Release Notes

Introduction 

The release notes provide brief and high-level descriptions of the new features of HaloCAD. Before installing HaloCAD, it is recommended to read the release notes to understand any current limitations or bugs that may apply to this version of the software.

Product Description

HaloCAD acts as the guardian of your CAD files by automatically protecting them with Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MPIP) labels whenever they leave your secure IT perimeter. As a plug-in for CAD applications, HaloCAD offers access to MPIP-protected files, including label handling and privilege enforcement. CAD users will not notice any differences in the handling of CAD files because protection takes place in the background. By seamlessly attaching MPIP labels to the CAD files while they are being created, it provides end-to-end security for those files.

System Requirements

The following system requirements table specifies the minimum and recommended technical specifications, such as software and network resources, necessary to run the product.

Requirements

Supported CAD applications for HaloCAD Add-ons

You are reading the current version of the release notes; however, if you are searching for a previous version, refer to the release notes for that version.

CAD applications and HaloCAD Add-on version

Prerequisites

The following preparatory steps or conditions must be met before installing the product.

The add-on requires the registration of an application with Microsoft Entra ID, an Office 365 subscription, and access to recommended URLs. For additional information, please refer to the Technical Reference Manual.

Code Quality and Security

Secude focuses on software quality and security. This is accomplished by adhering to and exceeding best practices in development, testing, and quality control. Secude has chosen SonarQube as the first building block for building and implementing a robust continuous code quality assurance (QA). SonarQube is a platform for statical code analysis for continuous inspection of code quality. It performs automatic reviews of code to detect bugs, code smells, unit test coverage, and security issues in 29 programming languages.

SonarQube is utilized throughout the development process at Secude and only the highest marks are accepted for a product to be released. It helps to regulate code quality from the beginning of development, find and repair issues promptly, and improve overall software stability.

Each build report can be found under its relevant version heading in this release notes.

Reliability Rating 

• A = 0 Bugs

• B = at least 1 Minor Bug

• C = at least 1 Major Bug

• D = at least 1 Critical Bug

• E = at least 1 Blocker Bug

Security Rating

• A = 0 Vulnerabilities

• B = at least 1 Minor Vulnerability

• C = at least 1 Major Vulnerability

• D = at least 1 Critical Vulnerability

• E = at least 1 Blocker Vulnerability

Security Review Rating 

The Security Review Rating is a letter grade based on the percentage of Reviewed (Fixed or Safe) Security Hotspots.

• A = >= 80%

• B = >= 70% and <80%

• C = >= 50% and <70%

• D = >= 30% and <50%

• E = < 30%

Maintainability Rating 

A=0-0.05, B=0.06-0.1, C=0.11-0.20, D=0.21-0.5, E=0.51-1

The Maintainability Rating scale can be alternately stated by saying that if the outstanding remediation cost is:

• <=5% of the time that has already gone into the application, the rating is A

• between 6 to 10% the rating is a B

• between 11 to 20% the rating is a C

• between 21 to 50% the rating is a D

• anything over 50% is an E

Build 2.2

New Features

This section highlights the new features in the current release.

1. Support for Creo Parametric 11.0. HCADCRE-862

2. Support for the CATIA V5 CGR (.cgr) and CATPart (.CATPart) file formats has been implemented. HCADCRE-783

Improvements

This section lists improvements added to the current release.

1. As of this release, the HaloCAD installer supports a user-defined custom installation path by creating a subfolder "Secude\Creo" within the selected location and placing all required files here. Additionally, the HaloCAD removal procedure includes a validation check to ensure that the custom installation folder is empty before proceeding. HCADCRE-1044

2. Support has been added for masking or allowing clear text visibility of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the MIP SDK logs using the registry key mipallowpii. HCADCRE-1068

3. The least restrictive permission among the linked files is determined and applied to the parent assembly file. HCADCRE-1040

4. As of the previous release, watermark text was displayed horizontally by default, despite the label being configured to display the watermark diagonally. However, from this release, watermark text will be shown diagonally, as configured. HCADCRE-1069

Fixed Issues

This section provides a list of the fixed issues in the current release.

1. Fixed a fatal error that caused the application to crash while attempting to revoke a file with save_file_iterations=No configured in the configuration file. HCADCRE-970

2. Fixed an issue where non-English special characters in file names resulted in unprotected save. HCADCRE-974

3. Fixed an issue that caused the label to be removed from a newly created file when creating and canceling a new window for the drawing, format, layout, or notebook file types. HCADCRE-849

4. Fixed an issue that allowed a protected drawing file to be imported as an unprotected file using the Import Drawing/Data option. HCADCRE-988

5. Fixed an issue that allowed a protected PDF file to be exported as an unprotected file when exporting from a protected file using the Quick Export and Export options. HCADCRE-989

6. Fixed an issue that caused the protection to be removed from a protected file upon clicking the save button when save_file_iterations was configured as no in config.pro file. HCADCRE-986

7. Fixed an issue that caused the Creo application to crash while opening a large ASM file. HCADCRE-1004

8. Fixed an issue that caused the MPIP label (without protection) to be displayed while using the No Protection label. HCADCRE-1020

9. Fixed an issue that caused a large Assembly file to open without protection when opened from Windchill. HCADCRE-1023

10. Fixed an issue that resulted in HaloCAD and Creo conflict popups when opening a large Assembly file from Windchill. HCADCRE-1024

11. Fixed an issue that prevented the protected STP/IGS files from opening when the Use templates option was selected. HCADCRE-1025

12. Fixed an issue that allowed users to capture a screenshot of a protected file in the Task Preview window without having the copy rights. HCADCRE-499

13. Fixed an issue that caused the label in the Sensitivity Ribbon to change automatically when clicking Minimize the Ribbon after opening two files with different labels in the same session. HCADCRE-764

14. Fixed an issue that triggered a fatal error and caused the Creo application to crash when saving large assembly files with the HaloCAD add-on installed. HCADCRE-1063

Known Issues

This section describes the known issues with the current release.

