3.

Introduction

DELMIA provides the ability to read CATIA V5 files directly into DELMIA
products. This feature is called V5 CAD Direct Access, and enables users to
directly read V5 CATProducts and its component representation files into
selected DELMIA products. Such component representations could be either
a CATIA V5 CATPart, CATIA V4 or V5 .cgr, VRML file or an external format
handled by V5, e.g., Pro/E and UG.

3.2
Supported Operating Systems and
CATIA Versions
V5 Direct is supported on the IRIX, Sun, AIX HP-UX11 and NT4 platforms.
Supported CATIA V5 Versions are:
CATIA V5R8 SP4
CATIA V5R9
CATIA V5R10
For CATIA Version from V5R9 onwards the support is extended in a
synchronized manner with V5 versions. The required libraries are packaged
with Delmia V5R9 portfolio product D5I. So any configuration having Delmia
product D5I will be supported irrespective of what is packaged in D5
products. For customers who dont have Delmia portfolio product, the
support will be restricted to V5R8 SP4.

3.3

Client-server Architecture

A V5Direct server is included with the DELMIA product for the purpose of V5
integration. The server is a stand-alone executable that provides services to
read supported V5 data and convert it into various DELMIA data formats.
The DELMIA client sends commands to the server through a socket
communication protocol. When a user wants to access any V5 functionality,
the DELMIA product automatically launches the V5Direct server using
special run scripts. When a user exits the DELMIA product, or uses the
DISCONNECT Button, the server is shut down. The server executable is
licensed separately from the DELMIA product, and the user must have a
"CATDIR" feature in the DELMIA license file to access any V5 functionality.

3.4

Setup and Configuration

The following steps address the configuration of variables in four files. These
files are: license.dat, V5setup, .prodenvfig, and .prodpthfig.
The license.dat File
V5 Direct server also uses the CATDIR license feature, as does the CATIA V4
Direct server.
The V5Setup Script
V5Setup (V5setup.bat on NT) script is located in the V5 directory of the
DELMIA product installation. The following variables are set in this file.
V5_CATIA_VERSION=${V5_CATIA_VERSION:-V5R8
To ensure that the CATIA V5 server is looking to the correct V5 version, the
variable V5_CATIA_VERSION must be properly set. The version specified
must match with the version of CATIA V5 installed on the system, which
hosts the server process. There is no default value specified for this
variable. It is mandatory to specify this variable for execution of V5 Direct
Server.
V5_INSTALL_DIR=${V5_INSTALL_DIR:-/usr/DassaultSystemes/V5R8}
To ensure that the CATIA V5 server is using the desired V5 installation, the
variable V5_INSTALL_DIR must be properly set. There is no default value
specified for this variable. It is mandatory to specify this variable for
execution of V5 Direct Server. The path specified in this variable is used to
set the environment in which the V5 server is executed. This environment is
set in $HOME/DelmiaV5SrvEnv.sh on UNIX platforms and in the Windows
registry on NT platforms.
V5DENEB_SRV_DEBUG=${V5DENEB_SRV_DEBUG:-OFF}
This variable can be set to ON for a verbose output of the client-server
communication.
The System Variables
The .prodenvfig File Variables
(where ".prod" represents the DELMIA product name)
CATIAV5_MODEL_SAG = 10
To determine the tessellation level of the imported V5 geometry, the
CATIAV5_MODEL_SAG parameter must be set. If this variable has a value of
0 mm, then the DELMIA product will use a value of 0.02 mm, which is the
lowest possible value. The value of 0.02 mm will give an extremely fine
tessellated model in the DELMIA product that will require a large number of
polygons. The retrieval time will be much longer with the 0.02 mm value as
well. It is recommended that the user use a value near to 10 MM to obtain a
quicker retrieval, a lower polygon count, and fair representation of the
surface of each model.
The .prodpthfig File Variable
(where ".prod" represents the DELMIA product name)

CACHE$LIB = /usr/tmp/CACHE
The CACHE$LIB variable must be set in the .prodpthfig file in order to
determine where the cache will be stored. If this variable is not set, the
default behavior will store the cache in the ./CACHE directory. The
CACHE$LIB variable assumes that the ENABLE_EXTERNAL_PART_CACHING is
set to "ON" in the .prodenvfig file, which is a prerequisite before the cache is
actually stored or accessed. If ENABLE_EXTERNAL_PART_CACHING is not set
to "ON" the V5 server creates the parts in the users "tmp" directory,
denoted by the environment variable TMPDIR if
ENABLE_EXTERNAL_PART_CACHING is set to "OFF".
V5 Cache Management
V5 Cache Management MUST be ON for the V5 server to start. To switch
this ON:
Start V5 on the server host.
For V5R8, V5R9, and V5R10
GotoTools>Options>Infrastructure>ProductStructure>CacheManagement
Checktheboxnextto"WorkwithCacheSystem".
Exit V5

