Document Save
Displaying Document Properties
Using the Version 5 Compatibility Batch

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About Data Sharing Between Windows and UNIX

A communication protocol such as ftp, http or NFS is required for sharing data between Windows and UNIX.
The ftp and NFS protocols can be used for sharing data between these environments. Several implementations of NFS exist, provided by different
vendors.
The following products have been tested using different scenarios:

HummingBird NFS Maestro Version 6.1

Intergraph DiskAccess Microsoft 2.0.

Limitations
Whatever technical solution you choose for sharing your data, make sure you are aware of the system limitations on file names described in "About
Filenames".

Data Sharing Scenarios

To illustrate the data sharing possibilities from UNIX to Windows , different kinds of scenario have been performed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Transferring data by ftp.exe on a command window.

Transferring data using the Hummingbird ftp graphic Interface.
Transferring data by TAR, ftp and WinZip command successively.
Reading data using NFS Hummingbird.
Reading data using DiskAccess Microsoft.

Note: all these scenarios are based on exchanges from UNIX to Windows for filenames containing National or Special characters and Windows forbidden
characters.

Transferring Data from UNIX to WINDOWS by ftp Protocol

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Scenario 1: By ftp.exe on a Cmd.exe Window

ftp.exe transfer

Mput *.model

Put 'real filename'.model

Get 'real filename'.model

Mget *.model

AB+CD.model on UNIX**

KO

KO

KO

KO

AB CD.model on UNIX

KO

KO

KO

KO

AB+CD.model on Windows

OK

KO

KO

OK

AB CD.model on Windows

OK

OK

OK

OK

** (+ ) in the filename corresponds to the Plus/Minus character (0xb1)

Scenario Description

The first two V4 models were transferred from a UNIX login (Windows server is inetinfo). The last V4 models were transferred from a Windows login
by ftp.exe client.
Conclusion:
Transferring V4 data must be done only from Windows . Data exportation from UNIX must be excluded if some special characters ( like 0xb1) have been
frequently used on the V4 site.

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Scenario 2: By Hummingbird ftp on Windows (Graphic Interface)

ftp.exe transfer

Mput *.model

Put AB+CD.model

Get AB+CD.model

Mget *.model

AB+CD.model on Windows

OK

OK

OK

OK

ftp.exe transfer

Mput *.model

Put AB CD.model

Get AB CD.model

Mget *.model

AB CD.model on Windows

OK

Not done

Not done

OK

Scenario Description
The V4 models have been transferred from Windows login using ftp graphic command provided by Hummingbird. Conclusion: the graphic interface can be
useful for a small numbers of transfers.
Note: Concerning national character transfer, the ftp configuration must be in mode "NO filename verification" (which is the default).

Scenario 3: Transferring by TAR UNIX IBM 932 / FTP / WINZIP Windows ISO1
Model name IBM932

Model name ISO1 Windows

CATIA V5 reads model

AB'Japanese'CD.model

OK (Garbaged characters)

OK

AB+CD.model

OK

OK

**The characters obtained after transferring Japanese filenames are garbaged because the resulting code page on Windows is ISO1.

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Scenario Description

The V4 models were created on UNIX IBM932. The first one contains Japanese katakana SBCS characters and the second one the Plus/Minus character.
The TAR command is run on UNIX.
The FTP.exe command is run on Windows for transferring data.
The WinZip utility is run on Windows to extract the above mentioned data.

Scenario 4: Transferring by TAR UNIX IBM 932 / FTP / WINZIP Windows IBM932
Model name IBM932

Model name IBM932

CATIA V5 reads model

AB'Japanese'CD.model

OK

OK

AB+CD.model

OK

OK

Scenario Description
The V4 models have been created on UNIX IBM932 . The first one contains Japanese katakana SBCS characters and the second one
the Plus/Minus character.
The TAR command is run on UNIX.
The FTP.exe command is run on Japanese Windows for transferring data.
The WinZip utility is run on Japanese Windows to extract the above mentioned data.
Conclusion: mixed environments can lead to unpredictable behavior on the filename. Our recommendation is to use the same code page (ISO 646
subset). Consequently, V4 models have to be read in the same code page where WinZip utility has been performed.

Reading UNIX data from Windows

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Scenario 5: Using HUMMINGBIRD NFS
Model name under UNIX
AB+CD.model
AB>CD.model
AB<CD.model
AB*CD.model
AB?CD.model
AB"CD.model
AB:CD.model

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Model name read in CATIA V5 Windows

KO : Strange unicode character
KO : Invalid name in File/Open box
KO : Invalid name in File/Open box
KO : Does nothing
KO : Does nothing
KO : Invalid name in File/Open box
KO : 'AB' result

Scenario Description
A few V4 models containing Windows forbidden characters are read directly using NFS MAESTRO HUMMINGBIRD.

Conclusion
If the model name contains:

national characters ( and especially +- 0xb1)

metacharacters * and ?

special characters

the CATIA V5 File/Open box rejects them.

Using NFS Hummingbird 6.1 can be recommended only if the NT_COMPATIBILITY value has been employed in the V4 CATIA
declaration file to prevent future data corruption.

Scenario 6: Using DISK ACCESS Microsoft

Model name under UNIX
AB+CD.model
AB>CD.model
AB<CD.model
AB*CD.model
AB?CD.model
AB"CD.model
AB:CD.model

Model name read in CATIA V4 Windows

OK
KO : Invalid name in File/Open box
KO : Invalid name in File/Open box
KO : Does nothing
KO : Does nothing
KO : Invalid name in File/Open box
KO : AB resulting

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Scenario Description
A few V4 models containing Windows forbidden characters are read directly by DiskAccess.
Conclusion:
Although DiskAccess refused also the forbidden Windows characters, it is possible to read National ones ( for instance, Plus/Minus character ).
The same scenario has been performed between a Japanese UNIX and a Japanese Windows machine: equivalent results were obtained .The Plus/Minus
character and Japanese directories containing V4 models can be read directly by DiskAccess.

General Recommendations
We recommend that, when using these products, you activate the lock mechanism and keep the same case in file names.
We also recommend that you evaluate the product within the context and environment of your company before deploying it, in order to check that it
meets your needs and is appropriate for your processes.

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About Filenames
This section specifies what you need to know about file names. There are a certain number of file
naming constraints you need to be aware of.
On both Windows and UNIX
Firstly, only the ISO-646 subset of characters is authorized (with the limitations described below).
ISO-646 provides the subset of characters common to all code pages, and is included in all industry
standard code pages such as ISO8859-x, EUC-xxx, etc.
The ISO-646 subset contains the principal symbols you characters you may need to use for naming
documents:

characters A to Z (upper and lower case)

numbers 0 to 9

and certain special characters.

However, national accented characters are not supported.

Furthermore, the following special characters are not supported on Windows:

> (greater than)

< (less than)

* (asterisk)

: (colon)

" (quotation mark)

? (question mark)

\ (backslash)

| (vertical bar)

and the following special character is not supported on both Windows and UNIX:

/ (slash).

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This means that:

you cannot use national accented characters or any of the forbidden special characters listed
above when creating and saving documents; on UNIX, to enhance document interoperability
between the UNIX and Windows platforms, a filter is activated systematically to prevent you
from creating documents whose names contain special characters not supported on Windows

you cannot read documents created with Version 5, and renamed using your operating system,
if they contain national accented characters or forbidden special characters.

What About Version 4 Model Documents?

The following table specifies, for each Version 4 data type listed, any problems in reading the data
due to forbidden characters in the data name:

UNIX Data from

On UNIX
Version 4
model (or
PRJMODEL)
Example:
MY***.model

On Windows

You can read Version 4 model

Impossible to read.
documents containing either national
accented characters or any of the
You can read Version 4 model documents
forbidden special characters.
containing national accented characters, but you
cannot read Version 4 documents containing
forbidden special characters.
You must rename the model before reading it,
so it does not contain special characters.

*MASTER
*LISTFAM
PRJ tables using ":"

You can read them.

Impossible to read.

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Creating New Documents

This task shows you how to create a new document when Version 5 is already running.

1. Click the New icon

or select the File->New... command (or the CTRL+N keyboard

shortcut).
2. Select "Product", for instance. A new document (Product) will appear.

Using the File -> New Command

1. Click the New icon

or select the File->New... command (or the CTRL+N keyboard

shortcut):

The new document types you can create are listed.

The list contains only the document types for the configurations/products you
installed and for which you have a license.

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2. In the New dialog box, double-click the document type or select it then click OK. Choose
the document type from the following:

Part

A document like this will appear:

Bear in mind that the geometry you create in Version 5 is contained in a "box"
whose dimensions are 100 m x 100 m. Therefore, creating elements exceeding these
dimensions may lead to unpredictable results.
For more information about the Part Design workbench, see the CATIA - Part Design
User's Guide.

Drawing

After selection of the standard to be used, a dialog box like this will appear:

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For more information about the Generative Drafting and Interactive Drafting
workbenches, see the CATIA - Generative Drafting User's Guide and CATIA Interactive Drafting User's Guide.

Product

A document like this will appear:

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For more information about the Assembly workbench, see the CATIA - Assembly
Design User's Guide.

Analysis

A document like this will appear:

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For more information about the Generative Part Analysis workbench, see the CATIA Generative Part Structural Analysis and the CATIA - Generative Assembly Structural
Analysis User's Guides.

CatalogDocument

A document will appear like this:

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Process

ProcessLibrary

ZipMill

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For more details about the above three document types, refer to the CATIA
Prismatic Machining Users Guide and the CATIA Surface Machinist Users
Guide.

Using the New Contextual Command on the Desktop

This task shows you how to create a new document whether or not Version 5 is already running.

1. Either on the Desktop area of Windows or in the appropriate directory of the Windows
Explorer (making sure you do not select any items when doing so), right-click once then
select the New command.

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2. Select the document type you wish to open:

An empty icon indicating the document type is created (see "Starting a Session Using
Document Icons").
3. Click in the name field that appears with the icon just created and replace the default
name with a name of your own choosing (for example, replace NewPart.CATPart with
MyFile.CATPart).
4. Double-click on the icon that is created.

The new document is created. If you do not have a session running, a session is
opened.

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Creating a New Document from an Existing

One
This task shows you how to create a new document based on a copy of an existing one.

1. You may want to create a new document whose basic characteristics are the same as an
existing document. To do this, close the document you want to copy if not already closed
and select the File->New from... command.
The File Selection dialog box appears:

2. Select the existing document from which you want to create a new one and click Open.
An exact copy of the existing document is displayed with a default name. The only
difference between this document and the already existing one is that the new document
is given a new UUID by the File->New from... command. (This distinguishes File>New from... from File->Save As...)

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The File->New from... command also supports multi-documents. In that case, the new
document will be based on a copy of the multiselection as a whole and not of each
document individually.
If the document(s) you select point(s) to other documents for which the action can be
performed, the New From dialog box is displayed:

The upper frame of the dialog box displays a list of documents to which at least one of
the selected documents points to (directly or not). The name, type and location of the
files are indicated as well as the status.
These documents will not be taken into account by the New From action, i.e. they will
just be loaded in your current session and thus, will not be visualized in the new
document window. They will be identified by the icon

in the specification tree .

The lower frame of the dialog box displays a list of documents for which the New From
action will be performed along with file information (name, type, etc.).

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3. Use the buttons to transfer documents from one frame to another:

moves the whole list to the lower frame

moves the selected file to the lower frame

moves the whole list (except the CATProduct document) to the upper frame

moves the selected file to the upper frame.

When a document is selected in the lower frame, the Rename document button is
activated. Clicking this button opens the following dialog box:

Enter the new name of the selected document then click OK to validate. The new file
name will be displayed in the New Name column.

4. Click OK to open the new document.

5. Save the new document giving it a name other than the default.
You can give the new document the same name as that of the already existing one if you
wish but if you do this you must put the new document in another directory.

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Opening Existing Documents

This task shows you how to open an existing document when Version 5 is already running.
Bear in mind that Dassault Systmes guarantees upward compatibility for Version 5 data.
As far as downward compatibility is concerned, Version 5 data can be reused from one service pack
to another, provided that they belong to the same release. If the Version 5 data do not belong to
the same release, they can still be reused in case of CATPart documents but this implies the use of
a specific process detailed in Using the Version Compatibility Batch.

If you wish to access V4 data such as V4 models, PROJECT files and library objects on Windows or
UNIX or access CDMA objects on UNIX you can do so provided you purchase the V4 Integration
product.
V4 models, PROJECT files or library objects residing on UNIX can be accessed from Windows using
the http protocol. (Make sure beforehand that an http server has been installed on the machine
where the V4 data resides.
The address to be specified should look something like this:
http://UNIXserver: port/V4datalocation

You will not be allowed to open a document created using Version 5 if its name contains national
characters or forbidden special characters. For a reminder, refer to "About Filenames".

Using the File ->Open Command

1. Click the Open icon

shortcut).

The following dialog box appears:

or select the File->Open... command (or the CTRL+O keyboard

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Note: depending on the document environments you allowed in the Document settings, an
additional window may appear simultaneously to let you access your documents using an
alternate method. For detailed information, refer to "Opening Existing Documents Using
the Browse Window".

2. In the File Selection box, select the file location.

3. Click the "Files of type" list to display the list of document types which you can open:

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Check the "Show Preview" option to display a preview of the selected file (only on
Microsoft Windows workstations).

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4. Select the document type.

The list of document types you can open depends on the configurations/products
installed and for which you have a license.
Note: On UNIX workstations, the File Selection dialog box lets you sort your files by
date or size.
This dialog box also lets you rename or delete the selected file/folder by clicking the
Rename or Delete contextual command.
After clicking the Delete command, a confirmation dialog box appears: just click OK to
delete the selected item.
When renaming a file or folder, if the new name you entered is already used, the item
is not renamed and a warning message is displayed.
The following list contains all possible document types (in alphabetical order):

All Bitmap Files

Lets you browse BMP files from within a session, without having to use another
application
All CATIA V4 Files
Lets you open V4 documents such as .model, .session or .library files
All CATIA V5 Files

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Lets you open V5 documents such as .catalog or .CATAnalysis files, for example

All CATIA CAA Files

Lets you browse CAA files such as .CAABsk or .CAADoc files
All Standard Files
Lets you browse files such as .igs, .wrl, .step or .stp files
All Vector Files
Lets you browse files such as .cgm, .gl, .gl2 or .hpgl files
3dmap
Lets you browse 3dmap (i.e. spacemap representation) files. Note that you cannot
open these files on AIX platforms
act
Lets you browse process libraries which contain a number of different classes
or types of activities interactively defined by the user. For more information, see
"Managing a Process Document with Process Libraries" in the DELMIA - DPM
Process Planner User's Guide
asm
V4 Assembly Modeling document saved as an Assembly Design document i.e.
CATProduct. For
more information, see the Version 5 - Assembly Design User's Guide
bdf
Allegro specific format. For more information, see the Version 5 - Circuit Board
Design User's Guide
brd
Mentor Graphics specific format
catalog
Catalog documents. For more information, see the Version 5 Component Catalog Editor User's Guide
CATAnalysis
Analysis document. For more information, see the Version 5 - Generative
Structural Analysis User's Guide
CATDrawing
Generative Drafting or Interactive Drafting document. For more information about
the Generative Drafting and Interactive Drafting workbenches, see the Version 5 Generative Drafting User's Guide and Version 5 - Interactive Drafting User's Guide
CATfct
Feature Dictionary and Business Knowledge Template files. Refer to Starting the
Feature Dictionary Editor and to the Version 5 - Business Process Knowledge
Template User's Guide
CATMaterial
Material library. For more information, see the Version 5 - Real Time Rendering
User's Guide
CATPart
Part Design document. For more information about the Part Design workbench,
see the Version 5 - Part Design User's Guide
CATProcess
Process document. For more information, see the Version 5 - Prismatic Machining
User's Guide
CATProduct

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Assembly Design document. For more information about the Assembly

workbench, see the Version 5 - Assembly Design User's Guide

CATSystem
Functional system management file. For more information, refer to the Version 5 Product Function Definition and Version 5 - Product Function Optimization User's
Guides
cdd
CATIA-CADAM file
cgm
ANSI/ISO standardized platform-independent format used for the interchange of
vector and bitmap data

DenebProcess

dbnzip

dxf/dwg
Autocad DXF and DWG formats. Creates a CATDrawing document. For more
information, see "Exporting a CATDrawing into a DXF/DWG File" in the Version 5 Generative Drafting User's Guide
idf
Document generated by an IDF application. For more information, see
Version 5 - Circuit Board Design User's Guide
ig2
2D IGES file, saved as a CATDrawing document. For more information, see
"Importing a 2D IGES File into a CATDrawing" in the Version 5 - Data Exchange
Interfaces User's Guide
igs
IGES file saved as a Part Design document, i.e. a CATPart document. For more
information, see "Importing an IGES File" in the Version 5 - Part Design User's
Guide
jpg
Lets you browse JPEG files from within a session, without having to use another
application
ldf
library
V4 library document storing objects such as details, symbols, NC mill and lathe
tools and beam sections. For more information, see the Version 5 - V4 Integration
User's Guide
model
V4 model document. For more information about the V4 Integration workbench,
see the Version 5 - V4 Integration User's Guide
pdb
PDB files
picture
Lets you browse CATIA Version 4 picture files from within a Version 5 session
rgb
SGI format for pixel images

sdnf

session

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V4 session document containing several CATIA V4 models converted to a

CATProduct document. For more information about the V4 Integration workbench,
see the Version 5 - V4 Integration User's Guide

stbom
Imports a SmartBOM (Bill Of Material) Briefcase in Version 5. For more
information, refer to "Export SmartBOM from Version 5 " in the Version 5 Product Structure User's Guide
step, STEP, stp and STP
Creates a CATProduct document. For more information, see "Importing a STEP
AP203 Document" in the Version 5 - Data Exchange Interfaces User's Guide
stl
Lets you browse stereolithography documents. For more information, see the
Version 5 - STL Rapid Prototyping User's Guide and to "Exporting CATPart Data to
an STL File" in the Version 5 - Data Exchange Interfaces User's Guide
tdg and TDG
STRIM/STYLER files
tif
Lets you browse TIFF files from within a Version 5 session, without having to use
another application
wrl
Lets you browse VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) files. Note that you
cannot open these files on AIX platforms.

5. If you are sure you do not intend to modify the document in any way, you may want to
open the document in read-only mode. If so, check the box Open as read-only.

Warning: when opening a document pointing to other documents with the Open as
read-only box checked, bear in mind that the read-only mode only applies to the
selected root document. The pointed documents will be loaded in read-write mode
and may be loaded independently from the root document.

6. Click Open.

In case an error occurs when opening a file (e.g. unknown document name, nonsupported file format, corrupted file, etc.), an Incident Report windows opens. It displays
the error hisory and indicates for each error its type, object and description. This history
is maintained throughout the whole session, the errors being classified by degree of severity.

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Using the Insert ->Existing Components Command

This command is only available in DMU Navigator. In the DMU Navigator user guide, see Basic Tasks,
Setting Up Your Session, Inserting Components.

Using the Start->Documents Command on Windows

This task shows you how to access an existing document without running a Version 5 session.

1. Before you open a session, click Start and select Documents.

2. Select the document you wish to open.

A Version 5 session is opened and your document is displayed.

Using the Windows Explorer or My Computer on (Windows) or the File Manager (UNIX)
This task shows you how to open an existing document via a document icon when no Version 5
session is already running.
1. Before you open a session, click My Computer or run the Windows Explorer and find the
location of the document you wish to open

2. Double-click the document icon.

A Version 5 session is opened and your document is displayed.

On UNIX, you can use the File Manager.

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Dragging and Dropping a Document Icon

This task shows you how to open an existing document via a document icon when a Version 5
session is already running.
1. If a Version 5 session is already open, drag and drop the icon in your Version 5 application
window.
Your document is opened for editing.
Note that this method is not available on IRIX.

Using the Open in New Window Contextual Command

This task shows you how to open an existing document in a new window.
1. If a document is already open in a Version 5 session, select the item you wish to open from
the specification tree.

2. Right-click then select the xxx object-> Open in New Window contextual command.

The document associated to the selected item is opened in a new window.

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Using the Open the Pointed Document Contextual Command

This task shows you how to open a pointed document in a new window.
1. If a document is already open in a Version 5 session, select the item pointing to a
referenced document from the specification tree.

Note: this command is available for geometrical external references and external
parameters only.
For instance, you will be able to use this command when selecting a geometry pasted "As
Result With Link" in a CATPart document different from the one in which it has been
copied (the geometry will be identified by the symbol

).

2. Right-click then select the xxx object-> Open the Pointed Document contextual
command.

The document pointed to by the selected item is opened in a new window.

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Opening Existing Documents Using the Browse Window

This task shows you how to use the Browse window which provides alternate methods to access your documents.

This window will appear in addition to the File Selection dialog box when using the commands listed below, provided that you
allowed the necessary document environments in your Document settings:

File->Open...

Edit->Links...

Replace Component

Instantiate From Document

Catalog Browser.

The list of document access methods available from the Browse window will vary according to the document environments you
defined.

Open the document Links.CATProduct.

1. Select the Tools->Options... command then the General category and finally, the Document tab:

The Document Environments area lets you define the method(s) you will use to access your documents by allowing
the desired environment(s) selected from the list.
These document environments are:

Folder: default document environment (indicated by the status "Current") in which the dialog accesses the
folders containing the documents
DLName: document environment which lets you access the folders containing the
documents using DLNames

SmarTeam: lets you access SmarTeam projects stored in SmarTeam - CATIA Integration

SmarTeam Query: lets you access SmarTeam projects stored in SmarTeam - CATIA Integration using queries

SmarTeam2: lets you access documents stored in SmarTeam - CATIA Xtended Integration

Enovia: lets you access documents stored in ENOVIA V5

Catalog: lets you access documents stored in catalogs

Loaded document: lets you access documents loaded in the current session.

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2. To allow a document environment, select it from the list then click the Allowed button. Repeat this step as many
times as necessary to allow all document environments.
For detailed information on document environments, refer to the Document tab (section entitled "Document
Environment" in the Version 5 - Infrastructure User's Guide.

3. Click OK to validate and close the panel.

4. Select the Edit->Links... command.

5. Select the item to be replaced then click the Replace button.

The File Selection dialog box and the Browse window (displayed in background) open simultaneously as shown
below:

6. Click Cancel to close the File Selection panel and activate the Browse window:

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Note that the icons displayed in the Browse window will vary with the document environments you have allowed in
step 2. The above picture is just an example.
In addition to that, some methods are discarded by default when using specific commands because they are not
relevant (for instance, "Catalog" is not available from the Catalog Browser command).
Let's have a look at the following matrix in which red symbols identify the discarded methods in relation to the
corresponding commands:

Commands

File->Open Edit->Links

Replace
Instantiate
Component
From
Document

Catalog
Browser

Environments
Folder
DLNames
SmarTeam
SmarTeam
Query
SmarTeam2
ENOVIA V5
Catalog

Loaded
document

X
X

Bear also in mind that other methods may be discarded by your Version 5 administrator and thus, may impact the
look of the Browse window.

7. Select the desired method by clicking the corresponding button:

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Logical File System

Lets you access the folders containing documents using DLNames. This method implies that DLNames have
been previously defined in the Document settings, otherwise a warning message appears.
After clicking the Logical File System button, the following dialog box opens:

Refer to the Documen tab (section "DLName Integration") to learn how to define DLNames and use the
File Selection dialog box in the Version 5 - Infrastructure User's Guide.

File
Opens the usual File Selection dialog box which lets you browse your folders containing the documents:

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Refer to "Opening Existing Documents" in the Version 5 - Infrastructure User's Guide for detailed
information on this dialog box.

Catalog
Opens a catalog browser which lets you browse then instantiate components stored in catalogs:

icon to access the document to be browsed, you must select the type
Note that after clicking the
"*.catalog" from the "Files of type" list before selecting the element you want to instantiate.
For detailed information on the Catalog Browser, refer to "Browsing a Catalog Using the Catalog Browser"
in the Version 5 - Component Catalog Editor User's Guide.

Loaded document
Opens the Session document dialog box which enables you to preview and select documents opened in your
current Version 5 session:

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Note the following:

in the context of the Edit->Links... command, the selected element will open and replace the
element highlighted in the first place and the new element name will be displayed in the Links dialog
box.
Refer to "Editing Document Links" in the Version 5 - Infrastructure User's Guide for detailed
information on links between documents
in the context of the catalog browser, the object to be accessed must be of type "*.catalog.
The selected catalog will then open in the browser.

Enovia
Lets you perform a query for document-type objects in the ENOVIA V5 database.
This document environment is only available with a VPM Navigator license.

8. Once you have accessed the desired document, click OK or Open (depending on the method) to validate.

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Opening Most Recently Used Documents

This task shows you how to open a recently used file.

1. Select the File command and click, at the bottom of the menu, the name of the file you
wish to open.

The selected file opens.

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Closing Documents
This task shows you how to close a document.

1. Select the File->Close command.

2. If changes have been made since the last save, the Close dialog box appears.
Specify whether the file is to be saved or not.

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Saving Documents For the First Time or Under

Another Name
This task shows you how to save a document for the first time or under another name.

1. Select the File->Save As... command.

2. In the Save As dialog box, specify the location of the document to be saved as well as its
name and type.

As far as STL format files are concerned, they cannot be saved using the Save As...
command when working in Wireframe mode. The reason is that STL files are generated
from the visualization tesselation and tesselation
triangles are not available when switching to the Wireframe mode.

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The Save_as_new option lets you save an existing document under a new name but this
new document will be given a new UUID (Unique Universal IDentifier).

3. Click Save.

If the name you give the file already exists, the following message appears:

You will not be allowed to use national characters or forbidden special characters in the
document name. For a reminder, refer to About Filenames.
On Windows, documents cannot be stored in a folder for which delete authorization is
not set.
On UNIX workstations, the Save As dialog box lets you rename or delete the selected
file/folder by clicking the Rename or Delete contextual command.
After clicking the Delete command, a confirmation dialog box appears: just click OK to
delete the selected item.
When renaming a file or folder, if the new name you entered is already used, the item is
not renamed and a warning message is displayed.

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Saving Existing Documents

This task shows you how to save an existing document.

1. Click the Save icon

or select the File->Save command (or the CTRL+S keyboard shortcut).

A message appears in the status bar to confirm that the document is saved.
If the document you are trying to save points to parts, the following window will be displayed to warn you
that these parts will not be saved unless you use the File->Save All command:

If you are trying to save a document that is currently modified and saved by another user, the following
window will appear to warn that your modifications will be lost if you proceed:

When a document is saved, it is stored in the UTF8 Unicode format. This ensures that the data contained in
it can be read on both Windows and UNIX whatever the session code page used.
You can choose to set an automatic save for your file using the General tab of the Tools->Options...
command. For more information, see "Customizing General Settings".

If you save an existing file in another directory without changing the file name you will only be able to open
one of these files at any given time. If one of them is already open you will not be able to open the other.
This is because both files have the same UUID. To avoid this happening each file must have its own UUID.
This can be done by means of the File->New from... command. See Creating New Documents from Existing
Documents.

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Saving Documents In Other Formats

This task shows you how to save a document in another format.
1. Select the File->Save As... command.

2. In the Save As dialog box, select the location of the document to be saved.

3. Click the Save as type: list.

On UNIX, the Save As dialog box lets you rename or delete the selected file/folder by clicking the Rename or
Delete contextual command.
After clicking the Delete command, a confirmation dialog box appears: just click OK to delete the selected item.
When renaming a file or folder, if the new name you entered is already used, the item is not renamed and a warning
message is displayed.

4. Select the document type from the list displayed.

For example, you may wish to save:

a Part Design or Assembly document as a STEP AP203 document (.stp):

see "Exporting CATPart or CATProduct Data to a STEP AP203 File" in your Version 5 Data Exchange Interface
User's Guide
a CATDrawing document as a DXF document (.dxf):
see "Exporting a CATDrawing into a DXF/DWG File" in your Version 5 Data Exchange Interface User's Guide
a CATDrawing document as a CGM document (.cgm):
see "Exporting a CGM File" in your Version 5 Data Exchange Interface User's Guide.
a CATDrawing document as a TIFF document (.tif)
a 3D document as a VRML document (.wrl)
see "Exporting 3D Documents to VRML" in your Version 5 Data Exchange Interface User's Guide.

The list of available formats may vary depending on the context you are working in. For detailed information on all
possible formats, refer to the list in Opening Existing Documents.
A few remarks:
STL files
As far as STL format files are concerned, they cannot be saved using the Save As... command when using the
Wireframe mode. The reason is that STL files are generated from the visualization tesselation and tesselation
triangles are not available when switching to Wireframe mode.

CATDrawing documents

you can save a CATDrawing document in hpgl2 format

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you can now save a CATDrawing document in JPEG (*.jpg) and PDF (*.pdf) format using the File->Save As...
command.
Note for PDF: by default, saving a CATDrawing document in PDF format will generate as many .pdf files as there
are sheets. Each file name will be suffixed with "_Sheet_sheetnumber.pdf": for instance
"MyDrawing_Sheet_1.pdf", "MyDrawing_Sheet_2.pdf", etc.
If you want all the sheets to be in a single .pdf file, you need to export the "SAVE_AS_ONE_PDF" variable with
the value "1".

as explained above, CATDrawing documents can also be saved in TIFF format using the File->Save As...
command.
However, this functionality requires external settings to be defined either by setting or exporting environment
variables or by editing an external configuration file.
The environment variables you need to set or export are detailed hereafter:

Name

Description

Value

PRINT_CAPTURE_
RASTERFORMAT

Raster format

TIFF
True color uncompressed
TIFFTCPB
True color PackBits compressed
TIFFINDEX Indexed (256 colors) uncompressed
TIFFPB
Indexed (256 colors) PackBits compressed
TIFFGREY
Grey scale PackBits compressed
TIFFBWPB Bilevel (black and white) PackBits compressed
TIFFG4
Bilevel G4 Fax compression

PRINT_CAPTURE_DPI

DPI

0.0 < DPI <= 450.0

PRINT_SETTING_PATH

External path name for Set PRINT_SETTING_PATH="e:\temp"

print/capture settings File e:\temp\CATPrint.ini will be used as configuration file.

(default is 150.0)

To export a variable

on Windows:
set variable_name=variable_value (e.g. "set PRINT_CAPTURE-DPI=200")
on UNIX:
export variable_name=variable_value.

To set a variable, refer to Customizing Your Environment on Windows or Customizing Your Environment on UNIX,
according to your operating system.
The configuration file is named CATPrint.ini and is located by default in a temporary directory. If you wish to modify
the default location, use the PRINT_SETTING_PATH environment variable as explained above.
The following is a syntax example of the configuration file to save a TIFF CCITT Grp4/T6 compression file at 200.0
DPI from a CATDrawing document:

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//
// Print configuration file
// -----------------------//
<CAPTURE_SECTION>
// For RASTERFORMAT (ALL TIFF: Other for internal use)
// "TIFF" * True color uncompressed TIFF file.</dd>
// "TIFFTCPB" * True color PackBits compressed TIFF file.</dd>
// "TIFFINDEX" * Indexed (256 colors) uncompressed TIFF file.</dd>
// "TIFFPB" * Indexed (256 colors) PackBits compressed TIFF file.</dd>
// "TIFFGREY" * Grey scale PackBits compressed TIFF file.</dd>
// "TIFFBWPB" * Bilevel (black and white) PackBits compressed TIFF file.</dd>
// "TIFFG4" * Bilevel G4 Fax compression
<PRINT_CAPTURE_RASTERFORMAT>TIFFG4</PRINT_CAPTURE_RASTERFORMAT>
<PRINT_CAPTURE_DPI> 200.0 </PRINT_CAPTURE_DPI>
</CAPTURE_SECTION>
Note: when saving a large CATDrawing format with a high resolution (i.e. > 250.0 DPI), memory and CPU
consumption increase very quickly. As a consequence, generating such a raster output may be impossible on low
system environments unless you work with an optimized configuration (CPU + memory).

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Saving All Documents

These tasks show you how to save some or all of the documents you opened and how to control their names and locations. In
addition to this, the Save All command lets you save very easily all modified or read-only documents.

1. Select the File->Save All command.

If all the documents modified in the session can be saved without further interaction, a warning window appears to indicate
the number of documents to be saved and prompts you to confirm or not the save:

Just click "Yes" to save automatically all the documents or "No" to cancel the command.
If all the documents cannot be saved, the following dialog box will appear when some of the documents are new or readonly:

If you did not make any changes to any of the documents you want to save or if these documents are read-only files, this
dialog box will not appear.

2. Click OK to open the Save All dialog box:

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3. Click the Save As... button to specify a name for each read only or new document.
The number of unsaved files is indicated at the bottom of the dialog box and a preview is displayed on the right..

4. Click OK to confirm.

If symbolic links exist between files, for example if a .CATDrawing document has been created from a Part document, the
names of each of these files will also appear and will be saved if the Part document is saved. However, if you want to be
able to save all files independently regardless of any existing links between files, check the option Enable independent
saves at the bottom of the dialog box.
Clicking the Save As... button is mandatory if you want to save your document under another name.

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Managing Document Save

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The "Save Management..." command lets you save all your modified documents under a new name and a new location.

Note: This command is relevant for loaded documents only. In case of unloaded documents, use the File->Send To command.

1. Select the File->Save Management... command.

The following dialog box will appear:

The Path column indicates all document that are currently used along with their paths.
The State column indicates the original state of each currently used document. For instance, if a document has been modified since last
load, the corresponding state (i.e. "Modified") is displayed in the State column.
The Action column enables you to check the actions you are performing on your documents (save, modification, etc.). Bear in mind that
the State column will keep on displaying the document original state and will not reflect the actions you performed.
Here are the various states that may be assigned to a document:

New: identifies a newly created document. You have to select a file name in order to save it

Opened: identifies a non-modified document open in your session

Modified: identifies a document which has been modified in your session

Read Only: identifies a modified and read-only document. You have to specify a new name for this document if you want to save it

Opened Read Only: identifies a non-modified, read-only document open in your session

Save: identifies a document that will be saved

Save Auto: identifies a dependent document that will be saved.

2. Select the file you want to save.

3. Click the Save As... button to open the following dialog box:

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4. Indicate the name and destination folder of the new created file, respectively in the File name and Save in fields.
5. Click the Save button.

When using the Save As... command for a .CATProduct document containing other modified components, these components will be
assigned the "Save Auto" state and will be saved when clicking OK.
However, some "document-to-document" links will not be taken into account, such as links that are not design prerequisites. For
instance, when saving a .CATDrawing document pointing to a modified .CATPart document, the state of the .CATDrawing document
remain unchanged.

6. Once you have saved a document in a new directory, you can use the Propagate directory button to save the files linked to this document
into the same directory.
Check that the linked files you wish to save appear in the same workbench as the product, otherwise you will not be able to run this
command. For instance, in case of a .CATAnalysis or .CATProduct document, clicking the Propagate directory... button will save any
part or product associated to this document.

Note that new documents with the "Auto Save" status are saved in the directory of the document selected in the list when clicking
Propagate directory, Save or Save As....
If we take the above capture as an example, a new document with the "Auto Save" status would be saved in "E:\users" since
"Car.CATProduct" is selected.
To go back the document original state, select the document then click the Reset button.

7. Click OK to confirm.

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The Save Management... command will automatically save impacted files as well. If there are still unsaved files left when you click OK ,
the following message will be displayed:

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Displaying Document Properties

This task shows you how to display properties for a document loaded in Version 5.
Note: the properties displayed under the Document tab can also be accessed from the FileDesk
workbench by selecting a document then the Properties contextual command.

1. Open a document in your Version 5 session.

2. Select the File->Document Properties command.

The Properties dialog box opens:

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The following information is displayed under the Document tab:

Name of the document along with a symbol identifying the document type (a
CATDrawing in our example)

Path: folder in which the document is saved

Size: size of the document are indicated

Last Change: date and time of the last modifications

Attributes: indicates if the document is read-only or not.

In addition to this, the version and release number (including Service Pack number, if
applicable) and the build date of the code level used for the last document save are
displayed.
Note that no version and build date information will be displayed:

if the document has never been saved (i.e. a new document) or if it has been saved
prior to V5R10
if the document is not a Version 5 document (for instance, a V4 model
document).

Some applications do not display all the properties available when the Properties dialog
box is first displayed.
You can click the More... button to access any other tabs: a progress bar will appear and
you can either wait until more properties are displayed or interrupt the command by
clicking the Cancel... button.
If interrupted, the Properties dialog box returns to its original state, i.e. as if the More....
button had not been clicked.
In both cases (interruption or not), the More... button then disappears.

2. Click the Standards tab to display the standards which may have been defined for the
documents.

Standards are defined by your administrator in XML (Extensible Markup Language) files
and let you set default values for element properties.
In our example, we will display the standards applied to a .CATDrawing document and
stored in CATDftStdLayerAndFilter.xml:

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3. Click the + sign next to the desired node to display the corresponding structure.
In our example, we want to learn more about the current layer applied to the document:

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As you can see it in the above capture, the current layer applied to the document is a
new layer named "My New Layer".
Would you need to customize some of these parameters, you can make your
modifications directly in the Standards tab or using an XML editor, provided that you are
logged as administrator.
For detailed information on customizing standards for layers and filters, refer to
Customizing Standards for Layers and Filters in this guide.
For detailed information on customizing drafting and generative standards (ANSI.xml,
ISO.xml, etc.), refer to Standards Administration in the Version 5 Interactive Drafting
User's Guide.

4. When finished, click OK to close the dialog box.

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Viewing the Specification Tree and Geometry

Area
About the Specification Tree and Geometry Area
Setting Document Window Layout Preferences
Using the Full Screen
Using Document Windows
Using the Specification Tree Overview
Using the Geometry Overview
Expanding and Collapsing the Specification Tree

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About the Specification Tree and Geometry

Area
Version 5 provides a unique specification-driven and generative modeling approach, which captures
and reuses process specifications, ultimately accelerating the design process. Version 5 offers a
specification modeler which lets you concentrate the design effort on establishing the proper design
specifications, while leaving it to the system to compute or update the resulting geometry when
required. This approach is implemented as a generalized mechanism for all Version 5 applications,
for instance feature-based part design, assembly design and drawing generation.
Version 5 model, part, drawing and assembly documents consequently allow you to view and edit
data either in the specification tree, the geometry area, or in both at the same time.

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Setting Document Window Layout Preferences

This task explains how to set document window layout preferences.

1. Select the View>Specifications

command (or the
SHIFT+F2
keyboard shortcut).
This is the default
layout option. It
displays both the
specification tree
and the geometry
together:

2. Select the View>Specifications

command again.
This removes the
specification
tree:

You can also use the F3 key to toggle more quickly.

3. Toggle the View->Geometry command on and off to display and hide the geometry.

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4. If you want to swap the focus between the tree and the geometry, select the View->Commands List...->Swap
view/tree command or enter c:swap view/tree in the power input field:

This enables you, for instance, to resize the specification tree as desired.
To deactivate the command, simply re-select the View->Commands List...->Swap view/tree command or re-enter
c:swap view/tree in the power input field.

Using this command is equivalent to clicking the axis system displayed in the bottom right corner which is another
method to swap the focus between the specification tree and the geometry.

Note: you can also customize the default font size of the tree by exporting the following variable which lets you set the
size by yourself:
export CATGraphSize=font_size (on UNIX)
or
set CATGraphSize=font_size (on Windows)
where "font_size" is the new default font size in millimeters.
For instance, "export CATGraphSize=5".

Let's have a look at the two examples below:

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Default font size
without exporting
CATGraphSize
variable:

Now, here is the

new default font
size after
exporting the
variable:

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Using the Full Screen

This task explains how to make the geometry area fill the whole screen.

1. Select the View->Full Screen command.

The geometry area fills the whole area of your screen.

2. To restore the document window to its original size, right-click then uncheck the Full Screen
option.

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Using Document Windows

This task explains how to use document windows.

1. Select the Window ->New Window command.

A new window is opened containing the document you are editing.
The remaining commands on the Window menu let you organize your windows
horizontally or vertically with respect to each other, so that they do not overlap,
(Window->Tile Horizontally and Window->Tile Vertically) or in a cascading
arrangement in which they overlap each other (Window->Cascade).
Note that you can switch from one document window to another by selecting the window
name at the bottom of the Window menu.

On the Sun Solaris platform, we recommend that you set the following desktop resource
to always keep your Version 5 window on top:
Allow primary always on top

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Using the Overview on the Specification Tree

This task explains how to use the overview to zoom in or out on the specification tree.

1. With the specification tree visible, select the View->Specifications Overview command (or press the
Shift and F2 keys) to display the Overview window containing a view of a portion of the specification
tree:

2. Point to the Overview window to display the

cursor, and drag.

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This drags the

overview viewport
through which you
view part of the
specification tree.

While dragging, the cursor changes to:

You can zoom the size of the overview viewport by dragging the handles located at the top right and
bottom left corners of the viewport.
Only that part of the tree you see inside the overview viewport will be visible in the document
window.

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Using the Geometry Overview

This task explains how to use the overview to view the geometry.

1. With geometry visible in the geometry area, select the View->Geometry Overview command.
The geometry is displayed in the overview window, but not the specification tree:

2. Point to the Overview window to display the

cursor, and drag.

This drags the overview viewport through which you view the geometry. Only that part of the
geometry you see inside the overview viewport will be visible in the document window:

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Note that you can resize the overview window itself to see the whole of the viewport.

3. Zoom the size of the overview viewport by dragging the handles located at the top right and bottom left
corners of the viewport.

While you drag, the cursor changes to:

document window:

. This lets you zoom the geometry in and out in the

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Expanding and Collapsing the Specification

Tree
This task explains how to expand and collapse the specification tree.

1. Open a any document with geometrical data, for example:

2. Select the View->Tree Expansion->Expand First Level command to see the first level of
the tree:

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3. Select the View->Tree Expansion->Expand Second Level command to see the second
level of the tree:

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4. Select the View->Tree Expansion->Expand All command to see all the levels of the tree.

