CATIA V5...Is it possible to symmetry a part WITH its construction wir

[MtBaker]

Is it possible to symmetry a part in V5 (solid AND construction elements...i.e. sketches, fillets, pockets)? It seems that the symmetry command and the mirror command both only symmetry the solid and not the construction elements (sketches, pockets, fillets, etc).

 

[tjs4689]

Mirroring a body or a list of features consists in duplicating these elements using a symmetry. You can select a face or a plane to define the mirror reference. Using a plane to mirror a body lets you obtain two independent portions of material in a same body.
Help us understand why you would use the mirror command in such away that you would want construction geometry. Changes to the original geometry result in changes to the mirror.

 

[MtBaker]

If I have a part (-2) that is an exact opposite of another part (-1) except for some minor features, I would want the option of changing the -1 without it affecting the -2. In this case I would need the -2 to be a stand alone solid with no links to the -1. If I can symmetry everything with out links, then I would save myself considerable time remodeling the opposite part.

 

[jackk]

MtBaker,

I've been looking for the mirror capability in V5 for several years, and I've come to the conclusion that it's best to just model each part separately.

I've been working with several plastic molded housings, and aluminum castings. The left and right handed parts are very similiar, but both contain minor differences. (ie: left housing has screw holes, and the right housing has screw bosses).

One alternative; is to add the symmetry at the bottom of the tree and just work with the reverse image of the part. I found this very difficult, especially when working with core parts that we boolean removed from the cavity shape.

Another alternative is to create a CATPart of the features that are the same on both parts. Then cut&paste with link the part into a left part and right part with one of the parts having the symmetry. Then add the unique features to the left and right parts.

Good luck! ....Jack