CATIA V5
LEARNING NOTES
Introduction
CATIA v5 is an Integrated Computer Aided Engineering tool:
Incorporates CAD, CAM, CAE, and other applications
Completely re-written since CATIA v4 and still under development
CATIA v5 is a native Windows application
User friendly icon based graphical user interface
Based on Variational / Parametric technology
Encourages design flexibility and design reuse
Supports Knowledge Based Design
Introduction
A Flexible Modelling environment
Ability to easily modify models, and implement design changes
Support for data sharing, and data reuse
Knowledge enabled
Capture of design constraints, and design intent as well as final
model geometry
Management of non-geometric as well as geometric design
information
The 3D Part is the Master Model
Drawings, Assemblies and Analyses are associative to the 3D parts.
If the part design changes, the downstream models with change too.
Applications
Product Structure Freestyle Shaper
Part Design Digital Shape Editor
Assembly Design Knowledgeware
Sketcher Photo Studio
Drafting (Interactive and 4D Navigator (including
Generative) kinematics)
Wireframe and Surface Manufacturing
Finite Element Analysis
Where it is used?
User Interface
Online Help
Current
Menu Bar Application
Application
Tool Bar
File Toolbar
View Toolbar
Interacting with CATIA
Selecting an Application
Use the Start menu to select an application
Working with Files
Use the File menu to create, open, save and print
Interacting with CATIA
Display Commands Hide/ Show
Fly Through Hide
Fit View
Swap Visible Space
Layer control
Pan Properties
Rotate Display Characteristics for an object
Zoom are set by selecting the entity, then
Normal View pressing the right mouse button and
Standard Views selecting Properties from the menu
View Types: Shaded/ Hidden Line/
Wireframe/ User Defined
Manipulating the display
Pan
Press and hold the middle mouse button and
move the mouse to pan
Rotate
Press and hold the middle mouse button then the
left mouse button and move the mouse to rotate
Zoom
Press and hold the middle mouse button and
click the left mouse button then move the mouse
to zoom in and out
Manipulating the display
Using the compass
Drag the axes or planes of the compass to dynamically
rotate the display
Multi-select entities by holding down the Shift key
Common Commands
Copy/ Paste
Geometry entities can be copied and pasted from one part to
another.
Paste Special allows you to:
Paste a complete copy with history
Paste a linked copy
Paste the result without linking
Undo/ Redo
Allows you to undo previous actions
Redo repeats an action that has been undone
Common Commands
Hide/ Show
Allows you to temporarily hide entities from the display
Hidden entities can be recovered by clicking on the “Swap visible
space” icon, and then selecting the entity to make visible
Update
Used to update the part after modification
Specification tree
The Specification Tree is displayed on the left
side of the screen while you are working
Provides access to the history of how a part
was constructed, and shows the product
structure
Product entities can be selected from the
spec. tree or in the geometry area
Parts can be modified by selecting them from
the spec. tree.
Click on + to open a tree branch
Solid Parts are stored in the Part Body
branch of the Part tree
SKETCHING
Sketcher
The sketcher is used to create 2D sketches of designs,
and apply constraints to the sketched geometry
The sketcher is now the main environment for
developing 2D profiles that will be used to build solid
models (but traditional 2D wireframe techniques are
available in the Wireframe and Surface application)
The sketcher provides a flexible environment for creating
and modifying 2D geometry
Sketcher
Entering the sketcher
Click on the Sketcher icon or select Start -> Mechanical Design ->
Sketcher
Exiting from the Sketcher
Click on the Exit icon to leave the sketcher and return to the 3D
workspace
Setting up the sketcher workbench
After opening the Sketcher workbench
set the workbench as per the sketching or drawing requirements
Requirements include modifying units, grid settings etc,.
To change the values of Primary Spacing and Graduations,
choose Tools > Options
Choose the Mechanical Design option from the tree on the left
of the dialog box.