5. When an object is selected in the tree, you can use the View->Tree Expansion->Expand
Selection command. A dialog box opens and prompts you to indicate the number of levels to
expand:

Note that the dialog box keeps the last selection you made.

6. Select the View->Tree Expansion->Collapse All command to collapse the tree.

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Selecting Objects
Preselecting and Selecting Using the Pointer
Selecting Using the Selection Traps
Selecting Using the Preselection Navigator
Selecting Using the Other Selections... Command
Selecting Using the Search... Command (General Mode)
Selecting Using the Search... Command (Favorites Mode)
Selecting Using the Search... Command (Advanced Mode)
Storing Selections Using Selection Sets
Selecting Selection Sets
Selecting Using a Filter

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Preselecting and Selecting Using the Pointer

This task explains basic selection techniques using the pointer.

Whenever you are not using an application command, the Select command is active. Using the Select
command, you can select any object in your document. All the selection tools are available using this
command.

Open the document Select.CATProduct.

1. Select the Select icon

to enter selection mode, if it is not already activated.

2. Point to the part of the object you want to select.

As you point to objects, different parts of the objects are highlighted, in the geometry area, and
the object name is highlighted in the specification tree:

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The identity of the preselected element is displayed in the status bar:

Highlighting will only be active if you checked the option "Preselect in geometry view" (active by
default) using the Visualization tab via the Tools->Options... command. This option is active by
default. You can also set the preselected element linetype using the " Preselected element
linetype" option in the Visualization tab.
The face on the object opposite, for example, is highlighted in red.

You can also use the same tab to set a variety of useful selection features including selected
element color and pre-selected (highlight) linetype. Note that the selection color and preselection color are the same.
In the geometry area, you can select the constituent
elements of objects, in other words:

faces

vertices

edges

planes

axes.

Whenever you are using an application command, you can only select objects required as input
for the command. For example, when creating a hole in a pad, you are prompted to select a face
or a plane: no other elements can be selected.

3. Once the element is highlighted, click on the object to select it.

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In our example, the selected face now changes color because we changed the selection color:

4. Ctrl-click another face to add it to the initial selection:

Ctrl-clicking can be done in:

the geometry area

the specification tree

lists in dialog boxes.

Shift-clicking can be done in:

the specification tree

lists in dialog boxes.

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5. To deselect, click anywhere in the background.

Edges are highlighted as you point them and arrows are displayed to indicate to which element
the edge belongs to.
This is especially useful in case of overlapped elements as shown in our example:

On certain objects, note that hidden faces and edges are also
highlighted as you point at them. Hidden faces and edges are
displayed in a different color.
Refer to "Selecting Using the Preselection Navigator" for a more
powerful method for selecting hidden or coincident elements.

Selecting the Esc key deselects all selected elements.

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Selecting Using the Selection Traps

This task explains how to select objects using the selection traps.

Using the Bounding Outline

1. Select the Select icon

to enter selection mode, if it is not already activated.

2. Drag (using the left mouse button).

A bounding outline will appear as you drag:

3. Drag the bounding outline until the object(s) you want to select is(are) completely inside
the bounding outline.

The objects must be completely inside the bounding outline: if not, they will not be
selected.

4. Release the mouse.

The objects will be highlighted to indicate they have been selected.
The Selection Trap
Note that you can also use the Selection Trap
icon to perform the same function. You
access this icon by clicking the Select icon to see the Select toolbar:

Press and hold down the left mouse key, and slide it to the right to select the icon.
The principle is the same: drag (using the left mouse button) to create the trap around the
object(s). Furthermore, you can start creating the trap by pointing to an existing object, and then
dragging.

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The Intersecting Trap

on the Select toolbar also allows selection using a trap. Any

The Intersecting Trap icon
objects intersected by the trap will be selected.

The Polygonal Trap

works like the other traps, except that the trap you can draw is a
The Polygonal Trap icon
closed polygon. Drag to define the polygon around the object to be selected, then double-click to
close the polygon.

Paint Stroke Selection

lets you select objects by simply drawing a paint stroke across them.
The Paint Stroke icon
Drag to create the paint stroke. Any object crossed by the paint stroke will be selected.

Outside Trap Selection

lets you select objects located strictly outside the trap.

The Outside Trap Selection icon
Drag using the left mouse button: all objects out of the trap are selected.

Intersecting Outside Trap Selection

is different than the above-detailed

The Intersecting Outside Trap Selection icon
Intersecting Trap command since it lets you select objects intersecting the trap as well as objects
located outside the trap. Drag using the left mouse button: all objects out of the trap or
intersecting the trap are selected.

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Selecting Using the Preselection Navigator

This task explains how to use the preselection navigator (or the keyboard arrows) for selecting hidden or coincident
elements, or elements located elsewhere in the specification tree.

Open the document Select.CATProduct

Displaying the Preselection Navigator

Method 1
1. Click anywhere in the geometry area.
2. Position your pointer over the object you want to select.
3. Press any keyboard arrow (up, down, right or left) or the CTRL+F11 keys.
The preselection navigator appears.

Method 2
1. Select the Tools->Options... command. In the General category, select the Display sub-category then the
Navigation tab.
2. Check the option "Display the preselection navigator after ... seconds", set the spinner to the time delay, and
click OK.
The spinner sets the amount of time, in seconds, which elapses before the preselection navigator appears
after pointing at an object.

3. Check the following two options as well:

"Display immersive list for preselection navigator"

"Prehighlight faces for preselection navigator".

4. Point to the part of the object you want to select.

The selection tool is displayed after the time delay you set in step 2:

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Note: You can activate/deactivate the highlight of preselected face(s) by checking/unchecking the
"Prehighlight faces for preselection navigator" option under the Navigation tab.
In that case, the preselected face would look the following way:

Using the Preselection Navigator

The following diagram describes graphic selection tool features:

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The preselection navigator is made up of the following elements:

a circle providing a visual feedback for the pointed object. This circle with an opaque background shows the
preselected element and displays the surrounding elements in transparency. The circle keeps the proportions of the
current viewer

arrow controls to navigate:

"in-depth" using up/down arrows

up and down in the object hierarchy using left and right arrows

a cross pinpoints the preselected location. Four arrows are used for navigating or scrolling through the object you
point at. These arrows turn black when you reach an extremity
a list of all the stacked elements you can preselect. This list indicates the selection path and the identity of each
element. This information is identical to the one displayed in the status bar.
You can choose to display or not the immersive list of elements you can preselect (shown in the example below). To
do so, check or uncheck the "Display immersive list for preselection navigator" option under the Navigation tab
an auxiliary viewer displaying the preselected object. This viewer also lets you perform viewing operations with the
mouse such as zoom, rotate or pan. By default, this viewer is not displayed and has to be activated via the
Navigation tab as explained further in this task.

An invisible area around the selection tool determines selection tool sensitivity.

1. Click the up arrow to navigate "in-depth", in other words, from the front to the back of the object, to highlight
hidden, superposed or coincident elements.
This method is particularly useful for large parts since it lets you select, for example, edges, faces, etc. which
are not visible or accessible near the front of the part.

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The cursor shape changes according to the type of the preselected element as shown below:
point...

edge...

or face:

The identity of the preselected element is displayed

in the status bar:

Note: the preselection navigator lets you use the contextual menu.

You can also navigate between different objects, not just inside single objects. When one object hides
another, the preselection navigator will also let you select elements belonging to the hidden object.

2. Click the down arrow to navigate in the opposite direction, towards the front of the object.

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There are two other ways to navigate using the mouse:

position your cursor over the circle, then click with the middle-mouse button to navigate inside the
object. As you click, the corresponding element path is highlighted in the list displayed to the right
move the mouse over the list of element paths. As you do this, the element corresponding to each path
you point at is pre-highlighted in the circle. Then, click the desired path to select the corresponding
element.

Moreover, when pointing at an element in the circle or at a path in the list, you can right-click to display the
contextual menu as shown in the following two examples:
Example 1 - when pointing at an element in the circle

Example 2 - when pointing at a path in the list

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You can also press the up and down keys to achieve the same effect, and validate your selection using the
ENTER key. Using any of these keys displays the selection tool automatically.
The up and down arrows also let you activate the multiple selection.

The navigation is cyclic: when you reach the end of the selection path using the up and down keys, the
preselection navigator automatically goes back to the starting point (i.e. the highest element in the
hierarchy) and you can then re-start navigating.

3. Click the left and right arrows to navigate up and down in the object hierarchy.
For example, click the left arrow and look at the specification tree to see each click on the left arrow takes
you to the top of the tree, then click the right arrow to navigate downwards.

Similarly, you can also press the left and right keys to achieve the same effect, and validate your selection
using the ENTER key or the left mouse button.

A prehighlight of the preselected edge is also

provided which is especially useful in case of
overlapped elements:

4. Select Tools->Options...->General->Display then access the Navigation tab and check the "Display auxiliary
viewer" option.

5. Click anywhere in the geometry area, then position your pointer over the object and restart navigating by
clicking the up or left arrow.
An additional window opens and displays the object with the element you have preselected:

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The Auxiliary Viewer window lets you manipulate the object and perform viewing operations with the mouse
such as rotate, zoom or pan as shown below:

Rotate

Zoom

To hide the viewer, simply re-access the Navigation tab then deactivate the "Display auxiliary viewer" option.

6. Click the circle in the center to validate your selection and exit the preselection navigator.

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The selection tool disappears, in any case, once a selection has been made, or if you point or click outside
the selection activation area around the selection tool.
However, the preselection navigator can be deactivated at anytime by pressing the Esc key.
Note: the preselection navigator cannot be used with selection filters.

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Selecting Using the Other Selection...

Command
This task explains how to display an object's structure in a separate window to facilitate alternative
selections.
Open the document OtherSel.CATProduct

1. Select the Select icon

to enter selection mode, if it is not already activated.

2. Point to the object to highlight the

element you want to select.
In this example, point to the circular
face at the end of the cylindrical part
to highlight it:

3. Select the Other Selection... contextual

command or the Edit->Other
Selection... command.
The element is selected, and the Other
Selections window appears.
The window contains the location of
the selected element in the
specification tree, and describes the
path to the top of the tree.
The name of the circular face is:
"Face".

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You can also navigate up and down the tree inside the Other Selections window using
the preselection navigator or the keyboard arrows, and select other objects.

4. This time, point to the body of the

cylinder to highlight the surface.

5. Select the Other Selection... contextual

command.
The element is selected, and the Other
Selections window appears.
Note that, this time, an additional
element (highlighted in blue) has been
detected: Axis. This is the axis used
when the cylindrical part was created.
This type of element is a characteristic
element.

The Other Selection... command is the only tool that lets you select characteristic
elements.

6. Click on Axis to select it.

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Selecting Using the Search... Command

(General Mode)
This task explains how to use the Edit->Search... command to search for and select objects. You can search
for:

objects with a specific name, or of a specific type or color

visible or hidden objects, or lines with specific linetypes or thicknesses

product properties

elements through the value of a specific attribute (material name, dimensions, etc.)

objects created using a specific workbench, in the current document or throughout the whole document, in
the selection list.

Note that you can perform searches on model documents created using CATIA Version 4.

Open the document Search1.CATProduct

Performing a Quick Search for a Named Object

1. Select the Edit->Search... command.

You can also run the command using the Ctrl+F shortcut.

The Search dialog box appears.

2. Click the
General
tab:

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If the Select command was active before you selected the Edit->Search... command, it remains
active.
The Search...command does not prevent you from running other commands on the search results
(once selected). So you can also work with other commands while the Search dialog box remains
open. This means that you can:

run commands using the menus and icons

and also apply commands in contextual menus to selected search results using the power input
field: for example, you can manipulate selected specification tree elements using the "c:center on",
"c:center graph", "c:cut" commands.

If you select the Search button now, all items in the specification tree will be found.

3. Enter the name "sketch*" in the Name field.

Searching using the object name is particularly useful if you renamed objects using the Feature
properties tab of the Edit->Properties command, or the Properties contextual command.
The list below the Name field stores the names you entered during previous searches so you can select
them. The names are stored only as long as the session is active: closing the session clears the list.

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4. Click the Search

button:

The Search dialog box is resized to include a list containing the search results at the bottom of the
dialog box. You can deselect items in the list by clicking on them.
In our example, three objects and the corresponding path are highlighted in the list in the Search
dialog box.
Click the corresponding column header (i.e. Name or Path) to sort the search results alphabetically.
A query is also generated in the Query field and the sketch is preselected in the geometry area:

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Note: If several elements with the same name are found, whatever their type, a warning message is
displayed.

5. Click the Select button to select the sketch.

The sketch is selected:

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6. Click OK to exit search mode.

Note that clicking OK has the same effect as clicking both the Select and Close buttons.

7. Run the Search... command once again using the Ctrl+F shortcut.

8. Display the Query pulldown list by clicking the black arrow.

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The Query field displays the search query formulated in the search language. This helps you to become
familiar with the search language, which can be used for searching without using the Search...
command. For a complete description of the search language, refer to "Using the Search Language".
Click the down arrow at the end of the Query field to display previous search queries. Simply selecting
a search query executes the search (with the same filter). Queries are also stored across sessions
because they are stored with your settings. This enables you to recover queries from one session to
another.

You can also use this language when you are using power input mode. The object found will be directly
selected.

9. Enter the following names in the Name field then click the Search button each time to compare the
results:

"*sketch" gives the following result:

"*sketch*" gives the following result:

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"sketch*" with the Case sensitive option checked gives the following result:

"Sketch*" with the Case sensitive option checked gives the following result:

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As you can see it, you can use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard. For example, entering:
*
and using the default settings for the other options in the Search dialog box will search for and select
all objects in the document. Similarly, entering:
Sketch*
will select all objects whose names begin with the character string "Sketch". Check the "Case
sensitive" option if you want the search to be case sensitive.
Note, however, that the other options allow you to filter your searches progressively.
In case you want to search for a name as it is displayed in the specification tree, check the "As
displayed in graph" option.
To illustrate this, suppose you have a part named "My_Part_Number"...

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... whose name usually appears the following way in the specification tree:

Let's suppose you customize the "Display Format" in the Infrastructure->Product Structure->Nodes
Customization tab by entering the following data:

The name displayed in the specification tree will now look like this:

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Searching for the name *part* will give no result...

... since the search is based on the name displayed in the Instance Number field.
Whereas searching for the name *part* with the "As displayed in graph" option checked will give the
following result:

You can also sort the results alphabetically by Name and Path in the Search dialog box by clicking the
corresponding column header.

Double-clicking an element from the search result list enables you to edit this element. For instance,
double-clicking an element of type "Pad" will open the Pad Definition dialog box to let you modify its
parameters.

Performing a Quick Search for a Color

1. Run the Search... command using the Ctrl+F shortcut.

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2. In the Color field, select "From Element" from the pulldown list as shown below:

As soon as From Element is selected, an Acquisition Agent is activated...

... and the Search dialog box disappears.

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3. In the geometry area, simply click the color to be searched then click the Search

button.

4. Click Close to deactivate the acquisition agent and display the Search dialog box.

5. Click OK to exit search mode.

Performing a Quick Search for a Type

1. Run the Search... command using the Ctrl+F shortcut.

2. Enter the name "line*1" in the Name field then click the Search button to search for lines whose names
end with "1":

3. Empty the value entered in the Name field then enter the workbench "Sketcher" in the Workbench field,
the type "Line" in the Type field.

If you select "From Element" in the Type field, the Search dialog box disappears and an acquisition
agent is activated:

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Just select the type you desired in the geometry area, then click Close to stop the agent and display
the Search dialog box.

4. In the Color field, select "From Element" from the pulldown list then select a line from the geometry area
before clicking the Search button. In our example, we are searching for lines having the same color than
line 2 (i.e. "Dark Grey Green"):

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The result shows that Line.2 is the only line with "Dark Grey Green" color.
Note: when searching for topological objects (by selecting "Topology" in the Workbench list), the
"Topology" search criterion can be combined only with an object type. You cannot combine it with a
color or a name, for instance.

5. Click the Add to favorites...

button to add this query to your favorites. The Favorites mode is

detailed in another task.

6. Click OK to validate.

More Advanced Searching Using the More... Button

1. Run the Search... command using the Ctrl+F shortcut.

2. In the General tab, click the More... button:

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The
More...
button
becomes
the
Less...
button
and the
Search
dialog
box now
looks
like this:

3. In the Line field, define the line properties:

Dashed (lets you choose the type of line to be searched for): choose "4"

Weight (lets you choose the line thickness): choose "48"

The combo boxes of the general graphic properties are identical to those of the Graphic Properties
toolbar. For detailed information, refer to Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties.

You can also specify the layer and visibility in the Layer and Visibility fields:

in the Layer field, select the layer number in which you want to perform the search
in the Visibility field, choose either "visible" ( searches for visible elements) or "hidden" (searches
for elements hidden in the No Show space).

For more information about visible and hidden elements, refer to "Hiding and Showing Objects".

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4. Click the Search

button to start the search.

The result shows that only one line matches these criteria:

5. Select the Less... button to return to the original Search dialog box.

6. Click OK to exit search mode.

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Searching Using a Filter

Open the document Search1.CATProduct.

1. Run the Search... command using the Ctrl+F shortcut or by selecting the Edit->Search... command.

The Search dialog box appears.

2. Click the
General
tab:

3. Enter "*1" in the Name field.

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4. Set the filter option in the "Look:" list box.

The filter options are:

Everywhere: searches the whole specification tree from top to bottom, to find objects created
using all workbenches; if you are performing the search in a product structure document (in design
mode), the search will be performed throughout the whole product structure, inside all the
documents integrated in the product structure (if these documents are accessible in design mode)
For example, to understand how this option works in our document:

activate "Product" in the specification tree by double-clicking it

use the CTRL + F shortcut

select the "Everywhere" option

enter the name of what you are searching for, "*1" in our example to search for all objects
whose names end with "1"
click the Search button:

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Now activate "My Part Number"

use the CTRL + F shortcut

keep the same filter and name options

click the Search button:

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In "Element": the search will only locate objects belonging to "Element" , and that can be created
using the current workbench, where "Element" is the name of the active object.
For example, if you are using a Part document, objects created using the Part Design workbench
will be searched, but NOT objects created using the Sketcher workbench.
For example, to understand how this option works in our document:

activate "My Part Number" in the specification tree

use the CTRL + F shortcut

select the "In Element" option

enter the name of what you are searching for, "*1" in our example to search for all objects
whose names end with "1"
click the Search button:

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now activate "Sketch.1" in the specification tree

use the CTRL + F shortcut

keep the same filter and name options

click the Search button:

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Selecting this filter enables you to locate only the objects that can be created in the Part
Design workbench and that belong to "Product". The search does not reach the lower levels
in the tree: the individual elements that make up the different parts will not be searched.

From "Element" to bottom: searches the elements in the active "Element", to the bottom of the
tree, regardless of the workshop used to create them.

For example:

activate "My Part Number" in the specification tree

use the CTRL + F shortcut

select the "From Element to bottm" option

enter the name of what you are searching for, "*1" in our example to search for all
objects whose names end with "1"
click the Search button:

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now activate "Sketch.1" in the specification tree

use the CTRL + F shortcut

keep the same filter and name options

click the Search button:

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From current selection: this option will only be available if you already selected objects before
selecting the Search... command, and searches inside the selected objects to the bottom of the
tree. This is particularly useful when you know the object in which you want to search: you simply
select the object, then search inside the object.

For example:

select "Pad.1" and "Hole.1" in the specification tree

use the CTRL + F shortcut

select the "Everywhere" option

enter the name of what you are searching for, "*1" in our example

click the Search button:

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now activate "Product" in the specification tree

use the CTRL +F shortcut

select the "From current selection" option

click the Search button

in the result list, select Pad.1 and Hole.1 then click the Select button: Pad.1 and Hole.1
are selected in the specification tree

enter the workbench "Part Design" and the type "Hole"

click the Search button:

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In the list box, selecting a workbench filters the list of types in the Type field: for example, if you
select the workbench "Part", the Type field will be filtered to contain only the element types available
in Part documents and if you select the type " ", the corresponding workbench will be displayed. The
same principle applies to the other document or workbench types.
If the type belongs to several workbenches, a warning message will be displayed.
When you select a new workbench, by default "*" remains in the Type field. This means that the
search will be performed on all types of elements created by all workbenches.
Whichever workbench is selected in the "Workbench" list box, you can search for element types
belonging to any other workbench by typing the name of the type in the "Type" field. If the element
type belongs to only one workbench, the correct workbench name is displayed in the "Workbench" list
box.
If you type only the first few characters of an object type, then press ENTER, the system will
automatically display the full name of the type. If several types contain the same characters, the first
name containing these characters is displayed.
Note: the object type is NOT necessarily the name you see in the specification tree.

When you choose "From Element" in the Type field then select an element in the geometry area, the
system automatically displays the Workbench and Type of the selected element.

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From search results: the search is performed on the list of objects preselected in the list at the
bottom of the Search dialog box.

To illustrate this, let us have a look at the following example:

activate "Product" in the specification tree

use the CTRL + F shortcut

select the "Everywhere" option

enter the name "*e*"

click the Search button:

now erase the name "*e*"

select a White color

select the "From search results" option

click the Search button:

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By default, "*" appears in the Color field. This means that the search will be performed on elements of
any color.
Select the desired color, or click More Colors... at the bottom of the color list to access the color
chooser to select basic or previously custom colors, or add new custom colors.
The option "From Element" lets you use the color of an existing element. To do so, select the element
whose color you want to use in your search. The selected color will be displayed in the Color field.
Refer to "Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties" for a full description of how to use the color
chooser.

When you apply basic and custom colors to elements, and search for elements using these colors, a
search query is generated. However, the RGB code is used instead of the color name for custom
colors. This is useful, for example, if you modify your color palette (for example, by deleting the
custom color, or deleting the color settings file in your settings folder) then retrieve a search query.
Because the query references the RGB values of the color and not the color name, changes to the
color palette will not affect the search: the search will always find elements referencing a color
expressed using RGB values. The names of basic colors, however, remain the same.

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5. Click OK to exit search mode.

When the object is selected in the search result list, you can also use the "Center graph" and "Center
view" contextual commands.

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Selecting Using the Search... Command

(Favorites Mode)
This task explains how to use the Favorites mode of the Edit->Search... command.

The Favorites mode lets you save your favorite queries in order to reuse them as many times as you
wish, without having to reenter your search criteria.

Open the document Search1.CATProduct.

This scenario assumes that you performed a quick search by type as explained in the General Mode
section.

1. Select the Edit->Search... command.

You can also run the command using the Ctrl+F keyboard shortcut.
The Search dialog box appears.

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2. Click the Add to favorites...

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button then select the Favorites tab.

Your query is displayed in the Favorites list. You can click the column headers to sort the
queries alphabetically.

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Favorites are stored across sessions because they are stored with your settings in the
SearchFavoriteQueries.CATSettings file. This enables you to recover your favorite queries
from one session to another.
Note that your search queries can be stored independently from the language (they are
called "transformat queries"), thus enabling you to run queries created by other users
whatever the session language provided that they were not created before V5R9 SP1.

You can select a query then use one of the three icons displayed to move up
down

or delete

, move

this query.

3. Double-click the query to begin the search.

The filter option in the Look list is automatically updated to match your search criteria.
The query is also generated in the Generated queries field. Note that the generated query is
not editable and is displayed for information only.

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Double-clicking a query in the Favorites mode automatically updates the data displayed
under the General tab accordingly and the object is preselected in the geometry area.
A query may be modified directly in the Favorites list by clicking its name or its content under
the corresponding column.

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4. Click the query syntax in the Query column then replace the color. "Dark Grey Green" with "Pink
Salmo".

5. Click the Search

button to run the search.

A warning message informs you that the color does not exist.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to edit the query syntax once again but, this time, the color name to enter
is "Pink Salmon".

7. Click the Search

button to run the search:

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8. Click the query syntax in the Query column then enter the following query:

NAME=Sketch*,all

9. Click the query name in the Name column then enter "MyQuery1".

10. Click the Search

button:

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11. Modify the query syntax once more by entering:

(NAME=Sketch* & Color=Black),in

This time, we also modify the search filter.

12. Click the Search

button:

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13. Click OK to exit search mode.

You can use the power entry field to run a query and modify its syntax.
For instance, entering:
favorite=MyQuery1

or

f=MyQuery1

will not give any result. To be able to find an object, we must modify the filter option.
This can also be done in the power input field by entering, for instance:
favorite=MyQuery1, all

or

f=MyQuery1, all

The search result (Hole.1) is selected in the specification tree.

For detailed information on the search language using your favorite queries, refer to Using
the Search Language.

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Selecting Using the Search... Command

(Advanced Mode)
This task explains how to use the Advanced mode of the Edit->Search... command.

The Advanced search mode lets you compose more precise queries using a combination of search
criteria as well as the "And", "Or" and "Except" operating signs.

Any information entered in the General tab is reported in the Advanced tab as well as the name of the
last workbench on which you performed a search.

You can now record and run your search queries using macros. The recorded macro will be stored in a
.CATScript file containing a transformat query, which means that the query can be run whatever the
session language.
For detailed information on macros, refer to Recording, Running, and Editing Macros.

Open the document Search1.CATProduct.

Performing an Advanced Search for Specific Attributes

1. Use the CTRL+F keyboard shortcut or select the Edit->Search... command then click the
Advanced tab:

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2. Select the workbench "Product Structure" then the type "Product".

3. Select an attribute for the Attribute field. Each workbench corresponds to a list of types and
each type corresponds to a list of attributes, among which:

Name: indicate the name of the searched element

Name In Graph: indicate the name of the searched element as it displayed in the
specification tree. This attribute is equivalent to the "As displayed in graph" option
available from the General tab

Color: select a color from the color chooser or use the color of an existing element

Set: a selection set indicating a numeric value with the corresponding unit of measure

Visibility: indicate if the searched object is hidden or visible

Layer: indicate the layer of the searched element. Setting this attribute to "None" means
that you will search for any object which is not assigned to a layer.

Note that Layer and Visibility attributes are identical to those displayed in the Graphic
Properties toolbar.

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The above mentioned attributes are permanent attributes, i.e. associated to any element
type.
Depending on the value you select, the corresponding Attribute's criterion dialog box is
displayed.
In our example, select the attribute "Name" then enter the following value:

If you are searching for a character string whose value is empty, leave the field in the
Attribute's criterion dialog box empty so that the query syntax looks something like this:
'workbench'.type.attribute=
where
"workbench" is the workbench in which you are performing your search
"type" is the type of the object containing the string you are searching for
"attribute" is the attribute containing the empty string.
For instance:
'Product Structure'.Product.Product Description=

4. Click OK then the Search

button to run the search:

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5. Click the

button to delete your query.

You will now learn how to perform a search on specific attributes.

6. Select the workbench "Part Design" then the type "Hole".

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7. Select the attribute "Diameter" then enter the value "10mm".

8. Select the operating sign in the list box then enter a value in the field. You can also use the
default value (*) as a wildcard.

In our example, we selected the "=" operating sign and the value "5mm; 10mm" in order to
search for any element whose diameter is comprised between "5mm" and "10mm".
The number of operating signs displayed in the list depends on the attribute you chose. Here
is an exhaustive list of the available operating signs:

! = (different)

<

<=

>

>=

You can check the "Case sensitive" option if you want the search to be case sensitive. The
attribute name appears then in capital letters in the query.

9. Click OK to validate then click the Search

button to run the search:

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Depending on the attribute you select, the Attribute's Criterion dialog box may displays a
pulldown list of attributes. The example below shows a list of criteria corresponding to a hole
type:

This dialog box may also let you choose a boolean attribute, in case you are searching for a
threaded hole, for instance:

10. Click OK to exit search mode.

Note: If you select the Drafting workbench, you can search for specific attributes such as
dimensions by selecting the "Dimension" value in the Type field then entering your value or
scale of value in the Attribute`s criterion dialog box.
For example:

Drafting.Dimension.Value<=140mm

searched for all objects created using the Drafting workbench, of type Dimension
with a value lower than 140 millimeters

Drafting.Dimension.Value='137mm-138mm'

searches for all objects created using the Drafting workbench, of type Dimension
with a value between 137 and 138 millimeters. These two values are separated by
"-".
The Drafting workbench also lets you search for elements of type Geometry such as 2D lines,
2D curves and so on. Refer to Edit/Search Dimension Status in the Version 5 - Interactive
Drafting User's Guide for detailed information.

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As far as NC Manufacturing features are concerned, refer to Version 5 Prismatic Machining

Preparation Assistant User's Guide - Select Machinable Features Using the Search Command.

Performing an Advanced Search for Dynamic Attributes

1. Use the CTRL+F keyboard shortcut or select the Edit->Search... command then click the
Advanced tab:

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The Product Structure workbench lets you search for elements which possess certain
properties (dynamic attributes) you defined for a product.
You assign properties to products (and parts in products) by selecting an element from the
Product property list box.
The properties you can search for (the same as those you assigned to the element) are:

Part Number

Revision

Definition

Nomenclature

Product Description

Component Description.

If you type only the first few characters of a property, then press ENTER, the system will
automatically display the full name of the property.
Once you have chosen the property, type in the value of the property in the "of value" field.
For example, if you assigned a description to the element, you must select the "Production
Description" property then enter text included in the description.
You can also define additional product properties such as Real, Integer, String, etc. by
clicking the Define other properties... button. For detailed information, refer to the Version
5 Product Structure User's Guide - Modifying Component Properties.

2. Select "Product Structure" in the Workbench field, "Product" in the Type field. The query syntax
is displayed in the editor:

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In our example, the Product Structure product has the following user-defined attributes:

These attributes can be visualized by selecting the product in the specification tree then then
the Properties... contextual command.

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3. Edit the query manually in the editor to add to search for the attribute Real.2. You can perform
your search using these four different queries:

'Product Structure'.Product.'Real.2'=12.3

means that you will search for an attribute named "Real.2" with a value equal to
12.3

'Product Structure'.Product.'Real.2'='10;40'

means that you will search for an attribute named "Real.2" with a value comprised
between 10 and 40

'Product Structure'.Product.'Real.2'!='12;12.25'

means that you will search for an attribute named "Real.2" with a value different
than 12 and 12.25

'Product Structure'.Product.'Real.2'<13

means that you will search for an attribute named "Real.2" with a value lower than
13.

4. Click the Search

button once the query is edited:

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The search result indicates that Real.2 has been found in Product.

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You can also search for specific attributes such as materials.

In our example, the "Steel" material has been applied to My Part Number. To search for this
material, enter the following query:
'Part Design'.Part.Material=Steel
Similarly, if you apply the "Iron" material onto the part body, the corresponding query syntax
will be:
'Part Design'.Body.Material=Iron

5. Click OK to exit search mode.

Searching Using a Combination of Search Criteria

1. Use the CTRL+F keyboard shortcut or select the Edit->Search... command then click the
Advanced tab:

The And, Or and Except buttons lets you combine several search criteria and refine your
query.
The query is displayed in the Generated queries field and can be modified, for example to
add brackets and group queries together.

2. In our example, we are searching for holes and pads created using the Part Design workbench
or whose names end with "1".

3. To do so, select "Part Design" in the Workbench field, "Hole" in the Type field then "Name" in
the Attribute field (enter the value "1*" for the name).

4. Click the Or button the select "Pad" in the Type field then "Name" in the Attribute field (enter
the value "1*" for the name).
The query syntax is displayed in the editor:

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For more information on the search language, refer to the Using the Search Language task in
this guide.

5. Set the filter option in the "Look:" list box.

6. Click the Search

button to start the search.

A list containing the search results is displayed at the bottom of the Search dialog box:

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You can add your query to your favorites by clicking the Add to favorites...

button.

For more information on favorites, refer to the Searching Using the Favorites Mode.

7. Click the Select button to select the objects in the geometry area.

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8. If you wish to modify the query, you can do it very by typing a new query in the editor as
shown below:
'Part Design'.Sketch.name!=*2
or
'Part Design'.Sketch - name=*2
means that you will search for all sketches except those whose names end with "2".
Another example:
'Part Design'.Hole.name=*1 & 'Part Design'.Hole.Diameter<50mm
means that you will search for all holes whose names end with "1" and whose diameters are
lower than 50 mm.
You can copy the one of the above-detailed queries, paste it directly to the query editor then
start the search.

9. Click the Search

button to start the search.

10. Click OK to exit the search mode.

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Storing Selections Using Selection Sets

This task explains how to group selections and store them in selection sets.

Selection sets are saved with your documents. You can then use the Selection Sets Edition... command to add objects,
rename the selection set, or delete it.
Note that as an example, selection sets are already stored in the sample document but that does not prevent you from
creating other sets using the instructions below.

Open the document SelectionSets.CATProduct.

1. Select the Edit->Selection Sets Edition... command (or use the CTRL+G keyboard shortcut):

2. Click the Create Set button.

A selection set named "Set1" is created.
Each time you create a new selection set, the number is
incremented. You can also rename the selection set using the
text field at the bottom of the Selection Sets Edition dialog box.
Once a selection set has been created, just double-click the
corresponding line in the list to reuse it.

3. Point to the selected objects to be included in the set.

For example, select two of the lines:

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You can use the selection traps to add and remove objects grouped in a selection set.

The size (i.e. the number of elements included in the set) is

displayed as well as the new name given to the set. In our
example, we called it "Lines".
Note that the default mode is "Add element" which means that
clicking an element in the geometry automatically adds it to the
set.

4. To add more elements to your selection set, click the selection set name in the list, check that the "Add element"
mode is active then continue selecting elements.
In our example, add the hole to the selection set :

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You can add objects to any selection set.

If you want to delete an element from a selection set, click the "Remove element" radio button, select the selection
set then select in the geometry area the element to be deleted.
Note: You can delete empty selection sets simply by clicking the "Delete empty Sets" button.

5. Check the "Select a face, edge, axis or vertex" option to be able to store sub-elements (such as faces or edges) in the
selection set.

6. Click the OK button.

The "Find owning Sets" radio button lets you find the set an element belongs to. To do so, click the desired element
then activate the "Find owning Sets" mode to highlight the corresponding group in the list.

Note: you can also find the set an element belongs to by selecting the desired element, then choosing the Edit>Find Owning Selection Sets... command. The Selection Sets Selection dialog box will appear to display the
name of the set as shown below:

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Selecting Selection Sets

This task explains how to select groups once they have been stored in selection sets.

Open the document SelectionSets.CATProduct.

1. Select the Edit->Selection Sets... command (or use the CTRL+G keyboard shortcut):

The above picture shows 3 selection sets: Surfaces, Lines and Group.

2. Click one of the selection sets from the list. You can also use the CTRL key to select more
than one selection sets in the list.
The elements included in the selection set are highlighted in the geometry area:

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3. Click the Select button or double-click the selection sets to select the highlighted elements.
The number of selected elements is displayed in the status bar.
If you want to reset the filter, i.e. remove a selection set from the list, just select the set
to be removed then click the Reset button.
However, note that elements stored in this set will still be highlighted in the geometry
area and in the specification tree.
Using selection sets is very useful for identifying very quickly a selected group of
elements.

For instance, selecting "Group" then clicking the

icon (to transfer hidden objects to
the No Show space) hides the elements belonging to "Group"...

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... and clicking the

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icon lets you display the hidden elements in the No Show space:

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Selecting Using a Filter

This task shows how to manage and customize the sub-geometry selection in order to avoid any ambiguity.
Note that the look and number of icons available from the User Selection Filter toolbar will vary according to the
workbench you are working in.
From now on, this toolbar is available in any workbench dealing with .CATPart documents.

You need access to a CATIA - P2 Generative Shape Design configuration to follow this scenario.
A .CATProduct containing a .CATPart must be open and one or more sketches created.
You can also open the SelectionFilter.CATProduct document
You need to activate the User Selection Filter toolbar by selecting the View -> Toolbars command and
clicking User Selection Filter.

The toolbar is divided into 3 sections:

the icons on the left correspond to the types allowed when

creating a feature (point, curve, surface, volume, etc.)

the icons in the middle correspond to the selection modes:

the Feature Element Filter selects the whole sketch whereas
the Geometrical Element Filter enables to only select a part of
the sketch

the last icon on the right lets you perform a quick selection of
geometry. Refer to "Quick Selection of Geometry" in the
Version 5 - Generative Shape Design User's Guide for detailed
information.

By default, all the icons are deactivated which means that no

filter is applied but you can restrict the selection to specific
element types by clicking the corresponding icons.
For instance, if you want to select only points and surfaces, you
need to activate the Point Filter and Surface Filter icons.

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Bear in mind that:

If you deselect a type, it cannot be selected in the geometry anymore unless all other types are deselected

If you deselect a mode, it cannot be selected anymore for each active type unless other modes are
deselected
Activating both filter modes does not make sense. It is recommended to select either the Feature Element
Filter or the Geometrical Element Filter.

1. Activate all types and modes as shown:

2. Click the Extrude icon

The Extruded Surface Definition dialog box appears.

3. Select Sketch 1 as the profile and xy plane as the

direction.
4. Click OK to create the surface.

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5. Click the Offset icon

The Offset Surface Definition dialog box appears.

6. Deselect the Feature Element Filter mode in the User

Selection Filter toolbar.

7. Select any face of the extruded surface.

8. Enter 20mm as the offset value.
9. Click OK to create the surface.

10. Double-click the extruded surface.

The Extruded Surface Definition dialog box is displayed.

The Feature Element Filter mode is still deselected.

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11. Select any edge of Sketch 2.

The Update Error dialog box appears: an element of the part is no longer recognised and needs to be
updated.

12. Click OK.

13. Click OK in the Extruded Surface Definition dialog box to create the surface.

The Update Diagnosis: Part1 dialog box appears.

14. Click Edit.

The Offset Surface Definition dialog box is displayed.

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15. Select the extruded surface of Sketch 2.

16. Click OK in the Offset Surface Definition dialog box.

The offset surface is created for Sketch 2.

Please note the following information:

The elements of lower dimension (points) are declared first. When element types have the same dimension,
the Feature Element Filter mode prevails over the Geometrical Element Filter mode

When no type is selected, the toolbar is inactive.

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Manipulating Objects
Undoing Actions
Redoing and Repeating Actions
Cutting and Pasting Objects
Copying and Pasting Objects
Using the Paste Special... Command
Deleting Objects
Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties
Using the Graphic Properties Toolbar
Using the Graphic Properties Wizard
Measuring Objects

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Undoing Actions

This task shows you how to reverse the last action.

1. Click the Undo icon

or select the Edit->Undo command (or the CTRL+Z keyboard

shortcut).
This cancels the last action performed.

2. If you want to undo one or more actions preceding the last one you simply have to repeat step
1.

Sometimes no action can be undone. When this is the case, the Undo icon is grayed out.
By default, a maximum of 10 global undo actions is possible. This maximum can be changed
using the Tools->Options->General->Performances setting.

3. If you want to display an history of actions that can be undone in the active document, click the
Undo with history

icon:

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The Undo with history dialog box lets you choose the action(s) you wish to undo, the most
recent action being displayed at the top of the list.
Each action is identified by its name, for instance "SearchAgent" refers to the Edit->Search
command. Action names corresponding to an internal transition inside a command (e.g.
"Element selection...") are followed by ... to distinguish them from global commands.

Bear in mind that one history is used per document ; the history of actions is not forwarded
from one document to another. As a consequence, undoing actions in a document opened
several times simultaneously (e.g. when opening a CATPart and a CATProduct containing this
CATPart) may corrupt data . It is recommended not to undo actions in a document that has
been modified in another window.

4. Select the desired action then click OK (to redo the action then close the dialog box) or Apply
(to redo the action and keep the dialog box open).
Bear in mind that selecting an action implies that all former actions will also be selected and
thus, undone in order to keep the history. In our example, selecting the Contextual
selection... command will undo the first four actions displayed in the list.
You can undo the UI-Activation of an object, however this will also undo any other action
performed during the object activation.
For information, UI-Activation (User-Interface Activation) means that you edit or double-click
an object in order to make it UI-Active (User-Interface Active). The UI-Active object appears
in blue color in the specification tree.

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Redoing and Repeating Actions

This task shows you how to recover the last action undone, and repeat actions.

1. Click the Redo icon

or select the Edit->Redo command (or the Ctrl+Y keyboard

shortcut).

2. If you want to repeat the last action more than once, simply repeat step 1 as many times as
required.

The Redo can only be used to recover what you have canceled by performing an Undo. It
cannot be used to perform actions not canceled by an Undo.
A redo may recreate an active object. This is indicated by the caption Redo Active Object
opposite the Edit->Undo command.
Some actions cannot be redone. When this is the case the Redo action is grayed out.
A maximum of 10 undo actions is possible.

The Redo command is replaced in certain cases by the Repeat command, enabling you in
the right conditions to restart a command that you just used.

3. If you want to display an history of actions that can be redone in the active document, click the
Redo with history

icon:

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The Redo with history dialog box lets you choose the action(s) you wish to redo, the most
recent action being displayed at the top of the list.
Each action is identified by its name, for instance "SpecialCom" refers to the Edit->Paste
Special command. Action names corresponding to an internal transition inside a command
(e.g. "Element selection...") are followed by ... to distinguish them from global commands.

Bear in mind that one history is used per document ; the history of actions is not forwarded
from one document to another. As a consequence, redoing actions in a document opened
several times simultaneously (e.g. when opening a CATPart and a CATProduct containing this
CATPart) may corrupt data . It is recommended not to undo actions in a document that has
been modified in another window.

4. Select the desired action then click OK (to redo the action then close the dialog box) or Apply
(to redo the action and keep the dialog box open).

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Cutting and Pasting Objects

This task shows you how to remove the selection and paste it to the desired location.

1. Select the object you want to cut.

2. To cut, you can either:

click the Cut icon

select the Edit->Cut command

use the CTRL+X keyboard shortcut

select the Cut command in the contextual menu, or

in the geometry area or the specification tree, drag the selection (although not a
graphical cut, this is equivalent to the cut operation).

Note: This places what you cut in the clipboard.

3. To paste, you can either:

click the Paste icon

select the Edit->Paste command

use the CTRL+V keyboard shortcut

select the Paste command in the contextual menu, or

in the geometry area or the specification tree, drop what you are dragging (see
above).

