PLM - Getting Started
Below is a group of How-to's that are related to the topic of 'Installation & Access' in the PLM - Getting Started subcategory. Click on their links to find more information on these topics.
Below is a group of How-to's that are related to the topic of 'Search, Navigation & Open' in the PLM - Getting Started subcategory. Click on their links to find more information on these topics.
Below are the remaining How-to's that are not present in other subgroups in the PLM - Other subcategory. Click on their links to find more information on these topics.
Before working in the PLM please follow the available training material depending on your usage and requirements. The trainings can be found here.
Below is a list of acronyms that are used in relation to the PLM.
- RPG – Responsible Project Group
- DC – Design Code
- CDR – CERN Drawing Reference → Replaces CDD Number
- TBE – Titleblock Editor
- RFC – Ready for Check
- RFC in PLM – Ready for Check in PLM
- LC – Lifecycle
- WF – Workflow
- PC - Profile Card
- BOM – Bill of Materials
- TOC – Table of Contents
- Doc – Document
- QAC – Quality Assurance and Control
- DT - Digital Twin
See the list of CATIA Acronyms here.
See the list of SmarTeam Acronyms here.
During the transition period to the PLM, access to CATIA through the PLM is not freely available to all users. You must be granted access to the PLM-CATIA connector.
If you do not have the connector installed, or it is an out of date version, you will receive the following message when attempting to launch CATIA through the button on the PLM dashboard. This will remind you which applications must be installed and a link to CMF. There is also a link to documentation explaining the prerequisites required before running this application.
If CATIA is not installed the launch button will be greyed out.
To request access to the connector please contact plm-support@cern.ch and also state your PC name. Prior to granting you access, we would ask for you to complete the SmarTeam to PLM training, please see the link here.
However, if you need immediate access to prevent a project from becoming blocked, please sign up to the next available training and contact us explaining your situation. If deemed necessary and suitable we will grant early access to allow work to be continued.
Icons are used throughout the PLM and in the CATIA specification tree to quickly convey information. See the documentation below to find the explanation of each icon.
More: FAQ
The Parts are the group of responsible objects for storing all engineering information related to the equipment like 2D, 3D or other documents and files. However, the Part does not contain any files: the files must be attached to the CAD or non-CAD Documents.
In the PLM Platform the Part can be linked to a second Part, but CADs and Documents can be attached only to one Part.
In the Parent Part it is possible to link several Children: Parts (BOM), CAD Documents and Documents.
The Part can be created manually from the PLM Platform or automatically through connector.
Read More: Part
To log-out from PLM Desktop you need to click on the button that represents your account (step 1) and use the "Logout" (2).
Then you need to wait for confirmation window that appears and validate.
CERN account holders can access the PLM with their nice CERN account.
The platform has a table of contents (TOC) on the left hand side. From here you can find all the options to navigate through the PLM to search and create objects.
The platform is navigated using tabs. Every time you open a document, a search or a link, a new tab opens next to the tabs that are already open.
It is largely the same for the four most common types of objects: parts, documents, CAD documents and folders. The menu also exists for other types of objects.
For more information on how to navigate around the PLM interface, and the icons used see the following FAQ.
There are several ways to access the search page, if you want to know more about this procedure, please follow the document below (page 7).
To open the quick search function, first open the Navigation Panel, then select the icon corresponding to the type of object you are looking for or use one of the shortcuts in the sidebar.
The quick search can be used to find an object if you know its reference parameter. This means that the quick search only works if you type in the first character(s) of the reference parameter.
In CATIA, from the connector toolbar, clicking on the Query icon, you will be able to access the PDM Query dialog and to search for any CAD document previously uploaded to the PLM platform. Once the searched CAD Document has been found and selected, a double-click will open it in CATIA.
Note that the double-click corresponds to an Open as Saved.
See the 'Opening' subgroup for related information
See more: Open CAD Document in CATIA
Any CATIA document saved in the PLM platform can be opened from there directly in CATIA.
- From the CAD Document Profile Card.
- From a search result grid, using the contextual menu.
See the 'Opening' subgroup for related information
See more: Open CAD Document in CATIA
For support, please send an email to plm-support@cern.ch.
A request will be automatically created in the Service-Now Platform. For urgent/blocking issues, please call the hotline: 160660
For CAD designers, it is also possible to report an issue from the PLM desktop application.
This way, the request created in Service Now will already contain some useful information for the PLM Support Team (PC name, date and time when the applications were launched, CATIA active document reference …).
This is the way to report the problems to be privileged.
The CATIA connector installation is performed via the CERN CMF installation manager, through the icon as shown in the image below.
Once your computer is added in the NSC (to complete this process, the admin or the main user of the computer must accept a request sent via email), then, you will be able to install the CATIA connector via CMF.
Currently, there are specific groups configured in CMF ("NSC" groups) that allow the installation of CATIA/SmarTeam in a CAD Workstation. This division has been created with the purpose of cover the needs of different CAD users at CERN.
The purpose of the following document is to describe the various options available.
What is the difference between CATIA Supported and CATIA Unsupported NSC?