Renaming part numbers, names and properties in CATIA V5

When dealing with large assemblies in CATIA, there are several challenges that need to be solved:

Problem 1: A part number has been changed. All existing CATProducts, CATParts and CATDrawings should be updated with the new part number and new file name.

Problem 2: CATIA V5 data management - All files linked to the model should be found and moved to another location at the same time.

Problem 3: Consistent file set - Showing missing files, running CATDUA etc.

xFileV5 provides solutions for each of these problems. In this article we will focus on how to quickly change part numbers, file names and properties in CATIA V5 assemblies .

Reason for changing part numbers

In some cases, an existing product is used as the basis for a new variant with some minor changes. All linked files should be given a new part number and revision. The files must be saved in a new location with a different file name without losing the links to each other.

High effort without automation?

To change part numbers in CATIA, all files must be opened and changed manually. They then have to be saved under a different file name and possibly re-linked.

For larger assemblies, this can mean a lot of work and there is a higher risk of errors if this is done manually.

Changing part numbers and properties with the help of xFileV5

Step 1: Load model

Open the xFileV5 Move dialog and select the root file. All linked files are searched for and listed. Missing files are marked as missing. With the help of CATDUA you can search for so-called ghost links.

Step 2: Create transfer list

Export transfer list. All information for each part, including the properties, is exported to an XML file.

Step 3: Edit transfer list

New names and values must be added to the transfer list. New properties can also be added.

Instance names can also be changed:

It is possible to use external scripts to change values automatically. These scripts can be started directly from xFileV5:

Step 4: Read transfer list

The changed transfer list must be imported. The changes in the file name are displayed:

Step 5: Save model to new location

All files must be copied or moved to a new location:

New part numbers and instance names are visible in the model tree:

Further improvement

It is even quicker if a script is used to edit the transfer list (see step 3). In this case, the entire process can be reduced to the following points:

1. Select root node
2. Automatically export and import properties with external process
3. Save to new location
   
   
   

The most important functions of xFileV5:

• Pack CATIA V5 models
  Find all files related to the root file and pack them into a container (.tar)
• Unpack container
  Unpack a .tar container and save the complete CATIA V5 structure on your computer
• Move the root file and all associated files to another location
  While moving, file names, part number, revision and other properties can be renamed without opening the files individually.
• Delete CATIA V5 structure or parts of a structure
  User can choose which files to keep or delete