[bigbang]

Dimensioning a 3D Component Using Orthographic Views - You might opt to go in Sketcher and use the Dimensions command. However, in doing so you would realize that some dimensions are a little off. Instead of going back to Part Design to modify it, you could input "fake" dimensions to save time. It can be done this way: Right-click on the desired dimension Select Properties Select the Value tab and check the Fake Value box near the bottom You can now input the true dimension (numerical or alphanumerical)

-- Submitted by Jean-Francois Brunelle, Montreal, Canada. Installation Tip for V5 R3 SP3

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- Problem:
Online help (F1) doesn't work on NT
Solution: Replace d:\Dassault Systemes\B03 Doc\resources\msgcatalog\CATIAId2url.CATNls (Note this file is of 0KB file size) With the same file from the documentation cd: CD Drive:\resources\msgcatalog\CATIAId2url.CATNls (24KB).

-- Courtesy of CATIA Users of Central Ontario, www.ca.geocities.com/catiawebca/tips/install_tips.html.

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Minimizing update errors in circular patterns when refining a part - When dealing with circular parts with many patterns and features tied to the centerline of the part (i.e., a bolt hole pattern tied to the center of a wheel), I suggest the following to minimize the number of update errors as you
refine the part in future revisions: Insert an Open Body into the product structure and select Define in Work Object. Rename the body as REFERENCE_GEOMETRY. Insert a point at X=0 Y=0 Z=0 and rename it as ORIGIN. Insert a line through a point (the new origin) and a direction (normal to a surface perpendicular to your axis) at any length, and rename it as AXIS. Define your objects outside of the new body to eliminate confusion between elements. When defining a pattern in your part body, select the new line (AXIS) as the reference element.
By using this method, any changes to the main body or main sketch will not change the reference element used in a pattern. This procedure can save on reselecting the reference elements in a pattern each time you update or change the main body, and the pattern is always symmetrically located to the true center of your part - not the center of a circle which can shift.

-- Submitted by Jim Black, mechanical design engineer, Alcoa Wheel & Forged Products, Cleveland, Ohio.

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Using smart names in product trees - When designing in V5, always use "names" for elements. After a complex design is complete, it is far easier to find Wheel_Bolt_Hole_Pattern in a tree rather than CircPattern.32 for editing. I use this method, and I try to name the feature in the tree after its role in the design. Along with using names, the IBM representative for my company suggests using "underscore" instead or "spaces" between words in a name.

-- Submitted by Jim Black, mechanical design engineer, Alcoa Wheel & Forged Products, Cleveland, Ohio.

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Using sketcher to establish die draw views of part - Once in sketcher, name a view so that when you exit sketcher, you will be able to call up that named view without having to be in sketcher.

-- Submitted by Cliff Streeter

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V5R7 Tip - When converting V4 surfaces to V5, you will probably encounter problems with gaps and cracks, which make the surfaces difficult to use. Therefore, try the following: In V4 make a skin (*SKI) of the region of interest and copy/paste the skin for a better result. (This entity may not be offsettable for part design.) Use the JOIN function with a merging distance set near V4 tolerances (i.e., 0.0003 inches) of surfaces/faces brought over individually to resolve gaps/overlaps between surfaces. Use the HEALING function similar to above for more control over individual surfaces.

IBM has a white paper on its interoperability website, www.ibm.com/de/caeserv/cipo/, which has more detailed information.

-- Submitted by Clifton Davies, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Palmdale, Calif.

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Improve .stl File Accuracy - To improve .stl file accuracy and to reduce faceting on .stl files, go to tools/options/display/performances. Change 3D accuracy from fixed to proportional, and change the setting to .02. Make sure the curves accuracy is set at 100 percent.

-- Submitted by Robert Gansen, Johnson Controls Inc., Holland, Mich.

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Tip for CATIA V5 R4 - For this tip, suppose you have designed a 3D component in Part Design and want to modify its dimensions. You normally would go into Sketcher, modify the desired sketch, and then visualize the modified 3D part. However, sometimes the part itself won't show up in 3D, only the sketcher lines-as if no sketch-based features were applied. This would occur even though a 3D function (sketch-based feature) was previously applied on the text (i.e., pad, shaft, etc.) and would show up in the history. To solve this, apply the same 3D function (sketch-based feature) a second time (it will appear at the bottom of the history) on the sketch. Now your 3D part will show up once more. Finally, delete the sketch-based feature located at the bottom of the history.

