Creating Design Tables in CATIA – Alternate Method

(The way that was shown in class)

1. Workbench Setup: Open the Sketcher Workbench and when part name dialog box opens, give it a name and deselect “Enable hybrid design” and select “Create a geometrical set”

It should look like this:

2. Relations Tab: Click on the following setup to make sure the Relations Tab will show up in the Design Tree when it needs to: Tools – Options – Infrastructure – Part Infrastructure – Display- then make sure “Relations” is checked

3. Part Body: Define the “Part Body” in the Design Tree as the “In Work Object” CATIA will auto default to “Geometrical Set.1” being the in work object

4. Part Creation: Draw your part, when you give dimensions, you can right click on them and “Rename Parameter” It looks like this:

5. Creating the Design Table

  • Click the Design Table Icon on the bottom of the Design Space
  • Make sure you select “Create a Design Table from current parameter values” and also that the Orientation is “Vertical”
  • Click OK
  • A new dialog box will open, scroll down and find the parameters you have named in Part 4 and insert them into the design table.
  • Click OK
  • A new dialog box will open with the values that you created in the part drawing
  • Click “Edit Table” in the bottom left hand corner of the dialog box
  • An Excel file will open. Auto-Expand the parameters so they are in a single column
  • Add a column so that the first column, column A, is “PartNumber”
  • Insert the values that you want in the Design Table
  • Save the Worksheet and Close it
  • A “Knowledge Report” dialog box will appear in CATIA, telling you that you have updated the Design Table
  • Click OK and then Click OK again to close the Design Table dialog box

6. Relations Tab: The “Relations” Tab should now have appeared in the Design Tree. This is where you will go to change between the dimensions you have created.

7. Save and Close: Save and close the Part, we are going to make a catalog.

8. Catalog Editor: Click the following: Start – Infrastructure – Catalog Editor

  • Make sure “Chapter.1” is highlighted on the left hand side
  • Add a Part Family, either through “Insert” or the icon on the right hand side
  • Give it a name
  • Click Select Document and then select you saved CATIA Part that you closed in Step 10
  • Save the Catalog
  • Go to the Assembly Design Workbench
  • Catalog Editor tab on the bottom of the Design Space
  • From here you can create your assemblies by combining different table features.