Getting started v5r12 2

Use the CATIA Companion and the help files to get a head start on V5

Probably one of the most important things to do is to get familiar with the concept of Catia V5.
Start with a part and sketcher understand all the elements that make them like difference between part bodies and open bodies.

Seems like once you start working with assemblies most people struggle with knowing what context they are working in.
Good rule of thumb is only move items within their parent product ie only when that parent is the active context.
Understanding these concepts will greatly help.

Fortunately you are starting with a very stable release version of V5.
You'll be able to avoid allot of the problems that people working on earlier releases encountered.

And like jackk said the help files will get you started with specific exercises.

If you know VB script there is a lot of automation you'll be able to do with Catia V5.

Thanks. I finally found the online Catia docs...they didn't load them local where Catia-> help would find them for some reason, but they are helping.

So far my only complaint is that he sketch seems to be too intuitive, ie thinking it knows what I want in regards to putting in geometric constraints, when in fact I want something else. I figure there is a way to explicitly tell it what I want, just need to find Catia's way.

Its a bit frustrating, knowing I how I could do things in UG, and stumbling in Catia

Hi all,

Gunman, what annoys you is called "Smartpick" (as you pointed out, a bit too smart sometimes )
You can disable some/all of its features in Options->Mechanical->Sketcher->Smartpick

Puck, you mentioned something about moving items within their parent product.

I regularly have some trouble when trying to "tidy-up" my assembly. When I realize I have too many parts directly hanging from a Product, I create a Component in that product and move the parts in it. Those parts get down one step in the hierarchy.

Well, I seems that Parts with links don't like it at all!

Should I avoid doing this kind of thing, or is there a way to fix things later?

Thanks.

I'm in this same situation. I use Catia V4 (UNIX) for my production work, but I took a college course in basic V5 and I have a V5R12 test license on my PC. We used Catia V5 Workbook by Richard Cozzens at school, but you can get the book for about $60.00 online. The college course cost me $1300 for 120 hours instruction, but I could have learned the same by going through the book. Cozzens has an Advanced V5 that I'm buying in June when R12 version is released. I just got Advanced Catia V5 study book from Badencorp ($85.00)also which is a great self study book. Badencorp has a basic and advanced book with sample CD for $160.00. Go through both books and you will have a great foundation to start.The more I use V5 the more excited I get about it.

Gunman:

I took an entry level V5 class with a bunch of UG guys, and the first thing the instructor said was "Please remember that you are no longer using UG". The UG users kept making the comment, "But in UG, this is how you do it". If you're going to learn V5 (succesfully), forget everything you know about UG.

Also, try this website:
Terry

Hi all,

Terry's experience just reminds me of a little Zen story always told by Bruce Lee (My Idol!!) when he teaches Jeet Kune Do ... nothing to do with CATIA !!!!!!!!!!!

Well, bear with me to read the story again in below:-

A learned man once went to a Zen teacher to inquire about Zen. As the Zen teacher explained, the learned man would frequently interrupt him with remarks like, "Oh, yes, we have that too...." and so on.

Finally the Zen teacher stopped talking and began to serve tea to the learned man. He poured the cup full, and then kept pouring until the cup overflowed.

"Enough!" the learned man once more interrupted. "No more can go into the cup!"

"Indeed, I see," answered the Zen teacher. "If you do not first empty the cup, how can you taste my cup of tea?"

Empty your cup, my friend !!

Cheers. Kennis Tang.

Haha...problem is, I can't empty the cup. I still need to use UG on a daily basis.

Hi,

i am new catia user. where can I download free catia documents

Just a tip about the smartpick:
Using the Shift and Control Key on your keyboard to either lock or disable smartpick constraints when drawing.
Can't remember which is which right now

-Bjod

Hi Gunman.
Bloody Hell you think V5 is difficult I have tried UG a couple of times in our company(main system is UG however I'm a Catia user) and the sketcher is just a nightmare it's so complicated that even our UG users not so experiencied though are struggling. In Catia I can configure the constraints through "options - smartpick" but in UG it seems impossible according to our unexperienced so called UG designers.
Other functions I miss in UG from CATIA is drafting from neutral surface(not plane) and the union trim where you can select the parts of the solid that you want to get rid of or keep(actually we had it already in v4).
Also I think UG is more advanced than v4 but missing some really basic solid functions and compared to v5 it's not even close if you can prove otherwise I would be happy because in my hometown UG is really strong and it could provide me some work once I decide to move back home.

sketcher in ug and ctaia are so similar to each other.
only... slide sketch is enough.modifying positioned sketch via geometrical and dimensional constraints between sketch and its environment is awfull.

In Sketch Tools, click the "geometrical constraints" and "dimensional constraints" buttons (so that they are blue, not orange). Now CATIA won't automatically add anything.

in catia 5.10 automatically adds geom. and dim. const while drawing and after drawing.in new ones i do not know.

dear configurator
agree