CATIA ADVANCED

Parameters & Formulas

Design Tables

Stringer Exercise
Design Process Part 1

1
Creating User
parameters.
2

Creating geometry
using user
parameters.

Creating formulas
between the User
parameters and the
dimensions.

Step 1: Creating User Parameters

Part used: Stringer_start.CATPart

Open the part and note the parameters that are

already created for you.
Create additional parameters and assign values to them as
specified in the chart below

Type = Length

Type = Integer

Type = Boolean
User Parameter Name

Type

Value (s)

Bracket_Hole_Instances

Integer

Bracket_Spacing_Design

String

Design50, Design60, Design70

Parameter with multiple

values

Step 2: Creating Formulas Using

User Parameters (1/5)
Open Sketch.Iprofile and note the six
formulas that are already created for you.

1
2

7
3
8
6

5
4

To be able to view the names of the

parameters with values and formulae, select
Display Mode = Name + Value + Formula in
Tools > Options > Parameters and Measures >
Constraints and Dimensions (tab) > Constraint
Display

Create the formulas 7 and 8 as shown in the image of

Relations node above.

Step 2: Creating Formulas Using

User Parameters (2/5)
Create Formula.9 and Formula.10 for parameters
Length and CornerRadius respectively as shown
below.

Edit both sketches of Pocket.OvalHole and

Pocket.CircularHole and create the formulas as illustrated
below:

Step 2: Creating Formulas Using

User Parameters (3/5)

Connect the Activity parameters of the pocket features

and their pattern features, to both the Boolean user
parameters as shown below.

Step 2: Creating Formulas Using User

Parameters (4/5)
Parameterize the pattern of Pocket.OvalHole
Set the activity of the OvalHole parameter to true

Edit the RectPattern.OvalHole rectangular pattern.

Create a formula to link the number of instances to the dedicated
user parameter.
Create the formula as shown in the image below, to define the
spacing between holes. Do not forget to use brackets to delimit the
fields.

Step 2: Creating Formulas Using

User Parameters (5/5)
Repeat the same process for pattern of Pocket.OvalHole
Set the activity of the OvalHole parameter to false and the
activity of CircularHole to true

The formula for the spacing in this case will be as shown below.

Step 3: Creating Geometry using

User Parameters (1/2)
Create holes that will be
used to fix a single or
multiple brackets in the
Stringer.

Create a plane offset to the zx plane at a distance

equal to the height parameter
Select this plane as support and create a hole
as shown.

Open the sketch of the hole and position it with respect

to the edges using parameters and formulae as shown
in the figure.
= TopWidth (Thickness/2) - BracketHole1X
= BracketHole1Z

Associate the diameter of this hole to the parameter

BracketHoleDiameter

Step 3: Creating Geometry

using User Parameters (2/2)

Create a pattern of this hole using parameters and values as shown.

Instance (s) =
Spacing =

These holes will be used to fix one or more brackets

Step 4: Creating a Design Table

Part used: Stringer_Part3_Start.CATPart

Create a Design Table named DesignTable.Stringer of

all the User Parameters except the following:

1.
2.
3.
4.

BracketHoleDiameter
BracketHolesSpacing
Bracket_Hole_Instances
Bracket_Spacing_Design

Click OK and save the

Design Table as .xls or .txt
file.

Reopen the Design Table

and click Edit Table button
to create design
configurations as shown in
the adjoining table.

Step 5 Changing design

Configuration and updating
Open the design table and switch between the configurations in
the design table. Update if necessary.

This step completes the Stringer exercise.

Wheel Rim Exercise

Step 1: Design the Wheel
Rim
Step 2: Rename
Parameters
Step 3: Assign Formulas to
Intrinsic Parameters
Step 4: Create User
Parameters

Step 1 - Design the Wheel Rim

(1/2)

Open CATKWA_Wheel_Rim_Start.CATPart

1.

Optional: change the Length unit to

Inch in Tools/Options. If you dont
dimensions in inches will automatically
be converted into mm and values will
be displayed in mm.

2.

In Outer_Rim body, create a shaft from

sketch.1 and remove the 2 outer faces, and a
shell of 0.25in of inside thickness.

3.

In Inner_Rim body, create a shaft from

sketch.2.

4.

Create an Union Trim boolean operation

between Inner_Rim body and Outer_Rim body.
face to keep

(2/2)
5.

Create a pocket from sketch.3

6.

Create a 6 instances circular

pattern of this pocket on the
complete crown around X Axis.

7.

Create a counterdrilled Hole

(diameter = 0.625 in,
counterdrilled diameter = 0.75 in).

8.

Create a 5 instances circular

pattern of this hole on the
complete crown around X Axis.

9.

