Sketching a Handset on CATIA – Learn step by step!

Are you passionate about CAD? You’re in the right place! In this blog series, we are doing a comprehensive, step-by-step guide of the CATIA tool and how to you can use it to effectively work on different kinds of projects.  

Read our previous blog here, wherein we introduce you to the user interface of the tool and some of the workbenches in it. We began exploring the intricacies of creating a handset sketch. Let’s proceed with this sketch today. 

Circular Cutouts 

In this blog, let's dive into the next phase: crafting the keypad circular cutouts. This part is where the sketch really starts taking shape, and we'll be using some handy commands like Axis, Circle, Translate, Mirror, and Constraint. 

 We start by drawing a simple circle at the center of the smallest rectangle. From there, the Translate command comes into play, allowing us to duplicate this circle both above and below the original, ensuring everything stays aligned. If you're not familiar with the Mirror command, this is where you'll see its magic—it helps minimize repetitive work, making your sketching process more efficient. 

Creating the circle is straightforward. You simply click on the Circle command in the profiles toolbar, select your center point, and watch as the circle expands or contracts with your mouse movement.

After positioning the circle, you might notice geometric constraints cluttering the view. No worries—you can deactivate these using the geometric constraints icon in the visualization toolbar for a cleaner workspace. 

Once the circle is placed, you can define its size by entering the radius in the appropriate field. If you notice that the circle isn't fully constrained, it’s time to apply a few more constraints. For instance, by selecting the center of the circle and aligning it with the center of the third rectangle, you ensure everything stays in place. This is done through the constraints dialog box, where you can also create coincidence constraints to fully secure the circle. 

Next, we move the circle using the Translate option, found in the operations toolbar. This tool lets you move or duplicate the circle in a straight line, making it perfect for replicating the keypad cutouts across the handset. You control the distance and direction of these duplicates by selecting the axis in the graphics area. Remember, the original circle stays put even after duplicating it. 

After creating duplicates, it’s essential to apply constraints to make sure each new circle is correctly positioned. For instance, you can set the distance between the center of the new circle and the yellow horizontal axis to 11 mm, and ensure it stays aligned with the vertical axis using coincidence constraints.  

The process continues with a second translation and more constraints to fully define the positions of these circles. Each step builds on the last, reinforcing the importance of accuracy and attention to detail. At this stage, the construction lines come into play. We draw two lines parallel to the vertical axis, using the Offset command to place them 5 mm away on either side. These lines serve as guides for the next set of circles. After selecting the original circles, we use the Mirror command to create their counterparts on the opposite side of the construction line, ensuring symmetry. 

At this stage, the construction lines come into play. We draw two lines parallel to the vertical axis, using the Offset command to place them 5 mm away on either side. These lines serve as guides for the next set of circles. After selecting the original circles, we use the Mirror command to create their counterparts on the opposite side of the construction line, ensuring symmetry. 

We repeat the Mirror command for the circles on the yellow vertical axis, this time focusing on creating an additional set on the right side. The result is a perfectly mirrored set of keypad cutouts, all precisely aligned and constrained. 

Antenna

With the keypad in place, it's time to add the antenna. This is done using the Line, Circle, Trim, and Constraint commands. We draw two parallel lines above the handset’s frame and then connect them with a curved edge using the Circle command. By applying a tangency constraint, we ensure that the curve smoothly transitions into the lines. We then use the Trim command to eliminate any unnecessary parts of the circle, finalizing the antenna design. 

Screen Cutouts

Before wrapping up the handset sketch, we move on to the screen cutout. This is done using the Rectangle, Constraint, and Corner commands. We start by drawing a centered rectangle and applying constraints to fully define it. The Corner command is particularly useful for rounding off the sharp edges, giving the screen a more polished look. 

With the handset sketch fully defined, we hide the construction lines and exit the Sketcher workbench, ready to transform our 2D sketch into a 3D model! 

Stay tuned as we explore how to sketch a wheel cover in our next blog! Each part of the process is an opportunity to learn something new, and by the end of this series, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to bring your ideas to life using CATIA! 

For a more interactive experience of this tutorial, check out our full-fledged FREE course on CATIA by clicking below.

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