How do you check the CATIA version of a file?

To determine the version of CATIA in which a file (e.g., CATPart, CATProduct) was last saved, you can use several methods. This is essential for ensuring compatibility, as newer versions of CATIA files cannot be opened in older releases without additional tools.

Method 1: Using Notepad

• Open the file in Notepad:
  • Right-click on the CATIA file (e.g., .CATPart, .CATProduct) and select open with > Notepad (or any text editor like WordPad).
  • Search for the version information:
  • Use the search function (Ctrl + F) and look for the string CATIAV5.
  • The line containing this string will also include details about the release version, such as V5R28 or V5-6R2018.
  • Interpret the version:
    • For example, if you find V5R28, it corresponds to CATIA V5-6R2018. This indicates that the file was last saved in this version and can only be opened in V5-6R2018 or newer.

Method 2: Using file properties in CATIA

• Open the file in CATIA:
  • Open the file in your installed version of CATIA.
  • Access document properties.
  • Navigate to file > properties.
  • In the properties dialog box, look for the “saved document version” field under the “summary” tab. This will display the release version.

Method 3: Using a batch script (for Windows users)

• Create a batch file:
• Open Notepad and paste the following code:
  • text
    @echo off
    find /i “<release>” %1
    echo.
    pause
  • Save it as What_CATIA_Ver.bat in your SendTo folder (C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo).
  • Use the script: Right-click on a CATIA file, go to send to > What_CATIA_Ver, and a command prompt window will display the version information.