The application workbenches offer a variety of specific cutting and pasting scenarios.
Contextual features such as fillets or extracts cannot be pasted if their parent element (edge,
face, etc.) has not been previously selected.

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Copying and Pasting Objects

This task shows you how to copy the selection and paste it to the desired location.

1. Select the object you want to copy.

2. To copy, you can either:

click the Copy icon

select the Edit->Copy command

use the CTRL+C keyboard shortcut

select the Copy command in the contextual menu or

in the geometry area or the specification tree, press and hold down the Ctrl key and
drag the selection.

Note: This places what you copy in the clipboard.

3. To paste, you can either:

click the Paste icon

select the Edit->Paste command

use the CTRL+V keyboard shortcut

select the Paste command in the contextual menu or

in the geometry area or the specification tree, drop what you are dragging (see
above).

Note that:

The application workbenches offer a variety of specific copying and pasting scenarios.

Contextual features such as fillets or extracts cannot be pasted if their parent element (edge,
face, etc.) has not been previously selected.

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When pasting several kinds of features simultaneously, these features are be pasted with the first
paste format available in the Paste Special list, provided that each of the pasted features accepts
this format.
Let's suppose you multi-select then paste three features: "Body.1", "Body.2" and
"GeometricalSet.1":

the Paste Special formats available in this case are "As Result With Link" and "As Result" (in
order of appearance in the list of the Paste Special dialog box)
"GeometricalSet.1" does not accept the "As Result With Link" format.

As a consequence, the features will be pasted "As Result".

For more information on pasting object using special formats, refer to Using the Paste Special...
command.

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Using the Paste Special... Command

Copying Solid Objects Using the Specification Tree
Copying Surface Objects Using the Specification Tree
Copying Contextual Features and Surface Objects Using the Geometry Area

This task explains how to use the Paste Special... command. This implies the understanding of the type of features you can paste using this command as
well as the various formats available for pasting elements.

Open the CCP.CATProduct document:

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In our example, the CCP.CATProduct document contains some of the types of features you can paste using the Paste Special... command. Here is the
detailed list of the features:

Part Body

Body.n (provided that it contains a solid feature such as a pad)

Pad

Sketch

Geometrical Set

Points, lines, planes, etc., i.e. surface features

Constraints.

Then, depending on the type of object you are pasting, you will be able to choose between the following format(s):

As Specified in Part Document: the object is copied as it has been created but generally without its design specifications. For instance, surface features
cannot be copied with their design specifications whereas pads can

As Result With Link: the object is copied without its design specifications and is linked to the original object. In other words, whenever the original
object is modified, the copied object may be manually updated to reflect the changes

As Result: the object is copied without its design specification and without any link with the original object. It is considered as an autonomous entity

As Specified in Product Structure

As Specified in Assembly

As Result With Link Flat Mode (to paste a flattened object).

The following table sums up which feature can be pasted "as special" using which format:

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Now let`s go to copying objects!

Copying Solid Objects Using the Specification Tree

This scenario assumes there are two documents: CCP.CATProduct, containing the elements to be copied, and the target document.

1. Select Part Body.

2. Select the Edit->Copy command.

3. Select the Edit->Paste Special... command. The Paste Special dialog box opens and displays three paste options, detailed hereafter.

if you select the As Result option, a solid is created under:

a body named "Body.n", n being

incremented according to the number of
existing bodies:

or

under a body named "Result of

BodyUserName" if the original body
has been previously renamed via the
Edit->Properties->Feature Properties
command:

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This solid can, in turn, be copied on the condition that it is pasted onto a mechanical body and in the first position in the mechanical body (in case
there is no body to paste the solid, a new body will be created).
Note that if you had selected a location for the copied element, the result would have been the same.

if you select the As specified in part document option:

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The object is copied with its design specifications, each component number being incremented.
In case of a solid with surface features, we recommend that you use the multi-selection to select individually each object to be copied. In order to
make sure to copy all the desired objects, you can use the Tools->Parent Children... or the Tools->Show Historical Graph... command to
display the genealogical relationships between the different components.
Another method is to use PowerCopies. For more information on using PowerCopies, refer to Version 5 Generative Shape Design User`s Guide Managing Power Copies.

if you select the As Result With Link option:

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The object is copied without its design specifications. The pasted object is identified by one of these two symbols:

a blue arrow indicates that the geometry has been pasted to the same document and is still linked to the original object.
The pasted object can be manually updated whenever the original object is modified.
This copy is located under a body named "Body.n", n being incremented according to the number of existing bodies.
In case the original body has been previously renamed by the user via the Edit->Properties->Feature Properties->Feature
Name command, the copy is located under a body named "Result of BodyUserName"
a circle indicates that the geometry has been copied from a document different from the document to which it has been pasted.

For more information on the various referenced geometry symbols, refer to Symbols Used in the Specification Tree.

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A few remarks on solids pasted "As Result with Link":

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when opening a document containing a body pasted "As Result with Link", the corresponding symbol displayed in the specification tree will be
. This symbol means that the pointed document has been found but not loaded. To correct this, select the object in the tree then the Load
contextual command or the Edit->Links... command then the Load button.
The symbol will then change to
to indicate that the object has been copied from a document different from the document it has been pasted
to and that it is synchronized with its reference

if you deactivate a solid pasted "As Result with Link", its symbol in the specification tree will change from
external link is deactivated (the solid is isolated just like a datum) but not the geometry.

to

to indicate that the

Copying Surface Objects Using the Specification Tree

This scenario assumes there are two documents: CCP.CATProduct, containing the elements to be copied, and the target document.

Open the CCP.CATProduct document.

1. Select Point.1.

2. Select the Edit->Copy command.

3. Select the Edit->Paste Special... command. The Paste Special dialog box opens and displays three paste options:

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Depending on the paste location you select, the result is as follows:

if you select PartBody, the point will be copied under the current body (if suitable), then
the first available Geometrical Set if there is one. The number of the copy is incremented, whatever Paste option you choose

In case no Geometrical Set exists, a new Geometrical Set will be created to paste the point.

if no paste location has been previously selected, the result is identical to the one detailed above, i.e. the point will be copied under the current
Geometrical Set (if suitable), then the first available Geometrical Set if there is one, whatever Paste option you choose:

the point will be copied under the current

body (if suitable), then the first available
Geometrical Set if there is one. The
number suffixing the name is incremented
accordingly

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or

in case no Geometrical Set exists, a new

Geometrical Set will be created to paste
the point

if you wish to copy the point to a new document using the As specified in Part document option:

the point will be copied under the current

body (if suitable), then the first available
Geometrical Set if there is one. The
number suffixing the name is incremented
accordingly

or

under a new Geometrical Set if no

Geometrical Set exists

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Note:

an external reference cannot be pasted As specified.

If you want to paste an internal import, make sure that the geometry has been copied with its reference, otherwise you will not be
able to paste it
an element aggregated by a geometrical feature cannot be pasted As specified. In the example below, if you copy Split.2 then paste
it onto Geometrical Set.2, the Paste Special... dialog box will only display the As Result and As Result With Link options. The
reason is that Split.2 is not an autonomous element and belongs to Split.1.
However, if you copy Split.1 with Split.2, you will be able to paste both elements As specified (as shown in the picture to the right)
because Split.1 and Split.2 are considered as a single entity:

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if you intend to copy the point to a new document using the As Result With Link option:

the point will be copied under a node

named "External References" if you select
the Part Body, the part itself or no
destination at all

or

under the Geometrical Set if you select an

Geometrical Set

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In both cases, the pasted element contains a green symbol indicating that it has been copied from a document different from the
document it is pasted to and that it is synchronized with its reference.
Note: bear in mind that the Copy->Paste command is an explicit action. As a consequence, a feature pasted "As Result With Link" may
be pasted as an external reference but will always appear in Show mode, even if the "Create external references in Show mode" has not
been activated in the Tools->Options->Infrastructure->Part Infrastructure->General tab.

if you intend to copy the point to a new document using the As Result option:

the point will be copied under the current

body (if suitable), then the first available
Geometrical Set if there is one. The object
number is incremented.

or

under a new Geometrical Set if no

Geometrical Set exists:

In both cases, the pasted element contains a red symbol indicating that the pasted element is isolated, i.e. it can no longer be edited.
Note: When pasting a geometrical set "As Result", only the geometrical elements located at first level will be pasted.
In the example below, when copying then pasting Geometrical Set.1 "As Result" onto Part1, the resulting copy (named "Result of
Geometrical Set.1") will only contain a Point since Geometrical Set.2 is not a geometrical element but a geometrical set of elements:

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Pasting surface features (such as junctions, extrusions, etc.) using the Paste Special... command is identical to pasting wireframe
geometry as explained above. The only difference is that the surface feature will be pasted as "Surface.n" (the object number being
incremented accordingly) unless you renamed it via the Edit->Properties->Feature Properties command prior to copying it.
If the surface feature has been renamed, it will be pasted as "Result of SurfaceUserName".

Copying Contextual Features and Surface Objects Using the Geometry Area
This scenario aims at explaining how to paste contextual features and surface objects by selecting an object in the geometry area.
In our example, we assume there are two documents: CCP.CATProduct, containing the elements to be copied, and the target document.

Open the CCP.CATProduct document.

Contextual Features

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1. In the CCP.CATProduct document, select EdgeFillet.1.

2. Select the Edit->Copy command.

3. Access the target document.

Three results may occur depending on the paste location and the elements contained in the target document:
a. if you try to paste the edge fillet onto a part body with no pad, an error occurs since a fillet needs an element of type Pad to be pasted to.
The following window will appear:

b. if you try to paste it to a pad with its sketch and you select one or more edges, the edge fillet is correctly pasted:

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c. if you try to paste it to a pad with its sketch without selecting any paste location, an error occurs since several edges exist and the following
dialog box is displayed:

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Click Edit then OK to close the Feature Definition Error dialog box
In the Edge Fillet Definition dialog box opens, select the object(s) to fillet as well as the radius value and the propagation. (Refer to
the Part Design documentation for more information on creating an edge fillet)

Note that if you selected the Edge.1 line the Edit dialog box would have appeared instead of the Edge Fillet Definition dialog
box to let you select the element to paste the fillet to.

Click OK to validate.

The edge fillet is pasted:

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Selecting the Deactivate button results in the deactivation of the edge fillet representation, i.e. it appears in the specification tree only
with the following symbol:

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Selecting the Delete button amounts to clicking the Close button.

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Note: As far as contextual features with multiple entries are concerned, we recommend that you use PowerCopies to copy/paste multiple elements
or single elements taking multiple features as entry specifications. For more information on using PowerCopies, refer to the Version 5 Generative
Shape Design User`s Guide - Managing Power Copies.

Surface Objects

1. In the CCP.CATProduct document, select Line.1.

2. Select the Tools->Parent/Children... command:

This window enables you to display the dependencies between the elements to be copied.
For detailed information on the Parent/Children... command, refer to the Version 5 Generative Shape Design User`s Guide - Parents and Children.

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3. Once these dependencies are displayed, you can either select only the necessary elements (using the multi-selection) or select the whole Open Body
before pasting them using the Edit->Paste Special... command.

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Deleting Objects

This task shows you how to delete an object.

1. Select the object or objects you wish to delete, either in the specification tree or in the geometry tree.
The object(s) selected are highlighted in both the geometry area and the specification tree.

2. Select the Edit->Delete command or the Delete... command in the contextual menu.

Deleting objects may lead to deleting other objects dependent on the object to be deleted.

When this is the case, a dialog box appears

identifying which features are impacted by the
deletion, and prompting you to decide whether
to delete the impacted features or not.

3. Click the More>> button when necessary for more advanced deletion possibilities:

4. Select OK to confirm.

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Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties

This task shows you how to display and edit the graphic properties of a selected object using the
Properties dialog box.

Before you begin, here are some useful general information:

Inheritance for Assembly objects

The following properties can be inherited: color, transparency, line type and line weight. This
inheritance can be deactivated by doing one of the actions below depending on the property
you do want to inherit:

select No Color in the Color combo box

select No Linetype in the Line Type combo box

select No Width in the Thickness combo box

uncheck the option next to the Transparency slider.

Inheritance for Mechanical Modeler objects

When a mechanical object (a pad, for instance) has been assigned a color, this color will used
to display the object. Otherwise, the object will be displayed using the color of its father
element (i.e. the Part Body).
To reset the inheritance from the father to the children, select the Reset properties command
from the Edit... menu or from the pad contextual menu. Bear in mind that this command
cancels any local modification applied to the graphic properties of the pad (including color and
transparency)

The following properties are set at the Part Body level and cannot be inherited: point symbol,
line thickness and line type.

Materials

When a material has been applied onto a part with the "Material" option checked in View>Render Style->Customize View (or the Shading with Material icon selected in the View
toolbar), the graphic properties defined in the Properties dialog box have no impact on the part
display anymore.
As a consequence, would you need to modify the transparency, for instance, this should be
made in the material properties. For detailed information on modifying material properties and
on materials in general, refer to the Version 5 - Real Time Rendering User's Guide.

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1. Select the object.

The object to be selected when using the Part Design application is the PartBody item in
the specification tree.

2. Select the Edit->Properties command (or the ALT+Enter keyboard shortcut) or select
the Properties command on the contextual menu.
A Properties dialog box similar to the one below is displayed:

3. Click the Graphic tab to display the graphic properties of the current object:

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In the above dialog box, the graphic properties available for editing are:

Fill Color (colors the current object) and transparency

Edge Color, Linetype and Weight

Line and Curve Color, Linetype and Weight

Point Color and Symbol

Show and Pick attributes

LowInt

Layers.

However, do not forget that the look of the Properties dialog box will vary according to
the type of the selected object.
When displaying the graphic properties of an Assembly object, the dialog box will look
the following way:

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4. To set object colors, click the Color combo box for Fill.
A list appears containing:

a blank color field (No Name)

a list of sixteen default colors from the color palette, ready for use

the More Colors... option

the No Color option (for Assembly objects only).

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The No Color option lets deactivate the color inheritance for Assembly objects. You can
then apply a color onto a face without having to modify the product color. To do so:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

select the product

access the Properties dialog box
choose "No Color" in the Color combo box
select the face onto which the color should be applied
acess the face's graphic properties
select the desired color from the Color combo box.

5. Select the desired color.

The selected color is now displayed in the field in the combo box. Pointing the cursor
over the combo box displays the name of the selected color.

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Color on Assembly objects

When applying a color onto an Assembly object, any other element located at a lower
level in the specification tree will inherit this color. However, the color modification
impacts only the display at a rendering level and not the graphic properties. This may be
useful, for instance, to highlight an object among others without altering its graphic
properties.
If you want to deactivate the inheritage, just click the color combo box.
When working in Edges points + Facet mode, the color applied to the product is also
applied to the mesh but not to edges which turn black. In this case, it not possible to
modify edge color.
However, when working in Edge points mode, the color applied to the product is also
applied to edges.
Color on surfaces
You can apply a color on surface sub-elements. Let's suppose the following model:

If you select the the sub-element "EdgeFillet.1" then access its graphic properties, you
will see that the Fill Color combo box is available:

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You can then select the desired color from the combo box and click Apply or OK to
confirm.
The color will be applied to the selected face only:

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Note:

if you modify the geometry, the sub-element will keep its color when the geometry is
updated
if you create a new feature using the sub-element's surface, the color of the subelement will not be propagated to the new feature.

6. To access more colors, or to create your own colors, click the More Colors... option at the
bottom of the list to access the color palette:

In the Basic Colors area, the first sixteen colors (in the top two rows) are the same as
those in the previous list. The remaining four rows contain extra colors.
The Custom Colors area contains sixteen free boxes in which you can place your custom
colors.

7. Click the Define Custom Colors >> option to display the full color palette and color
customization tools:

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The colored area with the cross represents a color spectrum.

Drag the cross inside the spectrum to instantaneously change the color in the small box
below the spectrum.
The HSL (Hue, Saturation and Luminance) and RGB (Red, Green and Blue) values vary
according to where the cross is located. You can also enter HSL and RGB values in the
fields provided to suit your exact color specifications.
Move the arrow up or down to vary the brightness of the custom color.

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8. Once you are happy with the color, click one of the free boxes in the Custom Colors area,
then Click the Add to Custom Colors option to add the custom color.

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9. Click on the custom color, then Apply.

The color is now displayed in the Color fill field of the Graphic properties tab.

10. Click OK in the Properties dialog box.

The color of the selected object is changed.

11. To make the part more or less transparent, drag the Transparency slider to set the
appropriate value (between 0 and 255).
Note that you can set either of two transparency modes:

Screen Door

Alpha Blending

with the Performance tab using the Tools->Options command. For more information,
refer to "Customizing Performance Settings".

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As far as .asm documents are concerned, you can check or uncheck the Transparency
option to apply or not a transparency inheritance independently from the color of the
selected object.

12. To set color edges on parts, click the Color combo box for Edges and proceed the same
way.

13. To set edge line type and weight, use the appropriate combo boxes.

14. If you have selected a line or a curve, you can set the line and curve color, the linetype and
weight the same way as for parts.

15. If you have selected a point, you can set the point color in the same way as for parts. To
select the symbol used to represent the point, select the symbol from the Symbol combo
box.

16. In the Show, Pick and Layers area, the Shown check box indicates if the object is always
visible (i.e. in Show mode) or always hidden (i.e. in No Show mode).
This check box is displayed for information only and cannot be modified.
For more information about the show and no show modes, refer to "Hiding and Showing
Objects".

17. Still in the Show, Pick and Layers area, check the Pickable check box if you want the object
to always be selectable.

18. The Layer box indicates the number of layers the selected objects are assigned to.
Otherwise (when nothing is selected) it indicates the current layer.

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When pointing to the Layer box, a tootip indicates whether the layer definition location is
stored in the document or in the user settings (i.e. the CATSettings directory).
However, bear in mind that this tooltip is displayed for information only, you cannot
modify the storage location which has been set as explained below:

for CATProduct documents, the definition is stored in the user settings

for CATPart documents, the definition (if there is one) is stored in the document. If
no definition is stored in the document, the CATPart documents use the definition
stored in the user settings
for CATDrawing documents, the definition is stored in the document.

Use the pulldown list to choose among the list of named layers and assign the chosen
layer to the selected objects: None, 0 General, 1-999 (according to the number of layers
in the Layer list). For more information, refer to "Assigning Objects to Layers".
The Layer box also contains the "Other Layers..." command which lets you create your
own named layers. Refer to "Creating New Layers" for more details.
Note: you can check the Low Intensity option to apply the low-intensity color to the
selected object. The color to be applied to low-intensity elements can be modified
defined in the Tools->Options->General->Display->Visualization tab.

19. The Rendering Style combo box lets you select the rendering style you want to apply to a
selected element, provided that this element supports rendering styles.
This rendering style will then be used to visualize the object independently from the
rendering style applied to the 3D window when using the Enable object view mode
visualization mode.

Note that this option is identical to the one provided in the Graphic Properties toolbar.

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Rendering styles can be applied only on .CATPart documents or on .CATPart documents

embedded in .CATProduct documents:

Part Body
You can apply a rendering style to each body composing the part body and this, even
if a body is embedded into another one.
All the elements gathered in the part body or in the body inherit the rendering style
of their parent. As a consequence, you cannot apply a rendering style to the child
solid features (such as a pad or a fillet)

Geometrical Set
You can apply a rendering style to the Geometrical Set as a whole and to each child
feature in the graph ; each feature may be applied a different rendering style. If no
rendering style has been applied to a feature, this feature will be displayed with the
rendering style applied to the father element or, if no father exists, with the
rendering style of the viewer used to display the feature

Shape Body
The behavior is identical to the one of the Geometrical Set except that different child
features may share the same visual representation and therefore, the same
rendering style.

By default, no rendering style is applied but you can choose among the following styles:

No Specific Rendering
This is the default mode. You can use it to remove a rendering style that has been
previously applied

Transparent
Displays the selected element in transparent mode:

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Wireframe
Displays the selected element in wireframe mode:

Shading
Displays the selected element in shading mode:

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Shading with Edges

Displays the selected element in shading with edges mode:

20. Click Apply or OK to confirm.

Some applications, Drafting for example, do not display all available tabs in the Edit>Properties dialog box when it is first displayed. Click the More... button to access any
other tabs. A progress bar will appear:

You can either wait until more properties are displayed or interrupt the command by
clicking the Cancel... button. If interrupted, the Properties dialog box returns to its
original state, i.e. as if the More.... button had not been clicked.
In both cases (interruption or not), the More... button then disappears:

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Using the Graphic Properties Toolbar

This task shows you how to display and edit the graphic properties of a selected object using the
Graphic Properties toolbar.

Graphic Properties vs. Edit->Properties

The graphic properties available in this toolbar are identical to those of the Properties dialog box,
except for the Layer box.
However, do not forget that this toolbar does not behave like the Properties dialog box: when
modifying a color, the Properties dialog box modifies the color of the selected object whereas the
Graphic Properties toolbar may sometimes modify the color of a non-selected object in order to
make the color displayed on screen change.
For instance:

when changing the color of an object inheriting the color from its product via the Properties
dialog box, this change is not displayed on the object. You need to deactivate the inheritance for
the product to see the result

when changing the color of an object inheriting the color from its product using the Graphic
Properties toolbar, this modifies the product color (and not the one of the object).

1. To display the Graphic Properties toolbar (which is hidden by default), select the View>Toolbars->Graphic Properties command.
The Graphic Properties toolbar is displayed:

The capture below illustrates the relation between the displayed boxes and the display
they impact:

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2. Use the Painter

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icon lets you apply graphic properties from one object to another. To

do so:

select the object(s) on which you want to apply new graphic properties

click the Painter icon

select the reference object, i.e. the object from which you will copy the graphic
properties.

When you modify one of the graphic properties for a pad, the new graphic property
supersedes the one applied to the father element (i.e. the Part Body). The pad will no
more inherit the Part Body graphic properties, even if you reset the modified graphic
property to its original state.
To reset the inheritance from the father to the children, set the modified graphic property
to "Auto" in the Graphic Properties toolbar.

3. Choose the color to be applied to the object using the Fill color box.
A list appears containing:

a blank color field (No Name)

the Automatic option (which lets you make the color standard)

a list of sixteen default colors from the color palette, ready for use

the More Colors... option

the No Color option (for Assembly objects only).

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The No Color option lets you apply a color onto a face without having to modify the
product color. To do so:
a.
b.
c.
d.

select the product in the specification tree

choose "No Color" in the Color combo box
select the face onto which the color should be applied
select the desired color from the Color combo box.

4. Select the desired color.

The selected color is now displayed in the field in the combo box. Pointing the cursor over
the combo box displays the name of the selected color.

5. To access more colors, or to create your own colors, click the More Colors... option at the
bottom of the list to access the color palette.
Refer to Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties for detailed information.

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6. Click on the custom color, then Apply.

The color is now displayed in the Color fill field of the Graphic properties tab.

7. To display an object as transparent, use the Transparency box.

For instance, "100%" corresponds to a full visibility, "50%" to a semi-transparency and
"0%" to a non-transparency (the object is opaque).
Note that the visual feedback will differ according to the transparency mode you set:

Alpha Blending: similar to looking through clear glass. You can choose a value
between 1 and 255
Screen Door: similar to viewing an object through a mesh or a screen. This mode lets
you use only two values:

"0" (the object is opaque)

between 1 and 255 (1 pixel out of 2 is represented, which gives the illusion that
the transparency has been set to "50%" or "127/255").

with the Performance tab using the Tools->Options command. For more information,
refer to "Customizing Performance Settings".

8. Set edge line type and weight using the appropriate combo boxes.

If you have selected a line or a curve, you can set the line and curve color as well as the
linetype and weight the same way as for parts.

9. Set the point symbol you want to use to represent the point using the appropriate combo
box.
You can set the point color in the same way as for parts.

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10. The Rendering Style combo box lets you select the rendering style to be applied to the
selected object, provided that is supports rendering style attributes.
By default, no specific style is applied. You can choose among the following styles:

Auto

Transparent

Wireframe

Shading

Shading with Edges.

This option is identical to the one provided in the Properties dialog

box. Refer to Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties for detailed
information.

11. Use the pulldown list to choose among the list of named layers and assign the chosen layer
to the selected objects: None, 0 General, 1-999 (according to the number of layers in the
Layer list).
For more information, refer to "Assigning Objects to Layers".

The Layer box indicates the number of layers the selected objects are assigned to.
Otherwise (when nothing is selected) it indicates the current layer.
Refer Displaying and Editing Graphic Properties for detailed information.

12. Click the

icon to access the Wizard. Refer to Using the Graphic Properties Wizard for

detailed information.

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Using the Graphic Properties Wizard

This task shows you how to access and use the Graphic Properties Wizard. This wizard is a viewer that displays the graphic
properties of the selected object and its parents and thus, makes it easier to identify which parent each object's graphic property
derives from.
Note: The Wizard cannot be used for Drafting documents.

Open the document Select.CATProduct.

1. To display the Graphic Properties toolbar (which is hidden by default), select the View->Toolbars->Graphic Properties
command.
The Graphic Properties toolbar is displayed:

For detailed information on this toolbar, refer to Using the Graphic Properties Toolbar.

2. In the specification tree or geometry area, select the item on which you want information. In our example, we will select
PartBody (in Part1.2).

Note that you cannot select multiple objects.

3. Click the

icon to open the Graphic Properties Wizard.

4. Use the combo box displayed in the bottom right part of the Wizard window to select the graphic property on which you
want information ("Show" in our example):

If did not select any item prior to launching the Wizard, the Wizard window will display "No Selection" and will let you
select an element from the specification tree or the geometry area.

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The wizard is made up of the following elements:

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Path of the selected object

Displays the hierarchy tree of the selected object. You cannot select multiple objects therefore one path only is
displayed
Result path
Displays the "result" of the graphic property you have selected in the combo box. If no graphic property has been
defined for the selected object, the status "Not Defined" is displayed
Global result
Shows the global result for the path displayed above. This result corresponds to what you see on screen
Result arrow
Indicates which object the global result comes from
Graphic Properties icon box
Lets you select the graphic property on which you want information by clicking the corresponding icon. An alternate
method is to use the Graphic Properties combo box
Graphic Properties combo box
Lets you select the graphic property on which you want information by selecting the desired property in the
pulldown list. An alternate method is to use the Graphic Properties toolbar.

5. Click the icons available in the Graphic Properties icon box or use the Graphic Properties combo box to select the graphic
property on which you want more information.

Note: when no information is found on a graphic property, "Not Defined" is displayed next to the object name.

The Graphic Properties icon box lets you use the following icons (you can click the desired icon on the picture below to
access the corresponding description):

Color: indicates the color of each object in the path (equivalent to "Color" in the combo box) in the
box displayed to the right.
In our example, the color of PartBody displayed in the global result area is "green":

Opacity: displays the opacity value applied to each item in the path (equivalent to "Opacity" in the
combo box). The background color also reflects the opacity. The lighter the color, the less opaque the
object:

LineType: displays the line type applied to edges (equivalent to "LineType" in the combo box). The
boundary of the box displayed to the right of each item is drawn according to the associated type as
shown by the following two examples:

Thickness: displays the line thickness (equivalent to "Thickness" in the combo box). When a
thickness has been defined, a line is displayed next to the object along with the corresponding value in
millimeters. The higher the value, the thicker the line:

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Symbol: displays the symbol used to represent the object, if any (equivalent to "Symbol" in the
combo box):

Show: indicates whether an object is displayed in Show or NoShow mode (equivalent to "Show" in
the combo box). These two different modes are identified by two different background colors and two
different pictures:

Pick: indicates whether an object can be selected or not (equivalent to "Pick" in the combo box).
These two different modes are identified by two different background colors and two different
pictures:

Layer: indicates which objects are visible or invisible (equivalent to "Layer" in the combo box). To
assign objects to layers, refer to Assigning Objects to Layers and to learn how to make objects visible
or invisible, refer to Using Visualization Filters.
The layer to which each object is assigned is identified by a different background color and the layer
number is displayed opposite the visibility information:

As you can see it in the above picture, no layer number is indicated for the global result.

LowInt: Indicates whether a low-intensity color has been applied to an object or not (equivalent to
"Low Intensity" in the combo box).
The default low-intensity color is "dark green" but you can change it in the Tools->Options->General>Display->Visualization tab.
When a low-intensity color has been applied, it is displayed in background. Otherwise, there is no
background color and the state is "Normal":

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6. Select another object in the specification or in the geometry area.

The Wizard window is automatically updated to display the graphic properties of the selected object.

7. When finished, click Close to close the Wizard.

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Measuring Objects
This task introduces the Scale Planes command which lets you measure objects directly on screen with a 1:1
scale (i.e. real size display) or with a lower/greater scale according to your needs.

Open the ScalePlanes.CATProduct document.

1. Select the View->Render Style->Perspective or View->Render Style->Parallel to display the

object in a perspective or parallel view, respectively:

Note: Perspective is related to the size of the object being viewed and the distance from the object
to the observer.

2. In the PowerInput field, key in the following command:

c:Scale Planes
then press Enter.

The Scale Planes command is also accessible via the Commands tab of the Customize dialog box.
For more information on customizing commands, refer to Customizing Command Properties in this
guide.

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The Scale Planes Properties dialog box opens:

and the scale plane is displayed:

As shown in the picture, the scale plane is represented by a transparent grid which lets you visualize
the object displayed behind.
This grid is divided into squares, each of them being equal to a tenth of the default Width and Height
values indicated in the Scale Plane Properties dialog box.

3. In the Scale Plane Properties dialog box, key in a Scale value.

The default value ("1") provides a real size display whereas "0.5" corresponds to a halfsize display.
You can thus measure small objects by entering a scale factor greater than 1 as well as big objects
by entering a scale factor lower than 1.

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4. Set the scale plane Width and Height in millimeters.

In our example, we will keep the default values.
Note: The "Show the grid" option lets you activate or deactivate the grid display.
It is recommended to display the grid when you are working in a conical projection.

5. Click Apply then OK to validate and close the dialog box.

6. Adjust the viewpoint so that the object is correctly snapped on the grid. To do so, follow the instructions
below according to the view you selected:

if you are working in a parallel view (i.e. cylindrical projection), running the Scale Planes
command moves the user viewpoint so that the object is automatically displayed in the selected
scale.
You just have to translate the viewpoint horizontally or vertically to align the object on the grid:

The zoom mode is locked when running the Scale Planes command in a parallel view.

if you are working in a perspective view (i.e. conical projection), zoom progressively until the
object is displayed in front of the grid then translate the object as necessary to align it with the
grid and facilitate the measurement:

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Let`s take a look at our model which has been correctly positioned.
We are now able to measure the hole diameter:
4 squares of 10mm each = 40mm
according to the scale values defined in step 3.

Note: Translating or zooming the object does not affect the grid size since its dimensions are defined
in the Scale Plane Properties dialog box.

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7. Key in c:Scale Planes once again in the PowerInput field to exit the command.

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Moving Objects Using the 3D Compass

About the 3D Compass
Manipulating Viewpoints Using the Mouse and Compass
Manipulating Objects Using the Mouse and Compass
Manipulating Objects Using the Edit... Command
Snapping the Compass to Selected Objects Automatically
Locking the Current Compass Orientation
Locking the Privileged Plane Parallel to the Screen
Locking the Compass to the Local Axis System
Swapping the Privileged Plane
Keeping the Privileged Plane the Most Visible during Viewpoint Manipulations

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About the 3D Compass

You can use a graphic manipulator referred to as the 3D compass to perform a certain number of
manipulations on certain objects created and managed by certain applications (for example, Product
Structure, Assembly, FreeStyle Shaper, DMU Navigator, etc.).

You can also use the compass to manipulate viewpoint representations ("cameras") used to capture
viewpoints and materials (in P2 mode using the Real Time Rendering application).

The 3D compass is always active. You can show and hide the compass by toggling the View>Compass command. Note that hiding the compass does not deactivate it.

The compass is displayed by default in the top right corner of the document.
The letters X, Y and Z represent the axes. The Z axis is the default orientation. The point close to the Z
axis is the free rotation handle used for freely rotating the compass and the document's objects at
the same time.
The red square is the compass manipulation handle you use to drag the compass and place on
objects to be manipulated. You can also rotate objects around this point.
The base of the compass, the XY plane, is the privileged plane. This concept is not useful when
simply using the Select command. It is only useful when using application commands that use
manipulators which require working planes (for example, when creating planar patches or modifying
control points using the FreeStyle Shaper).

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What Can You Do With the 3D Compass?

The 3D compass lets you:

manipulate viewpoints using the mouse and compass: this is just another way of panning and
rotating all objects in the document at the same time
move and rotate non-constrained objects using the mouse and compass
Moving objects in this context means physically moving them so as to redefine their spatial
coordinates with respect to the absolute axis system in a document. Moving should not be confused
with panning an object, which simply modifies the viewpoint from which you look at an object: the
position of the object in the document remains the same.

move and rotate non-constrained objects using the Edit... contextual command

lock the compass orientation

snap the compass automatically onto a selected object

set the plane in which you move objects parallel to the screen

switch the privileged plane to the XZ or YZ planes of the compass

use the privileged plane as a working plane in applications such as the FreeStyle Shaper
application, for example, when manipulating control point manipulators on planar patches and
curves.

If you are also using the Assembly application, which provides a number of advanced positioning tools,
consider the 3D compass as a preliminary tool for positioning components in space prior to fine
positioning of those components within the assembly.
If you are using a space mouse, you can also manipulate the 3D compass when it is in the scene,
otherwise the space mouse lets you manipulate the viewpoint.

Which Objects Are We Talking About?

You can use the 3D compass to manipulate non-constrained objects, in other words, objects not linked
together by constraints. However, you can manipulate groups of objects in assemblies which are linked
to each other by constraints.

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About Moving Objects with the Compass

When you create a pad, for example, you create it from a sketch which itself is located in a fixed plane,
either a reference plane or a plane you create.
When you drag and drop the compass onto the pad (refer to "Manipulating Objects Using the Mouse
and Compass" for more details), a message will inform you that certain elements in the pad are fixed
(the plane from which the sketch was created), and therefore you cannot move the pad.
If you select the sketch, then select the Parent/Children contextual command, you will see that the
parent of the sketch is a fixed plane. You cannot move the pad until you have either isolated the fixed
element (using the Isolate contextual command).

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Manipulating Viewpoints Using the Mouse and

Compass
This task explains how to manipulating viewpoints by simply dragging certain parts of the compass using the
mouse. This is just another way of panning and rotating all objects in the document at the same time. You
can:

pan along the direction of any axis (X, Y or Z) of the compass

rotate in a plane

pan in a plane

rotate freely about a point on the compass

view the document perpendicular to any of the axes of the compass.

Open the document Manipulators.CATProduct

Note: the 3D compass and the absolute axis at the bottom right of the document are aligned identically by
default.

1. Rotate to see how the objects, 3D compass and the absolute axis are rotated together.

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2. Point to the compass.

. You will also notice that the following parts of the compass are
The cursor shape changes to:
highlighted as you point to them:

compass axes

arcs on the planes of the compass

and the planes themselves.

When you drag any part of the compass, the cursor shape changes to:

If you checked the option "Display manipulation bounding box" in the Visualization tab via the
Tools->Options command, a box will appear around the selected object if it can be manipulated
by the compass.

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In our example, point to and

click on the planar patch to see
the bounding box appear.
The edges of the bounding box
around a selected object always
remain aligned with the compass
axes.

3. Drag any axis on the compass.

The viewpoint is panned along the direction of the axis. For example, dragging the Z axis upwards
pans up along the Z axis like this:

4. Drag an arc on the compass.

For example, dragging the arc YZ to the right rotates the objects in the plane subtended by the arc
YZ like this:

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Dragging close to the red square rotates the objects quickly; dragging further away from the red
square rotates more slowly. The rotation axis used is the same as that used when rotating using
the other rotation tools.

5. Drag a plane on the compass.

For example, dragging to the right the plane subtended by the arc ZY moves the objects on the
same plane like this:

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Select the View->Render Style->Perspective command to perceive the effect more easily.

6. Drag the free rotation handle (the point at the top of the compass) to rotate the objects freely like
this:

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7. Point to either X, Y or Z to highlight the letter, then click the letter to make that axis perpendicular to
your eye-point.
Clicking the same letter reverses the point from which you view the objects. For example, clicking
the letter Z lets you view the document along the Z axis like this:

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Manipulating Objects Using the Mouse and Compass

Using the mouse and compass, you can manipulate not only viewpoints but also non-constrained objects
recognized by the compass, by moving or rotating them. You do so by dragging and dropping the compass onto
the object to be manipulated.

Note that object manipulation using the compass is also available for P1 users, except for those working in Part
Design and Generative Shape Design workbenches.

Open the document Manipulators.CATProduct.

1. Point to the compass manipulation handle (the red square located on the privileged plane at the base of
the compass).

The cursor shape changes to:

whereas its initial shape was :

2. Drag the compass.

As you drag the compass, the

cursor shape changes to:
, and
the compass now looks like this:

The axis is the Z axis by default. The square base represents the current privileged plane.
The privileged plane is realigned with one of the planes on the object and is snapped to the object.

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3. Release the mouse button to drop the compass onto the object.
Dropping the compass onto the object snaps the compass to the object and selects it. The compass
changes color; the default color is light green. You set this color using the Handles option in the
Visualization tab via the Tools->Options command.
In our example, drag and drop the compass onto the part. One possible result could look like this:

Note that, in our example, the compass could also be oriented differently, depending on where you
drop the compass.

Note that the X axis is now w|x, the Y axis u|y, and the Z axis v|z; an extra letter is added is this way
to indicate that the axis in question is no longer oriented the same way as the absolute reference axis
in the bottom right corner.

Once the compass is snapped to the object, you can begin to manipulate the object. You do so by
simply dragging certain parts of the compass, exactly as you do to manipulate viewpoints as
explained in "Manipulating Viewpoints Using the Mouse and Compass". This time, the object (and not
the viewpoints) will be manipulated.

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4. In our example, drag the X axis of the compass to move the part to the other side of the block, then
drop to reposition the part.
While dragging, the compass and a representation of the part are moved.
The distance from the origin of the axis (the red square or compass manipulation handle located on
the compass base) is displayed in real time as you move the object. The value displayed will be
preceded by the "-" sign (negative) if you move the object in the direction opposite to the compass
orientation.

The translation increments are preset: you cannot reset the translation increments displayed.
When you drop the compass, the pad will now be positioned approximately like this:

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You can also:

rotate the object in a plane (by dragging one of the compass arcs): the degree of rotation is also
displayed in real time
move the object in a plane (by dragging one of the compass planes): the distance from the origin
to the new location (along both axes in the plane) is displayed in real time
rotate freely about a point on the compass (by dragging the free rotation handle at the top of the
compass)

as explained in "Manipulating Viewpoints Using the Mouse and Compass".

5. Drag the compass away from the selected object and drop it.
The compass is now disconnected from the object, but maintains its orientation:

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6. To reorient the compass the same way as the absolute reference axis, and restore the compass to its
original position in the top right corner of the document, drag and drop the compass onto the absolute
reference axis.
The compass is repositioned at the default position and takes the default orientation:

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To achieve the same effect, you can also press and hold down the Shift key, then drag and drop the
compass. Release the left mouse button before releasing the Shift key.
The View->Reset Compass command also restores the compass to its original position, but does
not restore the default orientation.

If you checked the option "Display manipulation bounding box" in the Navigation tab via the Tools>Options->General->Display command, a box will appear around the selected object if it can be
manipulated by the compass.

In our example, click on an object

to see the bounding box appear:

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You can then drag any of the edges of the box to move the object in the corresponding direction. Note
also that the bounding box remains oriented the same way as the compass.

You can also align the compass on objects that the compass cannot manipulate: this technique is
useful if you want to detect a direction on the object for manipulating non-constrained objects.
In our example, you could drag the compass onto the pad and align it with one of the pad edges like
this:

Just click the OK button when warned that you cannot move the pad.
You can then select the pad and drag the compass to move the pad in the same direction as the edge
of the pad. This is the ideal solution for manipulating several objects at a time. To do so, select the
first object, then CTRL-click on other objects to add them to your selection.

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Manipulating Objects Using the Edit... Command

This task explains how to manipulate objects precisely, using the Edit... contextual command. You can:

reset the position of the compass (and selected object) via its manipulation handle (red square), by
specifying its X, Y and Z coordinates and rotation coordinates with respect to the center of the 3D scene

translate the object (or just the compass) to a new position in increments along the X, Y and Z axes

rotating the object (or just the compass) about the X, Y and Z axes in increments

translate over a specified distance in the direction of the privileged plane

translate over the distance between two elements (line/edge/plane) you select

rotate through an angle you set, or an angle between two elements (line/edge/plane) you select.

You can only use the Edit... contextual command with the same objects as those with which you can use
the compass (for example, a planar patch).

You need access to a CATIA - P2 FreeStyle Shaper configuration to follow this scenario.
Open the document Manipulators.CATProduct.

1. Drag and drop the compass onto the object, then point to the compass and right-click to display the
3D compass, or double-click the compass to display the contextual menu.
In our example, drag and drop the compass onto the planar patch and right-click:

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2. Select the Edit... command to display the Parameters for Compass Manipulation dialog box:

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The Parameters for Compass Manipulation dialog box stays open during manipulation.

Note that the current coordinates of the compass manipulation handle (red square), with respect
to the center of the 3D scene, are displayed in the corresponding fields for the Position option. In
our example, the center of the 3D scene, in this case, is the point of intersection of the 3 planes
located on the pad.

3. In the Coordinates area, select the axis system with respect to which you will edit the coordinates of
the compass. You can select

either the Absolute axis system: allows you to move the part with respect to the absolute axis
system of the product containing the part

or the one of the Active object: allows you to move the part with respect to the object which
is active. To define an object as being "active", just double-click it in the specification tree:
the object will then be highlighted in blue to indicate it is active.
For instance, let's suppose the active object is a part with a local axis system defined as
current: in that case, choosing Active will result in displaying the coordinates of the compass
with respect to the local axis system of the part.

