About Downward Compatibility

FBDI, downward compatibility and CoexistenceBatch allow users to migrate their data back and forth between CATIA V5 and 3DEXPERIENCE. Coexistence describes the combined use of these two processes.

This section describes scenarios and error messages associated with downward compatibility-FBDI loop or 3DEXPERIENCE data -> V5 data -> 3DEXPERIENCE content exchange. Any type of data processed by migration utility can be of two types:

• V5 Master
• 3DEXPERIENCE Master

V5 Master data means the data has been first designed on CATIA V5 and a 3DEXPERIENCE Master on 3DEXPERIENCE. The first time a data is imported or exported, the master information is stored into mapping tables as soon as mapping table option is activated in downward compatibility or FBDI. This repository is shared by both migration utilities: V5 Master if FBDI is used or 3DEXPERIENCE Master if downward compatibility is used.

Coexistence is activated by the user Interface through the Use Mapping Table option and managed through Coexistence context.

Downward compatibility manages to export V5 master data (FBDI or CoexistenceBatch manage data designed in CATIA V5 and then imported into 3DEXPERIENCE).

• V5 master data are not re-converted or moved in the target directory but are kept at their original location (the location from which they have been imported) and pointed by newly 3DEXPERIENCE master created data in the target directory. The following information message is displayed:

   V5Master image object doesn't need to be converted.

• When the V5 master data cannot be retrieved at its original location (the file has been moved , removed or has no read access), downward compatibility fails to export the file and does not continue with the export process. The following error message is displayed:

  Error: DownwardCompatibility cannot Convert objects down to "CATIAV5xxx" in coexistence mode. V5Master object "xx" can't be found. Restore the V5 Master object at its original location or change the ownership of the object using CoexistenceAdministration application.

Moreover, coexistence implies that there are some limitations on modification scenarios. A V5 Master data should not be modified on 3DEXPERIENCE and reciprocally. FBDI and downward compatibility coexistence ensures that no CATIA data modification is accidentally overwritten by migration utilities.

Important: It is recommended that: The content exported with downward compatibility should not be modified in CATIA V5 if they can be modified in 3DEXPERIENCE and exported again. No warning message is displayed before the Save documents. If these CATIA V5 documents were modified in CATIA V5 after the previous export, the modification done on the data will be lost. The data imported with FBDI should not be modified in 3DEXPERIENCE if they can be modified in CATIA V5 and imported again in update mode. No warning message is displayed before the PLM Components are overwritten. If these PLM Components were modified in 3DEXPERIENCE after the previous import, the modifications done on the data will be lost.

If 3DEXPERIENCE data (3DEXPERIENCE master) is modified in CATIA V5 and then processed in coexistence scenario:

• Downward compatibility succeeds to export the data even if the V5 file has been modified. The following warning message is displayed:

   Data you are trying to export have first been created on 3DEXPERIENCE session but has been later modified on CATIA V5. It is a conflicting situation. Local CATIA V5 modification have been overwritten.

• Whereas FBDI fails to import the file and does not continue with the import process. The following error message is displayed:

   Data you are trying to import have first been created on 3DEXPERIENCE session but has been later modified on CATIA V5. It is a conflicting situation. Current data as well as its pointed data will not be updated through FBDI.

V5 master and 3DEXPERIENCE master status on object can be changed using the CoexistenceAdministration batch.

Some restrictions apply when defining the report name.

• A string (or the value of a ${VARIABLE}) cannot contain the following characters: * : ? < > | , \\ / ". These characters are ignored when defined in a string.
• A list of "." characters is automatically replaced by a simple ".". A name cannot contain the string "..".
• The global report name defined in the startup XML file has priority. For instance, if you use this command line:

  set CATDWC_GlobalReportName=CATDWC_GlobalResults_Variable

  and if the CATDWC.xml file contains the tag <ReportName>CATDWC_GlobalResults_Xml</ReportName>

  then, the global report will be named CATDWC_GlobalResults_Xml.htm in the report directory.

• If $VARIABLE is not exported or contains invalid characters, it is partially or totally ignored. Below are three examples:

  1) unset TOTO GlobalReport=Myreport.${TOTO} means that the text editor displays Myreport.

  2) set TOTO=":><|\/" GlobalReport=Myreport.${TOTO} means that the text editor displays Myreport.

  3) set TOTO="a?f" GlobalReport=Myreport.${TOTO} means that the text editor displays Myreport.af.

The downward compatibility suffix is composed of two parts: a private part and a public part.

• The private part is .dwc_convert_traces.htm.
• The public part can be changed by entering the string of your choice in the Suffix for object report box.

For instance, if you enter .MyString, then the Suffix for object report box automatically displays dwc_convert_traces.Mystring.htm.

