- What does CATIA stand for?
Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application
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- What is a UUID, and how does it affect my Catia work?
After researching the web for a generic answer, this is what I found:
What is a UUID?
UUID stands for a Universal Unique IDentifier. These are 128 bit numbers assigned to any object within a DCE cell which is guaranteed to be unique. The mechanism used to guarantee that UUIDs are Unique is through combinations of hardware addresses, time stamps and random seeds.
There is a reference in the UUID to the hardware address of the first network card on the host which generated the UUID - this reference is intended to ensure the UUID will be unique in space as the MAC address of every network card is assigned by a single global authority and is guaranteed to be unique. (Alternate addresses might be a problem here, but the author has not tested creating a UUID on a machine with an alternate address set)
The next component is a timestamp which, as DCE always moves clocks forward, will be unique in time.Just in case some part of the above goes wrong, there is a random component placed into the UUID as a catch-all for uniqueness.The timestamp component though is one of the reasons why DCE does not react well to clocks going backwards.A UUID may be generated using the uuidgen command, the following is an example of a generated UUID:- 58f202ac-22cf-11d1-b12d-002035b29092 This has come from a machine with the hardware address shown in the output of the command below:- lscfg -vl ent0 DEVICE LOCATION DESCRIPTION ent0 01-01 IBM ISA Ethernet Adapter Network Address.............002035B29092 From this it may be observed that the Network address of the ethernet adapter matches the last portion of the uuid. Dassault has made their applications permanently identified with a UUID by creating their Interface Definition Language file with the uuidgen command, giving it the "-i" option.
What this means to us is that unless all files originate from a single point seed file (thus always having the same UUID), Component Replace and Drawing replace links will always fail.
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- Why can't I snap a DMU section to a plane in V5R12sp3?
This is a Catia regression. Create a small extruded surface and use the plane as the support. You will then be able to use this surface as your Geometrical Target.
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- My Assembly will not load or functions update.
Full Memory issue and V5 Parm Synch issue.
Load and Update a few of the larger Products individually, and then the Top level Product.
Create a Top level Parm and fx to drive the lower level parameters via KWA Parm Explorer.
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- How does a Power Copy work, and how do I create them?
A Power Copy allows you to create a feature, imbed rules and dependencies and then copy all of this information into a part as a single unit. For UG users, this is a 'Wave' and for V4 Users, this is similar to a 'Ditto'. There are a few rules to live by such as 1) Never reference H or V in sketches 2) Isolate indexing planes before using them to support a sketch 3) Provide isolated geometries that can lock the degrees of freedom down when copied into a part file 4) design the PC from the Users perspective (to fit their design process) 5) Emulate Best Practices and Decision Criteria with Rules and Checks 6) Chat with CatiaV5Dr on AOL AIM for additional Help.
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- How do you switch sketches on a part design?
1) Create a Curve Parameter
2) Create a String Parameter with 2 or more values
3) Create 2 Sketches
4) Create a Rule that watches the String Parameter and sets the Curve Parameter = 1 Sketch
5) Create a Pad that uses the Curve Parameter as it's profile
6) Chat with CatiaV5Dr on AOL AIM for additional help
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- How can I change the startup CATIA Graphic to my company Logo?
Replace the C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B12\intel_a\resources\graphic\splashscreens\CATIASplash.bmp with your own Company Logo!
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- Why can I not save an Iges or Step file when my Product is open?
First, check to see if you have the proper license checked out.
Now, make sure that the Parts and/or Products are in Design Mode.
This can be done Globally by unchecking the Work in Cache Mode option or by switching the desired data to Design Mode via the Right Click Contextual Menu.
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- How can I change the background on my Catia V5 window?
Replace C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B13\intel_a\resources\graphic\icons\ClientMDIBackgroundNT.bmp with the new image.
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- I am unable to read V4 Data that contains E3D Logical lines.
Deselect the radio button in Tools+Options+Compatibility+V4 Data Reading that says 'Open In Light Mode'. E3D has strong links to the Drafting views in V4 that require a complete load of the .model file to be viewed. I have not verified it, but suspect that the Tubing Module in V4 has the same issue when read into V5 due to it's similar architecture.
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- Why do I lose CATDrawing links to Imported CATParts?
Non-Catia Data Migration - When dealing with Cad Data that did not originate in Catia, and basing CATDrawings on it, many issues will arise.
The following workflow will reduce the number of issues due to STEP and IGES Import methods into V5.