4. Reset the X, Y and Z coordinates of the compass to zero, using the Position option, then click the
"Apply" button.
In our example, because you dropped the compass onto the planar patch, the compass and the
planar patch are moved to the center of the 3D scene as follows:

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5. To translate the compass and planar patch by increments along an individual axis (U, V or W) using
the Increments options, set the translation values for an axis, then click the "up" or the "down"
arrow to translate in forward or reverse direction respectively.

6. To translate an object along a vector derived from two objects you select, click the "Distance" button
in the Measures area and select the two elements.
When you click the "Distance" button, all options and fields in the dialog box are grayed out.
You can select any of the following:

a point

a line

or a plane.

The value for the detected distance is highlighted in the appropriate fields, expressed in the units
of the compass. Note that, depending on the compass orientation, some or all of the X, Y and Z
coordinates may be calculated.
If the first element is a line or a plane, you can then select a second element or enter a distance.
For example, selecting a line implies that you want to translate the object in the direction of the
line, and you can enter the distance for the translation in the Distance field. However, if you just
select the two elements, the distance between the two is displayed in the Distance field, and the
object will be translated over this distance and in the same direction. If the second element is a
plane, the direction of translation is normal to the plane.

button or the
button to the right of the "Distance" option to
Then, click either the
translate the object in the reverse or forward direction.

7. To rotate, set the rotation angle and click the

button or the

button for the axis about which

you want to rotate.

For example, with the object still located at the center of the 3D scene, rotating about the U axis
produces this result:

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8. To rotate the object through the angle between two elements, click the Measure Angle button and
select the two elements.
You can select a line or a plane. The angle value is displayed in the Angle field.
If the rotation axis is parallel to one of the compass axes, the value is also displayed in the
appropriate Rotation increment field, the 2 other ones being reset to 0.

Then click the

button or the
computed rotation axis.

button to rotate the compass and the object around the

Bear in mind that you can reset entered increments at any time simply by clicking the

icon.

Once the compass is snapped to the object, you can drag its arcs to translate or rotate the object
according to the increments you entered in the dialog box. When the dialog box is closed, the
increments are kept for the compass and bounding box motions.
When you wish to reset the compass and move it freely according to one direction, access the
Parameters for Compass Manipulation dialog box and set the corresponding value to 0.

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Snapping the Compass to Selected Objects

Automatically
This task explains how to snap the compass to a selected object, as an alternative to dragging and
dropping the compass onto the object.

Open the document Manipulators.CATProduct.

1. Point to the compass and right-click to display the contextual menu.

2. Select the command Snap automatically to selected object.

3. Select an object.
In our example, select the planar patch:

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The compass is snapped automatically only onto non-constrained objects recognized by

the compass. The compass keeps its current alignment. As long as the command Snap
automatically to selected object remains activated, the compass will be snapped
automatically.

Note that if a new axis system has been created, selecting it in the geometry area or in
the specification tree will make the compass disappear. To make it re-appear, simply
select any other element in the geometry or in the tree.

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Locking the Current Compass Orientation

This task explains how to lock the current compass orientation.

Open the document Manipulators.CATProduct.

1. Point to the compass and right-click to display the contextual menu.

2. Select the Lock Current Orientation command.

3. Drag the compass.

Note that as you drag the compass over objects, the

compass symbol remains oriented the same. For
example, if the default orientation was current before
dragging, the symbol will remain like this while you
drag:

When you drop the compass onto an object, this orientation will be kept.

4. To reorient the compass, select the Lock Current Orientation command again.

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Locking the Privileged Plane Parallel to the

Screen
This task explains how to force the privileged plane to be parallel to the screen plane.

Open the document Manipulators.CATProduct.

1. In our example, drag and drop the compass onto the part like this:

2. Point to the compass and right-click to display the contextual menu.

3. Select the command Lock Privileged Plane Orientation Parallel to Screen.

This forces the privileged plane parallel to the screen. This works even if you change
viewpoints in the document. The compass is now oriented like this:

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4. Manipulate the planar patch as desired.

The privileged plane will remain parallel to the screen as you manipulate the object.

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Locking the Compass to the Local Axis System

This task explains how to lock the compass to the local axis system. This capability is relevant in
any workbench defining local axis systems (such as Part Design, FreeStyle, Generative Shape
Design, etc.)
You need access to a CATIA - P2 FreeStyle Shaper configuration to follow this scenario.
Open the document Manipulators.CATProduct.

1. Create a new local axis system then set it as current.

To learn how to define a new three-axis system locally and how to set is as current, refer
to Axis System.
The result could look the following way, for instance:

2. Point to the compass and right-click to display the contextual menu:

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3. Select the Use Local Axis System command.

The compass is oriented according to the local axis system defined as "current". In our
scenario, the current axis system is the one created in step 1:

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If no axis system has been defined by the user, the compass is oriented according to the
global axis system displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen.

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This task explains how to swap to a different privileged plane (XZ or YZ).

This command is not useful when simply using the Select command. It is only useful when using application commands that use
manipulators which require working planes, for example, when creating planar patches or modifying control points using the FreeStyle
Shaper.

You need access to a CATIA - P2 FreeStyle Shaper configuration to follow this scenario.
Open the document Manipulators2.CATProduct.

1. Activate the FreeStyle Shaper workbench.

2. Select the planar patch.

3. Click the Control Points

icon: control points appear on the patch, and the Control Points dialog box appears.

4. Point to a control point on the patch.

Manipulators appear:

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Note that the manipulators, by default, are oriented in the same plane as the privileged plane of the compass, in the XY plane.

5. Drag the compass onto the patch and align it in the following direction:

6. Drop the compass onto the patch as follows:

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The compass has now detected the orientation of the patch.

7. Drag the compass away from the patch and drop it into empty space (in other words, not on another object).
The compass keeps the same orientation:

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8. Point to the compass and right-click to display the contextual menu.

9. Select the command Make YZ the Privileged Plane.

This means that you now want to orient the manipulators in the YZ plane of the compass. The manipulators are now located in
the YZ plane:

Do not be confused by the fact that the compass axes do not change: the compass is reoriented to make the YZ the privileged
plane, even though the axes on the compass still indicate that the privileged plane is still XY.

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Keeping the Privileged Plane the Most Visible during Viewpoint

Manipulations
This task explains how to keep the privileged plane visible during viewpoint manipulations.

This command is not useful when simply using the Select command. It is only useful when using application commands that use
manipulators which require working planes, for example, when creating planar patches or modifying control points using the FreeStyle
Shaper.

You need access to a CATIA - P2 FreeStyle Shaper configuration to follow this scenario.
Open the document Manipulators2.CATProduct.

1. Activate the FreeStyle Shaper workbench.

2. Select the planar patch.

3. Click the Control Points

icon.

Control points appear on the patch, and the Control Points dialog box appears.

4. Point to a control point on the patch.

Manipulators appear:

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Note that the manipulators, by default, are oriented in the same plane as the privileged plane of the compass, in the XY plane.

5. Drag the compass onto the patch and align it in the following direction:

6. Drop the compass onto the patch as follows:

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The compass has now detected the orientation of the patch. Note that the manipulators, by default, are oriented in the same
plane as the privileged plane of the compass.

7. Drag the compass away from the patch and drop it into empty space (in other words, not on another object).
The compass keeps the same orientation:

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8. Manipulate the viewpoint by, for example, rotating.

Because rotating the viewpoint also rotates the compass, the privileged plane may be more or less visible. When you work with
commands that use manipulators which require working planes, it may be difficult to work if the privileged plane is not always
clearly visible:

9. Point to the compass and right-click to display the contextual menu.

10. Select the command Make Privileged Plane Most Visible.

This time, the privileged plane is forced to be the most visible: the compass and the manipulators are reoriented accordingly:

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11. Continue to rotate.

You will notice that, as you rotate, the privileged plane switches, the compass is reoriented accordingly, so that the privileged
plane always remains clearly visible. Each time this happens, the manipulators are also repositioned in the new privileged plane.
This function is useful for both creation and modification commands.

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Measuring
Measuring Distances and Angles between Geometrical Entities and Points
Measuring Properties
Measuring Inertia

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Measuring Distances between Geometrical Entities

The Measure Between command lets you measure distance between geometrical entities. You can measure:

Minimum distance and, if applicable angles, between points, surfaces, edges, vertices and entire products
Or,

Maximum distance between two surfaces, two volumes or a surface and a volume.

This section deals with the following topics:

Measuring minimum distance and angles
Measuring maximum distance
Measuring distances in a local axis system
Customizing measure between
Editing measures
Creating geometry from measure results
Exact measures on CGRs and in visualization mode
Measuring exact angles
Associative measures
Using measures in knowledgeware
Measure cursors

Insert the following sample model files: ATOMIZER.model, BODY1.model, BODY2.model, LOCK.model, NOZZLE1.model,
NOZZLE2.model, REGULATION_COMMAND.model, REGULATOR.model, TRIGGER.model and VALVE.model.
They are to be found in the online documentation filetree in the common functionalities sample folder cfysa/samples.
Restriction: Neither Visualization Mode nor cgr files permit selection of individual vertices.
Note: In the No Show space, the Measure Between command is not accessible.

Measuring Minimum Distance and Angles

This task explains how to measure minimum and, if applicable, angles between geometrical entities (points, surfaces,
edges, vertices and entire products).
1. Click the Measure Between

icon.

In DMU, you can also select Analyze-> Measure Between from the menu bar.
The Measure Between dialog box appears.

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By default, minimum distances and if applicable, angles are measured.

By default, measures made on active products are done with respect to the product axis system. Measures made on
active parts are done with respect to the part axis system.
Note: This distinction is not valid for measures made prior to Version 5 Release 8 Service Pack 1 where all measures are
made with respect to the absolute axis system.

Dialog box options

You can also measure distances and angles with respect to a local V5 axis system.
A Keep Measure option in the dialog box lets you keep the current and subsequent measures as features. This is
useful if you want to keep the measures as annotations for example.
Some measures kept as features are associativeand can be used to valuate parameters or in formulas.
In the Drafting workbench, measures are done on-the-fly. They are not persistent. This means that they are
not associative and cannot be used as parameters.

A Create Geometry option in the dialog box lets you create the points and line corresponding to the minimum distance
result.
A Customize... option opens the Measure Between Customization dialog box and lets you set the display of measure
results.

Accessing other measure commands

The Measure Item command

is accessible from the Measure Between dialog box.

In DMU, the Measure Thickness command is also accessible from the Measure Between dialog box. For more
information, see the DMU Space Analysis User's Guide.

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P1-Only Functionality
In P1, the Measure Tools toolbar appears.
This toolbar has two icons:

Measure Dialogs

Exit Measure

: lets you show or hide the associated dialog box.

: lets you exit the measure. This is useful when the dialog box is hidden.

2. Select the desired measure type.

Notice that the image in the dialog box changes
depending on the measure type selected.

Defining Measure Types

Between (default type): measures distance and, if applicable, angle between selected items.

Chain: lets you chain measures with the last selected item becoming the first selection in the next measure.

Fan: fixes the first selection as the reference so that you always measure from this item.

3. Set the desired mode in the Selection 1 and Selection 2 mode drop-down list boxes.

Defining Selection 1 & Selection 2 Modes

Any geometry (default mode): measures distances and, if applicable, angles between defined geometrical entities
(points, edges, surfaces, etc.).
Note: The Arc center mode is activated in this selection mode.
This mode recognizes the axis of cylinders and
lets you measure the distance between two
cylinder axes for example.

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Any geometry, infinite: measures distances and, if applicable, angles between the infinite geometry (plane, line or
curve) on which the selected geometrical entities lie. Curves are extended by tangency at curve ends.
Line

Plane

Curve

The Arc center mode is activated and this mode also recognizes cylinder axes. For all other selections, the
measure mode is the same as any geometry.
Any geometry, infinite

Any geometry

Picking point: measures distances between points selected on defined geometrical entities. Always gives an
approximate measure.

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In the DMU section viewer, selecting two picking points on a curve gives the distance along the curve between
points (curve length or CL) as well as the minimum distance between points.
Notes:

Both points must be located on the same curve element.

The minimum distance option must be set in the Measure Between Customization dialog box.

Point only: measures distances between points. Dynamic highlighting is limited to points.
Edge only, Surface only: measures distances and, if applicable, angles between edges and surfaces respectively.
Dynamic highlighting is limited to edges or surfaces and is thus simplified compared to the Any geometry mode. All
types of edge are supported.
Product only: measures distances between products.
Products can be specified by selecting product geometry, for example an edge or surface, in the geometry area or the
specification tree.
Picking axis: measures distances and, if applicable, angles between an entity and an infinite line perpendicular to the
screen.
Simply click to create infinite line perpendicular
to the screen.

Intersection: measures distances between points of intersection between two lines/curves/edges or a line/curve/edge
and a surface. In this case, two selections are necessary to define selection 1 and selection 2 items.

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Geometrical entities (planar surfaces, lines and curves) are extended to infinity to determine the point of
intersection. Curves are extended by tangency at curve ends.

Line-plane

Curve-plane

Curve-curve

Note: Only intersections which result in points of intersection are managed.

Edge limits: measures distances between endpoints or midpoints of edges. Endpoints only are proposed on curved
surfaces.

Arc center: measures distances between the centers of arcs.

Center of 3 points arc: measures distances between the centers of arcs defined by 3 points.
To define arc center, click three points on the
geometry.
Note: The resulting measure will always be
approximate.

Coordinate: measures distances between coordinates entered for selection 1 and/or selection 2 items.

4. Set the desired calculation mode in the Calculation mode drop-down list box.

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Defining the Calculation Mode

Exact else approximate (default mode): measures access exact data and wherever possible true values are given. If
exact values cannot be measured, approximate values are given (identified by a ~ sign).
Exact: measures access exact data and true values are given. Note that you can only select exact items in the
geometry area or specification tree.
In certain cases, in particular if products are selected, a warning dialog box informs you that the exact measure could
not be made.
Approximate: measures are made on tessellated objects and approximate values are given (identified by a ~ sign).

Note: You can hide the display of the ~ sign using the Tools -> Options command (General ->
Parameters and Measure -> Measure Tools).

5. Click to select a surface, edge or vertex, or an entire product (selection 1).

Notes:

The appearance of the cursor has changed to assist you.

Dynamic highlighting of geometrical entities helps you locate items to click on.

6. Click to select another surface, edge or vertex, or an entire product (selection 2).
A line representing the minimum distance vector is drawn between the selected items in the geometry area. Appropriate
distance values are displayed in the dialog box.

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By default, the overall minimum distance and angle, if any, between the selected items are given in the Measure Between
dialog box.
The number of decimal places, the display of trailing zeros and limits for exponential notation is controlled by the Units
tab in the Options dialog box (Tools ->Options, General ->Parameters and Measure). For more information, see the
Infrastructure User's Guide.
7. Select another selection and, if desired, selection mode.
8. Set the Measure type to Fan to fix the first selection so that you can always measure from this item.
9. Select the second item.

10.Select another item.

Using the Other Selection... command in the contextual menu, you can access the center of spheres.
11.If necessary, adjust the presentation of the measure:
You can move the lines and text of the measure.

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The Properties command (Graphics tab) lets you change the fill color and transparency as well as the color, linetype and
thickness of measure lines.
Note: You cannot vary transparency properties, the current object is either the selected color or transparent.
12.Click OK when done.
If you checked the Keep Measure option in the Measure
Between dialog box, your measures are kept as features
and your specification tree will look something like this if
measures were made on the active product.

Or like this, if measures were made on the active part.

Note: If the product is active, any measures on parts are
placed in No Show.
Some measures kept as features are associative. In
Design Mode, if you modify a part or move a part in a
product structure context and the measure is impacted, it
will be identified as not up-to-date in the specification
tree. You can then update it locally have it updated
automatically.
When measures are used to valuate parameters, an
associative link between the measure and parameter is
created. Measures can also be used in formulas.

Sectioning measure results

Having made and kept your measure, select it then click the Sectioning

icon to section measure results. The plane is

created parallel to the direction defined by the measure and sections entities selected for the measure only. All section
plane manipulations are available.
Note: You may need an appropriate license to access the Sectioning command.

Customizing Measure Between

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Customizing lets you choose what distance you want to

measure:

Minimum distance (and angle if applicable)

Maximum distance

Maximum distance from 1 to 2.

Note: These options are mutually exclusive. Each time

you change option, you must make your measure again.
By default, minimum distances and if applicable, angles
are measured.
You can also choose to display components and the
coordinates of the two points (point 1 and point 2)
between which the distance is measured.
What you set in the dialog box determines the display of
the results in both the geometry area and the dialog box.

Measuring Maximum Distance

You can measure the maximum distance between two surfaces, two volumes or a surface and a volume.
Distance is measured normal to the selection and is always approximate. Two choices are available:

Maximum distance from 1 to 2: gives the maximum distance of all distances measured from selection 1.
Note: This distance is, in general, not symmetrical.

Maximum distance: gives the highest maximum distance between the maximum distance measured from selection 1
and the maximum distance measured from selection 2.

Note: All selection 1 (or 2) normals intersecting selection 1 (or 2) are ignored.

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1. Click Customize... and check the appropriate maximum distance option in the Measure Between Customization dialog box,
then click OK.
2. Make your measure:

Select the desired measure type

Set the desired selection modes

Set the desired calculation mode

Click to select two surfaces, two volumes or a surface and a volume.

3. Click OK when done.

Measuring Distances in a Local Axis System

An Other Axis option in the dialog box lets you measure distance in a local axis system.
This type of measure is associative: if you move the axis system, the measure is impacted and can be updated.
You will need a V5 axis system.

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1. Select the Other Axis checkbox in the dialog box.

2. Select a V5 axis system in the specification tree or geometry area.
3. Make your measure.
In the examples below, the measure is a minimum distance measure and the coordinates of the two points between
which the distance is measured are shown.

Same measure made with respect to absolute axis system:

Note: All subsequent measures are made with respect to the selected axis system.
4. To change the axis system, click the Other Axis field and select another axis system.
5. To return to the absolute axis system, click to clear the Other Axis checkbox.
6. Click OK when done.

Editing Measures
In addition to editing the presentation of the measure, you can also edit the measure itself and change one of the
selections on which it was based. This is particularly useful in design mode where you no longer have to redo your
measure.
You can also change selections that no longer exist because they were deleted.
1. Double-click the measure in the specification tree or geometry area.

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2. Make new selections.

Notes:
You can change selection modes when making new selections.
For invalid measures where one selection has been deleted, you only have to replace the deleted selection.
For all other measures, repeat all selections.

3. Click OK when done.

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Measuring Properties
The Measure Item command lets you measure the properties associated to a selected item (points, edges, surfaces and
entire products).
This section deals with the following topics:
Measuring properties
Measuring in a local axis system
Customizing the display
Editing measures
Create Geometry from measure results
Exact measures on CGRs and in visualization mode
Associative measures
Using measures in knowledgeware
Measure cursors
Insert the following sample model files: ATOMIZER.model, BODY1.model, BODY2.model, LOCK.model, NOZZLE1.model,
NOZZLE2.model, REGULATION_COMMAND.model, REGULATOR.model, TRIGGER.model and VALVE.model.
They are to be found in the online documentation filetree in the common functionalities sample folder cfysa/samples.
Restriction: Neither Visualization Mode nor cgr files permit selection of individual vertices.
Note: In the No Show space, this command is not accessible.

Measuring Properties
This task explains how to measure the properties associated to a selected item.
1.Switch to Design Mode (Edit ->Representations ->Design Mode).
2.Set View -> Render Style to Shading with Edges.
Note: You cannot use this command, if Shading only is selected.
3.
Click the Measure Item
icon.
In DMU, you can also select Analyze -> Measure Item from the menu bar.
The Measure Item dialog box appears.

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By default, properties of active products are measured with respect to the product axis system. Properties of active
parts are measured with respect to the part axis system.
Note: This distinction is not valid for measures made prior to Version 5 Release 8 Service Pack 1 where all measures
are made with respect to the absolute axis system.

Dialog box options

You can also measure properties with respect to a local V5 axis system.
The Keep Measure option lets you keep current and subsequent measures as features. This is useful if you want to
keep measures as annotations for example.
Some measures kept as features are associativeand can be used to valuate parameters or in formulas.
In the Drafting workbench, measures are done on-the-fly. They are not persistent. This means that they are
not associative and cannot be used as parameters.

A Create Geometry option in the dialog box lets you create the center of gravity from measure results.

A Customize... option lets you customize the display of measure results.

Accessing other measure commands

The Measure Between command is accessible from the Measure Item

dialog box. Simply click one of the Measure Between icons in the
Definition box to switch commands.
In DMU, the Measure Thickness command is also accessible from the
Measure Item dialog box. For more information, see the appropriate
task in the DMU Space Analysis User's Guide.

P1-Only Functionality
In P1, the Measure Tools toolbar appears.
This toolbar has two icons:

Measure Dialogs

Exit Measure

: lets you show or hide the associated dialog box.

: lets you exit the measure. This is useful when the dialog box is hidden.

4.Set the desired measure mode in the Selection 1 mode drop-down list box.

Defining the Selection 1 Mode

Any geometry (default mode): measures the properties of the selected item (point, edge, surface or entire
product).

Point only: measures the properties of points. Dynamic highlighting is limited to points.

Edge only: measures the properties of edges. All types of edge are supported.

Surface only: measures the properties of surfaces.

In the last three modes, dynamic highlighting is limited to points, edges or surfaces depending on the mode
selected, and is thus simplified compared to the Any geometry mode.

Product only: measures distances between products.

Products can be specified by selecting product geometry, for example an edge or surface, in the geometry area or
the specification tree.
Angle by 3 points: measures the angle between two lines themselves defined by three points.

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To define lines, select three existing points in the geometry area

or in the specification tree.
Note: You cannot select picking points.
Smart selection is offered. This means that a sphere or circle, for
example, are seen as points.
The resulting angle is always positive. It is measured in a
counterclockwise direction and depends on the order in which
points were selected as well as your viewpoint (the normal to
the plane is oriented towards you).

Thickness (DMU only): measures the thickness of an item. For more information, see the appropriate task in the
DMU Space Analysis User's Guide.

The Measure Item command lets you access the radius of an exact cylinder or sphere.

The Measure Item command also recognizes ellipse-type conic sections.

Using the Other Selection... command in the contextual menu, you can access the axis of a cylinder as well as the
center of a sphere to, for example, measure between two cylinder axes.

5.Set the desired calculation mode in the Calculation mode drop-down list box.

Defining the Calculation Mode

Exact else approximate (default mode): measures access exact data and wherever possible true values are given.
If exact values cannot be measured, approximate values are given (identified by a ~ sign).
Exact: measures access exact data and true values are given. Note that you can only select exact items in the
geometry area or specification tree.
In certain cases, in particular if products are selected, a warning dialog box informs you that the exact measure
could not be made.
Approximate: measures are made on tessellated objects and approximate values are given (identified by a ~
sign).

Note: You can hide the ~ sign using the Tools -> Options command (General ->Parameters and
Measure ->Measure Tools).

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6.Click to select the desired item.

Note: The appearance of the cursor has changed to assist you.

The dialog box gives information about the selected item, in our case a surface and indicates whether the result is an
exact or approximate value. The surface area is also displayed in the geometry area.
The number of decimal places, the display of trailing zeros and limits for exponential notation is controlled by the Units
tab in the Options dialog box (Tools-> Options, General-> Parameters and Measure). For more information, see
the Infrastructure User's Guide.
7.Try selecting other items to measure associated properties.

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8.If necessary, adjust the presentation of the measure:

You can move the lines and text of the measure.

The Properties command (Graphics tab) lets you change the fill color and transparency as well as the color, linetype
and thickness of measure lines.
Note: You cannot vary transparency properties, the current object is either the selected color or transparent.
9.Click OK when done.
If you checked the Keep Measure option in the Measure Item dialog box,
your measures are kept as features and your specification tree will look
something like this if properties of the active product were measured.

Or like this, if properties were those of the active part.

Note: If the product is active, any measures made on the active part are
placed in No Show.
Some measures kept as features are associative. In Design Mode, if you
modify a part or move a part in a product structure context and the
measure is impacted, it will be identified as not up-to-date in the
specification tree. You can then update it locally have it updated
automatically.
When measures are used to valuate parameters, an associative link
between the measure and parameter is created. Measures can also be
used in formulas.

Customizing the Display

Customizing lets you choose the properties you want to see displayed in both the geometry area and the dialog box.

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1.Click Customize... in the Measure Item dialog box to see the properties the system can detect for the various types of
item you can select. By default, you obtain:

Edges
The system detects whether the edge is a line, curve or arc, taking model accuracy into account and displays the
properties as set in the Measure Item Customization dialog box.

Note: If the angle of an arc is less than 0.125 degrees, only the arc length is displayed in the geometry
area. The angle and radius are not displayed.

Surfaces

Center of gravity: The center of gravity of surfaces is visualized by a point. In the case of non planar surfaces,
the center of gravity is attached to the surface over the minimum distance.

Plane: gives the equation of a planar face. The equation of a plane is: Ax + By + Cz + D=0.

Perimeter: Visualization mode does not permit the measure of surface perimeter.

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2.Set the properties you want the system to detect, then click Apply or Close.
The Measure Item dialog box is updated if you request more properties of the item you have just selected.
3.Select other items to measure associated properties.

Measuring Properties in a Local Axis System

An Other Axis option in the dialog box lets you measure properties in a local axis system.
This type of measure is associative: if you move the axis system, the measure is impacted and can be updated.
You will need a V5 axis system.
1.Select the Other Axis checkbox in the Measure Item dialog box.
2.Select a V5 axis system in the specification tree or geometry area.
3.Make your measure.
Measure made with respect to local axis system:

Same measure made with respect to

absolute axis system:

Note: All subsequent measures are made with respect to the selected axis system.
4.To change the axis system, click the Other Axis field and select another axis system.
5.To return to the main axis system, click to clear the Other Axis checkbox.
6.Click OK when done.

Editing Measures
In addition to editing the presentation of the measure, you can also edit the measure itself and change the selection
on which it was based. This is particularly useful in design mode where you no longer have to redo your measure.
You can also change selections that no longer exist because they were deleted.
1.Double-click the measure in the specification tree or geometry area.

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2.Make a new selection.

Note:
You cannot change the selection 1 mode. If you selected a curve, you must make a selection of the same
type, i.e. another curve.
3.Click OK when done.

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Measuring Inertia
The Measure Inertia command lets you measure:

3D inertia properties of surfaces and volumes (explained below)

2D inertia properties of plane surfaces.

Note: In the No Show space, this command is not accessible.

This section deals with the following topics:
Measuring 3D inertia properties
Measuring 2D inertia properties
Customizing your measure
Exporting measure results
Creating geometry from measure results
Notations used
Inertia equivalents
Principal axes
Inertia matrix with respect to the origin O
Inertia matrix with respect to a point P
Inertia matrix with respect to an axis system
Moment of inertia about an axis
Associative measures
Using measures in knowledgeware

Measuring 3D Inertia Properties

This task explains how to measure the 3D inertia properties of an object.
You can measure the 3D inertia properties of both surfaces and volumes, as well as retrieve the
density or surface density if valuated from V4 model type documents. You can also retrieve inertia
equivalents set in Knowledgeware formulas.
The area, density, mass and volume (volumes only) of the object are also calculated.
Measures are persistent: a Keep Measure option in the Measure Inertia dialog box lets you keep the
current measure as a feature in the specification tree.
Note: The Keep Measure option is not available in the Drafting workbench.
For examples showing 3D inertia properties measured on surfaces. To find out more about notations
used.
Insert the Valve.cgr document from the samples folder. It is to be found in the online documentation
filetree in the common functionalities sample folder cfysa/samples.
1. Click the Measure Inertia

icon.

In DMU, you can also select Analyze -> Measure Inertia from the menu bar.

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The Measure Inertia dialog box appears. By default 3D inertia properties are measured.
The Measure 2D Inertia icon lets you measure 2D inertia properties of plane surfaces.

Dialog box options

A Keep Measure option in the dialog box lets you keep current and subsequent measures as
features. Some measures kept as features are associative and can be used as parameters.
In the Drafting workbench, measures are done on-the-fly. They are not persistent. This
means that they are not associative and cannot be used as parameters.

A Create Geometry option lets you create the center of gravity and the axis system for principal
axes in a part from inertia results.

An Export option lets you write results to a text file.

A Customize... option lets you define what will be computed and displayed in the dialog box.

Note: When you move the cursor over the geometry or specification tree, its appearance changes

to reflect the measure command you are in.

2. Click to select the desired item in the specification tree, for example Valve.

Selecting Items

In the geometry area, you can select individual faces and edges on cgr files and in Visualization
mode.

Ctrl-click in the geometry area or the specification tree to add other items to the initial selection.

Shift-click in the specification tree to make a multiple selection.

Drag (using the left mouse button) to select items using the bounding outline.
Items must be completely inside the bounding outline; if not, they will not be selected.
(P2 only) Use the Group command to make your multiple selection.
Notes:

Only items of the same type can be included in a multiple selection or a bounding
outline; you cannot mix volumes and surfaces.
Inertia measures made on a multiple selection of items are not associative.

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The Dialog Box expands to display the results for the selected item.
The measure is made on the selection, geometry, assembly or part. To measure the inertia of
individual sub-products making up an assembly and see the results in the document window, you
must select the desired sub-product.
In our example, the item selected has no sub-products.

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The dialog box identifies the selected item and indicates whether the calculation is exact or
approximate:

In Design mode, measures access exact data and wherever possible true values are given. Note
that it is possible to obtain an exact measure for most items in design mode.

In Visualization mode, measures are made on tessellated items and approximate values are
given.

In addition to the center of gravity G, the principal moments of inertia M and the matrix of inertia
calculated with respect to the center of gravity, the dialog box also gives the area, volume (volumes
only), density and mass of the selected item.
You can also compute and display the principal axes A. To do so, you must first activate the
appropriate option in the Measure Inertia Customization dialog box.
The density is that of the material, if any, applied to a product, part or part body:

If no density is found, a default value is displayed. You can, if desired, edit this value. If you do
so, all the other inertia values are re-calculated. The default value is 1000 kg/m3 for volumes
and 10 kg/m2 for surfaces.

If sub-products or part bodies have different densities, the wording Not uniform is displayed.

Notes:

You can access the density of parts saved as CGR files and opened in visualization mode. This
functionality is available in both a part and a product context.

To do so:

Select the Save density in cgr option in the Meaure Tools tab (Tools ->Options ->General >Parameters and Measure).

Open a part to which material has been applied and save as CGR type.
The density is stored in the CGR file.

Important: The material must be applied to the part node. If materials are applied to part
bodies, no density is saved.
Close the Part document.

Open the CGR file or switch to DMU Space Analysis and insert the part saved as CGR, then

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measure the inertia.

You must be in design mode to access the density of part bodies to which materials have been
applied.
Unless specified otherwise, material inheritance is taken into account.
Density is a measure of an item's mass per unit volume expressed in kg/m3; surface density is
a measure of an item's mass per unit area expressed in kg/m2.

The number of decimal places, the display of trailing zeros and limits for exponential notation is
controlled by the Units tab in the Options dialog box (Tools ->Options, General ->Parameters
and Measure).
In the Geometry Area, axes of inertia are
highlighted and a bounding box parallel to the
axes and bounding the selected item also
appears.
Color coding of axes:

Red: axis corresponding to the first

moment M1
Green: axis corresponding to the second
moment M2
Blue: axis corresponding to third moment
M3.

3. Click Customize... to customize the inertia computation and define what will be exported to the text
file.
4. Click OK when done.
If you checked the Keep Measure option in
the Measure Inertia dialog box, your
measures are kept as features and your
specification tree will look something like this.
Some measures kept as features are
associative and can be used as parameters.

You can write a macro script to automate your task. See Space Analysis on the Automation
Documentation Home Page.

Customizing Your Measure

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You can, at any time, define what will be

computed and displayed in the Measure
Inertia dialog box.

1. Click Customize... in the Measure Inertia

dialog box.
The Measure Inertia Customization dialog box
opens.
Note: The inertia properties checked here are
also the properties exported to a text file.
2. Click the appropriate options to compute and
display in appropriate tabs of the Measure
Inertia dialog box the:

Inertia equivalents

Principal axes

Inertia matrix with respect to the origin O

Inertia matrix with respect to a point P

Inertia matrix with respect to an axis

system
Moment of inertia about an axis

3. Click Apply or OK in the Measure Inertia Customization dialog box when done.

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Dragging and Dropping Icons and Objects

Dragging and Dropping Icons onto Objects
Dragging and Dropping Objects Onto Objects

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Dragging and Dropping Icons onto Objects

This task explains how to drag and drop icons onto objects to run commands, which is a quicker alternative to
selecting commands or icons.

Open the document SelectionSets.CATProduct.

1. Select the Select icon

Rotation icon

to enter selection mode, if it is not already activated. Select the Translation or

2. Drag the Edge Fillet icon from the toolbar onto a face of the pad.

As soon as you point at the pad face, the face is highlighted and the pointer changes to this shape
:

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3. Release the mouse button.

This displays the Edge Fillet dialog box, and you can proceed to create the fillet:

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The drag and drop method of running commands is not available everywhere: refer to your workbench
documentation for more details.

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Dragging and Dropping Objects Onto Objects

This task explains how to drag and drop objects onto objects, which is a quick way to copy objects.

Open the document DragObject.CATProduct.

1. Select the Select icon

to enter selection mode, if it is not already activated.

You will select a fillet and copy it to another location on the same part.

2. Point to the fillet to be copied, so as to highlight it.

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3. Press and hold down the Ctrl key and drag the fillet to another edge on the part.
As soon as you point at the pad face, the face is highlighted and the pointer changes to this shape:

4. Release the Ctrl key and the mouse button.

The fillet is copied to the selected edge:

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You can also move the fillet, instead of copying it. To do so, simply drag the fillet to the new
location. When you drag the fillet, the following symbol appears:

In certain cases, an object may be copied without pressing and holding down the Ctrl key before
dragging, when you were expecting the object to be moved. In this case, you will be informed that
a copy is being performed (and not a move) by the appearance of the
symbol. This is
typically the case when you attempt to drag an object created in one context (in one workshop)
onto an object created in another context (workshop). So, within the same document window, the
move is only allowed if the object onto which you drop your object can be edited in the current
context (workshop). For example, you cannot drag (move) a part onto a line in a sketch: the part
and the sketch were created in different workshops.

The drag and drop method of running commands is not available everywhere: refer to your
workbench documentation for more details.

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Printing Documents
About Printing, Capturing Images and the Album
Printing a Document Quickly without Customizing Print Settings
Previewing Documents Prior to Printing
Customizing Print Settings Before Printing Your Documents
Printing To a File
Printing Multi-Documents
Printing in Batch Mode

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About Printing, Capturing Images and the

Album
A certain number of identical functions are available in different parts of the software:

you can print documents, capture and print images directly from the Capture toolbar, or print
images from the album

you can preview documents prior to printing, or preview images in the album

you can save images to other formats using the Capture toolbar or the album

you can copy images to the clipboard using the Capture toolbar or the album.

The fact that these functions are shared make it easy to use the print, capture and album functions
together.
For more information about capturing images and using the album, refer to "Capturing and
Managing Images for the Album".

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Printing a Document Quickly without

Customizing Print Settings
This task explains how to print a document quickly to the default printer using default print
settings.
You can only print a document if a default printer has been set up. On Windows, you print using
the default printer (declared by your Windows system administrator). However, on UNIX, you will
only be able to print once you have set up a printer, as explained in Setting Up Your Printers on
UNIX and Windows.

1. Once your document is open, select the Quick Print icon

from the Standard toolbar.

The current document is sent to your default printer using the current print settings.

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Previewing Documents Prior to Printing

This task explains how to preview documents prior to printing.

Open the document Print.CATProduct

1. Select the File->Print... command (or the CTRL+P keyboard shortcut) to display the Print dialog box:

2. Select the Preview... option to display the Print Preview window:

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and zooming commands inside the Print Preview window, or select the

from the Standard toolbar to print.

You can also preview the document size in real size by zooming.
To zoom, press and hold down the middle mouse button in the Print Preview window, then click the left mouse button
and drag (still holding the middle mouse button down). Zoom up or down to increase or decrease the document size;
the percentage of the real size is displayed top right as you zoom. For example, if you want to display the document
at its real size, zoom to reach 100%.
The Preview window is also available to preview images:

via the Print icon in the Tools->Image->Capture... command

via the Preview icon in the Tools->Image->Album... command.

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Customizing Print Settings Before Printing Your

Documents
This task explains how to print documents.

You can only print a document if a default printer has been set up. On Windows, you print using the default printer declared
by your Windows system administrator. However, on UNIX, you can only print a document if a default printer has been set
up using the File -> Printer Setup... command, as explained in Setting Up Your Printers on UNIX and Windows.

Open the document Print.CATProduct.

1. Select the File->Print... command (or the CTRL+P keyboard shortcut) to display the Print dialog box.
The type of printer you choose determines the default settings in the dialog box:

The Print window is also available via the Print icon in the Tools->Image->Capture... command and the Tools>Image->Album... command.

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The area to the right is a preview area displaying a shaded rectangle representing the size of the image to be
printed, using the default paper format with the default margins. The image size matches the real size of the
geometry area in your document window, with respect to the selected paper format. Any changes you make to
page orientation, page setup (paper format, paper margins), image scale and position are instantaneously
displayed in this area.
Resizing the document window resizes the image accordingly. You can also resize the image by dragging the image
handles (using the left mouse button). The proportional relationship between image width and height is always
maintained. Note that these handles are not available if you check the Fit in Page option (the default setting).

2. Select a printer, or check the Print to file check box and enter the name of a file. Refer to "Printing To a File" for more
information.

Note: when selecting a printer on Windows, you can use the printers provided by Dassault Systmes, these
printers being managed with dedicated plot configuration files. Dassault Systmes Printer Manager is part of the
Version 5 Windows environment, combined with the native Microsoft printer manager.

3. You can use the combo box displayed next to the Printer Name field to filter the list of printers according to groups
that have been previously defined in the Printers tab.

To do so, just select a group in the combo box. The printer list to the right is automatically updated and displays
only the printers included in the selected group:

Note: "General" is the default value and displays all the printers set up by your administrator.

4. In case you wish to set up your printer, click the Properties... button to open the printer properties dialog box. The
look of the dialog box will change according to the driver. Just modify the desired parameters then click OK to
validate.
In case the driver is provided by Dassault Systmes, clicking the Properties... button will display the Printer
Properties dialog box described in Adding a Printer.

5. Set the page orientation.

The current page setup (page format and page size) set using the Page setup... option is displayed as a reminder.
Orientation settings are:

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Portrait: sets portrait orientation

Landscape: sets landscape orientation

Best orientation: if you resize the image beyond

the page margins (displayed in red in the image
to the right), Best orientation keeps the image to
be printed at its original size, but automatically
changes the page orientation (as displayed in the
preview area on the right of the dialog box) to fit
the image into the page.

6. Set the image position and size of the image to be printed.

This involves changing the position of the image on the selected paper format, and scaling the image. To do so,
you need to uncheck the Fit in Page option first (if it is checked) to access the position and size options.

To scale the image, enter the scale percentage or use the scale spin box.
Whichever method you use, the scale field and the image width and height are updated:

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You can also use the Fit in Page option which

centers the image and scales it up to the largest
size so that it fits into the margins. Clicking the
Fit in Page option deactivates the other options
in the Position and Size area, and the image
resize handles are no longer available.

The No Fitting option leaves the document to be printed to its original size, i.e. a scale 1:1.
The Fit to option lets you set the Scale of the image. You can specify the distance from the Left and Bottom
margins as well as the image dimensions in the Width and Height fields (changing Width automatically updates
Height, and inversely, in order to keep ratio constant).
Note: any modification to the Scale, Width or Height automatically impacts simultaneously these three
parameters.

To position the image, you can:

click the Center option (to center the image)

click the Origin option (to position the image
bottom left, at the origin)
drag the image to the new position
or enter the position of the bottom
and left corner of the image, with respect to
the paper margins.

7. Click the Page Setup... button to display the Page setup dialog box, and click OK when you have finished.

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You can:

choose a standard paper format

reset paper margins

or reset printer defaults.

Note: the "Use Image Format" option is relevant for CATDrawing documents only. Refer to Printing MultiDocuments for detailed information on this option.
To set the paper format, select the format from
the Name list. If you set a new format, the
image of the paper format and the image to be
printed are resized accordingly. If the format
selected is incompatible with the printer
currently selected, a message will inform you
that the format should not exceed the dimension
for the printer. However, this does not prevent
you from setting the paper format.
In our example, the first image uses the A4 ISO
format, and the second the A3 ISO format:

The new paper format and corresponding page size are displayed in the Position and Size option box.

To set the paper margins, enter values for the

Left, Right, Top and Bottom margins,
The example shows how the new margins
(represented by dashed lines) affect the position
of the image:

8. Select the image orientation:

Best Rotation: used in conjunction with the Fit in Page option, scales the image up to the largest size which still
fits into the current paper format

Rotation: 90

Rotation: 180

Rotation: 270.

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9. Select the Print Area:

Whole Document: print the entire image

Display: print the image as seen on screen

Selection: prints the area selected using the

Areas of Images part in this guide.

button. For more information, refer to Capturing Selected

Document Area: this option is relevant for .CATDrawing documents only. Refer to Printing Multi-Documents.

10. Click the Options... button to access the Options dialog box and set the Color options determining the type of color
output.

Set the color type for the image to be printed:

Full color: true color image

Grayscale: grayscale image (produces a smaller print file)

Monochrome.

The gamma factor (between 0.1 and 5.0). A gamma factor of 0.1 produces a dark image, whereas a factor of 5.0
produces a lighter image.
Check the Print white vectors as black check box if you want to print white vectors as black on the resulting
printout.

