How To
- Select one or more holes in the drawing.
- Click "Hole Dimension Table" in the dimensioning toolbar.
- The Axis System and Table Parameters should be displayed.
To know more about the dialog box and what to type or select, please check the following document.
In CATIA it is not possible to add the symbol envelope direct to a diameter.
Here there is a workaround to add it if the dimension:
- is not a diameter or a radius
Properties ➞ Dimension Texts ➞ Main Value ➞ click on the symbol - is a diameter or a radius
Properties ➞ Dimension Texts ➞ Prefix Suffix ➞ choose the group of symbols (first icon) ➞ Main Value ➞ click on the symbol
If you want to see step by step how to do it, please follow the instruction which is in the document below.
A new plot function has been recently added to both CDD and EDMS. It will allow you convert drawings to PDF, DXF, PLT files. The functionality is based on a virtual plotter that will convert the files and store them on a scratch folder.
In order to understand it better, please follow the instructions which are inside the document below.
The drawing standard is stored in the drawing upon the creation, this standard 'copy' is kept independently this means it will not automatically update when the standard settings of CATIA change.
There is a procedure step by step how to do it:
- Open and Check-out the Drawing.
- Go to the File ➞ Page Setup.
- In Page Setup window select the standard of the drawing like ISO_CERN.
- Push the "Update" button.
- Update the elements which changed in the standard.
If you want to know more details about this procedure, please check the document which is under.
You can create a section view using a 3D profile or a plane in the 3D, as sectioning element. Using a 3D element to define a section view makes possible to constrain this element with the geometry of the part. The profile section will automatically be kept up to date if the 3D geometry changes. Check the document below if you need more information how to create it.
The colors of dimensions are controlled by the "Analysis display mode". Select this option to display dimensions using different colors according to their status (not-up-to-date, isolated, fake, etc.).
In the document below you can find all configurations of colors.
Due to a Catia limitation, the "3D Clipping View" function from the "Drafting" workbench is not compatible with the "Do not cut in section views" options, which are in the "Drafting" tabs of the 3D properties or in the "Overload Properties" on the 2D view.
If you want to study alternatives, please check the document below with explanations.
- Open the "Link Modification" window from the view.
- Select the scene in the 3D.
- Switch the scene in the "Pointed elements".
- Validate and update the view.
If you want to see step by step how to do it, please click on the link which is under.
On a drawing, it is possible to display extra digits on the dimensions for specific purposes (e.g.: to highlight that a dimension has not been rounded on the drawing).
If you want to know more this topic, please check the following document.
Changing the digits number after the decimal separator on exact dimensions
- Click “Free Hand Selection Trap” or select all circles.
- Click on the “Center Line with Reference” icon.
- Select the center reference of the holes.
The "BOM Ordering Tool" is a simple tool to manage the "order" of the rows in the drawing BOM. This tool is integrated with the CartWeb application and therefore it will launch each time use decides to take the BOM information form SmarTeam into the drawing.
If you want to understand how to use it, please follow the document below.
After the creation of an axis system or a thread using the "Axis and thread" functions, it is possible to resize this axis system. By default, if you drag one of the extremities, both axis will be resized. Holding the Ctrl button and dragging one extremity will change the size only of the selected axis.
In CATIA, it is not possible in an approximate mode view to create a dimension relying on a 3D point created in the GSD workbench. The document below will show you which are the workarounds to this limitation.
To launch the TRACEPARTS Web from CATIA, click on the Icon:
This will open thee web page with list of companies' logos.
To find the component that you are looking for select the main filter or the starting letter of your desired category.
You can also skip it and scroll down until you find the company that you need.
When finally you find the page and select it, then click on the family you want and choose the references.
Under CAD models tab you can select CATIA V5 as your tool and then approve it.
This following document explains how to use the new Web TRACEPARTS (2021). Please check it to understand more how it works.
The scene tool in the “Assembly Design” workbench allows you to create multiple states of your model. By doing so, it enables you to study a variant of your assembly by defining specific component positions and specific attributes. The following document covers the main advantages and limitations of this tool.
A "Scene" is an alternative view of an assembly in a defined state. It enables you to study a variant of your Assembly by defining specific component positions and specific attributes. Please follow the document below to understand more details.
