Catia V5 Mechanical Design Solutions 2

Generative Drafting
Version 5 Release 12
Generative
© Dassault Systèmes. 1994-2003 All rights reserved. Drafting
Preface
Using This Guide
Where to Find More Information
Conventions
What's New
Getting Started
Defining the Drawing Sheet
Opening a Part
Creating a Front View
Creating a Projection View
Creating a Section View
Creating a Detail View
Creating a Section Cut
Basic Tasks
Drawing Management
Creating a New Drawing
Opening a Drawing
Loading/Saving a Drawing (Resolved Link)
Loading/Saving a Drawing (Unresolved Link)
Updating Drawings Via the Batch Monitor
File Export and Import
DXF/DWG: Import
DXF/DWG: Export
DXF/DWG: Report File
DXF/DWG: Trouble Shooting
DXF/DWG: Best Practices
DXF/DWG: FAQ
DXF/DWG: VBScript Macros
CGM: Insertion
CGM: Export
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Generative Drafting
Sheets
Defining a Sheet
Modifying a Sheet
Creating a Frame and Title Block
Inserting an Image Into a Frame and Title Block
Managing a Background View
View Creation
Before You Begin
Creating an Advanced Front View
Creating an Unfolded View
Creating a View from 3D
Creating an Auxiliary View
Creating an Offset Section View / Cut
Creating a Section View / Cut (Planar Surface)
Creating an Aligned Section View / Cut
Creating a Section View / Cut with Profile Defined in 3D
Creating a Detail View / Detail View Profile
Creating a Quick Detail View / Quick Detail View Profile
Creating a Clipping View / Clipping View Profile
Creating an Isometric View
Creating an Exploded View
Creating a Broken View
Creating a Breakout View
Creating Views via the Wizard
View Modification
Before you begin
Moving a View
Positioning a View
Positioning a View Independently of its Reference View
Isolating Generated Views
Restoring Deleted Elements
Locking a View
Scaling a View
Renaming a View
Adding a Generative Bill of Material

Generative Drafting
Generating Balloons on a View

Showing Geometry in Views
Modifying a Callout Graphism
Modifying a Callout Geometry
Modifying Cut Elements in a Section View
Modifying a Pattern
Duplicating Generative Geometry
Generative View Styles
Creating a View using Generative View Styles
Switching a View to Another Generative View Style
Applying the Generative Style of a View to Another View
Applying a Generative View Style to a View
Dimension Generation
About Dimension Generation
Generating Dimensions in One Shot
Filtering Dimension Generation
Generating Dimensions Semi-Automatically
Analyzing Generated Dimensions
Positioning Dimensions (View per View)
Analyzing Interfering Dimensions
Driving 3D Constraints via Generated Dimensions
Dimension Manipulation
Before You Begin
Creating Dimensions
Creating Half-Dimensions
Creating Cumulated Dimensions
Creating Stacked Dimensions
Creating Explicit Dimensions
Creating/Modifying Angle Dimensions
Creating Chamfer Dimensions
Creating Associative Thread Dimensions
Creating/Modifying Coordinate Dimensions
Creating a Holes Dimensions Table
Creating a Points Coordinates Table
Creating/Modifying Radius Curvature Dimensions
Creating Overall Curve Dimensions
Creating Curvilinear Length Dimensions
Creating Dimensions along a Reference Direction

Generative Drafting
Creating Dimensions between Intersection Points

Creating Dimensions between an Element and a View Axis
Re-routing Dimensions
Modifying the Dimension Type
Interrupting Extension Lines
Modifying the Dimension Value Text Position
Modifying the Dimension Line Location
Specifying the Dimension Value Position
Adding Text Before/After the Dimension Value
Modifying the Dimensions Overrun/Blanking
Lining up Dimensions (Free Space)
Lining up Dimensions (Reference)
Creating a Datum Feature
Modifying a Datum Feature
Creating a Geometrical Tolerance
Modifying Geometrical Tolerances
Copying Geometrical Tolerances
Creating Driving Dimensions
Annotations
Before You Begin
Creating a Free Text
Creating an Associated Text
Making an Existing Annotation Associative
Creating a Text With a Leader
Adding a Leader to an Existing Annotation
Handling Annotation Leaders
Adding Frames or Sub-Frames
Replicating Text and Attribute
Copying Graphic Properties
Creating a Datum Target
Modifying a Datum Target
Creating a Balloon
Creating Associative Balloons on Generated Product Views
Modifying a Balloon
Creating a Roughness Symbol
Creating a Welding Symbol
Creating a Geometry Weld

Generative Drafting
Modifying Annotation Positioning

Creating/Modifying a Table
Finding and Replacing Text
Performing an Advanced Search
Querying Object Links
Dress-Up Elements
Creating Center Lines (No Reference)
Creating Center Lines (Reference)
Modifying Center Lines
Creating Threads (No Reference)
Creating Threads (Reference)
Creating Axis Lines
Creating Axis Lines and Center Lines
Creating an Area Fill
Creating Arrows
Properties
Editing View Properties
Editing 2D Geometry Feature Properties
Editing 2D Element Graphic Properties
Editing Pattern Properties
Editing Annotation Font Properties
Editing Text Properties
Editing Dimension Text Properties
Editing Dimension Value Properties
Editing Dimension Tolerance Properties
Editing Dimension Extension Line Properties
Editing Dimension Line Properties
Editing 2D Component Instance Properties
Images
Inserting Images (Raster or Vector)
Editing Raster Images
Interoperability
Creating and Modifying Views from a .Model
Printing a Document
Printing a Document Quickly
Printing a Document After Modifying Current Display Settings
Administration Tasks
Before you begin

Generative Drafting
Administering Generative View Styles and Standards

Setting Generative View Style Parameters
Before you begin
Generate Parameters
View Dress-Up parameters
Workbench Description
Command Board
Menu Bar
Toolbars
Drawing
Views
Generative View Style
Customizing for Drafting

General Settings
View and Sheet Layout Settings
View Generation Settings
Generation
Geometry Creation Settings
Dimension Creation
Manipulators Settings
Annotation and Dress-up Settings
Administration
Toolbars
Glossary
Index
Preface
Version 5 Generative Drafting is a new generation product that provides users with
powerful functionalities to generate drawings from 3D parts and assembly definitions.
This User's Guide is intended for users who need to generate such drawings. Users
will also learn how apply dimensions, annotations and dress-up elements to the
drawing.

Generative Drafting
Using This Guide

Conventions

Preface
Preface
Version 5 Generative Drafting is a new generation product that provides users with powerful
functionalities to generate drawings from 3D parts and assembly definitions.
This User's Guide is intended for users who need to generate such drawings. Users will also
learn how apply dimensions, annotations and dress-up elements to the drawing.
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Preface
Using This Guide

Conventions
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Using This Guide
Using This Guide

This User's Guide is intended for users who needs to become quickly familiar with the
Generative Drafting Version 5 product.
Before reading it, the user should be familiar with basic Version 5 concepts such as
document windows, standard and view toolbars.
To get the most out of this guide, we suggest you start reading and performing the step-by-
step tutorial Getting Started. This tutorial will show you how to define a drawing sheet and
create views from a 3D part.
Once you have finished, you should move on to the next sections where you will find
detailed explanations regarding the handling of drawing and sheets, view creation and
modification, dimension generation, etc. You can also take a look at the Workbench
Description section describing the Generative Drafting workbench.
To perform the scenarios, you will use sample documents contained in the C:\Program Files
\Dassault Systemes\Bxxdoc\English\online\cfysa\samples\Drafting folder (where xx in
Bxxdoc stands for the current release number). For more information on accessing sample
documents, refer to Accessing Sample Documents in the Infrastructure User's Guide.
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Prior to reading this book, we recommend that you read:
● Infrastructure User's Guide

● Sketcher User's Guide
● Part Design User's Guide
● the Conventions chapter
.
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Conventions
Conventions
Certain conventions are used in CATIA, ENOVIA & DELMIA documentation to help you
recognize and understand important concepts and specifications. The following text
conventions may be used:
The titles of CATIA documents appear in this manner throughout the text.
File -> New identifies the commands to be used.
The use of the mouse differs according to the type of action you need to perform.
Use this
mouse button, whenever you read
Select (menus, commands, geometry in graphics area, ...)

Click (icons, dialog box buttons, tabs, selection of a location in the
document window, ...)
Double-click
Shift-click
Ctrl-click
Check (check boxes)
Drag
Drag and drop (icons onto objects, objects onto objects)
Drag
Move
Right-click (to select contextual menu)
Graphic conventions are denoted as follows:

indicates the estimated time to accomplish a task.
indicates a target of a task.
indicates the prerequisites.
indicates the scenario of a task.
indicates tips
indicates a warning.
indicates information.
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Conventions
indicates basic concepts.
indicates methodological information.
indicates reference information.
indicates information regarding settings, customization, etc.
indicates the end of a task.
indicates functionalities that are new or enhanced with this Release.

Enhancements can also be identified by a blue-colored background in the left-
hand margin or on the text itself.
indicates functionalities that are P1-specific.
allows you to switch back the full-window viewing mode.
These icons in the table of contents correspond to the entries or mode.

"Site Map".
"Split View" mode.
"What's New".
"Preface".
"Getting Started".
"Basic Tasks".
"User Tasks" or the "Advanced Tasks".
"Workbench Description".
"Customizing".
"Reference".

Conventions
"Methodology".
"Glossary".
"Index".

What's New
What's New?
New Functionalities
Locating reference/resulting views
Two new contextual commands now let you navigate easily between reference/
resulting views in the case of section views, section cuts, auxiliary views or detail
views.
The Locate Reference View command reframes the drawing viewer on the reference (i.
e. parent) view of a section view, section cut, auxiliary view or detail view.
The Locate Resulting View command, available in the contextual menu of a callout,
reframes on the resulting (i.e. child) section view, section cut, auxiliary view or detail
view.
Aligned section view and section cut, offset section view and section cut
You can now generate aligned section views, aligned section cuts, offset section views
and offset section cuts as defined in the Functional Tolerancing and Annotation
workbench.
DXF import and export
New and enhanced functionalities are available regarding DXF import and export.
These functionalities are documented in the Data Exchange Interface User's Guide.
Enhanced Functionalities
View from 3D
Hidden geometry management

Extracted annotations attached to geometry that is not displayed in 2D views are now
highlighted.
2D ditto Note Object Attribute extraction
2D ditto Note Object Attributes are now generated in views from 3D.
3D properties inheritance of projected geometry

Using generative view styles, you can now apply 3D linetype, thickness & color to
projected geometry (wireframe, solid, 3D points).
Importing a newer version of a generative view style file
You can now import a newer version of a generative view style into a drawing. Doing
this will completely override the older version of the generative view style in all views
which use this generative view style. This functionality is particularly useful if you
created views in V5 R11 using the generative view styles provided by default with the
application, and want to benefit from the new styles parameters that were added in
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What's New
V5 R12.
Miscellaneous
Dimension generation on Part Design user-defined feature

You can now generate dimensions from Part Design user-defined features.
Thread ASME/ISO Fractional representation
A fractional dimension will now be generated for threads/taps defined in a 3D part
(Part Design) which use standards with fraction as a symbolic representation (e.g.
G1/8).
Customizing Settings
View generation in Approximate mode
You can now generate views in Approximate mode. This generation mode is
particularly well-adapted to large assemblies as memory consumption is dramatically
reduced and performances are improved.
View generation in raster mode
When generating views in raster mode, you can now add shading or shading with
edges, as well as use dynamic hidden line removal. You can also choose between
three pre-defined and a custom mode to set the level of detail that will be used to
visualize and to print the drawing.
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Getting Started
Getting Started
Before getting into the detailed instructions for using Generative Drafting, the following
tutorial aims at giving you a feel of what you can do with the product. It provides a step-by-
step scenario showing you how to use key functionalities. The main tasks covered in this
section are the following:

Opening a Part
Before you begin, make sure you customize the following settings:
Grid:
De-activate the Grid icon from the Tools toolbar (bottom right).
View names and scaling factors:

Go to Tools->Options (Mechanical Design -> Drafting option at the left of the
dialog box, Layout tab) and un-check the View name and Scaling factor options.
This step-by-step scenario introduces the basic capabilities of Generative Drafting.

You just need to follow the instructions as you progress along.
At the end of this getting started, you will be able to print the following sheet:
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Getting Started
Before discovering this scenario, you should be familiar with the basic commands
common to all workbenches. These are described in the Infrastructure User's Guide.


This task shows you how to define the drawing sheet to be used for creating the
views described in further tasks.
1. Click the New icon from the Standard toolbar or select File -> New... from
the menu bar.
2. Select Drawing from the List of Types and click OK.

3. From the New Drawing dialog box, select the
ISO standard, and the A0 ISO format.
In this particular case, and all along the guide,

we use the ISO standard.

You can add an unlimited number of customized standards using Standard files
that you will create and/or, if needed, modify. Once created, this standard will
appear in the New Drawing dialog box. For more details on standards, see the
Standards Administration section. Care that any user-defined standard is based
on one of the four international standards (ANSI, ISO, ASME or JIS) as far as
basic parameters are concerned.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Generative Drafting workbench, a grid is set by default. Throughout this
documentation, we decided not to display the grid. To do this, de-activate the
Grid icon from the Tools toolbar (bottom right).
The drawing sheet appears as shown here:
From now on, you will work on the created sheet unless you define a new sheet.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Opening a Part
Opening a Part
This task will show you how to open the part to be used in the Generative Drafting
workbench to create views. You may use either a 3D part or an assembly.
Before you begin and all along the current Getting Started chapter, make sure you
customize the following settings:
Grid:
De-activate the Grid icon from the Tools toolbar (bottom right).
1. Click the Open icon from the Standard toolbar or select File->Open... from
the menu bar.
The File Selection dialog box appears.

2. Select the part to be opened. In this example, the user selects the
GenDrafting_part.CATPart document.

Opening a Part
3. Click Open. The part is opened and will remain displayed in the window whatever
the views you will create from this part.

Opening a Part


This task will show you how to create a front view on the sheet previously defined and from the 3D part you
previously opened.
At this step, we strongly advise that you tile screen horizontally . For this, go to Window -> Tile Horizontally
options from the menu bar.
If you do not want to have the specification tree displayed, press the F3 key.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Front View icon from
the Views toolbar (Projections sub-toolbar).

2. Select the desired planar surface of the 3D part you opened, from
the 3D Part viewer.
Blue arrows and a green frame including a preview of the view to be created appear on the sheet.
These frame and arrows let you define the location and orientation of the view to be created. As long as you see
the green frame, you can define the frame position using the blue manipulators: top, bottom, left, right or rotated
according to a given snapping, or else according to an edited rotation angle.
3. Click on the drawing sheet or at the center of the blue manipulator

to generate the view.
The front view is created.
In the Generative Drafting workbench, the view name, scaling factor

and view frame are set by default. Throughout this documentation,
we decided not to display view names and scaling factors.

To do this, go to Tools->Options->Mechanical Design->Drafting option (Layout tab) and un-check the

View name and Scaling factor options.
By default, a number of elements can be visualized on generated views. If needed, go to Tools -> Options ->
Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> View tab and un-check the unwanted options.


This task will show you how to create projection views on the sheet.
1. Click the Drawing window and click the

Projection View icon from the Views
toolbar (Projections sub-toolbar).
A preview of the view to be created appears.

By default, the projection view is aligned to
the front view.
As you move the cursor, a preview of the view

to be created appears, as long as you keep
the cursor positioned at any possible
projection view location (at the left, right, top
or bottom of the red frame).
2. Define the projection view position, for

example the right view position, using the
cursor.

Note that the left view shown here was

created and therefore positioned according to
ISO standards and the First Angle Projection
method. For more information, refer to
Creating Views via the Wizard.
3. Click to generate the view.
4. Click the Projection View icon once again.
5. Use the cursor to define the projection view

position, for example the bottom view
position, and click to generate the view.
The views result as shown here.


This task will show you how to create a section view using the front view
previously generated.
This section view will make drawings more readable by replacing the hidden
elements of parts, including holes, with filled areas.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the

Offset Section View icon from the
Views toolbar (Sections sub-toolbar).
2. Select the holes and points required for sketching the callout on the view.
Selecting a circular edge, a linear edge, an axis line or a center line (for
example, a hole) amounts to making the callout associative by default to the 3D
feature. If you select a circle, the callout will go through the circle center. If you
select an edge, the callout will be parallel to the selected edge.

If you are not satisfied with the profile you create, you can, at any time, use the
Undo or Redo icons.
Note that SmartPick assists you when creating the profile.
The section plane appears at the second point you select and moves dynamically
on the 3D part as you create the callout on the drawing. This section plane will
automatically disappear as you will double-click to end the callout creation.

3. Double-click to end the cutting profile creation.

Positioning the view amounts to defining the section view direction. The callout
blue arrows direction is modified according to the cursor position. In other
words, this preview behaves as if it were either a left or a right projection view
you need to position.

Using the cursor, you can then position

the section view so that it is or not
aligned to the front view.
The patterns which are used to represent the section are defined in the
standards. For more information, refer to Pattern Definition in the Interactive
Drafting User's Guide.
You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring or motif) by right-
clicking the pattern and selecting Properties from the contextual menu. This
will display the Properties dialog box in which you may either select a new
pattern or modify some graphical attributes of the existing pattern. For more
information, refer to Modifying a Pattern.


This task will show you how to create a detail view from the front view you
previously generated.
Detail View icon from the Views
toolbar (Details sub-toolbar).
2. Click where you want to position the callout center.
3. Drag the cursor and then click to specify the callout radius.
A blue circle appears at the position of the cursor.
4. Move the previewed detail view to the

desired location.
5. Click inside the blue circle to position the

detail view at the desired location.

6. If you are not satisfied with the position

of the detail view, you can drag it to a
new position.

As shown above, the scale by default is twice that of the active view. You can
modify this scale.
7. To do this, right-click the detail view, select Properties from the contextual
menu and then the View tab, enter 4 as Scale and click OK.
For the purpose of this exercise, you will now add a dimension to the detail view.
8.
To do this, click the Dimensions icon
from the Dimensioning toolbar.
9. Click both required elements in the view as shown here.
The dimension is created:



This task will show you how to create a section cut from the detail view you just created.
Be careful: the scale of the section cut will depend on the scale of the view this section cut is generated from. In
this case, the section cut is generated from a detail view with a scale 4: The section cut scale will also be 4.
1. Right-click the detail view and select the Activate View option from the contextual menu.
2. Select the Drawing window, and click the Aligned Section Cut icon
from the Views toolbar (Sections sub-toolbar).
3. Select the holes and points required for sketching the cutting profile.
Selecting a circular edge, a linear edge, an axis line or a center line (for example, a hole) amounts to making the
cutting profile associative by default to the 3D feature. If you select a circle, the profile will go through the circle
center. If you select an edge, the profile will be parallel to the selected edge.
If you are not satisfied with the profile you create, you can, at any time, use the Undo or Redo icons.
Note that SmartPick assists you when creating the profile.
A preview with the view to be created appears. Positioning the section cut either to the right or to the left amounts
to defining the section cut direction (as if it were a projection view).

5. Click to generate the section cut.
Once you have clicked, you can modify the position of the section cut relatively to the detail view on the condition
by right-clicking the section cut and selecting View Positioning -> Position Independently of Reference View
from the contextual menu.
You can select an existing edge within the view and define automatically the direction of the cutting profile. You
can also select a reference plane in 3D or a 3D wireframe plane. For more information, please refer to Creating an
Offset Section Cut/Section View.
In this particular case, we will add a dimension to the detail view. For
this:
6. Add a diameter dimension to the section cut by clicking one edge only.
In this case, we applied a higher font size to the dimension value.
The patterns which are used to represent the section are defined in the standards. For more information, refer to
Pattern Definition in the Interactive Drafting User's Guide.

