Running the DownwardCompatibility Batch

You can create downward compatibility between 3DEXPERIENCE and V5. The DownwardCompatibility batch creates new documents (CATParts, CATProducts, and CATDrawings) including the minimum requested data to support downstream applications.

The following elements are kept:

  • Product structure instance/reference positioning
  • Result geometry (only visible geometry)
  • Colors, layers, and structures (part bodies, geometric sets, etc.) in the CATPart

Connections are not in the conversion scope.

After running the batch, an XML report is created along with an XSLT file to help you read the report.

Recommendation: Do not edit and modify V5 converted objects. If you do so, V5 data will not be automatically synchronized or refreshed next time you run the DownwardCompatibility batch. V5 data are synchronized only when 3DEXPERIENCE content is modified.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: To use this batch with a shareable license:

  1. Create and save a .txt file on your machine, with the following content: DownwardCompatibility|name_of_the_shareable_license.prd

  2. Export the following environment variable: PLMBATCH_SharedLicense=C:\temp\path_to_txt_file
See Also
About Downward Compatibility

Select the DownwardCompatibility Batch

This task explains how to access the Batch Monitor to select the DownwardCompatibility batch.

  1. Access the Batch Monitor from a Session.
  2. Double-click DownwardCompatibility.

Search Objects

This task explains how to search the objects to process with the batch.

You cannot export 3DEXPERIENCE content with CAD master. For more information, see Design with CATIA V5 User's Guide and Product Structure Editor User's Guide.

  1. Click 3DEXPERIENCE platform Object Search to open the search dialog box.

    For more information, see:

    • Running queries and Output options, see Searching for Objects.
    • Rename Criteria options, see Searching for Files (if you use the Convert to file conversion type).
    Note: You can search for Persistent Filter objects (also known as Product View Specification objects). This lets you increase efficiency by applying advanced filters to a Root Reference to take into account volumic, domain, or naming criteria.

    Whether you run this batch interactively or from the command line, processed objects and reports only contain the Persistent Filter object (and the name of the PLM Root Reference). The reports do not contain the result of the Persistent Filter's execution.

    For more information about persistent filters, see Product Finder User's Guide: Using Persistent Filters / Using Persistent Searches.

  2. Click Apply to start the search.
    Your search results are displayed in the Object Selection area.
  3. Optional: Click Cancel in the search dialog box to cancel the operation, including the object selection you performed.
    A warning message is displayed and you can either choose to keep your selection by clicking Yes, or confirm the removal by clicking No.
  4. Optional: Remove the objects you do not want to process.
    1. Select the objects to remove.
      Tip: Double-click an object if you want to display the mapping information for this object in a separate window.
    2. Click Removes the selected objects from the list .

Configure the Conversion Operations

This task explains how to choose the appropriate settings depending on the object you want to convert.

  1. In the Convert list, select the target release for the conversion.

    For more information about the versions compatibility, see Release Compatibility.

    Note: If a selected object cannot be converted, a warning appears to explain why the conversion cannot be performed.

  2. Optional: Remove the objects that cannot be converted.
    1. Select the objects in Object Selection.
    2. Click Removes the selected objects from the list .
    The objects are removed with all their related files, provided that these related files are not linked to another object.
  3. Select the conversion type.
    • Use Mapping Tables: runs the batch in asynchronous mode. This mode lets you convert a group of related documents in different steps because mapping tables register what has already been processed in 3DEXPERIENCE. Thus, the conversion only applies to elements that need to be processed.

      This option is activated by default. If deactivated, a data loss might occur when using the converted documents in V5. The directory where the output is stored depends on the context selected in the Context name list.

    • Save converted document in: available only if the Use Mapping Tables option is deactivated. In that case, the output directory for the converted documents is not linked to the context. You need to specify it either by entering directly the path in the box, or by clicking Select location then browsing your file tree to the required location.
  4. In the Context name list, select the Coexistence mapping context.

    A Coexistence mapping context is a couple of strings (context name, parameter, and parameter type) which can be seen as an association between the mapping table string and a logical/physical location. The default mapping context is COEXISTENCE but you can define customized mapping contexts with the Context Management dialog box. For more information, see Setting Up Coexistence Mapping Contexts.

    Important:
    • The context is mandatory.
    • If you leave COEXISTENCE, the output directory and the report directory are the same.
    • Mapping data generated by the DownwardCompatibility action are not compatible with those generated by the CoexistenceBatch action.
      Recommendation: Do not use the same context when converting to a file and when converting to a database.
    • When the DownwardCompatibility dialog box opens, the last used mapping context is displayed (according to the preferences saved in the CATDWCSettingsRep.CATPreferences file).

