V5 Data Supported by FBDI

This task shows you what kind of CATIA and non-CATIA documents can be imported from V5 to V6.

Importing CATIA V5 Documents

It is possible to import CATIA documents coming from V5R2 to V5R21 levels.

It is not possible to import CATIA documents coming from the Downward Compatibility batch into V6. For more information about this batch, please refer to Running the Downward Compatibility Batch, in the Infrastructure User Guide.

The CATIA V5 files are identified by their name and an internal unique identifier. Therefore, the document's path is not taken into account by FBDI and you cannot re-import it, but you can work on the already imported version of the document in V6.

About already imported documents

Document Mapping Table (DMT) allow to determine if a file has already been migrated (asynchronous migration mode). Mapping Tables contain information about the files that have been already imported in V6. Therefore FBDI can identify documents that were already imported, by using these identification criteria:

File document criteria:


  • Filename: ithe name of the file as it can be seen in the OS.
  • Path of the file: the absolute (UNCPath) or local path of the file in the OS.
  • UUID: Internal Unique Identifier, for V5 files only.
  • Timestamp: the OS date and time of the file at the last Save moment.

Migration status:


  • Identical: the two files (in V5 / V6) are considered as the same. They have the same filename, timestamp and UUID (UUID for V5 files only). As a consequence, if a file has been duplicated in two different directories, they are considered as Identical.
  • Similar: the two files differ in terms of timestamp only. They have the same filename and UUID (UUID for V5 files only). One is considered as a new version of the other, based on the timestamp. The file with the most recent timestamp is considered like the new version.
  • Different: the two files are considered as different. They do not have the same filename or UUID (UUID for V5 files only). When a file has no equivalent file in the Mapping Tables, it is considered as a new File.

Note: Non-V5 documents are identified only by their names as there is no UUID. The timestamp is also used to identify Identical and Similar files when the names of two files are the same.

Importing CATIA Documents which are non-V5

It concerns the CATIA V4 models and cgr files. Those files are imported as 3D Shape representations. Those files are identified by their path and names.

Importing non-CATIA Documents

It is possible to import the following non-CATIA documents through FBDI.


  • 123
  • ac
  • asc
  • bin
  • bmp
  • bmz
  • bw
  • cals
  • CATAppliRsc
  • cbk
  • cc360

  • cgo
  • cgfx
  • cloud
  • crs
  • csv
  • dds
  • dib
  • doc
  • docm
  • docx
  • exr
  • fx
  • gif
  • grk
  • hdr
  • html
  • hym
  • iff
  • ioca
  • isl
  • iXFElec
  • jfif
  • jpe
  • jpeg
  • jpg
  • lib
  • lin
  • pcx
  • pdf
  • pic
  • png
  • ppt
  • pptm
  • pptx
  • psd
  • ras
  • rgb
  • rle
  • rtl
  • Surf

  • swl
  • svg
  • tga
  • tif
  • tiff
  • txt
  • view
  • xls
  • xlsb
  • xlsm
  • xlsx

  • xwd
  • xpm
  • xml
  • xpm
  • xwd
  • xyz
Important:
  • Extensions are case-sensitive.
  • These files are identified by their path and names.

Differences between Interactive and Batch Mode:

In Interactive mode, non-CATIA files cannot be selected explicitly. They can only be implicitly imported if they are pointed by a CATIA file you are importing (design tables for Knowledge, images for Materials, …). By consequence, the non-CATIA file extensions do not appear in the Interactive command.

In Batch mode, you can select explicitly non-CATIA files to import them in database. These files do not have to be pointed by CATIA files. These files will be imported as a "Document" within the Content Management modeler.

These documents may be edited using the dedicated functionality; please refer to Document management (Check IN / Check OUT …) in the VPM Navigator User Guide.

There is an exception for Excel files (xls, xlsm and xlsx) which can be source files of the Knowledge Design Tables and then imported through another modeller. The xlsb files are not concerned as they cannot be used for the Knowledge Design Tables.

File Identification based on UNC Path

The UNC, short for Universal Naming Convention or Uniform Naming Convention, specifies a common syntax to describe the location of a network resource, such as a shared file, directory, or printer.

The UNC syntax for Windows systems is as follows: \\ComputerName\SharedFolder\Resource For all the files that can only be identified by their path, FBDI will use the UNC Path to identify the file uniqueness. It corresponds to the non-CATIA, cgr and model files. A file can be identified with different paths. Below is the list of path types managed by Windows system. For each type an example is given:

  1. Local path on a driver not shared
    • Example: C:\
    • UNC Path version: N/A
  2. Local path on a local shared driver
    • Example: E:\
    • UNC Path version: N/A
  3. Local path on a remote shared driver (mapped)
    • Example: U:\
    • UNC Path version: \\AnotherComputerName\MyMappedDirectory\
  4. Universal path on a local shared driver
    • Example: \\MyComputerName\HOME
    • UNC Path version: \\MyComputerName\HOME
  5. Universal path on a remote shared driver
    • Example: \\AnotherComputerName\HOME
    • UNC Path version: \\AnotherComputerName\HOME
The UNC Path can be used for the cases 3 to 5. For the cases 1 & 2, the local path cannot be transposed to the UNC Path, so the local path is used. To sum:
  • The UNC Path is not used for the files pointed through a local path on a local folder (example: C:\ or E:\). Therefore for these files, the local path will be registered in the RMT.
  • If a non-CATIA file (or cgr and model) is firstly imported through a local path and then imported again through a network path, the mapping will not be able to recognise that the files are the same. Therefore, the file will be duplicated in the mapping and the corresponding V6 data will be duplicated in database.
  • A non CATIA file (or cgr and model) duplicated in 2 distinct directories will be imported twice as the UNC paths of these files will be different and FBDI will use the UNC Path to identify the file uniqueness.
  • Two different files with the same name, located on 2 different machine but with the same local path (example: E:\MyFile.txt on 2 computers) will be seen as the same file when accessed through their local path.