You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring or motif) by right-clicking the pattern and selecting
Properties from the contextual menu. This will display the Properties dialog box in which you may either select a
new pattern or modify some graphical attributes of the existing pattern. For more information, refer to Modifying a
Pattern.
Now the resulting sheet is as shown here. Note that in this case, we re-positioned the views.
You can now print this sheet. For this, select File -> Print from the menu bar. Make sure the print format of the
current sheet is the same as the print format of the printer.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

Basic Tasks
Basic Tasks
The Generative Drafting workbench provides a simple method to create and modify
views on a predefined sheet. You may also add, modify and/or delete dress-up and 2D
elements to these views. All this is performed on a sheet which may include a frame
and a title block and will eventually be printed.
Note that you may work on DXF imported files. These files will then be exported.
Before you begin, make sure you customize the following settings:
● Grid: de-activate the Grid icon from the Tools toolbar (bottom right).
● View names and scaling factors: go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design ->
Drafting at the left of the dialog box and click on the Layout tab. Un-check the
View name and Scaling factor options.
The Command (and Option) Board is provided as a useful help for easily knowing
about, and finding out, toolbar icons and properties.
Drawing Management
Sheets
View Creation
View Modification
Annotations
Dress-Up Elements
Properties
Images
Interoperability
Printing a Document
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Drawing Management
Drawing Management
The Generative Drafting workbench lets you manage CATDrawing documents.
Create a New Drawing

Create a CATDrawing document.
Open a Drawing
Open a CATDrawing document.
Load/Save a Drawing (Resolved Link)

Load and save a CATDrawing document from an existing CATPart document,
CATProduct document, sheet metal part or a .model V4/V5 document, when all the
links that exist between the referenced document and the CATDrawing document are
resolved as you choose to load the referenced document.
Load/Save a Drawing (Unresolved Link)

Load and save a CATDrawing document from an existing CATPart document,
CATProduct document, sheet metal part or a .model V4/V5 document, when all the
links that exist between the referenced document and the CATDrawing document are
unresolved as you choose not to load the referenced document.
Update Drawings via the Batch Monitor

Update a list of CATDrawing documents using the batch monitor.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

This task will show you how to create more or less automatically a new drawing with
pre-defined views generated from a part.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATPart document.
1. Select the Start -> Mechanical Design commands.
2. Select the Drafting workbench.
The New Drawing Creation dialog box appears with information on views that can
possibly be created, as well as information on the drawing standards.
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3. Select the views you want to be automatically created on your drawing from the
New Drawing Creation dialog box.
4. Click OK.
You can modify the drawing standards. For this, click the Modify button.
Be careful: the New Drawing Creation dialog box only displays on the condition you
previously opened a CATPart document.

These are the resulting views generated as you start creating the CATDrawing, from
the opened CATPart.
BE CAREFUL: if the color of the part is white and the Inherit 3D colors option checked,
the generated views will result white and therefore not necessarily properly visualized.
The resulting view position will depend on the CATPart you loaded before starting the
Drafting workbench. In other words, the views will be positioned according to:
● a plane you possibly selected in the part.
● a planar surface you possibly selected in the part.
● xy coordinates, in case you did not open a CATPart beforehand. In this case, you
will only be able to define the drawing standards via the New Drawing dialog box.

[ Up ] [ Next ]

Opening a Drawing
Opening a Drawing
This task will show you how to open a CATDrawing document.
For more details on opening documents, refer to the Infrastructure User's Guide.
1. Click the Open icon from the Standards toolbar, or select File -> Open.
2. Select the document to be opened. In this case, open GenDrafting_part.

CATDrawing.
The GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document opens as shown below:

Opening a Drawing


This task will show you how to load and save a CATDrawing document from an existing CATPart document.
Use the same methodology to save a CATProduct, a sheet metal Part or a .model V4/V5 document.
In this particular case, all the links that exist between the CATPart document and the CATDrawing
document will be resolved as you will choose to load the referenced document.
You can now modify your CATPart choosing not to update the related CATDrawing document. It is now
possible to customize the settings.
Go to Tools -> Options -> General, click on the General tab, and make sure the Load referenced
documents option (default option) is actually checked. Then, click OK.
1. Open the GenDrafting_part_links.CATDrawing document.
Make sure the specification tree actually appears as shown above. In other words, make sure the symbols
are not broken which would means that links between the CATPart and the projection views are
unresolved.

2. Select the Edit->Links command.

The Links dialog box appears with the existing links between the CATDrawing and its related CATPart. In
our example, this corresponds to links applied to the front, top and right views which are found and loaded
(currently displayed in our session).
3. Click OK.


This task will show you how to load and save a CATDrawing document from an existing CATPart document.
Use the same methodology to load a CATProduct, a sheet metal Part or a .model V4/V5 document.
In this particular case, all the links that exist between the CATDrawing document and the CATPart will be
unresolved as you will choose not to load the referenced document.
You can now modify your CATPart choosing not to update the related CATDrawing document.
Go to Tools->Options-> General, click on the General tab, and uncheck the Load referenced
documents option (option set by default). Click OK and re-start the software.
1. Open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document.
If the CATPart does not exist at all, the following message will appear simultaneously: "The following links
could not be found or contain wrong information".

Make sure the specification tree actually appears as shown here. In other words, the specification tree
shows that the links between the CATPart and the projection views are not resolved.
2. Select the Edit->Links command.

The Links dialog box appears with the existing links between the CATDrawing and its related CATPart. In
this example, this corresponds to links applied to the front, rear, top, bottom, left, right and isometric
views. These links are not found (although currently displayed in our session).
This means the following commands are no longer available: Projection View, Dressup and Dimension.
Still, you can modify the graphic properties of the elements.
3. Select the line corresponding to the link to be solved.

4. If needed, click the button from the Links dialog box.

You can now solve the links in the current session.
What you can also do is change the source in order to re-define the link and assign it to an equivalent part.
5. Press OK.
For more details:

● At any time, you can select one feature and open or change the source (CATPart) corresponding to this
feature. For more details, see Infrastructure User's Guide.
● The Search Order capability allows you to solve links. For more details, see Infrastructure User's Guide.


This task will show you how to update a list of CATDrawing documents. To do this, you will use the
batch monitor.
The batch monitor lets you create as many batch configurations as required, and follow the
progress of an update. Updating drawings via the batch monitor will be particularly helpful if you
need to update a great number of drawings (but do not need to visualize them while doing so), or
drawings which require large CPU resources.
For more details on using the batch monitor, refer to Using the Batch Monitor in the Infrastructure
User's Guide.
1. Run the CATUTIL command, using one of the methods described in the Infrastructure User's
Guide. For example, from a V5 session, choose Tools -> Utility. The batch monitor appears,
listing available batches.
At this point, you either need to define the batch parameters that will be used to launch drawing
update (this is the case if this is the first time you are using the batch monitor for drawing update),
or you can run the batch directly (this is the case if you already defined all the necessary data).
Defining the batch parameters

Defining the update batch parameters consists in selecting the files to update, optionally specifying
the files for which you want to force the update, and indicating the directory where the updated
files should be saved.
2. From the list of available batches, double-click UpdateBatch (you can also right-click
UpdateBatch and select New parameters file). The UpdateBatch dialog box is displayed.

3. Click the Choose Files button to select the files that you want to update by batch. A selection
dialog box is displayed.
4. Browse to the directory (on your computer or on your network) which contains the files that you
want to include, select these files, and click Open. The selected files are now listed in the
UpdateBatch dialog box.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 if you want to include files from another directory.
You can remove files from the list of the files to update. To do so, select the unwanted file and click
the Remove Files button.
6. By default, the files which do not need to be updated will not be. However, you can decide to
force the update for certain files, or for all of them. To do this, double-click on No in the Force
Update colum for each file for which you want to force the update. The value is now set to Yes,
which means the update will be forced.
7. Click the [...] button next to the Target field to select the directory in which you want the
updated files to be saved. A dialog box is displayed.
8. Browse to the directory in which you want to save the updated files, select it and click OK. Your
update batch parameters are now defined.
Each time you run the update batch, updated files present in this target directory will be
overwritten by the newly updated files.

9. Click the Save button to specify where you want to save your batch parameters. A dialog box is
displayed.
10. Browse to the directory in which you want to save the batch parameters file, specify a file
name in the appropriate field, and click Save. Your parameters are saved in an xml file.
11. You can now either click Run to run the batch immediately or click Cancel to close the
UpdateBatch dialog box and run the batch later. For the purpose of this scenario, click Cancel.
You can now exit the batch monitor. To play the scenario below, however, you will need to re-open
the batch monitor.
Running the batch

Once you have defined batch parameters in an xml file, you can run the batch.
2. From the list of available batches, right-click UpdateBatch and select Associate a parameters
file.

A selection dialog box is displayed.
3. Browse to the directory in which you previously saved the xml batch parameters file, select this
file, and click Open to validate.
4. Access the Start tab which now displays the name and location of the file you just associated to
the batch.
5. Right-click the batch and select Run. The batch execution starts.
6. During or after the batch execution, you can get more information on the process in the
Processes tab: the batch name, the batch identification number, the status (in progress or ended)
as well as the start and end time.
When the batch execution is over, you can exit the batch monitor.
[ Back ] [ Up ]


The Generative Drafting workbench lets you export and import different types of files.
Note that these tasks, which deal with data exchange, are actually documented in the
Data Exchange Interfaces User's Guide.
DXF/DWG: Import
Import or insert the 2D geometric data contained in a DXF or DWG file into a
CATDrawing document.
DXF/DWG: Export
Export the data contained in a CATDrawing document into a DXF file.
DXF/DWG: Report File

Learn more about the report file.
DXF/DWG: Trouble Shooting

Learn how to troubleshoot DXF/DWG import and export.
DXF/DWG: Best Practices

Learn best practices for DXF/DWG import and export.
DXF/DWG: FAQ
Get answers to Frequently Asked Questions about DXF/DWG import and export.
DXF/DWG: VBScript Macros

Learn about DXF/DWG import and export macros.
CGM: Insertion
Insert a CGM file into a CATDrawing document.
CGM: Export
Export the data contained in a CATDrawing document into a CGM file.
DXF/DWG: FAQ
DXF/DWG: FAQ
Import
● Question: How are Real dimensions dealt with?
● Answer: The semantic import option manages all kind of dimensions except:
❍ ordinate dimensions,
❍ rotated dimensions with a fixed angles other than horizontal or vertical.
● Question: There is some inconsistency between graphic and semantic import:

● Answer:There may be an inconsistency between the results of dimensions imported with the semantic preserving option and with the graphic
preserving option. This is generally due to an inconsistency in the DXF/DWG file itself (the aspect is different in AutoCAD14 and
AutoCAD2000). This happens with files that have not been generated with AutoCAD. Usually, the graphic mode should be used, but only the
author of the file can confirm it.
● Question: The R of a radius dimension is a conglomerate of a P with a small \:

● Answer:The DXF model is probably the result of a graphic export. In this case, texts are no real texts but geometry.
● Question: There is a problem of alignment of DIMtext to DIMline:

● Answer:This occurs while opening a DXF file created with ANSI standard using an ISO standard (or vice-versa).
● Since V5R8-SP2, the current Standard of creation of a New Drawing is taken into account when opening a DXF file with semantic
dimensions. So it is possible to by-pass this problem.
● Since V5R9, texts of dimensions without overloaded text and without tolerance are imported directly as DIMtext instead of texts
with positional link, avoiding thus the problem of positioning.
By-pass:
1. Create a New Drawing (menu File/New...). A dialod box appears to choose the standard. If the proposed standard is the one you required,
cancel the command: the current standard is already set to the proper value.
2. Otherwise, if you require another standard, select it and click OK. A new drawing is created with this standard. Close this Drawing: the new
current standard is memorized.
3. Then open a DXF/DWG file: the current standard will be taken into account.
● Question: Hatches: The result of import is a geometry instead of a filled area:

● Answer:The original DXF/DWG file does not contain real hatches but geometry (or old R12 hatches, i.e. blocks). Real hatches are mapped
automatically.
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DXF/DWG: FAQ
● Question: Fonts: Problems with è, é, à ... characters:

● Answer:
❍ Use the settings to map AutoCAD and the fonts you use.
● True Type fonts on NT provide the same fonts in your system and AutoCAD.
● Question: Fonts:Texts are larger than their frame:

● Answer: a scale factor is available in the font mapping.
● Question: The entities visible are not those expected:

● Answer:
● All DXF/DWG invisible layers are gathered in a CATIA V5 filter named Invisible Imported Layers.
● All DXF/DWG visible layers are gathered in a CATIA V5 filter named Visible Imported Layers.
If the expected entities are not visible, activate the Visible Imported Layers filter, or if too many entities are visible, activate the
Invisible Imported Layers filter.
Export
None
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CGM: Insertion
Inserting a CGM file into a CATDrawing

This task will show you how to insert a cgm file into a CATDrawing document.
Open your session. Open your CATDrawing document
1. Select the Tools-> Import External Format item.
The Import dialog box is displayed:
2. Select the .cgm extension from the field called Files of type.
3. Click the CGM file of your choice.

4. Click Open.
If you use the command File -> Open (you must select the .cgm extension from the
field called Files of type), you only browse the CGM files.
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CGM: Insertion
[ Up ] [ Next ]
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Sheets
Sheets
The Generative Drafting workbench provides a simple method for managing a sheet.
A sheet contains:
● a main view: a view which supports the geometry directly created in the sheet
● a background view: a view dedicated to frames and title blocks
● interactive or generated views
Define a Drafting Sheet

Define the sheet using commands and dialog boxes.
Modify a Drafting Sheet

Modify the sheet orientation using the Page Setup dialog box.
Create a Frame Title Block

Create a background sheet and insert a frame and a title block into it using the
Frame and Title Block dialog box.
Insert an Image into a Frame Title Block

Insert a .gif image into a title block.
Manage a Background View

Add to a sheet the background view (title block plus elements) from another
drawing.
Defining a Sheet
Defining a Sheet
This task will show you how to define the sheet for a new CATDrawing document and,
if needed, add more sheets.
Before you begin, de-activate the Grid icon from the Tools toolbar (bottom right).
1. Click the New icon from the Standard toolbar or select File -> New... from
the menu bar.
2. Select the Drawing workbench, and click OK.
3. From the New Drawing dialog box, select the ISO

standard, and the A0 ISO format.
4. Select the Landscape orientation.
5. Select the 1:1 scale, and then click OK.

Defining a Sheet
● The sheet scale is a scaling factor which applies to all views in a given sheet. It
does not determine the position of the views (or any other object) contained in the
sheet.
When the grid is displayed, the position of the view in the sheet is not determined
by the grid, which only deals with what is drawn directly in the sheet. To see the
real position of a given view in a sheet, you need to use the ruler. It is the only
way to see the real coordinates in a sheet referential.
● The sheet size depends on the standard type. For example, if you choose the ISO
standard, the sheet will automatically be assigned the A0 format. You can choose
another format if you want.
● At any time, you can change the standard (which you can update), sheet format,
orientation and/or scale. To do this, select File->Page Setup from the menu bar.
If you select a new standard, the value in the Apply on field becomes
All sheets and the new standard is applied to all drawing sheets
annotations.

Defining a Sheet
Adding a new sheet

You can add new sheets at any time. These new sheets will be assigned the same
standard, format and orientation as the sheet first created and defined using the New
Drawing dialog (default setting). Even though you then delete sheet1, the sheets
newly created will keep the same name. In other words, even if sheet1 has been
deleted, sheet2 will remain named sheet2.
1. Click the New Sheet icon from the Drawing toolbar.
The new sheet automatically appears as follows:

Defining a Sheet
● If you do not want to have the specification tree displayed, press the F3 key.
● Once you have created more than one sheet, you can activate one of the sheets by
selecting it from the dialog window or from the specification tree.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Modifying a Sheet
Modifying a Sheet
This task will show you how to modify the standard, format, orientation and/or scale
of a sheet. Doing this amounts to modifying the options you selected in the New
Drawing dialog box when defining the sheet.
Before you begin, de-activate the Grid icon from the Tools toolbar (bottom right).
Create a sheet using the ISO standard, the A0 ISO format, and the Landscape
orientation in the New Drawing dialog box.
1. Select File -> Page Setup from the menu bar.
2. From the Page Setup dialog box, select the

ANSI standard, and the A ANSI format.
You can update the current standards by clicking

the Update button. This copies the most recent
version of the standard file in the drawing, thus
reflecting the latest changes an administrator may
have performed in the standard file.
3. Select the Portrait orientation, and then click

OK.
Note that at this step, you can also insert a background view into the sheet you are
currently modifying. If you click the Insert Background View... button, the Insert
Elements into a Sheet dialog box appears.

Modifying a Sheet
The Page Setup dialog box also let you modify the sheet format and set it to the
printer format. For more information, refer to Printing a Document.


This task shows you how to create a background sheet and insert a frame and a title
block into it.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document. De-activate the Grid icon

from the Tools toolbar (bottom right).
1. Select Edit -> Background from the menu bar.
2. Click the Frame Creation icon from the Drawing toolbar.
OR
2. Select the Insert -> Drawing -> Frame and Title Block items from the menu
bar.
The Insert Frame and Title Block dialog box is displayed:

3. Enter the desired options from the Insert Frame and Title Block dialog box.
The frame and title block result as shown below:
When the Frame Creation icon is activated you cannot edit the views. Use Edit -
> Working Views when you need to work on views.

If you want the frame and title block to appear in the newly created sheets when
adding sheets, go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting ->
Layout tab. Check the Copy background view option and the First sheet option.
This will insert the frame and title block from the sheet you previously created on the
current drawing.

Inserting an Image Into a Frame and Title

Block
This task will show you how to insert a .gif image into a frame and title block.
Open the GenDrafting_part_titleblock_insert.CATDrawing document. Make sure you

are in the background view (go to Edit -> Background from the menu bar).
1. Select the Insert->Object items from the menu bar.
2. The Insert Object dialog box appears.
You can either create a new object or re-use an existing file.
3. Activate the Create from File option from the Insert Object dialog box.
4. Select the required .gif image from the Insert Object dialog box.
5. If needed, modify the position of the newly inserted object by dragging it with the
cursor.
Remember that you can modify the position as long as you remain in the background
view.

This is what you get:
To create front views, go to Edit->Working views menu bar before clicking the Front
View icon.
If you want the frame and title block to appear in the newly created sheets when
adding sheets, go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting ->
Layout tab. Check the Copy background view option and the First sheet option.
This will insert the frame and title block from the sheet you previously created on the
current drawing.
If you have a viewer installed with the gif type associated to the viewer, you will not
visualize the inserted image properly (an icon appears instead). If so, click on the
displayed icon to get the image.


This task will show you how to add to a sheet the background view (title block
plus elements) from the sheet of another drawing.
Before you begin, de-activate the Grid icon from the Tools toolbar (bottom
right).
1. Select the Tools -> Options command to display the Options dialog box.
2. Click Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Layout tab, and check the Copy
background view and Other drawing options.
● If you un-check Copy background view, only the sheet properties will be
copied from one sheet to another.
● If you check the First sheet and the Copy background view options, the
background view of the first sheet will become the reference.
● If you check the Other drawing and the Copy background view options,
the background view of the sheet you will select later will become the
reference.
3. Click OK in the Options dialog box.

4. Click the New Sheet icon from the Drawing toolbar.
The Insert Elements into a Sheet dialog box appears.

5.
Click the Browse button in the Insert Elements into a Sheet dialog box. The
File Selection dialog box appears.
6. Browse to select the drawing which you will use the background view from.
In this particular case, select the GenDrafting_part_frame_titleblock.
CatDrawing document.
7. Activate the Show Preview option in order to preview the selected CATDrawing
document.

8. Click Open in the File Selection dialog box.
The preview of the frame and title block of the selected CATDrawing is now
displayed in the Insert Elements into a Sheet dialog box.

At any time you can decide that you do not want the preview to appear.
For this, de-activate the Preview On or Off button .
9. Click the Insert button.

The title block now appears on a new sheet named Sheet 2.

