Locking Settings

This task explains how to run a session in administrator mode for the purpose of locking settings so that other users running a session with the same environment inherit those settings and cannot change them. 

An administrator can also take advantage of this mechanism to set default settings which, although not locked, are proposed to users as a starting point.

By default, there is "zero administration" of settings: user settings are stored in the CATSettings environment as explained in About Settings.

The following scenario walks you through a procedure useful for locking settings for users of the default environment created at installation. This is a useful procedure if you are interested in locking settings, but do not want to multiply environments on the same computer.

The scenario described reflects the Windows platform only, but the feature is also supported on UNIX.
Do not confuse running a session in administrator mode (a Version 5 concept) with logging on as administrator (a system concept).

Scenario 1: Locking Settings for the Default Global Environment
1. Log on as an administrator.

You must belong to the Administrators group, or have the privileges assigned to the Administrators group.

For the purposes of this particular scenario only, you need to log on as administrator because you are going to modify the default global environment (VersionNumber).
2. Select the Start > Programs > CATIA > Tools > Environment Editor VersionNumber command to display the Environment Editor.

You will see an environment with the following name:

CATIA
3. Click the CATIAEnvironmentName environment to display the corresponding environment variables.
4. Locate the following environment variable: CATReferenceSettingPath

Note that the default setting for this variable is empty.
5. Reset the variable so that it points to an existing folder, for example:

CATReferenceSettingPath    E:\users\administrator\LockSettings

then click Set, then OK to save and exit the environment editor. This folder will contain the setting locks you will create later. The folder access rights must be set up for read access only for end users, and read/write for the person creating the setting locks.
6. Run a session in administrator mode using the following command:

cnext -env CATIAEnvironmentName -admin

or:

cnext -admin

The session is started using the default global environment, and a message informs you that you are running in administration mode. Click OK in the message box to proceed. If prompted by the License Manager, reserve at least one configuration license then restart a session in administrator mode. 
7.  Select the Tools > Options... command.

The "Options" dialog box is displayed. Note that a lock symbol like this appears opposite each option in the General tab:
  Pointing the cursor to a lock symbol displays a message indicating the name of the folder/directory containing the lock settings. This is particularly useful for administrators who need to identify which lock settings are active when there are multiple levels of concatenated locks.
8. To set the locks, click on one of the appropriate lock symbols.

For example, click the lock symbol for the User Interface Style option:
The lock symbol now looks like this: .

Because the user interface style was set to CATIA - P2, end users running this environment will not be able to change this setting.
9. Click OK to confirm.

The lock settings are stored in the folder referenced by the CATReferenceSettingPath environment variable you reset earlier.
10. Exit the session.
An end user who starts a session with the normal startup commands (but not the cnext -env CATIAEnvironmentName -admin command) and using the same environment, will see this after selecting the Tools > Options... command:
The lock symbol now looks like this: .

Because the user interface style was set to "CATIA - P2", end users running this environment will not be able to change this setting to "CATIA - P1".

Scenario 2: Locking Settings for User Environments
You do not necessarily have to log on as administrator to customize an environment and set locks on settings: the lock mechanism is not limited to the global environment only. 

End users can customize their own user environments to store their own settings in a location referenced by the CATReferenceSettingPath environment variable, start a session using the command:

cnext -env myenv -admin

where "myenv" is the name of the user environment, then lock settings in the same way as described in their first scenario. Then, other end users starting a session on the same computer, with the normal startup commands and using the same environment, will inherit the locked settings.

Scenario 3: Concatenating Settings Locks
Different users may want to set different types of locks at different levels for a variety of reasons.

If several users set locks in different folders using the same environment, end users of the same environment will inherit all the locks set by those administrators.

To implement this solution, you must concatenate several CATReferenceSettingPath values as illustrated below:
In this example:
  • one administrator (starting in administration mode) locks settings in "Environment 1" at the site level
  • on the same site, two administrators (also starting in administration mode) in two different workshops lock settings in "Environment 2" and "Environment 3" respectively
  • users 1 and 2 run a Version 5 session with "Environment 2" and inherit the setting locks in "Environment 1" and "Environment 2" respectively
  • users 3 and 4 run a Version 5 session with "Environment 3" and inherit the setting locks in "Environment 1" and "Environment 3" respectively.