CATIA TIP 1

Rebuilding the CATIA V5 icons on the Windows Desktop

Two different releases of CATIA were both installed on Windows. After removing the older release level, the icons on the Windows Desktop for the newer release level lost their CATIA properties, and looked like generic Windows icons. Double-clicking on a CATPart in Windows Explorer no longer launched CATIA. How can these problems be fixed?

Running cnext /regserver repaired the Windows Desktop icons for CATIA V5, making them look like CATIA icons again, instead of generic Windows icons.
The inability to double-click on a CATPart to start CATIA V5 was a result of the Windows Registry still pointing to the older (removed) level of CATIA V5 code for the CATPart and other CATIA filetype associations. Use of the cnext /regserver command also corrected this filetype association problem.

The specific commands, to be issued in a command prompt window, are:
1. Point to the CNEXT.exe file:   cd C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\Bxx\intel_a\code\bin where xx refers to the CATIA V5 release leve to be used.
2. Run CNEXT with the /regserver option cnext /regserver
The cnext /regserver command is documented in the Infrastructure portion of the CATIA V5 Online Documentation, in a section entitled "Installing Multiple Versions of Version 5 on the Same Computer".

 CATIA TIP 2

How to create a monochrome PDF with "File -> Save As..."

"File -> Save As..." does not have the option to create a monochrome PDF. The PDF is always created with the original colours. No colour (monochrome or full) options when using "File -> Save As..." to create a PDF.

Solution
"Tools -> Image -> Capture..." can be used to create a PDF in monochrome.
Typical scenario:
o "Tools -> Image -> Capture..."
o Select the "Vector Mode" icon
o Select the "Options" icon
o On the "General" tab, select "Monochrome" for "Color mode"
o Select the "Capture" icon
o From the "Capture Preview" window, select the "Save As" icon
o Select "PDF" for "Save as type"
o Complete other fields as normal, followed by "Save"

 CATIA TIP 3

Can't shade a model: Display Mode HLR/SHD not available in CatiaV4
In the permanent menu under the "Set current display mode" icon, you cannot access the bottom two barrels (Hidden-line removal w/rotation and Shading) as they are unintensified.
There are two items that can cause the problem of not being able to access the shading barrels. For AIX, verify the following 2 items:

Solution

• first issue the command: lsdisp -l to determine which graphics adapter you have installed on the workstation.
• based on the graphics adapter, the graphics extensions may need to be changed. For the GXT6500P, GXT6000P, GXT4500P, GXT4000P, GXT3000P &GXT2000P, the value should be (at a minimum): -x abx -x dbe -x GLX
• Issue the command: ps -ef | grep X to determine the current graphics extensions. The results should be something like:
  root 4430 4662 0 Oct 14 - 0:52 /usr/lpp/X11/bin/X -x abx -x dbe -x GLX -D /usr/lib/X11//rgb -T -force :0 -auth /var/dt/A:0-pae0ya
  From this, we see that it is set correctly for these graphics cards.
• If it is not set correctly, as root, edit the file: /usr/lpp/X11/defaults/xserverrc and change value of the EXTENSIONS="" to the correct value.
• NOTE: Before adding the "-x GLX" extension that is needed for 4D Navigator, make sure that OpenGL or GL3.2 is installed.Otherwise, your CDE will not start. To determine if OpenGL is installed, use the command: lslpp -h OpenGL* After updating the EXTENSIONS, logoff CATIA and AIX and before logging back onto AIX, select OPTIONS and select Reset Login Screen.
   All of the PEX/PHIGS filesets are either not installed or are at a lower than needed level. If, when you start CATIA with a Quick Start, when you get to the sunrise screen (where it tells you the level of CATIA) and the screen isn't correctly colored, then the problem is with PEX/PHIGS. If this is the case, re-install PEX/PHIGS to add any missing filesets and upgrade them by updating the Operating System with the latest Maintenance Level.