Creating a New Document from an Existing One

This task shows you how to create a new document based on a copy of an existing one using File > New from.
Before you start, note that:
  • This command lets you generate a new document with a new name and a new UUID (Unique Universal IDentifier) but keep in mind that it does not automatically modify attribute values (such as the Description, for instance).
    When Manual input is selected in the Tools > Options > Infrastructure > Product Structure > Product Structure tab, and when the existing document is an "empty" CATProduct, then the Part Number dialog box may be displayed. In that case, you may choose to keep or not the proposed part number.
  • This command cannot be recorded in a macro. Indeed, the selection of multiple documents in the New From window is not supported and therefore, the New From window does not appear while recording a macro.

  1. You may want to create a new document whose basic characteristics are the same as an existing document. To do this, close the document you want to copy if not already closed and select File > New from.

    The File Selection dialog box appears:


  2. Select the existing document from which you want to create a new one then click Open.

    The last selected path is stored in preference files (which are identified by the suffix *.CATPreferences, and are created in the same location as settings, referenced by the CATUserSettingPath variable). This means that the last selected path is kept from one session to another and next time you access the File Selection dialog box, this path will be the default.
    An exact copy of the existing document is displayed with a default name using the following method:
    • in mono-document mode, a file named "MyPart.CATPart" is renamed to "MyPart_1.CATPart"
    • in multi-document mode, files named "MyPart.CATPart", "NewPart.CATPart" and "Test.CATDrawing" are renamed respectively to "MyPart_1.CATPart", "NewPart_1.CATPart" and "Test_1.CATDrawing".
      Note that in multi-document mode, the new document is based on a copy of the multiselection as a whole and not of each document individually.
    If the documents you select point to other documents for which the action can be performed, the New From dialog box is displayed:
    The upper frame of the dialog box displays a list of documents to which at least one of the selected documents points to (directly or not). The name, type and location of the files are indicated as well as the status (where you see "Found" right now).
    These documents will not be taken into account by the New From action, i.e. they will just be loaded in your current session and thus, will not be visualized in the new document window. They are identified by the icon in the specification tree. 
    Note that documents that are not found (because of a broken link, for instance) are not displayed at all in the upper frame.
    The lower frame of the dialog box displays a list of documents for which the New From action will be performed along with file information (name, type, etc.).

  3. Use the buttons to transfer documents from one frame to another:

    moves the whole list to the lower frame

    moves the selected file to the lower frame

    moves the whole list (except the CATProduct document) to the upper frame 

    moves the selected file to the upper frame.

    When a document is selected in the lower frame, the Rename document button is activated. Clicking this button opens the following dialog box: 

    Enter the new name of the selected document then click OK to validate. The new file name is displayed in the New Name column.

  4. Click OK to open the new document.

  5. Save the new document giving it a name other than the default.

    You can give the new document the same name as that of the already existing one if you wish but if you do this you must put the new document in another directory.