PART DESIGN
This section contains the description of the operation of the tools of the Part Design module.
Part Design is the workbench dedicated to creating solid models. To create these solids,
most of them start from the geometry generated in a sketch, which is why it is important to
first be clear about the options of this module.
To enter the Part Design module we will do so through the menu at the top
1.SKETCH-BASED FEATURES
This toolbar is the most important toolbar in the module. Part Design and in it you get
solid geometry based on profiles, which can be open or closed, generated in a sketch
through extrusion, revolution and sweeping.
PADS TOOLBAR
PAD
The Pad tool allows the extrusion of closed and open profiles if we activate the thick option.
In the blank Profile selection box the profile to be extruded will be indicated. There is also
the possibility of accessing the sketcher without having to close this menu by clicking on the
sketch icon to the right of this box. The profile selection can be made even before clicking
on the Pad icon.
In the menu that appears you must choose the type of extrusion:
This one It can be a dimension in which the measurement in which you want to extrude the
profile must be indicated in millimeters. If the Mirrored Extent option is activated, the same
amount is extruded in both directions like a mirror. We can also change the extrusion
direction by clicking on Reverse Direction or on the orange arrow that appears in the
geometry.
Another type of extrusion is by
selecting the Up to Next option in
Type. In this case, the selected
profile will be extruded to the next
face that is within its same body
(each of the bodies in which a part
is structured).
If the Up to Last option is chosen,
what it will do is extrude to the last
face of a solid that is in that
direction.
With the Up to Plane option the extrusion
will be made to the plane indicated in the
limit box.
If the pad type is Up to Surface, the
extrusion will be created up to the surface
defined for it.
The thick icon allows the creation of closed and open profile extrusions by giving them a
thickness. These thicknesses are determined in thickness 1 and thickness 2.
With the Neutral Fiber icon it will give the same thickness towards one side as towards the
other.
You can also define the extrusion value in the other direction, having the same options as for
the first limit (dimension, up to plane, up to next,...). In the case of a second limit we must
click on the More button.
By deactivating the Normal to Profile option
we will have the possibility of indicating
another extrusion direction other than the
normal one to the plane that contains the
profile.
In the event that the profile to be extruded is an open profile and we set the option to give it
a thickness, there is the possibility that the limits of the Pad are included between the faces
of another solid. The new solid that is created is trimmed between the limits of the existing
solid by activating this Merge Ends option.
If the profile that is selected to extrude contains closed internal domains, like the one in
the figure, what will be obtained will be an extrusion in which the internal profile will
generate a hole.
DRAFTED FILLETED PAD
The Drafted Filled Pad tool allows us to extrude a profile by defining a draft angle for its
faces (draft angle) and roundings on all its edges, it also allows the possibility of indicating
radii on the edges of the lateral faces (lateral radius) and/or or on the edges of the first and
second limits.
In First limit we must indicate the extrusion
length and in Second Limit we define where
it starts from. You can indicate the plane
that acts as a neutral element, that is, the one
that will remain without variations in its
draft angle
You can also reverse the direction by clicking on the button reverse Direction.
MULTIPAD
The Multi Pad tool is used when you want to extrude a profile that contains closed internal
domains and for each of them you want to give a different height. For these cases, when you
select the icon and click on the profile, a box appears with all the internal domains closed, as
well as the external profile. We will have to select the profiles one by one and indicate an
extrusion value in the Length box.
Clicking about he chart lower More we will can give to each one of the profiles other worth
of extrusion different in other address. To the equal that in he Pad here also He can define a
address of extrusion that No have because be the normal to the sketch. In he case in he that
for some of the profiles He you of length 0 in both addresses it that He produces is a
elimination of material in those zones acted as the operation pocket.
POCKETS TOOLBAR
POCKET
The Pocket tool is used when what we want is to remove material from the part we have by
extruding closed or open profiles. Its operation is similar to that of the Pad tool with the
difference that with this option the profile chosen will subtract material.
1. The Pocket types are the same as those for the Pad. In this way we have the
possibility of making an extrusion eliminating material by entering a length value in
millimeters if we choose the Dimension option.
2. If we choose the Up To Next option, the removal of material will occur by
extruding the profile to the next face of a solid that is found.
3. We want the profile to be extruded to the last face of material found, the Up To Last
option must be chosen.
4. With the Up To Plane option, the subtraction of material produced by the
extrusion of the profile is carried out up to the plane that is selected.
5. In the Up To Surface type, the extrusion limit may be given by a surface.
There is also the possibility of giving an offset to the extrusion so that it is not done just up
to the surface, plane or face that is indicated but rather takes into account an oversize.
The rest of the options in this menu are the same as those already seen for the Pad command.