The root of the problem that is experienced while linking CATDrawings to CATProducts and CATParts of new versions of files is due to an encryption routine Windows that
CATIA utilizes to create a unique identifier for each and every new CATPart and CATProduct that is created. This encryption routine creates and embeds an Object called
a UUID which stands for Universal Unique IDentifier. These are 128 bit numbers assigned to any object within a DCE cell which is guaranteed to be unique.
The mechanism used to guarantee that UUIDs are Unique is through combinations of hardware addresses, time stamps and random seeds.
What that means to you and me is that the File Name that we see when we save the file or reference it to create a CATProduct or CATDrawing is NOT the ID that is being
referenced by CATIA, and can therefore not simply be replaced with another file of the same name.
Assuming that the Cad data is not originating in V5, the process for revising a CATPart (non-native) while maintaining links to CATDrawings is this:
1) Non-V5 Modeling------>2) STEP/IGES Export/Import------>3) New CATPart with Original UUID------>4) CATDrawing------>5) Non-V5 Modeling------>6) STEP/IGES Export/Import------>7) New CATPart with New UUID------>8) Copy/Paste from New CATPart with New UUID to Existing CATPart with Original UUID------>9) Open CATDrawing to verify link
Basically, the concept is to establish the relationship from the CATDrawing Child file to it's Parent CATPart or CATProduct and maintain this relationship by changing the contents of the CATPart or CATProduct but re-use the original file so that it's UUID remains intact.
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- How do I display stresses in the sketch window?
Add this string to your environment file SHOW_CST_CHILDREN = 1
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- How do I enable the Product to Part conversion?
Add this string to your environment file IRD_PRODUCTTOPART = 1
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- How do I enable Part Comparisons?
IRD_PART_COMPARISON = 1
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- How do I migrate a Solidm to CATPart?
Add this string to your environment file and paste 'As Spec' CATMigrSolidMUV4AsPart=1
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- How do I save a V5 Solid to a V4 Volume?
Add this string to your environment file V5V4SaveAsVolume=1
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- How do I control the max gap in the automatic topology cleaner?
Add this string to the envirnment file V5V4CleanTolerance=0.01
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- How do I concatenate small surfaces with larger adjacent surfaces
Add this string to your environment file V5V4MaxSimplif=1
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- How do I save an entire CATDrawing as a single PDF?
Add the following string to your Environment file SAVE_AS_ONE_PDF=1
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- How can I add a logo or text to my part design?
Import the image into a CATDrawing and/or type text onto the lower left corner of a CATDrawing and then save it as a .dxf file. Close the CATDrawing and read the .dxf, and then Copy/Paste the lines into a sketch plane. From there, treat the sketch as a normal sketch and use Pad/Pocket, scaling or whatever to make it fit your needs. There is a shockwave viewlet on my website, if you would like to see this demonstrated.
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- how can I modify (write what I want) the UUID of catparts?
What is the particular use case? I am unaware of a way to simply edit the UUID within the CATPart, but there may be methods of achieving what you want if you can describe the specific case.
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- How do I read an STL file in V5?
Check out the STL license
Create a CATPart
Load the STL Workbench
Select the Import button
Set the file type to ASCII-Free and Browse to read the .stl file
This will load the raw STL data into the open part
Any further manipulation requires further training (try F1 Help).
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- How to convert Pdf file to CATDrawing file
Try converting it to DXF and then reading the file into Catia V5.
http://www.trixsystems.com/pdf2cad.html
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- How do you start DMU in Administration mode?
Add -admin to your startup script.
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- What is powercopy?how does it work?
A PowerCopy is a set of Geometry, Parameters, Rules, Reactions or any combination of these that can be copied into a receiving file. For example, something as simple as a sketch can be declared as a Power Copy in a CATPart file. If you need this sketch in another CATPart, it can easily be inserted using the Tools+Insert from Document command. Power Copies can also be placed in Catalogs, which can make finding the right power copy for the specific need much easier.
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- I read your post and watched the video on Catia V5 Embossing and engraving. For text/part numbers this works. But How about an imported jpg logo. These jpg pictures get removed from the .dxf file.
How would I put a BMW / Henkel
Logo .jpg file on the cad part and extrude it into the part design.
Thanks,
Pete Sharpe
Henkel Cad Engineer
Send the Jpeg to me and I will convert it into a dxf file, if it is possible. I have a few tools at my disposal.
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- What is the function of PARAM3D ?.How it is helpful and its applications ?
