Is there any way I can convert my MathCAD Prime 4.0 file to Prime 3.1?

[mjeffs]

I have a client who is using Prime 3.1 and I would like to share my Prime 4.0 file with them. I cannot see a "save as legacy" option and cutting and pasting doesn'r seem to work either.

[Fred_Kohlhepp · Accepted solution]

PTC has not implemented that capability.  4 can read 3.1, cannot write.

Short of typing, save as XPS, they can at least see it!

[mjeffs]

Thanks Fred, I've actually printed it as a pdf so they can see it but are asking if they can have it in the old Prime 3.1 format. Looks like a re-type then!

[LucMeekes]

I thought I'd check it anyway...

I have Prime Express versions 3.1 and 4.0 installed on the same computer. I can open a sheet in Prime 4, copy a region and paste it on an empty sheet in Prime 3.1.

That gives hope.

Copying multiple regions at the same time in the Prime 4 sheet, does allow me to paste it somewhere else on the same sheet in Prime 4, or even on another sheet in the same Prime 4. But it doesn't paste to a sheet in Prime 3.1. So with Expess versions of Prime it's not going to be simple to transfer a sheet with many regions.

Now something similar is happening for copying regions and pasting to, e.g. something useful as this forum. As a mere Express user I cannot paste multiple regions in one stroke, but each one successively works. I know from other discussions that regular users of Prime 4 can paste multiple regions in one stroke to this forum.

So maybe, if you have both (regular versions of) Prime 4 and prime 3.1, or even if you only have the regular version of one of them, you might be able to copy and paste regions from 4.0 to 3.1.

I can't check it.

Success!
Luc

[mjeffs]

Thanks Luc.

I can cut and paste individual regions from 4.0 to 3.1 and also multiple text regions but multiple math regions will not cut & paste.

[Fred_Kohlhepp]

Will an individual region copied from 4 paste into 3.1 as a computable region?  Or as a picture?

[mjeffs]

Yes - just tried it - you get the computation not just an image.

Strikes me that it wouldn't take too much for PTC to introduce backward compatibility or at least multiple math region cut & paste?

[LucMeekes]

do you have both versions with full license, or is one an Express?

Luc

[mjeffs]

Both full licenced.

[LucMeekes]

Then there are only(?) two options left.

Expensive:

Your client buys and installs Prime 4.

Problem solved.

Cheap:

Your client downloads and installs Express Prime 4.

That way they can read your Prime 4 files. Note that your calculation results are saved with it, so they can see those. But chances are that upon recalculation they'll find out that you've used 'Premium features' that aren't supported in an Express edition.

To prevent losing your calculation results, they shouldn't (re-)save your file(s) from within their Express Prime 4.

Success!
Luc

[mjeffs]

Third option is that I continue to work in Prime 3.1 for this particular client.