Each time you need to insert a new sheet with a given frame and title block, go
to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Layout tab, and
check the Copy background view option and the Other drawing option.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

View Creation
View Creation
The Generative Drafting workbench provides a simple method to create views on a
predefined sheet.
In this chapter, most of the tasks illustrate how to create views from parts. These
views can also be created from assemblies (exploded or not). We voluntarily decided
to illustrate these views only created from assemblies whenever specific points needed
to be mentioned.
Before you Begin

You should be familiar with important concepts.
Create a front view

Use a reference plane on the 3D part to create a front view. If needed, use the
manipulator to assign the right position to the view.
Create an advanced front view

Create advanced front views to configure such elements as the view name, view
scale, etc. Whenever possible, a pertinent projection plane is automatically
offered.
Create projection views

Use the green frame to automatically generate the projection views as desired.
Create an unfolded view

Create an unfolded view from a Sheet Metal part.
Create a view from 3D

Generate a view and the associated annotations from the 3D.
Create an auxiliary view

Define a plane that will be used to generate the auxiliary view.
Create an offset section view

Use a cutting profile to define and position the offset section view.

View Creation
Create an offset section cut

Use a cutting profile to define and position the offset section cut.
Create a section view (Planar Surface)

Create a section cut (Planar Surface)

Create an aligned section view

Use a cutting profile to define and position the aligned section view.
Create an aligned section cut

Use a cutting profile to define and position the aligned section cut.
Create a section view with profile defined in 3D

Create a section view using a 3D profile as cutting plane.
Create a section cut with profile defined in 3D

Create a section cut using a 3D profile as cutting plane.
Create a detail view

Use a callout to create a detail view via a boolean operator from the 3D.
Create a detail view profile

Use a polygon to create a detail view via a boolean operator from the 3D.
Create a quick detail view

Use a callout to create a detail view by computing the view directly from 2D
projection.
Create a quick detail view profile

Use a polygon to create a detail view by computing the view directly from 2D
projection.
Create a clipping view

Create a clipping view with a circle as callout.

View Creation
Create a clipping view profile

Create a clipping view with a sketched profile as callout.
Create an isometric view

Create an isometric view using a 3D part.
Generate an exploded view

Create an isometric view, and then, projected views from an assembly
previously exploded via Digital Mock-up workbench (DMU Navigator).
Create a broken view

Create a broken view from an active and up to date generative view using two
profiles corresponding to the part to be broken from the view extremities.
Create a breakout view

Remove locally material from a left generated view, in order to visualize the
remaining visible internal part.
Create views via the wizard

Create views using a wizard by defining options in the Pre-Defined
Configurations dialog box.

Automatically create front, bottom and right views using a wizard.

Automatically create front, left and top views using a wizard.

Automatically create all the views using a wizard.

Before You Begin
Before You Begin

Before you start creating views, this section provides you with information on the
following topics:
● What is the active view?
● Defining the design mode
● Defining the view orientation
● Callout representation
● Generated geometry/dress-up settings
● Generated geometry/dress-up properties
● Constraints
● 2D/3D associativity
● 3D elements generated in views
What is the Active View?

The active view is the view from which other views will be generated. This is also the
view in which all the modifications will be performed. For instance, all the 2D geometry
and dress-up elements that will be added to the draft views to be created.
Open the GenDrafting_part.
The active view is framed in red.

Non-active views are framed in blue.
When you create a view, until you

click at the desired view location, the
view to be created is framed in
green. If you click this view, it
becomes the active view and is
framed in red.

Before You Begin
Note that the active view is also

underlined in the tree structure.
To activate a view:
1. Double-click the frame of the view.
OR
1. Right-click the view that you want

to activate.
The contextual menu appears.
2. Select Activate View from the

displayed contextual menu.
Axes are taken into account on active

views. As a result, the frame of an
active view will adapt to the elements
included in this view.
Defining the Design Mode

In the Product Structure workbench, you can specify that you work either in
Visualization mode (Edit -> Representation -> Visualization Mode) or in Design
mode (Edit -> Representation -> Design Mode). Accordingly, in the Drafting
workbench, the generated views will be either selectable and modifiable or not.

Before You Begin
Defining the View Orientation

You can redefine the reference plane orientation of a view to be created using the
available blue arrows. This is the case when generating a front view, an isometric view
or when generating views using the wizard.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATPart document and start creating a front view.
1. Start creating the view.
2. Click the right or left arrow to

visualize the right or left side,
respectively.
3. Click the bottom arrow to visualize

the bottom side.
4. Click the counterclockwise arrow to

rotate the reference plane.

Before You Begin
5. Drag the green knob to redefine

the rotating angle.
The default increment value is 30
degrees.
6. You can modify the increment value using the green knob contextual menu. To do
this, right-click on the knob and select the desired option from the contextual menu.
● Free hand rotation: Rotation is not snapped to a given increment but totally free.
● Incremental hand rotation: This is the default value: the rotation is snapped to a
given increment (from 30 to 30 degrees, between zero and 300).
● Set increment...: The Increment Setting dialog box is displayed. Enter the
Increment value you need. For example 5 deg (5 degrees).

Before You Begin
● Set current angle to: If you select

the Set angle value... option, the
Angle Setting dialog box appears.
Enter the current angle

(deg) you need. For
example, 30.
Callout Representation
You can choose the callout elements size not to be dependent on the view scale. You
have two ways of doing this:
● After callout creation, right-click on the callout, select Properties in the contextual
menu and check Size not dependant on view scale in the callout:

Before You Begin
or
● Before callout creation, in Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -
> Layout tab, check the Size not dependant on view scale option:

Before You Begin
Generated Geometry/Dress Up Settings

You can generate a number of geometry or dress-up elements, depending on the
options you select in Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> View
tab.
For example, if you want the colors of a part to be automatically generated onto the
views, check the Inherit 3D colors option.
If the color of the part is white and the Inherit 3D colors option checked, the
generated views will be white and you may not be able to visualize them properly.
● Note that threads are generated on the condition they are defined on 3D holes.
● To project sketches, you need to select the Project 3D wireframe option. However,
note that a sketch cannot be projected if it is currently being edited in the Sketcher
workbench. To project sketches, you need to exit the Sketcher workbench before
launching the view creation.
Generated Geometry/Dress-Up Properties

Some geometry and dress-up is possibly generated (provided you check the desired
options from the Properties dialog box. To display it, choose Properties from the
contextual menu and select the View tab):
The graphical properties of generated geometry are kept after you update views. This
is also true if you delete one or more elements.

Before You Begin
Constraints
Constraints detected when views are generated from the 3D do not appear on the
drawing.
2D/3D Associativity
... On Views
A generative view results from specifications in a 3D document. This specification

corresponds either to the whole document or to a feature in the document. This
feature can be:
1. a .model document
2. a part document (the whole document or still one or more bodies)
3. a product document (the whole document or still one or more assemblies)
Any modification applied to the specifications, before the generated view(s) is/are
updated, is detected. You can perform an update. You can update all views or a
selection of views:
● The Update icon is active in the Update toolbar when a sheet (or drawing)
contains views that need to be updated (this can be all views in the sheet or some
of them only). You can update all views in the active sheet by clicking this icon.
● An update symbol appears in the specification tree for the views that need to be
updated. You can update a selection of views by selecting and right-clicking the view
(s) you want to update and choosing Update Selection from the
contextual menu. Only the items you select are updated. Update symbols remain in

Before You Begin
the specification tree for the items that have not been updated, so you always know
which items are up-to-date and which are not.
● Update symbols also appear in the specification tree to indicate drawings and
sheets containing views that need to be updated. You can update all views in a
given sheet (or in a selection of sheets), by selecting and right-clicking the sheet(s)
and then choosing Update Selection. You can also use the same method for a
drawing: this will update all sheets (and therefore all views) in the drawing.
● During an update process, a dialog box is displayed to show the progress of the
update.
When the update involves several views, a Cancel button is available in this dialog
box. This allows you to interrupt the update. The view that is being processed at the
time you click this button will be updated (i.e. the update of the current view will
finish), and then the update will stop. The subsequent views will not be updated.
... And View Positioning
Generative views are positioned according to the center of gravity of the 3D part. If
you modify a 3D part in such a way that the center of gravity of the part changes,
then, when updating the view, the position of the view will be re-computed according
to the new center of gravity of the part and will be modified accordingly.
... After Updating
Use the following commands to update views:
● Click the Update icon to update all views in a sheet.

● Select and right-click the views you want to update and choose Update Selection
from the contextual menu to update a selection of views.
● Type C:Force Update to update the drawing in accordance with the

3D. Be careful when doing this, as you may loose manual modifications applied to
the drawing.
Updating views means:
1. re-computing associative section/auxiliary view profiles.

2. re-generating the geometry.
3. re-computing any annotation/dimension/dress up element linked to the
generated geometry.

Before You Begin
4. taking into account deleted views (one or more) or views that are graphically
modified on the condition the view is up-to-date when you delete or modify it.
● Note that you can restore deleted elements at any time by selecting the Restore
Deleted option from the contextual menu and then updating the view. You can
either use the Update icon if you modified the 3D part, or key in C:Force Update if
you did not modify the 3D part.
● If you delete a generated item and subsequently perform an update, all items that
have the same 3D origin as the deleted item will not be generated. Likewise, if you
transfer a generated item to No Show and subsequently perform an update, all
items that have the same 3D origin as the item in No Show will be transferred to No
Show.
... On Generated Dimensions
Generated dimensions are associative with the 3D part constraints on the condition
you checked the Generation dimensions when updating the sheet option from the
Options dialog box (Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting ->
Generation tab).
Note that these dimensions will be re-generated in accordance with the other options
checked/un-checked in the Options dialog box.

Before You Begin
... On Color
When you refresh a generated view you have modified, the colors are re-generated
with the part geometrical information and you might obtain unexpected results.
As an example, if a user creates this part:
and modify one of the following generated view elements, in this example the line "a"
color :
then when refreshing the generated view, lines a and b will be red:

Before You Begin
The reason is that the view is refreshed with the part information and a and b lines are
considered as the intersection of two planes and not as two different elements of the
generative view.
...On Show / No Show
When a Part Body is swapped to visible or invisible space, the corresponding

generated views are updateable (Update function button activated).
3D Elements Generated in Views

3D elements are handled differently depending on their type and on the type of view
you are generating.
Section cuts, section views, and breakout views
All CATPart elements, as well as Exact Solid and Skin elements from .model
documents are supported in exact mode.
Projections, quick detail views, clipping views and broken views
Exact mode
● All CATPart elements are supported.
● Exact Solid and Skin elements from .model documents are supported.
CGR and raster mode

● All CATPart elements except wireframe and 3D points are supported.
● All elements from .model documents are supported.

Before You Begin
● External MultiCAD components are supported.
[ Up ] [ Next ]


This task will show you how to create a front view either from a part or from the sub-
part of a product. You will use a reference plane. You will also learn how to create a
front view with local axis system, and how to create a front view from specific sub-
bodies/sub-products.
A front view is a projection view obtained by drawing perpendiculars from all points
on the edges of the part to the plane of projection. The plane of projection upon
which the front view is projected is called the frontal plane.
Creating a front view

Open the GenDrafting_part.CATPart document. Define a new drawing sheet.
1. Click the Front View icon from the Views toolbar.
2. Select one plane of the 3D part or a plane surface, to define the reference plane.
Blue arrows appear.
If you select a plane surface, the reference orientation will be the external normal of
the planar surface.

To define the reference plane, you can also select:

● Two edges: these edges correspond to both axes defining the reference plane
according to which the front view will be generated. The first edge determines the
horizontal axis.
● A point and an edge, or three points: you will thus define a plane.
In other words, you will select, in the geometry, one of the followings:
● a plane
● a point and then an edge
● an edge and then a point
● two edges
● two points and then an edge
● three points
Note that you can redefine the projection plane using the arrows at any time before
the view generation.
3. Click inside the sheet to generate the view.
Right-click the frame of the view, select the Properties option from the contextual
menu, Generation tab and check the required options in the Properties dialog
box. By default, the axis and center lines are generated. You can also view hidden
lines, threads, fillets, project 3D points, etc.
You can insert Bill of Material information into the active view.

In a Product Structure context, if you create a front view from a scene of a product,
you can directly select the Scene object in the specification tree. You do not
necessarily need to select the Product and sub-products any more.
Creating a front view with a local axis system

This functionality allows you to take into account a local axis system when creating a
view. That way, the origin of the generated view is the projection of the origin of the
local axis system selected in the view plane.
Open the Axisprojection.CATPart document. Define a new drawing sheet.
1. Select the drawing to activate it and click the Front View icon from the Views
toolbar.

2. In the Part tree, select the local axis system.

4. Click in the drawing to end the view creation. The part local axis system appears
in the view.

When creating views with a local axis system, only the origin of the axis system is
taken into account and respected in the generated view. The orientation is not taken
into account.
Create a front view from specific sub-bodies/sub-

products
You can multi-select specific sub-products in a product and/or several sub-bodies in
a part to create front views displaying the selected elements only. These multi-
selected 3D elements will be previewed and then used as reference planes for
generating several front views.
Open the Product_Balloon.CATProduct document. Double-click Scene1 at the down
left of the screen.
2. Select one body or press the Ctrl key and then multi-select the desired elements
in the specification tree.


3. In the 3D, point to the geometry to choose a projection plane. As you go over the
geometry with the cursor, the oriented preview automatically appears on the 3D
document.

Be careful: once you multi-select bodies or sub-products, and go further into the
procedure, you cannot select or de-select any more bodies or sub-products.
● As you highlight a 3D element (going over it with the cursor), you can preview
and then select the plane corresponding to this highlighted element.
● As you highlight and select one or more elements defining the final plane, you can
preview and assign a given orientation to this final plane.
● Once you defined the plane, you can preview the front view within the 3D
document.
Note that once an element is selected, this element becomes gray colored.
In addition, you can only work in one 3D document. If you try selecting another
document, you automatically leave the Front View command.

4. When the oriented preview corresponds to the projection plane you want, click on
the plane to validate.
The front view is previewed. At this point, you can still modify its orientation:
5. Click on the drawing to generate the view.

Creating a front view using selection sets

You can also use selection sets to select the sub-bodies and/or sub-products from
which you want to generate the front view.
Selection sets let you gain in productivity, particularly in the case of large
assemblies, when generating several views with numerous common features: you
can select and store these features once and reuse the selection set as often as
necessary without having to select the features again.
Open the Product_Balloon.CATProduct document.

1. Before you start creating views from selection sets, you first need to create one or
more selection sets for this product. For more information, refer to Storing
Selections Using Selection in the Infrastructure User's Guide. For example, create a
selection set to store the product screws.
3. Activate the CATProduct document and select Edit -> Selection Sets...
4. In the Selection Sets Selection dialog box that is displayed, select a selection set
and click the Select button. The selection set items are highlighted in the 3D and in
the specification tree.
For more information, refer to Selecting Selection Sets in the Infrastructure User's
Guide.
Once you have selected a selection set, you can use the Ctrl key to select additional
sub-bodies or sub-products.
5. In the 3D, point to the geometry to choose a projection plane. As you go over the
geometry with the cursor, the oriented preview automatically appears on the 3D
document.

6. When the oriented preview corresponds to the projection plane you want, click on
the plane to validate.
The front view is previewed. At this point, you can still modify its orientation:
7. Click on the drawing to generate the view.

● You can also use selection sets when creating isometric views and advanced front
views.
● Views created from selection sets are not associative with the selection sets
themselves: if you modify a selection set after having created a view from it, you
have to create the view over again in order for your modifications to be taken into
account.

This task will show you how to create an advanced front view. Creating advanced
front views lets you configure such elements as the view name, view scale, etc.
Whenever possible, a pertinent projection plane is automatically offered.
For more information on front views in general, refer to Creating Front Views.
Open the Pinmounting.CATPart document. Define a new drawing sheet. Activate the
drawing by selecting the drawing window.
1. Click the Advanced Front View icon. A dialog box appears:

2. Name the view in the associated field:
3. Modify the scale value in 1:2
4. Click OK to validate your settings.
Blue arrows appear, you can still choose a plane and an orientation before view
generation.

The DMU Space Analysis workbench lets you create section boxes in 3D. When
generating advanced views from the DMU Space Analysis workbench, you can select
this section box to generate a view displaying only the box content. For more
information on section boxes, refer to Creating Section Boxes in the DMU Space
Analysis User's Guide.
You can use selection sets to generate isometric views displaying a selection of
elements only. Selection sets let you select the sub-bodies and/or sub-products from
which the view will be generated. Refer to Creating a front view using selection sets
for more information.


This task will show you how to create projection views on the sheet, relatively to the
front view previously generated.
Projection views are views conceived to be drawn or projected onto planes known as
planes of projection. A transparent plane or pane of glass representing a plane of
projection is located parallel to the front surfaces of the part.
Open the GenDrafting_front_view.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Drawing window, and double-click the Projection View icon from the
Views toolbar (Projections sub-toolbar).
As you move the cursor, a previewed projection view in a green frame appears on the
sheet.
2. Define the projection view position by positioning the cursor at the desired view
location, for example the right view position.
3. Click inside the green frame to generate the view.

Note that the left view above was created and therefore positioned according to the
first projection method. Projection methods are described in Creating Views via the
Wizard.
4. Define the bottom view position.
6. Click on the Projection view icon to end the projection view creation.



This task shows how to create an unfolded view from a Sheet Metal part. In other
words, you will extract drawings from the Sheet Metal workbench (refer to Sheet
Metal Design User's Guide).
An unfolded view is a projected view that is created from a Sheet Metal part in order
to include in a section certain angled elements. As a result, the cutting plane may be
bent so as to pass through those features.
The Unfolded View command is active in the Generative Drafting workbench with
version 5 Sheet Metal Design license.
Open the GenDrafting_sheet_metal.CATPart document.
Tile the windows horizontally to see both your drawing sheet and your Sheet Metal
part at the same time.
1. From the Drafting workbench, click the Unfolded View icon from the Views
2. Select a surface on the part. This will automatically use the sheet metal reference
wall plane.
If you prefer to specify which plane should be used, select the plane in the Sheet
Metal specification tree.
3. Click on the sheet.

The unfolded view is displayed. It shows the axis lines resulting from bend axes, as
well as bend limits. These axis lines and bend limits are represented as dashed lines.
With Sheet Metal parts containing holes, the hole axes (center line) are also
represented on the view.
The unfolded view looks like this:

4. Select one of the axis lines. Manipulators appear, allowing you to modify this line.


This task shows how to generate views and the associated annotations from the 3D (Functional Tolerancing and
Annotation workbench).
A view from 3D is extracted from a 3D part, product or process that is assigned 3D tolerance specifications and
annotations. The master document is the 3D part, product or process, which means that everything is handled at
the 3D level: view definition (projection view, section view, section cut), annotation content and graphism. For
this reason, it is recommended to perform modifications directly in 3D.
You can generate the following types of view from 3D:

● projection views, section views, section cuts
● aligned section views, aligned section cuts, offset section views, offset section cuts
Creating projection views, section views, section cuts

Open the 3DViews.CATPart document. Tile the screen horizontally by selecting Window -> Tile Horizontally
from the menu bar.
In addition, make sure that the parent standard used in the CATDrawing document and in the CATPart
(annotations) is the same. Otherwise, both the view and the annotations may not be generated. In our scenario,
the parent standard used in the 3DViews.CATPart document is ISO. Therefore, the parent standard used in the
CATDrawing document should be ISO.
1. Click the View From 3D icon from the Views toolbar
(Projections sub-toolbar).
2. Select a view from the 3D, either in the specification tree or on the part. In this case, select Projected
View.1 in the specification tree.