  5. Click Advanced Options....
  6. In the Geometrical Conversion Option section, select the appropriate conversion option for converting your parts:
    • Convert Part as Specifications
    • Convert Part as Result
      Important:
      • The choice you make in this area will apply to all objects to be converted. You cannot convert a 3D Shape "As Result" and another one "As Specifications" in a single process. If you want to do so, you will need to manually select each 3D Shape, and then run two conversions.
      • If you run two conversions of the same 3D shape, one "As Result" and the other one "As Specifications", the V5 resulting documents is completely different. There is no naming compatibility at feature or geometry level. Therefore, all links created in V5 and pointing to the converted V5 document are broken, except in the case of publications.

    For more information about the conversion options, see About Conversion Modes.

  7. If you selected Convert Part as Result, you can enter the path of the CATPart document to be used as start-up in the Use CATPart Start-Up defined in box.
    1. Click Select location .
    2. Browse your file tree to the required location (only the *.CATPart extension is available).
    When you use a startup CATPart, then the CATPart created by the DownwardCompatibility batch is initialized with the content of startup CATPart.
  8. Click OK.

Run the DownwardCompatibility Batch

This task explains how to define the report location and how to generate it.

  1. In Report directory box:
    • Enter the directory where you want to save the report.
    • Click Change the Target Directory to navigate through the file tree to the required directory.

    This box is mandatory and is initialized with the current or temporary directory by default.

    An additional tag is inserted in the XML file generated when you run the batch: <folder id="targetDir" destination="C:\temp" folderPath="C:\temp" type="bin" upLoadable="RightNow" extension="*" automatic="1"/>.

    Important:
    • You can change the default report directory by setting the PLMBATCH_Default_ReportDir environment variable to a valid directory (an existing directory with write access).
    • When entering directly the path of the new report directory, you can use ${VARIABLE} to valuate the report directory.
    • An error message is displayed when the new report directory does not match an existing directory with write access, and the selection is refused.
  2. Enter the name of the report in the Report Name box.
  3. Optional: Enter the string of your choice in the Suffix for object report box.

    For each processed object, the batch creates an object report in the report directory. By default, the name of the report is the name (PLM_ExternalID) of the object suffixed with dwc_convert_traces.

    An additional tag is inserted in the XML file generated when you run the batch: <ReportStringAppend>dwc_convert_traces.Mystring.htm</ReportStringAppend>

    Important: The same restrictions as for the global report name are applied.

  4. Click Save.
    The batch parameters are saved in an XML file.

    When saved, you can edit this file manually, and use it later to run the batch directly without accessing the batch interface.

  5. Click Run to start the batch.
    When the conversion is over, the DownwardCompatibility batch generates:
    • A quick result information accessible through the Processes tab.
    • When converting to a file, an XML file containing the list of processed objects (Representations/References) and for each object, the list of V5 objects created. This file, which name is the same name as the global report, gives the ability to post-process objects and to manage data synchronization between V5 and 3DEXPERIENCE. See Native Apps C++: Common Services: PLM Foundations: V5/3DEXPERIENCE Exchanges: Run DownwardCompatibility Batch Outside Batch Monitor in the CAA documentation for more information about the "CATPLMBatch" and "CATPLMBatchXMLToolBox" CAA objects and the use of the XML mapping file.
    • An XML report.
    Note: The XML report is transformed with XSLT.
  6. Click Open XML Report .

    The XML report contains three sections:

    • Data Source,
    • Metrics and Options,
    • Details for Objects.
    Note: Errors are listed at the beginning of the report whereas warnings appear under each object responsible of the warning.

  7. Display the light version of the global results:
    1. In the Batch Monitor, access the Processes tab.
    2. Double-click the batch execution line.

    These results indicate whether or not each of the selected objects has been processed, in addition to 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 are displayed:

    • ReturnCode=0 the batch ended successfully.
    • ReturnCode=4 at least one object could not be processed.
    • ReturnCode=8 the batch aborted.
  8. Optional: To modify your conversion parameters, close the window, and then run the batch again.
  9. Optional: Click Save to save your results in the folder of your choice.

    Important:
    • The file formats available are .txt and .xml.
    • This file is different from the one you save from the batch interface: the Save button in the Batch Monitor window lets you save the batch results (that is, the data displayed in the Results window displayed above). The Save button available in the batch interface lets you save the batch parameters.

  10. Click Close to exit the Results window.
  11. Access the Processes tab to display information about the batch execution.
    Tip:
    • When the batch has been run at least once, an XML file containing the batch parameters is generated. You can reuse these parameters next time you run the DownwardCompatibility batch by using the Read input from parameter file... contextual command.
    • You can also use the XML file as a startup for all DownwardCompatibility applications by setting the PLMBATCH_DownwardCompatibility_Startup environment variable to the path of the XML file.
  12. To read the reports generated by the batch execution, access the folder c:\temp\batchID (on Windows) or /temp/batchID.