CATIA Frame
CATIA Frame
(OP)
Hi,
I'm so-so new to CATIA in the sense that I've went through tutorials in a book but never applied the software into a project.
I need to draw a spaceframe in CATIA. When I was using Solidworks, I drew lines for where the steel tubing would go and then use the Weldments feature to apply a tubing of a certain size for each line. Is there a similar feature in CATIA?
Thank you very much,
Horace
I'm so-so new to CATIA in the sense that I've went through tutorials in a book but never applied the software into a project.
I need to draw a spaceframe in CATIA. When I was using Solidworks, I drew lines for where the steel tubing would go and then use the Weldments feature to apply a tubing of a certain size for each line. Is there a similar feature in CATIA?
Thank you very much,
Horace





RE: CATIA Frame
Also, Catia Part files have no CutList generation capability. You can create a Bill of Material (and use that as a basis for the Cutlist) if done as an Assembly (although it'd probably be easier to manually type in the Cutlist values to a table in Catia).
As usual with Catia, I've read that there is a separate Add-On license for Weldments, but I've never used it.
RE: CATIA Frame
Don't understand how it works in SW, do you mean that you define the tubing dimension in a weldment feature? By the way welcome to the Catia world:) Keep in mind that Catia is process oriented and not feature oriented and everything will be fine... almost
This is how I would do it, I would create the space frame with "Structure Design" workbench (dedicated for beam creation) and then go to the "Weld Design" workbench to define the welds.
But depending what licenses you have there are other ways to do it, you can do it with the standard "Part Designer" and define the welds in 3d or drawing but what you will miss from the "Weld Design" workbench is the automatic edge trimming depending on weld type and adding the weld material as a solid feature. The "Structure Design" workbench is just a fancy beam create and trim set.
RE: CATIA Frame
Yes, that's exactly it
I can't find any good tutorials on the Structure Design workbench. I have both the Structure Design and Weld Design workbench.
Right now I have a wireframe model that was made using the "Wireframe and Surface Design" Workbench. I was able to import that into the Structure Design workbench. I am now stuck and have no idea how to make my lines into tubings.
Do you know of any good tutorials online?
RE: CATIA Frame
I can't speak for the Structure and Weld Design workbenches (I haven't used them) but you might want to start there.
RE: CATIA Frame
For Weldments, you Insert a new Weldment Feature and simply follow the dialog...select the Sketch Line(s), select the 2D-profile that should be "swept" along the Sketch Line(s), and Select a corner treatment (i.e. how the ends of the structural members are to be trimmed to adjacent members).
It has other automated tools to insert caps at the end of tubing and/or Gussets (without needing any sketch at all).
How the Cutlist works...Each member is a separate body (in the part file). You can assign properties to these members (Description, Material, etc...). Then in the 2D-Drawing, just select Insert/Cutlist Table, and you get a linked table (that includes item number, cut length, and quantity if desired).
RE: CATIA Frame
-Go to Structure Design
-Use the Shape feature
-Set type to support and pick a line or multi select the wireframe by holding ctrl
-In the Material tab choose wanted section.. say a Pipe
-ok
-If needed cut/merge parts (merge, cutback, cutout)
For this case I would not use the weld design workbench instead go direct to Assembly Designer and create weld notes or on the drawing
RE: CATIA Frame
Thanks for the tip, it helped a lot.
Would you know how I could create custom pipe sections?
Thanks again,
Horace
RE: CATIA Frame
RE: CATIA Frame
RE: CATIA Frame
I'm still having zero luck with getting custom profiles to work for my v5R19. I see that there are no more replies and am just hoping there might be some tips after this bump.
Regards,
Horace Lai
RE: CATIA Frame
There you will find what you are looking for, I would suggest that you go to the AISC folder there is DesignTablea folder, note the AISC_Pipes.txt, try to edit it. Not sure if you need to update anything, give it a try.
RE: CATIA Frame
I did notice that the profile sketches in the ModelsResolved folder match up with the profiles listed in the Shape tool menu, where as the design table for Pipes have more values in them than there is listed in the shape tool menu. So I've just tried editing the dimensions in one of the section profiles in that folder and still no luck. Adding more entries also yield no luck either, either to the AISC catalog or to the ModelsResolved folder or both.
RE: CATIA Frame
RE: CATIA Frame
If you would like to use just part design and assembly design workbenches, you can use this http://www.megaupload.com/?d=51EXLKQQ (I suppose you know something about assembly design so you can handle part in an assembly).
Regards
Fernando
RE: CATIA Frame
I don't think that's relevant with the structural design profile issue I'm having. Thanks for your time anyways.
About the issue: I found where it says I have to resolve the parts, but I don't know how to do it.
online/CATIAfr_C2/sr1ugCATIAfrs.htm
In the help files there it says I have to do a bunch of stuff in the command prompt and know the CATIA environment file name.
Does anyone know what the "environment file" is?
This is getting more complicated than I thought, and I haven't even gotten to the point where I put the model in beam elements and analyze it in CATIA. I'm seriously thinking about going back to Solidworks to do my iterations and analysis and then putting it all in Catia in the end.
Horace
Regards,
Horace Lai
Chalmers University of Technology
RE: CATIA Frame
Judging by your signature I guess that you are from Gothenburg, why not contact your local Dassault office? or wait until I get a chance to try it again:)
RE: CATIA Frame
-env some_name_here -direnv "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\DassaultSystemes\CATEnv"
some_name_here is the name of a .txt file that you'll find in that directory. It contains all paths to your Catia installation, where your settings files are located and paths to any additional plugins you've installed.
Without this environment file Catia wouldn't really know where to find anything it needs to function.
Hope this clears up things a little for you. Oh, and do what Azrael says: Contact your supplier. They should be able to help you out with documentation and guides.
-----------------------
Christian Bunes
http://www.plastal.com/
RE: CATIA Frame
I have called the local Dassault Systemes office in Gothenburg but they were not able to give me the answers. Only told me to check out the help files and the companion. I'll have to see if I can get access to the Catia companion.
Regards,
Horace Lai
Chalmers University of Technology