CAD, or computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), is the use of computer technology for design.

CAD substitutes manual drafting with an automated process and reduces heavy effort involved in
dimensioning.

If you work in structural engineering fields, you have used 2D or 3D CAD tools. CAD design help
you to explore design ideas, visualise Designs by renderings and simulate how a model will
perform at the end.

There are different CAD tools available in the industrial market such as SOLID WORK , AUTOCAD ,
CATIA , Pro- E , CREO etc . In this course you are going to learn CATIA version 5

Below is the component of a airplane's engine modelled in CATIAv5.

Welcome to the world of CATIAv5!

CATIA is the world’s leading engineering and design software for 3D-product design CAD
platform developed by the French company Dassault Systèmes. It is used to design products in a
variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, and industrial machinery,
just to name a few. It addresses all manufacturing organizations, from OEMs through their supply
chains, to small independent producers.

If you stop and take a look around, CATIA is everywhere. CATIA is in the aircraft that just flew over,
the car that just went silently by, the phone you just answered, and the bottle of water that you just
finished. Its versions evolved from 1981 to 2013 from CATIA v1 to CATIA v6.

Starting CATIA using the Start Menu :

Within the Windows environment, you can start the software application several ways:

1. Go to CATIA under the Start > Programs/Search > CATIA .

2. Select the CATIA icon on the desktop.
3. Double-click with the left mouse button on an existing CATIA document.

CATIA V5 uses a three button mouse for selecting and indicating input from the user. Below is the
general functionality of the mouse buttons. A complete description of their use will be covered
later.

1. The left mouse button is used to the select displayed elements or items on the screen.
2. The middle mouse button (or the thumb wheel) is used to indicate or point to a direction
on the screen.
3. The right mouse button is used to display a contextual menu for the currently selected or
pre-selected elements on the screen
Zoom , Pan and Rotate :

The following major options in the view toolbox in CATIAv5 to perform frequently used screen view
functions.

1. Pan - Use to move your screen view

2. Rotate - Use to rotate the screen to change your view
3. Zoom in - Use to zoom in the screen
4. Zoom out - Use to zoom out the screen
5. Positioning of toolbars in CATIA
6. Finding Toolbars
With the number of toolbars that CATIA contains, it is not possible to display all of them
within the normal borders of the main screen. CATIA manages this through collapsible
toolbars and stacking extra toolbars at the screen borders. If you are unable able find a
toolbar, Please follow the process below :

To perform work within a CATIA document,you must use one of the workbenches assigned to the
document type. Each workbench contains a set of tools that is dedicated to perform a specific
task.

Sketcher Workbench: Create 2D profiles with associated constraints, which is then used to create
other 3D geometry

Part Design Workbench : Design parts using a solid modeling approach.

Sketcher Workbench :
The Sketcher workbench is an environment built to facilitate the creation of the 2D Profiles. The
workbench includes the following key features:

1. The Grid, which guides you while you create the profiles.
2. The Profile toolbar, which is used to create geometry.
3. The Constraint toolbar, which is used to dimension and constrain your sketch.
4. The Sketch Tools toolbar, which is a floating toolbar (default) that displays options
available during geometry creation. The options within this toolbar vary depending on the
geometry being created

Part Design Workbench

1. A new part contains only three default reference planes. These default reference planes
are always the first elements in the specification tree and are used as a basis for feature
creation.

Reference Planes
The default reference planes are the first three features in any part file. Their names are derived
from the plane they are parallel to, relative to the part coordinate system:

• XY plane
• YZ plane
• ZX plane

The reference planes provide a planar reference on which to create the first sketch.
 2. The Specification Tree
CATIA V5 provides a specification tree, which keeps the hierarchy of features,
constraints, process, and assembly information for a CATIA document. The specification
tree provides a visual step-by-step record of the sequence used in the creation of a solid
model.
You can edit, reorder, or remove steps in the design process and specifications to
achieve a new finished part without having to recreate the model. The specification tree
can suppress certain features, and information by temporarily removing them from
consideration for the model.

Basic Sketching

Sketched profiles are created inside the Sketcher workbench. Use the following steps to access
the Sketcher workbench

1. Select a planar sketch support.

2. Select the Sketcher icon from any workbench where it is possible to create a Sketch (such
as the Part Design workbench)

Sketched-based features are based on a 2D sketch. Generally, the sketch is transformed into a 3D
solid by extruding, rotating, sweeping, or lofting.