The view to be created is previewed (included annotations) on the sheet. You cannot modify the view
orientation, but you can modify the view position by dragging it using the right mouse button.
3. Click on the sheet to create the new view.
You can notice that one of the extracted annotations (datum B) bears a red cross mark, which
indicates that the leader cannot be extracted linked to the geometry. This is because the 3D
annotation leader is linked to 3D geometry which is not visible in the 2D view (i.e. hidden geometry).
Such a red cross mark will be used for any annotation or dimension with a leader linked to hidden
geometry (i.e. 3D geometry which is not visible in a 2D view). You can either change the properties
of the view from 3D (Edit -> Properties) to display hidden lines, or transfer the marked annotations
to a 3D view where the associated geometry will be visible when extracted.
4. Repeat the first two steps, this time selecting Projection View.2 as the view to be created.

5. Once again, repeat the first two steps, this time selecting Section Cut View.1. The preview is displayed on
the sheet.
6. On the sheet, click Projection View.2 to specify that the callout for the section cut should be positioned in
that view. Note that it works the same for section views.
7. Click on the sheet to create the view.

Creating aligned section views/section cuts and offset section views/

section cuts
Open the 3DViews_AlignedSectionView.CATPart document. Tile the screen horizontally by selecting Window ->
Tile Horizontally from the menu bar. Make sure that the parent standard used in the CATDrawing document and
in the CATPart (annotations) is the same.
1. Click the View From 3D icon from the Views toolbar
(Projections sub-toolbar).
2. Select the aligned section view from the 3D, either in the specification tree or on the part. In this case,
select Projected View.1 in the specification tree.
The view to be created is previewed (included annotations) on the sheet. You cannot modify the view
orientation, but you can modify the view position by dragging it using the right mouse button.
3. Click on the sheet to create the new view.

More About Views from 3D

● Only the elements visualized in the 3D (i.e. in Show mode) at the time of extraction are extracted in the view
from 3D. In other words, any element hidden in the 3D will not appear in the view. If you then show this
element in the 3D part, it will be displayed in the view from 3D after you update it.
● You can move or modify annotations in views from 3D. However, if the part is modified and you subsequently
update the view, any modification applied to the annotations in the drawing will be lost. We advise you perform
modifications on the 3D part directly.
● Extracted annotations are not associative to the geometry.
● 2D annotations can be added to views from 3D.
● Views from 3D cannot be rotated. In other words, when you edit the properties of this view (Edit ->
Properties), the Angle field is grayed out and cannot be edited.
● In views from 3D, the horizontal axis of the view is parallel to the horizontal axis of the sheet.
● You can create views from 3D from a part (Functional Tolerancing and Annotation workbench), a product
(Product Functional Tolerancing and Annotation workbench) or a process (Process Tolerancing and Annotation
workbench). It is currently impossible to extract views from part, product and process at once. However, you
can superpose views as a bypass (using the View Positioning -> Superpose contextual command).
● Views from 3D are not associative to the geometry of the 3D view. So, if you modify the geometry of a 3D
view, the definition of the corresponding 2D view will not be modified at the next update, even if the 3D view is
associative to the geometry.
● The Note Object Attribute (NOA) from a ditto (2D component) is now extracted in views from 3D. However, if a
frame is defined in 3D, this frame is not displayed in the 2D view. To work around this, do not use the 3D
annotation frame when defining the NOA reference; instead, have your administrator define the frame as part
of the 2D component geometry.


This task will show you how to create an auxiliary view.
Many objects are of such shape that their principal faces cannot always be
assumed parallel to the regular planes of projection. Creating an auxiliary view
allows showing the true shapes by assuming a direction of sight perpendicular to
planes that are perpendicular of the curves. This auxiliary view, together with the
top view, completely describes the object.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document. Make sure the right view is

active (double-click to activate it).
1. Click the Auxiliary View icon from the

Views toolbar (Projections sub-toolbar).
2. Sketch the representation of the plane. In

this case, click an edge on the right view.
You could also click a point and then an edge.
Both the 3D surface and the sketched plane

are associative.
The selected edge becomes a line that you

can position where desired using the cursor.
This line/callout will be automatically used as
the plane.

3. Click to position the callout. .
The reference plane is automatically

positioned according to the selected edge.
Positioning the auxiliary view callout amounts

to defining the auxiliary view direction.
4. Click to position the auxiliary view.
Before clicking, as you move the

cursor within a zone perpendicular
to the plane, a preview of the
auxiliary view to be created
simultaneously appears. This view
will be automatically positioned
accordingly. This is also true when
creating a section view or a section
cut.
You can also move the cursor

outside the zone perpendicular to
the plane and position the view
where you want.
Note that the callout can be

inverted or graphically modified.

● You can move the view freely after it has been created, providing you position
it independently of its reference view. For this:
1. Right-click the frame of the view you want to move.
2. Select the View Positioning -> Position

Independently of Reference View from the displayed
contextual menu.
3. Drag the view to the desired location.
● You can choose the auxiliary view axis orientation. For this go to Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Layout and check the
Auxiliary and/or section views orientation according to profile option.


This task will show you how to create an offset section view/cut using a cutting profile as cutting plane.
In sectioning through irregular objects, it is often desirable to show several features that do not lie in a
straight line by offsetting or bending the cutting plane.
Open the GenDrafting_section_view02.CATDrawing and GenDrafting_section_view.CATDrawing

documents.
Make sure the front view is active (use double-clicking).
Delete the text assigned to the front view (right-click on the text and select Delete option from the
contextual menu).
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Offset Section View icon or the Offset Section Cut icon
from the Views toolbar (Sections sub-toolbar).
2. Select the elements required for sketching the cutting profile: points, edges (linear or circular), center
lines, axes.
If you are not satisfied with the profile you create, you can, at any time, use Undo or Redo
icons. Note that SmartPick assists you when creating this profile.
The section plane appears on the 3D part and moves dynamically on the part.
Offset section view
Positioning the section view using the cursor amounts to defining the section view direction. The cutting
profile is hole associative.

4. Click to define the section view direction and to position the view on the sheet.
The view name and scale appear on the generated view as you checked the View name and Scaling
factor options in the Options dialog box.
Even when the view is generated, you can edit and modify the section profile. For this double-click this
profile and either invert or replace it.

Offset Section Cut
Positioning the section cut using the cursor

amounts to defining the section cut direction.
The cutting profile is hole associative.
For the purpose of this scenario, select a circular

edge and double-click when you are satisfied
with the position of the rotating profile that
automatically appears on the 3D view.

4. Click to define the section cut direction and to

position the view on the sheet.
The view name and scale appear on the generated view as you checked the View name and Scaling
factor options in the Options dialog box.
● The frame of the active view adapts to the length of the cutting profile.
● You can insert Bill of Material information into the active view.
● You can assign a line type to the view to be generated. For this, go to Tools -> Options ->
Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> View tab, click the Configure button next to View Linetype
and select the desired option from the dialog box.
Pattern
The patterns which are used to represent the section are defined in the standards. For more
information, refer to Pattern Definition in the Interactive Drafting User's Guide.
You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring or motif) by right-clicking the pattern and
selecting Properties from the contextual menu. This will display the Properties dialog box in which
you may either select a new pattern or modify some graphical attributes of the existing pattern. For
more information, refer to Modifying a Pattern.
Patterns will not be applied to offset sections which are tangent to 3D faces.
Apply uncut specification
In an assembly, you can define that given parts will or will not be sectioned when generated into section
views or breakout views.
In the Assembly Design workbench, select one part, then the Edit -> Properties command from the
menu bar from and either activate or de-activate the Not cut in section views options.
In the Drafting workbench, modify the view properties (Edit-> Properties or Tools->Options) to
define that the resulting views will or will not be sectioned.



This task will show you how to create a section view / section cut using a planar
surface or a wireframe plane in the 3D.
A section view / section cut is a view that allows sectioning through irregular objects,
and thereby allows showing several features that do not lie in a straight line by
offsetting or bending the cutting plane.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATPart and the GenDrafting_front_view.CATDrawing

documents.
Make sure the front view is active on the drawing (double-click to activate it).
Tile your windows vertically to see both your part and the related drawing.
Offset Section View icon or the Offset
Section Cut icon from the Views toolbar

(Sections sub-toolbar).
2. Select a planar surface on the 3D part. This

planar surface need to be perpendicular to the
projection plane of the active view.
The section plane appears on the 3D part and
moves dynamically on the part.
The cutting profile is automatically displayed on
the front view as well as a preview of the view to
be generated.

● The patterns which are used to represent the section are defined in the standards.
For more information, refer to Pattern Definition in the Interactive Drafting User's
Guide.
● You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring or motif) by right-clicking
the pattern and selecting Properties from the contextual menu. This will display
the Properties dialog box in which you may either select a new pattern or modify
some graphical attributes of the existing pattern. For more information, refer to
Modifying a Pattern.


This task will show you how to create an aligned section view and/or aligned section
cut using a cutting profile as cutting plane.
An aligned section view / cut is a view created from a cutting profile defined from non
parallel planes. In order to include in a section certain angled elements, the cutting
plane may be bent so as to pass through those features. The plane and feature are
then imagined to be revolved into the original plane.
Open the GenDrafting_aligned_view02.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Aligned

Section Cut .
If desired, you can also click the Aligned Section
View icon from the Views toolbar (Sections sub-

toolbar).
2. Select the elements required for sketching the cutting profile: points, edges (linear
or circular), center lines, the axis.
If you are not satisfied with the profile you create, you can, at any time, use Undo
or Redo icons. Note that SmartPick assists you when creating this profile.

The section plane also appears on the 3D part and moves dynamically on the part.
Positioning the section view amounts to defining the section cut direction. The cutting
profile is hole associative.

The patterns which are used to represent the section are defined in the standards. For
more information, refer to Pattern Definition in the Interactive Drafting User's Guide.
You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring or motif) by right-clicking the
pattern and selecting Properties from the contextual menu. This will display the
Properties dialog box in which you may either select a new pattern or modify some
graphical attributes of the existing pattern. For more information, refer to Modifying a
Pattern.
Patterns will not be applied to aligned sections which are tangent to 3D faces.

Creating a Section View / Cut with Profile

Defined in 3D
In this task, you will learn how to create a section view or a section cut using a 3D
profile as cutting plane.
Section views / section cuts are usually created using a cutting profile as the cutting
plane; such a profile is typically driven using concentricity or parallelism constraints.
Defining a profile in 3D to create a section view / section cut enables you to make the
profile associative with the geometry, and therefore to drive this profile using
dimensional constraints, for example.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATPart and the GenDrafting_front_view.CATDrawing

documents.
Tile your windows vertically to see both your part and the related drawing.
1. In the Part window, click the Sketcher icon and select the xy plane as the
reference plane. You are now in the Sketcher workbench.
2. Click the Profile icon and

sketch the profile you will use as
cutting plane. For the purpose of this
exercise, make sure you sketch your
profile using orthogonal lines.

3. You can now create dimensional

constraints between your profile and
other elements. Click the Constraint
icon .
4. Now, click a vertical line and the

edge of the part to create a
dimensional constraint between them.
5. Exit the Sketcher workbench.
6. In the Drawing window, click the Update icon to update the view.
7. Click the Offset Section View icon from the Views toolbar (Sections sub-
toolbar).
Depending on the type of profile you sketched and on the type of section (offset or
aligned) you want, you can select another icon on the Sections sub-toolbar. If the 3D
profile is not valid for generating the appropriate view, you will not be able to select
it. In this case, you will need to select another icon.

8. Select the profile on the 3D part.
The cutting profile is automatically

displayed on the front view as well as
a preview of the view to be
generated. Positioning the section
view amounts to defining the section
view or the section cut direction.
● You can modify the section view / section cut by editing the 3D profile. After doing
so, don't forget to update the drawing.
● When editing a 3D profile, make sure that you modify it in accordance with the
type of section (offset or aligned) you created: if an edited profile is invalid when
you update a drawing, the associated section view / section cut will not be
displayed (an error symbol will appear instead).
● If you delete the 3D profile and then update the drawing, the section view /
section cut will not be deleted. The profile will no longer be associated with the
geometry. You can subsequently edit the profile directly in the drawing by double-
clicking it.

● The patterns which are used to represent the section are defined in the standards.
For more information, refer to Pattern Definition in the Interactive Drafting User's
Guide.
● You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring or motif) by right-clicking
the pattern and selecting Properties from the contextual menu. This will display
the Properties dialog box in which you may either select a new pattern or modify
some graphical attributes of the existing pattern. For more information, refer to
Modifying a Pattern.
● Patterns will not be applied to aligned sections which are tangent to 3D faces.


This task will show you how to create from the 3D a detail view using either a circle
as callout or a sketched profile. Note that the procedure varies slightly depending on
the method you choose.
A detail view is a partial generated view that shows only what is necessary in the
clear description of the object. Note that the Detail view command uses a Boolean
operator from the 3D whereas the Quick Detail view command computes the view
directly from the 2D projection. The representation is therefore different.
Open the GenDrafting_isometric_view.CATDrawing document.
To create a detail view (this is the method

illustrated here):
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Detail

View icon from the Views toolbar (Details sub-
toolbar).
2. Click the callout center.
3. Drag to select the callout radius and click a

point to terminate the selection.
OR
To create a detail view using a sketched profile:
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Detail View Profile icon from the
Views toolbar (Details sub-toolbar).
2. Create the points required for sketching a polygon used as profile.
3. Double click to end the cutting profile creation.

● SmartPick assist you when sketching the profile.

● You do not necessarily need to close the profile: the profile will automatically be
closed.
The dress-up elements generated from the 3D are identified and represented in the
generated detail view whereas it is not when generating quick detail views.
4. Click to generate the detail view.
The default scale is 2 (twice the scale of the active view). You can modify this scale.
5. Right-click the detail view and select the Properties option from the contextual
menu, View tab. Enter the desired Parameters Scale, for example 3 and then click
OK in this Properties dialog box.

● You can also modify the detail view boundary (Properties dialog box).
● You can assign a line type to the view to be generated. For this, go to Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> View tab, click the Configure
button next to View Linetype and select the desired option from the dialog box.
● In the isometric view, you can move the detail text ("A" in this example) after
detail view creation.
● If you create a detail view from a section view and subsequently modify the
cutting profile in the section view, in such a way that the detail view is no longer
accurate, the detail view cannot be updated so as to take into account the
changes in the cutting profile.

Creating a Quick Detail View / Quick Detail

View Profile
This task will show you how to quickly create a detail view using either a circle as
callout or a sketched profile. In this particular case, we create a quick detail view
using a sketched profile as we create this detail view from an oblong part. Note that
for creating a detail view using a circle, the dialog is exactly the same.
A detail view is a partial generated view that shows only what is necessary in the
clear description of the object. Note that, the Quick Detail view command computes
the view directly from the 2D projection whereas the Detail view command uses a
Boolean operator from the 3D. The representation is therefore different.
Open the GenDrafting_isometric_view.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Drawing window and click the

Quick Detail View Profile icon from the
Views toolbar (Details sub-toolbar).
If you create a detail view using a

sketched profile, you will click the Quick
Detail View icon .

2. Select the points required for sketching a polygon.
3. Double click to end the cutting profile creation.
Note that you do not necessarily need to close the profile. If so, the profile will
automatically be closed.

4. Click to generate the quick detail view.
Unlike a detail view , the boundary is

entirely closed. You can modify this detail
view boundary (Properties dialog box).

● The default scale is 2 (twice the scale of the active view). You can modify this
scale. For this, right-click the detail view and select the Properties option from
the contextual menu, View tab. Enter the desired Parameters Scale and then
click OK in this Properties dialog box.

Creating a Clipping View and/or a Clipping

View Profile
This task will show you how to create a clipping view using a circle as callout. You
can also use a roughly sketched profile.
A clipping view is a partial view that shows only what is necessary in the clear
description of the object. This operation is applied directly onto the active view.
Open the GenDrafting_clipping_view.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Clipping

View icon from the Views toolbar (Clippings
sub-toolbar).
If you create a clipping view using a sketched

profile, you will select the Clipping View Profile
icon .
2. Select the center of the circle, or select the required points for sketching a polygon
if you are creating a clipping view using a sketched profile.

3. To end the clipping profile creation, release the mouse in the case of a circle, or
double-click in the case of a polygon.
The clipping view and the associated profile result as shown here:

Note that the generated dimensions that are not in the clipping view and the
annotations that are not linked to the generated clipping view anymore are
automatically turned into the NoShow mode.
4. Click the Swap visible space icon from the View toolbar.
You can now visualize the dimensions and annotations that do not appear on the
clipping view anymore and, if needed, make them appear again on the clipping view.
You can select the Unclip option from the contextual menu. However, selecting this
option will not make the dimensions re-appear on the unclipped view.

5. Click the Hide/Show icon from the View toolbar.
6. Select the dimension you want to display on the clipping view.
7. Click the Swap visible space icon from the View toolbar.
The selected dimension now appears on the clipping view again.
● Once a clipping has been applied onto a view, it is impossible to create detail
views, breakout views and broken views from this view.


This task will show you how to create an isometric view from a 3D part.
Isometric means "equal measure". To produce an isometric projection, it is necessary

to place the object so that its principal edges make equal angles with the plane of
projection and are therefore foreshortened equally. Note that an isometric view
created from a product can be re-used for generating an exploded view.
Open the GenDrafting_part02.CATPart document. Start creating a new drawing (and

this case, create an empty sheet). Tile your windows vertically to visualize the 3D
part and the sheet at the same time.
In a Product Structure context, if you create a front view

from a scene of a product, you can directly select the Scene
object in the specification tree. You do not necessarily need
to select the Product and sub-products.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Isometric View icon from the Views
2. Click the 3D part.

A green frame with the preview of the isometric view to be created, as well as blue
manipulators, appear. You can re-define the position of the view to be created using
these manipulators: to the bottom, the left, the right, the top, or rotated using a
given snapping or according to an edited rotation angle. For more information, refer
to Before you begin.
● You can use selection sets to generate isometric views displaying a selection of
elements only. Selection sets let you select the sub-bodies and/or sub-products
from which the view will be generated. Refer to Creating a front view using
selection sets for more information.


This task will show you how to create an isometric view, and then, projected views
from an assembly previously exploded via Digital Mock-up workbench (DMU
Navigator).
Open Gun_Body.CATProduct.
In a Product Structure context, if you create a front view from a scene of a product,
you can directly select the Scene object in the specification tree. You do not
necessarily need to select the Product and sub-products.
1. Go to the Digital Mock-up workbench (DMU Navigator) and define the Scene with
the adequate orientation and with the instances properly positioned.
2. Explode the view as shown here:

3. Go to the Drafting workbench and click the Isometric View icon from the Views
4. Select the product from the specification tree and then a plane on this product.
5. Click to locate the resulting exploded view.

Non exploded product: Exploded product:
You can insert Bill of Material information into the active view.


This task will show you how create a broken view from an active and up-to-date
generated view. You will define two profiles corresponding to the part to be broken
from the view extremities.
A broken view is a view that allows shortening an elongated object.
Open the GenDrafting_part_Broken_View.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Broken View icon from the Views

toolbar.
2. Click a first point corresponding to the first

extremity of the first profile.
A green dotted profile appears which allows you to
position the profile either vertically or horizontally.
3. Click a second point corresponding to the profile

second extremity. In this example, click a point so
that the profile appears horizontally.
OR
3. Drag the cursor over the green horizontal

profile that appears as you create a first point and,
if needed, click to locate the second point on this
first profile.

4. If needed, translate the profile.

Red zones appear. These red zones correspond to
the zones out of which the view cannot be broken.
Note that the orientation of the second profile is
the same as the orientation of the first profile.
5. Click a point for defining the position of the

second green profile that appears.
6. Click on the sheet.

The broken view appears.
You can create new breaks in a broken view, but in the same direction and providing
the two breaks do not overlap.
To propagate the broken specification during the creation of a projection or auxiliary
view, go to Tools -> Options -> Drafting from the menu bar (Layout tab) and
activate the Propagation of broken and breakout specifications option.
Propagating a specification means generating a view (B) from another view (A) on
which you previously performed an operation, and obtaining a view (B) which
includes this operation.
For example, (i) you create a broken view (view A) and activate the Propagation of
broken and breakout specifications option, you then (ii) generate a projection
view (view B). As a result, the projected view (view B) will appear with the broken
area.
You can only perform a propagation from a broken view if the projection direction is
perpendicular to the direction of the broken view.

