About Setting Up Printers on UNIX and Windows

 

You can only print a document (by selecting either File > Print or Quick Print in the Standard toolbar) if a default printer has been set up. 
On Windows, you print using the default printer declared by your Windows system administrator.
However, on UNIX, you will only be able to print once you have set up a printer.

You can set up two types of printers:

  • Windows Printers
  • 3DPLM Printers.

Setting up a Windows printer creates a printer configuration file, needed for printing, in $HOME/CATSettings/Printers.

Setting up a 3DPLM printer creates a configuration file named PLOTxxxx.xml containing the printer and the driver configuration settings in $HOME/CATSettings/Printers/.
If you attempt to print on UNIX before setting up a printer, the following message appears:  
 

The objective of this section is to show you how to set up your environment to get your printer operational, which is performed by creating and customizing a file called a printer configuration file. The role of this file is to declare your printer so it is recognized by Version 5. Once at least one printer has been declared, the above message will no longer appear.

We assume that

  • the physical printing device has been installed and connected to the system
  • your system administrator has already declared your printer to your UNIX operating system.
  On both UNIX and Windows, the default printer is defined by selecting File > Printer Setup which opens the Printers dialog box (note that the image below shows a Windows dialog box but the look on UNIX is more or less the same):
 
  This dialog box displays a list of available and installed printers. Note that if you are working on a UNIX workstation, you will not be able to access Windows printers.
  Double-clicking one of the printers displayed in the list will open the standard setup dialog box corresponding to the selected printer type. Refer to your Windows documentation for detailed information about using this dialog box.
On Windows, you can also double-click Add Printer at the top of the list to open the Add Printer Wizard dialog box: 
 
  This dialog box enables you to choose between:
  • Windows Printer: in that case, selecting this option then OK opens the Connect to Printer dialog box in which you can select the Windows printer you wish to add
  • 3D PLM Printer: this option lets you add printers provided by Dassault Systèmes. When clicking OK, the Printer Properties dialog box is displayed to let you define the parameters for your new printer. Refer to Adding a Printer for detailed information.

Once a printer has been added, it is displayed at the end of the list and is identified by a specific icon.

  Refer to the following tasks in this section to learn more about adding, removing, configuring and testing a printer.
 
If you want to set another printer as the default printer, select it from the list then right-click and select Set As Default. The selected printer is set as the default printer and is identified by the following icon: .
On Windows, however, note that the default printer is modified when you select a different printer in the Print dialog box.
When you exit then restart a new session, the printer set by default is the one defined in Start > (Settings >) Control Panel  > Printers.
 
You can also set up your printers without having to run a Version 5 session. 
To do so: 
  On Windows
 

  1. Open an MS-DOS window.

  2. Change to the default folder in which you installed the product.

    The default folder is:

    C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\Bn\intel_a\code\bin

    (where n is the current release number)

  1. Enter the command:

    CATPrinterManager 
  On UNIX
 

  1. Change to the directory:

    /usr/DassaultSystemes/Bn/OS_a/code/command/
     

    (where n is the current release number)

  2. Run the command

    CATPrinterManager
    The Printers dialog box opens:
 

You can then set up your printers as explained above.