Param3d is a Comma Seperated Value Import/Export Mechanism. Combined with Paramlnk, you can Import/Export Values to batch edit Solid and Surface Parameters. This is similar to Catia V5's Design Table function, but without the sometimes troublesome embedded link issues. In V4, this functions as a true Import/Export only tool.
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- What is LAW in surface ? Why it is used?
Assuming you are addressing Law in Catia V4, it is a graphical mechanism by which you can define transitioning Angles, Lengths, Normals, etc. as a surface is swept between Boundary and Generating curves. See http://catiadr.com/TheLaw.htm for more information. V5 has similar functionality, but the interface takes some getting used to.
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- Where can I get basic info about using VB with CATIA?
Look in the binaries directory for a file called V5Automation.chm.
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- How can we hide/show x,y,z planes in assembly mode using single command?
You will have to write a macro to Search, Select and Hide the planes.
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- Kindly explain in detail about UDF command in CATIA V5.
UDF stands for User Defined Feature. This is a Power Copy that has been encapsulated into a new Catia Object that can be instantiated into another part without exposing it's interior logic to the end user. Instantiation is simply a Paste+ReplaceElement All-in-one command. During Instantiation, the Paste will request geometric and/or Parameter inputs that help the Paste to resolve itself to fit the context of the new recipient file. Think of a Pt-Pt Line and it's request for the Start and End Points...then think of a more complex element such as a T-section profile that may ask for a third point and a thickness parameter value as inputs...The possibilities continue into solids, surfaces, KBE Rules... I can create a sample based on your need.
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- Do we have layer concept in CATIA V5 like what we have in unigraphics and Pro-e?
Yes, however, the Layers have to be created before they can be applied to the geometry. Do not expect filters to function as they did in Catia V4. You can write a script to sort geometry into geometric sets based on layer attribute.
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- What is the purpose of thick surface in CATIA V5?
The purpose of a Thick Surface is to model a solid to represent a constant thickness of material from a given contour. This can be used to model sheet-metal, plastic, or even a machined part that needs to mate with a defined surface.
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- WHAT IS DMU? HOW IT IS USEFUL? TELL ME THE AREA OF APPLICATION.
DMU (Digital Mockup) is generally used to view and analyze geometry, but not edit it. DMU consists of Annotation, Sectioning, and Interference Analysis tools, among many others. Areas of application are often in Design Reviews, Shop Floor Analysis, and Offsite Vendor applications.
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- What is the use of draft reflect line?
The Draft Reflect line is a method of setting up a die pull direction (vector) and then declaring the minimum draft required by the material that is being cast. As a result, the tangency of the cone formed by the pull direction and the minimum draft angle will create a 'horizon line', 'tangent', or Reflect Line. Material is then added to fill the void under this Reflect Line and the feature that it lies upon. A picture is worth a thousand words, so send me a file and I will show you.
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- what is the main advantge of creating equi.distance points in curves?
This allows the placement of repeating features such as ribs, welds, holes, or any other geometry that may require equidistant placement along a specific path.
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- What is animate constraint?
Animate constraint will show how a sketch will be modified by setting a min and max value and animating the geometric changes for you to visualize before committing the change.
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- What is the difference between trimetric and isometric?
In the truest sense, Trimetric includes no horizon line/eye reference point and Isometric respects both when generating the view, resulting in Perspective.
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- What is sew surface?
Sew Surface is a method of adding enclosed area to an existing solid. The edges of the surface must be touching the solid faces.
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- How to generate bill of material, where can i define raw material size and other information related to the assembly?
Return to Assembly Design workbench and select the Analyze -> Bill of Material... command
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- How to create design table in part design
I recommend avoiding Design Tables until Dassault fixes their OLE issues. The Excel file will cause the part file to require updates randomly, which is an issue with completed and released datasets. Use VB to pass the values instead.
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- How to create our own catalog?
I can teach this via Webex or Shockwave.
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- Is there any way to create a link between a string parameter and the file name of the part document?
No, but if you figure it out, Dassault may pay you well to fix it. This is a long outstanding issue.
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- How i can make groove
You will first have to create a Pad or other positive feature. Then draw a sketch defining the shape of the groove and a second sketch defining a pathway to follow. The order of selections for a groove are 1) profile, 2) path.
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- How I can change the font of specification tree?
Select the Tetrahedron in the lower right corner of the Catia Graphics field. Zoom with the Zoom icon or Middle Mouse + Left/Right click. Reselect the Tetrahedron to set focus back on the 3D window.