● You can remove created breaks via the contextual menu.
● It is impossible to create breakout views, offset section views, detail views and
clipping views from a broken view.


This task will show you how to create a breakout view. In other words, you will remove locally
material from a generated view in order to visualize the remaining visible internal part.
A breakout view is one not in direct projection from the view containing the cutting profile. In other
words, it is not positioned in agreement with the standard arrangement of views. A breakout view is
often a partial section.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document. For the purpose of this scenario, you will
create the breakout on the left view: therefore, make sure the left view is active by double-
clicking it.
1. Click the Drawing window,

and click the Breakout
View icon from the
Views toolbar (Break View
sub-toolbar).
2. Click the first point of the

breakout profile.
3. Click as many points as

desired for creating the
profile.
4. If needed, double-click to
end the profile creation
and close this profile
automatically.
OR
4. Click on the profile first

point to close and end the
profile creation.

The 3D Viewer window appears, displaying the 3D part corresponding to the generated view. A
green arrow indicates in which direction the breakout will be created.
This window lets you position the 3D part according to a view you go over (on the drawing),
provided the Animate option is checked.
This window also lets you visualize a view plane and use it to define the depth of the breakout.
You can move this plane using one of these methods:
● directly in the 3D Viewer window, drag the plane to the desired location. This method does not
let you define the depth of the breakout precisely. The breakout will not be associative with
any element.
● in the drawing, place the cursor over an axis, a center line or an edge (circular or linear) of a
perpendicular view. The plane will be moved accordingly. This method lets you break the view
through a hole or a face, for example. The breakout will be associative with the selected
element.
● in the drawing, select the edge which corresponds to the face that you will use as a reference
element to define the depth of the breakout, and enter the depth in the appropriate 3D Viewer
field. This method lets you define the depth of the breakout precisely. The breakout will be
associative with the selected reference element and with the depth value.
5. Check the Animate option to visualize the 3D part in accordance with the position of the cursor
on a generated view.
6. In the CATDrawing document, place the cursor over the front view (which is perpendicular to the
left view).
7. In the CATDrawing document, place the cursor over the center line that will be used as an
extremity plane, as shown below.

OR
7. In the 3D Viewer window, click the Reference element field to select it. Then, in the
CATDrawing document, select the edge which corresponds to the face that will be used as a
reference element, and enter the breakout depth in the Depth (in mm) field (you can also
define the depth by moving the red plane with the mouse).

Then, click OK in the 3D

8. Viewer window. The
breakout view is created.
You can create a breakout on a view that already contains breakouts.

● Once created, the breakout view profile cannot be modified.

● You cannot apply a breakout and a break to the same view.
You can generate the following types of views from a breakout view:
● projection views,
● auxiliary views,
● section views
● section cuts.
Once the breakout view is created, you can right-click the view, and select the Remove
Breakout option.
You can also right-click the view, select the Apply Breakout To option and click another view
you want to apply the breakout to.
To generate views (projection, auxiliary, section and section cut) with this breakout, go to Tools
-> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting from the menu bar, click on the Layout tab,
and activate the Propagation of broken and breakout specification option.
Propagating a specification means generating a view (B) from another view (A) on which you
previously performed an operation and including this operation in the generated view (B).
For example, (i) you create a breakout view (view A) and activate the activate the Propagation
of broken and breakout specification option, you then (ii) generate a projection view (view
B). As a result, the projected view (view B) will display this breakout area.
About line types
You can choose the line type you want to assign to the breakout view. To do this, go to Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> View tab, click the Configure button next to
View Linetype and select the desired option from the dialog box.
If you choose the zigzag linetype (linetype #8), note that this linetype is just a
graphical dress-up of the view. This means that if one line is relimited on the
breakout line, then it will be relimited on the theoretical line as shown here,
and not on the visualized zigzag line.
About patterns
The patterns which are used to represent the breakout are defined in the standards. For more
information, refer to Pattern Definition in the Interactive Drafting User's Guide.

You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring or motif) by right-clicking the pattern
and selecting Properties from the contextual menu. This will display the Properties dialog box
in which you may either select a new pattern or modify some graphical attributes of the existing
pattern. For more information, refer to Modifying a Pattern.


This task will show you how to create views using a wizard. These views are views that
are generated automatically once the CATDrawing document is opened. These views
can then be modified as if they had been manually created one after the other.
Start creating a new drawing (and this case, create an empty sheet).
Before you begin, make sure you select the projection mode you need. If you want to
change the method you use as you pre-define your configurations, what you need to
do is:
1. Right-click the sheet.

2. Select the Properties option from the displayed contextual menu.
The Properties dialog box appears with Projection Method options.
3. Check the Create projection view using first angle standard option.
● Create projection views using first angle standard: Orthographic

representation comprising the arrangement, around the principal view of an object,
of some of all of the other five views of that object. With reference to the principal
view, the other views are arranged as follows:
- the view from above is placed underneath
- the view from below is placed above
- the view from the left is placed on the right
- the view from the rear is placed on the left or on the right, as convenient.
(Ref. No. ISO 10209-2:1993)
● Create projection views using third angle standard: Orthographic
representation comprising the arrangement, around the principal view of an object,
of some of all of the other five views of that object. With reference to the principal
view, the other views are arranged as follows:
- the view from above is placed above
- the view from below is placed underneath
- the view from the left is placed on the left
- the view from the rear is placed on the left or on the right, as convenient.
(Ref. No. ISO 10209-2:1993)

1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Wizard

icon from the Views toolbar (Wizard sub-toolbar).
2. Select the desired view configuration from the View Wizard (1/2) : Predefined
In this case, ISO standard / First angle projection method is used and the following
configurations are available:
● front, bottom and left
● front, bottom and right

● front, top and left
● front, top and right
● projection and isometric
● projection, rear and isometric
If you use the ANSI standard (Third angle projection method), in the dialog box the
configuration symbol displayed , as well as the configuration options will be
different. To have the projection views linked to the main view click the option.
You can can define the Minimum distance between each view. For this, enter the
desired value in the modifiable field available in the View Wizard dialog box.
A preview is available:
● The main view corresponds to the view which any other view will be linked to. This
main view can be either a front or an isometric view. It is squared in the green
color. This is the view that will become the active view when you will generate the
desired views.
Any other view (front and/or isometric view) that can possibly become the main
view is squared in the black color.
To make a view become the main view, right-click this view and select the Set as
main view option from the contextual menu.
● At any time, you can delete one view you inserted.

For this, right-click the desired view and select the Delete option from the
contextual menu.
● Once you generate the views, if you move the main view, all the child views will
move accordingly. You can right-click one view and select the Position
Independently of Reference View option from the contextual menu, if you need
to move one child view independently from the reference view.

3. Click the NEXT> button from the View Wizard (1/2) : Predefined
The View Wizard (2/2) : Arranging the Configuration dialog box is now displayed
with a new set of view buttons:
● front view
● rear view
● top view
● bottom view
● left view
● right view
● isometric view
● clear preview
4. Click the Isometric View button .

5. Position the isometric view onto the Preview window by dragging and clicking it as
desired.
6. Click the FINISH button from the View Wizard (2/2) : Arranging the
Configuration dialog box.
7. Select the CATPart document.

8. Click on the desired 3D part plane to be used as reference plane.
If the plane can be computed, the Oriented Preview of the 3D part appears as you
move the cursor over the 3D part (planes).
The views now appear on the CATDrawing document: they are previewed in green
frames and can be re-oriented thanks to the blue arrows that appear.
9. Go over the view frames with your cursor to have these views visualized.

10. Use the blue arrows to have the views re-oriented as desired and then go over the
views with the cursor, if you need to check the preview of the other views.
For more details, see chapter called Before You Begin.


You can also modify the increment value using the green knob contextual menu. For
this, right-click on the knob and select the desired option from the contextual menu.
For more details, see chapter called Before you begin.
11. Once you are satisfied, click on the sheet to make the views be actually created.
The front view is actually the main view and the isometric view is added to the
predefined configuration.
The ISO and ANSI standards are independent from the angle projection method.

[ Back ] [ Up ]

View Modification
View Modification
The Generative Drafting workbench provides a simple method to modify previously

created views.
Before you begin

Learn how to edit the properties of multi-selected views.
Move a view
Drag a view to a new location.
Position a view
Position Generative or Interactive views either by aligning them, superposing them
and setting relative view position.
Position a view independently of its reference view

Position a view independently of its reference view.
Locate reference/resulting views

Navigate easily between reference/resulting views in the case of section views, section
cuts, auxiliary views or detail views.
Isolate generated views

Remove associativity between an existing CATPart (or CATProduct or CATModel) and
the corresponding generated views.
Restore deleted generated elements

Restore generated elements that have been deleted from a view.
Lock a view
Use the contextual menu (Properties option) to lock a view.
Scale a view
Modify the scale of a view.
Rename a view
Give a new name to an existing view.

View Modification
Add a generative Bill of Material

Insert Bill of Material information into the active view.
Generating balloons on a view

Generate balloons on the active view.
Show geometry in views

Visualize geometrical elements in all viewpoints as well as in a 3D viewer
corresponding to the views analyzed.
Modify a callout graphism

Modify the graphical attributes of one or more callout used when generating auxiliary,
section or detail views.
Modify a callout geometry

Modify the geometrical properties of a callout used when creating detail views, section
views and section cuts.
Modify cut elements in a section view

Modify cut/uncut elements in a section view.
Modify a pattern
Modify the pattern of a view and apply a material to this pattern.

Duplicate a generative view sub-element in order to modify a generated view sub-part
independently from the part linked to the drawing.

Before you begin
Before you begin
Editing Multi-Selected Views (Properties)

You can modify the properties of a group of views of different kinds (interactive,
generative or detail views), either on a single sheet or on different sheets. These
modifications will be applied to the properties values common to the selected views.
In other words, when you will edit the properties values of different views, only the
properties values of the views with the same parameters will be modifiable.
Still, mixed properties values will be modifiable. Mixed properties values meaning
values which are not common to the selected views.
You can select the views from different sheets.
Open the GenDrafting_part_Move_View02.CATDrawing document.

Before you begin
1. Multi-select views from the specification tree. In this particular case, select all the
views.
Remember that you can use the Shift or the Ctrl key.

Before you begin
2. Select Edit -> Properties command from the menu bar.
The Properties dialog box appears: de-activate the options as shown here: View
Frame option unlocked.

Before you begin
The views result as shown here:

Before you begin
3. Multi-select views from the specification tree. In this particular case, select the top,
bottom, left and right views. Activate the Properties options as shown here: activate
the options as shown here: Hidden Lines option unlocked.

Before you begin
The views result as shown here:

Before you begin
● If the view name is not common, no View name and no Name Editor With
Formula appear by default.
● If the view scale is not common, no Scale appears by default.
● In the case of a mixed values, the modifiable fields appear white and empty.
● If one view is locked and mixed properties values will also be locked.
If you modify one view (view A) and then select another view (view B), click the
Apply switch button if you do not want to loose the modifications first applied on the
view A.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Moving a View
Moving a View
This task will show you how to move one or more views by dragging them.
Moving One View

You can move one view by selecting or more views (implicitly) by dragging the parent
view.
Open the GenDrafting_part_Move_View.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the view to be moved.
2. Drag the clicked view to the new location.

Moving a View
3. Release the mouse button when you want

to position the view.
The view is re-positioned.
Moving More Than One View Explicitly

You can move more than one view explicitly (generative and interactive views). These
views can be:
● child views that are linked to a single parent view (and constrained to this parent
view)
● child views that are linked to different parent views (be careful: constrained views
remain so by default ; not constrained views move in accordance with the position
of the cursor)
Open the GenDrafting_part_Move_View02.CATDrawing document.

Moving a View
1. Multi-select the views to be moved.
2. Drag the selected views to the new location.
3. Release the mouse button when you want to position the views.
There are different cases:

● You multi-select views that are independent (not linked to a parent view):
When you move the views with the cursor, all these views are translated into the
same direction.
● You multi-select views that are linked to different parent views which are not
selected:
When you move the views with the cursor, all these views are translated into a
direction that depends on the constraints between the parent and the child views.
In other words, two child views may be moved into two new locations which are not
synchronized (for example, one according to x, the other according to y).
● You multi-select views that are linked to different parent views which are also
selected:
When you move the views with the cursor, all these views are translated into a
direction that depends on the constraints between the parent and the child views.
As a result, all the child views (with an active link), be they selected or not,are

Moving a View
translated into the same direction as the parent views.

Positioning a View
Positioning a View
The purpose of this task is to position Generative or Interactive views: you will learn
how to align views, superpose views and set relative view position.
Aligning Views Using Elements

You will learn how to align a view with another one using geometrical elements
(lines, circles or points).
Open the GenDrafting_part_Align_Views.CATDrawing document. Go to Tools ->
Option -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> General tab and in the View axis
area, unselect Display in the current view.
1. Right-click the view that you want to re-position, the unfolded view for example. A
contextual menu is displayed.
2. Select View Positioning -> Align Views Using Elements.
3. On this view, select the first geometrical element that you want to align.

Positioning a View
4. On the other view, select the second geometrical element that you want to align.
The first view is moved, and both views are aligned according to the elements you
selected.
5. Click in the drawing, outside the views, to validate the alignment.

Positioning a View
When aligning views, remember that:

● if you select a circle as one of the elements to align, this circle will be aligned
according to its center.
● if you select lines as the two elements to align, these lines must be parallel.
If you want to align two views which are not directly linked to each other (i.e. which
are not a parent view and its child view), you will first need to position a view
independently of its reference view. For example, if view A (a front view) is the
reference for view B (a projection view), and if view B is the reference for view C (a
section view), then to align view A and view C, you first need to position view C
independently of view B. Refer to Positioning a View Independently of its Reference
View for more information.
Superposing Views
You will learn how to superpose a view with another one according to their origins.
Open the GenDrafting_Superpose_Views.CATDrawing document.

Positioning a View
1. Right-click the view that you want to superpose, the front view with dress-up, for
example. A contextual menu is displayed.
2. Select View Positioning -> Superpose.
3. Click the view on which you want to superpose the first view. The first view is
moved and superposed to the second one.
4. Click in the drawing, outside the views, to validate the superposition.

If you want to superpose two views which are not directly linked to each other (i.e.
which are not a parent view and its child view), you will first need to position a view
independently of its reference view. For example, if view A (a front view) is the
reference for view B (a projection view), and if view B is the reference for view C (a
section view), then to superpose view A and view C, you first need to position either
view B independently of view A, or view C independently of view B. Refer to
Positioning a View Independently of its Reference View for more information.

Positioning a View
Setting Relative View Position

You will learn how to re-position a view relatively to various elements (a line/callout,
a point or the frame of a view).
Open the GenDrafting_part_positioningview.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click the view that you want to re-position, the isometric view for example. A
contextual menu is displayed.
2. Select View Positioning -> Set Relative Position.

Positioning a View
A direction positioning line appears that is related to the isometric view. This
isometric view can be positioned as desired and relatively to the front view.
Note that the isometric view is assigned anchor points.
3. Select the direction positioning line end black square point.
Once you have clicked the end square point, this point becomes a blinking red end
point and remains so until you select a point or a view frame.
You can also click the direction positioning line. In this case, the positioning line
becomes a blinking line and remains so until you select a line (callout line).
Press the Ctrl key to move the positioning line according to a direction that is
perpendicular to the positioning line.
4. Click the edge according to which you want the isometric view to be aligned.
5. Click one anchor point, for example, the bottom right one. The view anchor point
is aligned according to the green point and thereby to the direction positioning line.
6. As you move the cursor over the direction positioning line, the position and length
coordinates of the line appear.

Positioning a View
Note that you may also select the front view frame and align the isometric view to
the front view according to the barycenter.
7. Using the green point, you can rotate the isometric view around the front view.

Positioning a View
8. Using the direction positioning line, translate the isometric view along the direction
line and locate it at the desired distance.

Positioning a View
If you happen to modify the length of the direction positioning line, this new length
will be kept whatever positioning modifications you may apply to the isometric view.
Note that if you had previously positioned this isometric view according to a point,
not only the line length but also the line angle will be kept.
9. Click in the free space to validate and leave the relative positioning mode.
As you use relative positioning, do not try to move the view outside of the anchor
point frame. If you do so, you will leave the relative positioning mode.
You can also align a view relatively to one of the edges that are within this view. To
do this, first select the direction positioning line, and then select an edge on the view
to be aligned. As a result, the manipulators automatically align according to this
selected edge.

Positioning a View

Positioning a View Independently of its

Reference View
At creation, views are by default positioned according to the parent (reference) view.
This task will show you how to position a right projection view independently of its
parent front view.
This functionality was called Do not align view up until V5 R10.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click the frame of the view that you want to position

independently of its reference view. A contextual menu is
displayed.
2. Select View Positioning -> Position Independently of

Reference View.
3. Drag the view to the required location.
4. Click to position the view.

● The Position Independently of Reference View command can be performed on

one particular view at a time (you cannot multi-select views in this case).
● If you want to reposition independently-positioned views according to their
reference view, repeat the scenario described above, this time selecting the
Position According to Reference View command from the displayed contextual
menu.

Locating Reference/Resulting Views

This task shows how to navigate easily between reference/resulting views in the
case of section views, section cuts, auxiliary views or detail views:
● You can locate the reference (i.e. parent) view of a resulting view.
● You can locate the resulting (i.e. child) view of a reference view.
Open the GenDrafting_view_navigation.CATDrawing document.
Locating a Reference View

1. Right-click the detail view.
2. In the contextual menu, select Locate Reference View. The application

window is reframed on the view where the detail view callout is defined.

Locating a Resulting View

1. Right-click the detail view callout.
2. In the contextual menu, select Locate Resulting View. The application

window is reframed on the detail view.



This task will show you how isolate either a selection of generated views (one or
more), or all views in the drawing.
Isolating a view amounts to:

● suppressing associativity between an existing CATPart (or CATProduct or CATModel)
and the corresponding generated view,
● transforming a generated view into an interactive view.
Isolating a selection of views

1. Select the views you want to isolate (for example, the Top view, Bottom view, Left
view and Right view), and right-click them.
2. From the contextual menu, select Selected objects -> Isolate.
In this particular case, we selected several views but if you select only one view, the
left view for example, then you need to select Left view object -> Isolate from the
contextual menu.

The selected views are now isolated. If you perform one or more modifications on the
CATPart, you will not be able to update the isolated views.
Isolating all views in the drawing

1. From the specification tree, right-click the drawing object (GenDrafting_part in this
case).
2. From the contextual menu, select Drawing object -> Isolate.

All views in the drawing are now isolated. If you perform one or more modifications on
the CATPart, you will not be able to update the drawing.
● A view that has been isolated cannot be de-isolated.

● Some dress-up elements and annotations may be deleted when isolating views.
● Center lines are preserved when isolating views. However, they are longer be
associated to geometry, but just to a point.
● Axis lines are preserved when isolating views. However, they are longer be
associated to geometry, but just to 2 points.
● Dimensions are preserved when isolating views. However, they are longer be
associated to geometry.

Restoring Deleted Generated Elements

In this task, you will learn how to restore generated elements that have been deleted from a
view.
Open the GenDrafting_Restore_Deleted.CATDrawing document.
The view in this drawing was generated from a 3D part, GenDrafting_Restore_Deleted.

CATPart. You do not need to open the part.
1. In the Drawing window, select the circle shown on the

view and press the Del key. The circle is now deleted from
the view.
For the purpose of this exercise, you will now immediately

restore the circle you deleted, but you could perform other
operations before doing this (like save and close the
drawing, or add annotations, for example).
2. Select the view and right-click the view frame.
3. In the contextual menu, choose Object Front View -> Restore Deleted.
4. You now have two possibilities:
● If you did not modify the part between the moment you
deleted the circle and now (which is the case in this
exercise): in the Power Input Field on the status bar,
type the following command: c:force update.
This updates the drawing in accordance with the 3D part,
and restores the deleted item on the view.
● If you modified the part between the moment you
deleted the circle and now: click the Update icon .