DRAFTED FILLETED POCKET
The Drafted Filleted Pad command is similar to the Drafted Filleted Pad tool seen
previously with the exception that in this case what it does is remove material from the piece
we have. This tool is therefore the one that will allow you to extrude a profile by subtracting
material and defining a draft angle on the faces and roundings on all the edges within the
same dialog box. The Depth box indicates the extrusion depth. Select the profile and the
second limit, which is the plane that acts as the second limit for the extrusion.
The values of the inclination of the faces or draft angle and the desired radii for the lateral
roundings and for the first and second limits are entered.
As Neutral elements we will select that that No we want that suffer variations after this
operation.
MULTI-POCKET
The Multi-Pocket allows the removal of material by selecting a profile in which there are
several closed internal domains and allowing a different depth to be defined for each of
them.
SHAFT
The Shaft tool allows you to create a body by revolving a closed profile.
With this command we must select the profile to revolutionize and the axis of rotation. This
axis (Axis) can be created within the profile sketch itself using the Axis tool or it can be a
line, an axis of the 3D coordinate system or an edge of another solid.
The most advisable thing is to create it within the profile. Finally, it will be enough to enter
the start and end angular values. We also have the possibility of changing direction with
Reverse Direction. In the Shaft option you also have the possibility of giving a thickness to
the profile that is going to be revolutionized by activating the “Thick Profile” box. Its
operation is the same as for the Pad.
GROOVE
The Groove is a tool that creates the subtraction of material in the solid by revolving a
profile around an axis or axis. This axis can be a line, an axis of the 3D coordinate system,
an edge of another solid or an axis created with the Axis tool within the profile to be
revolutionized.
You must select the profile, then the axis of revolution and finally indicate what we want the
angles from which we want the revolutionized material to be subtracted. As for the Shaft,
here you can also give a thickness to the profile to be revolutionized.
To do this, activate the Thick Profile icon and indicate the desired thickness.
HOLE
The Hole tool is used when you want to create holes in solids. There are several types of
holes that can be created, ranging from countersunk, flared, conical with or without thread,
blind, through...
To use this tool, simply indicate the face of a solid with the mouse cursor and immediately
the hole is positioned exactly where it was clicked in a direction normal to the surface. If
you want to change the position of the hole, you must click on the box in the Hole menu
called Positioning Sketch. This way you access a sketch where we can correctly position the
point with the constraint tools.
If, before clicking on the face where we want to place the hole, two edges
are selected, we get the distance between them and the center of the hole.
By double clicking on any of the measurements you can easily modify
them.
If what we want is to locate the hole concentric with the outer edge of the
solid, the simplest thing is to select the outer edge before clicking on the face.
In this way the center of the hole is positioned coincident with the center of
the edge.
In the menu that appears with the Hole tool there are three tabs with submenus. The first is
Extension and is where the diameter and depth of the hole will be defined.
There are several possibilities when defining the depth:
Blind: blind hole. In this it will be enough to fill in the fields of the diameter and depth of the
hole (Diameter and Depth).
Up To Next: If the option chosen is this, the hole will fall to the next face found. In this
case, it will be enough to define the diameter and an offset if an oversize is desired.
Up To Last: The depth of the hole will be to the last face of the solid that is found.
In this case you will also only have to define its diameter.
Up To Plane : The diameter and a plane that defines the depth of the hole must be indicated.
Up To Surface: the depth of the hole will extend to the surface indicated. You will have to
enter the diameter and select this surface.
In the Extension window you can also define the direction of the hole; to reverse it you will
have to click on Reverse.
By deactivating the Normal To Profile icon, the hole can be given a drilling direction other
than normal to the plane. Additionally, if the type of hole is Blind, you can indicate the type
of end you want for drilling.
This way you can choose between two options:
Flat : if we want the bottom of the hole to be flat. See left hole in
the figure.
V-Bottom : for a V-shaped hole in the bottom bottom. In this
case, the angle of inclination of the face can be indicated. See
right hole.
In the Hole dialog there is another tab to define the type of hole. This is the Type tab and in
it you have the following possibilities:
Simple : single hole of constant diameter that is defined in the window Extension
Tapered: conical type hole in which the lower diameter is given in the window
Extension and in the Type tab the hole taper angle is defined.
Counterbored : flared type hole, housing with a diameter greater than the hole so that the
screw head is hidden. For this type of holes, the diameter and depth of the flaring must
also be defined.
Countersunk : Countersunk hole to accommodate conical head screws. In this case, two of
the following three tables must be indicated: depth, angle and diameter.
Counterdrilled : hole that has a flared and countersunk housing at the top. It will be
necessary to define the diameter and depth of the countersink and the conicity angle of
the countersink.