If you don't have an icon "Replace Component" in CATIA tools, find it this way:
- Click on the Part or Product in CATIA tree or "Edit" on the menu.
- Find the option named "Components".
- Choose:
- option "Replace Component in Session" which offers you as replacement the elements that are opened in the CATIA session,
- option "Replace Component" is the command which opens the search editor to find in SmarTeam the replacement.
The following document will show you more information about this function.
A positioning Matrix allows to place a component (Part, Component, Product) in space, relative to a higher component level, which will contain this matrix. If you want to understand more details, please click on the following document.
In the following document there is an example that will show you step by step how to save it.
- Edit the fix component constraint (double click on the constraint in the 3D or the tree).
- The following dialog box appears, then click on "More" and let the "Fix in space" checked.
- At that point you can change the values of translation and rotation (you can also change these values from the properties of the constraint).
- The component will take its new place.
- The components that were linked by constraints will update also.
If you want to know more, please check the document below.
The "DMU Optimizer" is a product dedicated to improve users' productivity by computing an optimized geometrical representation of data for mockup verification in the context of the immersive and collaborative design review environment of the full digital mockup.
To access the "DMU Optimizer" workbench, please follow these steps:
- Open the CGR file in “Preview in CATIA” or the native CATProduct file in “Open in CATIA”.
- Click on Start ➞ Digital Mockup ➞ DMU Optimizer.
Follow the document below for more information.
We consider Large Size Documents these ones that have a size of more than 106 bytes (~1Mb).
To avoid increase of the file size, you should follow these rules:
- Don’t use the catalog models blindly, keep all the details only if the design requires it.
- Avoid very detail representation of grids.
- Don't add unnecessary objects in Assemblies.
- Pay attention to the objects hidden or deactivated.
- Be aware with the scans.
- Don't use multibody to create Assemblies in CATParts.
To learn more how to work with large documents, please open the following document.
- Start the DMU Navigator workbench.
- Select the document in the CATIA tree.
- In the "Insert" menu bar, select "Import Applicative Data".
- On the dialog box which appears, click the appropriate checkbox.
- Click "OK" to confirm.
In order to understand more how to do that, please consult the following document.
The document below will show you the procedure to export STL files using the dedicated workbench: STL Rapid Prototyping.
When the document is not used, or the lifecycle is not very mature it may be possible to delete, but it will not be possible due to all the documents that it depends on. In these cases, you can use the command “Cancel”. It abandons a document that is "In Work", "Preliminary" or "Rejected".
"Set to Cancel" is like deleting a document, but the differences are that:
- people are still able to see the document in the system,
- it will be possible to "Set to Cancel" a document that is used by others.
If you want to study this process, please follow the link below.
More: Cancelled
After having validated the quality of the documentation, verified that the standards are respected and that the 2D and 3D are consistent with each other, it is possible to change the state of the document (2D) to “Checked”. Until now the actions were performed in SmarTeam, validation steps must be performed in CDD.
Please follow the document below to explore more about this action.
More: Checked
The image below in the document shows the overview of the "Life Cycle" implementation.
PDF Version: Lifecycle Implementation in PDF
The "New Release" is the action of creating a new revision, in work, when the previous revision is "Released" in SmarTeam and "Archived" in CDD.
Please click on the document below if you want to understand more about this process.
More: New Release
The "Ready For Check" state means that, according to the person responsible for the project, the document:
- is complete,
- respects the design rules and methodologies,
- corresponds to the requirements and to the specifications,
- is consistent with the documents it depends on,
- is thus ready for validation.
If you want to know more details, please follow the document below.
More: Ready For Check
The "Rejected" is the status when a project is cancelled after it is checked (or even if it is "In Work" or in "Preliminary"). It may be rejected even if it is passed on to the second control after the first check, which was positive.
For more details about how to perform "Set to Rejected", please follow the document below which describes this process.
More: Rejected
"Released" is an operation which involves validating the object's feasibility and the fulfillment of the technical requirements. It must be done by an engineer.
If you want to know more how to "Set to Released", please follow the instruction which is in the link below.