You can change the private string by exporting the CATDWC_ObjectReportName_Convert environment variable to the new default private suffix.

You can define your own default public string and the "public versus private string" position by exporting the CATDWC_ObjectReportNameAttachment environment variable which allows you to:

• Define the position of the public_string versus the private_string.
• Define if the string exported through the CATDWC_ObjectReportName_Convert variable works as a public_string or a private_string (default). For instance:

  set CATDWC_ObjectReportNameAttachment=[iLock,iPosition]

Default values are [1,1]. Exported variables are private_string, positioned as a prefix, i.e. private_stringpublic_string.htm. Possible values are:

• iLock=0,1 (default=1 - CATDWC_ObjectReportName_action is a private_string)
• iPosition=0,1 (default=0 - private_string.public_string)

You can use ${VARIABLE} to valuate the object report's suffix.

You can export environment variables when running the DownwardCompatibility batch.

Below is the exhaustive list of environment variables that can be exported:

Variable	Use
PLMBATCH_DownwardCompatibility_Startup	When the batch has been run at least once, lets you prevaluate parameters by specifying the path of the XML file to be used
PLMBATCH_Default_ReportDir	Lets you change the default report directory by specifying a valid directory (i.e. an existing directory with write access)
CATDWC_GlobalReportName	Lets you change the default Global Report name by specifying a new default name
CATDWC_ObjectReportName_Convert	Lets you change the default private extension of the object report name (".dwc_convert_traces.") by specifying a new default private suffix
CATDWC_ObjectReportNameAttachment	Lets you define your own default public string and the "public versus private string" position. You can: Define the position of the public_string versus the private_string Define if the string exported through CATDWC_ObjectReportName_Convert is a public or a private string (default). For instance: set CATDWC_ObjectReportNameAttachment=[iLock,iPosition] Default values are [1,1]. Exported variables are private_string, positioned as a prefix, i.e. private_stringpublic_string.htm. Possible values are: iLock=0,1 (default=1 - CATDWC_ObjectReportName_Convert is a private_string) iPosition=0,1 (default=0 - private_string.public_string)

In addition to this, you can use ${VARIABLE} to valuate any DownwardCompatibility environment variable.

The DownwardCompatibility batch creates .CATProduct, .CATDrawing and .CATPart new objects including the minimum requested data to support downstream applications.

Mainly:

• Product structure instance/reference positioning is kept.
• In case of a ConvertAsResult: Result geometry (only visible geometry) is kept. Else, the complete CATPart content is kept.
• Colors, layers, structures (part bodies, geometrical sets, etc.) in the CATPart are kept.

All the versions, minor or major, of the same 3DEXPERIENCE object synchronize on the same V5 object.

If you select a shape representation and apply a migration command, a new .CATPart object is created with the targeted version, and data will be copied and pasted to the target object.

If you select a reference object, the product structure including the reference and all the underlying instances and representations is converted into another new one by keeping the product structure of the input data. Specifically, several instances of a single CATPart remain several instances of the same new CATPart. Ports and connections are not in the conversion scope.

The lower target release is restricted to V5R15.

Only "Representations to CATPart data conversion" and "Reference to CATProduct data conversion" can be performed using the DownwardCompatibility batch.

The DownwardCompatibility batch is available in batch mode and in interactive mode.

• Data Selection
• Representations - Conversion of CATParts
• References - Conversion of CATProducts
• Regarding CATDrawing objects, see Interactive Drafting User's Guide: Running the DownwardCompatibility Batch on a Drawing Representation.
• Regarding FTA objects, see Functional Tolerancing and Annotation User's Guide: Functional Tolerancing and Annotation DownwardCompatibility Batch.

Important: You cannot export a 3DEXPERIENCE a Standalone 3DShape or 3DPart Representation without its corresponding reference. Representations without reference are not processed when the batch is run. The following warning is generated Selected 3dShape cannot be exported standalone.

All the resulting documents are saved in the same target directory defined in the main DownwardCompatibility user interface. However, no conflict management is done: for instance, the two PLM_ExternalIDs A/B/C and A//BC result in the same document: ABC.CATxxx.

When the converted object contains specific characters in its PLM_ExternalID, the resulting document is renamed for file system compliance. These specific characters are: * : ? < > | \\ / " (and the blank character on UNIX).

If you select a shape representation and apply a migration command, a new CATPart or CATDrawing is created with the targeted version, and data is copied and pasted to the target document.

If you select a reference document, the product structure including the reference and all the underlying instances and representations is converted into another new one by keeping the product structure of the input data. Specifically, several instances of a single CATPart remain several instances of the same new CATPart.