-- Submitted by Jean-Francois Brunelle, SCP Science, Montreal, Canada

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Creating a CAM path on a cylinder - Suppose you know where you want a CAM follower to start and also where it should end, but you don't know how to project a CAM path on a cylinder. While selecting endpoints is critical, the path is not necessarily that important. Here's the solution. First, draw a centerline profile between the start and end and then project this onto a cylinder. Remove the section of the cylinder that intersects this projection.
The result is the desired CAM path.

-- Submitted by by Dan Dangremond, Johnson Controls, Inc., Holland, Mich.

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Freeing up Storage Space - We often use very large files of models to create a small part that will interface with a large model. Since several designers will interface with the same large model, we need to free up valuable storage space and speed things up. To do this, we take the CGR file and place it into a shared cache directory to which everyone can have access.

-- Submitted by Dan Dangremond, Johnson Controls, Inc., Holland, Mich.

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IMPORTING 2D SPACE GEOMETRY INTO SKETCHER - Importing 2D-space geometry into V5's sketcher is an easy task. I have imported V4, IGES and STEP files successfully. Here are the steps for different variations. For V4 geometry: Open V4 2D space model in V5 operating mode. Copy V4 data into new V5 part model. Highlight parts to be copied; press control V. Start new V5 part model. Control/paste into V5 model. Save V5 part model as CATPART. Project 2D space geometry onto sketch. Open sketcher by selecting sketch plane and clicking the sketch icon. Highlight items to be copied into sketcher. Press project 3D geometry onto sketch icon. Exit sketcher (at this point the sketch geometry is not editable, as it is linked to the solid model input). Delete open body geometry. A warning will appear stating sketcher error with a recommendation to isolate. Select the isolate option. This will isolate sketch geometry from the open body geometry. Sketch geometry is then editable. Sketch geometry does not have any constraints relative to each other; i.e., a line is a line, and is not constrained to another line. Save model at a CATPART.

For IGES or STEP files of 2D space geometry: Open IGES or space file of 2D space model in V5 operating mode. Save as CATPART. Project 2D space geometry onto sketch. Open sketcher by selecting sketch plane and pressing the sketch icon. Highlight items to be copied onto sketch. Press project 3D geometry onto sketch icon. Exit sketcher (at this point the sketch geometry is not editable as it is linked to the space geometry input). Delete open body input.
A warning will appear, stating sketcher error with a recommendation to isolate. Select the isolate option. This will isolate sketch geometry from the open body geometry. Sketch geometry is then editable. Sketch geometry does not have any constraints relative to each other; i.e., a line is a line and is not constrained to another line. Save model.

-- Submitted by John Hill, Honeywell International

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CHANGING A SKETCH SUPPORT - Changing a sketch support is useful when you need to change your design, especially since redrawing the model can be tedious and time consuming. The steps to change a sketch support are as follows: Double-click the part for activation. Right-click sketch. Select Change Sketch Support.

-- Submitted by Davat Yilmaz, Istabul Ulasim A.S., Turkey

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PATTERN ICON TIP - While most of the icons in part design work in the same manner if you select the object(s) and then the action (icon), or the icon and then the objects-the pattern icon doesn't. If the pattern icon is selected, then the current solid or a single primitive can be patterned. If you want to pattern multiple features, select the features first by holding down the control key (e.g. a hole and a fillet) and then select the pattern icon.

-- Submitted by Phil Harrison, CATIA Solutions Magazine benchmark tester and principal of LionHeart Solutions, Inc.

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WINDOWS XP TIP - When re-installing a machine with Windows XP, or upgrading to XP from Windows NT or Windows 2000, be careful which graphics drivers are loaded; although XP comes with a vast library of drivers, they may not be the fastest. For example, I recently reloaded a system with an NVIDIA Quadro2 Pro graphics card. Windows XP Professional recognized the adapter and a driver was loaded. However, when I ran CATbench on the system, I found that the performance was surprisingly slow. I then upgraded the driver with one from my hardware vendor and re-ran the CATbench graphics tests and got a performance increase of about eight times.

