Mastering Drafting in CATIA V5: Guide to Creating Technical Drawings

Welcome back to our CATIA V5 Design Series! In this guide, we’ll dive into the Drafting Workbench, a crucial part of CATIA that helps engineers and designers create technical drawings. These drawings are essential for communicating the construction and function of a part or assembly, whether for manufacturing or quality control. 

Here, we learn to create a detailed technical drawing of the Bush Holder we designed earlier. Along the way, we’ll explore key toolbars, learn how to place various views, and add dimensions and annotations to communicate vital information.  

Ready to turn your 3D design into a polished 2D drawing? Let’s get started! 

What is the Drafting Workbench? 

The Drafting Workbench in CATIA V5 allows users to create precise 2D views of 3D models. These views contain all the technical information required to build or inspect an object. We’ll be using the following toolbars frequently: 

• Drawing Toolbar: Commands like New Sheet, New View, and Instantiate 2D Components. 
• Views Toolbar: Insert projections, sections, details, clippings, and break views. 
• Dimensioning Toolbar: Add dimensions and tolerances. 
• Annotations Toolbar: Insert text, symbols, tables, and leader lines. 
• Dress-Up Toolbar: Highlight axes, threads, and fill areas with hatching. 

Let’s begin by setting up our drawing! 

Step 1: Creating a New Drawing 

Let's dive into creating your detailed drawing by starting with a fresh A2 sheet in CATIA V5—where your design comes to life! 

1. Open the Bush Holder model in the Part Design window. 
2. Click on File in the menu bar, select New, and choose Drawing from the available document types. 
3. In the New Drawing Definition Window, select the ISO Standard and set the sheet size to A2. Click OK to proceed. 
4. This will open a new drawing sheet, which you can save with a file extension .CATDrawing. 

Step 2: Inserting the First View 

Let’s begin by placing a Top View of the Bush Holder. 

1. From the Views Toolbar, select Projections and then Front View. 
2. Switch to the Part Design Window, select the front face of the Bush Holder, and the view will be automatically placed on the drawing sheet. 
3. You’ll notice a blue orientation circle in the top right of the view frame. You can use this to rotate the view as required. 
4. The view frame around the drawing helps you move or adjust the view. You can enable/disable this frame from the View Properties by right-clicking on the view and selecting Properties. 

Step 3: Adding Center Lines and Locking the View 

Now that we have the top view in place, we’ll add center lines to guide dimensioning and lock the view in position: 

1. Right-click on the top view, select Properties, and under the Dress-Up tab, check the Center Line option. This adds center lines to the bushes, making it easier to place dimensions later. 
2. In the Properties Window, you can also lock the view, preventing it from being moved accidentally. 

 Step 4: Adding Dimensions to the Drawing 

With the center lines in place, let’s add some essential dimensions: 

1. Select the Dimensions Command from the Dimensioning Toolbar. 
2. Click on the vertical center lines of Bush 1 and Bush 2 to measure the distance between them. Left click to place the dimensions on the drawing sheet. 
3. Repeat the process to measure the distance between the corner bush and the right edge of the base, adjusting the extension lines as necessary to position the dimension correctly. 
4. Now, switch to Radius Dimensions to add the radius of the arcs. Select the arc, and a value of R100 will appear. Left click to place it on the sheet. 
5. For the diameter dimensions, click on the edges of Bush 1 and Bush 2 to add their outer and inner diameters. 

Step 5: Creating Section Views 

Section views are crucial for providing additional detail in a drawing. Let’s create two section views: 

Section View AA: 

1. Select Offset Section View from the Views Toolbar. 
2. Place the section line across Bush 1 and Bush 2. Once placed, you can project the section view above the top view. 
3. In the Properties Window, uncheck the Fillets option to simplify the view by removing fillet lines. 
4. Add the necessary dimensions, including radial dimensions like R2, R3, and R10. 

Section View BB: 

1. Repeat the process for Section View BB, cutting through Bush 2 and a corner bush. 
2. Add relevant dimensions, including height dimensions for the corner bushes and hole dimensions for the M12 standard holes. 

Step 6: Adding Annotations and Text 

Annotations and text help convey additional information about the part: 

1. From the Annotations Toolbar, select Text with Leader Command. 
2. Click on the M12 hole in the section view to label it as “6 x M12”, indicating six instances of this hole. 
3. Add similar text annotations as needed to provide clarity for the manufacturer or inspector. 

 Step 7: Adding an Isometric View 

Let’s complete the drawing by adding an Isometric View: 

1. From the Views Toolbar, select Isometric View. 
2. Switch to the Part Design Window, adjust the view to an isometric perspective, and select a plane of the part body. The view will be automatically placed on the drawing sheet. 
3. Use the orientation circle to adjust the angle of the isometric view as required. 

Step 8: Exploring Additional View Options 

CATIA V5 offers several other view types that can be useful in different scenarios: 

• Detail View: Magnify a small area of the part for better clarity. 
• Broken View: Ideal for long parts that won’t fit in a single drawing sheet. 
• Clipping View: Crop specific areas to highlight only what’s necessary. 

To demonstrate, use the Detail View Command to zoom in on a specific area of the Bush Holder, and place the magnified detail on the drawing sheet. 

 Conclusion: Wrapping Up the Drawing 

Congratulations! You’ve now created a complete technical drawing of the Bush Holder, including: 

• A Top View, Section Views, and an Isometric View. 
• Center lines, dimensions, and annotations to communicate the necessary technical details. 

We’ve covered key aspects of the Drafting Workbench, such as placing views, adding dimensions, using section views, and annotating the drawing for clarity. These steps form the foundation of any technical drawing required in engineering and manufacturing. 

In the next session, we’ll dive deeper into advanced drafting techniques and explore how to create assembly drawings. Stay tuned for more exciting CATIA tutorials! 

This blog is part of our ongoing CATIA Design Series. If you missed the previous posts, check them out here. 

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