More: Released
The command "Set Released For Integration" allows any user with proper access rights to release a structure (3D part or product) following a certain number of prerequisites. Once finished the process, these structures will show a green tick (in both SmarTeam and Catia) and will be usable as "Released" elements inside other assemblies.
In the document below, there are the common requisites to respect (whatever the use case is) and the procedure how to do it.
More: Released For Integration
The command “Set Valid For Integration” allows any user with proper access rights to validate a structure without drawings (3D part or product). Once finished the process, these structures will show a green tick and will be usable as “Released” elements inside other mechanical assemblies.
To know more about the procedure, please check the document which is under.
More: Valid For Integration
This question is intended for people at CERN that are new to CATIA/SmarTeam and that would need access to the software or some help to get started. If you do not find what you are looking for in the document below, please contact catia.support@cern.ch.
In an assembly, it is possible to duplicate a part or a product in order to create a variant without the original instance is impacted or even replaced with the new in the current session. There are few steps how to do it and you can find in the document below.
When we have to work with CGR files one of the biggest inconvenient that we can find is that is the difficulty to create constrains. Here (in the document below) we will show you a trick to be able to make some constrains of the CGR in one assembly (CATProduct).
The BOM Ordering Tool is a simple tool to manage the "order" of the rows in the drawing BOM.
If you want to use it, you launch the tool by pushing the icon in the Assembly Design workbench. To know more about this tool, please follow the document below.
More: BOM Ordering Tool
Now it is possible to add, modify or delete "Constraint Tolerances" in the Sketcher. These are also visible in 3D and in the Drawing.
For more information about this, please follow the document bellow which exactly describes how to do it.
A Design Table is designed to drive the parameters of a CATIA document from external values. These values are stored externally in the form of a table. Design Tables help in the tasks of creating and managing component families. These components can be, for example, parts differing only in their parameter values.
In the document below, you can find a methodology of creating a new Design Table or how to use an existing one.
In the document below, there is a procedure to create text for engrave or embossed. One example of use is when is needed to represent in 3D the stamping of letters and numbers in an object. Please follow this procedure to understand it.
There exist several possibilities to create a solid from one or many surfaces. If you want to understand it more, please click on the link below.
After a transfer (from Euclid, for example) certain solids must be repositioned relatively to the reference planes. The document below presents a procedure that allows you to do this.
With positioned sketches, the origin and directions of the absolute axis are similar to external references (Use-Edges) obtained using additional projections or intersections when creating non-positioned sketches. If the 2D geometry is under constrained and you move or resize the part (no matter how significantly), the profile you sketched will remain absolutely unchanged. It is also easy to copy and reuse in another place (since you don’t need to use external references).
For more details about this operation, please click on the document below and read it.
To take them away, please follow the instruction:
- Select the hatch (if it is necessary, use arrows-up/-down).
- Click on the right button or use Alt+Enter to go to the properties of the hatch.
- Decrease the value in the "Pitch" option.
If you want to understand it more, please check the document below.
To use this function, you need to have a drawing opened in CATIA, then next step is to press Alt+P. It should open the dialogbox waiting for you to select a printer. In the "Size Selection" select the number that corresponds to the page size (for example to print in A4, choose number "4").
There is a combination to print it quicker: Alt+P+4 for a A4 size.
More: Quick Print
There is a multi-measure with the command “chained dimensions”, “cumulated dimensions” or “stacked dimension". To add a new dimension, please click the appropriate icon (depending on which dimension you want to choose), select the origin where you want to insert and then choose the next place to measure.
For more information how to do it, please check the document below.
In a drawing, it is often necessary to represent some dimensions, as specified in the applicable norms at CERN, for which it doesn't exist adequate functions in CATIA.
The link below will explain you how to represent a few of them.
Stickers are reusable drafting components that contain 2D geometries and text.
To add a sticker, follow these steps:
- Click in the catalogue icon.
- In the window that appears choose "Drawing Stickers".
- Select the category.
- Insert this with double click in the stickers and click in the drawing sheet.
- Choose the option expose in order to break the link to the original.
- Click the drawing sheet + in OK for putting the copy of the sticker in a secondary sheet.
- Close the catalogue window.
For more, please check the link which is below.