3.5

Reading in Part Files

Ensure that the setup steps described above have been completed. V5 files
may be accessed through the DELMIA product's internal PART$LIB,
DEVICE$LIB, and WORKCELL$LIB library structure. The Configuration Files
Guide provides explanations of these libraries.
Launch the DELMIA product. Each of the Buttons discussed below have the
ability to retrieve V5 data. Notes are provided below to identify each Button
with its unique $LIB.
When the product context is Assembly, any device retrieved will create an
assembly Device. A dialog box will be displayed with default values for the
assembly Device that can be altered by the user.
The CAD RETRIEVE OBJECT, DEVICE CREATE, and PART ATTACH Buttons will
access the libraries defined using PART$LIB and the logical file names.
Select the desired CATPart document OR .cgr file to retrieve
The following attributes are represented in the DELMIA representation:
Tessellated Geometry (polygons).
Points are represented as named Coordinate System.
Axis Systems are represented as named Coordinate System.
Color is maintained.

User defined "Sag" is used to tessellate the CATProduct documents.

A single DELMIA Part is created in the DELMIA Workcell world as either the
root Part of the Device or the attached Part.
The DEVICE RETRIEVE Button will access the libraries defined using
DEVICE$LIB and the logical file names. Select the desired CATProduct
document to retrieve. A Single Device is created in the DELMIA environment.
The following are the attributes of this Device:
The V5 Product Structure is represented by the Kinematic Hierarchy in D5.
Each "Component" in V5 is represented as a DELMIA Part (A Component in
V5 can be a CATPart document, a VRML file, a CGR file, a V4 model, etc.) V4
Model retrieval is enabled only on NT platforms.
Whether a Component refers to a multicad part (V4 model, UG, Pro/E,
Ideas). A .cgr conversion of the multicad part is represented as a DELMIA
Part. In this case the behavior of the V5 server is as follows: the user must
have cached these parts in V5 prior to loading them into DELMIA.

If the user has created cache for these parts before loading the
CATProduct, the cached cgr is translated by V5 server.

If the cache is not present, V5 server invokes the associated V5

multicad translator (ProeToNav for Pro/E, IdeasToNav for IDEAS, UgToNav for
UG) to create cgr cache, if the settings for these are done in the shell from
which user started the server. If the settings are not done, V5 server will
replace these parts with dummy "nofile" nodes.

If the cache is present, but out-of-date with respect to the original

part, V5 server invokes the multicad translators(as above) to update the
cache, if "Associative Mode" is turned on by the user in V5 settings. For
setting this ON, do the following:
For V5R5

Start V5 on the server host.

Go to Tools->Options->General->Compatibility->External Formats.

Check the box next to "Associative Mode".

Exit V5.

User-defined "Sag" will be used to tessellate Component representations

that can be retessellated. Component representations in .cgr and .wrl
formats cannot be retessellated with a different Sag value.
Transformations in the Product Structure for each Component will be
retained as Part transformations in DELMIA.
Geometry representations will be cached to disk if the user has turned
caching ON in DELMIA.
The user can change the hierarchy in the DELMIA environment to assign
Kinematics.

Components with multiple representations will retrieve the "active"

representation.
The user can save the Device with associativity to the CATProduct
document. This association will be stored as the CATProduct document
filename, and the component representation (CATPart, .cgr, .wrl etc)
filename for each relevant node in the Device.
The Device hierarchy in DELMIA contains an empty root. The name of a
Device is the same as the name of the CATProduct. The name of each node
is same as the name of the associated CATPart/cgr. The attached
CATProducts will be shown as empty nodes with "nofile_Product name" as
the name, with all CATParts/CGR attached to it.
Example Device hierarchy from a CATProduct in Device Retrieve context:
Device_name (CATproduct name)
|
|nofile_CATproduct name( root node )
|CATPartname1
|CATPartname2
|nofile_CATProductname1( dummy node )
|CATPartname3
|CATPartname4
The WORKCELL RETRIEVE Buttons will access the libraries defined using
WORKCELL$LIB and the logical file names. Select the desired CATProduct
document to retrieve.
A Single Device is created for the top level CATProduct. A new Device is
created for every CATProduct referenced through the master CATProduct.
The name of a Device is inherited from the associated CATProduct. These
Devices have similar attributes to the Device Import described in previous
paragraph. The referenced CATProducts are represented by Device
Attachments in D5.
V5 CATProducts linked to D5 Devices will be replaced by their native D5
representation.
The user can save the Workcell with associativity to the CATProduct
document. This association will be stored as the CATProduct document
filename and the component representation (CATPart, .cgr, .wrl etc)
filename for each relevant node in the Device.
The user may retrieve this Workcell again at a later time. In the course of
retrieval, if it is detected that the V5 CATProduct associated with any Device
has changed, a notification is given to the user. This notification is given at
the end of a Workcell read for each affected Device. This notification occurs
only if the user has flagged ENABLE_EXTERNAL_PART_CACHING to "ON".
It is important to know that the latest changes from the CATProduct are not

