Rectangles and Parallelograms

Drawing Rectangles, Oriented Rectangles and Parallelograms

Drawing Rectangles

Menu :  Insert  >  Profile  >  Predefined Profile  >  Rectangle

Toolbar : Profile  >  Predefined profile  >  Rectangle

Note :

The Rectangle, drawn in CATIA v5, is a combination of four lines and each line is an individual element.

You can also draw a rectangle by entering the values in the Sketch tools toolbar. On drawing a rectangle by this method, you will notice that a few dimensions and applied to the resulting rectangle.

Drawing oriented Rectangles

Menu :  Insert  >  Profile  >  Predefined Profile  >  Oriented Rectangle

Toolbar :  Profile  >  Predefined Profile  >  Oriented Rectangle

The angle formed between the line and horizontal reference is the orientation angle of the rectangle.

Drawing Parallelograms

Menu:  Insert  >  Profile  >  Predefined profile  >  Parallelogram

Toolbar:  Profile  >  Predefined Profile  >  Parallelogram

Lines

Drawing Lines

Menu: Insert  >  Profile  >  Line  >  Line

Toolbar: Profile  >  Line

Note:

1. Standard elements are white in color.

2. A line consists of three geometric elements: start point, line segment, and endpoint. The start and endpoint     are construction elements, while the line segment is a standard element.

3. The specified dimension values for the start and endpoint are displayed, because the Dimensional   Constraints button is chosen in the sketch tools toolbar.

4. The Grid button in the Sketch tools toolbar is used to toggle the display of the grid.

5. A line that turns blue, while drawing implies that it is constrained. The constraint may be horizontal or vertical, depending on the direction, in which the line is drawn.

6. As soon as you specify the endpoint of the line, the Line tool is terminated. Therefore, you need to choose this button again and again to draw multiple lines. You can avoid this by double-clicking on the Line button in the Profile toolbar. Now, the line tool will not be terminated until you press the ESC key twice. 

Tip:

If you open a file that was saved in the sketcher workbench, it will be opened in the sketcher workbench only and not in the Part Design workbench  

Drawing line with symmetrical extension 

To draw a line with a symmetrical extension, invoke the Line tool and choose the Symmetrical Extension button from the expanded Sketch tools toolbar.

Drawing Infinite Lines

Menu: Insert  >  Profile  >  Line  >  Infinite Line

Toolbar: Profile  >  Line  >  Infinite Line

Drawing Bi-Tangent Lines

Menu: Insert  > Profile  >  Line  >  Bi – Tangent Line

Toolbar: Profile  >  Line  >  Bi- Tangent Line

Bi- Tangent lines are the lines that are tangent to two circles, arcs, ellipse, conics or any curved geometry.

Drawing Bisecting Lines

Menu: Insert  >  Profile  >  Line  >  Bisecting Line

Toolbar: Profile  >  Line  >  Bisecting Line

Bisecting lines are the lines that pass through two intersecting lines such that the angle formed between them is divided equally.

Select the first line and then select the second line.

A bisecting line of infinite length is drawn.

Drawing Line Normal to Curve

Menu: Insert  >  Profile  >  Line  >  Line normal to curve

Toolbar:  Profile  >  Line  >  Line normal to curve

Drawing Center Line

Menu :  Insert  >  Profile  >  Axis

Toolbar:  Profile  >  Axis

Generally, This tool is used to create the axis for the revolved features.   

Sketcher Toolbar

While drawing a sketch, you often need to select some elements. The tools that are required to make a selection are available in the Sketcher toolbar.

Select

This tool allows you to make a selection of the elements.

Selection Trap

This is a method of selecting elements by creating a selection trap. All the objects that lie fully inside the selection trap are selected.

Intersecting Trap

This allows you to select elements of a sketch that are inside or are intersected by the trap.

Polygon trap

This method includes selecting elements by drawing a closed polygon as the selection trap.