1. A Creo file can be opened by invoking the Creo Parametric application first, and then go to File > Open menu > select the file. Note that PTC itself does not suggest the double-click and as per the design, they recommend only using the File > Open option instead of double-clicking a file to open.

2. If you double-click on an encrypted Creo file, you will end up with an error message because the encrypted Creo file is forced to open before HaloCAD DLL loads itself. Thus, the loaded file becomes unrecognized by the Creo Parametric application. HCADCRE-12

3. HaloCAD displays a pop-up A file with the same name already in memory. Please rename the file or remove the existing file from memory when a labeled file is relabeled and attempted to save. HCADCRE-169

4. When switching between the configured and unconfigured workspaces, a file will be labeled and exported from an unconfigured workspace.  HCADCRE-186

5. The dependent part file (in Windchill workspace) will not get labeled as the same as its parent assembly file if the Halo Core Server is configured as file_type=.prt. HCADCRE-191

6. When metadata File_Type=.prt is configured in the HaloENGINE, and if the unconfigured file type is selected for export (via Export from the workspace), both file types will be protected. HCADCRE-188

7. In a protected file, the Sensitivity ribbon, along with the configured label, will be displayed while checking out an Assembly file. HCADCRE-189

8. Windchill: Uploading a new ASM file with a single dependent part file fails with the following parameters in the config.pro file. However, the same file will get uploaded properly for the second time. HCADCRE-383

   1. "dm_verify_subtype" = "yes"

   2. "dm_enable_simple_import_export" = "no"

   3. "dm_upload_objects" ="automatic"

9. Intermittently, the HaloCAD pop-up will display the message File may not be saved properly. Kindly save again when you save the Assembly file multiple times, and when you click OK on the pop-up. After closing and reopening the Creo application, when you open the same file, you'll receive a Cannot be retrieved error message. HCADCRE-386

10. The Creo application goes to the Not Responding state if you try to close it while the Microsoft Sign-in pop-up remains open. HCADCRE-412

11. Windchill: Although the dm_enable_simple_import_export variable is configured as no in config.pro file and classification and action rules are configured with file_type = prt, the downloaded assembly file will remain protected at the downloaded location. HCADCRE-422

12. Windchill: When the dm_upload_objects variable is configured as Explicit in the config.pro file, the saved protected file will not be uploaded during check-in after closing and reopening the application. HCADCRE-438

13. Windchill: When the dm_upload_objects variable is configured as Explicit and dm verify subtype is configured as Yes in the config.pro file, the file upload fails while trying to check-In using the File -> Check-In option in the same session. However, after closing and reopening the file, it will be checked-in successfully. HCADCRE-443

14. Windchill: When the dm_upload_objects variable is configured as Automatic and dm verify subtype is configured as Yes in the config.pro file, the file upload fails for the first time. However, uploading the file subsequently in the same session, the file will be checked-in successfully. HCADCRE-444

15. Windchill: When the dm_upload_objects variable is configured as Automatic and dm verify subtype is configured as Yes in the config.pro file, the file upload fails with an error message. However, by uploading or saving the file subsequently in the same session, the file will be checked-in successfully. HCADCRE-447

16. Windchill: When a protected file is downloaded while another protected file is open in the same session, the protected file will download as an unprotected file and the pencil icon Click to change label will remain greyed out on the Sensitivity ribbon. HCADCRE-463

17. Exported stp/igs files cannot be opened in the same session. HCADCRE-493

18. Windchill: When a sketch file is opened in the Windchill workspace and a part or assembly file is opened via the Open in Creo option during the same session, clicking the pencil icon changes the label from Not Set to the default label that is set in the Halo Core Server. HCADCRE-509

19. The file will intermittently become corrupted when saved with protection in the Network storage location. HCADCRE-522

20. When a protected file is modified and saved several times, a HaloCAD error pop-up will appear as File may not be saved properly. kindly save again. Also, if you try to label a new file in the same session, the file will not be protected. HCADCRE-557

21. Intermittently, Assembly files protected and saved on unmapped network locations using the Create Component option will not be loaded. HCADCRE-700

22. Windchill: When the life cycle state is configured, the drawing file will open without being protected in the Creo application. However, the dependent ASM and PRT will open with a configured label. HCADCRE-762

23. When you create a new drawing file, the Default model selection is updated with the name of the previously protected part file that was accessed in the same session, and the new drawing file is created with the protected part file's label. This is due to the application's actual behavior. HCADCRE-855

24. When importing a protected file using the Shrinkwrap option, the file is imported without protection. HCADCRE-858

25. The label of the imported protected assembly file will not appear in the assembly file when the External Simplified representation option is selected. HCADCRE-859

26. It is possible to install multiple versions of HaloCAD Add-on for Creo on one system. HCADCRE-846

27. Windchill: When a large assembly file is protected with multiple labels and Multi-Label Optimization is enabled, if accessed from the Windchill workspace using the Open in Creo option, the same label is applied to both the assembly file and its dependent files. HCADCRE-1064

Quality Gate Report

Please see the table below for a list of SonarQube's key parameters for this version. Refer to the "Code Quality and Security" section for more information on rating definitions.

Quality Gate report