FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

SIRET: 408 478 733 00038
SIREN: 408 478 733 RCS
NAF: 6201Z
Intracommunity VAT: FR00408478733

The US identification number is the following one :
EIN: 27 0143542
For more information, feel free to contact us.

Here are Datakit's contact details :

Headquarters & Technical Agency : 6, place des Terreaux F-69001 Lyon Tel +33 478 396 369 Fax +33 478 284 248 Email : Contact-us.

Administration & Sales : 2, rue des Ecoles F-11800 Floure Tel +33 468 790 767 Fax +33 426 299 867 Email : Contact-us.

• Click on « register right now » in the right column.
  
• Fill in the register form and validate.
  
• Click on the confirmation link in the e-mail you received:
  « Compulsory : Click here to activate your account.
  http://www.datakit.com/en/register_activate.php?activate=6690&code=bf300ff9b527fb0c592d8f0539 »
• You can now access to more options in the details products page : You can download products and their pdf, request a quotation and get licenses.
  

There can be various reasons for this problem:

• You don't have a Datakit account.
  Register.
• You have just created an account as an end user
  Make sure that you have clicked on the confirmation link you received by e-mail.
• You have just created an account as a reseller or an editor.
  Datakit has perhaps not activated your account yet. Please wait until we activate it.
• Your password is not correct. Click here to receive it by email.

A Datakit user account enables you to access all features offered by Datakit.

Register as end user to:

• Download Datakit's products.
• Download demo licenses.
• Choose a resseller.
• Buy annual licenses and see their details.

In the register form, we ask you to select an account type.

• Choose "End user" if you want to use Datakit's converters for you or for your company.
• Choose "Reseller" If you are a software reseller and you want to sell Datakit's products to your customers.
• Choose "OEM" if your are a software publisher and you want to integrate Datakit's technology in your Software.

Yes, all of our benefit from a free of charge quarter of year guarantee.
During this time and till the end of it, feel free to download new versions of your product(s). These versions will work with your code.
Support from our technical services is also included.
After that period, we advise you to order a yearly maintenance.

Yes, we propose a maintenance contract, but first of all, please remember that our products are delivered with a quarter of year guarantee.
To know more about it, read the question “Do your products benefit from a guarantee ? ”.

You can either purchase your maintenance contract when you order your product, or after the free of charge guarantee quarter has come to an end. You can purchase a one year (or more) maintenance contract.
In any case, you will still benefit from  your quarter of year free guarantee.
Maintenance also includes support and help from our technical department.

Licenses depend on your computer Host ID number.
So, if you change your computer, we will provide you with a new code wich can be used on your new computer with the same expiration date, provided that you certify you don't use our software on your former computer anymore.

• Launch the hostid.exe software (C:\Program Files\DATAKIT\detklm\hostid.exe).
  
• Click on "Browse/Install".
  
• Look for your license file (.lic) and click on "open".
  
• Close the window

• The corresponding software must already be installed on your computer before you ask for a demo license
• On the Datakit website, log onto your account.
  
• Clic on « Get demo license» on the right menu.
  
• Select the products that you want on the lists. They will appear on the right.
  
• Look for your Host ID (See "Where do I find my Host ID (Mac address) ?") and paste it on the website in the field « Host ID » of the license form, then validate.
  
• When you have receive your license, load it in the corresponding software.
  (See "How to activate my Plug-in License ?")
• You can then test the Datakit product during the trial version duration.

To install a floating license, download the utilities and explanations necessary for its installation here :
32 bits version
64 bits version

If you are using Windows, click on "Start" then "Execute".


Type "cmd" and validate.


The command prompt opens. Tape "ipconfig /all". Then press "Enter".


Your Host ID consists of 12 characters located on the line "Physical Address" (Without hyphens).

Each license correspond to an input format or an output format.
So, you need just to buy licenses of the formats that you need to import, and those of the formats that you need to export.
The list of the available formats in import and in export in the software will change depending on the licenses which you have.

1. Create "c:\flexlm" folder.
2. Copy your license file ( .lic ) in this folder (c:\flexlm)
3. Click right mouse button on "My Computer" and choose [Properties]
   Or go on windows [Start][Control Panel][System].
4. Click on [Advanced] tab and press [Environment variables].
5. Press [New] in "System variables".
6. Enter variable name: "DATAKIT_LICENSE_FILE" and variable value: "c:\flexlm"

Click here to see the detailed explanation

Datakit develops and proposes 4 ranges of Cad data exchange solutions:

• CrossManager for a stand-alone translator.
• CrossCad/PLG for the plug-ins
• CrossCad/WARE for the components integrated by CAD software companies.