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- How angled hole can be done?
If you desire to place a hole along a specific axis, there is a dialog selection allowing you to select a line as the axis rather than assuming it is perpendicular to the entry face. Uncheck 'Normal to Surface' and select a line or edge to define the direction.
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- Hi
Congratulations on your site, as it is very helpful.
In Catia V4, we could load models, and make them active, to either extract holes, surfaces, edges, or to be used in tool design to design tools around them. Once finished, in Mech design we discard them, or in Tools design, keep them as a reference, in general in red.
How can I do the same in Catia V5? Use Assembly Design?
In Mechanical Design: I load a part, and extract holes, sufaces, edges or I even want to keep the sketches that were used to build the part, then discard the original part, and continue the design in the part that has the features extracted.
In Tool Design: Obtain a part or an assembly, then design the tool around the part or assembly, save the new model with eng part or assembly, or without.
Regards
The cleanest method is to save your reference geometry as IGS file and then read it into a fresh V5 file which will generate a geometric set. If the original file is an assembly, use the SaveProductAsPart first, then save as IGS.
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- Hello. I'm new to V5, but I have used V4 for about 12 years. My designs are complicated valve body assemblies which, on V4, I would design in 2d draw mode in several views, then project my geometry into 3d when I feel I am ready to generate solids. I use draw mode because I move and change alot of dittos and this makes it much faster to update the design, since many of the components are identical. Now I am trying to do a layout in V5. I created my boundaries for the valve body on one sketch, and now I generated a bolt hole with the max head diameter and a reference diameter for distance to other bolt holes, as well as the hole sizes for the separator plate and lower valve body. Basically it's several concentric holes that I use to route the hydraulic wormtrails. How can I "ditto" these throughout the boundary sketch to set up my wormtrail layout? Thank you very much. Sorry for such a long question and if you need some pics, please feel free to e-mail me.
Howard Saxon
I suggest using a PowerCopy. If you are running R16, or R18 I can take your geometry and create a sample for you. A Power Copy is the same thing as a Ditto except that it allows you to integrate variables in addition to positioning the feature as multiple instances. In UG it is known as a wave feature.
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- i want to pad my company logo on a spherical surface, so how do i go for this, as to draw the whole name in sketcher is quite tiresome, so can i have any other method so that i can emboss my company logo on part
Look at http://training.catiadr.com/engraving.swf for the methodology. These can also be made into Power Copies and applied at differing scales and polarities by using formulae and rules. Send me your CATPart and Logo and I will demonstrate when I get a chance.
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- how do i break the link of anything i have taken from other part to my current part ?
so that it will not show link in the desk
Create a new part and copy/paste as result your geometry. Make sure none of your geometry is dependent on axis systems. Always place sketches on planes (Datums if possible) so that even geometric links are not there before you copy.
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- can we modify the created catalogues? if yes then how ?
If you are wanting to maintain the integrity of the existing catalogue, make a copy of the catalogue that you are referring to, place it in a new location, copy the CATParts that are referenced also, edit the CATParts, and relink the catalogue to the revised parts. Otherwise, simply edit the referenced CATParts and the catalogue will reflect the change(s).
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- what is publication in catia v5?
Publications are used to expose geometry that may be buried deep in the model or assembly. They can be used in a variety of ways, but my favorite is to use them to expose the geometry that will be used by a power copy upon instantiation.
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- What is the use of Scene in assembly design?
A scene can be used to store the present condition of your Product such as what is hidden and shown, where your camera is positioned, whether you are in Parallel or Perspective View mode, etc. Scenes can also be used as presets for generating and refreshing Draw Views.
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- What is the use of scene in Assyembly design?Kindly let me know with Example(With application)
Scenes allow you to generate a pre-filtered assembly, so that you can easily and quickly recall the assembly in a specific configuration, viewed from a specific viewpoint, seeing only those items that you desire to see.
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- In drawing How to create MM dimentions for Models having Inch Dimentions?
Change your drafting standards in the Tools+Standards Menu.
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- Do I have to be administrator to change parts to layers and have it stay in the Catia drawing instead of my user settings? I'm trying to set up a standard assembly for multiple users to use, and I need certain parts on certain layers so they can be filtered. Thanks
You will have to share a copy of the same CATSettings file in order to achieve this. However, the individual user can change this at will.
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- When i start catia v5r16 it automatically opens a product. How do I change it so it doesn't open anything?