CATIA graphically displays the feature-based structure and other non-graphical data of your model
in specification tree.

In the coming pages you will learn how to create sketch based features.

You will see the following main features now :

• Pad
• Pocket
• Shaft
• Groove
• Rib
• Slot

Transformation Tools :

Transformation tools are used to modify existing sketcher geometry. They can also be used to
create a duplicate of the existing sketcher geometry. Transformation tools are found in the
Transformation toolbar

Dress-Up Features :

Dressing up features are used to give final touch to your model or part , CATIA provides a large
number of possibilities to achieve the features meeting your needs with respect to the edges
and faces. Dress up features are used to reduce stress concentration by modifying the geometry
of your part.

Lets discuss the majorly used Dress Up Features in CATIAv5

 • Edge Fillet
• Face to Face Fillet
• Tritangent Fillet
• Draft
• Chamfer
• Shell

Note : It is advisable to drag the dress up feature toolbox on screen for its frequent use.

Generative shape design workbench deals with wireframe elements and simple surfaces, also
it allows to build the reference elements you need in your everyday work.

Introduction to Surface and Wireframe Design Design :

The creation of wireframe and surface geometry is often needed to define the complex shapes of
parts. Ultimately we want to create a solid to best capture our design intent, however this model
may include surface geometry integrated into the solid part. It is important to consider the key
points now i.e.

• Wireframe and surface geometry is used to define more complex 3D shapes in the design
process.
• Wireframe, surface and solid geometry form an integrated set of modeling capabilities that
allow us to complete the design.

Below is the protection cover surface used in plastic industries for components designed in
Surface Design

Point Creation :

To create a point Wireframe in CATIA , Follow the below steps :

1. Click on the point icon

2. Select the type of point , we have selected point with coordinates
3. Define the parameters as per the type of point selected
4. Click on Ok

What is a Extrude ?

It is a surface extruded normal to a reference plane and profile provided by you.

Use the following steps to create a Extrude in CATIAv5

1. Select the extrude icon.

2. Select a profile, a direction and enter limits value
3. Click OK to confirm extruded surface creation.
 4. Extrusion Limits :
5. Limit1 and Limit2 are two dimensions in both direction similar to two dimensions of a Pad
or Pocket.
6. Direction : Direction can be specified by a line, a plane or components.
7.

Why are Operations on Geometry needed?

After the basic surface geometry is created, it may be composed of construction elements that do
not describe the finished shape.

• Operations are used to produce the finished geometry shape.

• Elements involved in an operation are kept in the history of the operation but placed in
hide.

Lets learn the two major and most used operations listed below :

1. Split
2. Extrapolate

For performing these operations , a operation toolbar is available in GSD

Split is splitting or dividing the element with respect to a other element as per our geometrical
requirements.

To create a Split in CATIA , Follow the below steps :

1. Click on the split icon

2. Select the element to be split
3. Select the element by which you want to split off your element
4. Click on Ok

Split Definition :

Element to Cut : It is the element you want to split , in our case it is cylindrical surface

Cutting Element : It is the element from which we will split off our element.

An assembly (also called a product) is a document that stores a collection of components (parts
or other assemblies). An assembly uses the .CATProduct extension. The components used in an
assembly can be pre-existing components or components created within the assembly. Like a part,
an assembly contains a specification tree. The tree shows the inserted components, and the
constraints used to fix components.
Instances in Assembly : Each component inserted into an assembly is a separate instance. For
example, if the same part is inserted into an assembly twice, they will have the same part number
but different instance numbers. No two components in an assembly can have the same instance
number.

Assemblies are created in the Assembly Design workbench. Assembly document is a document
that contains a collection of components.

Instances in Assembly : Each component inserted into an assembly is a separate instance. For
example, if the same part is inserted into an assembly twice, they will have the same part number
but different instance numbers. No two components in an assembly can have the same instance
number.

Use the following steps to enter into Assembly or Product Environment :

• Click Start --> Mechanical Design --> Assembly Design

Assemblies are formed with n number of components , Use the following steps to import your
existing components from your machine or already opened part document

1. Select the product from the specification tree

2. Select the existing component icon from the Product Structure Tools
3. Browse your file from machine or select part from already opened document with the help
of browsing window appeared.