propagated to the Device at this time. This is due to the fact that, during
retrieval, the Parts are read from the cache (if "ON"). Therefore the user
must update the Device or Devices manually if the latest V5 data is desired.
The user may also choose to ignore this message. The Device update
functionality is available via the V5 DEVICE UPDATE Button.
Example Device hierarchy from a CATProduct in Workcell Retrieve mode:
Device_name (CATproduct name)
|nofile_CATproduct name( root node )
|CATPartname1
|CATPartname2
|CATProductname1( device )
|nofile_CATProductname1( root node )
|CATPartname3
|CATPartname4

Support for retrieval of CATIA V4 Model (.model) files is provided for

part/device/workcell retrieval on NT platforms. Part retrieval for model files
works the same way as part retrieval for CATPart/cgr/vrml files. When you
retrieve a Model file as device/workcell V5 server creates a single part
device in the Device/Workcell world with the part name as the name of the
model file. The geometry representation for the part is associated to the
Deneb part created from the model file.
Example Device hierarchy for a Model file in Device Retrieve mode:
Device_name (Model filename)
|filename.model ( root node )

For example if the user retrieves "Clutch.model" as a device, the hierarchy

would be:

O World
|->Clutch ( Device )
|Clutch.model ( root node )

This V5 interface requires the use of a CATIA V5 license. This license will be
"consumed" (in use) when the user accesses the first CATIA file. The license

will be freed when the DELMIA product is terminated, or when the

DISCONNECT Button is used.
The ASSEMBLY RETRIEVE Button will access the libraries defined using
DEVICE$LIB.
With this functionality, the user can select a V5 CATProduct and directly
retrieve it as a DELMIA Assembly Device. This direct assembly device
retrieve is available only in V5 files. Enter: 1.Device Name 2.Default Linear
Speed 3.Default Rotational Speed 4.Starting Assembled for the Assembly
device. An assembly device is created from the selected V5 CATProduct with
the specified attributes.
V5 Part Retrieval in Batch Mode
CATIA V5 files directly supported by V5 Direct option can be retrieved in
batch mode using CATV5Converter.exe executable, which must be run using
the script V5_read. This executable also allows for the creation of a workcell
file from all of the retrieved CATIA V5 files. It will convert all V5 files in the
given directory in the pdb format and store them in a directory structure
similar to CACHE$LIB at the specified output location. The various
arguments that can be used with runCatIn are described as follows:
Input
Three types of input can be passed to V5_read:
-i is used to specify a directory. For example:
V5_read -i <input_dir>s
-if allows for a single file to be specified as input. For example:
V5_read -if <input_file>
-r (with -i) allows for V5_read to operate on the current directory as well as
all recursive directories.
Output destination
For PDB / Layout files :
The location in which to write the output can be specified via the -o option.
For example:
V5_read -if <input_file> -o <output_dir>
PDB/Layout files will be written in a similar directory structure as that of
CACHE$LIB in the location specified by the option -o.
For WORKCELL files:
To create a workcell file with the retrieved V5 files, the workcell file name
can be specified with the -w option. For example:
V5_read -i <input_dir> -o <output_dir> -w wcl_filename
Mode

The user can choose to create a device or a part by specifying the mode
using the -m option.
The valid values for -m option are
-m Dev/ Device :- for device mode.
-m Wcl/ Workcell :-for workcell mode.
The default mode is device.
Tessellation parameter
The sag value for the tessellation can be specified by via -t. For example:
V5_read -i <input_dir> -o <output_dir> -t sag_value
A minimum of one input argument (-i, -if ) and one output argument (-o)
are required to execute the V5_read script successfully. Failing to specify
these options will terminate the process and display a message about the
required usage of the utility.