Having Access to PRJ Files on Windows

This task shows you that you can have access to the PRJ Files installed on the Windows disk.
You need to bring these Project files referenced by the model into a Windows directory and rename these files according to the conversion table.
In the PROJECT File path, you refer to the directory containing the Project Files.

For more information about character conversion, refer to the Conversion Table in Model Naming.

Project File directory cannot be copied natively on Windows: the table file names generally contain Windows forbidden characters. CATIA V5 now uses a character map to retrieve the tables under a different name:

  • " character is replaced with string "_Inch"

  • * character is replaced with character "x"

  • is replaced with character "_"

  • Other forbidden Windows ( / \ < > : ? | ) characters are replaced with character "_"

  • Non standard ISO characters are replaced with character "_"

Renaming the Project File tables according to these specifications will allow the referencing of a Project File stored on Windows.

You can use the following methodology to copy your Project File on Windows:

  1. Duplicate your Project File directory on UNIX:

cp -r <native_V4_PRJ> <Windows_compliant_PRJ>

  1. Go to the new directory:

cd <Windows_compliant_PRJ>

  1. Rename the table files adequately:
mv .TEXTCOT:DESCRIPTIONS.project .TEXTCOT_ _ _DESCRIPTIONS.project
mv .TEXTCOT:STANDARDS.project .TEXTCOT_ _ _STANDARDS.project
mv PATTERN:DESCRIPTION.project PATTERN_ _ _DESCRIPTION.project
mv PATTERN:IDENTIFICATEURS.project PATTERN_ _ _IDENTIFICATEURS.project
mv PATTERN:MOTIFS.project PATTERN_ _ _MOTIFS.project

  1. Perform the same conversion for all table names when needed.

  2. Once all the tables have been renamed, you can transfer this directory on Windows workstation and reference it in your compatibility setting.
DO NOT modify your directory V4 Project File tables. CATIA V4 would no longer recognize them.

On UNIX, CATIA V5 is still able to retrieve Project File tables under their standard name, except when the PRJ file has a blank character in its name. If it is the case, you need to rename it so that it can be read in V5.

For more information about Customizing the File Project path, refer to V4 Data Reading in CATIA - Infrastructure User's Guide.