The interface works in a Reader mode.
This is a stand-alone reader which does not require that the CATIA V5 system be installed.
No CAD associativity support.
No CAD Parameter support.
This interface can be configured during Ansys installation or by using the Product & CAD Configuration Manager.
See Product & CAD Configuration Manager for usage information.
For detailed installation information about the Product & CAD Configuration Manager, see:
| Windows: Configuring CAD Products> Using the CAD Configuration Manager |
| Linux: Configuring CAD Products> Using the CAD Configuration Manager |
Support
At the time of release, detailed version support information for the Windows and Linux platform is accessible via Geometry Interface Support.
For information about post-release CAD system compatibility with Ansys Workbench, see the Platform Support section of the Ansys Website.
Document import supported by interface: Part (*.CATPart) and Assembly (*.CATProduct)
Versions: Up to 2025 (Windows & Linux)
Table 7: Import Preference Support for CATIA V5 Reader Interface
| Import Solid Bodies | Yes | ||
| Import Surface Bodies | Yes | ||
| Import Line Bodies | Yes | ||
| Parameter Processing and prefix/suffix key | No | ||
| Attribute Processing and prefix |
| ||
| Named Selection Processing and prefix |
| ||
| Material Processing |
| ||
| Analysis Type |
| ||
| Associativity | No | ||
| Coordinate Systems |
| ||
| Work Points |
| ||
| Reader Save File | No | ||
| Instancing | No | ||
| Smart Update | No | ||
| Enclosure and Symmetry Processing | No | ||
| Mixed Import Resolution | No | ||
| Decompose Disjoint Geometry | Yes |
Notations
Selective Update (Windows) — This interface fully supports the Selective Update feature.
Length Unit — The length unit specified in the part or assembly is automatically read from the geometry file and is transferred into Ansys Workbench. The Length Unit field in the Details will be read-only. If a unit system is not detected in the geometry file, the Length Unit field in the Details will be active, allowing the Length Unit to be specified.
Hidden parts — Parts that are hidden or suppressed in CATIA V5 are skipped automatically by this interface.
Import CAD Color as an Attribute or Named Selection —
Attribute: specify the "Attributes" option and set the "Attributes Key" to "Color" or a list of specific Colors delimited by a semicolon (for example: "Color:255.0.0; Color:255.255.0").
Named Selection: specify the "Named Selections" option and set the "Named Selections Key" to "Color" or a list of specific Colors delimited by a semicolon (for example: "Color:255.0.0; Color:255.255.0").
Import CAD Layer as an Attribute or Named Selection —
Attribute: specify the "Attributes" option and set the "Attributes Key" to "Layer" or a list of specific Layers delimited by a semicolon (for example: "Layer:0;Layer:1;Layer:3").
Named Selection: specify the "Named Selections" option and set the "Named Selections Key" to "Layer" or a list of specific Layers delimited by a semicolon (for example: "Layer:0;Layer:1;Layer:3")
Import CAD Publication as an Attribute or Named Selection (Windows) —
Attribute: specify the "Attributes" option and set the "Attributes Key" to "Publication" or any number of prefixes with each prefix delimited by a semicolon (for example: "NS_ForceFaces;NS_FixedSupports;NS_BoltLoaded").
Named Selection: specify the "Named Selections" option and set the "Named Selections Key" to "Publication" or any number of prefixes with each prefix delimited by a semicolon (for example: "NS_ForceFaces;NS_FixedSupports;NS_BoltLoaded").
Caveats and Known Issues
The CATIA V5 Reader has the following limitations:
Limited Support — Non-Commercial, Education Edition, Alpha, Beta, and PR versions (even of supported official versions) are not supported.
Troubleshooting
See the CATIA Errors Related to CAD Integration section in CAD Integration Troubleshooting for detailed information.