Mathcad file backward compatibility

[SK_10512130]

Hi, I created a file in Mathcad Prime 8.0 and I'm sharing with my client who is using Mathcad Prime 7.0. But he's unable to open due to compatibility.

Can anyone help me out please on how to create a file that can be opened in Mathcad Prime 7.0 as well.

[RantEng]

You can have two versions of Mathcad installed on your computer. 

• Open both versions
• Open your Primate document
• <Ctrl>-A to select everything
• <Ctrl>-C to copy everything
• Switch to a blank Prime 7 drawing and make sure our Option base and other critical settings are  the same.
• <Ctrl>-V to paste everything into the Prime 7 version
• SaveAs with a new name or location

[SK_10512130]

Both Mathcad Prime versions are on different PCs.

Mathcad Prime 8.0 is installed in a laptop that is at one location and Mathcad Prime 7.0 Laptop is at some other location.

[RantEng]

You can download and install Prime 7 on the computer that already has Prime 8.  Your Prime 8 license file will work for Prime 7.

[SK_10512130]

Except installation is there a way out?

Actually my client and myself both're using licensed versions.

[RantEng]

I only know of one possibility and it is not a certainty.  If you open a joint session (Remote Desktop, Teams, Zoom, ...) you may be able to allow remote control and use the copy-and-paste function between the computers.  Mathcad only operates in Express mode when working as a remote session.  Depending on the functionality you use, you might need to return control and restart Mathcad before it can work.  Let me know if this works.  I've never tried it.

Good Luck,

Bob

[Werner_E]

Prime will refuse to work in full mode when used via remote desktop. At least thats the case with node locked licenses.

[SK_10512130]

Thanks for the advise. I'll try this.

[ctitus]

I'm having problems with Prime 11 crashing (hard crash: no errors, no log file) during a complex calculation with large matrices. This same sheet worked fine in Prime 9, but once you open/save the file in Prime 11 you can't go back. (Yes, bad on me for not archiving the old file version.) I suspect a memory management issue in Prime 11, and maybe I could prove it recreating the file in Prime 9.

Bob Ranteng's approach is so wonderfully simple and straightforward it seemed like the perfect path forward for moving from Prime 11 back to Prime 9 on the same computer, I can copy/paste math equations, custom functions, and plots only.  Copy/paste of pure text blocks or text blocks with embedded math (90% of my 30+ page file) yields the obtuse error: "Unable to paste the specified object due to: PrimeObject. Log file is located at C:\...".

Mathcad frustrates again!

-Chris

[Werner_E]

Oh yes - Prime is a constant source of frustration 😞

First frustration possibly is the utterly stupid way copy and past is implemented in Prime. This also forces you to copy the regions one by one instead of all in one go.

Second frustration sure are the text fields. You simply can't copy and paste text regions from the sheet of one version to an older one.

But even though you can't copy the text region, you sure can copy the content of that region. So its just a matter of how and what you highlight before you press ctrl+C.

Third frustration: If you do so and the text region has embedded math regions, only the text is copied and you have to copy each math region one by one from inside the text region in P11 to the correct position in the newly created text region of P9.

And of course any formatting of the text is lost and you will have to redo it in P9 from scratch.

That's customer care by PTC ...

Enabling each version to save back in older formats (omitting the few new features which were added) would be just too convenient....

BTW, you sure should consider opening a case at official PTC support because of Prime 11 crashing a sheet which worked in P9.

[LucMeekes]

The more convenient way to copy a worksheet to a lower version is the following:

•Be sure to have the sheet opened in the higher Prime version and start the lower Prime version on the same PC.

•Create an area in the higher version sheet.

•Place all regions that you want into that area. You cannot simply move regions, you can only copy (or cut) and paste areas into (or out of) an area. And you cannot create an area inside another area, so if your sheet already contains areas, they have to be copied separately.

•Now close the area, select it and copy it.

•Then paste it in the empty sheet of the lower Prime version.

•Save the lower version sheet, be sure to use a different name so as not to overwrite the higher Prime version sheet.

•Now you can copy (or cut) and paste the regions to outside of the area.

A little luck is required. The lower Prime version will sometimes crash when the area is pasted. That might depend on the type of regions it contains. I suspect it happens when you try to paste regions with stuff that is not yet supported in the older Prime.  Working in chunks with intermediate saving of the lower Prime version file is recommended. Then of course there's the problem of math regions embedded into text regions that in some cases (or installations?) will not be copied along. 

Success!
Luc

[Werner_E · Accepted solution]

The is a way to edit the Prime 8 file, exchange one of the files in there  and resave the file. Its possible that the file afterwards can be opened with Prime 7.

I always use this method to open P7 and P8 files posted here in the forum with my P6. But there are also files which after editing still can't be opened. Especially when they use features not available in the older version (like drop downs). In the past @LucMeekes  often succeeded in converting these files as well by using a more sophisticated method.

The method I use is described here:

https://community.ptc.com/t5/Mathcad/Prime-backwards-compatibility-solved-Or-at-least-hacked/m-p/637537