This updates the drawing with the latest changes on the
part, and restores the deleted item on the view.


Locking a View
Locking a View
This task will show you how to lock views. This may be useful if you need to modify a
part without modifying the generated views. For example, when you need to modify a
constraint in the 3D but not the generated views.
Locking a view means you are not allowed to:

● create views from a locked view
● create either annotations or dimensions on this locked view
● update, delete or cut the locked view.
The move command is still available when views are locked.
Open the GenDrafting_front_view.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click the view to be modified

(either the view frame or the view itself).
2. Select the Properties option from the

contextual menu.

Locking a View
The Properties dialog box appears:
3. Select the View tab and select the

Lock View check box.
The other fields appear in gray indicating

that you can no longer edit them.
The views are locked as soon as you

check the Lock View view button. The
options OK, Apply and Cancel buttons
(in the Properties dialog box) have no
impact on the status of the view that is
being locked.
4. The view is automatically locked. This

is indicated in the specification tree:

Scaling a View
Scaling a View
This task will show you how to modify the scale of a view.
Open the GenDrafting_detailview_scale.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click the frame of the view to be modified. In this case, right-click the detail
view.
2. Select the Properties option from the displayed contextual menu.
3. Enter the new Scale value in the Properties dialog box. For example, 3.

Scaling a View
4. Click OK.
The detail view is updated. Note that only the generative elements (axes included)
are scaled, neither the view name nor the dimension.

Renaming a View
Renaming a View
This task will show you how to rename an existing view.
Open the GenDrafting_Rename_View.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click the frame of the view to be modified.
2. Select the Properties option from the displayed

contextual menu.
3. Enter the new View Name in the Properties dialog box. For example, B as
identifier (Ident).
4. Click OK.

Renaming a View
● You can also access the Properties dialog box selecting the Edit->Properties
commands.
● Note that the callout in the mother view also is now assigned a new identifier (B-B).


This task will show you how to insert Bill of Material information into the active view. The Bill of Material
corresponds to information on the product element which the views were generated from. The Bill of
Material, or parts list, consists of an itemized list of the parts of a structure shown on a drawing or on
an assembly. The Bill of Material can also include a recapitulation of the total number of parts used in a
product.
Choose a task:
● generating a bill of material,
● modifying a bill of material:
❍ modifying the contents,
❍ modifying the contents visualization,
❍ updating a drawing after part modification.
Generating a Bill of Material

Open the Product_Balloon.CATDrawing document. Open the Product_Balloon.CATProduct document.
● If the active view has no link with the product, a message will state whether the insertion is all right.
● If the active view has a link with a product, the Bill of Material can be inserted.
● Whether the active view has a link with a product or not, you can go into an open product and click
on this product before clicking on the CATDrawing in which you want to insert the Bill of Material.
Note that you can perform this as often as you need.
You are in the background view
You first selected Edit -> Background View from the toolbar.
1. Click the Insert Bill of Material icon from the Drawing toolbar.
2. Click the Product from the specification tree in the CATProduct document.
3. Position the Bill of Material by clicking the point where you want to insert it.
OR
You are in the working views
You first selected Edit -> Working Views from the toolbar.
1. Select Insert -> Generation -> Bill of Material.

2. Position the Bill of Material by clicking the point where you want to insert it. In our example, click at
the bottom right of the isometric view.
Whether you are in the background view or in the working views:

● Before positioning the Bill of Material, you can pre-define the anchor point position: this will
determine the position of the Bill of Material in relation to the anchor point. For this, use the Text
Properties toolbar and select either one of the top or one of the bottom anchor points.
● When positioning the Bill of Material, you can select a line, in a title block for example. In this case,
the Bill of Material will be inserted according to the position and orientation of this element, and
without including a recapitulation table.
Note that, if no Product is or several Products are opened, you will first select the Product source.

The Bill of Material automatically appears:
Modifying a Bill of Material
Modifying the contents

To modify the contents of the Bill of Material and display given properties, go to the Product Structure
workbench, and select Analyze->Bill of Material ->Listing Report from the menu bar.
Modifying the contents visualization

To modify the way you visualize the contents, modify the file called CATAsmBOM.CATRsc.
It allows you to modify the columns size:
Bill Of Material cells are associated to the Product Structure Attributes.
Updating a Drawing after Part Modification

Open the Product_Balloon.CATDrawing document. Open the Product_Balloon.CATProduct document.

Add a bill of material.
You obtain the following bill of material:
1. Replace the Part Number "pm6-7b-1e shunt to body washer" by "New Name" (for this edit Part
Properties in the Part contextual menu, and change the Part Number in Product tab).
2. Refresh the drawing. The Bill Of Material has changed, "pm6-7b-1e shunt to body washer" is
replaced by "New Name".

3. Add a new product and a new part in this product (see Part Design user's guide and Assembly Design
User's Guide):
4. Update the drawing, the Bill Of Material is updated:
The New product and its part appear in the Bill Of Material.

5. Remove the Product you have added in step 3 and update the drawing one more time:


This task will show you how to generate in the active view balloons corresponding to
references defined on the different parts of an assembly.
Open the Product_Balloon_Gen.CATProduct and Product_Balloon_Gen.CATDrawing

documents.
1. Double-click the view in which you want to generate the balloons. In this particular
case, double-click the front view. This view is now active.
4. Select the Generate Balloons icon on the Dimension Generation toolbar.
The balloons that were previously created on the CATProduct are automatically
generated onto the active view.

5. If needed, multi-select these balloons and modify the font size from the Text
Properties toolbar. You can also select and drag a balloon to change its position.
Balloons generated
Balloons after the font size and position were modified:

6. If needed, insert a bill of material into the active view (Insert -> Generation ->
Bill of Material from the menu bar).

The part numbers appear in the bill of material on the condition you specified it
previously (Product Structure workbench: Analyze -> Bill of Material -> Listing
Report from the menu bar).


This task will show you how to visualize geometrical elements in all viewpoints as well
as in a 3D viewer corresponding to the views analyzed.
Note that you can analyze both text/dimension and edge type elements on all the
views of a CATDrawing document. These views can be views generated from an
assembly, a part or a .model. These views can also be interactive views.
1. Go to Tools -> Analyze -> Show Geometry in All Viewpoints menu bar
command.
Provided there is
at least one link
between the
CATDrawing
document and a
CATPart (or
assembly, part
or .model), a
window appears
with the 3D
model
corresponding to
the CATDrawing
views.

2. Move the
cursor over the
geometrical
elements on one
view.
All the views are

analyzed. The
blue color
corresponds to
the immediate
edge. The red
color
corresponds to
the adjacent
faces.
If the Animate
option is on, the
part
automatically
appears with the
optimal position
(visually
speaking).


This task will show you how to modify the graphical attributes of one (or more)
callout used when generating auxiliary, section or detail views.
Callouts represent an operation that has been performed on a generative view (such
as a section cut for example) and consequently do not behave as geometry. As a
result, you cannot isolate callouts, nor can you apply transformation or symmetry
operations to callouts.
Open the GenDrafting_part_Callout.CATDrawing document.
1. Multi-select the callout to be modified.

In this example, we select both a section view callout and a detail callout.
2. Right-click these callout and select the Properties option from the contextual
menu.
3. Select the Callout tab.


The preview displays both selected callout with attributes corresponding to the
generated views.
The options you select in the Graphic Properties toolbar also influence the
graphical attributes you apply to the selected callout (line color, line type, line
weight, Copy Object Format icon, Pattern Chooser option).
● Parameters you can set in this dialog box:
● Auxiliary/Section Views:
❍ Switches for pre-defined types:
continuous lines, mixed lines, elbows and extremities
only or one arrow only.
❍ Line thickness
❍ Line type
❍ Extremity thickness
❍ Length
❍ Anchor point (head or tail)
● Detail Views:
❍ Thickness

❍ Type
❍ Extremity thickness
❍ Length
❍ Anchor point
● Arrows on Auxiliary/Section Views and Detail

Views:
❍ Arrow length
❍ Head type
❍ Head length
❍ Head angle

You can choose the callout elements size not to be dependant on the view scale. For
this:
● After callout creation, check Size not dependant on view scale in the previous
dialog box
or
● Before callout creation, in the Tools->Options->Mechanical Design->Drafting-
>Callout, check the Size not dependant on view scale option:
4. Modify the callout graphical attributes as shown above.
5. Press OK.


This task will show you how to modify the geometrical characteristics of a callout
used when creating detail views, section views and section cuts.
For modifying the detail and section callout, you will go through some kind of a
sub-workbench and modify the existing callout geometry, reverse the callout
direction or replace the callout.
Callouts represent an operation that has been performed on a generative view

(such as a section cut for example) and consequently do not behave as geometry.
As a result, you cannot isolate callouts, nor can you apply transformation or
symmetry operations to callouts.
1. Double-click the
callout to be
modified.
The Edit/
Replace toolbar
appears.

2. Drag one of the

element
components to
the desired
location. In this
particular case,
drag one
segment
extremity of the
callout.
By default and in
order to modify
more easily and
more precisely
the callout, the
segment
extremities are
fixed.
To make one
segment no
more
constrained,
right-click this
segment and
select the Line.
object -> Unfix
option from the
contextual menu.
3. Click the End
Profile Edition
icon from
the Edit/Replace
toolbar.
The callout
arrow is now
properly
positioned and
the section view
(B-B) is
automatically
updated.

1. Double-click the
callout to be
2. reversed.
Click the Invert

Profile Direction
icon from the
Edit/Replace
toolbar that now
appears.
The callout is
automatically
inverted.
● At any time,
you can stop
editing the
callout. For
this, click the
End Profile
Edition icon
from the Edit/
replace
toolbar.
● You cannot
reverse the
callout of a
detail.

● If after modifying a view containing a callout, the projection planes of the

defining and the resulting views are inconsistent, the callout color is modified to
show that there is an inconsistency in the drawing. For example, if you create a
detail view from a section view and subsequently invert the direction of the
section view profile in such a way that the projection plane of the detail view
becomes inconsistent, then the callout color of the detail view will be modified.
3. Click the Replace

Profile icon from
the Edit/Replace
toolbar now
appears.
4. Start creating
the new profile.
5. Double-click to
end the new
profile creation.
The new profile

automatically
appears and the
old one
disappears.



This task will show you how to modify cut elements in a section view generated from a
CATProduct.
Open the Product_Balloon2.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click the section view A-A.
2. In the contextual menu -> Section view A-A object, select Overload properties. Select
the cut element you want to edit. The following dialog box appears:

3. Select the element you want to edit in the dialog box and click the Edit button.
You can modify the following parameters:

● choose if the element will be cut in the section view or not,
● if it will be use in the view when projecting,
● if it will be shown or not
● If hidden lines will be represented,
● you can also modify graphic properties such as element color, line type and line thickness.
4. Uncheck Cut in section views.

5. Click OK.
The selected element is not cut anymore.

In the Characteristics dialog box, the Reset button allows you to recover the values you had
before changing information in the editor dialog box.

Modifying a Pattern
Modifying a Pattern
This task will show you how to modify the pattern of a view. Patterns are used for
area fills or, as is the case in this scenario, when cutting through material in section
views/cuts or breakout views, for example.
Open the GenDrafting_exploded_isometric.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click the pattern to be modified. For the purpose of our scenario, select the
hatching pattern in the Section view.
2. Select Properties from the displayed contextual menu. The Properties dialog box
displays the view current pattern.
3. In the Properties dialog box that appears, click the Pattern tab.

Modifying a Pattern
4. If you want to define your own pattern, choose a pattern type from the Type drop-
down list:
● Hatching
● Dotting
● Coloring
● Image
Or if you want to choose from the various patterns available, click the [...] button.
This will display the pattern chooser, from which you can make your selection.
For the purpose of this scenario, select Dotting from the Type drop-down list.

Modifying a Pattern
5. In the Pitch field, type 5 mm.
6. From the Color drop-down list, select black,

for example.
7. Uncheck the Zigzag field, and then click OK.

The pattern is modified.
Each part is assigned a specific pattern. Therefore, each time you modify a pattern
using the Properties dialog box, all the patterns of the views generated from this
part will be modified. These modifications will be applied to all existing sheets.

Modifying a Pattern
About part material patterns

● Depending on the standard used by the drawing, you may be able to recover the
pattern which is associated to a part material on a section view/cut or breakout
view. For more information about associating a pattern to a material, please refer
to the Real Time Rendering User's Guide.
● When editing the properties of a pattern associated with a part material, the
software offers its own selection of patterns, and not the patterns defined in the
standard.
● When editing the properties of a pattern associated with a part material, a specific
button is available in the Properties dialog box: Reset using Part Material
Pattern. When the original properties of the part material are modified, this button
is activated to let you revert to the original part material pattern. For example, if
you replace a pattern associated with a part material by a pattern from the
standard, then the generated pattern is considered as overloaded, and will not be
updated if you modify the properties of the part material. In this case, you can
always revert to the original part material pattern using the Reset using Part
Material Pattern button.


This task will show you how to duplicate a generative view sub-element in order to
modify a generated view sub-part independently from the part linked to the drawing.
1. Double-click the view you want to modify to activate it.

The view is automatically highlighted.
2. Select the elements you want to modify and right-click them.
3. Choose Duplicate Geometry in the contextual menu.

The selected geometry is duplicated on the view at the same position. It is highlighted
after creation. Click on the drawing to de-select it.
The resulting geometry is under the generative one. To workaround this problem, you
can hide the corresponding generative geometry.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

The Generative Drafting workbench lets you use generative view styles, which are
administrator-defined and specify the appearance and behavior of a generated view.
For more information on the administration of generative view styles, refer to the
Administration Tasks chapter.
Create views using generative view styles

Create views using generative view styles.
Switch a view to another generative view style

Switch a view which uses a given generative view style to another style.
Apply the generative style of a view to another view

Apply the generative view style used to create a given view to another view.
Apply a generative view style to a view

Apply a generative view style to a view which was created without one.

This task will show you how to create a view using generative view styles.
Generative view styles are defined by an administrator and specify the appearance
and behavior of a generated view.
For the purpose of this scenario, you will create a front view using generative view
styles, but you can use generative view styles to create any type of view.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATPart document. Define a new drawing sheet.
1. Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting ->

Administration tab, and uncheck the Prevent generative view style
creation option. This activates the generative view style functionalities.
2. Click the Front View icon from the Views toolbar. The Generative View
Style toolbar is automatically displayed.
3. Select one of the generative view styles available from the list. For example,
select DefaultGenerativeStyle. The parameters defined in this file will be
used when creating the view.

● The generative view styles available in the list depend on what your
administrator specified.
● The Generative View Style toolbar is displayed when creating most
view types. However, when creating advanced front views, this
toolbar is not displayed. Instead, the View Parameters dialog box
(which is displayed when creating advanced front views) features an
additional list, which enables you to select a generative view style.
4. In the 3D window, select a plane of the 3D part or a plane surface, to define

the reference plane.

The view is created using the selected generative view style.
In our example, hidden edges are projected in orange. Note

that you may obtain a different result. This result depends
on the parameters defined in the generative view style you
selected.
Using the standards editor, you can check the parameters defined in the generative
view style you selected. To do this, go to Tools -> Standards. In the standards
editor, choose the generativeparameters category, and then open the
DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml file from the drop-down list. Then, for example, go to
DefaultGenerativeStyle -> Drafting -> ViewDressup -> GeneratedGeometry -
> HiddenEdges, and select the Color parameter. You will see the what color is
specified in your generative view style for the projection of hidden edges.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Switching a View to Another Generative View

Style
In this task, you will learn how to switch a view which uses a given generative view
style to another style.
Open the GenDrafting_GVS.CATDrawing document. This view was created using a

specific generative view style which specifies that hidden edges should be displayed
in orange, using a specific linetype and thickness.


2. Right-click the front view to display the contextual menu.

3. Select Front view object -> Generative View Style -> Change View
Style. The Change Style dialog box appears, displaying the list of generative
views styles available.
The generative view styles available in the list depend on what your
4. Select a style, DefaultGenerativeStyle for example, and click OK.
5. Update the view by clicking the Update icon , for example.

The view is updated and the parameters

defined in the selected style are applied to
the view.
In our example, hidden edges are projected

in black, with a different linetype and
thickness than previously. Note that you may
obtain a different result. This result depends
on the parameters defined in the generative
view style you selected.

Applying the Generative Style of a View to

Another View
In this task, you will learn how to apply the generative view style used to create a
given view to another view.
Open the GenDrafting_GVS02.CATDrawing document. The front view was created

using a specific generative view style (which specifies that hidden edges should be
displayed in orange, using a specific linetype and thickness), while the isometric view
was created without a generative view style.



3. Select Front view object -> Generative View Style -> Apply View Style
to.
4. Click on the isometric view to indicate that you want to apply to it the
generative style of the front view.

The isometric view is updated and the

generative view style of the front view is
applied to it.


In this task, you will learn how to apply a generative view style to a view which was
created without one.
Open the GenDrafting_front_view.CATDrawing document. This view was created

without a generative view style.


3. Select Front view object -> Generative View Style -> Change View
Style. The Change Style dialog box appears, displaying the list of generative
views styles available.

The generative view styles available in the list depend on what your
4. Select a style, DefaultGenerativeStyle for example, and click OK.
The view is updated. However, the selected

style is not visible in the view yet. For the
moment, the geometry is displayed in a
specific color, because the original parameters
of the view "overload" the generative view
style parameters. (This means that the
parameters of the selected generative view
style have taken on the value of the
parameters that were defined in the view
before you applied the style to it.)
You now need to reset the parameters of the

generative view style to their original values in
order for the new style to be visible in the view.

6. Right-click the front view to display the contextual menu once again.
7. Select Properties. The Properties dialog box is displayed.
8. On the View tab, in the Dress-up area, an asterisk * appears in front of the
parameters which are considered as being overloaded.
The list in the Generative view style area shows the generative view
style which is applied to the view.
9. Click the Reset to style values button, and then click OK to validate and exit
the Properties dialog box.
The view is updated once again and the

parameters defined in the selected generative

view style are reset to their original values and

are applied to the view.
In our example, hidden edges are projected in

orange, with a different linetype and thickness
than previously. Note that you may obtain a
different result. This result depends on the
parameters defined in the generative view
style you selected.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

The Generative Drafting workbench provides a simple method for generating dimensions.
Generated dimensions are associative to the elements created from a part or an assembly.
Before you begin

All you need to know before you start generating dimensions.
Generate dimensions in one shot

Generate dimensions in one shot from the constraints of a 3D part (distance,
length, angle, radius and diameter constraints).
Filter dimensions to be generated

Set filters before dimension generation using the Dimension Generation Filters
dialog box.
Generate dimensions semi-automatically

Generate dimensions step by step from the constraints of a 3D part (distance,
length, angle, radius and diameter constraints).
Analyze generated dimensions

Perform an analysis of generated dimensions via the Generated Dimensions
Analysis dialog box.
Position dimensions
Position dimensions (either generated dimensions or interactive dimensions) in a
better way and on the active view exclusively.
Analyze interfering dimensions

Analyze dimensions that were generated and possibly re-positioned (Positioning
icon) on the active view.
Driving 3D constraints via generated dimensions

Drive a 3D constraint via a 2D dimension that was generated from it.
Before you begin

This section provides the relevant information you need when performing dimensions
generation, whichever command you activate to do so. In other words, the rules
described in the following section are valid either when performing a Dimension
Generation in One Shot or a Semi-Automatic Dimension Generation.
First of all, make sure you customize the dimension generation settings settings via
Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Generation tab.
How are Generated Dimensions Positioned?

Generated dimensions are positioned according to the views that are most
representative. In other words, a dimension will appear on a view so that this
dimension needs not be also created on another view. Generated dimensions will be
positioned according to the following criteria:
1. on the view on which the dimension may be generated.

