Handling Equation Editor Attachments in DX Exports

Overview

When exporting items containing attachments created by the equation editor, users may encounter a "file not found" exception. This issue occurs because DX attempts to read the equation editor attachment from the local disk rather than retrieving it from the Jama Connect server.

Note:

• Normal attachments and embedded images export successfully.

• The issue primarily affects equation editor-generated images.

Issue Diagnosis

✔ Equation editor-generated images fail to export properly.
✔ DX does not recognize these files as standard Jama attachments.
✔ Manually inspecting the exported ReqIF shows incorrect references to equation-generated images.
✔ Debug logs confirm that DX tries to read the files locally instead of from the Jama cloud storage.

Solution and Workaround

1. Manual Fix (Confirmed by Users)

✔ Remove the auto-appended suffix from the equation editor attachment URL.

• Some equation editor attachments contain URL suffixes such as "?dpi=96&cw=59&ch=38".

• Removing this suffix allows DX to parse the attachment correctly.

✔ Manually re-upload the attachment in Jama.

• If the equation image is critical, consider saving it separately and re-uploading it as a normal attachment.

✔ Ensure DX version is updated (3.9.2+).

• This defect was identified in DX 3.9.1 and patched in later versions.

Best Practices

✅ Before Exporting: Check if attachments are from the equation editor and remove unnecessary suffixes.
✅ During Export: Review the exported ReqIF file to confirm proper attachment references.
✅ After Export: If attachments fail, manually re-upload affected images as standard Jama attachments.
✅ Keep DX Updated: Ensure DX is running version 3.9.2+, where fixes for this issue have been implemented.

Conclusion

✔ DX has trouble parsing equation editor-generated image attachments due to incorrect file path references.
✔ Manually removing suffixes from URLs can resolve the issue.
✔ A defect was logged (EES-EESD-425), and fixes are expected in future DX updates.
✔ Consider manually saving and re-uploading equation images as a workaround.