Getting Familiar with Catia v5

So where do we get started with Catia v5?

Well, the very first thing to do, obviously, is to get the software started.

At the top left corner, select Start > Mechanical Design > Part Design.

(Click to enlarge)

A New Part window will appear. Replace Part 1 with whatever you want to name your file. For now, let's name it Box and select the OK button.

On the left side of the screen, you will see the tree which will list
all the parts of your drawing. Select the xy plane and then
select the Sketch tool. This will bring up a screen filled with grids and this is called the Workbench.

Select the Rectangle tool which is located on the Profile toolbar on the right side of the screen. If you can't find it there, just click and hold the left button while dragging the toolbar onto the screen until the Profile toolbar appears.

Once you found the Profile toolbar, select the Rectangle tool and draw a rectangle with a length of 300 mm and height of 200 mm (One small box is equivalent to 10 mm). Then, select the Exit Workbench tool to return to the 3D view.

While selecting Sketch 1 on the tree, select the Pad tool. A Pad Definition window will appear and set the length to 100 mm. Click Preview to see the result. If you are satisfied with the result, click OK. Now you have created an oblong.

Select the top surface of the oblong and select the Sketch tool. Now select the Rectangle tool and draw another smaller rectangle within the surface.

Exit the workbench. While selecting the rectangle which you have just drawn, select the Pocket tool. A Pocket Definition window will appear. Set the depth to 90 mm and select OK. If you have followed the steps earlier, your box should be looking like in the picture below.


You have now created your first object using Catia v5.

Remember to save it just like how you save other files.

That's all for now. See you in my next tutorial. Till then, familiarize yourself with Catia v5 by playing around with it.