2. on the view on which the dimension is better visualized. For example, a view
on which elements are visualized in non-hidden lines instead of hidden lines.
3. on the view with a bigger scale.
4. on views including more dimensions.
The dimensions are generated on the views on the condition the appropriate settings
were previously activated in Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -
> Generation tab.
What About the Dimensions that may be Generated

from Constrained 3D Elements?
To make sure the dimensions you need to handle in your session are those expected,
here is a list presenting the constrained 3D elements and the resulting associated
dimensions after generation.
Note that for views that are generated from surfaces, only sketched constraints are
generated.
Constrained 3D Elements Generated Dimension Types

Sketcher All dimensions: angle, distance, radius, diameter

3D part Angle, distance
Features: The dimensions below:
All published dimensions of elements included in the
User-defined
user-defined feature
Pad Distance
Pocket Distance
Shaft/Groove Angle
Hole: Constraints and associated dimensions:
- Simple
- Tapered
- Counterbored
- Countersunk
- Counterdrilled
- Threaded
Fillet constraint variable Radius/Radii

Shell Distance
Thickness Distance
Stiffener Distance
Assembly constraints All assembly dimensions

About threaded hole dimensions
A fractional dimension is generated for threads/taps defined in a 3D part which

use standards with fraction as a symbolic representation (e.g. G1/8). This
dimension is a fake dimension. It will be displayed using the color configured for
fake dimensions in Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting ->
Dimension tab, Analysis Display Mode category.
[ Up ] [ Next ]


Before you begin, make sure you customized the following settings:
Dimension generation:
Go to Tools->Options->Mechanical Design->Drafting, and click on the
Generation tab. Check the Analysis after generation option.
This task will show you how to generate dimensions in one shot from the constraints
of a 3D part. Only the following constraints can be generated: distance, length,
angle, radius and diameter.
Constraints may be of three kinds: created manually (i) via the sketcher or (ii) via
the 3D part, or else (iii) automatically created via internal parameters.
Open the GenDrafting_front_view.CATDrawing document. Open the GenDrafting_part.

CATPart document.
1. Click the Generate Dimensions icon from the Generation toolbar (Dimension
Generation sub-toolbar).
The dimensions are automatically generated on the front view, which in this particular
case, is the only view in the drawing.
In the case of drawings with several views, by default, dimensions are generated on
all the views. To generate dimensions on specific views, simply select these views
prior to generating dimensions. The selected views will be automatically highlighted,
and dimensions will be generated on the selected views only.
Drawing view with generated dimensions and 3D part with displayed dimension
one selected dimension: corresponding to the dimension
selected on the drawing view:

The Generated Dimensions Analysis dialog box showing the dimensions and
constraints generated for each part (in this case, there is only one) is automatically
displayed.

2. Click OK to close the dialog box.
The generated dimensions are positioned according to the most representative views.
In other words, a dimension will appear on a view so that this dimension needs not
be also created on another view.


This task will show you how to set filters before dimension generation using the Dimension
Generation Filters dialog box.
Open the GEAR-REDUCER.CATProduct and the GEAR-REDUCER.CATDrawing documents.
Tile your windows horizontally to view both your drawing and the related part. To do this, select
Window -> Tile Horizontally from the menu bar.
Go to Tools->Options->Mechanical Design->Drafting, and click on the Generation tab.

Check the Filters before generation option. This automatically launches the dimension
generation filters before generating dimensions.
1. By default, dimensions will be generated on all views. If you want to generate dimensions on a
specific view, select this view.
2. Click the Generate Dimensions icon from the Generation toolbar (Dimension Generation
sub-toolbar).
The Dimension Generation Filters dialog box is automatically displayed.

The Dimension Generation Filters dialog box displays the parameters and filters that you can use
for dimension generation, lists the elements for which dimensions will be generated, and specifies
how many constraints there are for each listed element.
Let's describe the dialog box more precisely:
Type of constraint
These options let you specify what type of constraints you want to generate dimensions from in
your drawing.
● Sketcher constraints: generates dimensions from constraints created in the Sketcher
workbench.
● 3D constraints: generates dimensions from 3D constraints (for instance an Offset between
two planes).
● Assembly constraints: generates dimensions from assembly constraints. This option is active
only in the case of products or assemblies.
● Measured constraints: generates dimensions from measured constraints.
Options
These options let you generate additional dimension types.

● ...associated with un-represented elements: generates dimensions from constraints

associated with elements that are not represented on the drawing (i.e. which are not visible in
the various views your drawing may contain). In this case, the generated dimensions will
appear as not attached to any element in the drawing.
● ...with design tolerances: generates dimensions from constraints with design tolerances, and
applies the constraint tolerance to the corresponding generated dimension.
Other
● Retrieve excluded constraints: retrieves all the constraints which you previously
excluded (either using the Not Generated icon when performing a step by step generation,
or by removing a generated dimension from the drawing), and re-generates the dimension.
This icon is active only when there are dimensions to retrieve.
● Add all parts: adds all parts that belong to the selected product or assembly to the list. This
button is active only in the case of products or assemblies.
● Remove: removes the selected element from the list. Dimensions will not be generated for this
element.
By default, only the product is displayed in the list of elements for which dimensions will be
generated, and only the Assembly constraints and Measured options are active: if you left the
dialog box as is, dimensions would only be generated from the product assembly constraints and
measured constraints.
3. You will now add additional elements to generate dimensions for. You have two possibilities:
● If you want to generate dimensions for specific elements only: in the drawing, select each
element for which you want to generate dimensions. The elements you select are added to the
list.

● If you want to generate dimensions for all elements, click the Add all parts button to add to
the list all the parts belonging to the product.
For the purpose of this exercise, click the Add all parts button. All elements are added to the list.
You can notice that the Sketcher constraints and 3D constraints options are now active and
selected.
When the same part is used several times within a given product (as is the case for Bearing
(Part1.1) in this scenario), generations for this part are generated only once, for a single part
instance (instead of being generated for all part instances). By default, dimensions are generated
on the part instance which is the first in the product specification tree. If you want to generate
dimensions on a specific part instance, you need to select this instance.
4. Unselect the 3D constraints option to specify that dimensions from 3D constraints should not
be generated. You can notice that the list is updated with the proper number of constraints for
each element.

5. Click OK. The dimensions are generated on the drawing.

Depending on whether the Analysis after generation option was selected in Tools->Options,
the Generated Dimension Analysis dialog box may now appear.
5. Click OK to close the Generated Dimension Analysis dialog box.


Before you begin, make sure you customized the following settings:
Dimension generation:
Generation tab. Check the Analysis after generation option.
This task will show you how to generate dimensions step by step from the
constraints of a 3D part. Only the following constraints can be generated: distance,
length, angle, radius and diameter. Constraints may be of three kinds: created
manually (i) via the sketcher or (ii) via the 3D part, or (iii) automatically created via
internal parameters.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing.
In this sample, constraints were manually created. You will then go to Generative
Drafting workbench and create views from this part.
1. Select the views on which you want to generate dimensions. For example, the
front view.
2. Click the Generate Dimensions Step by Step icon from the Generation toolbar
(Dimension Generation sub-toolbar).
The Step-by-step generation dialog box displays and will remain displayed until the
end of the dimension generation.

3. Check the Visualization in 3D button to see the constraints corresponding to

the dimensions to be created on the views.
4. Check the Timeout option.

The default timeout is set to two seconds (2s).
Enter the timeout value you need for example, three seconds (3s).
5. Click the Next Dimension Generation switch button to start the dimension
generation.
Dimensions appear one after the other on the views.

Now, you might need to pause the generation for modifying the dimension position
for example.
6. Click the Pause in Dimension Generation switch button . The generation is

paused.
7. Select the dimension to be modified.

8. Drag the dimension to its new position.

Note that, at this step (pause), you can perform all kinds of modifications before
the dimension generation.
● You want the dimension last generated before you clicked the Pause switch not
to be generated on the view? Perform as follows:
1. Click the Not Generated option in the Step by Step Generation dialog box.
The constraint is automatically excluded and the dimension will not

generated.
● You want the currently generated dimension to be transferred (via Transfer

icon)? Perform as follows:
1. Click the Transfer icon from the Step-by-Step Generation dialog box.
2. Click the Pause switch.
3. Select the frame of the view in which the current dimension, or the dimension
last created, is to be pasted.
● You want to modify the graphical attributes of the current dimension? Perform
as follows:
You simply need to apply the desired attributes in the required

Properties toolbar.
9. Click again the Next Dimension Generation switch button and continue the
process.
The dimensions are automatically generated on all the views.
The dimensions appear as shown, for example, on the front view documented in this
particular case.

The Generated Dimensions Analysis dialog box showing the dimensions and
constraints generated for each part (in this case, there is only one) is automatically
displayed. This dialog box is described in detail in Dimension Generation Analysis.

Note that you can stop at anytime the generation by clicking or, on the contrary,
accelerate the process by clicking .

This task will show you how to analyze generated dimensions via the Generated
Dimension Analysis dialog box.
Open the GenDrafting_part.CATPart and then the GenDrafting_front_view.

CATDrawing documents.
Tile your windows horizontally to view both your drawing and the related part. To do
this, select Window -> Tile Horizontally from the menu bar.

Generation tab. Check the Analysis after generation option. This automatically
launches the generated dimensions analysis after dimension generation.
1. Click the Generate Dimensions icon from the Generation toolbar (Dimension
Generation sub-toolbar).

The dimensions are generated on the view. You can select a dimension in the drawing
to highlight the corresponding constraint in the 3D, and vice-versa.
The Generated Dimension Analysis dialog box is automatically displayed.

The Generated Dimension Analysis dialog box displays the number of constraints
available in the 3D, as well as the number of dimensions generated on the drawing,
for each part or product in the drawing (in this case, there is only one part). You can
use the options in this dialog box to highlight the dimensions in the drafting sheet as
well as the associated 3D constraints you can visualize in your Part or Product
document.
Let's describe the dialog box more precisely:
Constraint Analysis in 3D
These options let you highlight specific constraints on the 3D part.

● Generated constraints: highlights all the constraints which are associated with
the dimensions generated on the drawing.
● Other constraints: highlights all the constraints for which dimensions have not
been generated on the drawing.
● Excluded constraints: highlights all the constraints which have not been taken
into account during the dimension generation (this can be because you previously
excluded them using the Not Generated icon when performing a step by step
generation, or because you removed a generated dimension from the drawing).

Dimension Analysis in 2D
These options let you highlight specific dimensions on the drawing.

● New Generated Dimensions: highlights the dimensions which were generated
during the latest dimension generation (this is useful if you generate dimensions
several times).
● Generated Dimensions: highlights all the generated dimensions.
● Other Dimensions: highlights the dimensions created manually via the
Interactive Drafting workbench.
2. Check the Generated constraints and Generated Dimensions options. The

generated dimensions are highlighted on the drawing, and the constraints associated
with the generated dimensions are highlighted on the 3D part.
2. Click OK to close the dialog box.

● The Analysis after generation option automatically displays the Generated

Dimension Analysis dialog box (after dimension generation), each time you
generate dimensions either automatically (Generating Dimensions icon ) or
semi-automatically (Generating Dimensions Step by Step icon ).

● By default, the Analysis after generation option in Tools->Options is checked,
and the Generated Dimension Analysis dialog box is automatically displayed at the
end of dimension generation. You can deactivate this default by unselecting the
Analysis after generation option.
● You can also launch an analysis explicitly when needed. To do this, go to Tools-
>Dimension Generation->Analysis. The Generated Dimension Analysis dialog
box will be displayed immediately.

This task will show you how to position distance and length dimensions (either
generated dimensions or interactive dimensions) in a better way. These dimensions
will be positioned on the active view exclusively.
Open the GenDrafting_part_ positioningdim.CATDrawing document.
In addition, select the View -> Toolbar -> Positioning option from the menu bar in
order to have the necessary toolbar (Positioning toolbar) displayed in the workbench.
1. Click the Dimension Positioning icon from the Positioning
toolbar.
OR
1. Select Tools -> Positioning -> Dimension Positioning... from the menu bar.
The dimensions are automatically re-positioned.

If you want to have dimension interferences analyzed, use the Dimension Analysis
icon (or select Tools->Analyze->Dimension Analysis from the menu bar). You
will thus be able to visualize and manage interfering dimensions.

This task will show you how to analyze dimensions that were generated and possibly
re-positioned (Positioning icon) on the active view.
Open the GenDrafting_part_ positioningdim02.CATDrawing document.
In addition, select the View -> Toolbar -> Analyze option from the menu bar.
1. Click the Dimension Analysis

icon from the Analyze
toolbar.
OR
1. Select Tools -> Analyze -> Dimensions Analysis from the menu bar.
The Analyze dialog box

appears with the following
options:
● List with all the

annotations badly placed/
Optimized list with the
annotations badly placed
You can choose to have
either a whole or a filtered
list with the interfering
elements

● Total number of elements in the current list

As you choose the above list type, the total number of interfering elements is
automatically updated
● Number of the pointed element
You are provided a number for the element currently pointed as an interfering
element
● Scanner (Start, Before, Update, Next, End)
You can navigate among the list of interfering elements
The interfering dimensions are

automatically displayed in the
red orange color.
Small circles allow visualizing

the interference location.

2. Select Optimized list with

the annotations badly
placed option.
3. Click the Next switch .
4. Start modifying the

dimension positions one after
the other.
Note that you may either re-

position one dimension or
either delete or copy this
dimension, if needed.
View with interfering dimension
View once the interfering dimension has been deleted:
(Number 3):

Driving 3D Constraints via Generated

Dimensions
In this task, you will learn how to drive 3D constraints via generated dimensions.
Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting.
On the Dimension tab, select Activate analysis display mode. Then, click the
Types and colors button to define the characteristics that will be assigned to
constrained geometry.
The Types and colors of dimensions dialog box lets you select the colors you want to
assign to driving dimensions. Select the colors shown below, for example.
On the Administration tab, make sure that the Prevent dimensions from driving
3D constraints option is not selected.
Open the Pinmounting.CATPart document.

Open the GenDrafting_drive_3dconstraints.CATDrawing document.
1. On the front view, double-click the dimension which defines the top radius
(Dimension.5 object). The Constraint Definition dialog box appears.

2. Type 30 in the radius field to

change the radius definition, and
click OK.
The dimension is edited.
3. On the top view, double-click the dimension which defines the rounded corner
radius (Dimension.1 object). The Parameter Definition dialog box appears.

4. Type 30 in the value field, and

click OK.
The dimension is edited.
5. In the CATPart window, click the Update button to update the part. The part is
updated and reflects your modifications:

6. In the CATDrawing window, click the Update button to update the drawing. The
drawing is updated with the latest modifications in the part:
[ Back ] [ Up ]

Dimension commands are documented in the Interactive Drafting user's

guide. As such, the information detailed in this section is presented in an
Interactive Drafting context.
Still, you can open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document directory and thus
manipulate dimensions in a Generative Drafting context.
These dimensions will be associative to the elements created from a part or an

assembly. When created, these elements are associated with a view.
Note that for views that are generated from surfaces, only sketched constraints are
generated.
Before you begin:

You should be familiar with important concepts.
Create dimensions:
Create dimensions by clicking elements.
Create half-dimensions:
Create half dimensions on distance, angle, diameter, cylinders, diameter
edges and diameter tangents but not on cumulate dimensions.
Create cumulated dimensions:

Create cumulated dimensions on a view using selection.
Create stacked dimensions:

Create stacked dimensions using selection.

Create explicit dimensions:

Create dimensions using explicit selection both of the desired icon and of
the required geometrical elements.
Create/modify angle dimensions:

Create an angle dimension and perform the following kinds of
modifications: new angle sector or turn an angle sector into a
supplementary sector.
Create chamfer dimensions:

Create chamfer dimensions.
Create associative thread dimensions:
Create associative thread dimensions.
Create/modify coordinate dimensions:

Automatically create coordinate dimensions on elements.
Create a holes dimensions table:
Create a table containing holes dimensions (diameter and center

coordinates).
Create points coordinates table:
Create a table containing 2D and 3D points coordinates.
Create/modify radius curvature dimensions:

Create and modify a radius curvature dimension. This lets you know the
curvature radius at a given point on a curve (spline, ellipse, etc.).
Create dimensions on curves:

You can create dimensions on the overall size of any kind of curve, whether
it is canonical or not (e.g.: line, circle, ellipse, spline, etc.). You can also
create dimensions on the overall size between 2 curves, or between a curve
and a line, for example.

Create dimensions between an element and a view axis:

Create dimensions between an element and a view axis (one of the two
axes or the origin).
Modify the dimension type:

Modify the dimension type as you create a dimension. On other words, you
modify the dimension attributes.
Re-route dimensions:
Re-route dimensions, i.e. recalculate dimensions taking into account new
geometry elements.
Interrupt one or more extension lines:

Interrupt manually one or more extension lines of one or more dimensions,
either using the contextual menu or the Insert menu bar option.
Modify the dimension line location:

Use the mouse to modify dimension line location either before or after
creating dimensions.
Modify the dimension value text position:

Use the cursor to modify dimension value text position.
Specify the dimension value position:

Automatically or explicitly position the dimension value inside or outside the
area between extremity symbols.
Add text before/after the dimension value:

Insert text before or after the dimension value.
Modify the dimension overrun/blanking:

Use the Blanking Edition dialog box to modify dimension overrun or
blanking.
Line up dimensions (free space):

Line up dimensions relatively to a point in the free space.
Line up dimensions (reference):

Line up dimensions according to a given reference.

Create a datum feature:

Use the Datum Feature Creation dialog box to create a datum feature.
Modify a datum feature:
Modify a datum feature by editing it.
Create a geometrical tolerance:

Use the Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing Parameters dialog box to
create geometrical tolerances.
Modify a geometrical tolerance:

Use the Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing Parameters dialog box to
modify geometrical tolerances.
Copy a geometrical tolerance:

Copy an existing geometrical tolerance and then edit the content for
creating a new one.
Create driving dimensions

Create dimensions that will drive associated constrained geometry.

Before You Begin
Before You Begin

You should be familiar with the following concepts:
Creating Dimensions
You can create (and therefore modify) the following types of dimensions:
Dimensions created on one element:

● Length dimensions
● Diameter dimensions
● Radius dimensions
● Radius curvature dimensions
Dimensions created on two elements:

● Distance dimensions
● Angle dimensions
● Diameter/Radius Cylinder dimensions
Note that you can create half-dimensions on distance, angle, diameter cylinder,
diameter edge and diameter tangent dimensions but not on cumulate dimensions.
Modifying the Dimension Attributes

You can modify the following attributes at any time before you click to validate the
dimension creation:
Modify while creating:

● Type
● Measure direction
● Angle sector
● One symbol
● Diameter/Radius center
Modify while or just after creating:

● Value position
http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/driug_C2/driugbt0699.htm (1 of 4)10/20/2004 5:23:28 PM

Before You Begin
● Extension line overrun/blanking (either one or both)

● Text before/after
● Properties (see further down)
● Swap to diameter/radius
Manipulating Dimensions
By default, when manipulating dimensions, you will use the following functionalities:
● dimension following the cursor: go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design ->
Drafting -> Dimension tab, to use automatic positioning
● global move: go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting ->
Dimension tab, to move precisely dimension line, dimension value, secondary part
of a dimension line.
● blanking manipulators (available when modifying a dimension): go to Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Manipulators tab, not to visualize
blanking manipulators or to visualize other manipulators either when creating or
when modifying a dimension (Overrun, Blanking, Insert text before, Insert text
after, Move value, Move dimension line, Move DimLine Secondary Part).
● value snapped between the dimension lines symbols: go to Tools -> Options ->
Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimension tab, if you do not want to have the
possibility to snap the dimension value between both symbols of the dimension line
and/or you want to snap the dimension position on the grid.
● during creation: to switch temporarily the Dimension following the cursor option,
hold on the ctrl key.
● during creation and edition: to switch temporarily the Activate Snapping option,
hold on the shift key. Clicking on the dimension symbols will invert them.
● during angle dimension creation: if the Dimension following the cursor option is
activated, you can swap the angle sector according to the mouse position holding on
the ctrl and shift keys. If the Dimension following the cursor option is not
activated, you can swap to the complementary angle sector holding on the ctrl key
and clicking on the dimension line.
Dimension Properties
You can apply given properties to all the dimensions you are going to create. For this,
use the Dimension Properties toolbar.