Compass is used to move and rotate the part along the axes , this is fine when there is only one
part associated with the compass but if there are more than one component on the screen then
how to use compass for individual component , let's learn this now as this is useful i positioning
the component in the appropriate direction

Let us say we have 4 component of a flange coupling on the screen

1. Flange 1
2. Flange 2
3. Nut
4. Bolt

After building your model , you have to create drawing of your model to communicate to other
departments ( Manufacturing, Quality , Production, Fabrication , Tool Room etc) because not every
one can check the design on 3D models.. Drawing is the way Engineering communicates and
provides specification, dimensions, tolerances , GD&T etc so for creating drawing you
need Drafting in Catia V5.
Drafting Workbench provides a simple method to create and modify views on a predefined sheet.
You may also add, modify and delete 2D elements to these views. All this is performed on a sheet
which may include a frame and a title block and will eventually be print.

Follow the below steps to enter into Drafting Workbench of CATIAv5:

• Select Start --> Mechanical Design --> Drafting

You can choose the appropriate standards and type of sheet required for your drafting , once you
will go to Drafting Workbench , the below window will be appear on the screen , follow the steps
below for selecting your requirements :

1. Select the standard from the window.

2. Select the sheet style
3. Check your display mode ( Portrait or Landscape )
4. Click on OK

The following major views we are going to learn in this section :

• Front View
• Projection Views : Left , Right , Top and Bottom View
• Isometric View
• Auxiliary View
• Section Views

The drawing of your component is always incomplete without the dimensions of each and every
component of your drawing, lets learn how to generate dimensions of your drawing in
drafting sheet.

1. Click on the Generate Dimension icon in Generate Dimensions Toolbar

2. Click on OK after selecting your element from the list for which you want to produce
dimensions.

It is good to represent your drawing with the appropriate size of the text and scale of the drawing
, lets learn how you can change them :

Let us see first how to change the scale of the views :

• Select and Right Click on the required view in the specification tree a ------> Properties

Introduction to Knowledgeware
Normally, most of the new products that a company launches are variations of existing products.
However, in most cases, each new product design starts either with very less knowledge of the
existing product or spending too much time of experienced people to leverage that knowledge.
Similar products share many of the same routine engineering tasks; they are designed from similar
components using similar engineering techniques, and are analyzed and produced in similar ways.
Engineers must repetitively do tedious (and sometimes inaccurate) calculations and look up
numerous tables and catalogs. Much of the time is spent in repeating analyses that optimize
product designs.

So to make new designs that can be derived from a parent parametric design , there is
knowledgeware of CATIA available to make your model parametric . You just need to change the
parameters to change your model.

Let us understand with a example why parametric modelling is important ,

In this modern technological era of competitive market scenes , everyone wants to attract their
customer , lets take a example of a soft drink bottle which are actually evolving in better designs
day by day to attract customers. These new designs are just slight modification in the previous
model and can be created by using knowledgeware of CATIA in terms of changing values of linked
parameters to get a desired model.

Below is the CATIA model of a simple bottle in which a single parameter center-radius is
controlling the complete model with n number of relations with all the features. You just need to
change the value of center-radius value to get a new design

Creation of Parameters :

Parameters are the entities with physical units such as length which defines your model in
CATIAv5 , if you are doing changes in your model with parameters then it is called as a parametric
model and the process of creating parameters and relations between them is called parametric
modelling.

Use the following steps to create parameter in CATIAv5 :

1. Select the formula icon

2. Select the filter type
3. Rename the parameter as per your convention
4. Select the type of parameter you want to create
5. Click on apply
6. Click on Ok
7. A parameter in the specification tree is created

Relations :

Relations are the mathematical formulation between parameters in CATIAv5 , Let us see how to
create a relation
Use the following steps to create a relation :

• Right click on your element (pad1 in below screenshot) -->pad1.object -->Click

on Definition.

Changing Value of Parameter :

The change of value of any parameter directly effect the formula you created with the parameter
and the geometry of your part.

Below is the example in which the value of parameter will change and simultaneously the length
of the pad.

Use the below steps to change the value of any parameter :

1. Double click on the name of the parameter.

2. Enter the value of the parameter
3. Click Ok

Effect : The Value of length of Pad will also change according to the relation with parameter.

After learning this module , attempt some questions and a exercise on the knowledgeware and
then attempt your self - assessment based on this course.