Problems with Catia v5 r17

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on Windows.

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handyandy
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Problems with Catia v5 r17

Post by handyandy »

Why does my Catia v5r17 not recognise my SpaceNavigator? The 3Dx.. icon in the system tray shows that it knows that Catia is running but I can't get any movements from the spacemouse.
If I go into the Catia and display the 3Dx.. toolbar and then select the modify buttons icon, it says there is no device running :cry:

Please can someone help?

By the way it all runs fine with Inventor and AutoCAD! :lol:
sebt
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Post by sebt »

Hi,

I have the same problem in R16 (the Spacenavigator works fine in the demos and vericut 6). The 3dx icon says CATIA R15+.scg so it's got the right version installed and, although windows firewall is installed it has been disabled by the administrator, so there shoudn't be any need to allow CNEXT to pass through.

I've tried reenabling the daemon in catia prefs along with the tablet and joystick thru various combinations but no luck.

The only other weird thing is that occasionally the 3dx icon says CATIA - ''username'' (my windows username) and there are two profiles created for catia in the 3dx control panel (this one and the catia r1+ one). I guess it makes sense for a multiple user environmnet, but could all this somehow be related to a user access right conflict? (goes without saying that the install was done as admin). Btw it's on a Win XP Pro SP2 system

Would be grateful for any help. IT is understaffed and have many urgent eggs to fry - don't want to bug them right now it's not essential. It does make a funky paperweight for now - alas...
agoenczi
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Problems with Catia v5 r17 (and 16)

Post by agoenczi »

Hi handyandy and sebt

It is essential to have at first installed Catia and install afterwards the 3DxSoftware. If you installed Catia after installing the 3DxSoftware, please activate the "Update Wizard" in the driver GUI (3dconnection Control Panel)

After a validation round it should work.

If it still doesn't, try to start one of the available demos and check the device.
agoenczi
sebt
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Post by sebt »

I tried running the update wizard to fix any missing links etc. but sorry, no luck. Catia was already installed long before the 3dx software. It works fine in the demos, so it seems to be strictly a CATIA related issue :( .

If it's any help, I'm running Catia R16 service pack 8, and the 3dx soft in french (in case any bugs have crept in from localisation...)

thx

Seb

edit: i'm using the latest version of 3dx soft btw (3.1.8)
agoenczi
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Catia V5 R16 - SpaceNavigator

Post by agoenczi »

Hi sebt

Does the navigation work?

You should know that there are multiple modi in Catia and you can make different button mappings for these. If you only got displayed "Catia" (in the driver GUI) that means there is only a generic profile for that modus, which wasn't modified. If you get "Catia - <username>" displayed that means you made at least a change in that modus and that change is saved under your login profile.
agoenczi
sebt
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Post by sebt »

Thanks for the swift reply

Well there is some good news. Using the 3dx toolbar in CATIA, clicking pan only/rotate only, dominant mode, increase speed, decrease speed activates/deactivates those respective options in the 3dx driver gui, and hence the Driver GUI displays CATIA - ''my username'', so there is a link. These setting are stored and the same if I close and open catia again too.

However, navigation doesn't work, nor do the reset default speed, and button mapping (no device recognised in the drop down menu even with several refresh attempts). and obvisouly I can't try fast fast zooming...

In the CATIA Tools->options panel under peripherals, which options should be selected? Spaceball/spacemouse is activated by default, does the joystick need to be activated (this doesn't make any difference btw)?
agoenczi
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Problems with Catia v5 r17

Post by agoenczi »

Hi sebt

What device do you use? In your first post you mentioned SpaceNavigator, but also SpaceMouse.

Do you have eventually a serial device?
Last edited by agoenczi on Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
agoenczi
sebt
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Post by sebt »

I have a Spacenavigator connected directly to a usb port.
agoenczi
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Problems with Catia v5 r17

Post by agoenczi »

Hi sebt

I would ask you to delete the configuration called "CATIA - <username>" and restart the driver. Afterwards check again if the navigation in Catia works. Let me know about the result.
agoenczi
sebt
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Post by sebt »

No luck, same as before.

I can get the buttons to interact with the 3dx functions like rotation on/off, translation etc, but in the 3dx toolbar in CATIA nothing happens, whereas if I activate these options with the mouse, they are reciprocated in both the 3dx GIU and in the 3dx toolbar in catia (translation, rotation on/off etc) programs.

It seems like CATIA isnt picking up any signals from the Spacenavigator.
It probably won't make any difference but, can you check if, even with windows firewall deactivated, you still need to allow CNEXT to pass thru? I don't have the permissions to do this. I'm a bit suspicious of Windows firewall....



Edit: Just discovered in Start->Programs->Administrative Tools->Services and discoverd a service called Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing which is active (Started). I cannot stop it as I do not have permissions so I cant test it, but I'm wondering if this is dependent on the Windows Firewall Control Panel (which is grayed out and says deactivated), and if it is just a simple link, or if it has the last word so to speak and takes precedence over any options selected in the control panel.

On the other hand, I cannot find a log for the Firewall where it is supposed to be ( C:\Windows\pfirewall.log). The logging options are untagged tho...

Is there a simple way I can test to see if a firewall is active, in a dos prompt maybe?
sebt
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Post by sebt »

found it. In command prompt type: netsh firewall show state verbose=enable

reslts are: Firewall status: operational mode is disabled, exception mode=enabled .... but according to this http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodte ... shoot.mspx when it's off, it's off.
However if you scroll down to the end under Loacal Area Connection firewall settings, it says operational mode = enable, version=IPv4....

So.... is there an active firewall or is the above just a setting?
Fred
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Post by Fred »

Sebt,

Allow CNEXT.exe permission thru the firewall.
Open up network connections
right click on the Local area network
select advanced
click on settings
choose exceptions
click on add program
select browse
locate Cnext.exe
Save changes

An additional one to add is 3dxsrv.exe

You may have to contact your IT dept to add them for you depending on your Permissions.
Jolsowka
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Post by Jolsowka »

I have this problem on R16 and so does one other person that I know of. Once R16 was installed the spaceball stopped working on all versions of Catia. It works fine on every other application I can think of. I reinstalled the latest software as of today but no go.
agoenczi
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Catia V5 R16

Post by agoenczi »

Hi Jolsowka

Try the same steps as described by Fred and post the result afterwards here.
agoenczi
sebt
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Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:40 am

Post by sebt »

Hi all,

Nope, no change. The firewall was deactivated even for the local area connection. Allowing CNEXT.exe and 3dxsrv.exe had no effect.

It might be me, but be before trying anything with the firewall, I tried the SN simply as an admin user. After launching Catia and opening a new part in part design, I moved the SN and for a split second I thought I saw it move. I could just have been graphics latency though. After that nothing no matter how many times I launched Catia again...

Also, I noticed no user specific profile was created in the 3dx control panel (ie CATIA - admin for example) despite changing parameters like rotation on off etc. Same for Vericut and the demos, though this might be an admin specific thing...

The demos otherwise are working fine though..
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