11. Click the Banner tab and set the banner options:

if you want to show a banner on the printed output, use the banner field to print information about the current
print job in the banner ; this field contains the $USER, $DATE and $TIME variables which, by default, print
your username, and the current date and time in the banner at the bottom of the printed output. This field is
editable: you can delete the variables if required and replace them with a text of your choice
Position: setting Position to None removes the banner ; you can also position it Top Horizontal, Bottom
Horizontal, Left Vertical or Right Vertical
Insert logo: check this check box if you want to insert a graphic logo in the banner, and select the button to
navigate in your file system and select the graphic file to be used as the banner.

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The banner option is also available when using the Generative Drafting application.

12. Click the Various tab and set the various options.

Set the Rendering Quality factor which determines the quality of printed output:

Low (screen): the quality of the printed output matches the screen resolution

Medium

High

Custom: selecting this factor lets you define precisely the print quality by indicating the desired dpi value.
The maximum value you can enter is 680 dpi for A4 format and 170 dpi for A0 format.

The higher the setting, the longer the print time, the larger the print file, the higher the image quality. This option
does not impact print previewing.

Note: You can also choose to scale or not the text to be printed by checking or unchecking the text Scaling option.

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Set the Line Width Specification:

Absolute: original linetype specifications are preserved

Scaled: the print image scale is applied to linetypes

No thickness.

and Line Type Specification: Absolute or Scaled.

Set the Line Cap option to choose how line ends are drawn (useful for drafting):

Flat

Square

Round.

This option does not impact print previewing.

13. Check the Tiling option if you want to tile the image and print it on several pages.

Once the Tiling option is checked, you can define more precisely the tiling options for your image by clicking the
Define... button to open the following window.

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Tile Count lets you specify the number of tiles to be used to cut the image horizontally or vertically (enter the
desired number in the corresponding field)

Center tiles allows you to center the tile on the paper

Paper overlap enables you to define the horizontal and vertical paper overlap using the spin boxes

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Position tiles lets you indicate the position of the tile on the paper by entering its coordinates in the "x" and "y"
fields. You can also specify the tile size by entering its dimensions in millimeters in the "width" and "height"
fields
The Tile Outline Printout checkbox enables you, when activated, to print the outline of each tile.

When the Selection Mode

is activated, you can click any tile in the preview window to display the
corresponding part of the document:

Note that you can use the Fit All In icon

and zooming commands inside the preview window. The Remove

Tile Mode icon

lets you select the tile(s) to be removed from the printout. The selected tile(s) are then
identified in the preview window by a red cross as shown below:

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Activating the Remove Tile Mode grays all the fields displayed to the left. When the tiles have been removed, click
the Selection Mode icon

to activate the fields and go on defining your tiling options.

14. Select OK successively in each dialog box to confirm all your print settings then in the Print Dialog box click:

Apply to print the document without closing the Print dialog box.

OK to print the document and close the Print dialog box.

Each time you print a document, a log output file is generated. The traces contained in the file give you
information on the printing date and time, the user name, the log file name, the printer name along with the print
mode (i.e. to a file or a device).
By default, this file is named Print.log and is located in a temporary directory:
C:\Temp\Print.log
/tmp/Print.log

(on Windows)
(on UNIX)

However, the default location and name may be modified by your administrator using the CATPRINTLOG external
variable.
For instance, setting
CATPRINTLOG='c:\test\MyPrint.log'
means that the log file named "MyPrint.log" will be located in the directory "test"...
...whereas
CATPRINTLOG=NONE
means that the log file will keep its default name and location.
Here is a log output sample:

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< Start Print
User: AJT
Date: 07/17/2002
Time: 16:31:17
Host: MYMACHINE
Printer: \\Printer1
Document: C:\Manipulators3.CATPart
Result: 1
End Print>

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Printing To a File

This task explains how to print to a file.

Open the document Print.CATProduct.

1. Select the File->Print... command (or the CTRL+P keyboard shortcut) to display the Print dialog box.
The type of printer you choose determines the default settings in the dialog box.

You can also print to a file via the Print icon in the Tools->Image->Capture... command and the Tools->Image>Album... command.

2. Select a printer name.

3. Check the Print to File check box:

Note: when selecting a printer on Windows, you can use the printers provided by Dassault Systmes.

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4. Enter a file name, or click the File Name... button to display the Print to File dialog box:

5. Type the name of the file in which you will store the image printout, then click the Save button to save the file and return
to the Print dialog box.
The file is saved with the .prn extension (the only extension available). The information in the file depends on the printer
you chose in the Print dialog box.
Note: the More... button is relevant only when printing multiple pages. Refer to Printing Multi-Documents for detailed
information.

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6. When printing to a 3 PLM Printer (refer to Adding a Printer for detailed information), you can click the Properties... button
to access the printer properties:

7. In the Submission Scripts group box, activate the Custom radio button next to "Declaration" to specify the default output
file name: each time you print a document, an output file is created at the location you specify in the text field.

8. Click the Edit Script... button which is now activated. This button lets you access the Runtime Script in the window below:

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9. You can use the following environment variable contained in the default script to create your own script:

CATOUT=C:\DOCUME~1\ajt\LOCALS~1\Temp\catout_%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.out indicates the location,

name and number of the document to be printed where:

"C:\DOCUME~1\ajt\LOCALS~1\Temp\" is the location of the document

"catout_%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.out" indicates the name (stored in "catout.out") and number (stored in

"%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.out") of the document.
For instance, when using a PostScript printer, you can use this variable the following way:
set CATOUT=e:\Temp\test_ %CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.ps
to specify that the name of the document to be printed is "test.ps" and is located in "e:\temp".

10. Click OK to validate your modification in the script window then OK again to close the Printer Properties dialog box.

11. Click the Apply or OK button to save the file.

12. To print the file, access the folder in which the file has been saved and use the copy command, for example:
copy myfile.prn LPT1
where "LPT1" is the local print port,
or if the printer is on a network:
copy myfile.prn \\servername\printername
where "servername" is the name of the print server, and "printername" is the name of the printer.
On UNIX, use the operating system command appropriate for your platform.

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Printing Multi-Documents

This task explains how to print one or more sheets inserted in your document.

In addition to Drafting documents, this functionality is available for V4 documents (.model) and multipage image formats (such as
TIFF, JPEG, BMP, etc.).

Open the document PrintMultiDocs.CATDrawing.

1. Select the File->Print... command (or the CTRL+P keyboard shortcut) to display the Print dialog box.

2. Click the MultiDocuments tab:

3. If you want to print to a file instead of a printer, check the "Print to File" check box then enter a file name or click the File
Name... button. This file will containing your image printout will be saved with a .prn extension.

When printing multiple sheets to a file, click the More... button to open the File Name Selection dialog box which
displays the file name you have entered in step 3:

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You have two options:

if you want to print all your sheets to a single file, you just have to check the "Print to One File" option.
Checking this option automatically grays the field below since it is not relevant anymore.
You can then click OK to validate and close the File Name Selection dialog box.

if you prefer to store each image printout in a separate file, i.e. generate as many .prn files as there are sheets, use
the "Set the name of the file" field.
This field lets you specify the name of the .prn file (if not already specified). It also lets you indicate the position of
the number in the file name by inserting the # character where desired. The "#" character is used as a wildcard and
is incremented for each .prn file generated.
For instance, printing 3 sheets using the following syntax:
print#.prn
will create 3 .prn files named "print1.prn", "print2.prn" and "print3.prn".
Whereas printing 3 sheets using the syntax:
#print.prn
will create 3 .prn files named "1print.prn", "2print.prn" and "3print.prn".
Bear in mind that you will have to print each generated .prn file individually. Refer to Printing To a File for detailed
information on printing .prn files.
Note: if you do not use the "#" character in the .prn file name, a single .prn file will be created even if the "Print to
One File" option has not been checked and only the last sheet will be printed (whichever option has been selected in
the Range area).
When finished, click OK to validate and close the File Name Selection dialog box.
After clicking OK, the Print to File field will reflect the changes you have made as shown below:

The location ("E:\users" in our example) and name

("print${CATPRT_DOC_SHEETS_NUM}" where "${CATPRT_DOC_SHEETS_NUM}"

represents the file number) of the .prn files is indicated. The number of documents to
be printed is stored in the variable.

4. In the Range area, indicate whether you want to print All Sheets or only the Active Sheet.
In case you want to print a given number/range of existing sheets, check the Sheet Numbers radio button before
entering the corresponding sheet numbers in the field below.

5. If you have activated the Sheet Numbers option, you can click the Sheets... button to open the Image Selection dialog box
which lets you select the sheet(s) you wish to print:

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By default, all the sheets are selected but you can deselect the sheets you do not want to print by clicking them in the
list. The Reset button lets you re-select all the sheets displayed, if needed.

You may check the Clip to Sheet Format option if you want the drawing representation to be clipped to the sheet format.

You may also check the Print Detail Sheet option if you intend to print sheets of type Detail.

6. Select the number of Copies as well as the area to print.

7. Click the Preview... button to display the Print Preview window.

For more information about print preview, refer to Previewing Document Prior to Printing in this guide.

8. Click the Options... button to access the Options dialog box and set the Color options determining the type of color output
then the Page Setup... button to display the Page setup dialog box.

Note: you can check the "Use Image Format" option to automatically adapt the printer format to the current format of
the CATDrawing document to be printed. This option is especially useful when printing sketches.
Checking this option automatically activates the "No Fitting" option (in the Position and Size area under the Layout tab)
in order to leave the document to be printed to its original size.
Once the option is checked, all the fields are grayed in the dialog box and the Form Name pulldown list displays the
value "User" to indicate a specific format.
In the Print dialog box, the printer format will change to the current document format:

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9. Click the Layout tab to select the required options.

For detailed information about defining layout, page setup and options refer to Customizing Print Settings Before Printing
Your Documents in this guide.

10. Select the Print Area

Whole Document: prints the entire image

Display: prints the image as seen on screen

Selection: lets you define on screen a rectangular zone to be printed with respect to the drawing scale
Click the

button then drag and drop the mouse to define the clipped zone. For more information, refer to

Capturing Selected Areas of Images part in this guide

Document Area: prints the area that has been previously defined for each sheet of your .CATDrawing document in
the Drafting workbench.
This area is defined using the "Print area" option displayed in the sheet properties. For detailed information, refer to
"Editing Sheet Properties" in the Version 5 Interactive Drafting User's Guide.
Note that:

if you did not define any print area prior to accessing the Print dialog box, the "Document Area" option will not
appear in the list

the sheets for which no print area has been defined will be printed according to the options set in the Position and
Size area (under the Layout tab).

11. Click the Tiling option to tile the image to be printed. Once this option is activated, you can click the Define... button to set
the tiling options. Refer to Customizing Print Settings Before Printing Your Documents for more information.

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12. If you print to a 3D PLM printer (refer to Adding a Printer for detailed information), you can click the Properties... button
to access the printer properties:

13. In the Submission Scripts group box, activate the Custom radio button next to "Declaration" to specify the default output
file name: each time you print a document, an output file is created at the location you specify in the text field.

14. Click the Edit Script... button which is now activated. This button lets you access the default Runtime Script displayed in
the window below:

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15. You can use the following two environment variables contained in the default script to create your own script:

%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_COUNT% indicates the number of sheets to be printed. This variable will be automatically
updated by the application

CATOUT=C:\DOCUME~1\ajt\LOCALS~1\Temp\catout_%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.out indicates the location,

name and number of the sheet where:

"C:\DOCUME~1\ajt\LOCALS~1\Temp\" is the location of the sheet to be printed

"catout_%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.out" indicates the name (stored in "catout.out") and number (stored in

"%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.out") of the sheet.
When printing multiple sheets, the sheet number will be incremented automatically, you do not need to bother
about it.
For instance, when using a PostScript printer, you can use this variable the following way:
set CATOUT=e:\Temp\test_%CATPRT_DOC_SHEET_NUM%.ps
to specify that the name of the sheet to be printed is "test.ps" and is located in "e:\temp".

16. Click OK to close the Runtime Script window then Apply to validate your print settings and print the document without
closing the dialog box.
Note that clicking OK will also validate your settings and print the document but will close the dialog box.

Information on V4 Sheets
A new utility named "CATPrtSheet" lets you print information on your V4 sheets from the command line.
1. Open a Command Prompt window.
2. Change to the installation folder:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\code\bin (on Windows)
or
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/bin/ (on UNIX)

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3. Enter the following command line:

CATPrtSheet sheet_name.sheet output_file.txt

where
sheet_name is the name of the .sheet file and output_file is the name and path of the text file
containing information on the V4 sheet.
For instance:
CATPrtSheet sheet1.sheet e:\users\output.txt

4. Access the folder in which the output file has been generated then open this file to see the sheet-related information.

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Printing in Batch Mode

This task describes how to use the Print Batch utility in order to print documents without running Version 5.
These documents may be Version 5 files (such as .CATProducts, .CATParts files, etc.), raster files (bmp, tiff, etc.), vector files
(CGM, HPGL, HPGL2) and Version 4 models.

You must first access the Print Batch interface. To do so, follow the instructions below:
On Windows

Open an MS-DOS Window.

Access the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\code\command

Enter the command:

CATUTIL -Name PrintBatch

The Print Batch window opens.
On UNIX

Change to the directory:

/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/

Run the command

./catstart -run CATUTIL -Name PrintBatch

The Print Batch window opens:

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Note: you can also access the print batch interface using the Batch Monitor in a Version 5 session. For detailed
information, refer to Using the Batch Monitor in this guide.
The batch-specific online documentation can be accessed directly from the Print Batch interface by clicking the
icon in the top right corner (on Windows) or the Help button (on UNIX).

1. Select a printer using the pulldown list displayed next to the Printer Name button. This list lets you filter the list of
printers displayed to the right. You can choose either

General: default mode. All the printers you have set up will be displayed in the printer list to the right

a printer group you defined in the Printers tab. In that case, only the printers included in the selected group will be
displayed in the printer list.

You can also check the "Print to file" check box and enter the name of a file.
Refer to "Printing To a File" for more information.

2. In case you wish to set up your printer, click the Properties... button to open the printer properties dialog box. The look
of the dialog box will change according to the driver. Just modify the desired parameters then click OK to validate.
In case the driver is provided by Dassault Systmes, clicking the Properties... button will display the Printer Properties
dialog box described in Adding a Printer.

3. Click the icon

then navigate to the file(s) you want to print then click Open to validate.

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The File Selection box now lets you access your CATDrawing documents more easily. To do so, select CATIADrawing
in the "Files of type" field so that only CATDrawing documents are displayed.

The file names are displayed along with their path, parameters and printer.
Once the files have been put in the list, some icons are activated to let you modify the printing order:

moves a file up in the list

moves a file down in the list

deletes a file from the list.

4. Click the Default Printing Parameters button to define the parameters used by default for all printed documents in the
Printing Parameters dialog box.

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The Layout tab lets you define the page orientation, the image size and position, etc. and is identical to the Print
dialog box accessed via the File->Print... command.

5. Click the Page Setup... button to open the Page Setup dialog box. Refer to Customizing Print Settings for detailed
information.

6. Click the Options... button to access the Options dialog box. Refer to Customizing Print Settings for detailed information.

The Printing Parameters dialog box also enables you to define the visualization mode used for printing by selecting the
desired mode from a pulldown list in the Visualization tab:

Clicking the Layer Filter... button opens the Visualization Filters dialog box which lets you edit or create visualization
filters:

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The default current filter "All visible" is applied automatically: it lets you see all the contents of the document. This
filter cannot be deleted.
Refer to Using Visualization Filters for detailed information.

If you are printing CATDrawing documents, you can access the MultiDocuments tab:

In the Range area, indicate whether you want to print All Sheets or only the Active Sheet
You may check the Clip to Sheet Format option if you want the drawing representation to be clipped to the sheet
format
You may also check the Print Detail Sheet option if you intend to print sheets of type Detail.

7. In case you want to use parameters which are different from the default ones for a specific file, select the file from the
list then click the Parameters... contextual command to open the Parameters dialog box:

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This dialog box enables you to apply parameters other than the default one proposed by selecting another printer,
another orientation and so on.
The Printing Parameters button gives you access to the above-detailed Printing Parameters dialog box except for the
MultiDocuments tab which gives you access to more parameters:

When printing CATDrawing documents, you can print a given number/range of sheets by checking the "Sheet
Numbers" radio button then:

enter the corresponding sheet numbers in the field below

click the Sheets... button to open the Image Selection dialog box which lets you select the sheet(s) you wish to
print.

You can now use the MultiDocuments tab to print the drafting of Version 4 models.
To do so, activate the "Sheet Numbers" option then enter the number(s) of the workspace(s) to be printed in the field
below.
You can also click the Sheets... button then select the desired workspace(s) in the Image Selection dialog box:

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By default, all the documents are selected but you can deselect the documents you do not want to print by clicking
them in the list. The Reset button lets you re-select all the elements displayed, if needed.
Click OK to validate your selection and close the window.
Once the parameters have been modified, the status of the customized file changes from "Default" to "Customized" in
the Parameter column and the printer name (if different from default printer) is displayed in the Printer column.
Note: if needed, you can reset the customized parameters to the default parameters by right-clicking the desired file
from the list then selecting the Reset Parameters contextual command. In that case, the status of the file will
change from "Customized" to "Default".

8. If you want the corresponding CATScript file to be saved in a specific location, click the CATScript Generation... button.
A CATScript window displaying the content of the CATScript file: click the Save As... button then indicate the name and
location of the file before clicking Save to validate.
By default, the CATScript file is saved in a temporary folder.

Running a batch printing using the PrintBatch command will automatically generate a file named
PrintBatchParameters.xml and saved in a temporary folder by default. If you want to save this file under another
name and in another location, just click the Print Batch Parameters Saving... button
Running your batch via the Batch Monitor will also generate a file in a temporary folder. This file will be named
"PrintBatchParameters" suffixed by the hour at which the batch was run (for instance,
PrintBatchParameters_14.41.25.xml to indicate that the batch was run at 14.21.25 PM). To save this file under
another name and in another location, just click the SAVE button.

In both cases, the generated XML file can be edited manually. Refer to Editing the XML file.
You can preview the file(s) to be printed simply by selecting a file from the list then clicking the Preview contextual
command. However, note that you will not be able to use zooming commands for CATDrawing, CATProduct and
CATPart documents.

9. Choose whether you want to run the batch locally or on a remote computer by activating the corresponding radio button:

Run Local: default option. When checked, the batch will be run in local on your local machine

Run Remote: check this option then indicate the name of the remote machine on which the batch will be run. The
remote machine will use the printers set up on your local machine.
Note that:

when using Windows printers, you can run the batch in remote mode on Windows machines only

when using 3DPLM printers, you can run the batch in remote mode either on UNIX or on Windows machines.

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For detailed information on running batches in remote mode, refer to Running Batches Using the Batch Monitor in this
guide.

10. Click the RUN button to print the selected documents then the CANCEL button to close the Batch Printing window.

Note that running the batch printing via the Batch Monitor lets you select a license using the Licensing Setup...
button. For detailed information, refer to Using the Batch Monitor.

Editing the XML File

You can also define your print parameters directly in the PrintBatchParameters.xml file using your favorite text editor.
Click the thumbnail below to see an example of XML file:

Would you need to modify the name of the printer to be used, this can be done very easily in the XML file by
indicating the new printer name in the <PRINT_OUTPUT_PRINTER> parameter:

If you are printing CATDrawing documents, you can edit the sheet name and number in
<PRINT_VISU_IMAGE_NAME> and <PRINT_VISU_IMAGE_NUM> respectively:

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This XML file can be used later on to run the batch printing without having to access the Print Batch dialog box.
To do so:

access the default folder

C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\OS_a\code\bin (on Windows)

or
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/ (on UNIX)

run the following command

CATUTIL -Name PrintBatch e:\users\parameters.xml

(on Windows)

or
./catstart -run CATUTIL -Name PrintBatch /u/usr/parameters.xml

(on UNIX)

where e:\users\ or /u/usr/ is the path of the file PrintBatchParameters.xml.

Note: bear in mind that you can only print a document on UNIX if at least one printer has been set up
using the File -> Printer Setup... command.

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Capturing and Managing Images for the Album

Capturing Simple Images
Capturing Selected Areas of Images
Previewing Images in the Album
Editing Images in the Album
Deleting Images from the Album
Copying Images to the Clipboard (Windows Only)
Saving Images to Other Formats
Printing Images from the Album
Recording Interactions in Video Format

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Capturing Simple Images

This task explains how to capture images.

1. Select the Tools->Image->Capture...

command to display the capture
toolbar:

Note that the command activated by default in the Capture toolbar depends on the
command last used for capturing:

if the Pixel Mode command was activated last, then it will be activated by default
when displaying the Capture toolbar
if the Vector Mode command was activated last, then it will be activated by default
when displaying the Capture toolbar.

2. Click the Pixel Mode icon

or the Vector Mode icon

to choose between a pixel or a

vector image.

When working in HRD (Dynamic Hidden Line Removal) mode, vector images are
captured in real HLR mode and thus, may look rather different from what you see on
screen.

Note also that when working in pixel mode, cast shadows cannot be captured.

3. Click the Options icon

to access the Capture Options dialog box.

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The General tab lets you set the following options:

check the Show Banner option if you want to show a banner on the capture. This lets
you access the Banner field containing the $NAME, $DATE and $TIME variables
which, by default, print your username, and the current date and time in the banner
at the bottom of the capture. This field is editable: you can delete the variables if
required and replace them with a text of your choice
check the Capture Only Geometry option if you want to capture the geometry
without background. Note that this option cannot be used for vector images
choose the Color mode from the pulldown list: either Color, Greyscale or
Monochrome.

The Pixel tab lets you set the following options, provided you are working in Pixel mode
(otherwise, the tab is grayed):

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check the White Background option if you want the capture to be taken on a white
background
check the Capture White Pixels as Black option if you want to print white pixels as
black on the resulting capture
check the Anti-Aliasing option to modify the appearance of lines in order to make the
jagged edges look smoother
check the Constant Size Capture option if you want the captured images to be the
same size when displayed to a scale of 1:1, whatever their resolution
set the Rendering Quality factor which determines the quality of output:

Low (screen): the quality of the output matches the screen resolution

Medium

Highest

Custom.

The higher the setting, the greater the quality of the capture. Use the Preview icon to
compare captures made with different rendering quality factors.

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If you choose the Custom value in the Rendering Quality pulldown box (where you see
the value "Low (screen)" right now), the More... button will become activated to let you
access the Image size dialog box:

This dialog box enables you to define the print Width, Height and Resolution:

first, choose the Resolution, either in pixels/inch (.dpi) or in pixels/cm. The highest
the resolution, the longer the capture generation (and with a price to pay in
performance)
define the print Width and Height.

The values indicated in the Pixel Size group box are displayed for information
only to give you an idea of the image size in pixels, according to the Print Size
you defined.

click the Album... button to define your preferences for storing the images you are
going to capture in the album:

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1. select the desired file format from the pulldown list.

2. select the compression type:

Packbits (default option)

No compression (if you do not want to compress the file)

JPEG

HUFFMAN

Fax Group 4.

When you select the JPEG compression type, the Quality slider is
activated to let you define more precisely the compression quality
(from 0 to 100 %). the higher the value, the better the quality.
The Vector tab lets you set the following options, provided you are working in Vector
mode (otherwise, the tab is grayed):

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select the Semantic Level type which enables you to choose the rendering mode:

Discretized (i.e. when the image suffers from a lack of points, points are
distributed to fill the gaps and ensure linearity)

Low

Polyline

Polyline and Conic

Polyline and Spline.

select the format from the pulldown list: either CGM or Generic PostScript,
then set the properties for the chosen format if necessary:

. if you select the CGM format, clicking the Properties... button opens the
Advanced Configuration dialog box:

This dialog box contains four tabs which let you define the various parameters
associated to the CGM format.

. if you select the Generic PostScript format, clicking the Properties... button
opens the following dialog box:

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You can choose the desired level for PostScript generation and activate the
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) format as well. EPS does not contain page
description directives and is designed for portable exchange between
applications and platforms. It may also be included in a larger PostScript
document.

In Shading mode, in which edges are not displayed, capturing vector images is not
useful, and produces images that cannot be viewed in the album: you capture only lines
and edges in vector mode, not shaded surfaces.

4. Once you are satisfied with the parameters, click OK to validate.

5. Click the Capture icon

to capture the image and store it in the album. A progress bar

will appear while the captured image is generated.

Once the captured image is generated, the Capture Preview window opens:

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This window provides a preview of the captured image that will be stored in the album if
you click the Album

icon.

This window also enables you to use the following icons to:

cancel the image (and close the Capture Preview window)

save the image under another name and/or another format. To do so, click the
Save As icon, give a name to the image then navigate to the desired location before
clicking OK to confim the save. Refer to Saving Images to Other Formats for detailed
information
print the image by clicking the Print icon to open the Print dialog box. Refer to
Customizing Print Settings Before Printing Your Documents for detailed information

copy the image to the clipboard

open the album.

6. Click the Album

icon to store the image in the album.

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7. Click the Open Album

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icon or select the Tools->Image->Album... command to

display the album.

The album is displayed, listing the current contents of the album.

For detailed information on how to display images in the album, refer to Previewing
Images in the Album and Editing Images in the Album.

The contents of the album are stored on your system in a non-editable file in the location
defined by the CATTemp environment variable. Deleting this file deletes the contents of
the album.

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Capturing Selected Areas of Images

This task shows you how to capture selected areas of images.

1. Select the Tools->Image->Capture...

command to display the Capture
toolbar:

Two capture modes are available: viewer mode and screen mode.

Viewer mode

2. Click the Select Mode icon

in the

Capture toolbar to activate the selection

tool.
The Capture toolbar now looks like
this:

3. Click in the geometry area and drag to

create a bounding outline around the
area to be captured:

4. Release the mouse button.

The bounding outline now displays
handles and a symbol in the center
to let you:

drag the outline by dragging the "x" symbol at the center of the outline

or resize it by dragging the handles at each corner, or the sides of the outline.

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5. Click the Capture icon

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to generate

the captured image and display it in the

Capture Preview window which opens:

6. Click the Album icon

7. Click the Open Album

to store the image in the album.

icon or

select the Tools->Image->Album...

command to display the album, and
double-click the image to preview it.
The selected area of the image has
been captured.

Screen mode

This "multiviewer" capture mode lets you perform an extended selection of images, which is especially useful to capture several
windows or dialog boxes simultaneously, for instance.

2. Click the Screen Mode

icon to activate the Screen mode.

3. Click Select Mode icon

in to activate the selection tool.

4. Click in the geometry area and drag to create a bold bounding outline around the area to be captured.
You can select any elements of the screen, not only those displayed in the Version 5 application window. In our example.
As you drag, the height and width of the outline you are drawing (expressed as the number of pixels) are displayed:

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5. Click the Capture icon

to generate

the captured image and display it in the

Capture Preview window which opens:

6. Click the Album icon

to store the image in the album.

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7. Click the Open Album

icon or

select the Tools->Image->Album...

command to display the album, and
double-click the image to preview it.
The selected area of the image has
been captured.

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Previewing Images in the Album

This task explains how to display images in the album once they have been captured.

1. Select the
Tools>Image>Album...
command to
display the
album
contents.

The system automatically assigns names to each image. Images are named "Capture_xxx", where
"xxx" is a number from 001 to 999.

For each captured image, the name, class (raster, 2D vector, etc.) and type (tiff, bmp, jpg, etc.) are
displayed.
Images can be classified by class or type simply by clicking the corresponding column title.

2. By default, captured images are stored in the Album temporary folder located in:
C:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\DassaultSystemes\CATTemp\
This path is displayed at the bottom of the Album dialog box when selecting an image from the list but
you can change it whenever you want simply by clicking the
desired storage folder.

icon which lets you navigate to the

Selecting an image from the list also lets you display it in the preview area to the right. This allows
you to identify easily the image content.

Note: clicking the

icon lets you refresh the list of files stored in the current path.

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3. Select a raster image then click the

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icon to open the Image information window which gives you

information on the selected pixel image (name, path, creation date and time, etc.) under the File tab...

... as well as memory information (memory size, pixel format, pixel width and height, etc.) under the
Memory tab:

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If you select a vector image, the Capture information window is slightly different from the one above
but also gives file and memory information:

Just click OK to close the information window and go back to the album contents.

4. Select an image from the list and click the Preview icon
to display the Print Preview window:

or double-click the image name in the list

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5. Select OK to exit the Print Preview window.

6. This time,
select several
images in the
list.
You can
perform
multiple
selections
by Ctrlclicking,
Shiftclicking or
dragging
using the
left mouse
button.

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Our
example
shows that
all images
in the
album
have been
selected:

7. Click the Preview icon

All selected images are now displayed together in the Print Preview window. Performance and image
quality will be determined by the number of images on the preview page.

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You can use the Fit All In icon and zooming commands inside the Print Preview window.

Note that you can also:

click the
icon to copy the desired image from the album to the clipboard. For detailed
information, refer to Copying Images to the Clipboard (Windows Only)

click the
icon to open the image Editor window which lets you edit pixel images. For detailed
information, refer to Editing Images in the Album

delete images from the album. For detailed information, refer to Deleting Images from the Album

print images from the album. For detailed information, refer to Printing Images from the Album.

8. To save the edited image under another name and/or another format, click the

icon then give a

name to the image and navigate to the desired location before clicking OK to confim the save. Refer to
Saving Images to Other Formats for detailed information.

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Editing Images in the Album

This task explains how to edit pixel images in the album once they have been captured.

1. Select the Tools->Image>Album... command to

display the album contents.

2. Choose the image to be displayed in the preview area to the right by selecting it in the list.

3. Click the

icon to open the image Editor window:

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The
icon displays general information on the image file (size, type, etc.) and memory (memory
information are identical to those displayed when displaying the Image information window).

4. Click the
below:

icon to adjust the color brightness, contrast and gamma using the corresponding slider as shown

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After clicking OK to validate, the result is displayed in the preview area to the left.

The Clears picture

vertically.

button removes the image display and the Flips picture

button flips the image

Note: clicking the Clears picture button opens a warning window which prompts you to confirm the removal.
Click "Yes" to validate or "No" (or "Cancel") to cancel the removal and go back to the Editor.

5. Use the Effects palette to:

zoom in

zoom out (the zoom ratio is 1:2)

resize the image to scale 1:1 (i.e. real size display), there is no pixel interpolation

fit the image into the space available in the display area

(the zoom ratio is 1:2)

translate the image up, down

into the display area)

, to the left

or to the right

(when the image does not fit

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You can also use the following keyboard shortcuts:

Page Up

Zoom In

Page Down

Zoom Out

Ctrl + Page Up

Zoom Best

Ctrl + Page Down

Zoom 1:1

Left, Right, Up or Down arrow

Smooth horizontal or vertical move

Shift + Left, Right, Up or Down arrow

Faster horizontal or vertical move

Ctrl + Left, Right, Up or Down arrow

Move from one border to another

6. Use the

icon from the Effects palette to open the Navigator:

The Navigator lets you visualize the image and zoom in or out either using the
and
icons,
respectively, or the horizontal scrollbar. The default zoom ratio is 1:2.
Any visualization change you have made in the Navigator simultaneously updates the image displayed in the
Editor as shown below:

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You can also pick wherever you want in the Navigator preview to set the position of the viewpoint center in the
Editor preview:

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When finished, click OK to exit the Navigator and go back to the Editor.

7. Use the Tools palette to:

pick

the color to be used for painting. To do so, just click the icon to activate the picking mode then

choose the painting color either from the color palette or from the image.
The current color square displayed in bottom left part is then modified accordingly:

In case you do not wish to use a color picked from the image, you can make your choice directly
from the color palette using the mouse:

select a paint tool:

to draw
custom brushes
to draw
custom airbrushes
to draw
interrupted
segments

brush

airbrush

interrupted segments

uninterrupted segments

filled rectangle

filled ellipse

to draw
uninterrupted
segments
to draw
rectangles
to draw
ellipses
to apply a fill
color.

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depending on the tool you choose you can select:

a brush type from the Brushes palette if you draw brushes or segments:

a fill mode (either outline, filled or blank) if you draw rectangles or ellipses:

8. Click OK to validate and go back to the album.

If the image has been modified, a window appears to prompt you either to:

overwrite the already existing image with the modified one by clicking "Yes"

or to save the image under a new name ("capture_000" by default) in TIFF format by clicking "No".

Clicking "Cancel" lets you exit the editor without saving the image.
The image is automatically saved in the album with a name identical to the original image:

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To save the edited image under another name, click the

icon then give a name to the image and
navigate to the desired location before clicking OK to confim the save.

Note that you can also copy the desired image from the album to the clipboard by clicking the
detailed information, refer to Copying Images to the Clipboard (Windows Only).

icon. For

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Deleting Images from the Album

This task explains how to delete images from the album.

1. Select the Tools>Image>Album...

command to
display the album
contents:

2. Select the
image(s) to be
deleted from the
album.
In our
example, we
want to delete
"Capture_000".

3. Click the Erase icon

to erase the selected image.

A warning window opens to prompt you to confirm the removal. Click "Yes" to validate or "No" to
cancel the removal and go back to the Album.

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If you click
"Yes", the
image list is
updated.
In our
example,
"Capture_000"
has been
deleted.

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Copying Images to the Clipboard (Windows Only)

This task explains how to copy images from the album to the clipboard, for integration into OLE-compliant
application documents.

1. Select the Tools->Image->Album... command to display the album.

2. Select the
image(s) to be
copied to the
clipboard.

3. Click the Copy icon

The selected image is copied to the clipboard, from where it can then be pasted into another
application document (for example, a word processing package).

4. Paste the image into the external application.

In our example, the selected image has been pasted into Microsoft Word:

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You paste data into OLE-compliant documents using either the Paste command or the Paste Special...
command:

the Paste command simply copies the data into the OLE-compliant application

the Paste Special... command offers two modes: you can either paste (embed) the data as normal, or
link the copied data to its source.

For general information about linking and embedding data from Version 5 documents in OLE-compliant
applications, refer to "Using Version 5 Data in OLE-Compliant Applications".
There is a quicker alternative: you can also select the Tools->Image->Capture... command and simply
click the Copy icon in the Capture toolbar. This captures the image and copies it directly to the clipboard.
The image is not stored in the album.

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Saving Images to Other Formats

This task explains how to save images in the album to other formats.
1. Select the Tools->Image->Album... command to display the album.

2. Select the
image(s) to be
saved to another
format.
The formats to
which you can
save depend on
the format
(pixel or
vector) of the
image you
selected.

3. Click the Save

As... icon

4. Enter a name for the file.

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5. Select a format from the list.

The formats you can save to depend on the format (pixel or vector) in which the image was originally
saved.
For pixel images, the formats are:

HP/RTL (UNIX only)

JPEG Fair Quality (*.jpg)

JPEG Medium Quality (*.jpg)

JPEG High Quality (*.jpg)

TIFF True Color (*.tif)

TIFF Indexed Packbit (*.tif)

TIFF True Color Packbit (*.tif)

TIFF Indexed (*.tif)

TIFF Grey Scale Packbit (*.tif)

TIFF BW Packbit (*.tif)

RGB (SGI Format) Not Compressed (*.rgb)

Windows Bitmap (*.bmp) (Windows only).

For detailed information about JPG and TIFF format, browse the following Internet sites:
http://www.jpeg.org and http://www.ijg.org
http://www.partners.adobe.com/asn/developer/PDFS/TN/TIFF6.pdf

A bitmap is a set of pixels arranged in lines and columns and is fully described by its width and
height, its color depth (bits per pixel) and its compression scheme. The format common format is
true color (24 bits per pixel). An additional color component, called Alpha component, may be used
to define the transparency of each pixel. The bitmap format generally supports compression (either
lossless or lossy). Some of these bitmaps are coded on 8 bits and the pixels are indexed on a color
table, called the palette.
The advantage of bitmap files is that they can reproduce complex scenes (for instance photographic
or photo-realistic images) that could not be reproduced using basic geometrical shapes.

The following table summarizes information about bitmap files and the various formats you can use
to save your images in the album:

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Bit depth
8 16 24

32 None
X

Compression
Maximum
RLE JPEG ZLIB CCITT size in pixels

BMP

JPEG

PNG

RGB

TIFF

2G*2G

64K*64K

2G*2G
64K*64K

2G*2G

Comments
Standard
bitmap
storage on
MS-Windows
Very few
applications
support the
lossless JPEG
mode
Successor of
the GIF
format
Supported by
very few
applications
Very popular
and general
format
recognized by
most imaging
applications

For vector images, the formats are:

Windows Metafile (Windows only)

PostScript: PostScript is a page description language that supports text, vector graphics and
bitmaps. It is device-independent and implements an industry standard for communicating
graphic information between applications and hardware devices such as printers.
For detailed information about PostScript, browse the following Internet site:
http://www.partners.adobe.com/asn/developer/PDFS/TN/PLRM.pdf

PDF: Portable Document Format is a platform-independent page description file format designed
for platform exchange. It may contain text, vector graphics and bitmaps.
For detailed information about PDF, browse the following Internet site:
http://www.partners.adobe.com/sn/developer/acrosdk/DOCS/PDFRef.pdf

HP-GL/2-RTL: Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language file format is an instruction set developped for
controlling plotters. HP-GL, which as been developped for pen plotters, is now obsolete. HP-GL/2RTL is an evolution of HP-GL providing more graphic primitives (such as polygons or curves) and
a support for bitmaps.

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Vector files contain geometrical descriptions of the image elements.These elements may be lines,
dots, rectangles, circles, polygons, splines, text with font information or bitmaps (only in metafiles)
and are used to reconstruct the final image. Each element has its own attributes specifying its size,
its relative position in the whole image, its color and filling type.
The advantage of vector files over bitmap files is that image scaling does not affect image
appearance. When zooming bitmap files, pixels become visible as shown in the example below:

Vector image

Bitmap image

The following CGM vector formats are supported:

CGM ISO

CGM CALS

CGM ATA.

CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile) is an ANSI/ISO standardized platform-independent format used

for the interchange of vector and bitmap data. CATIA Version 5 supports the CGM Version 1 and
Version 3 standards. CGM Version 3 adds vector primitives such as Bezier and Nurbs, improved font
and text support as well as bitmap compression. The CGM-ATA and CGM-CALS profiles which are
specific subsets of the Version 3 standard are also supported.
For detailed information about CGM formats, browse the following Internet site:
http://www.cgmopen.org

The table below summarizes the purposes of the above mentioned formats:

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Purpose

Printing/Plotting

Data Exchange

Format
HP-GL/2-RTL

PS

EPS

PDF

CGM

6. On UNIX only, and

if you save to a
vector format,
click the Options...
button to set
further save
options associated
with saving
rasterized images:

DPI:
resolution in
dots per
inch (DPI)

width

height

and click OK or
Cancel.

Note that high quality images require longer computation time.

7. Click the Save button.

You do not need to open the album first to save images to other formats. The Save As... icon is also
available by selecting the Tools->Image->Capture... command and clicking the Save icon in the
Capture toolbar, allowing you to save to a file directly (without saving the image in the album).

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Compressing Images

Here are listed the several methods you can use to compress images:

RLE
Run-length encoding is the easiest and fastest compression method. However, it cannot achieve high
compression ratios like those of more sophisticated compression algorithms. The compression ratio mainly
depends on the data content.
This method is suitable for images with large uniformly colored areas, typically found in computer graphics.
Most bitmap files support run-length encoding (such as TIFF, BMP, etc.)
JPEG lossy compression
This method looses information by removing details the human eyes can hardly perceive. The reconstructed
image is not identical to the original one. The loss of visible details may be minimized at the expense of the
compression factor.
Typically, you can compress images by a factor of 20 without losing the subjective quality. The lossless
JPEG compression is also part of the JPEG file format but is supported by very few applications
LZW
This method is used for GIF and TIFF files and removes redundancies in the picture. The LZW algorithm and
the GIF format are both patented. Note that this method is not available in CATIA.
ZLIB
This lossless compression method belongs to the same category as the LZW method. It is used for PNG
format which is meant to be a non-patented successor of the GIF format. Note that this method is not
available in CATIA.
CCITT/Fax encoding
CCITT Group 3 and CCITT Group 4 are lossless data compression methods for black and white (bi-level)
images, which are typically scanned images with a great size. These two methods are mainly used for TIFF
files.

The table below shows the most appropriate compression method for a specific image type:

Image type Computer graphics

Photographic

Bi-level

Typical ratio

Compression
Lossy JPEG

ZLIB

5:1

CCITT G4
None

20:1

15:1

1:1

You can save images in bitmap format without having to compress them. There is no loss of information but the
file size is impacted, since it is bigger.

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Printing Images from the Album

This task explains how to print images.

1. Select the Tools->Image>Album... command to

display the album contents:

2. Select the image(s) to be printed.

3. Click the Print icon

to display the Print dialog box:

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Images are printed the same way as any other document. Refer to "Printing Documents" for a full description
of how to print.
You do not need to open the album first to print images. The Print command is also available by selecting the
Tools->Image->Capture... command and clicking the Print icon in the Capture toolbar, allowing you to print
the file directly (without saving the image in the album).

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Recording Interactions in Video Format

You can record sequences of interactions and store them in standard and proprietary video formats, depending on your
operating system.
A player is now provided for replaying video captures but the video replay tools (Windows Media Player, Quicktime, etc.)
provided on your system can still be used.
Note that cast shadows cannot be recorded.

1. Select the Tools->Image->Video...

command to display the Video
Recorder dialog box:

Note that the name of the video file to be generated and the current video format are both indicated. In our
example, the video file name is "movie00000.avi" and the video format is "Microsoft AVI".

The Video... command is available whether a document is open or not. In case no document is open, the
"Document Window" option will be grayed.

Setting Up the Capture Session

2. Click the Setup button

to access the Video Properties dialog box which lets you set up the video capture

parameters prior to recording the video:

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Choosing the Video File Format and Location

3. Choose the Format of the video file to be recorded.

The video formats supported vary according to your operating system:

Microsoft AVI and Microsoft MPEG (Windows). The Video functionality is now based on the DirectShow
multimedia architecture. However, you need to install DirectShow on your machine to be able to use all
CODECs and compression options provided by this architecture.
Note that you can now read on Windows MJPEG files generated by Version 5 on UNIX workstations.

