Accessing the Online Documentation

The online documentation is totally Web oriented, using HTML, GIF and JPEG standard formats, allowing easy access and navigation using a standard Web browser. Navigation aids includes full text searching and a framed layout allowing a direct access from the table of contents to the information.

Before you begin: The online documentation can be installed either at the same time as you install the code, or later after the code has been installed.

  1. In your work session, select Help > Contents, Index and Search (or press F1).

    If you installed the online documentation in the default location, it will be displayed immediately.

    The area to the left of the window contains both permanent and variable items.

    The following items are permanent. They will always be available whatever brand of documentation you installed:


    • DS Documentation Portal
    • Help
    • Conventions
    • Patents Trademarks and Copyrights.

    The variable items are:


    • 3DLive
    • CATIA
    • DELMIA
    • ENOVIA.

    If you install only the CATIA documentation, for example, only the CATIA item will be available.

  2. Optional: If you installed the online documentation elsewhere or moved it to another location, the online documentation is not found and cannot be displayed. Do one of the following:

    • In the dialog box which is prompted, browse to select the online documentation location. Selecting the location updates the Location box for the Technical documentation option.
    • Through the Location box which displays the path of the folder in which the online documentation is installed. The path is the same path you entered when installing the online documentation: the path displays the value of the CATDocView environment variable. When there are no settings, the value for the CATDocView variable is not displayed in the Location box, but in the directory chooser accessible by clicking the Path(s) selection icon.
    • Update the CATDocView variable in your environment to reference the environment containing the online documentation. If you do not reset the CATDocView variable, a dialog box will prompt you to specify the location:
      • If you installed the online documentation locally on your computer, you can specify a path like this, for example, on Windows: C:\online_doc_folderwhere online_doc_folder is the name of the folder in which you installed the online documentation.
      • If you installed it elsewhere on the network, you must first map the appropriate network drive before starting a session, then specify a path as above when prompted.

    Tip:
    • You can also type the location in the Location box. You must enter the real location; otherwise, the path you enter will be ignored.
    • UNC (Universal Naming Convention) names on Windows is allowed. For example, you can specify the following path type:\\remote_computer\online_doc_folder

  3. In the area to the left of the window, expand the item for the brand you need.

    This enables you to access the documentation set for this brand.

  4. Expand the item of your choice.

    This enables you to access the documentation guides for this item.

  5. Select the documentation guide you need.

    This displays its table of contents in the area to the left and its Overview page on the area to the right.

  6. Optional: Open a page and click Print in the banner of the online documentation.

    The page to be printed is displayed in a dedicated window and the operating system Print dialog box appears.

  7. Optional: Set the available options of the Print dialog box.

  8. Click OK.

    Tip: To print entire sections of the online documentation, select the appropriate theme or section in the table of contents.