Apply Aluminium material on the

Part.

Step 2 - Rename Parameters

1.

In Sketch.1, rename the following

parameters using their contextual
menu and Rename parameter
option:

Rim_Width

Outer_Rim\Sketch.1\Offset.40
\Offset in Rim_Width
Outer_Rim\Sketch.1\Offset.39
\Offset in Rim_Size_Radius

2.

Create a distance constraint of

2.25in between Hole.1 center point
and the central cylindrical surface.
Rename this distance parameter
Bolt_Pattern_Radius.

3.

In Sketch.3, rename the pocket

width dimension
Outer_Rim\Sketch.3\Offset.11\Offs
et by Pocket_Width.

Rim_Size_Radius

Pocket_Width

Bolt_Pattern_Radius

Step 3 - Assign Formulas to Intrinsic

Parameters
1.

In Sketch.3, assign the following

formula to the pocket radius
dimension:
Outer_Rim\Sketch.3\Radius.20\Radius=Ri
m_Size_Radius -1in

2.

Then create a new

EquivalentDimensions feature with
value 0.75in and select the 3 radius
parameters:

3.

Rename EquivalentDimensions
parameter as
Pocket_Corner_Radius.

Step 4 - Create User Parameters

and Use Them in Formulas
1.

Create 5 new user Parameters:

Rim_Size = 17 in
Bolt_Pattern_Diameter = 4.5 in
Number_of_Bolt_Holes = 5
Number_of_Spokes = 6

2.

Create the following formulas:

Outer_Rim\CircPattern.1\AngularNumber=Number_of_Spokes
Outer_Rim\CircPattern.2\AngularNumber=Number_of_Bolt_Holes
Rim_Size_Radius = Rim_Size / 2
Bolt_Pattern_Radius = Bolt_Pattern_Diameter/2

You can try and make your self a design table with different
configurations if you want to.

CATIA ADVANCED
PowerCopy

Do It Yourself
Document Used : PhoneNumberPocket_Start.CATPart

In loaded Part, create a PowerCopy called set Of Button Pockets containing : RectPattern.1,
Pocket.1, Sketch.2 and Axis System.1
Rename inputs Supporting Face , Pattern Vertical Guide and Pattern Horizontal Guide
Make following parameters public : DepthOfPocket , NumberOfCol and NumberOfRow
Select this icon for the PowerCopy:

Do It Yourself
Document Used : PhoneNumberPocket_Destination.CATPart

In PhoneNumberPocket_Destination.CATPart , instantiate Set Of Button Pockets

Powercopy from loaded document
Select inputs (make sure you have the right directions) and Set values of public parameters

CATIA ADVANCED
Complex Assembly
(Skeleton Design)

Chapter

Skeleton Methodology
This approach has been found to be the most effective way of creating
pa r a me tr ic pa rt s o r as se m bli es in CAT IA .
It consists in creating a skeleton part, with all the key variable dimensions
and features being represented by wireframe geometry and variables
where necessary. The parts are then created by referencing these
wireframe entities. If a change is required, only the skeleton needs to be
modified, and the rest of the geometry will be updated automatically.

The key steps in this approach are :

1) Create an empty Product.

2) Create a new part, rename to skeleton.
3) In this part, create Planes, Lines, Points,
Sketches to serve as reference elements.

4) You may also create variables in this

part, which is difficult to represent with
wireframe, e.g. wall thickness.
5) Create the rest of your part assembly in
the product, using the elements in the
skeleton as references.

Use a plane for example to draw your

sketch on for a ribs. If the plane in the
skeleton changes,Ensure
the rib that
will change.
in Tools/Options,
You may also copy
the skeleton
/Infrastructure/Part_Infrastruct
elements into sketches
to use the
in the
ure/General
option Keep
construction of 2Dlink
profiles
in
your
with selected object is
parts.
switched on.

Skeleton Exercise

Prismatic slider

In this exercise you will first create the skeleton of a simply assembly, then
create some parts in context, pull in standards components and then modify the
configuration by changing the skeleton.

1) Create a new Product, with an empty Part in it called Skeleton.

2) We will firstly create a sketch on the YZ. This sketch will help to define the basic
elements of the mechanism. With this we will determine graphically the length of
the two links needed for a stroke of 300mm.

LINK_1

a)

LINK_2
b)

c)
d)
e)

f)

g)

Draw a horizontal line from coordinates

300,50 with a length of 300 mm. This
represents the stroke.
Draw a circle with no specified radius,
with the center point lying on the V-axis
and tangent to the STROKE line.
Draw a line from the end point of the
horiz line to the centre of the circle.
Break this line in two with the circle.
Dimension from the right hand end of the
stroke, to the circle center, and make it a
reference dim.
Draw another line from the start of the
horiz line across the circle center to the
opposite side.
Dimension this line, creating a formula
linking the size to the previous reference
dim.

