Help

If you have questions while you use the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you can find answers in several ways. In particular, you can access the web-based help if you installed the user assistance portal.

This page discusses:

Embedded User Assistance for Native Apps

When working with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, different forms of embedded user assistance are available.

Contextual help
Provides a step-by-step procedure for the current command. Available for all app commands. For more information, see Getting Contextual Help.
User Assistance Panel
When available for the current app, displays immersive contextual help with progressive disclosure. For more information, see Using the User Assistance Panel.
Tooltips
Display concise, contextual descriptions of user interface commands and controls. Tooltips appear automatically when you hover your pointer over an icon or control. By default, some tooltips expand after a brief pause to display more detailed information.

Tooltips are useful for getting quick overviews about commands and controls without having to leave your workflow or search through the user assistance portal. For more information, see Getting Contextual Help.

Tutorials
When available for the current app, step you through basic and advanced tutorials that teach you about key functionalities. For more information, see Accessing Tutorials.
User Companion
Provides access to the Companion Learning Space (http://companion.3ds.com). It is possible to provide an alternate location through the CATCompanionPath environment variable. To access these materials, select ? > User Companion.

User Assistance Portals

Various features are provided to help you navigate and quickly find the information you need. You can access the online user assistance or the installed user assistance. For more information, see Accessing Installed User Assistance.

Full-text search
Use the search box in the banner to search for specific terms or phrases. For more information, see Searching the User Assistance.
Feedback
Use the Feedback on this topic icon in the banner to send your comments and suggestions directly to our user assistance team.
Main topics bar
Expand and collapse the table of contents on the left side of the window to move quickly from one guide to another or one part of a guide to another.
Glossary
Use the Glossary entry in the main topics bar on the left to access terms and definitions, which are listed in alphabetical order. Click the letter of your choice to display all the terms beginning with this letter. When there are more than 15 results, only the first 15 results are displayed but you can click the numbers at the bottom of the page to navigate between the pages.
Use the Glossary search box to search for a term. The search is not case sensitive. Search results are displayed in place of the previous terms and definitions.
In topics, hover over highlighted terms to discover glossary definitions.
Navigating Guides
  • Breadcrumb trail: Use the breadcrumb trail at the top of topics to know where you are in a guide or to go directly to a higher level.
  • Related Topics: Use the Related Topics box, located upper right in topics, to navigate to tasks, concepts, and reference information related to the current topic.
  • Inline cross-references links : Use these links to move from one part of a guide to another or from one guide to another.
  • Knowledge Base links: Access Knowledge Base Q&A articles and Best Practices by using your 3DPassport. These documents provide technical information about specific use cases.