Next, choose the Sketcher option to display the Sketcher tab
on the right of the Options
Modifying the Grid
Modifying the units
The Options dialog box after opening the Units tab
Tool bars
Select tool bar
Sketch tool bar
Sketching options Sketching dimensions
Dimensions on/off
Constraints on/off
Construction lines
Snap on/off
Grid on/off
Sketcher – Specification tree
The various levels under Sketch.1 in the specification
tree are:
AbsoluteAxis
Origin
Hdirection
VDirection
Snap to Point
Construction/Standard Element
Sketcher
The Sketcher is a parametric design tool
It allows you to quickly draw the approximate shape of a
design, and then assign constraints to complete the
shape definition
Constraints can be applied as:
Driving Dimensions – dimensions that
control the size of a geometric entity
Geometric Constraints – geometric
relationships such as parallel,
perpendicular, tangent, collinear
Line Tool Bar
Drawing Infinite Lines
To draw an infinite line, choose the Infinite Line tool from the Line toolbar.
Drawing Bi-Tangent Lines
Bi-Tangent lines are the lines that are tangent to two circles, arcs, ellipses,
conics, or any curved geometry.
Drawing Bisecting Lines
Bisecting lines are the lines that pass through two intersecting lines such that
the angle formed between them is divided equally.
Drawing Center Lines
Draw a center line by using the Axis tool.
Used to create the axis for the revolved feature.
Predefined Profile
Drawing Rectangles, Oriented Rectangles, and
Parallelograms
Drawing Points
Drawing Circles and Arcs
Drawing Profiles
Drawing Profiles
a profile is defined as a combination of continuous lines and arcs.
Conics and Splines
Drawing Conic
Drawing Splines
Connect Tool
Connecting two Elements by a Spline or an Arc
Two elements such as lines, arcs, ellipses, circles, or splines can be
connected together by an arc or spline
Connecting two Elements with a Spline
Two elements such as lines, arcs, ellipses, circles, or splines can be
connected together by an arc or spline
Editing and Modifying sketches
Operation toolbar contains,
trimming the sketches
using the quick trim,
breaking a sketched
element, filleting the
sketches, adding chamfer
to the sketches, and so on.
Display the Relimitations
toolbar by choosing the
down arrow provided on
the right of the Trim button
in the Operation toolbar.
Transformation Tool bar
Choose the down arrow on the right of the Mirror button provided
in the Operation toolbar to display the Transformation toolbar
Mirror the sketched elements along the mirror line in the Sketcher
workbench by using the Mirror tool.
The Symmetry tool mirrors the sketched elements about a mirror axis
but deletes the original elements.
The Translate tool to move the selected sketched elements from their
initial position to the required destination.
The Rotate tool is used to rotate the sketched elements
around a rotation center point.
To scale the sketched elements, select sketch and then
choose the Scale button from the Transformation
toolbar.
To offset the sketched elements, select sketch and then
choose the Offset button from the Transformation
toolbar.
Modify a sketched line using
the Line Definition dialog box.
To display the dialog box,
double-click on the sketched
line
Modify a sketched circle using
the Circle Definition dialog box
to display the dialog box by
double-clicking on the sketched
circle.
Sketching method
Click on the Sketcher icon
Select the 2D plane to sketch on (a plane or the face
of an existing part) and the sketching window will
appear
Sketch the profile
Apply constraints to define the exact geometry required
Click on the exit icon to quit the sketcher
Sketch is transferred into the 3D modelling
environment
Example
Draw the sketch of the model shown
Start a new file in the Part
workbench.
Draw the outer loop of the sketch 1 2
using the Rectangle tool and then
edit it using the
Corner tool, as shown in Figure 1,
Figure 2 and Figure 3. 3 4
Draw the inner loop of the sketch
using the Circle, Elongated Hole,
and Cylindrical Elongated Hole tool,
as shown in Figure 4, Figure 5 and 5 6
Figure 6.
Exercise
1. Draw the sketch of the model shown
2. Draw the sketch of the model shown
3. Draw the sketch of the model shown