Question 2) how do I get out ouf perspective view back to normal view?
thanks mike
Try using the command CNEXT -object "" command from Dos.
Otherwise, this is a CATENV Environment configuration question.
Q2) Select the face that you want to look normal to and then the Normal View icon, or View+Modfy+Normal menu item.
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- How can i capture a high quality image in CATIA?
Your best bet is to render the image in Studio. If you would like to have a tutorial built for you (free of charge) email me at catiadr@gmail.com and I will post it for you.
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- Missing view boxes in drafting
After I have created the solid model, I go into drafting, indicate my front view, and position it using the orange boxes. I then do the projections and am able to position them using the orange boxes.
Then the orange boxes go away.
I add a title block, etc and want to better locate the views. No orange boxes. I can't figure out how to get the orange view boxes on the screen so i can move the views around.
Right click on the View and edit the properties page to show the Frame.
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- How many profiles per sketch?
When sketching a part, how many profiles should you put in the sketch?
If you have an outer profile and a couple inner pocket profiles, should you put all 3 in the same sketch?
The first book recommended only one profile per sketch, the book I am reading now recommends putting all 3 in one sketch.
What criteria should you use to determine this?
The criteria I always use is based on design function. If the design will ALWAYS use these sketches to define the Pad and Pocket at the same depth, group them into the same sketch. However, if you can foresee any possible reason for the Pad and Pocket to differ in depth in the future (regardless of current function) keep them seperated. When in doubt, keep them seperated, making modification less of a feat of magic.
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- Orientation of Absolute Axis System
I am moving to CATIA from Unigraphics/AutoTrol/AutoCAD/MasterCAM. On the other systems, XY laid flat in the top view with +X pointing right and +Y pointing up. The orientation of the CATIA system is just confusing to me. I have been working thru books and videos for a couple months now and have not found anything that is making it less confusing to me. I understand it probably has something to do with 1st axis projection... In 20 years on CAD/CAM systems in America, I have never worked for a company that did anything except 3rd angle projection.
Are companies that are 3rd angle based setting some kind of properties or settings in modelling (part design, assy, wireframe) that re-orients the system to the way we are used to viewing and working?
I have seen in the drafting workbench that specifying ANSI gets us 3rd angle, but what about modelling? I am modelling a lot of parts but am totally confused when I use the view icons. The models are turned and are not at all what I expect to see.
I would really appreciate any advice or reference materials you can offer that would make me feel in control of my part orientation when I am modelling.
I have the same problem with Catia and don't know any answer except 'adapt' since I work in the US for a European Company. This is a UI problem that could easily be remedied by Dassault if they chose to address it, but I think it is a minor issue to them.
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- F1 help key is not working in feature edit mode.
Steps:
1. Launch Fillet (already created) UI by double-clicking on feature from spec tree or model space.
2. Fillet UI appears, press F1 key.
Result: Help does not appear.
Help doc is not appearing in such scenario, but it works fine in few features like Pad, Shaft, & Hole.
This is both a CATSetting issue and a Programmer's issue. Make sure you set the path in Tools+Options+General+Help and then the rest is fully dependent on how well Dassault set the contextual links in the html help index. If you are literate in this technology, try creating your own index file and linking to relevant pages, otherwise you may have no recourse except the Java Search page and keying in Fillet for your search term.
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- How do you add a material to one surface on a part example: Knurl on a knob?
Create the knurled area of the knob slightly larger than the actual know material and apply the material to a cylindrical mapping distribution. This option can be found in the material properties after it has been applied. You can also scale the mapping at this point as well. Look in the Rendering Tab for a Mapping shape icon and change it to a cylinder.
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- How do I hide planes in an assembly?
Type t:plane and then select the Hide icon.
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- How do I change the font & textsize on the taskbar (bottom most line on CATIA UI?
Try Alt+Shift+PrintScreen and choose the high contrast option that best fits your needs.
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- Hello,
My question is regarding the ghost links.
I have in one 3D one ghost link and my question is how I can find in the structure (DESK) this ghost. Or other information about this (connections with other elements from my structure)
Thank you
You will probably need to use VB code to extract the relationships that can't be seen in DESK.
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- how to search for update command in assembly design
The command is c:Force Update
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- Hi, I know UG, in which to split a solid body into parts one can use the split body tool, the same in catia results in only one half and removes the second half. How can i acheive this in Catia?
You will have to duplicate the part body and then split each individually.
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