CATIA V5´s greatest improvement over V4 could probably said to be in creation
and handling of Parametric Solid bodies. Using functions like `Offset´ and `CloseSurface´,
surface entities may also be seemlessly integrated into Solid-Based Design work,
as our completed `button´ demonstration shows below.
WORKBENCHES TO BE USED: |
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Part Design (Solid Modelling) |
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Close - Stitch |
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Fillet |
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Shell |
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No Show |
To complete our button, we will need the trimmed surface entities that
were created in the previous demonstration. You may also swap between show/no
show to select the needed trimmed faces and leave any undesired parent
entities(i.e. shetches) hidden. As the side faces of our botton were extruded
from a planar rectangular profile, the bottom of our hollow `quilt´ should be
planar. Planar openings in collective face quilts can be filled, and the
resulting closed body automaticaly upgraded to a solid, using the `close
surface´ function.
1. Select the quilt entity and choose the `Close Surface´ function. Our
Solid should be now created problem-free.
2. Since our Button may not have any hard edges on the `visible side´, a
Fillet radius should be applied. Caution is advised when selecting the
desired radius measurement of our fillet. Some branches of design engineering
must obey certian NORM standards dictating the minimum radius of a fillet that
will come in contact with the end user (or the OEM customer may have a
corresponding in-house standard). We must also plan our model: our next and
final step will to refine our solid body to a thin-wall housing Shell,
so we want to provide a radius definition greater than the thickness of our
proceeding inward Shell thickness. NOTE: If the Shell is to be
outwards, this concern is then irrelevant. We will enter a Fillet radius of
2.5mm.
3. In the final step of this demonstration, we will `Shell´ our
button, that is, reduce or rounded block to a hollow, thin-wall part with an
open bottom.