Generic AVI (SUN) with two options: Uncompressed and Motion JPEG (or M-JPEG)

Still Image Capture: available on all operating systems, this format is not generated by operating systemdependent libraries and provides still, compressed JPG captures

SGI Movie (IRIX)

Quicktime (IRIX)

MPEG (IRIX).

If you install the appropriate CODEC for the MPEG format, you will be able to generate MPEG format files on
Windows (you can download video CODECs from the Microsoft Support Internet site).

4. If you want the video file name (and number) to be set automatically, check the Automatic File Name option, which is
activated by default.
If you do so, the system automatically names the video file starting with the prefix "movie00000" and appends the
video extension (avi, jpg, etc.). In our example, the video file name is "movie00000.avi" when you set the video
format to "Microsoft AVI".
Each time you generate a new video file using the Recording button, the file number will be incremented
(movie00001.avi, movie00002.avi, etc.).
If you uncheck this option, the Name field becomes editable and the prefix changes to "MOVIE", for example
"MOVIE.avi". You can then rename the file in the Name field, along with a drive and folder (or directory) name, like
this for example on Windows:
c:\Videos\MyMovie.avi

You can also click the

icon, navigate to the appropriate location and rename the file.

When you first access the dialog box, it specifies the default folder:

C:\TEMP\ (Windows)

/tmp (UNIX).

If you choose another folder or directory, its name is displayed:

C:\Videos\ (Windows)

/u/users/steve/videos (UNIX).

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Specifying which part of the screen to record

5. In the Capture tab, select which part of

the screen you want to capture.
A preview area opposite the list of
options illustrates which part of the
screen will be captured.
Note that you can zoom and pan the
selection in the preview area.
The Fixed Area option lets you choose a predefined capture format. To do so, activate the Fixed Area option then
click the push button below to open the Capture Sizes dialog box:

This dialog box lets you choose among a list of predefined video and screen standards using the following pulldown
lists:
Video standards:

VCD (PAL or NTSC)

SVCD (PAL or NTSC)

DV (PAL or NTSC)

TV Full (PAL or NTSC)

TV 1/4 (PAL or NTC)

TV 1/8 (PAL or NTSC).

However, note that you can also customize the selected video standard by entering your own dimensions in the
Custom fields. In that case, the push button under Fixed Area will display "CUSTOM" along with the entered
dimensions to indicate that the size has been fixed by the user.
Screen standards:

VGA (640 x 480)

SVGA (800 x 600)

XGA (1024 x 768)

SXGA (1280 x 1024)

UXGA (1600 x 1200).

When satisfied, click OK to validate and go back to the Video Properties dialog box.

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Recording interactions in the current document window

Document Window: records viewpoint

manipulations in the current document
window, but does not record interactions in
pulldown menus, dialog boxes, etc.

Recording interactions in any window area containing the focus

Window: lets you shift the focus to any

window in any application on the screen
which accepts the focus, then capture that
window.

Check the Window option to activate

the selection arrow
preview area.

above the

Select the arrow to display the

hourglass pointer:

Select the arrow again to see your

pointer change to the shape of a
cross:

Still holding down the left mouse button, drag the "+" pointer. As you drag, each part of each application window is
highlighted.
In the example below, dragging the "+" pointer inside the Version 5 window highlights the frame of the window...

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...and displays it in the preview area

when you release the button.
Practice dragging the "+" pointer
around your screen to see the
different areas that can be
highlighted.
All interactions are recorded.

Note that when you release the mouse button, the selected window is highlighted like this:

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Recording interactions in any rectangular area you draw

Area: lets you draw a rectangular area anywhere on the screen, for capturing what happens inside this area only.

Check the Area option to activate

the selection arrow
preview area.

above the

Then, select the arrow to display the

hourglass pointer:

Drag (using the left mouse button). As you drag, you draw a rectangle like this, and the size of the rectangle is
displayed:

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Release the mouse button to close

the rectangle and define the part of
the screen to be recorded. The area
inside the rectangle is displayed in
the preview area.
All interactions are recorded.

Note that when you release the mouse button, the selected area is highlighted like this:

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Recording interactions anywhere on the whole screen

Full Screen: specifies that you want to

capture the whole screen.

All interactions are recorded.

Right-click to interrupt the selection of the part of the screen to capture.

6. Check the Timer option if required:

using the timer will record a frame every "n" milliseconds (you set the value using the editable field or spinner):
note that if you set a low value, the system will record a high number of frames, which will consequently impair
performance and create a larger video file

if you do not check the Timer option, the system will record a frame only each time the viewpoint is updated
(by rotating, zooming, etc.).

7. On Windows only, check the Include Cursor option if you want the cursor to be visible in the recorded sequence.

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Setting Movie Replay Parameters

Using the Movie tab, set the movie playback parameters.

8. Set a value for the option Rate in Frames per Second.

This option defines the video replay speed: a high value displays a large number of frames per second, so the
recording will be replayed more quickly; a low value displays a smaller number of frames per second, so the
recording will be replayed more slowly.

9. Select the Compressor Setup...

button to set up your video
compression/decompression
parameters.
Clicking this button will display a
dialog box allowing you to choose a
CODEC from the list of CODECs
installed on your computer, then
configure it. The role of the CODEC
is to compress your video files.
Installing Version 5 does NOT install
CODECs on your computer. The list
of CODECs differs from one platform
to another. For information about
how to configure the CODEC, refer
to the CODEC supplier's
documentation.

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On Windows, the Compressor list contains several options among which "Full Frames (Uncompressed)". Selecting
this option prior to recording has the following effects:

the resulting video file is larger (because it is not compressed)

but performance during the recording is enhanced (because each frame is not compressed as soon as it is
recorded).

10. Click the Recording button

to

start the recording.

Messages in the status bar and the
Video Recorder dialog box inform
you each time a frame is recorded:

11. Click the Pause

button to pause, or the Stop

12. Once the video has been recorded, the Preview

button to stop the recording.

button is activated and you can click it to open the Video Player

which lets you preview your video.

The window that opens is empty but you just need to click the Playing

button to start replaying the video:

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You can use the Video Player buttons to:

pause the replay

stop the replay

display information on the recorded video (width, height and number of frames). Note that the
Properties button is grayed out when the video is replaying, you have to click the Pause or Stop button to
activate it. Clicking this button opens the Movie Properties dialog box:

The data shown in this dialog box are displayed for your information only, you cannot modify them.
When replaying the video, a slider at the bottom of the player window indicates the progression and displays the
corresponding frame number.

13. When finished replaying your video, click Cancel to close the Video Player.

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Viewing Objects
Activating Viewing Tools
Fitting All Geometry in the Geometry Area
Panning
Zooming In
Zooming Out
Zooming In On An Area
Viewing Along a Normal to a Plane
Rotating
Editing the View Angle
Testing Visualization Performance
Testing Visualization Performance

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Activating Viewing Tools

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You do not have to use the viewing tool commands or icons to perform all viewing operations. For quick access, you can also use just the
mouse, the keyboard or the pen to activate a certain number of viewing tools, as indicated in the table below:

Mouse
To use the mouse to...

Do this...

Center the display at a specific location Click the middle mouse button.

Pan

Drag using the middle mouse button.

Rotate

Press and hold down the middle mouse button, then the left (or right) mouse button, and drag (still holding
both buttons down).

Zoom

Press and hold down the middle mouse button, then click the left (or right) mouse button and drag (still
holding the middle mouse button down).

The following example shows how to transform this element

in three steps:

Clicking the corresponding icon runs the corresponding command once only. Using the View->Modify command or pressing and holding down the
middle mouse button activates a permanent viewing mode for each command, until you click to exit.
Note: See "Hiding and Showing Objects" for information about showing and hiding, and "Using Rendering Styles" for hidden line rendering.

The 3-button mouse is recommended for usability reasons.

On Windows computers:

the IntelliMouse (two buttons plus a wheel) is an alternative to the 3-button mouse: pressing and hold down the wheel the same way as the middle
mouse button (but rolling the wheel is not supported)
a 2-button mouse may alternatively be used (the third button is emulated using a key combination).

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This key combination using a 2-button mouse ... ... and this key combination on a 3-button
mouse...

Do this...

Press ALT and right button, then drag.

Pan

Press and hold down middle button, then drag.

Then:
With ALT and right button held down, press and hold down
CTRL or left button, then drag.

Press and hold down the middle mouse button, then the left Rotate (3D/zoom/2D)
(or right) mouse button, then drag.

Then:
Release the CTRL or left button.

Press and hold down the middle mouse button, then click the Zoom
left mouse button, then drag (still holding the middle mouse
button down).

Press and hold down CTRL ALT and the right button, then
drag.

Press and hold down CTRL and the middle mouse button,
then drag.

Zoom

SpaceMouse
The SpaceBall or SpaceMouse can be used, in addition to the mouse, to perform graphic viewing manipulations (zoom, pan, rotate,
etc.).
On Windows, from R12 onwards, the SpaceBall/SpaceMouse support requires a 3DXWare driver to be installed in place of the old SpaceWare or
Magellan driver that are not supported anymore. To download the latest 3DXWare driver, browse the following Internet site:
http://www.3DConnexion.com

Keyboard
You can use these shortcuts in Examine mode only.

This keyboard shortcut

for 2D objects ...

... and this keyboard

shortcut for 3D objects...

Do this...

Press CTRL and arrows

Press CTRL and arrows

Pan

Then:

With Shift and left or right arrow

Rotate around the Z axis (3D only)

With Shift and up or down arrow

Rotate around the X axis (3D only)

With CTRL and Shift and left or right arrow

(Auto-repeat when pressing and holding down the keys)

Rotate around the Y axis (3D only)

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Then:

Press CTRL and Page Up

Press CTRL and Page Up

Zoom In

Press CTRL and Page Down

Press CTRL and Page Down

Zoom Out

Then:
Press the left arrow

Move to the left view (2D only)

Press the right arrow

Move to the right view (2D only)

Press the up arrow

Move to the up view (2D only)

Press the down arrow

Move to the down view (2D only)

Tablet Pen (for Tablet PCs)

When working with a Tablet PC, you can perform viewing operations without the mouse or the keyboard using a Tablet Pen. From now on, you do not
need to first activate the corresponding viewing tool command anymore, you can perform actions directly in the geometry area using a specific pad
dedicated to Tablet Pens.
Prior to using the pad, you have to define some settings in the Tablet Support tab.
Drag the pen over...

To...

Rotate

Pan

(from left to right)

(from right to left)

Zoom out

Zoom in

Note that the viewing operation performed when double-clicking depends on the option you selected in the "Action on double-click" pulldown list
available in the Tablet Support tab.

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Fitting All Geometry in the Geometry Area

This task explains how to fit the current document contents into the geometry area.

1. Select the View->Fit All In command, or click the Fit All In

icon.

Fit All In zooms the current view out so that all the document contents fit into the space
available in the geometry area.

Before

After

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Panning
This task explains how to move the current document contents by panning the camera viewpoint.

1. Select the View->Pan command, or click the Pan

icon.

2. Drag the left mouse button to a new location, then release the mouse button.

Before

After

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Zooming In
This task explains how to zoom in by predetermined increments.

1. Select the View->Modify->Zoom In command, or click the Zoom In

icon.

You zoom in by one increment each time you click on the icon. To zoom up close (as
illustrated), click on the icon several times in succession.

Before

After

You can also use the View->Zoom In Out command and drag (left mouse button) to
zoom in progressively, not by increments.

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Zooming Out

This task explains how to zoom out by predetermined increments.

1. Select the View->Modify->Zoom Out command,or click the Zoom Out

icon.

You zoom out by one increment each time you click on the icon. To zoom out (as
illustrated), click on the icon several times in succession.

Before

After

You can also use the View->Zoom In Out command and drag (left mouse button) to
zoom out progressively, not by increments.

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Zooming In On An Area

This task explains how to zoom in on an area.

1. Select the View->Zoom Area command.

2. Drag (left mouse button) to draw the bounding outline containing the area on which you
want to zoom in.
The area now viewed is the area you captured inside the bounding outline.

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Viewing Along a Normal to a Plane

This task explains how to view an object along a perpendicular to a selected plane

1. Select the View->Modify->Normal View command or click the Normal View

2. Select a plane.

The object is projected onto the selected plane so you can now view along a normal to
the plane.

Before

After

Note: if you select an element other than a plane, the object will be projected onto an
imaginary plane tangent to the selected element. This plane will be created at the point
where you clicked and will be set parallel to the screen.

icon.

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Rotating

This task explains how to rotate an object.

1. Select the View->Rotate command, or click the Rotate

icon.

2. Press and hold down the left (or right) and middle mouse buttons to see the rotation sphere symbol appear
around the object.

3. Still holding the buttons down, drag to rotate.

Note that do not have to use the viewing tool commands or icons to rotate an object. For quick access,
you can also use just the mouse: press and hold down the middle mouse button, then the left (or right)
mouse button, and drag (still holding both buttons down).

4. Click to stop rotation.

Before

After

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Editing the View Angle

This task explains edit interactively the view angle. The view angle sets the angle of the pyramid-like
shape with which you look at the geometry (available in perspective views only):

1. Select the View->Commands List... command then choose "View Angle" from the list or enter
directly c:view angle in the power input field.
The View Render Style dialog box prompts you to choose the desired view mode: either
"Perspective" or "Parallel".

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2. Select "Perspective".

A green circle appears with an arrow indicating the current view angle as shown below:

Note that the current view angle is identical to the view angle you define in the Camera
properties when working with user-defined views.

3. Drag the green arrow (which turns red) to change the view angle. Bear in mind that the angle
cannot exceed 90.

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At this step, you can click Cancel to close the View Render Style dialog box and go back to
the current view angle.

4. When you are happy with the result, click OK to close the View Render Style dialog box and
apply the new view angle.

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Defining the Level of Detail and the Pixel Culling

This task explains how to define dynamically (in order to improve visualization performance):

the level of detail you want to view in your geometry while moving using the Define Dynamic Level of Detail command

the size in pixels of objects to be hidden/displayed in your geometry while moving using the Define Dynamic Pixel Culling command.

Dynamic level of detail and dynamic pixel culling allow you to modify more quickly the values set in the Performances tab.
However, bear in mind that the values you define here apply only to your current Version 5 session, contrary to the values defined via the
Performances tab which are stored in your settings files and thus, are kept from one session to another unless they are explicitly modified.

You can use these two commands simultaneously or separately, as needed.

However, note that if the Level of detail or the Pixel culling option has been locked by your administrator in the Performances tab, you will
not be able to define dynamically the level of detail or the pixel culling because the corresponding command (Define Dynamic Level of
Detail or Dynamic Pixel Culling) will be grayed.

Open your sample document.

Before you begin, you also need to do the following:

LODs are used in a product context in Visualization mode: as a consequence, you must activate the cache for your LOD settings to be
taken into account (check the "Work with the cache system" option in the Tools->Options->Infrastructure->Product Structure>Cache Management tab)

check the "Generate CGR with level of detail" in the Cache Management tab.

activate at least the "Triangles" mode in the Custom View Modes dialog box.

1. Select the Tools->Customize... command.

2. Click the Commands tab to list the commands available.

3. Select the category All Commands that lists all commands available.

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4. Select the Define Dynamic Level of Detail command from the command list.

5. Drag the command from the command list to the toolbar to which you want to add the command.

6. Drop the command onto the desired toolbar.

Note that some toolbars (such as the View toolbar) cannot be customized. As a consequence, you will not
be able to drag and drop commands onto them.
For detailed information on how to customize toolbars, refer to Customizing a Toolbar by Dragging and
Dropping.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to drap and drop the Define Pixel Culling command.

In our example, the two commands have been added to the Standard toolbar:

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8. Set your own values either by entering them directly in the corresponding field or by using the spin box:

for pixel culling, you can enter a value comprised between 0 and 40. The higher the value, the more
quickly you will be able to move large parts

for level of detail, you can also enter a value comprised between 0 and 40. The higher the value, the
lower the level of detail.

9. Perform a viewing operation, for instance pan or rotate your model.

You can see that your new values have been taken into account.

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Testing Visualization Performance

This task explains how to test the 3D visualization performance, more precisely the rotation of the
3D document you are currently displaying in your Version 5 session with the rotation angle and
step number you defined.

Open the Select.CATProduct document which looks like this:

1. In the power input field, enter the following command:

c:TestVisuPerfoDraw
The test dialog box opens:

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2. In the Rotate Axis area,select the desired rotation axis, either

Vertical: corresponds to the default axis which is vertical and parallel to the screen

Horizontal: corresponds to the horizontal axis, parallel to the screen

Sight: corresponds to the axis which is perpendicular to the screen.

3. In the Parameters area, you need to define:

the angle for each rotation step (in degrees) in the Angle field

the number of steps in the Repeat field.

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4. In the LOD Selection area, select the desired level of details:

Static Mode

Dynamic Mode.

Depending on the mode you select, the test will be performed according to the value you
set in Level of Details area available in the Tools->Options->General->Display>Performances tab:

selecting "Static Mode" means that the test will be performed using the value set
with the "Static" slider.
selecting "Dynamic Mode" means that the value used for the test will be the one
defined with the "While Moving" slider.

5. Click Apply to start testing.

The parameters you defined are applied and the corresponding result performance is
displayed in the Visualization Time area which indicates the mean time per frame as well
as the total visualisation time (both in milliseconds) as shown below:

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6. Click Close to exit the command.

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Navigating
Navigating in Examine Mode
Navigating in Walk Mode
Navigating in Fly Mode
Changing Views
Viewing Objects against the Ground
Magnifying
Looking At Objects
Turning Your Head To View An Object
Snapping Viewpoint

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Navigating in Examine Mode

Navigating in Examine Mode is the default mode. You can examine your document as you would
from the outside by moving around the document's perimeter, or as you would from within, turning
your head to view or moving closer (zoom in, zoom out) to different objects.
For more information, see "Activating Viewing Tools Using the Mouse".

You can also access the Examine mode via the Examine icon
when using the beginners walk and fly modes.

in the View toolbar, available

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Navigating in Walk Mode

In Walk mode, you can walk forward and backward (backward in advanced mode only) as well as turn right or left
as you walk along the horizontal plane.

Two walk modes are available:

Beginner's mode

Advanced mode for experienced users.

Before using the Walk navigation mode, you must be in a perspective view (View->Render Style>Perspective). If you attempt to activate Walk mode, you will be prompted to switch to a perspective view.

Beginners Walk Mode

This task shows you how to navigate in beginner's walk mode.
Beginner's walk mode commands are single-action commands. Releasing the mouse button means you exit the
command. You can only move forward in beginner's walk mode.
Open the document Platform.model.
You need a V4 Integration license to open this document.

1. Select View->Navigation Mode->Walk.

The icons used in the beginner's walk

mode appear in the View toolbar:

These commands are also available via the View->Modify command in the menu bar.

2. Click the Turn Head

icon in the View toolbar then drag (left mouse button) to define your starting

position (the direction in which you look at the object).

3. Release at the desired location.

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4. Click the Walk

icon, then click the left mouse button to begin to walking.

You begin to walk straight forward in the chosen direction.

A green arrow appears along with a circular target located at the center of the view.

The figure below the arrow specifies

the speed at which you are walking:

The speed at which you first approach the object depends on the initial distance from the object, and is
calculated automatically. The speed is optimized so that you reach the point you target in approximately
10 seconds.

5. Still holding the left button down, drag to the right or left, or up or down, to change direction.

You walk in the direction in which you drag. The further you drag away from the center of the view

(represented by the circular

symbol), the greater the change in direction.

Dragging to the left lets you view the object as if you had turned your head to the left; dragging to the
right produces the same effect in the opposite direction.

As you drag, the shape of the arrow

changes to reflect the direction in
which you are walking:

6. Drag the cursor back towards the center of the view to continue walking straight forward in the new
direction.

7. To modify your speed, click the Accelerate

or Decelerate

icon one or more times, then click

the Walk icon again followed by the left mouse button to pursue your walk.

8. To return to the default navigation mode, click the Examine mode

icon in the View toolbar

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You can also set mouse sensitivity and collision detection using the appropriate options in the Visualization tab,
accessed via the Tools->Options command.

Advanced Walk Mode

This task shows you how to navigate through a document in Walk mode.

Before using the Walk navigation mode, you must be in a perspective view (View->Render Style->Perspective).

It is easier to walk through documents in contexts where you would find a virtual ground, i.e. in buildings, planes or
ships for example.

Open the document Platform.model.

You need a V4 Integration license to open this document.

1. Select View->Navigation Mode->Walk.

2. Press and hold down the middle mouse button to define the horizontal view plane.

3. Still holding the button down, drag to the left or to the right to determine the direction in which you wish to
walk.

In the Walk mode, press and hold down the middle mouse button until you've finished navigating.

4. When in the direction in which you wish to walk, click the left mouse button to begin walking.
You begin to walk forward in the chosen direction.
A green arrow appears along with a circular target located at the center of the view, like when using the
beginner's walk mode:

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5. Still holding the middle button down, drag left or right to change direction:
Dragging to the left lets you view the object as if you had turned your head to the left; dragging to the
right produces the same effect in the opposite direction.

6. Drag the cursor back towards the center of the view to continue your walk straight forward in the new
direction.

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Pressing the PageUp and PageDown keys modifies your speed. Speed is indicated in the status bar.

7. Click the left mouse button again to reverse the direction.

You begin to walk backward, away from the target.
Note: The left and right directions are now defined as if you were walking away from the target with your
back towards it.

When a collision is detected, the green arrow turns red, whether you navigate in beginner's or advanced
Walk mode:

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You can also set mouse sensitivity and collision detection using the appropriate options in the Visualization tab,
accessed via the Tools->Options command.

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Navigating in Fly Mode

In Fly mode you can move upward or downward on any horizontal view plane as you move forward or backward
(backward in advanced mode only).
Two fly modes are available:

Beginner's mode

Advanced mode for experienced users.

Before using the Fly navigation mode, you must be in a perspective view (View->Render Style->Perspective).
If you attempt to activate Fly mode, you will be prompted to switch to a perspective view.

Beginner's Fly Mode

This task shows you how to navigate in beginner's fly mode.
Beginner's fly mode commands are single-action commands. Releasing the mouse button means you exit the
command. You can only move forward in beginner's fly mode.

You need a V4 Integration license to open this document.

1. Click the Fly Mode

icon in the View toolbar or select View->Navigation Mode->Fly.

The icons used in the beginner's fly mode appear in the View toolbar:

These commands are also available via the View->Modify command in the menu bar.

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2. Click the Turn Head

icon in the View toolbar then drag (left mouse button) to define your starting

position (the direction in which you look at the object).

3. Release at the desired location.

4. Click the Fly

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icon, then click the left mouse button to begin to flying.

You begin to fly forward in the chosen direction.

A green arrow appears along with a circular target located at the center of the view:

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The figure below the arrow specifies the

speed at which you are flying:

The speed at which you first approach the object depends on the initial distance from the object, and is
calculated automatically. The speed is optimized so that you reach the point you target in approximately
10 seconds.

5. Still holding the left button down, drag to the right or left, or up or down, to change direction.

You fly in the direction in which you drag. The further you drag away from the center of the view

(represented by the circular

symbol), the greater the change in direction.

As you drag, the shape of the arrow

changes to reflect the direction in which
you are flying:

6. Drag the cursor back towards the center of the view to continue flying straight forward in the new direction.

7. To modify your speed, click the Accelerate

or Decelerate

icon one or more times, then click

the Fly icon again, then drag to pursue your fly.

Each click on the icon increases or decreases the speed by approximately 40%.

When you collide with a solid object when flying, you will slide along the object's surface, and you will no
longer fly through the object, providing a more realistic effect. This feature is also available in Advanced
Fly mode.
Pressing the Shift key and dragging lets you bank left or right.

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You can also mouse sensitivity and collision detection using the appropriate options in the same
Visualization tab.

8. To return to the default navigation mode, click the Examine mode

icon in the View toolbar.

Advanced Fly Mode

This task shows you how to navigate through a document in Advanced Fly mode.

Before using the Fly navigation mode, you must be in a perspective view (View->Render Style ->Perspective).

Fly is used in exactly the same way as Walk, the only difference being that in Fly mode you can move upward or
downward on any horizontal plane as you move forward or backward.

However, note that when using a Space Mouse, you can fly with six different degrees of freedom, which means that
you can navigate through a document in a direction other than the one in which you are looking at the object.

Open the document Platform.model.

You need a V4 Integration license to open this document.

1. Click the Fly Mode

icon in the View toolbar or select View->Navigation Mode->Fly.

2. Press and hold down the middle mouse button to define the initial horizontal view plane.

3. Still holding the button down, drag to the left or to the right, or up or down, to determine the direction in
which you wish to fly.

In the Fly mode, press and hold down the middle mouse button until you've finished navigating.

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4. When in the direction in which you wish to fly, click the left mouse button to begin flying.
You begin to fly straight forward in the chosen direction.
A green arrow appears along with a circular target located at the center of the view, like when using the
beginner's fly mode.

The speed at which you first approach the object depends on the initial distance from the object, and is
calculated automatically. The speed is optimized so that you reach the point you target in approximately 10
seconds.

5. Still holding the middle button down, drag left or right to change direction.
You fly in the direction in which you drag. The further you drag away from the center of the view, the
greater the change in direction.

6. Drag the cursor towards the center of the view to continue flying forward in the new direction:

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Pressing the PageUp and PageDown keys modifies your speed. Speed is indicated in the status bar.
Each press of the key increases or decreases the speed by approximately 40%.

7. Click the left mouse button again to reverse direction:

You begin to fly backwards, away from the target. When flying backwards, the up and down are reversed.
Note: You can use the option " when navigating" in the Visualization tab, accessed via the Tools>Options command, to fix the X, Y or Z axis during navigation. While turning in Fly mode, this creates the
impression that the user viewpoint tilts or banks with respect to the fixed axis, as in a real plane.

You can also set gravitational effects, mouse sensitivity and collision detection using the appropriate
options in the same Visualization tab, like when using the beginner's fly mode.

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Changing Views
Individual views are created as you navigate through your design in examine, walk and fly modes.
Views are stored and can be reviewed. In walk and fly modes, views are created each time you
pause during your walkabout or fly around.

This task shows you how to change views.

Open the document Platform.model.

You need a V4 Integration license to open this document.

1. Navigate in Examine mode (zoom, pan, etc.) to create and save several different views.
2. Select the View->Modify->Previous View command.
The previous view is displayed in the geometry area.
3. Select the View->Modify->Previous View command again.

4. Select the View->Modify->Next View command.

The next saved view is displayed in the geometry area.

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Viewing Objects against the Ground

Ground lets you visually insert a plane at the ground level of your document, thus enabling you to
recognize when your document is viewed the right way up.
When you first access a document, the plane parallel or tangent to the bottom point of your
document is considered to be the ground.
This task shows you how to show and hide the ground.

Open the document Platform.model.

You need a V4 Integration license to open this document.

1. Select View->Ground.
The ground plane is displayed in the geometry area.
To hide the ground, simply repeat the same step.

2. Drag (left mouse button) the ground up or down to a new location, then release the mouse
button.
The ground is repositioned as defined.

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Magnifying

This tasks explains how to obtain a magnified view of your document in a separate window.

1. Select the View->Magnifier... command.

The Magnifier window opens containing a magnified section of your document:

The section magnified is defined by the magnifier viewport which appears over the object
in your document:

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Note that the magnifier viewport has handles:

the "+" symbol lets you move the viewport

the handles in the corners let you resize the viewport.

2. Point to the + symbol and drag it to move the viewport and magnify another area of the
document:

3. Point to one of the handles and drag it to size the magnified area up and down.

While you drag, the

symbol appears.

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All the viewing and manipulations performed in the document window are also reflected
in the Magnifier window. For example, rotate the object to see how the object is also
rotated in the Magnifier window:

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Looking At Objects

This tasks explains how to look at the document in a specific direction by targeting through a userdefined viewport.

1. Select the View->Modify->Look At command.

2. Drag (left mouse button) slowly to display the viewport.

As you begin to drag, a rectangle with two diagonals appears and continues to grow as
long as you continue to drag. This rectangle represents the viewing window of the future
view.

Before

After

3. Continue dragging to move around, resize and reposition the viewport.

The viewport is then shaped like a pyramid: your eyepoint is located at the vertex of the
pyramid. You can resize the viewport by dragging the middle mouse button.

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Before

After

4. Release the button.

You now see what is targeted inside the viewport.
You can also press and hold down both Shift then the middle mouse button for a quicker
result.

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Turning Your Head To View An Object

This tasks explains how to view an object by simulating what happens when you turn your head to
look at the scene.

1. Select the View->Modify->Turn Head command, or click the Turn Head

icon in the

View toolbar.

2. Drag (left mouse button).

A navigation symbol appears to help you understand what happens as you drag.

3. Release at the desired location.

In our example, dragging to the right lets you view the object as if you had turned your
head.

Before

After

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Snapping Viewpoint
This tasks explains how to adjust the viewpoint automatically after rotating it so that it matches
the standard view it comes closest to.

Open the DragObject.CATProduct document.

1. Select the View->Navigation Mode->Viewpoint Snapping command.

2. Manipulate the current viewpoint by rotating the object using the mouse (press and hold
down the middle mouse button then press the left/right button and drag still holding both
buttons down):

Note that the viewpoint will not be snapped if you use the compass to manipulate the
viewpoint.

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3. Release the mouse buttons.

The viewpoint is adjusted and snapped to the nearest standard view (Top View in our
example) is applied:

To deactivate viewpoint snapping, simply click the Viewpoint Snapping icon or uncheck
the Viewpoint Snapping command from the View menu.

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Hiding and Showing Objects

Hiding Objects
Displaying Hidden Objects

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Hiding Objects
This task explains how to hide objects by transferring them to the No Show space (they are no
longer displayed).

1. Select an object.
In our example, select the line.

2. Click the Hide/Show

icon, or select the

View->Hide/Show->Hide/Show command.
The object is no longer displayed: it has been
transferred into the No Show space.
In our example, the line is no longer displayed.
Note also that if you have several document
windows open containing the same objects, the
object is transferred to the No Show space in
each document window.

Note: In case you select multiple elements, only the space of the first selected element
will be taken into account by the Hide/Show command. For instance, if the first element
of the multi-selection is in the No Show space, the Hide/Show command will transfer all
the selected elements to the Show space, whatever their original space.

3. Click the Hide/Show

icon again to display the object in the Show space.

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After selecting an object, you can also use select the Edit->Properties command, click
the Graphic tab, and set the Shown option to achieve the same effect.

A component placed in no show in the product structure will appear in low highlighting in
the tree.

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Displaying Hidden Objects

This task explains how to display objects transferred to the no show area.
1. Display the same geometry as in the preceding
example,
In our example, a line which was originally
displayed is now in the no show area.

2. Click the Swap visible space

icon to display

the contents of the no show area.

In our example, you now see only the line.
The geometry area changes color to indicate you
are now viewing the No Show space.

Note: In case you select multiple elements, only the space of the first selected element
will be taken into account by the Hide/Show command. For instance, if the first element
of the multi-selection is in the No Show space, the Hide/Show command will transfer all
the selected elements to the Show space, whatever their original space.

3. Click the Swap visible space

icon again to return to the Show space.

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You can continue working on objects in the No Show space. You can also select objects
and transfer them back to the Show space using the Hide/Show

icon.

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Using Rendering Styles

Shading (SHD)
Shading with Edges
Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges
Shading with Edges and Hidden Edges
Shading with Material
Rendering Style per Object
Customizing the View Mode
Displaying Perspective and Parallel Views

From V5R13 onwards:

the Wireframe (NHR) and Dynamic Hidden Line Removal (HRD) modes are not
accessible from the View toolbar anymore. These two rendering styles can now be
activated from the Custom View Modes dialog box
customized view parameters can be applied by selecting the Customize View
Parameters icon in the View toolbar or the View->Render Style->Customize
View Parameters command. This opens the Custom View Modes dialog box with the
options that have been previously activated. Just click OK to apply these view
parameters to your document.

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Shading (SHD)
This tasks explains how to display objects in shading mode.

1. Select the View->Render Style->Shading (SHD) command or click the Shading

icon.

Setting a part in Dynamic hidden line removal mode to Shading mode has the following
effect:

Before

After

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Shading with Edges

This tasks explains how to display objects in shading mode with all edges, whatever their type
(smooth or hidden).

1. Select the View->Render Style->Shading with Edges command or click the Shading
with Edges

icon.

Setting a model from Shading to Shading with Edges has the following effect:

Before

After

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Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges

This tasks explains how to display objects in shading mode with edges but without smooth edges using a specific
composite rendering style.
A smooth edge is an edge that does not define a break in the geometry, contrary to a sharp edge that breaks the
continuity of the geometry.

Three basic rendering styles are also provided in the Customize View Modes dialog box to let you manage more easily the
visualization of edges. Refer to the corresponding documentation for detailed information.

1. Select the View->Render Style->Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges command or click the
Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges

icon.

Setting a shaded model from Shading with Edges to Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges has the
following effect:

Shading with Edges

Shading with Edges without Smooth Edges

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Shading with Edges and Hidden Edges

This tasks explains how to display objects in shading mode with edges, whether they are hidden or not.

1. Select the View->Render Style->Shading with Edges and Hidden Edges command or click the Shading
with Edges and Hidden Edges

icon.

Setting a model from Shading with Edges to Shading with Edges and Hidden Edges has the following effect:

Before

After

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Shading with Material

This tasks explains how to display materials that have been applied onto objects.
Refer to "Applying Materials" in the Version 5 - Real Time Rendering User's Guide for detailed
information on how to use materials.

1. Select the View->Render Style->Shading with Material command or click the

Shading with Material

icon.

Note that you can also select the View->Render Style->Customize View
Parameters command then check the "Material" option.
Setting a shaded part to Shading with Material has the following effect:

"Shading" only

"Shading" + "Material"
("Roughcast" material has been applied)

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Rendering Style per Object

Usually, rendering attributes are ignored when drawing objects within a 3D window. The "Rendering style per object" option takes
into account the rendering styles that have been defined for V5 elements using the Edit->Properties command or the Graphic
Properties toolbar.
The rendering styles you can apply in the graphic properties are:

Shading

Shading with Edges

Transparent

Wireframe.

When V5 elements have been assigned one of the above-mentioned rendering styles, this style supersedes the one of the 3D
window.
Note: rendering styles are taken into account in the following order: first, the rendering style of the parent document and then,
the rendering style of the child document. For instance, if you apply the "Wireframe" rendering style to a product and the
"Transparent" rendering style to its part, activating "Rendering style per object" will display the whole object in wireframe. But if
you select the product then set it to "No Specific Rendering", then the object will be displayed as "transparent". This is also true
for geometrical sets.

This scenario assumes that rendering styles have been defined for the various elements contained in your sample document.

In the example below, two surfaces have been selected and assigned two different rendering styles:

Surface 1:
"Wireframe" rendering style

Surface 2:
"Shading with Edges" rendering style

1. Select the View->Render Style->Customize View Parameters command.

The Custom View Modes dialog box appears:

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2. Check that the Shading mode is activated and see the result in the geometry area:

The whole object is displayed in "Shading" mode even if some elements have been assigned a different rendering style.

3. Now, activate Rendering style per object in the Options area. This displays each element with its specific rendering
style:

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In our example, Surface 1 is displayed in "Wireframe" mode and Surface 2 in "Shading with Edges" mode.
For detailed information on the various rendering styles available in the Custom View Modes dialog box, refer to
Customizing the View Mode.

4. When finished, click OK to validate and close the dialog box.

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Customizing the View Mode

This tasks explains how to use the customize and apply view parameters.

1. Select the Customize View Parameters

icon in the View toolbar.

Note that you can also select the View->Render Style->Customize View Parameters command.

The "Custom View Modes" dialog box appears.

If this is the first time you are using the command, the view settings for the current document will be
checked in the dialog box.

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In our example, the Shading parameter is checked: this means that the view mode for the current
document is "Shading".

2. Customize your own view parameters by checking or unchecking the appropriate options.
In certain cases, checking one option may also activate other options. Each time you check or
uncheck an option, the current view is updated dynamically to take your settings into account.

Lines and points

Edges and points
This area lets you display objects in shading mode with points and edges. You can choose among the
following visualization modes:

All edges
Displays objects with all edges, whatever their type (smooth or not). You can also use the
Shading with Edges command. This mode replaces the former "Smooth Edges - visible" mode
available in the Tools->Options->General->Display->Visualization tab.

All edges

Wireframe: when "All edges" is activated, you can deactivate the "Shading" mode to
display the object in wireframe. However, note that the Version 5 wireframe display does
not correspond to the Version 4 display. The full equivalence may be obtained by checking
"All edges" and "Outlines".

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Wireframe

Half visible smooth edges

Displays partially smooth edges. This mode replaces the former "Smooth Edges - half-visible"
mode available in the Visualization tab.
Do not forget to activate "Edges and points" in order to be able to activate "Half visible smooth
edges".
Note that if the "Shading" mode is not activated, the "Half visible smooth edges" option has no
impact (all edges are displayed).

All edges

Half visible smooth edges

Note that if the "Shading" is not activated,

No smooth edges
Hides smooth edges on your objects. You can also use the Shading with Edges without
Smooth Edges command. This mode replaces the former "Smooth Edges - invisible" mode
available in the Visualization tab.
Do not forget to activate "Edges and points" in order to be able to check "No smooth edges":

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All edges

No smooth edges

Outlines
This option is useful if you always want to display outlines for parts created from surfaces of
revolution, for example, shafts, and cylinders. This setting determines whether you see outlines or
not.

"Outlines" off
No shading

"Outlines" on
No shading

Whereas edge display is computed by your workstation's graphic adapter, outline display is computed
by the display software. Note that, in large assemblies, displaying outlines may affect display
performance. You may want to switch outline display off in this case.

Isoparametrics
This option is used in conjunction with the "Enable isoparametrics generation" option available in the
Performance tab.

No isoparametrics

Isoparametrics are displayed

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Mesh
Shading
This area lets you define the type of shading to be used when displaying objects. You can choose
among the following modes:

Gouraud
Displays objects in Gouraud shading. This surface-shading technique interpolates linearly a color
or a shade across a polygon in order to make the object appear smoother. This is the default
visualization mode:

"Gouraud" shading

Material
Lets you visualize materials that have been applied onto your objects. You can also use the
Shading with Material command.
Refer to "Applying Materials" in the Version 5 - Real Time Rendering User's Guide for detailed
information on how to use materials.

"Gouraud" shading

"Material" shading
(with "Roughcast" material)

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Triangles
Displays the triangles on the object's faces as shown below:

"Gouraud" shading

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"Triangles" shading

Transparent
Enables you to display the whole object in transparency mode provided that the Shading option is
activated.

"Gouraud" shading

"Transparent" shading

Hidden edges and points

This option displays objects in shading mode with points and edges, whether they are hidden or not.
You can also use the Shading with Edges and Hidden Edges command.

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"Gouraud" shading

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"Hidden edges and points"

Dynamic hidden line removal

This option displays objects in quick hidden line removal mode. This option replaces the former
Dynamic Hidden Line Removal command available from the View toolbar and from the View->Render
Style menu.
Setting a shaded part to "Dynamic line removal" has the following effect:

"Gouraud" shading

"Dynamic hidden line removal

Options
Rendering style per object
This option lets you take into account the rendering style of V5 elements when visualizing them in a
3D window.
Refer to Rendering Style per Object for detailed information.

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3. Select OK if you want to save your customized view parameters, or Cancel to exit without saving them.
When selecting OK, your view parameters are stored with your settings.
You can then apply these settings to the current document by selecting the Customize View
icon in the View toolbar or the View->Render Style->Customize View
Parameters
Parameters command: this will re-open the Custom View Modes dialog box with the options you
have previously activated. Just click OK to validate and apply the view parameters to your document.

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Displaying Perspective and Parallel Views

This tasks explains how to display objects in perspective or parallel views.

1. Select the Render Style->Perspective command, or the Render Style->Parallel command.

Perspective view

Parallel View

Perspective is related to the size of the object being viewed, and the distance of the object from the observer.
Note that, before using the Walk and Fly navigation modes, you must be in a perspective view.

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Setting Lighting and Depth Effects

Setting Lighting Effects

Setting Depth Effects

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Setting Lighting Effects

This tasks explains how to vary ambient lighting effects.

1. Select the View->Lighting... command to display the Light Source Editor dialog box.
The default light source settings look like this...

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... and produce a lighting effect, for example, like

this:

Note that the Single Light icon

is activated by default. The sphere indicates the current lighting
direction. The handle on the sphere indicates the direction from which the light is being projected: by
default, the light is coming from the top left.
You can drag the handle around (using the left mouse button) to change the lighting direction. The
new lighting effect is created instantaneously as you drag the handle.

The three sliders at the bottom of the dialog box control respectively (from top to bottom):

ambient coefficient: defines the intensity of light emitted in any direction by the object, even if not
lit by any light source. The ambient light is essentially used to show objects or parts of objects that
are not illuminated directly by the light source.

Ambient = 0.50

Ambient =
1.00

diffuse coefficient: defines the intensity of light diffused by the object when lit by a light source:

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Diffuse = 1.00

specular coefficient: defines the intensity of light reflected in one particular direction. This
coefficient affects the highlight on shiny surfaces. The higher the value, the bigger the the specular
spot:

Specular = 0.50

Specular =
1.00

To define the desired value, you can drag the desired slider or use the spin box next to it either by
clicking the up and down arrows or by entering a value directly in the field.

2. Drag the handle down and towards the bottom right: the light is now coming from the bottom right:

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3. Click the Two Lights icon

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to add another light source.

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In our example, using two light sources means that the lighting is now too bright.

4. Drag the brightness slider (the first slider in the list) to the left or use the spin box next to it to reduce
the brightness.

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5. Now drag the lower handle up towards the top left to change the direction of the corresponding light
source.

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6. Click the Neon Light icon

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to produce a neon light effect.

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7. Click the No Light icon

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to switch off all light sources.

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Using the Color Chooser To Color Light Sources

You can also color light sources using the color chooser.