-- Also submitted by Phil Harrison

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V5 NC PROGRAMMING TIP - This tip is useful in NC Programming when the machining axis is different from the design axis. The predefined views (top, front, etc.) are usually not oriented the way you need them. Selecting the Normal View icon will bring the plane parallel to the screen, but most of the time you also need to rotate the part. One way to get the orientation you want is to orient the part as needed and then create a named view (View + Named Views + Add). This view can be recalled later with View + Named Views + Apply. Another method consists of creating an axis system in the NCGeometryxxx.catpart (toolbar Tools + Axis System). This axis system should be oriented in the view you want to create. When the axis system is created, small lines that represent the basic planes will appear near the axis; select one of these lines. Hook the compass on the selected line. The compass is now oriented like the axis system. Lock Current Orientation of the compass with MB3. You may now put the compass back to its original location. To orient the views, select one letter on the compass (U, V or W).

-- Submitted by Jean-Pierre Pigeon, Support NC Inc., Laval, Quebec, Canada

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V5 TRICK - EMBOSSING TEXT - Create a new CATDrawing. Select a simple font and appropriate size. Select the Text Icon and a location near the origin of the default view. Save the CATDrawing for later reference. Save the same file as a .dxf. (This creates line segments.) Open the .dxf and select the lines, Copy (Ctrl+C). Create a plane on the part that you want to emboss. Create an offset plane or surface to define the pocket bottom of the embossing text. Select the Sketcher Icon and the Sketch Plane. Paste the .dxf lines (check orientation) and translate them into position. (This can be tedious.) Return to the file saved in Step 4, if the text requires mirroring. Exit Sketcher and select the Pocket Icon. Use Up to Surface for the second limit and select the other plane/surface.

-- Submitted by Ray Anderson, Lead KBE Engineer

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NEW V5 TECH TIP - How to log into V5 without automatically launching a new product: Right-click on the CATIA V5 Icon. Go to Properties. You will see the target: "C:\Program Files\DassaultSystemes\B08\intel_a\code\bin\CNEXT.exe" -env CATIA.V5R8.B08 -direnv "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ApplicationData\DassaultSystemes\CATEnv". Add a space and the letter c to the end of this path. It now looks like this..."C:\Program Files\DassaultSystemes\B08\intel_a\code\bin\CNEXT.exe" -env CATIA.V5R8.B08 -direnv "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ApplicationData\DassaultSystemes\CATEnv" c. Save and close this change. Start CATIA V5 with this icon. Whamo-CATIA will launch without launching a new product!

-- Submitted by Ken Page, DaimlerChrysler Certified Intern, Michigan

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RESPONSE TO LAST WEEK'S TIP (SEE BELOW) - This method works pretty well, but if you have a lot of points then you must keep scrolling through ANALYZE and selecting PRINT, and then edit the PRINT file to remove unwanted or duplicate info. I have found that for a large number of points, it is best to create an NC Set (Program) with the NCMILL function. Then pick your points using NCMILL + DEFINE + MACHINE + TIP. Using UTILITY + CATNC, select the NC Set you have just created. Execute this and it will create an aptSource file that will have your point data in it. You can further this process this by using a postprocessor (i.e., CAM-POST by ICAM Technologies, Inc.), which converts the aptSource file to NC machine tape file. Depending on your postprocessor (and if you do a lot of this type of data gathering), a special postprocessor template can be created that will output only the point data, instead of the machine commands mixed in with your data. You also could have the postprocessor set up to output the file formatted with a "," separating the X,Y,Z coordinates that would allow you to import your point data into a spreadsheet for further analysis.

-- Submitted by Colin Crowe, tool designer, Boeing Canada Technology Arnprior Div.

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UPDATE FOR V5 TIP FROM CDD JUNE 4 - I have another way to do the V5 Tech Tip from June 4. Steps 1-3 are the same: Right-click on the CATIA V5 Icon. Go
to Properties. You will see the target: "C:\ProgramFiles\DassaultSystemes\B08\intel_a\code\bin\CNEXT .exe" -env CATIA.V5R8.B08-direnv "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ApplicationData\DassaultSystemes\CATEnv." Add text, -object "C:\catiamodels\Customdefault.CATPart," after the environment definition and before the -direnv command. It now looks like this..."C:\ProgramFiles\DassaultSystemes\B08\intel_a\code\bi n\CNEXT.exe" -env CATIA.V5R8.B08-object "C:\catiamodels\Customdefault.CATPart" -direnv "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ApplicationData\DassaultSystemes\CATEnv." CATIA will launch with your own default model.

-- Submitted by Antti Aho-Mantila, CAx trainer, Patria Aerospace Structures, Finland