Skip to main content
knaraharisetti1-Visitor
1-Visitor
February 11, 2014
Solved

Opening .xcmd files

  • February 11, 2014
  • 18 replies
  • 10222 views

Hello,

Could anyone please be kind enough to help me solve this simple problem.


I downloaded the free version of PTC mathcad. But, I am unable to open the files ending in .xmcd. These files were created in an older version of mathcad. Not sure which version, but I am unable to open them in the latest PTC mathcad version. Please advise.


Regards,

Kali

Best answer by Werner_E

PTC software is not like other software

You are not able to open files created with version mathcad 15 or below in Prime. You have to convert those files first to the Prime format. To be able to do so, you must have a full installation of the latest Mathcad 15 on your machine. You can download a 30day trial version you may use to do so.

If you have only very few files to convert you may also ask here in the forum for someone doing the conversion for you.

I guess you have the latest version 3.0 of Prime Express. If not, if you have Prime 2, you must state this in your request for conversion here, as people having installed Prime3 will not be able to convert to Prime2 format and a Prime 3 file cannot converted to version 2 format at all. You know, PTC software is not like ....

18 replies

MikeArmstrong1-Visitor
1-Visitor
February 11, 2014

The latest version of Prime still requires Mathcad 15 to be installed to convert the files.

How many files are you talking about?

Werner_E
Werner_E25-Diamond IAnswer
25-Diamond I
February 11, 2014

PTC software is not like other software

You are not able to open files created with version mathcad 15 or below in Prime. You have to convert those files first to the Prime format. To be able to do so, you must have a full installation of the latest Mathcad 15 on your machine. You can download a 30day trial version you may use to do so.

If you have only very few files to convert you may also ask here in the forum for someone doing the conversion for you.

I guess you have the latest version 3.0 of Prime Express. If not, if you have Prime 2, you must state this in your request for conversion here, as people having installed Prime3 will not be able to convert to Prime2 format and a Prime 3 file cannot converted to version 2 format at all. You know, PTC software is not like ....

ELSID1-Visitor
1-Visitor
February 13, 2014

Correction. PTC, as a software company, is doing what others in the industry are doing ... specifically CAD centric companies. Take a look at AutoDESK Revit sometime. It is NOT backwards compatible with itself either.

I agree this is terrible, as one of the nice things about the "old collab" was the help from people using different versions. I might be using version 14, yet, someone still on 11 was able to assist to a large extent.

RichardJ19-Tanzanite
19-Tanzanite
February 13, 2014

SolidWorks is hte same way. I have never seen it in any other software though, only CAD packages.

VladimirN24-Ruby IV
24-Ruby IV
February 12, 2014

We can help to convert them for you.

    knaraharisetti1-VisitorAuthor
    1-Visitor
    February 12, 2014

    Hello Everyone,

    Thank you for your immediate replies and your kind help. Let me try installing the 30 day trial version of mathcad 15 as Werner suggested. If that does not open I will come back with my files. There are actually 6 files with .xmcd and 1 file with .mcd extension.

    Regards,

    Kali

    Werner_E
    Werner_E25-Diamond I
    25-Diamond I
    February 12, 2014

    You are welcome to upload the seven files here for conversion if you don't want to install MC15 just to having it uninstall after 30 days. On the other hand you would see how the version of Mathcad, which many of us still prefer over Prime, looks and feels like.

    Also you have to be aware that the conversion very often fails (the file is converted but isn't doing what its supposed to do) because even in Version 3 Prime lacks a lot of features compared to Mathcad15. Generally spoken only rather basic sheets will convert painlessly, other will require manual rework and ohers won't work at all. So having Mathcad 15 at hand to see what the file is supposed to do can be a great benefit.

    You probably know that als Prime will be in full mode, too, for the first 30 days. After that time (when MC15 simply will refuse to start) Prime transforms into a crippled Express Mode and you will still be allow ed to use it, but a lot of so called premium features are turned off and will not work anymore. These includes symbolic evaluation, programming, solve blocks, advanced functions, 3D plots, etc. If the files you have in mind are using any of those premium feature, those regions won't work anymore.

    BTW, if you buy Prime, you get Mathcad15 for free.

    knaraharisetti1-VisitorAuthor
    1-Visitor
    February 12, 2014

    Hello Werner,

    Fanatastic. I downloaded Mathcad15 and I am able to open all my medieval times files. Thanks alot for all your help.

    Thank you Mike and Vladimir for your help as well.

    Regards,

    Kali

      MikeArmstrong1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      February 12, 2014

      You are welcome

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement