Importing AutoCAD Drawings into CATIA

 How to convert DXF drawings into CATIA CATPart sketches 

There's a little trick I use when I need to copy and paste DXF 2D drawing views from AutoCAD into a sketch for a CATPart file. First of all, if you attempt to simply copy and paste a drawing view directly into the part file you may get something that looks the image picture below- a jumbled mess of data, points, and lines. 

In order to fix this problem to import the drawing data completely, open the dxf file in CATIA. Next, save the drawing as an IG2 file (which is a 2D iges file). Now open the IG2 file and copy the main view into the CATPart. Or, another option is you can rename your IG2 2D file in Windows as .igs and then open that file and it will be imported in CATIA as a 3D part file. Sometimes you have to get creative and employ these little work-arounds to get the software to do exactly what you want it to do.

How to Insert Symbols in Excel

I've created a new "How To" video tutorial showing you how to insert symbols, like the degree sign, into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, using three different methods including the character map.

What is CATIA UUID?

One of the biggest CATIA mysteries for new users is what is UUID and what does it stand for? UUID stands for a Universal Unique IDentifier. Every CATPart and CATProduct contains a UUID. Basically, CATIA identifies files based on their file name and their UUID. Where problems occur are when two pieces of data have the same UUID. Compounding the problem, the UUID can’t be viewed or edited with any current CATIA function. There are cases when two files may have different names but share the same UUID.

Actions which will create new UUID include:

·        File + new

·        File + new from

·        File + save As - option save as new document

·        INSERT new Product

·        INSERT new part

·        Document Template Creation

Actions which will keep the same UUID for each include:

·        File + open

·        File + save management

·        File + save

·        File + SaveAs

·        Send to directory

·        File + CLOSE

·        File + save

·        File + save ALL

CATIA Error: Generic Naming Graph Treatment

CATIA V5 is full of many wonderful surprises in the form of weird error messages. One of my favorite is "Click OK to terminate: Yes or No" but it doesn't matter which option you choose, CATIA still crashes and closes unexpectedly. I recently had the pleasure of discovering a new problem that I had never encountered or even heard of before. I was in the process of updating a CATPart when an update error popped up displaying: "An error occurred in Generic Naming graph treatment." The update cycle was stopped and would not continue. The issue occurred every time I tried to update the part file. Better yet, I couldn't find any information about this particular error anywhere on the internet. Has anyone else experienced this problem or have any idea what the exact cause could be? I have to admit I'm at a bit of a loss here. Fortunately, I was able to eventually work around the issue but I would still like to know what the error means. 

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How do you simulate rolling in CATIA?

This is anupdate of an older post. I've created a brand new tutorial with step-by-step instructions detailing how to use CATIA V5's DMU kinematics workbench to simulate a rolling object.

First, in assembly design, create a new product and insert two new parts, one name Wheel and the other Ramp. 

I've explained this before but as a real quick overview, to create my ramp I used three sketches (overhead, side profile, and rotation about itself sketch) and combined them with laws. The wheel is a simple sketch and pad command. On my ramp I have two parallel curves 5mm apart. On my wheel I also have two parallel curves offset from each other 5mm. I added a point to one of the edges of the wheels so you can see it spin around in a circle when we simulate it. 

Add a Fix constraint to the ramp to ensure it does not move. It's absolutely vital that the curves on the wheel and the curves on the ramp are tangent to each other. Even a 0.001 gap and it will not work. Use coincidence restraints to pair them together if you have to. Also make sure your ramp is nice and smooth and much bigger than your wheel.

Now it's time to go into the DMU Kinematics workbench. Create a new mechanism and set the ramp as the fixed part. I can constrain all degrees of freedom using only two joints. The first joint is a roll curve joint between curve 1 on the wheel and curve 1 on the ramp. This is a length driven joint meaning you will input the rolling distance over time from the start point. The second joint is a slide curve joint between curve 2 on the wheel and curve 2 on the ramp.

Once you get the hang of it you can simulate more complex systems, like a full-scale roller coaster! 

CATIA KINEMATICS ROLLING TUTORIAL VIDEO: 

View my Introduction to CATIACATScript Macros Video Tutorial.

What People Think of Engineers

Got this from a friend, and thought you might find it amusing.

Solid Edge Synchronous and Ordered Modeling Video Tutorial

Ally PLM released their latest Lunch Byte video tutorial, this time covering the topics of synchronous and ordered modeling. These videos are meant to showcase some of the feature of Solid Edge that you may not be aware of. Watch the embedded tutorial below to learn about how synchronous modeling accelerates the design process allowing for fast and flexible edits.