Importing CADWorx Legacy Specifications FAQ

Chempute Software (Pty) Ltd P.O.Box 856, Kloof, 3640, South Africa
Werner Theron Question:

How can we import CADWorx Legacy Specifications (Ver 2012 and older) into the new CADWorx Plant Pro 2013?
Answer : The CADWorx 2013 specification format is different to the older text based versions. Instead of working with fragmented files and rigorous folder structures, the 2013 specifications have been enhanced to consolidate all the information into Catalog and Project files. Catalog files (*.cat) contain the physical dimension information of the components as well as additional information such as Material Tables, Schedule Tables, and Thickness Tables. Project files (*.prj) will contain the specifications, basically a filter of the catalog components. The specs will contain information such as Long Description, available size ranges, SKEY information for Isogen, layer information, and much more. Start the new Catalog and Specification Editor by typing SPECEDIT on the command line if inside CADWorx Plant Pro, or alternatively run the CADWorxSpecEditor.exe from the C:\CADWorx 2013\Plant\Spec folder.

Click New Catalog from the Spec Editor beachball.

Give the new catalog a Name, change the Type to a Global Catalog and ensure the unit system corresponds to your preferences. The Catalog can also be saved to a different location however for the purposes of this example we will leave it as default.

Once the (empty) catalog is created, click on the Size Table icon. This is a minimum requirement before importing a legacy specification. Schedule Tables, Material Tables etc. can all be added at a later stage if requried.

Once the size table is created, right click and use the Add Standard Size option.

Use the Select all option. If non standard sizes are required such as 110 or 160, these can be added with the Add New Size option.

To import the legacy data files, the easiest option is Import By Spec.

Start with the legacy Specification File that you would like to import. Note that your specs may be saved in a different folder from what is shown in the image below. Also set the correct Library Folder and Topworks Folder based on your specification. The window will update with all the data files associated with that specification. Use the Select all items check box and click Import.

You should receive a confirmation that the files were successfully converted.

You will notice that the Catalog Data has now been updated with the data table information.

Repeat this process for your other specifications. If you have shared data files between specification you may get a convert failed message. This is normal as the catalog will not add the same datat able to the catalog twice. Save the catalog.

Click New Project from the Spec Editor beachball.

Give the project a Name and make sure that you reference the Default Catalog that has just been created. Long Desc Format and Part Number format can be updated at a later stage also if required.

Once the blank project has been created click Import Legacy Specification.

Browse to the legacy specification and click Import.

The specification successfully imports.

Repeat the process for all the other specifications that are required. Save the Project File.

The final step is to click on the Branch tab near the bottom left of the screen and then to set the branch table information. Save the Project file, it is now ready for production.

Load the Project file from the Spec View palette.

Take advantage of the new improved routing features of CADWorx 2013 with your existing specifications.

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