Paint Stroke Selection

This method includes selecting elements by dragging the mouse to draw a paint stroke across them. The elements that are intersected by the paint stroke are selected.

Outside Trap selection

The elements that are outside the selection trap are selected by using this method.

Intersecting Outside Trap selection

The elements that are outside the selection trap or are intersected by the selection trap are selected by using this method.

Note:

Examine all symbols closely. They have small differences.

Interfacing Lines

Interfacing lines are temporary lines that are used to track a particular point on the screen.  

Understanding the Sketcher terms

Specification Tree

It is a manager that keeps a track of all the operations performed on the model. 

Absolute axis

In the Sketcher workbench, the default horizontal and vertical axes passing from the origin (0,0) to infinity are referred to as Absolute Axis.

Snap to Point

This option is used to snap to the point of intersection of the primary spacing and the graduation lines while sketching.

Construction/ Standard Element

An element that is not part of the profile while creating features and is used only as a reference, or to constrain the elements of the sketch in the sketch in the Sketcher workbench, is called a Construction element.

 Depending on the requirement of the design, you can convert a standard element to a construction element, or vice a versa, using the Construction/ Standard Element button.

Setting up the Sketcher Workbench

Modifying Units

To modify units, invoke

                       Tools > Options> General > Parameters and Measure Option > Units 

Modifying the Grid Settings

The spacing between the two dotted lines is called graduation, while the spacing between the two continuous black lines is called primary spacing.

By default, the value of the Graduation parameter is set to 10 in both the horizontal and vertical direction.

The default value of the Primary Spacing parameter is 100 mm.

                        Tools > Option > Mechanical Design > Sketcher 

To enable the edit boxes of Primary Spacing and Graduation under the V row, select the Allow Distortions check box.

Sketcher Workbench (Part 1)

The Sketcher Workbench

Most of the components designed using CATIA are a combination of sketched features, placed features and derived features.

If you clear the Enable hybrid design check box from the Part name dialog box, the new file will be started in the conventional design mode.

There are two buttons in the Sketcher toolbar viz. Sketcher and Sketch with Absolute Axis definition.

 

 

Sketch with Absolute Axis definition

Invoking the Sketcher Workbench using the Sketch with Absolute Axis Definition Button 

In CATIA v5, you can also define a user-defined absolute axis while invoking the Sketcher workbench, by using the Sketch with Absolute Axis Definition option.

You are then promoted to select a plane, planer face, sketch, an axis system, or two lines. 

Introduction to CATIA

CATIA stands for Computer Aided Three Dimensional Interactive Application.

CATIA V5 provides three basic platforms: P1, P2, P3.

P1 is for small and medium sized process oriented companies, which wish to grow toward the large scale digitized product definition.

P2 is for the advanced design engineering companies that require product , process, and resource modeling.

P3 is for the high-end design application and is basically for Automotive and Aerospace Industry, where high quality surfacing, or Class-A surfacing is used for designing

Extensions:

CATpart is a file extension associated with all the files that are created in the Sketcher, Part Design, and Wireframe and Surface Design workbenches.

CATproduct is a extension associated with all the files that are created in the Assembly design workbench.

CATdrawing is file extension associated with all the files that are created in the Drafting workbench. 

Power Input Field Bar:

The Power Input Field bar lets you invoke the commands and enter the data or value that can be directly associated with the feature.

To launch any command using the Power Input Field bar, the general syntax of command is

C: <name of the command>  e.g. C: New

Hot keys:

ALT + ENTER                                       Invokes the Properties tool

SHIFT + F2                                           Invokes the Specification Overview tool

F3                                                          Toggles the display of the specification tree

SHIFT + F1                                            Invokes the What’s This? Tool

CTRL + D                                              Invokes the Fast Multi-Instantiation tool in the Assembly Design                                                                    workbench             

          

CTRL + E                                               Invokes the Define Multi-Instantiation tool in the Assembly                                                                             Design workbench