Catia V5 Training Basics

FEBRUARY 2002

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 atstartup). 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 alsobe added to the left and at the top (below the main commands) as you see fit. CATIA’s design area can be divided into two main sections: ã 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). ã Geometric Area : This is where geometrical elements actuallytakes place. It is always located behind the specification tree and can occupy all the screen.

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CATIA V5 – SPECIFICATION TREE
ã The Specification Tree is located on the left part of the screen. ã Like the “Windows Explorer” tree, you can expand or contract the Specification Tree by clicking on nodes (+ or – signs). ã It contains all the operations done duringyour design session (parts creation, Boolean operations, part copies, symmetry, etc.). These operations are easily retraceable because they each have a different icon. First-made operations are located higher in the tree than the last-made ones. The same hierarchy than the tree of Windows Explorer is used : by deleting upper-level features, you will also delete all downward-level elements. ã Itis important to pay attention to the icons in the specification tree. A small specific sign can appear on the icon to let us know that some features need an update, have a broken link, are deactivated, etc. ã Every CATIA workbench has its own specific way of showing the Specification Tree (i.e. the current workbench show the tree in a relevant way to work with, hiding or showing new informationusable to that workbench only). For example, when you are in the Part Design workbench, the main branch of the tree is PartX (where X is a number) while in the Assembly Design workbench, the main branch of the tree is ProductX. ã By right clicking on an object of the tree, you have access to some operations like cut, copy, paste, properties, etc. ã By left clicking on the white branches of theSpecification Tree, you deactivate the Geometric Area (it then becomes dark blue) so that zooming, panning and moving will now affect the Specification Tree instead of the Geometric Area. To reactivate the Geometric area, left-click a second time on a white branch of the Specification Tree.

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CATIA V5 – GEOMETRIC AREA
ã This is the place where you are drawing,designing and analyzing. It covers the whole screen but is always placed behind the Specification Tree. ã Left-clicking : Selecting components (face, edge, hole, etc.). ã Holding left button : Allow you to drag components (if they are outlined in orange when you start dragging them) or to create a “selection trap” to select more then one object. ã Left-button double-click: Re-open feature Dialog box formodification of a feature). ã Clicking the middle button : Center the point of rotation on the selected feature (face, circle, etc.). ã Holding middle button : Activate the panning feature. ã Holding middle button + left-clicking (or right-clicking) : Activate the zoom function, then move the mouse up/down to zoom in/zoom out. ã Holding middle button AND left button (or right button) : Activate...