STROKE
NOTE
The annotations with arrows, are showing which lines are representing the
various entities.

Skeleton Exercise

Prismatic slider

3) Create the following wireframe elements in Skeleton, note the Open Bodies
created and assign the names given to each of the entities:
a) Shaft_start
Plane > offset
Reference = YZ
Offset = 40mm (+X dir)
b) Shaft_end
Plane > offset
Reference = YZ
Offset = 150mm (-X dir)
c) Center_of_handle
Projection
Projected = Center of circle
Support = Shaft_start
d) Handle_shaft
Line > Point direction
Point = Centre_of_handle
Direction = -X
End = 150 mm
c) Bearing_start
Plane > offset
Reference = YZ
Offset = 20 mm (+X dir)
d) Bearing_end
Plane > offset
Reference = Bearing_start
Offset = 50 mm (-X dir)

4) Return to assembly mode and add a new part called BASE.

5) Enter into part design mode in this part and create a sketch on the YZ plane :
a)
b)
c)
d)

Create the shape given below.

The bottom lies on the XY plane.
The 60mm rad circle should be concentric to the centre_of_handle.
The two 50mm dims are from the end of the stroke.

6) Create a pad of 200 mm depth in the X direction using this sketch.

Skeleton Exercise

Prismatic slider

7) Create a 20mm fillet on the front lower edge of the pad. (Lying on
the Y axis) and on the sharp edges on the top face.

8) Shell the part with a 10mm thickness, removing all faces, apart from
the front and bottom surfaces.

9) Create a sketch on the front face of the solid, drawing the standard slot shape
in, with a radius of 10mm, making the two arcs concentric to the two ends of the
line representing the stroke.

10) Create a pocket with this sketch through the part.

11) Create the following sketch on the front face, concentric to the
center_of_handle.

Skeleton Exercise

Prismatic slider

12) Create a pad using this sketch between the two planes,
Bearing_start and Bearing_end.
13) Create a through hole on, and concentric to the pad just created,
with a diameter of 25mm.

14) Switch back to Assembly mode and create a new part called SHAFT.

15) In this part create a sketch on the YZ plane. Project into this sketch
the hole curve.
16) Use this sketch to create the shaft by using the pad function. Use
the two planes Shaft_start and shaft_end as the limits.

17) Go back to Assembly mode, create a new part called LINK_1

18) In this part create a sketch on the Shaft_end plane. Project the
bush outer edge and the shaft edge into this.
19) Create a pad 20mm thick using this sketch towards the inside.

Skeleton Exercise

Prismatic slider

20) Create the sketch given below on the Shaft_end plane.

a)

b)
c)
d)
e)

Firstly project the line representing link_1 into

the sketch. This is the dashed line shown in the
picture.
Draw the standard elongated hole shape around
this line. Giving a radius of 20mm.
Make sure that the arcs is concentric around the
two ends of the line.
Create a circle with radius 10mm around the
lower end point.
Project the shaft edge into the sketch.

21) Create a pad 10mm thick towards the inside.

22) Go back to Assembly mode, create a new part called LINK_2

23) On the Shaft_end plane create the sketch shown below :
a)

b)

c)

24) Create a pad 10mm thick towards the outside.

Using again the standard

shapes, draw the profile, with
radius 20mm.
Make both circles coincident
to the ends of the line in the
skeleton.
Draw also two circles on
both ends with rad of 10mm.

Skeleton Exercise

Prismatic slider

25) Go back to Assembly mode, create a new part called SLIDER.

26) Go and edit the Skeleton, add another plane under Slave Geometry openbody. Plane > Parallel through point. Reference = XZ, Point = End of Link_2

27) Go into part design mode under SLIDER. Create a sketch on the
plane just created.
a)
b)

c)

Draw the sketch as

shown.
Note the lack of
dimensions, all the lines
are constrained to the
corresponding surfaces.
The two 20mm dims are
measured from the two
center points.

28) Create a pad using this sketch with the Thick option and mirrored
extent with a length of 40mm, and a thickness value of 10mm.

29) Create a hole concentric to the hole in LINK_2 with a diameter of

20mm up to last.

Skeleton Exercise

Prismatic slider

30) Fillet all unwanted sharp edges with a 10mm rad.

31) Change the skeleton and see how the part will update. Double click on the skeleton sketch in
order to access it in edit mode. Change the stroke length from 300mm to 100mm. Double click on
the top level product in the tree and update the structure. Play around with the skeleton, change for
example the Shaft_end to 100mm.

Skeleton and design in context