1
2
3
4
5
The last tab of the Hole box is regarding Thread Definition. This is the menu intended to define
the threading of the holes.The thread can be Non-Standard, indicating the diameter of the
thread manually, or by means of its metric.
Here the diameter and depth of the thread and the pitch will also be defined
RIB
The Rib tool allows you to create a solid by
sweeping a profile along a guide curve. The
Pofile (profile) to be swept and the Center
Curve (guide curve) will be selected, which
will need to be in different sketchers. The
profile to be swept can be closed or open (if
the Thick Profile option is activated and
thicknesses are set in Thickness).
The type of sweep available will be selected in Profile Control, with three possibilities:
1.Keep Angle: in this case the profile is swept along the trajectory maintaining a direction
normal to the guide curve.
2.Pulling Direction : The profile will sweep the guide curve maintaining the direction normal
to the plane that is selected.
3.Reference Surface : The angle between the profile and a chosen surface will be constant.
SLOT
The Slot is the tool used to subtract material from a solid by scanning a profile following a
guide curve. The operation is the same as for the Rib and you have the same options. You
must indicate the Profile to be swept and the path you want it to follow.
Within Profile Control you can also choose
between
KeepAngle, Pulling Direction and Reference
Surface and its operation is identical to that of the
previous tool.
STIFFENER
The Stiffener tool is used to create ribs or reinforcements between two faces of a solid. To
create a nerve, all you need to do is have a line drawn in a sketch and indicate in the
Thickness box the thickness that you want to give it.
The only requirement that What is needed is that the line intersects the solid, at
least in its extension.
The process for using this order is as follows: first select the sketch and then in
the dialog box indicate the thickness desired for the rib.
If the Neutral Fiber option is kept active, the thickness that will be give will
apply it in both directions. If it is in From Side mode the nerve will be in a
vertical direction and if it is in From Top mode it will be in a horizontal
position.
TRANSFORMATIONS
Within the Transformation Features toolbar you will find all the commands intended to
produce transformations in solids. Icons are available to create translations, rotations,
symmetries, matrices and scaling.
SUB-MENU TRANSFORMATIONS
TRANSLATION
Tool used to move a solid (body) in space. This translation affects the entire body, if there
are different bodies it affects the one that is active. The direction of translation is selected
(axis, edge, normal to the plane,...) and its distance is defined. There are different types of
translation: giving direction and distance, start and end point or by coordinates.
ROTATION
Command that allows applying a rotation to a solid. It also affects the entire body.
You just have to define the axis of rotation, which could be an edge, a line or an axis, and
the angle at which you want to rotate the piece.
SYMMETRY
The Symmetry tool allows you to symmetry a solid affecting the entire body that is active.
The reference element that defines symmetry can be a line, a point, a face, an axis or a plane.
MIRROR
The Mirror command is the tool that allows you to create a symmetry with a copy of the
object. You only need to select the symmetry plane. Here symmetry does not affect the
entire body but rather the desired object must be selected. Subsequently, the plane that
makes the symmetry must be selected.
SUB-MENU PATTERNS
RECTANGULAR PATTERN
The Rectangular Pattern tool is used to create rectangular patterns by repeating a solid or a
feature (for example a hole).
To use this command, simply indicate the object from which you want to create the grid or
matrix, “Object to Pattern”, and select the first propagation direction of the matrix. In the
Second Direction tab you define the other direction of the rectangular grid. An axis, a line or
an edge of a solid can be selected as the direction.
If you wish, you can eliminate any of the elements or features that make up the matrix by
clicking twice on the orange points on the grid. By double-clicking on any of them again, it
appears again.
There are several ways to define the array within the Parameters box:
Instance(s) & Length: The grid is defined by the total number of elements in that direction
and the total length they must occupy.
Instance(s) & Spacing- Defines the grid by the total number of elements in that direction and
the space between them.
Spacing &Length: the space between two elements of the array and the total length of the
grid in that direction must be indicated.
By clicking on the More box, another window appears in which you have the possibility of
defining the position occupied by the original element or feature within the grid.
Additionally, you can define an angular rotation of the grid with respect to the selected
direction.
It must be taken into account that if any of the parameters that define the original solid or
feature are modified, the rest of the grid elements will be changed.
CIRCULAR PATTERN
This tool is used to create a circular matrix or grid of a solid or a feature.
In the box that appears to create the circular grid, you must indicate the element you want to
make a copy of and the reference address.
This address can be; the axis that will serve as the center of the circular grid, or, in the case
of a circular crown, it would be enough to select its lateral face.
There are two directions to define the circular matrix: a first direction that will be around the
axial reference that is indicated, and a second direction (called Crown Definition) in which
you can define the number of instances that you want along of the radius.
