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Foundation Course
Wireframe and
Surfacing Overview
Compiled by: Kevin Burke Approved by: Authorised by:
Kevin Burke
Date: 16/Apr/2003 Date: Date:
AIRBUS UK Ltd. All rights reserved.
Contents
There are various Workbenches within Catia where you can create both wireframe
and Surface type elements. The majority can be found under the Shape and
Mechanical Design Functions.
For the purpose of this overview into Wireframe and Surfacing we will be using the
Generative Shape Design Workbench.
Geometry created using this and other surfacing workbenches is placed in an Open
Body node rather than a Partbody. An Open Body can contain both Wireframe and
Surface geometry but not Solids. As with Partbodies you can have multiple
Openbodies within a CATPart.
Currently
Active
Open Body
Sketches can be created in either a PartBody or an Open Body. You can move a
Sketch from an Open Body to a PartBody by selecting the Sketch node with MB1
and then using Cut and Paste from the Edit drop down menu or the MB3 contextual
menu to perform the move. You can also create copies of the Sketch by using Copy
and Paste.
As you create geometry it will automatically be attached to the currently active Open
Body which is identified by the node being underlined.
To add a new Open Body to the Specification Tree Select Open Body from the
Insert drop down menu when you are in one of the Surfacing Workbenches.
Advance
Surfaces
Wireframe
Operations
Extrude Surface
The first command that we will cover is Extrude Surface, which can be found on the
Surfaces Toolbar.
This command will allow you to Extrude a selected profile to form a single or
group of joined Surfaces.
After selecting the profile to be extruded, a direction element if desired and distance
for the limit you have to click OK to complete the command.
Resulting
Surface
Selected
Profile
An Extrude node is attached to the Specification in the currently active Open Body.
Offset Surface
This command allows you to create an Offset Surface from an existing
Surface, and can be found on the Surfaces Toolbar.
Select the icon followed by a Surface to offset from. An Offset Surface Definition
panel will appear with the following options: -
The Sub-Elements to Remove tab allows you to run analysis on the intended offset
containing more than one surface. Errors can be detected and Sub-Surfaces or
elements can be removed from the Offset.
In the following example an Extruded Surface is offset by 50mm. The resulting offset
Surface is dependent upon the Extrude, therefore, if you delete the Extruded Surface
then the offset will be deleted as well.
Offset
Reverse
Marker
Direction
Arrow
Resulting
Offset
Surface
Loft Surface
Allows you to create a Lofted Surface through a series of selected Profiles
similar to the Loft command in the Part Design Workbench.
Tangency then curvature maps the profiles together by their curvature discontinuity
points. As with tangency if there are not the same number of points in each curve then
this option will cause the Loft to fail.
Vertices maps the vertices of the profiles together. Again there must be the same
number vertices in each profile for the Loft command to succeed.
After you have selected at least two Profiles and the desired option
click OK to create the Loft. A Loft node is then added to the
Specification Tree in the currently active Open Body.
Profile 2
Guide
Profile 2
Profile 1
Guide
Profile 1
Fill Surface
Located on the Surfaces Toolbar this command you can create a Surface to fill
a gap between surfaces.
Projection
This allows you to Project Elements on to a Surface. This icon can be found on
the Wireframe Toolbar.
The Nearest solution checkbox if selected will limit the projection to the first
element found on the Support.
Finally the Projection type button allows you to specify whether the projection is
Normal to the Support or Along a Direction which you must specify by selecting a
Line or a Plane.
Split Surface
This icon is located on the Operations Toolbar and can be used to Split
Surface based features.
Splitting
Profile
Surface to
be Split
Resulting Split
as remove a
portion of the
Surface
Join Surface
The Join Surface command allows you to join Surface based features or
Curves together. When selecting Surfaces if the Join produces an enclosed
volume then it can be converted into a Solid feature within the Part Design
Workbench by using the Close Surface command. The icon for this command is
located on the Operations Toolbar.
Extrapolate Surface
With this command you can create an extension to an existing Surface. The
Extrapolate icon can be located on the Operations Toolbar.
After selecting the icon a Extrapolate Definition panel will appear with the following
options: -
The Assemble result checkbox if selected joins the extension to a copy of the original
Surface.
Selected
Boundary
Intersection
The final command covered in this session is the Intersection command
which is use to intersect two elements together to create an intersect element.
The icon for this command can be found on the Wireframe Toolbar.
The resulting
Intersect
element Two elements
to be
Intersected.
The Intersect
node