1. Double-click a light source handle.

The Color Chooser appears:
The colored area with the cross represents a color
spectrum.

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2. Drag the cross inside the spectrum to instantaneously change the color in the small box below the
spectrum.
The HSL (Hue, Saturation and Luminance) and RGB (Red, Green and Blue) values vary according to
where the cross is located. You can also enter HSL and RGB values in the fields provided to suit your
exact color specifications.
Move the arrow up or down to vary the brightness of the custom color.

3. Click Apply or OK to apply the changes.

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Setting Depth Effects

This tasks explains how to achieve 3D depth effects, namely, clipping geometry between clipping
planes and creating fog effects.

1. Select the View->Depth

Effect... command to
display the Depth Effect
dialog box.
The orange sphere
completely encompasses
the objects in your
document. The white
cross represents the
center of the objects in
the geometry area.
The color of the area
behind the orange sphere
is the background color of
your document.
The vertical lines
represent the front (near)
and back (far) clipping
planes.
By default, depth effects are deactivated: if you zoom in and out, you will see that for
the moment the geometry is not clipped.

You can keep the Depth Effect dialog box open and continue working with other
commands. You will be able to understand the results obtained by setting depth effects
by zooming in and out.

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2. Set the Near Limit and Far

Limit by checking the Fixed
checkbox for each option,
entering values and pressing
Enter in each case.
Note that location of the
vertical lines representing
the clipping planes has
changed.

You can also drag the vertical lines representing the near and far clipping planes to
produce the same effect.

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The back (far) section of the geometry is clipped. You now only see what is located
between the near and far clipping planes.

3. Zoom out to see all the geometry.

4. Click the Foggy option.

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The foggy option

introduces a foggy effect.

5. Zoom out again.

As you zoom out, the fog effect is increased. The fog gets thicker as you continue to
zoom out beyond the back clipping plane.

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Using Standard and User-Defined Views

Using Standard Views
Creating, Modifying and Deleting User-Defined Views

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Using Standard Views

This task explains how to use standard views. Standard views are predefined viewpoints you can use to display your
document.

1. Select the View->Named Views... command.

The Named Views dialog box appears.
The list provides a number of standard views
you can use to display the document:

*front

*back

*left

*right

*top

*bottom

*iso.

2. Double-click the desired view.

For example, double-clicking *front obtains
the front view:

When you apply standard views, the views are no longer rezoomed. Note also that, if the "Animation during
viewpoint modification" option is checked in the Navigation tab, the change of view will be animated.

The other views are:

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You can also use the quick access icon bar (accessed via the View toolbar) for applying standard views more
quickly.

When pulled away from the View toolbar, the

icon bar looks like this:

3. You can modify the standard view properties by selecting a view in the list then clicking the Properties button. The
Named Views Properties dialog box is displayed:

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4. Select one of the three standard views by clicking it from the "Orientation to apply" pulldown list: By Default, By
Default (Reversed) which means that the orientation will be reversed along X and Y axes or Custom if you want to
define your own orientation.

If you select Custom, you can click the end of each grey arrow to modify the orientation as shown below (just
keep on clicking the arrow until you reach the desired orientation):

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5. The Use local axis option lets you position standards views according to the default or current axis system, whether
defined locally or not.
To set an axis as current, just right-click it in the specification tree then select the Set as current command.
In case your current axis sytem is left-handed, the standard views will be positioned according to the global axis
system.
For detailed information about defining a three-axis system locally, refer to Axis System.

6. If you want to select by yourself the axis to be used to position your view, click the Select axis to use option. This
activates the Start axis selection button.

7. Click the Start axis selection button then select the axis according to which your view will be positioned.

8. Click Apply to validate the axis selection.

9. Click OK to close the dialog box.

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Creating, Modifying and Deleting User-Defined

Views
This task explains how to create, modify and delete user-defined views. Note that user-defined views
are stored with the document.
Open the document NamedViews.CATProduct.
Your license must provide access to the product structure functions to open this document.

1. Select the
View>Named
Views...
command and
double-click
the desired
view.
You are
now ready
to
customize
the view.

2. Adjust the
different view
parameters
(zoom,
rotation, etc.)
until you are
happy with
the result.

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3. Select the
View>Named
Views...
command,
then click the
Add button to
add the view
to the list.
The default
name of
the view is
"Camera
1", and the
name is
also
displayed in
an editable
field below
the list.

4. Rename the
view in the
editable field
as required
and press
Enter, or click
Apply.

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5. If you want to
set the
camera
properties
(the
properties of
the view),
click the
Properties
button to
access the
Camera
Properties
dialog box.

The settings are as follows:

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Name: name of your user-defined view (cannot be modified)

Type: lets you set a Parallel or Perspective view projection

Origin: coordinates of your eye position

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Target: coordinates of the center of rotation of the camera (the point located at the
center of the viewport). You can set the center of rotation by clicking the middle mouse
button on the desired point: the coordinated are memorized with the camera
View angle: sets the angle of the pyramid-like shape with which you look at the
geometry (available in perspective views only). A large angle has the effect of zooming
out to make the geometry look small; a small angle has the reverse effect
Zoom: zoom factor (available in parallel views only).

6. If you want to modify any customized view you already saved, select it, modify the view
parameters again, then click the Modify button to save your changes.

When working in P3 mode, you can use an alternate method to define the view angle. Refer
to Editing the View Angle for detailed information.

You can also delete views by selecting the view from the list and clicking the Delete button.

The Reverse button lets you view the object from the reverse angle.

Exporting User-Defined Views to VRML Format

You can now save your user-defined viewpoints in VRML files in order to use these viewpoints in a
VRML viewer (such as Cosmo Player). However, note that not all VRML viewers can read user-defined
viewpoints.
Bear also in mind that when reopening your VRML document in Version 5, you will not be able to use
your customized views, only the standard views will be available.

Only the VRML 97 format is supported and therefore, you need to check that the "VRML 97" option is
activated in the VRML tab before saving your document.

1. Select the File->Save As... command then choose the wrl format in the "Save as type" list.

Your file has been exported to VRML.

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Below is an example of the syntax used to export data to VRML:

Viewpoint
{
position
0.980386 0.548146 0.603133
orientation 0.300869 0.556138 0.774718 2.061790
fieldOfView 0.471225
description "Main Viewpoint"
}
Viewpoint
{
position
0.690322 0.784519 0.790794
orientation 0.187054 0.451587 0.872399 2.448075
fieldOfView 0.471225
description "Iso View"
}

2. Open your document in a VRML viewer: the named views defined in Version 5 are accessible.

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Using Layers and Layer Filters

Assigning Objects To Layers
Adding and Naming Layers
Using Visualization Filters

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Assigning Objects To Layers

This task explains how to assign objects to layers.
Once you have assigned objects to layers, you then create visualization filters (refer to "Using Visualization
Filters") which allow you to display only those objects located on specific layers referenced by the visualization
filter.

Open the document Layers.CATProduct

The document looks like this when you first open it:

1. Click the "+" symbol next to PadandCylinder, then the "+" symbol next to Pad to see the following:

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You can now see clearly that the two features are named PadandCylinder and Pad.

2. Select the View>Toolbars->Graphic

Properties command to
display the Graphic
Properties toolbar:

"None" in the Layer box:

indicates that there is no current layer, which guarantees that all
the contents of your document are visible. You can assign objects to "None": any object assigned to
"None" will always be visible.
For the moment, you have not yet assigned any objects onto a layer.

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The following layers are always available:

None

0 General

1 - 999 (even though they are not visible at first in the Layer list).

These layers cannot be deleted.

The Layer box also contains the "Other Layers..." command which lets you create your own named
layers. Refer to "Creating New Layers" for more details.

3. Select PadandCylinder in the tree, click the arrow on the Layer box, then select "0 General" from the list.

PadandCylinder is assigned to the layer "0 General". The Layer box now looks like this:
see only the number because all layers are identified primarily by their number.

. You

4. Click on the "+" symbol next to PadandCylinder.

PadandCylinder is expanded.

5. Select the different features in PadandCylinder (Pad.1, Pad.2).

Note that these features are also located on the layer "0". This is because the features inside a part body
inherit the part body properties.

6. This time, still in PadandCylinder, select any of the sketches.

Note, however, that the sketches from which the features are built remain on the current layer "None".

7. Select Pad in the tree.

Pad is still located on the current layer:

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Note the following:

If no objects are selected, the current layer is displayed in the Layer box. If an object is selected, the name of
the layer on which the object is located is displayed in the box. Consequently, to find out which layer an object
is assigned to, select the object and look at the Layer box

You can also create new objects on a specific layer by setting the appropriate layer in the Layer box first. Any
new objects will be created on this new current layer

The link between a given feature or object and a given layer is stored with the document

To change the current layer, first make sure no object is selected, then enter the layer number in the box

Opening Existing Documents

When opening existing documents (created using either previous releases or Version 5 Release 7), existing
geometry will be migrated to the current layer. To prevent the geometry from being assigned to a layer, set the
current layer to "None" before opening existing documents.
Furthermore, if you open existing documents with a current layer set to a layer other than "None", then close the
document without making any changes, you will be prompted to save the document because the geometry was
assigned to the current layer when opening the document.
When opening Version 4 documents containing layers, all existing layers are preserved as is: the layers are stored
in the Version 4 document.
Note: Version 5 does not manage Version 4 layers on which dittos are located.

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Adding and Naming Layers

This task explains how to add and name your own layers.

Using the Named Layers Dialog Box

1. Select the View>Toolbars->Graphic

Properties command to
look at the Graphic
Properties toolbar.
2. Click the arrow on the
Layer icon box, then
select the Other
Layers... command
from the list.
The Named Layers
dialog box appears:

3. Click the New button.

The layer "1", is
added to the list, and
the name "Layer 1" is
assigned
automatically:

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4. Click OK.
The layer you just added ("Layer 1") is now the current layer, and it is displayed in the
Layer box like this:

The list of layers in

the Layer box now
looks like this:

If you select an object before creating the new layer, it will be transferred automatically
to the new layer created.

If you want to rename

a layer when creating
it, after clicking the
New button, slowly
click twice the line
containing the layer
name to make the
field editable.
You can also edit the
layer number. This
enables you to set up
named layers to
comply with your
company's layer
conventions.

Then, enter the new

name and click
anywhere outside the
editable field to
confirm the name.
In our example, the
new layer name is
"My_Layer".

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Note: the Delete button lets you remove the name of the layer you selected from the
list (except if this is the name of the current layer). Clicking the Delete button will not
delete the layer itself since a layer cannot be removed.
However, naming a layer is totally independent from assigning objects to it. As a
consequence, you can edit or remove the layer name without impacting the geometry.
Visualization filters referencing this layer will still be valid as well as any objects you may
have assigned to it.

Clicking the Num and Name buttons presents the lists in numerical and alphabetical
order.

The following information is stored with your settings:

the list of named layers

the current layer

the current filter and filter description (refer to "Using Visualization Filters").

Using the Layer Box

1. Click inside the Layer box.

2. Enter a number between 0 and 999.

3. Rename the layer as desired by using the Other Layers... command as described in "Using
the Named Layers Dialog Box".

Whichever method you use, note that you do not create any new layers as such: the
layers 0 - 999 are automatically provided. Adding layers adds them to the list in the
Named Layers dialog box, and to the list in the Layers box.

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Using Visualization Filters

This task explains how to use visualization filters.
A visualization filter is a group of layers. You then apply the filter to visualize (or not) only those objects located on
the layers in the filter.

Open the document Layers.CATProduct

The document looks like this when you first open it:

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1. Select the Tools ->

Visualization
Filters... command.
The Visualization
Filters dialog box
appears:

The default current filter "All visible" is applied automatically: it lets you see all the contents of the
document. This filter cannot be deleted.

2. Click the New button.

The Visualization
Filter Editor dialog
box appears,
allowing you to
build the filter from
the following
building blocks:

Criterion: this list box contains the operators you can use: =, !=, >, <, <= and >=;
The default operator is "="
the list box to the right lists the named layers (you can type any layer number between 0 and 999)
And and Or buttons provide you with the corresponding logical functions for combining layers:

"And" lets you add criteria (for instance, "Layer=0 & Layer=1" means that objects displayed in
both layer "0" and layer "1" will be displayed)

"Or" lets you filter according to at least one of the criteria you define (for instance, "Layer=0 +
Layer=1" means that objects contained in layer "0", or in layer "1", or in both layers will be
displayed).

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The Filter list specifies the final filter syntax. The default filter syntax is:
layer = 0
which means that the filter contains layer "0".
layer = 0 & layer =1
means that the filter contains layer "0" AND layer "1".
layer = 0 + layer = 1
means that the filter contains layer "0" OR layer "1".

3. Click in the Filter:

field, delete "0" then
type "1" so that the
filter syntax now looks
like this:
layer = 1

4. Click OK.
This creates a new
filter "Filter001"
(with the default
filter syntax) in the
Visualization Filters
dialog box:

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When pointing to the desired filter name, a tootip indicates whether the filter definition location is stored
in the document or in the user settings (i.e. the CATSettings directory).
However, bear in mind that this tooltip is displayed for information only, you cannot modify the storage
location which has been set as explained below:

for CATProduct documents, the definition is stored in the user settings

for CATPart documents, the definition (if there is one) is stored in the document. If no definition is
stored in the document, the CATPart documents use the definition stored in the user settings
for CATDrawing documents, the definition is stored in the document.

Note that you can also customize the filter application. For more information, refer to Customizing Layer
Filters.

5. Select the root object Layers in the tree, then select the View->Toolbars->GraphicProperties command
to look at the Graphic Properties toolbar.
6. Click the Layer box, then type "0".
The root object is now assigned to the layer number "0".

7. Select PadandCylinder in the tree, click the arrow on the Layer box, then select "0 General" from the list.

PadandCylinder is assigned to the layer "0 General". The Layer box now looks like this:

8. Select Pad in the tree, click inside the Layer box, then type "1".

Pad is assigned to the layer "Layer 1". The Layer box now looks like this:

9. Select "Filter001" in the Visualization Filters dialog box and click Apply.
The objects are no longer displayed, and the filter remains active.

Why are the objects no longer displayed?

All the features below the root object in the tree are considered to be on layer "0" if applying the
visualization filter makes the objects invisible. This remains the case even if you assign the objects to
layers other than layer "0".

10. This time, select the root object Layers in the tree, click the Layer box, then type "1" to assign it to layer
"1".
The filter is still active, but this time only the object Pad becomes visible:

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Why is only one object displayed?

Both the root object and the Pad object are both on layer "1", but this time applying the visualization
filter has the effect of making objects visible, so the Pad object becomes visible.

To see all the objects again, select the "All visible" filter then click Apply.

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Recording, Running, and Editing Macros

Automating Repetitive Tasks Using Macros
Recording a Macro
Running a Macro
Editing a Macro
Creating a Macro From Scratch

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Automating Repetitive Tasks Using Macros

If you perform a task repeatedly, you can take advantage of a macro to automate it. A macro is a
series of functions, written in a scripting language, that you group in a single command to perform
the requested task automatically.
You can, for example, use a macro to automate:

the creation of a series of holes in a part

the extraction of bills of materials from an assembly

the addition of a standard title block to a series of drawings

the printing of a series of documents.

You can create macros either by recording an interaction sequence or by editing a file (written in a
scripting language) to insert the functions you wish. You can also modify an existing macro, either
recorded or created from scratch, to best fit your needs. Once the macro is created, you can run it
by selecting Tools->Macro->Macros..., selecting the macro, and clicking Run.
Macros can be stored in the current document or in a file in an external library. If a macro is
created while a document is current, either by means of recording an interaction sequence or
editing a file, and is stored in an external file, a link is kept in the current document to the file
containing the macro.
Script Development Tools and Languages
You can use the following scripting tools and languages, depending on the platform you are running
on.
On Windows

CATScript: these macros are written in Basic Script, stored in CATScript-type documents, and
can be run on both Windows and UNIX

Visual Basic Script (VB Script), at minimum level 5.0 , which is part of the operating system:
macros written in Visual Basic can be run on both Windows and UNIX.
The use of VB Script is recommended for developing Windows/UNIX-compatible macros.
Although CATScript macros written in previous releases continue to work, we recommend that
you prefer VB Script to CATScript
Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Version 6.0: this product is installed with Version 5: macros
written using VBA can only be run on Windows. Among the advantages of using VBA, note that:

IntelliSense editing facilitates editing

VBA contains a debugger

you can develop graphic user interfaces using VBA (this is not possible with CATScript or VB
Script macros).

On UNIX
Visual Basic Script 3.0 for UNIX (from Mainsoft) (shared libraries are installed when installing
Version 5).

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Recording a Macro
This task explains how to record a macro from a dialog sequence.

You can store the recorded macro in the current document or in a file. Even if you choose to store the
macro in a file, if a document was current when you began to record the macro, a link is created in
this document to the file storing the macro, and the macro can afterwards be selected and run using
this link from the document. If you want to record a macro that is not pointed to by any document,
you need to store the macro in a file, and you can either start recording with no current document, or
delete the created link from the current document when the macro is recorded.

1. Select the Tools->Macro->Start Recording... command.

This displays the Record Macro dialog box:

2. Specify the current macro library or document.

This means deciding where the macro is going to be stored:

in a macro library: the macro will be stored in a directory (or a VBA project if it exists)

in a document: the macro will be stored in the current document.

What macro types you can store and where you can store them are summarized in the
following table:

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Where Stored
Language
Used

Editor

File
Extension

In Document

In Directory

In VBA
Project

CATScript
(Basic Script)

Default or
external

.CATScript

Yes

Yes

No

VB Script
(Visual Basic)

Default or
external

.catvbs

Yes

Yes

No

VBA

Visual Basic
Editor only

.catvba

No

No

Yes

Opening the list for this option displays the following by default:

By default, the only macro library library available is your E: folder. You can also choose to
store the macro in the current document (a CATProduct document in our example).

3. Click the Macro libraries... button if you want to add, create or remove macro libraries.
The Macro libraries dialog box appears:

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Only the E: folder is available because you have not yet created any other macro libraries.

4. Click the Library type field to display the following:

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The choices are:

All libraries: displays all directories and VBA projects

Directories: displays only directories

VBA projects: displays only VBA projects.

5. Click the Add existing library... button and navigate to select the library or VBA project, or
click the Create new library... button and create the new macro directory of VBA project, and
provide names when prompted.
You can also select a library from the list then click the Remove selected library button to
delete it.

6. Make sure the Language used: option is set to the desired language.

7. Provide a name for the macro.

8. Click Start to begin recording the macro.

A Warning box is displayed if the macro already exists. Click Yes to start recording the
macro while overriding the existing one. The dialog boxes related to the macro recording
disappear and the Stop Recording dialog box appears.

9. Perform the dialog sequence you want to record.

10. When this is complete, click Stop in the Stop Recording dialog box, or select the Tools>Macro->Stop Recording command. Your macro is now ready for replay.

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Running a Macro
This task explains the different methods of running a macro.
Method 1

1. Select the Tools->Macro->Macros... command to display the Macros dialog box:

In our example, we already created "Macro1.vbs" using VB Script, which is preselected

and listed in the available macros list.
Use the "Current macro library or document" field or the "Macro libraries" button if you
have other macros available.

2. Click the Run button to replay the selected macro.

Method 2
1. Explore your file system and locate the .CATScript file.

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2. Double-click the .CATScript file, or select the file and select the Open contextual command.
A session is started and the macro is executed.
Double-clicking a .catvbs macro does not run the macro.

Method 3
1. On Windows, run a command like this:
cnext -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -macro E:\tmp\Mymacro.CATScript

or like this:
cnext -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -batch -macro E:\tmp\Mymacro.CATScript

to run the macro in batch mode, where "Mymacro.CATScript" is the name of the macro
file.
On UNIX, run a command like this:
CNEXT -macro "/tmp/Mymacro.CATScript"
CNEXT -batch -macro "/tmp/Mymacro.CATScript"
or like this:
./catstart -d /CATEnv -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -object "-macro /tmp/Mymacro.CATScript"
./catstart -d /CATEnv -env CATIA.V5R13.B13 -object "-batch -macro
/tmp/Mymacro.CATScript"
to run the macro in batch mode, where "Mymacro.CATScript" is the name of the macro
file.
You can add macros to a toolbar using the Tools->Customize... command. Select the Commands
tab, then the Macros category: all the macros will be detected and listed. You can then drag and
drop them onto toolbars for convenient access.

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Editing a Macro

This task explains you how to edit a macro.

1. Select the Tools->Macro->Macros... command to display the Macros dialog box.

In our example, we already created "Macro1.vbs" using VB Script, which is preselected and listed in the available macros list.
Use the "Current macro library or document" field or the "Macro libraries" button if you have other macros available.

2. Click the Edit... button to edit the macro.

If the macro is a CATScript document or a VB Script file, the default editor is displayed like this:

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You can change the editor for CATScript and VB Script macros by using the Macros tab. For more information, refer to Macros.

If the macro is a .catvba project module, the VBA editor is displayed like this:

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On UNIX
By default the emacs is opened by default. You can always replace it by your favorite editor by exporting the EDITOR variable.

Use the Rename... button to rename the selected macro, the Delete button to delete it.
Use the Select... button and navigate to select a macro if it is not stored in a macro library.

3. Modify the macro instructions as you want, and save the macro, or cancel the modifications.

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Creating a Macro From Scratch

This task explains you how to create a macro from scratch.
1. Select the Tools->Macro->Macros... command to display the Macros dialog box.

2. Set the current macro library or document for storing the macro.

3. Click the Create... button, select the type of macro to create and name it.

4. Click the Edit... button to edit it.

Depending on which language you chose, the appropriate editor is displayed.

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Using Version 5 Data in OLE-Compliant

Applications
About Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)
Embedding Existing Version 5 Data in OLE-Container Applications
Creating CATIA Version 5 Data in OLE-Container Applications
Copying CATIA Version 5 Images to OLE-Compliant Applications

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About Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)

Certain applications (e.g. Microsoft Office) support what is known as Object Linking and Embedding
(OLE). Such applications, referred to as OLE-compliant or OLE container applications, allow you to
retrieve a Version 5 document i.e. a part, a drawing or an assembly (referred to, in an OLE context,
as the OLE document server).
You can either link or embed the contents of the geometry area of a Version 5 document:

Linking the document means that all changes made to it in a Version 5 session are also made
to the document inserted in the OLE-compliant application.
However, if you move the target file to another directory the link is severed. The graphic
representation still exists but can no longer be edited (unless the link is repaired via the EditLinks menu in the OLE-compliant application.

Embedding the document means that a copy of the document is inserted in the document within
the OLE-compliant application. As no links are created, any changes made to the document in
the Version 5 session are not made to the document in the OLE-compliant application.

The linked or embedded document appears as an image (or, if you specify otherwise, as an icon).
When the document is double-clicked, a normal Version 5 session is displayed.

OLE is available on Windows only.

Version 5 documents may be linked or embedded in host container documents. Linking is always
allowed. Embedding is forbidden in demo mode. Embedding of CATIA V4 models is also forbidden.
Only .CATPart, .CATProduct, .CATDrawing, .CATAnalysis and .model documents implement OLE
document server.

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Version 5 supports the Microsoft /regserver and /unregserver options for OLE. If you experience
problems with OLE features, for example, if double-clicking a document icon does not start a
session as expected:
1. Log on as administrator.
2. Open a command prompt window.
3. Go to the folder where Version 5 is installed, typically:
C:\Program Files\DassaultSystemes\B13\intel_a\code\bin)
4. Run the following command once only:
cnext /regserver

If you have installed several levels of Version 5, running this command activates (for OLE purposes)
the level of Version 5 installed in the folder in which you run the command.

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Embedding Existing Version 5 Data in OLEContainer Applications

This task shows you how to embed Version 5 data into an OLE-compliant application.
Open the document OLE.CATProduct
1. In the OLEcompliant
application,
place the
cursor where
you wish to
embed the
data and
select the
Insert->Object
command.
The Object
dialog box
appears:

2. In the Object dialog box, click on the Create from File tab.

3. Click on Browse...

4. In the Browse dialog box, specify the file location and click on OK to confirm.

5. A frame containing OLE.CATProduct is inserted at the desired location in your OLE-container file:

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6. If you want to work on the Version 5 document, double-click on this frame. A normal Version 5
session is displayed.
However, the opened document is not the original one you inserted in your OLE-compliant
application: it is a temporary document (with a different name) stored in your temporary settings
located in the CATTemp folder.

When you have finished making the changes, close and save the Version 5 document. Bear in
mind that any changes you could make and save in Version 5 are saved in this temporary
document.
You will see that the changes you have just made are reflected in the OLE-container document.
If you click again the frame in the OLE-container document, you will see that the temporary
document re-opens in Version 5 (with the modifications you have saved, if any). If a session is
already running, the document will re-open in the current session, otherwise a new Version 5
session will start.
Note: deleting the frame in the OLE-container document closes the document in Version 5.

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In the Object dialog box, there are two options:

Link to file: see "About Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)"

Display as icon: if you prefer the Version 5 document to appear iconified, select this option.

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Creating Version 5 Data in OLE-Container

Applications
This task shows you how to embed Version 5 data into an OLE-compliant application.

1. In the OLEcompliant
application,
place the
cursor where
you wish to
insert the new
data and
select the
Insert->Object
command.
The Object
dialog box
appears:

2. In the Object dialog box, check that the Create New tab is selected.

3. Select the type of document you want to create.

The document type CATIA Model is listed but cannot be selected (because it is non-editable).

4. Click on OK to confirm.

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5. A gray frame
is inserted at
the desired
location in
your OLEcontainer file
and a normal
Version 5
session
appears:

6. When you have finished working on the new document close and save it.

In the Object dialog box, there is the option Display as icon. If you prefer the Version 5
document to appear iconified, select this option.

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Copying Version 5 Images to OLE-Compliant

Applications
This task shows you how to copy images of Version 5 data to an OLE-compliant application.
Open the OLE.CATProduct document.
1. In the Version 5 document, select the
Tools->Image->Capture... command to
display the Capture toolbar.

2. Click the Select Mode icon

in the Capture toolbar to activate the selection tool.

3. Click in the geometry area and drag your cursor to draw a rectangle around the part you
see in OLE.CATPart:

4. Click the Capture icon

to capture the image and store it in the album. A progress bar

will appear while the captured image is generated.

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5. Once the captured image is generated, the Capture Preview window opens and you can then
click the Copy

icon to copy the image to the clipboard.

The selected image is now in the clipboard from where it can be pasted into an OLEcompliant application.

6. Open the OLE-compliant application.

7. Place the cursor where you wish to insert

the image and click the Edit->Paste
Special... command.

8. Select OK to confirm in the Paste Special dialog box.

The image you selected is pasted at the

desired location in the file.

In the Paste Special dialog box, there is the option Link to file.
For more information about this option, see "About Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)"

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Transferring Version 5 Data

Sending Version 5 Data In the Mail (on Windows Only)
Copying CATIA Version 5 Data To a Directory or Diskette

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Sending Version 5 Data In the Mail (Windows Only)

This task shows you how to send Version 5 data in the mail. (This is available on Windows only.)

All the data, including linked documents, is included in the send, provided it can be found. Any data that can be opened in a Version 5 session, including
V4 models, can be sent.

1. Open the Version 5 document you want to copy.

Before doing anything, make sure you have saved all the files you intend to send.

2. Select the File->Send To Mail command. The Send To dialog box appears:

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In the upper part of the dialog box you can see a list of all the different documents linked to the document you selected for the send operation.
The four columns provide information about the file name, the file type, the location and whether or not the file was found.

3. Click on the icon

between the two lists. The dialog box will then look something like this:

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The files have now been sorted. The list in the lower part of the box shows a list of those files that will be sent. In the upper list remain those
files that could not be found. This can be remedied by using the Tools->Options->General->Document tab or Edit->Links commands (see
"Linked Document Localization" or "Editing Document Links").

If you prefer, you can select the files in the upper list individually and transfer them to the lower list using the icon

If you want to select the files by type, place the cursor inside the list and right-click to display the list of file types and then select the
appropriate type. (Selecting by type in this way operates of course in the lower list as well.)

Before sending your documents in the mail, you may want to check the size of the documents to be sent. You will find this in the lower lefthand corner.
The OK button may be grayed out. This means that problems shown in the Problem column have not been resolved.

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As well as the information provided in the upper list, the lower list also contains a column showing potential problems such as duplicate file
names. There are two occurrences of duplicate file names in the case shown above. There are different ways of resolving this. You can:

select one of the identically named files and click the icon

rename one of the files using the Rename Target button.

to move it to the upper list i.e. not include it in the files to be sent

4. If you want to give one of the files a different

name in the target directory, select the file
and click the Rename Target button in the
lower right-hand corner of the dialog box.
The dialog box opposite appears specifying
the name of the file selected. Enter the new
name and click OK.

To cancel the rename, select the new name just entered in the Rename dialog box, delete it and click OK. The old name is restored.

You can of course move all files to the upper list at any time by using the icon

5. Click OK. You will now be prompted to give the name of your e-mail system.

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Copying Version 5 Data To a Directory or Diskette

This task shows you how to copy Version 5 data to a directory or diskette.

If the document to be copied is linked to others, those documents will also be copied to the directory (or diskette)
you choose, provided they can be found.
Any data that can be opened in a Version 5 session, including V4 models, can be copied.

Before doing anything, make sure you have saved all the files you intend to include in the copy.

Note: you do not need anymore to open the document(s) before sending them to a directory.

1. Select the File->Send To Directory command. If no file has been previously opened, the File Selection
dialog box appears:

If you opened files prior to selecting the File->Send To Directory command, the Send To Directory
dialog box will directly appear. Jump to step 3. to follow the scenario.

2. Select the Version 5 document you want to copy as shown above.

3. Click the Open button. The Send To Directory dialog box opens:

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In the upper part of the dialog box you can see a list of all the different documents linked to the
document you selected for the copy operation.
Note that all documents are displayed, whether they are directly or recursively linked to the selected one.
The four columns provide information about the file name, the file type, the location and whether or not
the file was found.

4. Click on the icon

between the two lists. The dialog box will then look something like this:

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The files have now been sorted. The list in the lower part of the box shows a list of those files that will be
copied. In the upper list remain those files that could not be found. This can be remedied by using the
Tools->Options->General->Document tab or Edit->Links commands (see "Localizing Linked Documents"
or "Editing Document Links").

to transfer them
If you prefer, you can select the files in the upper list individually and use the icon
to the lower list.
If you want to select the files by type, place the cursor inside the list and right-click to display the list of
file types and then select the appropriate type. (Selecting by type in this way operates of course in the
lower list as well.)

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5. If you want to keep the same directory structure in the target directory check the Keep Directory Structure
box between the two lists. Once checked, this box remains selected when you next use the Send To
Directory command.

Bear in mind that this option will not be available or will have no effect if the files to be copied have no
directory structure in common.

It might be useful, especially if copying files to a diskette, to know the size of the documents to be
copied. You will find this just above the Copy to: field.
The OK button may, as in the case shown above, be grayed out. This means that problems shown in the
Problem column have not been resolved.

As well as the information provided in the upper list, the lower list also contains a column showing
potential problems such as duplicate file names. There are two occurrences of duplicate file names in the
case shown above. There are different ways of resolving this. You can:

select one of the identically named files and click the icon
include it in the files to be copied

to move it to the upper list i.e. not

check the Keep Directory Structure button thus avoiding having files with the same name in the same
directory
rename one of the files using the Rename Target button

6. If you want to give one of the files a different name in the target
directory, select the file and click the Rename Target button in the lower
right-hand corner of the dialog box.
The dialog box opposite appears specifying the name of the file
selected. Enter the new name and click OK.

To cancel the rename, select the new name just entered in the Rename dialog box, delete it and click OK.
The old name is restored.

You can of course move all files to the upper list at any time by using the icon

7. Enter the path of the target directory in the Copy to: field using the Browse button if necessary and click
OK.
This field is in fact a list and contains the nine destinations last used.

8. Click OK.

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If you copy to an as yet non-existent directory, the following message appears:

If the target directory contains any files with the same name as any copied, the Confirm File Replacement
dialog box will be displayed. Click the appropriate button.

A progress box appears as each file is copied:

When the copy has been performed the Files Copied dialog box appears telling you the number, size and
type of the files copied.

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Managing Document Links in Version 5

Using the FileDesk Workbench
Displaying Document Links
Editing Document Links

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Using the FileDesk Workbench

This task shows you how to view the relationships between different documents and to obtain
information about their properties.

Open the document NamedViews.CATProduct.

The original document looks like this, with a part loaded:

1. Select the Tools -> Options... command.

2. In the General category, select the General tab, uncheck the option "Load referenced
documents", then click OK.

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3. Close then reopen the same document.

The part is no longer loaded (indicated by a special symbol in the specification tree):

4. Select the File -> Desk command.

The Desk window appears (the document stays open):

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As you can see, the relationships between the document opened and any others are
clearly shown. You may have to click on the Fit All In icon
to see everything,
especially with complex relationships. All types of V5 data and V4 models can be viewed in
this way.
You can leave the Desk window open when you modify the relationships or add or delete
any of the documents in the view. As the view is automatically updated, you can see the
changes as you make them.

The relationship in our sample document includes a child document that has not been
loaded (see "Load
Referenced Documents"). Unloaded documents are shown in reverse video.
The colors used to identify the various document types are the following ones:

white for loaded documents

black (reverse video) for documents that are not loaded in the current session

red for documents that have not been found.

The example below illustrates a document including a child document that has not been
found.

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You can also display the Desk toolbar by selecting View->Toolbars->Desk:

Most of the commands provided in this toolbar are available from the contextual menu as
well and will be detailed further in this task.

5. In the Desk window, select the document Part1.CATPart, then select the Load contextual
command or click the Load

icon from the Desk toolbar.

The specification tree will be updated as a result i.e. the symbol representing the
document will change to that of a loaded document: the part is now loaded.

Note that you can select the Open contextual command or click the Open
the Desk toolbar whenever you want to open a document, loaded or not.

icon from

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6. If you want to see the properties of any loaded or unloaded document, select the document
then select the Properties contextual command.
The Document Properties dialog box below appears:

Refer to Displaying Document Properties for detailed information on the Document tab.

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You can also click the Standards tab to display the standards which may have been
defined for your document.
The Standards tab is used mainly to display drafting and generative standards (when
working with .CATDrawing documents) but it can also be used to display standards
defined for general parameters such as graphic properties or layers and filters.
Refer to Displaying Document Properties for detailed information on the Standards tab.

7. If you want to open a loaded or unloaded document, select it then select the Open
contextual command.

8. You can now unload loaded documents. Unloading a document means that this document is
not stored in memory anymore.

Select the document(s) to be unloaded in the Desk window then click the Unload
icon or use the Unload contextual command. This opens the following dialog box:

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The "List of documents to unload" dialog box gives you information on the document(s)
that will be unloaded. Selecting an item from the list displays its preview to the right.
Click OK to validate the unload and close the dialog box or Cancel to close the dialog box
without unloading the document(s).
If one of the documents to be unloaded has been modified, a warning message will
appear instead of the "List of documents to unload" dialog box and will prompt you to:

click No if you want to save the modified document (using the File->Save
Management command) before unloading it.
or click Yes if you do not want to save your modifications and open directly the "List
of documents to unload" dialog box. In that case, your modifications will be lost.

The documents that are unloaded appear in black (reverse video) in the Desk window to
indicate that they are not loaded in the current session anymore:

Note:

when an unloaded document points to other documents, the pointed documents are
also unloaded
when unloading a part that belongs to several products, the Unload command applies
to all the products containing this part.

Once a document has been unloaded, you can load it again using the Load command.
You can also use the Desk File Management toolbar...

... to move, rename and delete documents. Note that this toolbar can be used either in
Folder or DLName document environment.

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9. To move one or several documents, you can either:

select the desired document(s) from the Desk then click the Move

command.

A warning window informs you that only the persistent file name(s) will be moved. This
means that the selected document(s) will be physically moved to the location of your
choice but the links to these documents will not be relocated and thus may no longer
work.
Click OK to close the warning window then use the File Reception Box dialog box that
opens to navigate to the target directory:

After clicking OK to close the File Reception Box, a pop-up message will prompt you to
validate the new location and warn you that some links may be broken. Bear in mind that
the Move command neither check nor relocate links between documents, you will have to
do it manually using the Edit->Links... command.
Note: the content of the moved document(s) remains unchanged.

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or click directly the Move

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command to browse your file tree and select the

document(s) to be moved.
A warning window informs you that only the persistent file name will be moved. This
means that the selected document(s) will be physically moved to the location of your
choice but the links to these documents will not be relocated and thus may no longer
work.
Click OK to close the warning window then use the File Selection dialog box that opens to
access the directory from which the document(s) will be moved:

Select the desired document(s) then click the Open button to access the File Reception
Box dialog box which lets you navigate to the target directory:

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After clicking OK to close the File Reception Box, a pop-up message will prompt you to
validate the new location and warn you that some links may be broken. Bear in mind that
the Move command neither check nor relocate links between documents, you will have to
do it manually using the Edit->Links... command.
Note: the content of the moved document(s) remains unchanged.

10. To rename a document, select the document to be renamed then click the Rename
command or click directly the Rename command then use the File Selection dialog box to
navigate to the file to be renamed.

In both cases, a warning window informs you that only the persistent file name will be
modified, the name of the loaded document will not be impacted. This means that the new
document name will appear in your Explorer window, for instance, but the original name
will still be displayed when loading your document in a Version 5 session. As a
consequence, links may no longer work.
Click OK to close the warning window then enter the new name in the Rename dialog box
that opens:

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Bear in mind that the Rename command neither check nor relocate links between
documents. If links are broken, you have to relocate them manually using the Edit>Links... command.

Note: the content of the renamed document(s) remains unchanged.

11. To delete one or several documents, select the document(s) to be deleted then click the
Delete

command or click directly the Delete command then use the File Selection

dialog box to navigate to the file(s) to be deleted.

Be careful not to select any loaded or open document, otherwise a warning message will
inform you that the removal is not allowed.
After selecting the file(s) to be deleted, a warning window informs you that some links
may no longer work.
Bear in mind that the Delete command neither check nor relocate links between
documents, you will have to do it manually using the Edit->Links... command.

12. To find a document, select it then click the Find

icon from the Desk toolbar to open the

File Selection dialog box which lets you navigate to the document to be found.

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13. To upgrade or check a document, select it then click the CATDUAV5

icon or check the

CATDUAV5... option from the Desk toolbar. This opens the Data Upward Assistant in your
Version 5 session.

For detailed information on how to use the Data Upward Asssistant, refer to Using
CATDUA V5 in Interactive Mode in this guide.
The FileDesk workbench also lets you use the following commands:

File->Send To->Directory once you have selected a document in the Desk

Edit->Links: once you have selected a document shown in white (i.e. loaded) in the
Desk then the Links... contextual command or the Link Edition
icon from the
Desk toolbar.
Note that while using the Links... command, you can select other documents from the
Desk to display their related items interactively in the Links dialog box

File->Save All

File->Save Management.

For more information on these commands, refer to the corresponding task in this guide by
clicking one of the above hyperlinks.

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Displaying Document Links

This task shows you how to display document links.

Only direct links i.e. external documents directly pointed to by the active document can be displayed using the Edit->Links...
command. Thus, inactive documents must be activated before displaying their links.
Note that you can also select an element from the graph to display its links.

Open the document Links.CATProduct.

1. Select the Edit->Links... command.

The Links of document dialog box appears:

The file-related information in the bottom left-hand corner of the Links dialog box indicates the Pointed document, i.e.
the path and name of the document pointed to in the session.

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Under the Links tab, several columns are displayed to provide link-related information:

"From element": the pointing element

"To element": the pointed element

"Pointed document": the document containing the pointed element

"In Instance": the product instance in which the pointed element has been selected (this column is displayed for
products only)

"Link type": the type of the link, e.g. Instance, ViewLink, Import, CCP and so on

"Owner": the element to which the link belongs to

"Status": the status of the link. A link may be assigned one of the following statuses:

OK

Not synchronized

Reference not found

Document not found

Document not loaded

Isolated.

Note: when working with a disconnected network, any linked document loaded in your current Version 5 session
before disconnection will still be found and thus, will be assigned the status "OK".
However, an error message will be displayed when trying to load the document.
If the linked document has not been loaded before disconnection, the status will be "Document not loaded" and an
error message will also be displayed when trying to load or save the document.

2. Use the "Link type filter" and the "Owner Filter" drop-down lists to filter the information to be displayed respectively in
the "Link type" and "Owner" columns.
By default, these lists contain the value "All" which means that no filter is applied and thus, all links are displayed
regardless of their type and owner.

3. Click the Pointed documents tab to display only the documents pointed to by the current object. By default, the document
selected in the Links tab is also selected when accessing Pointed documents.
As soon as one of the displayed lines is selected, the Open button is activated:

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For detailed information about managing document links using this tab, refer to Editing Document Links.

4. Click the Open button.

The Links of document dialog box disappears and the file CHC.CATPart, i.e. the file pointing to Links.CATProduct, is
displayed.

You can view the links of a specific element (without displaying those of the current document viewed as a whole) just
by selecting the desired item in the geometry before running the Edit->Links... command.

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This task shows you how to edit document links.

Only direct links i.e. external documents directly pointed to by the active document can be displayed using the Edit->Links... command. Thus,
inactive documents must be activated before displaying their links.
Note that you can also select an element from the graph to display its links.

Open the document Links.CATProduct.

1. Select the Edit -> Links... command.

The Links of document dialog box appears, confirming that two links have been found to the documents CHC.CATPart and
Part2.CATPart:

2. Click OK and exit your session.

3. Move the document CHC.CATPart to another folder.

4. Restart your session, then reopen the document Links.CATProduct.

The Open dialog box appears, explaining that the document CHC.CATPart could not be found:

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Whenever a document is opened and one or more of its links are invalid, the Open dialog box appears along with the document
opened and a broken link icon appears in the specification tree.

There are several reasons why a link may no longer work:

the files could not be found which means they have been moved, renamed or deleted
or the files contain the wrong information which means they still have the same name but a content different from the files
originally pointed to.