The definition of the circular matrix can be in different ways depending on the option we
choose in the Parameters box:
Instance(s)& total angle: you must indicate the number of copies or instances you want of
the original element and the total angle at which to create those copies.
Instance(s) & angular spacing: He has to indicate he number total of instances to obtain
and he space angular between they.
Angular spacing & total angle: Determines the angular distance between two consecutive
copies and the total angle in which those copies must be included.
Complete crown: only the desired number of copies must be indicated to complete a
complete or 360º crown.
USER PATTERN
The User Pattern tool allows the creation of a user-defined grid. This matrix will be formed
by the repetition of an element or a feature occupying the positions defined by the user
through a cloud of points included within a sketcher.
To define this type of matrix, simply indicate the object that you want to repeat (Object to
Pattern) and define the positions in which you want to repeat that element within the grid.
SCALING
This order allows you to scale a part by only indicating a reference direction and the scaling
ratio or percentage. This scaling direction can be defined by taking the direction of a point, a
plane, or a face.
BOOLEAN OPERATIONS
It is necessary to know some Catia concepts such as Part Body and Body.
The Part Body is the minimum unit or minimum body of which a Part or piece can be
composed.
The Part, which will be made up of a set of geometry and operations, can be made up of one
or several bodies. The Part Body is the minimum body that a part can contain. If there are
more bodies within the same part, they are called Body. These must be entered by the user
using the Insert Body icon.
The Boolean Operations toolbar is used to perform Boolean operations between the different
bodies of a part. These operations can be addition, subtraction, intersection and trimming.
These commands, apart from having them in the Boolean Operations toolbar, can also be
accessed through the context menu (on the right mouse button).
ASSEMBLE
The Assemble command is used to assemble two bodies within the same Part. This order
can behave as an addition or as a subtraction depending on the sign of the original features
that form the bodies. A feature is considered negative when it is an operation of subtraction
or elimination of material (for example a hole or a pocket) and it is considered positive when
material is added to the part (pad, shaft,...).
In the event that a feature such as the pocket is found in a body alone, without geometry to
subtract material from, it will behave as if it had been created as a pad (it will create a
positive extrusion).
When a Boolean body assembly operation is created, either with the Assemble icon or
through the context menu, it will take into account that one of the bodies is a pocket
operation and will behave as such.
Body 2, in this case, will hang in the tree inside the partbody and will be joined to it by
means of a boolean operation. If at any time we wanted to break that assembly, it would be
enough to delete (with the “Del” button on the keyboard or with the context menu + delete)
the Boolean operation and the bodys would return to their initial state.
ADD
The Add tool allows you to add two bodies of our Part. The order can be activated by
clicking on the corresponding icon in the Boloean Operations toolbar or by clicking on body
2 with the right mouse button and going to the Body object contextual menu line.
When you activate the order, a window appears in which you will only have to indicate
which bodysuits you want to add.
REMOVE
The Remove command allows you to perform a Boolean subtraction operation between two
solids of the same Part.
By clicking on the icon, also through the contextual menu, a box appears in which you will
have to select which body you want to perform the subtraction operation with.
INTERSECT
The Intersect Boolean operation is used when you want to leave the part of the common
solid between two bodies and eliminate the rest.
The only part of material that remains after performing this operation is the one at the
intersection between the bodysuits.
UNION TRIM
The Union Trim command allows you to create a Boolean trimming operation between two
solids that belong to different bodies. What the trimming operation actually does is a sum of
the two bodies, trimming them from each other and giving the user the possibility of
defining which parts of each of the two solids they want to keep or want to eliminate.
To use this command, what we will have to do is the following: First, select the Union Trim
icon on the Boolean Operations toolbar, or also with the right mouse button on the second
body to be trimmed. Later, in the trim definition table, indicate the bodies to be cut and the
parts we want to keep from each of them.
In the Faces to remove box, the faces of part of the solid that we want to remove from our
piece will be indicated.
In the Faces to keep box, the faces of the part of the solid to be kept will be entered. If
desired, you can select several faces at the same time or faces to keep and eliminate from
each of the solids interchangeably.
REMOVELUMP
The Remove Lump tool is the Boolean operation that will allow you to eliminate pieces of
geometry that are in excess in the part and that cannot be simply deleted with the delete
because it is part of the rest of the solid.
In this case it is not an operation that is carried out between different bodies but rather it is
an order for a single body.
To use the order, it can be done by clicking on the icon or with the context menu that
appears when you click with the right mouse button on the body.
We have two options; indicate the faces of the part of the solid that we want to remain
(Faces to keep) or select the faces that we want to eliminate (Faces to remove).