Fundamentals of CATIA V5 for Beginners: Learn step by step!

CATIA is an important design tool that is resourceful for engineers in various fields of expertise. 

If you are looking to expand your skillset and explore new career options, learning CATIA can be a fun step! Moreover, this versatile tool can be Learning this tool can be a great start Mechanical Engineers in domains like Aerospace, automotive design, consumer parts, industrial machinery and much more. 

CATIA, a powerful 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software, is indispensable for mechanical engineers. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for designing, engineering, and manufacturing complex products.

By Mastering CATIA, you can: 

• Visualise and analyse designs: Create detailed 3D models, simulate product performance, and identify potential issues early in the design process. 

• Streamline workflows: Automate repetitive tasks, reducing design time and increasing efficiency. 

• Collaborate effectively: Share designs and collaborate with team members in real-time, fostering innovation and improving communication. 

Exploring the tool interface

There are multiple commands, features and operations that CATIA helps you do. These can be found in the menu bars and tool bars.

Let’s look into the nitty-gritty details of how you can get started with a new project! 

Traditionally, solid bodies and surface-based parts are not designed in the same environment. If you want to do so, check the “Enable hybrid design” option when you open your project. 

Additionally, to organise geometrical elements such as points, lines, axes, etc., check the “Create a geometrical set” option, so that you can access them easily while working on complex parts and assemblies. 

Next, define the reference coordinates (x, y, z) of the point where you start creating your part. On the “Sketch Positioning” dropdown on the right, you can choose between “Positioned” or “Sliding” sketch. It is recommended that you choose the former, so that you can define the sketch origin plane and orientation, all of which can be modified at any point of the Design. Additionally, specify the origin and orientation of your object.

Workbenches

CATIA has thousands of commands to help you design effectively. These commands are grouped into Workbenches, to help you navigate through them easily, based on your current requirement. Some of the workbenches are Part Design, Assembly Design, Generative Shape Design, etc.  

These workbenches are highly customisable to suit your convenience! 

Let’s delve into one such important workbench in CATIA. 

Sketcher Workbench 

• Sketching geometry: Creating basic 2D shapes and curves. 

• Dimensioning: Defining the dimensions and constraints of sketch elements. 

• Constraint-based sketching: Using geometric constraints to define relationships between sketch elements, ensuring accuracy and consistency. 

• Sketch patterns: Creating repetitive patterns of sketch elements. 

• Sketch mirroring: Mirroring sketch elements along a specified axis. 

• Sketch fillets and chamfers: Adding rounded or angled edges to sketch elements. 

When you want to design a 3D component from scratch, the best way to do this is to first do a 2D sketch and then extrude or revolve it into a 3D shape. This is what the Sketcher workbench helps you do. 

The Sketcher workbench in CATIA is primarily used for creating 2D sketches that serve as the basis for 3D models. It provides a set of tools for drawing lines, arcs, circles, splines, and other geometric shapes. Key features and applications of the Sketcher workbench include: 

The Sketcher workbench is essential for creating the foundation of 3D models in CATIA. By mastering the tools and techniques available in this workbench, engineers can efficiently create accurate and well-defined sketches that form the basis for their designs. 

Let us now look at some toolbars in the Sketcher workbench!

1. Reference Elements: To create a reference point, line or plane 
2. Profile: Provides different shapes to draw a 2D sketch 
3. Sketch Tools: To hide or unhide dimensions, constraints, grid etc. Also used to convert a solid line or arc to a construction element 
4. Constraints: To assign dimensions and limitations to ensure that the profile is properly defined, and movements are limited 
5. View: To interact with the design, and view and pan to different dimensions 
6. Operation: Options to modify the sketch profile like duplicating profiles, smoothening arcs etc. 

Important tip! 

As a design engineer, it is prudent for you to observe and understand the model in detail before you get started on the software. You need to have a thorough idea of how you want the product to be manufactured before planning the design. Remember, the main end goal of CAD is manufacturability! 

Making a Sketch of a Handset

The handset has four key parts: The outer frame, the keypad holes, the display screen cutout and the antenna. 

For ease of positioning and defining length, enable “Grid” in the View toolbar. 

As seen in the above sample, the outer frame consists of three rectangles. Start off by defining the point and sketch positioning. Now, select the Profiles toolbar and draw a centered rectangle from the defined point. You can set the dimensions of this rectangle from the Constraints toolbar. 

Once you have drawn your rectangles and set the constraints appropriately, defining the axis, relative object positions etc., the “diagnosis” view should render all your shapes in a green colour as shown below. This means that the shape is fully constrained and defined and cannot move. 

Next, we would need to create the second inner rectangle, which is a smaller, similar rectangle to the previously drawn one. We can hence offset the outer rectangle inward to maintain the dimensions of the shape, and then define the specific numerical values. ‘Offset’ is found in the Operations toolbar. 

Similarly, draw the third innermost rectangle and constrain it by applying the dimensions. If the ‘Automatic Dimensional Constraints’ option is enabled, some of the earlier set parameters would reflect automatically. 

Choose the “Fit All” command to see all your work so far at one glance! 

We’ll see you with the next steps in our upcoming blogs! 

Would you like to have a more interactive experience going through the CATIA user interface? 

Skill-Lync has released a FREE comprehensive course covering CATIA in detail! Check it out here. 

Right from the user interface's fundamentals, menus and options, this course covers most aspects of the tool from a practical perspective. It even includes a certificate to add to your resume after completion! 

Check out our hands-on course today and add CATIA to your list of skills!  

Let’s get #IndustryReady together, one skill at a time!