Locking or Modifying Settings

This task explains how to run a session in administrator mode for the purpose of locking settings so that other users running a session with the same environment inherit those settings and cannot change them.

An administrator can also take advantage of this mechanism to set default settings which, although not locked, are proposed to users as a starting point.

By default, there is "zero administration" of settings: user settings are stored in the CATSettings environment.

The following scenario walks you through a procedure useful for locking settings for users of the default environment created at installation. This is a useful procedure if you are interested in locking settings, but do not want to multiply environments on the same computer.

Do not confuse running a session in administrator mode with logging on as administrator (a system concept).

This task shows you how to:

Scenario 1: Lock Settings for the Default Global Environment

This task explains how to lock settings for the default global environment.

  1. Log on as an administrator.

    You must belong to the Administrators group, or have the privileges assigned to the Administrators group.

    For the purposes of this particular scenario only, you need to log on as administrator because you are going to modify the default global environment Env.txt.

  2. Select Start > All Programs > Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE R2021x Tools > Environment Editor . command to display the Environment Editor.

    You will see an environment with the following name: Env.

  3. Click the Env.txt environment to display the corresponding environment variables.
  4. Locate the following environment variable: CATReferenceSettingPath :
    Note that the default setting for this variable is empty.
  5. Set the variable so that it points to an existing folder, for example:

    Note: Only use one directory for this variable.

    CATReferenceSettingPath    E:\users\administrator\LockSettings

    then click Set, then OK to save and exit the environment editor. This folder will contain the setting locks you will create later. The folder access rights must be set up for read access only for end users, and read/write for the person creating the setting locks.

  6. Run a session in administrator mode using the following command: 

    3DEXPERIENCE -env Env.txt -admin

    or: 

    3DEXPERIENCE -admin

    The session is started using the default global environment, and a message informs you that you are running in administration mode. Click OK in the message box to proceed.

  7. Select Me > Preferences command.
    The Preferences dialog box is displayed. Note that a lock symbol appears for each option in the preference:

    Pointing the cursor to a lock symbol displays a message indicating the name of the folder/directory containing the lock settings. This allows administrators to identify which lock settings are active when there are multiple levels of concatenated locks.

  8. To set the locks, click on one of the appropriate lock symbols.

    The options appear locked:

  9. Click Ok.
    The lock settings are stored in the folder referenced by the CATReferenceSettingPath environment variable you set earlier.
  10. Exit the session.
  11. Start a session with the normal startup command, as a normal end user and using the same environment.

    This means that you enter the command:

    3DEXPERIENCE -env Env.txt

    and NOT: 

    3DEXPERIENCE -env Env.txt -admin

    When you select Me > Preferences command, the locked options appear as follows:

    End users running this environment will not be able to perform operations linked to the locked unselected options.

Scenario 2: Lock Settings for User Environments

This task explains how to lock settings for user environments.

You do not necessarily have to log on as administrator to customize an environment and set locks on settings: the lock mechanism is not limited to the global environment only.

You can customize your own user environments to store your own settings in a location referenced by the CATReferenceSettingPath environment variable. To do so:

  1. Start a session using the command: 
    3DEXPERIENCE -env myenv -admin

    where "myenv" is the name of the user environment.

  2. Lock settings in the same way as described in the first scenario.
    Other end users starting a session on the same computer, with the normal startup commands and using the same environment, will inherit the locked settings.