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CATIA V5 Training Basics
CATIA V5 Training Basics
CATIA V5 START UP
When CATIA is started, it opens the same workbench that was used last time the software was launched. It will also automatically create a new document of type related to that workbench. A welcome window will also open, which contains all the user favorites workbenches (you can choose if you want or not to see that window at startup). The main window of CATIA V5 is similar to a normal Windows program, with its File-Edit-View menus. At the right of the main window are located the icon commands that are specific to each CATIA workbench. At the bottom of the main window are located the general icon commands used in nearly all workbenches. Icon commands are usually located at the bottom and right of the screen but they can also be added to the left and at the top (below the main commands) as you see fit. CATIAs design area can be divided into two main sections: Specification Tree : The structured information describing the design process. This is a very important tool to understand the product structure (It is the core feature of designing with CATIA V5). Geometric Area : This is where geometrical elements actually takes place. It is always located behind the specification tree and can occupy all the screen.
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CATIA V5 COMPASS
The Compass object is a feature located at the top right of the screen. It is a virtual 3D tool used for manipulating objects for better viewing, designing and analyzing. To select a specific part of the Compass, just move the cursor over it. The selected portion will then turn orange.
The 3 main parts of the Compass are : Free Rotation Handle : After selecting this handle and holding the leftbutton, you will be able to rotate your object just in the same way as while holding the left and middle buttons. Compass Manipulation Handle : When selecting this handle and holding the left-button, you can move the compass and snap it to a face on the object. After that, the Compass will turn green to indicate that it is now "assigned" to an object. From now on, while moving the Compass, the object will also follow. N.B.: Note that you are actually moving the object instead of just moving around for viewing. This will change the object's position from the xy/yz/zx planes. To "de-assign" the Compass, re-select it by its Manipulation Handle and move it away from the object. It will then return to its original place at the top right of the screen. Privileged Plane : The Privileged Plane is the base of the Compass. It is normaly used when manipulating working planes (like in the FreeStyle Shaper workbench). To best way to understand the manipulations that can be done with the Compass is to experiment! Just be sure to save your document before, because you could inadvertently change the actual position of objects.
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CTRL+O = Open document CTRL+P = Print document ALT+Q = Window (from the main toolbar) CTRL+S = Save document ALT+S = Start (from the main toolbar) CTRL+U = Update CTRL+V = Paste ALT+V = View (from the main toolbar) CTRL+X = Cut CTRL+Y = Repeat CTRL+Z = Undo Del = Delete Alt+Enter = Properties (like in the contextual menu) Home = Display the top of the Specification Tree, if active) End = Display the end of the Specification Tree, if active) Page Up = Relocate the Specification Tree one page up, if active) Page Down = Relocate the Specification Tree one page down, if active) CTRL+Page Up = Zoom In (Geometric Area OR Specification Tree) CTRL+Page Down = Zoom Out (Geometric Area OR Specification Tree) CTRL+Tab = Switch between open documents
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Formula Tool
The Formula tool is useful to associate formulas to existing parameters. This tool is one of the basic features of the Knowledgeware process in CATIA V5. By choosing Tools>Formula or by clicking on the Formula Icon in the bottom toolbar, you will access the Formula Main Dialog Box : Incremental check : This check is used when you only want to see the parameters of a selected feature in the Specification Tree. Thus, selecting a Sketch feature in the Specification Tree (while the Incremental option is checked) will only display the parameters associated with this specific feature. Import : Click this button if you want to create parameters & formulas with informations coming from an external data file (Excel file, Lotus file, etc.). Filter applied to Parameters : This help you to find a specific parameter among all of them by filtering with the appropriate category. List box : This contain all the existing parameters of the selected category (See Filter applied to Parameters) : - Under the Parameter column are parameter's name and their location (parents). - Under the Value column is found the value of the parameter (numerical value or not, depending on the parameter type).
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- Under the Formula column is the formula associated to the parameter. There can be more than one formula for each parameter but only one at a time can be activated. - Under the Active column is the status of the formula, if it is activated or not. Edit box : This box allows you to change the name of a parameter and its value. N.B.: The value of a parameter can only be changed if no formula is associated to it. New parameter of type button : This button allows you to create new "virtual" parameter with a specified type and having a single value or multiple values. It is called a virtual parameter because it is not automatically linked to a physical feature of an object. It can be a length as well as the ratio of two dimensions or even a specific calculation. Multiple values parameters are parameters that can have a value chosen from a pre-established list. For example, the values of a multiple values parameter can be 2, 4 and 6 without having the options of choosing another value than these three. Add formula button : This button is used to associate a formula with an existing parameter. The same function can be called by double-clicking a parameter's name in the list box.
Image Tool
The Image tool is used to grab 2D pictures of a part for future use in presentations or in documentations. Capture : With this command you can grab a 2D picture of your CATIA session in pixel or vector mode. You can select the picture limits with a selecting trap or by using the geometry-only option. You can then put this picture in the Album or save it to the hard disk. The file format can be any of the most common pictures format.
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Album : This command allows you to visualize all the pictures previously grabbed and inserted in the Album. You can then decide which pictures you want to keed and save or preview then before printing. Video : The Video command allows you to create AVI movies or Still Image Captures (succession of snapshot in JPG file-format). You can also choose the compression level of AVI movies, the total length of the movie, the rate of snapshot per seconds, etc.
Macro Tool
The Macro tool is a very important and useful tool of CATIA V5. It allows you to record and run macros in CATScript file-format, which is similar but not exactly equal to the VBScript language. These recorded macros can than be used to automate the creation of simple features. Macros : This command is used to load and run macros either from an external file or directly from a previously recorded macro of the current session. Start Recording / Stop Recording : This command start/stop the recording of the manipulations realized on the part. N.B.: Not all the manipulations can be recorded! The macro can thereafter be modified with the use of a text editor. For more information on macros, please refer to CATIA V5 original documentation.
Customize Tool
This tool allows you to customize the Start Menu dialog box, which invites you to choose a CATIA workbench to start with. You can add/delete workbench from this Start Menu depending on the installed software and your license agreement. You can also add/delete Icons/Commands from Toolbars, add/delete Toolbars from Workbench/Workbench, add/delete Workbench (i.e. create your own customized set of toolbars/icons/commands.
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Options Tool
This is a very important tool in CATIA V5 and it contains a lot of information. This tool will then be discussed in a separate topic later.
Conferencing Tool
This tool is used for meeting on the Internet and/or intranet, for sharing information between several peoples with the use of Microsoft Windows NetMeeting application.
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with large assemblies or with digital mockup (DMU) since it reduce the utilization of system's ressources. By default, this option is checked.
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