While there's not a way to keep Patran from autosaving the DB, there is something called "Revert" that may be what you're looking for. You can read about it in the File Commands section of the Patran online documentation, but here I've cut/pasted what it says:
This utility erases all changes made during the current session and returns a database to the state in which it existed when it was first opened.
The Revert utility is not automatically active. To make it available, you must do the following:
Select the Preferences menu in the Main Form.
Pick the keyword Global.
Click on the toggle in the selection box Enable Revert Operation. This action will take effect when you next open this database.
Close the database.
Open the file; revert will be available in the database. Proceed creating entities.
If you want to return to the original state of the database, click File>Utilities>Revert.
The following message will appear: "Reverting will remove all changes made during this session. Are you sure you want to revert?"
There is no way to turn off autosaving db to the journal (.jou). However there is a Revert database option. Here is how it works:
This option erases all changes made during the current session and returns a database to the state in which it existed when first opened.
The Revert option is not active by default. To activate it you must do the following:
1. Select the Preferences dropdown in the Main Form.
2. Pick the keyword Global.
3. Click on the toggle in the selection box Enable Revert Operation, click Apply and close the database. This action will take effect when you next open this database.
5. Open the db again; revert will be available in the database. When you open the db a backup db is created called 'FILENAME.bkup'. Proceed creating entities.
6. If you want to return to the original state of the database, click File>Utilities>Revert.
7. The following message will appear:
"Reverting will remove all changes made during this session. Are you sure you want to revert? Yes / No"
If you click Yes all the entities created in step 5 will be deleted including any mistakes.
I hope this helps. Please test this out with an example before proceeding with the original db.