If you click the Close button, you can select the Edit -> Links... command, the dialog box will display the following information in
the Pointed documents tab:

Just select the not found element then click the Find button to access the missing file via the File Selection dialog box.

5. Click the Desk button or double-click the file path inside the field in the Open dialog box.
You can check link validity at any time using this command.
The Desk window appears:

6. Click the document shown in red in the Desk window.

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7. Right-click then select the Find menu.

The File Selection dialog box opens:

8. Explore your file system to find the file, select it, then click Open.

The File Selection dialog box disappears and the file CHC.CATPart, i.e. the file pointed to by Links.CATProduct is now displayed in
white.

9. If you want to open the CHC.CATPart from the Desk, just select it then click Open in the contextual menu:

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For more information on the Desk, refer to the Using the FileDesk Workbench in this guide.
10. If you now select the Edit->Links... command with the EditLinks.CATDrawing document active, the Links dialog box will indicate that
the right file has been found and loaded ("OK" Status).

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The Links tab lets you manage individually each link you select from the list:

use the Load button to load parts (and parts only) that are not loaded. The status will change from "Document not loaded" to
"Loaded"
use the Synchronize button to update the links in your document. In that case, the link Status will change from "Not
synchronized" to "OK". However, be careful when replacing elements because not all element types are compatible. For example,
a line cannot be replaced by a circle or curve as their specifications are different, and the synchronization will not be allowed
use the Activate/Deactivate button to avoid the synchronization of deactivated links during part update. A symbol in the
specification tree identifies any element being "activated" (

) or "deactivated" (

use the Isolate button to remove a link. The link Status will then change to "Isolated" to indicate that the link to the pointed
element is broken
use the Replace button to replace the selected link with another one. This button opens the File Selection dialog box to let you
navigate to the desired file. Once the element has been replaced, the new element name is displayed along with its status in the
Links dialog box.

Depending on the document environments you allowed in the Document settings, an additional window may appear simultaneously
to the File Selection dialog box to let you access your documents using alternate methods.
This additional window will allow you to, for instance, replace a link with another one pointing to an element opened in your current
Version 5 as you could it with the former Replace in Session button.
For detailed information, refer to "Opening Existing Documents Using the Browse Window".

The Refresh button lets you update the links related to the document without having to close then re-open the Links dialog box.
This is especially useful when trying to re-access pointed documents that are not found (for instance, after a network disconnection):
in that case, clicking the Refresh button avoids you to re-select the Edit->Links... command to display an updated view of the links.

11. Access the Pointed documents tab which also enables you to edit links but this time, you will manage a list of documents and not a list
of links:

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the Replace button lets you replace a pointed document with another one and reroute any links that may exist to this
document.
To do so, select the pointed document to be replaced from the list, click the Replace button to open the File Selection dialog
box, navigate to the desired file then click Open: the file opens and the links from all pointing documents loaded in session will
be rerouted to the replacing document. Pointing documents which are not loaded in session will still point to the replaced
document.
In case a problem occurs during the replacement, a diagnosis window will be displayed.

However, bear in mind that a replacement needs to be performed under certain conditions to succeed:

the names of the replaced and replacing documents should be different

the links to the replacing document should allow the replacement, i.e. they can be modified to match the path of the
replacing document.

It is also recommended that the replaced and replacing documents have the same internal identifier (UUID), which means
that the replacing document should have been created as a copy of the original document using the File->Save As...
command.

the Find button is relevant for broken links only: clicking it opens the File Selection dialog box to let you browse your file system
and find the missing file(s).

Note: Depending on the document environments you allowed in the Document settings, an additional window may appear
simultaneously to let you access your documents using an alternate method. For detailed information, refer to "Opening Existing
Documents using the Browse Window".

the Load button lets you load pointed documents which have been found but not loaded in your current session.

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Running Batches
Running Batches Using the Batch Monitor
Running the CATDUAV5 Batch
Running the Print Batch
Running the Downward Compatibility Batch
Running the Data Life Cycle Batch

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Running Batches Using the Batch Monitor

This task shows you how to run and use the CATUTIL functionality which lets you either open the Batch Monitor providing the list
of available batches, or access a specific batch interface or run a batch directly from the command line.
Note that this functionality is available on both Windows and UNIX.

Bear in mind that the Batch Monitor does not run within the Version 5 process, whether it is accessed from a Version 5 session or
from the command line. The Batch Monitor is a standalone process which means that it remains open after closing your Version 5
session.

Batches can also be submitted for execution on a remote computer, on both Windows and UNIX. Refer to Running Batches in
Remote Mode.
The four different methods you can use to run the CATUTIL command are detailed below:

Method 1: Accessing the desired batch interface

On Windows
a. Open a command prompt (MS-DOS) window.
b. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product:
The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\code\bin
c. Enter the command:

CATUTIL -Name batch_name

(for instance CATUTIL -Name PrintBatch)
The corresponding batch interface opens.

On UNIX
a. Change to the directory:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/
b. Run the command:
./catstart -run CATUTIL -Name batch_name

Method 2: Running the batch without accessing the batch interface

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On Windows
a. Open a command prompt (MS-DOS) Window.
b. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.
The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\OS_a\code\bin
c. Still in the default folder, enter the command:

CATUTIL -Name batch_name name_of_xml_file.xml

(for instance CATUTIL -Name PrintBatch MyBatch.xml)
The batch executes.

On UNIX
a. Change to the installation folder.
b. Enter the following command:
./catstart -run CATUTIL -Name batch_name name_of_xml_file.xml

Method 3: Accessing the Batch Monitor from the command line

On Windows
a. Open a command prompt (MS-DOS) Window.
b. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.
The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\OS_a\code\bin
c. Still in the default folder, enter the command:

CATUTIL
The Batch Monitor window opens.

On UNIX
a. Change to the installation folder.
b. Enter the following command:
./catstart -run CATUTIL
The Batch Monitor window opens.

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Method 4: Accessing the Batch Monitor from a Version 5 session

a. Start a Version 5 session.
b. Select the Tools->Utility... command.

The Batch Monitor window opens:

A list of Version 5 batches along with their description is displayed in the Type column.
This list may vary according to the licenses you set up during installation:

AnalysisUpdateBatch: lets you update and compute a CATAnalysis document.

Batch-DXF-IGES-STEP: lets you exchange data between Version 5 and DXF, IGES/STEP

ExtractModelFromSequential: lets you extract CATIA Version 4 models from CATIA Version 4 sequential files

MigrateV4ToV5: lets you convert CATIA Version 4 models into CATIA Version 5 models

CATDMUBuilder: lets you build CATProducts using given product structures and feed the cache with these product
structures
CATDMUUtility: lets you generate cgr, 3dmap, hcg, wrl and NCGM formats from a CATIA file or from a MULTICAD
file
CATDUAV5: lets you use the CATIA Version Data Upward Assistant allowing you to have a support for CATIA level
changes, to make a diagnostic, and eventually a healing of CATIA Version 5 data
Data Life Cycle: provides a user interface and capabilities common to all batches dealing with data life cycle, i.e.
CATDUAV5, Downward Compatibility and Extract Model From Sequential

DownwardCompatibility: lets you reuse Version 5 data from one release to another

UpdateBatch: lets you update a list of CATDrawing documents

PrintBatch: lets you print your documents without running Version 5.

The user guides containing the related documentation are detailed further in this task.

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Note: The Help->Batch Monitor Help menu item lets you access the general online documentation on the Batch
Monitor. This menu item is now available in all tabs, i.e. Utilities, Start and Processes.
From V5R13 onwards, when selecting a batch under the Utilities tab, you can also use the Batch Monitor Help
contextual command to open the batch-specific online documentation.
icon in the top right corner (on Windows)
This batch-specific documentation can also be accessed when clicking the
or the Help button (on UNIX) in the corresponding batch interface.
However, when accessing the online documentation from the batch monitor, the framed layout containing the Home
Page, Full-Text Search, Workbench Indexes, Automation, Conventions and Copyrights buttons is not available.
At this point, you can either run the batch directly (provided that you already defined all the necessary data in the
corresponding XML file) or you may need to define the batch parameters before running the batch.

Running the batch directly from the Batch Monitor

If you already have an XML file containing all the necessary inputs, there is no need for you to define the batch
parameters and you can run the batch directly. To do so:

1. In the Utilities tab, select the batch then the File->Associate a parameters file command (or use the Associate a
parameters file contextual command), navigate to the folder in which you saved the XML file then click Open to validate.

2. Access the Start tab which now displays the name and location of the XML file you associated to the batch:

3. Select the File->Run command (or right-click the batch to run then select the Run contextual command): the batch
execution starts.
Note: you can instantiate another batch while the current batch is running.
The Start tab also lets you delete a batch from the list by selecting it from the list then choosing the Edit->Delete
command (or using the Delete contextual command).

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4. Access the Processes tab to get some information on the batch execution:

The following batch-related information are displayed:

name of the batch

name of the parameters file used to run the batch

status of the batch ("Ended", etc.)

start and end time, respectively in the "Beginning at" and "Ending at" columns

return code: "0" means that the batch executed correctly, "1" means that an error occurred

result of the batch execution (either "Succeeded" or "Failed")

batch identification number.

The Processes tab also lets you interrupt the batch execution. To do so, select the desired batch in the list then the
Interrupt contextual command.
You can also delete a batch from the list by selecting the corresponding line then the Delete contextual command.

5. To display the report of the batch execution, double-click the desired batch in the list to open the Results window:

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This window indicates the beginning and end date and time of the batch execution as well as the name and path of the
documents that have been processed.
You can then:

click the Save button to save your results in the folder of your choice. The file formats available are .txt and .xml

click the Close button to close the window and go back to the Batch Monitor.

6. Select the File->Exit command to exit the batch monitor.

Defining the batch parameters

1. Double-click the batch to run from the list. This opens the corresponding batch interface, as shown below with PrintBatch
as example:

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You can also access the batch interface by:

right-clicking the desired batch then selecting the New parameters file contextual command

or selecting the batch from the list then the File->New Parameters file command.

2. Set the batch parameters as explained in the corresponding documentation. For detailed information on:

AnalysisUpdateBatch: refer to the Generative Structural Analysis User's Guide - Computing Using a

Batch

Batch-DXF-IGES-STEP, refer to the Data Exchange Interfaces User's Guide - STEP/3D IGES Batch Processing
ExtractModelFromSequential, refer to the V4 Integration User's Guide - Extract Version 4 Models from Sequential
Files in Batch Mode
MigrateV4ToV5, refer to the V4 Integration User's Guide - How to Launch the V4 To V5 Migration Batch: via the
Batch Monitor

CATDMUBuilder, refer to the DMU Navigator User's Guide - Running the CATDMUBuilder Batch Process

CATDMUUtility, refer to DMU Navigator User's Guide - Running the CATDMUUtility Batch Process

CATDUA V5 Batch, refer to Using CATDUAV5 Batch in this guide

Data Life Cycle, refer to Running the Data Life Cycle Batch in this guide

DownwardCompatibility, refer to Using the Version 5 Compatibility Batch in this guide

UpdateBatch, refer to the Generative Drafting User's Guide - Updating Drawings via the Batch Monitor.

PrintBatch, refer to Printing in Batch Mode in this guide

In our example, the following parameters have been defined:

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3. Click the Licensing Setup... button and select a license authorizing the use of the batch you want to run.
If you run a batch without previously selecting a license, the system reads the License.CATSettings file and tries to run the
batch with the licenses found in this file.
If you do not succeed in running the batch due to a licensing problem, click the Licensing Setup... button and select a
license from the list.
When you click on this button, the system searches for both nodelock licenses installed on your computer and network
licenses accessible from your computer and displays the list of licenses found. The list displayed will contain the same
licenses visible in the Tools->Options->Licensing tab.
Then, select the appropriate license from the list.
The license is only acquired temporarily for the duration of the batch execution.

4. Click the Save button then navigate to save your XML file in the desired location.
You can now either click Run to run the batch from the interface of the selected batch or click Cancel to close the window
and go back to the Batch Monitor (if you want to start other batches for instance).

5. Access the Start tab which now displays the name and location of the xml file containing the batch parameters you defined
in step 5 as well as the name of host machine if you run the batch in remote mode:

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6. If you did not run the batch at step 5, select the File->Run command (or right-click the batch to run then select the Run
contextual command): the batch executes.
Note: you can instantiate another batch while the current batch is running.
The Start tab also lets you delete a batch from the list by selecting it from the list then choosing the Edit->Delete
command (or by using the Delete contextual command).

7. Access the Processes tab to get some information on the batch execution:

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The following batch-related information is displayed:

name of the batch

name of the parameter file used to run the batch

name on the host machine (if you run the batch on a remote machine)

status of the batch ("Ended", "Running", etc.)

feedback on the batch completion in the "Progress" column. "100%" is displayed when the batch is ended

start and end time, respectively in the "Beginning at" and "Ending at" columns

return code: "0" means that the batch executed correctly, "1" means that an error occurred

result of the batch execution (either "Succeeded" or "Failed")

batch identification number.

The Processes tab also lets you interrupt the batch execution. To do so, select the desired batch from the list then the
Interrupt contextual command.
You can also delete a batch from the list by selecting the corresponding line then the Delete contextual command.

8. To display the report of the batch execution, double-click the desired batch in the list to open the Results window:

This window indicates the beginning and end date and time of the batch execution as well as the name and path of the
documents that have been processed.
You can then:

click the Save button to save your results in the folder of your choice. The file formats available are .txt and .xml

click the Close button to close the window and go back to the Batch Monitor.

9. Select the File->Exit command to exit the batch monitor.

Running Batches in Remote Mode

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You have already learnt how to run batches on your local machine.
However, certain batches are CPU-intensive, so in certain cases it may be advisable to distribute batch processing to optimize CPU
time on the local machine. The batch monitor lets you submit certain batches on remote machines accessible on your network.
Two implementations for remote batch execution are supported:

with the first implementation, the batch monitor requires no external software as a prerequisite since it can work using the
communications backbone packaged with the core Version 5 software
if you install and configure the IBM MQSeries Version 5.2 product, you will be able to run and monitor batches on a remote
computers using both the batch monitor and the MQSeries command line syntax.

This section concentrates on running remote batches using the batch monitor.
For full details about the administration tasks involved in setting up both the local and remote machines using both
implementations, refer to Setting Up Batch Monitoring Using the Communications Backbone and MQSeries in your Infrastructure
Installation Guide.

Using the Communications Backbone

1. Log onto the remote machine on which you want to run the batch.
2. Start the start the server monitor as follows:
On Windows
1. Open a Command Prompt window and go to the following Version 5 installation folder, for example:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\code\bin
2. Run the command:
catstart -run "CATBatSrvMonitorExe BB"
A message will confirm that the BB service has been started.
On UNIX
1. Open a window and go to the following Version 5 installation folder, for example:
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/os_a/code/command
where "OS_a" is:

aix_a

hpux_b

irix_a

solaris_a.

2. Run the command:

catstart -run "CATBatSrvMonitorExe BB"
3. Log onto the local machine and start a Version 5 session.
4. Select the Tools->Utility... command to access the Batch Monitor.
5. Select a batch which can be run on a remote machine (for example, the Downward Compatibility batch) by double-clicking
it in the list.
As is the case for all batch dialog boxes supporting remote batch execution, the dialog box contains the following area:

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By default, the "Run Local" option is active.

6. Check the "Run Remote" option and enter the hostname of the remote machine on which you started the server monitor:

7. Click the Licensing Setup... button.

If the following error message occurs:
Client Batch Monitor ERROR : cannot connect to xxxx
it is due to one of the following causes:

the remote machine "xxxx" to which you are trying to connect does not exist

the server monitor was not started on the remote machine "xxxx".

The list of licenses installed on or accessible to the remote machine is displayed:

It is essential to understand that the list of licenses comes from the remote machine.
8. Select a license and click the OK button:

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If you run the batch without selecting a license using the Licensing Setup button, the software uses the
Licensing.CATSettings file located on the local machine, transmits the license requests to the remote machine, and
tries to locate the license on the remote machine.
If no license is found, it will try to locate and use a nodelock license on the remote machine.
9. Submit the batch.

Using IBM MQSeries

Using IBM MQSeries for running batches is more complicated than using the communications backbone, as far as setting the
product up is concerned.
On the local machine from which you submit the batch for remote execution:

you need the Version 5 core software

the local machine must be configured as an MQSeries client

and the remote machine must be configured as an MQSeries server

the server monitor must be started on the remote machine

and a variable must be exported on the local machine before starting Version 5.
1. Once all the IBM MQSeries setup tasks on both the client and server have been performed (including starting the server
monitor as was the case for the communications backbone) log onto the local machine.
2. Export the following variable on the client:
CATBATCHMQ=1
to specify that you are using the MQSeries communications driver.
3. Start a Version 5 session.
4. Select the Tools->Utility... command to access the Batch Monitor.

From here onwards, you submit remote batches in exactly the same way as described above for the communications
backbone.

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Using CATDUAV5 Batch

This task will show you how to use the Data Upward Assistant in Batch mode, also called the
CATDUAV5 Batch.
This batch lets you use the CATIA Version 5 Data Upward Assistant allowing you to have a support
CATIA level change, to make a diagnostic, and eventually a healing of CATIA document (CATPart,
CATProduct, CATProcess, CATAnalysis, CATDrawing).
In this task, you will see how to:

define the batch parameters

save the batch parameters

run the batch directly from the CATDUAV5 dialog box

run the CATDUAV5 Batch directly from the Batch Monitor

visualize the report of the CATDUAV5 Batch execution in the Batch Monitor

For this task, you have to open the Batch Monitor dialog box either in or out of a CATIA V5 session.
To know how to access to the Batch Monitor, see Using the Batch Monitor in this guide.

Defining the batch parameters

1. Select CATDUAV5 in Utilities tab of the Batch Monitor dialog box.
2. Select New parameters file in the File menu.
The CATDUAV5 dialog box appears.

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You can also open the CATDUAV5 batch via the Data Life Cycle Batch.

Output directory: this field contains the path directory indicates where the check/upward
results and eventually the upgraded document will be stored.
Document(s) to process: this field lists all the documents you have selected in order to check
or upgrade them.

Select: this button lets you choose the documents you want to check or to upgrade.

Remove: this button lets you deselect a previously selected document.

Process pointed documents: this option lets you choose if you want to check or upgrade all
the linked components of a CATProduct.
Replace: this option lets you replace the upgraded document in the output directory you had
previously specified.

Check: lets you choose the check mode.

Clean: lets you choose the upward mode.

Save: this button lets you save the associated xml file. This save will let you launch other
executions of the CATDUAV5 Batch.

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Run: lets you start the CATDUAV5 Batch execution.

Cancel: lets you cancel the CATDUAV5 Batch execution.

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3. Click the Browse button to select the output directory.

The BrowseDirBox dialog box appears.

4. Choose the path directory you want and click OK in the BrowseDirBox dialog box.
The CATDUAV5 dialog box is updated and the path directory appears in the Output directory field.

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5. Click the Select button to select the document you want to check or upgrade.
The FileBox dialog box appears.

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6. Select the CATIA document you want to check or upgrade and click Open in the FileBox dialog
box.
The CATDUAV5 dialog box is updated and the name and the path of the selected document appears
in the Document(s) to process field.

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You can remove a CATIA document in the Document(s) to process field.

For this, select the document you want to remove and click the Remove button.
You can check or upgrade all the linked components of a CATProduct.
For this, select the Process pointed documents option.
You can save the upgraded document in the output directory you have previously specified.
For this, select the Replace option.
If this document has been previously upgraded and saved in the output directory, this option
will replace automatically the old document by the new one.
You can cancel the CATDUAV5 Batch execution at any time you want.
For this, click the Cancel button in the CATDUAV5 dialog box.

7. Select one of the two following options:

Check: if you only want to check the document.

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Clean: if you want to check and upgrade the document.

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Saving the batch parameters

You have to save the batch parameters if you want to postpone the batch execution or reuse the
batch parameters for another batch execution.
Note that you can save the xml file and run the batch execution directly from the CATDAUV5 dialog
box.
8. Click the Save button.
The BrowseSave dialog box appears and lets you save the associated xml file and save the
parameters you just have defined.
This file contains information about the batch (name of the batch, name of the documents you want
to check or upgrade, path directory of the check/upward report, ...).

You can immediately run the CATDUAV5 Batch either from the CATDUAV5 dialog box or from the
Batch Monitor.

Running the CATDUAV5 Batch from the CATDUAV5 dialog box

Note that you can perform the following action without saving the xml file.
9. Click the Run button to start the CATDUA V5 Batch execution.

Running the CATDUAV5 Batch directly from the Batch Monitor

Note that you can perform the following actions only if you already have one or several xml file
containing all the necessary information about the batch parameters.
10. Close the CATDUAV5 dialog box.
11. Select Associate a parameters file in the File menu in the Batch Monitor dialog box.
The FileBox dialog box appears to let you select the xml file you want to associate to the CATDUAV5
Batch execution.
12. Click Open in the FileBox dialog box.
The name and the path directory of the file are displayed in the Start tab of the Batch Monitor
dialog box.
Note: You can associate several xml files in order to obtain a list of batches that you
could run later.

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13. Select the file associated to the batch you want to run in the Start tab.
14. Select Run in the File menu to start the batch execution.

Visualizing the report of a batch execution in the Batch Monitor

The report of the CATDUAV5 Batch execution is stored in the Processes tab of the Batch Monitor
dialog box. You can find the following information :

name

batch identification number

status (in progress or ended)

start and end time

return codes detected

information (success of the execution)

In the batch mode, all levels of priority are automatically processed.

To know how to have access to the results of the check/upward execution, refer to Viewing Results
of CATDUA V5 Execution in this guide.

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Running the Version 5 Compatibility Batch

This task aims at explaining how to use the Version 5 Compatibility Batch. This batch provides downward
compatibility between the most recent release (including service packs) down to V5R6, which means that
Version 5 data can be reused from one release to another.

Bear in mind that downward compatibility is relevant for .CATPart documents only.
If you select a CATPart document, the PartBody will be copied and pasted "AsResultWithLink" to the target
document.
Open Bodies are not converted as a whole. Only the feature defined as an external view in the Generative
Shape Design workbench will be copied and pasted "AsResultWithLink" to the target document.

1. Open an MS-DOS Window.

2. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.
The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\code\bin
Before running the batch, make sure that your environment is correctly set up. On Windows, the
batch environment is installed during Version 5 installation. On UNIX, you have to set up this
environment before running a session. For more information, refer to Starting a Session on UNIX.
3. You can then run the downward compatibility tool:

in a "full batch" mode (i.e. without accessing the interface) by entering the command:

CATDownwardCompatibility -arg
CATDownwardCompatibility [-h / -id inputDirectory [-if inputfile/-il inputlist] -od
outputDirectory -action [Convert/Synchro/Info] -version CATIAV5Ri -report
reportFile.txt]

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Argument

Description

-h

Online help. Writes in the standard output the list of valid arguments
CATDownwardCompatibility [-h / -id inputDirectory [-if inputfile /
-il inputlist] -od outputDirectory -report reportFile
-h: help
-id: intput directory or DLNAME
-if: input file containing a list of documents to process
-il: input list of document to process (-if or -il parameter is mandatory)
-action: an action requested such as

"Convert": converts a document to a document readable in

the version defined in -version parameter
"Synchro": synchronizes a converted document on the
original file
"Info": gives information on the selected members.

Action parameter is mandatory

-version: targeted Version 5 version mandatory for "Convert" action (not
used in "Synchro" & "Info" action mode)
-od: output Directory or DLNAME mandatory for "Convert" action (not
used in "Synchro" & "Info" action mode)
-report: Report file name

-id

Input Directory
Defines the path name or the DLNAME containing the documents to
process.
This parameter is not mandatory. It is useful if all documents are
extracted from the same directory.

-if

Selection Criterion
Input file containing a list of documents to process with the appropriate
file extension.
If a document is a concatenation of path (or DLNAME) and name, the
input directory is ignored.
At least one of the (-id/-if) parameters is mandatory, (-id/-if) parameters
can be defined several times.
The batch aborts if no selection criterion is defined.

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-il

Selection criterion
Input list of documents to process with the appropriate file extension.
If a document is a concatenation of path (or DLNAME) and name, the
input directory is ignored.
At least one of the (-id/-if) parameters is mandatory, (-id/-if) parameters
can be defined several times.
The batch aborts if no selection criterion is defined.

-od

Output Directory
Defines the pathname or the DLNAME where the converted documents
are written.
This parameter is mandatory for "Convert" action. The batch aborts if no
output directory is defined.

-action

Requested action
The action can be:

"Convert" : Converts a document into a format which can be read on

the target release

"Synchro" : Synchronizes a converted document with the original file

"Info" : Gives information on the selected members.

This parameter is mandatory. The batch aborts if no action is defined.

-version

Targeted CATIA version for the "Convert" action

This parameter is mandatory for "Convert" action. The batch aborts if no
version is defined.

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-report

Report File name

Gives the possibility to save the "report" in the desired file and directory.
This report provides information on the processed documents:

Name of the processed document

Corresponding return code:

ReturnCode = 0 the batch ended successfully

ReturnCode = 4

at least one document could not be processed

ReturnCode = 8

the batch aborted.

The Report File can be a concatenation of path (or DLNAME) and name. It
is automatically suffixed with ".txt".
This parameter is optional. If no Report file is defined, the report is
written in the standard output.

using the interactive interface by entering the command:

CNEXT -batch -e CATUIDownwardCompatibility

The CATIA V5 Compatibility Batch window opens:

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Note: you can also run the Downward Compatibility Batch using the Batch Monitor which lets you
access a specific batch interface or run a batch directly from the command line.
In that case, an additional area will be displayed at the bottom of the window to let you select a
license using the Licensing Setup... button.

4. In the Target Directory field, key in the output directory or DLName or, click the

button to

navigate through the file tree to the desired directory.

This field is mandatory and is initialized with the current or temporary directory by default.

5. If you want to convert all the documents pointed to by the document to be converted, check the
Pointed documents option.
Make sure to check this option before adding a document to the V5 Document Selected area,
otherwise it will have no effect.

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6. When using the "Convert" action, you can check the Replace option if you want the converted
document to replace automatically the one which has been previously saved in the target directory, if
any (for instance, when you convert twice the same document and you want the second conversion to
replace the first one).

7. Click the

button to select the documents to be converted. This button opens the File Selection

dialog box which lets you navigate and select the desired documents. The selected documents will
then be displayed in the V5 Document Selected area.
The V5 Document to Process area will display the document to be converted as well as all its
dependencies (multi-model links).
In case a selected document cannot be converted, a pop-up warning is displayed to explain why the
conversion cannot be performed. You just have to re-select the document in the V5 Document
button. The selected document and all its related files will be
Selected area then click the
removed from the list, provided that these related files are not linked to another document.

8. Select the action to be performed from the pulldown list (where you see "Convert" right now):

Convert

Converts a document into a format which can be read on the target release.
For each selected document, the Report informs you about the process (i.e. converted or
not) and the result (i.e. success or failure).
Note that there are particular cases when selecting the documents to be converted:
Case 1
The document to be converted is already a conversion of another document. In that
case, it is recommended to select rather the father document than the converted
document to avoid the conversion of a converted document:

if the father document is accessible and readable, the selection of the child document
cannot be performed. A pop-up warning is displayed and prompts the user to select
the father document instead:

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The user cannot force the conversion of the child document, unless the father
document is removed or renamed.

if the father document can be neither accessed nor read (release posterior to the
execution release), a pop-up warning informs you that the document is already a
converted document:

However, the selection is accepted and the document will be considered as any
other document. The converted document will then point to the father
document and not to the original document.
In the Report window, you will be informed that the document is already a
converted document and the status of the father document (name, availability
and minimum release to be read) will be indicated.
Case 2

If the pointed document cannot be found (or has been removed), it is displayed as
being selected.
The Report window informs you that the document cannot be accessed
If a selected or pointed document is not readable in the execution release, it is
selected. The Report window informs you that the document is unreadable and will
give you the minimum release to read the document.

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Synchronize

Synchronizes a document. This action is relevant for converted documents whose original
documents have been modified.
Selecting this option deactivates the incompatible fields which are Target Directory
(since documents are written in the same location after synchronization) and the field
indicating the target version.
For each selected document, the Report gives you information about the process (i.e.
synchronized or not) and the result (i.e. success or failure).
Note that there are particular cases when selecting documents to be synchronized:
Case 1
The document to be synchronized is not a converted image of another document: in that
case, a pop-up warning is displayed and the selection cannot be performed:

Case 2
The document to be converted is already a converted image:

if the father document is accessible and readable,

the selection can be performed. The father
document is not displayed in the list of pointed
documents
if the father document is not accessible, the
selection cannot be performed and a pop-up
warning is displayed.

All pointed documents (except the father document) are displayed in the list of
documents to be synchronized, whether they are converted images, accessible, readable
in the execution release or not. The Report window will indicate the status of each
document.

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Info

Provides general information about the document.

Selecting this option deactivates the incompatible fields which are Target Directory (no
document is written when the Info option is activated) and the field indicating the target
version.
For each document to be converted, the report indicates

the minimum release version enabling the document to be read without any
conversion
if the document is already a converted image:

the name of the father document along with its availability

the minimum release version for reading the father document without conversion

When swapping from one action to another, the selected documents must comply to the selection
rules of the new action.

9. Select the target release from the list: CATIAV5R6, CATIAV5R7, CATIAV5R8, and so on.
This list can be accessed in "Convert" action only, otherwise it is grayed.

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10. Click the Execute button to run the batch.

Note: In case one of the above fields is not correctly filled, the Execute button is grayed.
Once the conversion is over, the Report window opens.

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The report indicates if each of the selected documents has been processed or not along with the
result (success or failure).
The report contains only text and cannot reference images, URL links, etc.
At the end of the report, one of the following return codes will be displayed:

ReturnCode = 0

the batch ended successfully

ReturnCode = 4

at least one document could not be processed

ReturnCode = 8

the batch aborted.

If you wish to save the report, just click the Save As Text button.
In case you want to modify your conversion parameters, you must close the Report window first
then run the batch once again.

11. Exit the Report window by clicking the cross in the top right corner or the OK button.

Note that if you run the Downward Compatibility Batch via the Batch Monitor, the report will be look
slightly different as shown below:

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The report can be accessed by double-clicking the desired line under the Processes tab.
Then, click Close to close the window and go back to the Batch Monitor.

Running the Downward Compatibility Batch via the Batch Monitor will also generate an XML file in a
temporary folder. This file will be named BatchParameters suffixed by the hour at which the batch
was run (for instance, BatchParameters_14.41.25.xml to indicate that the batch was run at
14.21.25 PM)
However, you can save the XML file under another name and in another location by clicking the
Save button.

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Running the Data Life Cycle Batch

This task will show you how to run the Data Life Cycle batch. The main purpose of this batch is to provide a user interface and
capabilities common to all batches dealing with data life cycle, i.e. CATDUAV5, Downward Compatibility and Extract Model From
Sequential.
This scenario will explain how to:

access the Data Life Cycle interface

define your batch parameters

run a batch directly from the Batch Monitor

run a batch directly from the command line.

You must first access the Data Life Cycle interface: to do so, you can used one of the methods detailed below.

Method 1: Accessing the Data Life Cycle batch interface from the command line

On Windows
a. Open a command prompt (MS-DOS) Window.
b. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.
The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\OS_a\code\bin
c. Still in the default folder, enter the command:
CATUTIL -Name DataLifeCycle
The Data Life Cycle window opens.

On UNIX
a. Change to the installation folder.
b. Enter the following command:

./catstart -run CATUTIL -Name DataLifeCycle

The Data Life Cycle window opens.

Method 2: Accessing the Batch Monitor from the command line

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On Windows
a. Open a command prompt (MS-DOS) Window.
b. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.
The default folder is:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\OS_a\code\bin
c. Still in the default folder, enter the command:

CATUTIL
The Batch Monitor window opens.

On UNIX
a. Change to the installation folder.
b. Enter the following command:
./catstart -run CATUTIL
The Batch Monitor window opens.

Method 3: Accessing the Batch Monitor from a Version 5 session

a. Start a Version 5 session.
b. Select the Tools->Utility command.

The Batch Monitor window opens:

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A list of Version 5 batches along with their description is displayed in the Type column. For detailed information on this
list, refer to Running Batches Using the Batch Monitor.
At this point, you may need to define the batch parameters before running the batch or you run the batch directly from
the Batch Monitor of from the command line (provided that you already defined all the necessary data in the
corresponding XML file).

Defining the batch parameters

1. Double-click Data Life Cycle from the list to open the corresponding batch interface:

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You can also access the batch interface by:

right-clicking "DataLifeCycle" from the list then selecting the New parameters file contextual command

or selecting "DataLifeCycle" from the list then the File->New Parameters file command.

2. Click the

button to open the Document Selection dialog box which lets you search for the file(s) to be processed.

Note: you can still access the former File Selection dialog box instead by exporting the DataLifeCycle_FileBoxR12=1
environment variable.

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You can search for all document types such as:

Version 4 model documents (.model, .library, .session, etc.)

Version 5 documents (.CATPart, .CATProduct, .CATDrawing, .CATProcess, etc.)

text type documents (.xml, .txt, .doc, etc.).

3. Use the buttons displayed to select your documents. Each button opens an additional dialog box as explained below:

Member: lets you select one or several documents in the directory you specify in the File Selection dialog box.
When finished, click Open to validate and close the dialog box

All: lets you select all the documents stored in the directory you specify in the Browse dialog box. When finished,
click OK to validate and close the dialog box

String: lets you search for documents containing the string you specify. Proceed as follows:

enter a search string in the field displayed to the right. For instance, entering pad will search for documents
whose names contain the string "pad"

click the String button to open the Browse dialog box that lets you select the directory to which the filter will be
applied.

click OK to validate and close the Browse dialog box.

When using All and String, you can check the "Extend Selection to Sub-Directories" option to propagate the selection
to the sub-directories of the selected folder.
The Data Life Cycle window is updated and displays the name and path of the selected documents.
The Document Selection box is still displayed in foreground to let you select more documents if needed:

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The Data Life Cycle utility also supports DLNames which are identified by the string CATDLN://.
In that case, the Document Selection Box provides specific dialog boxes to let you access your documents:

clicking the Member button opens the File Selection box dedicated to the DLName environment:

For further information about this dialog box, refer to the Document task.
Click OK when finished selecting your documents.

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clicking the All button opens the DLName dialog box:

Select the desired DLNames then click OK to validate.

to search for a string, enter your criterion in the field then click the String button which opens the above-detailed
DLName dialog box to let you select the DLName in which you want to perform your search.
When finished, click OK to validate and close the DLName dialog box.

The list of documents displayed in the Data Life Cycle window will look something like this:

4. When you have finished selecting documents, click OK or Cancel to close the Document Selection dialog box.
You can perform the following actions on documents displayed in the list:

to remove a document from the list, select it then click the button
to save the processed document in the target directory you specified, check the Replace option. This means that if
a document with the same name already exists in the target directory, this option will automatically replace the old
document by the new one
to selet automatically all the documents pointed to by the document you select, check the Pointed documents
option.

5. In the Selected Operation area, select the utilities you want to run from the Name list.
You can select several utilities if needed, but at least one utility must be selected otherwise, you will not be able to run the
batch.

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The list of available utilities depends on your CATIA configuration.

By default, all the batches available for your configuration are displayed but you can filter the list by selecting a domain
from the "Domain" pulldown list.
For instance, selecting "Data Compatibility" will display the following two utilities only: CATDUA and
DownwardCompatibility.
You can use the multi-selection (using the Ctrl key) to make your choice.
Do not forget that only utilities that have been highlighted in the list will be run.
Note: once several utilities have been selected in the list, you can cancel a selection by re-clicking the desired utility or
by selecting another one. However, when only one utility is selected, it is not possible to cancel the selection.

6. Depending on the selected utility, an additional dialog box will be displayed to prompt you to enter the necessary data. For
instance, selecting "DownwardCompatibility" opens the following dialog box:

Please read the corresponding documentation for detailed information on the available batches:

CATDUA: refer to "Using the CATDUAV5 Batch" in this guide

DownwardCompatibility: refer to "Running the Downward Compatibility Batch" in this guide

ExtractModelFromSequential: refer to "Extract Version 4 Models from Sequential Files in Batch Mode" in the V4
Integration User's Guide.

7. Enter the required data in the additional dialog box, if any, then click OK to validate.

8. Specify the target directory either by entering its path directly in the Target Directory field or by clicking the

button.

The Target Directory field contains the path of the directory in which the report(s) and, eventually, the processed
document(s) will be stored.

This field is mandatory to run the Data Life Cycle batch. By default, it is initialized with the current or temporary
directory, depending on your configuration and on the write access.
As DLNames are supported, you can specify a DLName as target directory by entering the string CATDLN:// followed by
the target DLNAME as shown below:
CATDLN://DLNAME2
or directly
DLNAME2

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button, you can use the BrowseDirBox dialog box to navigate to the desired directory then click

OK to validate.
When working with DLNames, you need to select a target DLName from the list displayed in the DLName dialog box
then click OK to validate.

9. You can associate a script file (i.e. a macro) to the batch.

A macro is a series of functions, written in a scripting language, that you group in a single command to perform the
requested task automatically on a document. For detailed information, refer to Automating Repetitive Tasks Using Macros.

To associate a .catvbs or .catscript file, you can either enter its name and path directly in the VB Macro field or click the
button next to the VB Macro field. Clicking this button opens:

when working in the default document environment (Folder), the standard File Selection dialog box which lets you
navigate to the script file to be used to run the selected batch(es)

when working in a DLName environment, the File Selection dialog box dedicated to DLNames. For further
information about this dialog box, refer to the Document task.

Note that the macro will be executed on each document displayed in the Document Selection list before the selected
utilities when clicking Run.

10. Click OK to validate. The name and path of the selected file is displayed in the VB Macro field.

When a batch has been run at least once or when you click the SAVE button, an XML file containing the batch
parameters is generated. In that case, you can reuse these parameters by right-clicking the Read Input from
parameters File contextual command:

This opens the File Selection dialog box which lets you navigate to the desired XML file.
Note that you can also use DLNames to access your XML file. In that case, the File Selection dialog box will slightly
differ as explained in step 11.
Once the file has been selected, click OK to validate and close the dialog box.
The Data Life Cycle window is then updated and displays all the data contained in the parameter file.

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The next step is not mandatory and concerns users who want to save the batch parameters in a location other than the
default one (which is in a temporary folder). This may be useful if you want to postpone the batch execution or reuse
these parameters later on, for instance.
If you do not want to save the batch parameters in a specific location, skip step 12 and jump to step 13.

11. To save your batch parameters in a specific location, click Save.

A dialog box will open to let you enter a name for the XML file and choose the directory in which the file will be saved.
Click OK when finished to validate and close this dialog box.

12. Click the Licensing Setup... button to select a license authorizing the use of the batch you want to run. Refer to Running
Batches Using the Batch Monitor for detailed information on selecting licenses.

13. Click Run to start the batch execution.

After the batch execution, an XML file containing the batch parameters is generated in a temporary folder. This file will
be named BatchParameters suffixed by the hour at which the batch was run (for instance,
BatchParameters_14.41.25.xml to indicate that the batch was run at 14.21.25 PM).
Some general information on the Data Life Cycle batch execution as well as a report containing the global results of the
batch are also generated in the target directory you have previously specified.

14. To access information on the Data Life Cycle batch execution, click the Processes tab in the Batch Monitor interface:

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The following batch-related information is displayed:

name of the batch

name of the parameter file used to run the batch

status of the batch ("Ended", etc.)

start and end time, respectively in the "Beginning at" and "Ending at" columns

return code: "0" means that the batch executed correctly, "1" means that an error occurred

result of the batch execution (either "Succeeded" or "Failed")

batch identification number.

15. To display the results of the batch execution, double-click the line under the Processed tab:

The following information is displayed in the Results window:

status of the batch execution

path of the processed document(s). This path is the one you indicated in the Target Directory field

return code

path of the html file (named "GlobalResults.htm") containing the global results of the batch execution.

Click Close when finished reading these results.

16. Click the Open html Report

button to open directly the GlobalResults.htm file. This button is activated only once a

report has been generated, otherwise it is grayed.

However, you can still use the former method to visualize the report, i.e. open the result file from the directory in which
it has been saved.

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Note that if a GlobalResults.htm file already exists, it will be automatically replaced by the new one unless you specify a
save location in the Target Directory field.
The GlobalResults.htm file contains a status for each processed document. You can click the hyperlinks (for instance
"OK" next to the name of the processed document) to display more data.
For detailed information on report results specific to a batch, refer to the corresponding batch documentation.

Running a batch directly from the Batch Monitor

If you already have an XML file containing all the necessary inputs, there is no need for you to define the batch parameters and
you can run the batch directly. To do so:

1. In the Utilities tab, select the batch then the File->Associate a parameters file command (or use the Associate a
parameters file contextual command).

2. Navigate to the directory in which you saved the XML file then click Open to validate.

3. Access the Start tab which now displays the name and location of the XML file you associated to the batch.

Note that you can associate several parameter files in order to create a list of batches that you can run later when
needed:

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4. Still in the Start tab, right-click the file associated to the batch you want to run then select the Run contextual command.
Running the batch generates a report containing information on the batch execution and general data are also
displayed in the processes tab.
Refer to Defining the batch parameters above then repeat steps 14 to 16 to access the various data related to the
batch execution.

Running a batch directly from the command line

If you already have an XML file containing all the necessary inputs, this file can be used later on to run the batch using the Batch
Monitor capability but without having to access the Data Life Cycle interface.
1. Access the default folder
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\OS_a\code\bin (on Windows)
or
/usr/DassaultSystemes/B13/OS_a/code/command/ (on UNIX)

2. Run the following command:

CATUTIL -Name DataLifeCycle folder_of_xml_file

(on Windows)

or
./catstart -run CATUTIL -Name DataLifeCycle xml_file

(on UNIX)

where xml_file is the path and name of the BatchParameters_xxx.xml file.