A plug-in is linked to the software for which it was designed. It is not self-sufficient.
It comes as an additional option to the CAD software.
Consequently, to use CROSSCAD/PLG, you must run a licence for the software on the same workstation.

• Clic on « Download » on the top menu.
  
• Choose the format that you want to import, then choose the format you want to export into.
  
• Clic on « See more » to have more informations of the different products.
  

Stand Alone converters are independents converters.
It is a specific Datakit software that converts your files without requiring the CAD software related.
Our product CrossManager is a Stand Alone converter.

CrossManager is a software developed by Datakit to convert files automatically from one format to another without licenses of the softwares corresponding of the formats you want.
You have just to select a file to convert and the format which you want to get for having automatically a clean file in the format you have chosen.
The list of the input and output formats supported is available on the CrossManager's description page, you will find too the documentation of the software.

• Log on to the web site.
  
• Look for the product you want (see « How to look for a Datakit product on the website ? »).
  
• Clic on « download » and save the installation file.
  
• Open the executable file to launch the installation.
  
• Follow the instructions

Yes such functionnalities do exist. In Rhinoceros V4, choose Datakit Exchange, Catia V5, Show tree. Then, select a file to import. Open it. The Components list appears. Now you have the possibility to choose the elements you wish to import.
The same functionnalities do exist for SolidWorks.

A dialog box will appear with the mention 'part not found a and the reference of the part'.
Then, our solution allows you to choose one from the 3 available options : 
- cancel : give up to look for the file
- do not display this dialog box anymore - as a consequence it will no more appear during the current session
- add files. Our solution will look for the file in the mentionned directory.
While using Datakit exchange menu, you can either decide to search or not to search missing files. It is an option.

Yes, it is possible to get different data such as the name of the users, the date you generated the file, its version, an identification of the part ... but also properties: mass, material or history. To summarize lots of information not directly related to geometry. The sole request is that they have to have been registered as comments within Catia V4 file.
Actualy, Datakit automatically edited a report dedicated to translation. This report includes the name of the translator, information of tolerance, details of the file release ... 

It was important for us to make sure that the structural matches between Catia V5 and Inventor were maintained, but we also wanted to address cases a structural difference between the two environments: for example, Inventor considers a Catia V5 Cat.Part containing multibodies as an assembly.

It understands the different types of Catia V5 assembly and supports the assembly tree structure. This includes the following assembly types:

• Single level assembly
• Assembly of assemblies
  1. containing components
  2. flexible or Standard

All the names used in Catia V5 are kept in the Inventor iam or ipt files.

Designers often see importing data as a laborious, uncreative chore. Automation helps creative people to save precious time and energy. Don't forget that this plug-in has a further advantage: Rhino users do not need a Catia V5 licence in order to run it. Users can opt to import all the available files in a list without wasting time moving files, or selecting them from a directory. 

Sub directories will aso be procesed if that's what the user initially chose to do.
The interface processes all Catia V5 entities, assemblies, topological, surface, and wireframe data and attributes.

CATParts, CATShapes and CATProducts can all be imported. With the directory mode, users can also confine processing to just the file types they are particularly interested in.
The results of the conversion (.3dm) are stored in the same directory as the original files unless the user specifies another location.

 

FD&T are not indispensable at every design stage. They can even unnecessarily crowd the information displayed on the screen. The option box saves users the trouble of going into configuration files. All you have to do is to specify in the box whether or not you want to keep the FD&T.

If the designer initially chose to hide or to desactivate the FD&T in the construction tree,  we can force the processing of FD&T data (even when it is invisible or deactivated). We try to respect the Catia format as scrupulously as possible while leaving users the freedom to choose the data they want to process.

 

Yes, actually, the preview available for Catia V5, SW and UG translators have been so successfull that we have decided to develop a similar tool for users of the Pro-E converters.
To get a quick look at a part, you simply need to select "preview version" It displays the model in wireframe mode so that you can take a look it dynamically from every viewpoint.
Then, if you want, you can get the full version of the part.

Some of our forms, such as the licence request, require JavaScript to function.
If you encounter a form wich has no effect when you do a selection, JavaScript is not enabled on your browser.
Depending on your browser, a different handling is required to activate it :

• Firefox : Tools > Options > Content > Enable JavaScript
• Internet Explorer : Tools > Internet options > Security > Default level
• Google Chrome : Click on the icon "Tools" > Options > Under the hood > Content settings > JavaScript > Allow all site to run JavaScript
• Opera : Settings > Quick preferences > Enable JavaScript
• Safari : Click on the icon "Tools" > preferences > Security > Enable JavaScript

Refresh the page (F5) after activation, the form will work correctly.