A CATIA drawing, often referred to as a CATDrawing, is a digital document created within the CATIA software used to produce 2D engineering drawings. These drawings are typically generated from 3D CATIA parts or assemblies, providing detailed views, dimensions, annotations, and other information necessary for manufacturing and inspection.
Understanding the Structure of a CATDrawing
A CATDrawing document is not just a flat image. According to the reference, a CATDrawing contains a structure listing similar to a specification tree. This tree-like structure is crucial for managing the content within the drawing file.
Key Elements in the Structure Listing
- Sheets: A CATDrawing can contain multiple sheets, much like a multi-page paper drawing. Each sheet can hold different views or details.
- Views: These are the representations of the 3D model or other drawing elements. Views can be standard projections (front, top, side), isometric views, section views, detail views, etc.
This structure listing allows users to navigate and manage the various components of the drawing document efficiently.
Types of Views in CATIA Drawings
CATIA provides flexibility in how views are created, offering different levels of associativity with the original 3D model:
- Generative Views: CATIA enables you to create generative views that are associative with the 3D part.
- Associativity: This is a key feature. If the original 3D part is modified, the generative view in the CATDrawing will automatically update to reflect those changes. This saves significant time and reduces errors during the design iteration process.
- Creation: These views are typically generated directly from selecting faces, planes, or the entire 3D model.
- Drawn Views: CATIA enables you... to create drawn views which are not associative.
- Non-Associativity: Unlike generative views, drawn views do not automatically update if the 3D model changes. They are essentially static representations at the time of their creation.
- Creation: These views might be created manually using 2D sketching tools within the drawing environment, or they might be generated from the 3D model but then broken free from their link to allow for specific manual edits without affecting the 3D model.
Practical Applications of View Types
| View Type | Associative with 3D? | Best Used For | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generative | Yes | Standard projection views, sections, detail views needing updates from 3D | Showing the main front view of a part; Section through an assembly |
| Drawn | No | Adding schematic diagrams, manual details, legacy data, or specific non-parametric views | Sketching a wiring diagram; Adding a simplified symbol |
Using a combination of generative and drawn views allows engineers to create comprehensive drawings that are both efficient to update (generative) and flexible for specific graphical needs (drawn).
Purpose of a CATDrawing
The primary purpose of a CATDrawing is to communicate design intent for manufacturing, assembly, and inspection. It transforms the 3D design into a standardized 2D format that includes all necessary technical information, such as:
- Dimensions and Tolerances
- Geometric Tolerances (GD&T)
- Annotations (Notes, Symbols)
- Bill of Materials (BOM)
- Revision Tables
In essence, a CATDrawing is the blueprint derived from the 3D model, providing the essential details required to bring the digital design into the physical world.