Before You Begin
● Line type (regular, two parts, one part leader, or two parts leader)
● Tolerance type
● Tolerance value
● Numerical Display Format
● Precision.
● For the ISOCOMB combined tolerance, use the following type of syntax in the
tolerance value field: H6 (+0.5 / -0.3)
● When creating a new drawing, the Unit field (here: NUM.DIMM) drives the unit of the
dimensions to be created.
The value which is used by default in this field is usually defined in the standards
(Tools -> Standards -> [StandardName] -> General ->
DefaultNumericalFormatLength or DefaultNumericalFormatAngle).
However, if no value is defined in the standards, the one which will be used by
default is that defined as your default unit choice in Tools -> Options ->
Parameters and Measure -> Units tab.
● When editing an existing drawing, if you change your default unit choice in Tools ->
Options -> Parameters and Measure -> Units tab, then the numerical display
format which best corresponds to the selected unit is automatically selected in the
toolbar instead of the current default value.

Before You Begin
Using Styles
You can use styles (i.e. a set of default values for each kind of element) when creating
dimensions in drawings created with version V5 R11 and later (or pre-R11 drawings
whose standard has been updated or changed in V5 R11 and later). Styles are defined
in the standard used by the drawing and managed by the administrator.
When creating a dimension, the Style toolbar displays the styles available for this type
of dimension. (By default, the Style toolbar is situated at the top left of screen.) If only
one style is available, it will be used by default.
If several styles are available for this type of dimension, you can choose the style that
you want to use to create this dimension by selecting it from the Style toolbar.
Refer to Using Styles for more information.
In drawings created with versions up to V5 R10, you can create dimensions using
default values. Refer to Setting Properties As Default in Pre-R11 Drawings and to Using
Properties Set as Default in Pre-R11 Drawings for more information.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Creating Dimensions
Creating Dimensions
In this task, you will learn how to create dimensions. When creating dimensions on elements,
you can preview the dimensions to be created.
Creating Dimensions
Open the Brackets_views02.CATDrawing document.
1. On the Dimensioning toolbar, click the
Dimensions icon.
2. Click a first element in the view. For example, a

circle.
3. If needed, click a second element in the view.

The dimension type is automatically defined
according to the selected elements ( or in

the Tools Palette).
At this step, the command options in the Tools Palette ( ) allows you to
position the dimension using one of the modes below: Projected, Forced or True Length modes.
These options are also available in the contextual menu.
This toolbar is situated at the bottom right of screen. If you cannot see it properly, just undock
it.
4. Click the Force Dimension on element

command option from the Tools Palette.

Creating Dimensions
5. Right-click to access the contextual menu and select 1 symbol.
The dimension becomes a one-symbol dimension:
During the dimension creation step, you can switch between one-symbol or two-symbols
dimension by selecting or deselecting 1 symbol in the contextual menu.
Once the dimension has been created, you must use the Properties menu to specify whether
you want to use one or two symbols. Right-click the dimension and in the contextual menu,
choose Properties. Click the Dimension Line tab and then check Symbol 2 to display two-
symbols dimension, or uncheck this option to display one-symbol dimension.
6. Click in the drawing window to validate the dimension creation.

Creating Dimensions
7. Create another dimension on a line.
8. Select the two dimensions with the Ctrl key (you can move them both).
9. Start creating another dimension: click the command icon and select another circle:
Click in the drawing to validate the creation.
10. Right-click the dimension you just created and in the contextual menu, choose
Dimension.3 Object and select Swap to Radius:

Creating Dimensions
The diameter dimension has swapped to radius dimension:
11. Right-click the dimension again, and in the contextual menu, choose Dimension.3 Object,
and uncheck Extend to Center: the radius extension line is not extended until the center
anymore.

Creating Dimensions
● You can use this functionality through the Properties menu: right-click on the dimension and
choose Properties. On the Dimension Line tab, select the type of extension you want from
the Extension list: From standard, Till center or Not till center.
● This functionality works with radius dimension and one-symbol diameter dimension.

Creating Dimensions
● When you create a dimension between a generated element in a broken view and a sketched
element, the dimension value may be false to let the user set a fake dimension value.
● When you create a dimension between an axis and another element, the dimension created
by the software is automatically an half dimension.
To bypass this problem, during creation, uncheck Half Dimensions in the contextual menu
(right-click).
● You can generate errors when refreshing the dimensions in the following cases:
❍ In this drawing the dimension "80.14" is measured from the line B to the line C:
If the corresponding part is modified and the chamfer removed, when the drawing is
refreshed the dimension is colored in fuchsia because the line B was removed with the
chamfer:

Creating Dimensions
❍ If the two elements separated by the dimension value are move and then merged the it
will generate an error and the dimension will be fuchsia:

Creating Dimensions
Properties
If you right-click the dimension before creation, a contextual menu lets you modify the
dimension type and value orientation as well as add funnels. Using this contextual menu once
the dimension is created, you can also access the Properties options.
Associativity
If one parent element of the dimension is deleted or deactivated, as soon as you update the
drawing (either 3D Generative or 2D Interactive drawing), the orphan dimension becomes
purple on the condition you activated the Analysis Display Mode option from the Tools
toolbar.
Ensure that if you key in "c: Force Update" to synchronize the drawing with the 3D, any non-
associative dimension will disappear.
Colors can be customized using the Analysis Display Mode option from the Tools toolbar or
via Tools->Options->Drafting, Dimension tab).
Driving Dimensions
You can create dimensions that will, by default, drive the geometry. For this:
● Go to Tools -> Options (Dimension tab) and activate the Create driving dimension
option from the Options dialog box.
● Create and/or modify the desired dimension on the geometry. If needed, you can use the
Tools Palette and define the Value of the dimension you want to be driving.
For more information, refer to Creating Dimension Constraints.

Creating Dimensions
True Dimensions
True Length dimensions can be created using the True Length Dimensions option from the
Tools Palette or using the contextual menu.
Before using true dimensions, make sure that you have not set only create non-associative
dimensions option in Tools -> Options -> Associativity on 3D. In order to work, this
functionality must be applied to an associative dimension.
Half-Dimensions
You can create half-dimensions. For this, right-click the dimension as you create it and select
the Half-dimension option from the contextual menu.
Extension Line Anchor

As you create a dimension between two elements, one of these elements being a circle, you can
select the extension line anchor, for this, you can :
● use the contextual menu (positioned on the dimension) and select one of the available
Extension Line anchor options.

Creating Dimensions
You will thus position the extension line:

● at one extremity of the circle (First Anchor)
● at the center of the circle (Second Anchor)
● at one extremity of the circle (Third Anchor)
● drag the yellow symbol to the one of the anchors (anchors appear when the cursor is over
the yellow symbol):
If in Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimension, you have checked
Dimension following the mouse option, then to move the extension line anchor you must
press the Crtl key before selecting the yellow symbol (to switch temporarily the option).

Half-Dimensions are useful in the case of revolved features or elements using a
plane symmetry. Actually it allows to create the dimensions only on half the
geometry.
This task will show you how to create a half-dimension. You can create half-
dimensions on distance, angle, diameter, cylinders, diameter edges and diameter
tangents but not on cumulate dimensions.
1. Click the Dimensions icon from the

Dimensioning toolbar.
2. Click a first element in the view. For

example, an edge.
3. If needed, click a second element in the

view. For example, another edge.
4. Right-click the dimension and select the

Half Dimension option from the contextual
menu.

The half-dimension appears. Only one

extension line is displayed. The dimension line is
shortened with specific overrun, gap and length.
The value is not centered on the dimension line.
The attributes mentioned in Dimension
parameters drive the dimension graphic display.
● Once you select the half-dimension option from the contextual menu, all the
following dimensions you create will be assigned the half-dimension mode. If you
want to create dimensions in the standard mode, go back to the contextual menu
and de-activate the Half Dimension option.
● You can create a half-dimension directly by selecting first an axis line and then an
other element (which is not an axis). The half-dimension value will be the double
of the measured value between the elements. If you don't want a half-dimension
to be created when selecting such elements, uncheck Half Dimensions from the
contextual menu (right-click) when creating the dimension.
Associativity in the case of half-dimensions is different from associativity in the case of standard
dimensions. For example, the half diameter dimension below is associated to the axis and the
element, whereas a standard diameter is associated to both symmetrical elements.

Standard diameter edge: Half diameter edge:


This task will show you how to create cumulated dimensions on a view.
Go to Tools->Options->Drafting->Dimensions->Line-up and uncheck Align

cumulated dimension values.
1. Click the Cumulated Dimensions icon from the Dimensioning toolbar
(Dimensions sub-toolbar).
2. Click a first point on the view.
3. Click a second point on the view.
You just created a first dimension within the cumulated dimension system.

4. Click a third point on the view.
You now created a second cumulated dimension in the system.
You can create as many cumulated dimensions as desired.

Note that if you move one dimension line as you create a cumulated dimension, all the
lines will move accordingly.
5. Click in the free space to end the cumulated dimension system creation.
If the cumulated dimensions are set with value oriented along dimension line, set the
CUMLTxtReference dimension parameter in the standards.
6. Go to Tools->Options->Drafting->Dimensions->Line-up and check Align

cumulated dimension values.
7. Create the same dimensions as previously, this time positioning them below the

drawing.
This time, dimensions are centered.
This functionality does not work for radius/diameter dimensions.
By default, the Align cumulated dimension values option is active. This

aligns cumulated dimensions by centering them. If you switch to another
standard, all dimension values will be repositioned according to the new
standard (even if you specified their position manually before switching
standards).


This task will show you how to create stacked dimensions on a view.
Stacked dimensions are parallel lines with a common extension line.
Go to Tools->Options->Mechanical Design->Drafting->Dimension->Line-Up
and uncheck Align stacked dimension values.
1. Click the Stacked Dimensions icon from the Dimensioning toolbar (Dimensions
sub-toolbar).
2. Click a first point on the view.
3. Click a second point on the view.
You just created a first dimension within the stacked dimension system.

4. Click a third point on the view.
You now created a second stacked dimension in the system.

5. Click a fourth point on the view.
You now created a third stacked dimension in the system. Note that this stacked
dimension inserted
properly into the system.
You can create as many stacked dimensions as desired.
6. Click in the free space to end the stacked dimension creation.
7. Go to Tools->Options->Drafting->Dimensions->Line-up and check Align

stacked dimension values.
8. Create the same dimensions as previously, this time positioning them below the
drawing.

This time, dimensions are aligned.
This functionality does not work for radius/diameter dimensions.
● When you add a dimension into the cumulated dimension system, in order to have
this system properly displayed (dimensions positioned relatively to one another), the
position of the smallest dimension (i.e. the one that is the closest from the
geometry), is not modified.
● The value of the spacing between the system dimensions is defined in Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimension tab, Line-Up section.

● As you create the dimensions in the system, you can move the whole system. Still,
you actually move the smallest dimension: all the other dimensions in the system
are automatically aligned to this smallest dimension.


This task will show you how to create a dimension you explicitly decide to be:
● a length/distance dimension
● an angle dimension
● a radius dimension
● a diameter dimension
You will select the required elements. Note that when entering the command
dedicated to the creation of a given type of dimension, the default orientation will
be the orientation most adequate.
1. Click the desired icon from the Dimensioning toolbar (Dimensions sub-toolbar).
length/distance dimension
angle dimension
radius dimension
diameter dimension
2. Click as many elements as required in the view.
The Tools Palette automatically appears, displaying dimension modes, except in

the case of angle dimensions.
3. If needed, define the dimension mode in the Tools Palette (

) using one of the modes below: Projected, Forced or True Length modes.
These options are also available in the contextual menu.
Length/Distance Angle
Radius Diameter

For radius dimensions, you can activate the Foreshortened option in the
contextual menu Properties -> Dimension Line.
It allows you to transform a radius dimension line into a foreshortened radius

dimension line. Then you can choose the text position (on long segment or short
segment), the dimension text orientation according to the dimension line
( parallel or convergent), the angle value, the ratio value (short segment/long
segment), and the point scale value.
You can also specify whether you want to unfix the extremity point of the
foreshortened dimension line, which will let you move the extremity point using a
yellow manipulator.


This task will show you how to create an angle dimension and perform the following
kinds of modifications: new angle sector or turn an angle sector into a supplementary
sector.
Create two lines.
1. Select the
Dimension icon
from the
Dimensioning
toolbar.
2. Select both
lines to be
dimensioned, one
after the other.
The angle
dimension appears
in the sector
associated to both
selected lines.
3. Drag the angle

dimension line to
the desired
quadrant (or
sector).
You can move the dimension to a new sector by using the contextual menu:

Right-click the
angle dimension
and select from
the contextual
menu either a
given Angle sector
or the
Complementary
Angle sector.
You can also CTRL-

click the
dimension line.


This task will show you how to create a chamfer dimension. You can use two
different methods:
● create chamfer dimensions manually,
● create chamfer dimensions using chamfer detection.
Creating chamfer dimensions manually

Open the IntDrafting_Dim_Chamfer.CATDrawing document.
1. Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimensions tab
and make sure the Detect chamfer option is not selected.
2. Click the Chamfer Dimensions icon from the Dimensioning toolbar

3. In the Tools Palette which is displayed, you can choose:

● The format of the dimension:
❍ Length x Length (19,1 x 19,1 in our example)
❍ Length x Angle (19.1 x - 46°84'8" in our example)
❍ Angle x Length (- 46°84'8" x 19.1 in our example)
❍ Length 19,1.
● The representation mode:
❍ One symbol
❍ Two symbols

Choose the Length x Length format and the One symbol mode .
You can also access these options using the contextual menu: at any time during
the chamfer dimension creation, you can right-click to display the contextual menu.
4. Select the element to be dimensioned.
5. Select a reference line or surface.
6. You have two options:

● Click on the sheet to end the dimension creation. The chamfer dimension is
computed with an implicit second reference line that is perpendicular to the first
one.

OR
● Select a second reference line or surface. In this case, the chamfer dimension is
computed according to both reference lines you selected.
In a Generative Drafting context (i.e. in the case of a generative view),

you must do this, i.e. you must explicitly select the second reference
line.

In any case, the dimension is associated to all the elements you selected.
Creating chamfer dimensions using chamfer

detection
Open the IntDrafting_Dim_Chamfer.CATDrawing document.
1. Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimensions tab
and make sure the Detect chamfer option is selected.
2. Click the Chamfer Dimensions icon from the Dimensioning toolbar

3. In the Tools Palette which is displayed (as well as in the contextual menu), you can
choose the format of the dimension and the representation mode. For more
information, refer to Step 2 in Creating chamfer dimensions manually.
Choose the Length x Length format and the One symbol mode .
4. Fly the mouse over the element to be dimensioned. You can notice that, depending
on where you position the cursor, the auto-detection agent indicates a different
order for taking elements into account when creating the chamfer dimension:
● 1 indicates the element to be dimensioned,
● 2 indicates the line which will be used as the first reference,
● 3 indicates the line which will be used as the second reference.

5. Click when you are satisfied with the order offered by the auto-detection agent. For
example, click to accept the 3 - 1 - 2 order. The chamfer dimension is computed
according to the first and the second auto-detected reference lines.
At this stage, if you are not satisfied with the order you just accepted, you can still
click to select the first reference line, and, optionally, the second reference line. This
amounts to creating the chamfer dimension manually.
6. Click to end the chamfer dimension creation.
The dimension is associated to all auto-detected elements.
Remarks about chamfer dimensions

● In a Generative Drafting context, you can create chamfer dimensions for the
following types of cylindrical shapes: cylinder/cone/cylinder, plane/cone/cone,
plane/cone/cylinder, plane/plane/plane.
● When creating chamfer dimension on cylindrical shapes in a Generative Drafting

context, remember that:
❍ in the case of projection views, the projection plane needs to be parallel to the
cylinder axis.
❍ in the case of section views or section cuts, the section plane needs to to be
parallel to, and to go through, the cylinder axis.
❍ the sketched profile on which the cylinder (or the cone) is based must be a
circle.
● All settings defined in Tools->Option->Mechanical Design->Drafting

(Dimensions and Manipulators tabs) are taken into account when creating
chamfer dimensions.
● When editing chamfer dimension text properties (Edit > Properties command,
Dimension Texts tab), if you assign any kind or prefix or suffix to the main
value (e.g. associated text, fake dimension, tolerance, text before/after, etc.),
the text will actually be placed after the first value, as shown here.



This task will show you how to create associative thread dimensions.
Open the intthread.CATDrawing document.

1. Click the Thread
Dimension icon
from the Dimensioning
toolbar (Dimensions
sub-toolbar).
2. Select the thread to be dimensioned in the front view. The diameter dimension
appears.
3. Click the Thread

Dimension icon .
4. Select the two lines
representing the thread
to be dimensioned in
the section view.

Two dimensions
appear:
● the thread diameter,
● the thread depth.
● The dimension prefix (M in this example) is issued from the thread standard
defined when creating the hole in the 3D Part.
● In the top views you can modify threads dimensions orientation.


This task will show you how to automatically create 2D or 3D coordinate dimensions on
elements. Coordinate dimensions allow you to define the coordinates of a point relative
to the X, Y, and possibly Z, axes.
Open the PointSketch.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Coordinate Dimension icon from the Dimensioning toolbar (Dimensions
sub-toolbar).
The Tools palette appears with two options: 2D Coordinates lets you create 2D (x,
y) coordinate dimensions for interactive geometry, 3D Coordinates lets you create
3D (x, y, z) coordinate dimensions for generative geometry.

● These options are also available via the contextual menu.
● This choice of options is valid for generative geometry only. In the case of a
generative drawing, or in the case of a drawing containing a mix of generative and
interactive elements, both options will be available, but if you select sketched (i.e.
interactive) geometry, the 2D Coordinates option will be applied automatically (even
if you selected the 3D Coordinates option). In the case of a purely interactive
drawing, the options will not be displayed at all, and only the 2D Coordinates option
will be applied.
2. Select the 3D Coordinates option in the Tools Palette, as you will be
dimensioning elements generated from the 3D.

3. Select the element for which you want to create

the 3D coordinate dimension. The coordinate
dimension is created immediately.
● At this point, you can right-click to display the contextual menu, which allows you
add a breakpoint to the leader, or to choose the leader symbol.
● You can also select a set of elements by trapping them with the mouse, to create
several coordinate dimensions in one shot.
4. Click in the free space to end the dimension creation.
5. Select the coordinate dimension to modify its position. The dimension is highlighted
and its anchor point appears in yellow.
6. Drag the dimension to a new position.
● Coordinates are relative to the absolute axis system except for views created by
selecting a 3D local axis system.
● The yellow anchor point is associative and is linked to the element you dimensioned.


Creating a Hole Dimension Table

This task will show you how to create a Hole and Center Line Dimension Table
(containing diameter and center coordinates).
Open the alesage.CATDrawing document.

1. Select one or more holes and center lines (only center lines not associated with a
hole) in the drawing.
2. Click the Hole Dimension Table icon on the Dimensioning toolbar to launch
the table creation command.

3. The Axis System and Table Parameters

Axis system:
Indicate the holes coordinates 2D reference
axis system. In this example, click on the
view origin (you can also select two lines or
click anywhere in the drawing, or enter the
origin coordinate).
Two reference axis appear:
You can rotate or flip the axis using the Flip

horizontally and Flip vertically icons and
choose to represent the axis system by
checking the Create representation box.
Title: Type the table title.
Columns:
● Choose a label (A, B, C... or 1, 2, 3...). If you want column numbering to start with
values other than A or 1, click the icon and specify the start value.
● Select and name the column to display.
Table format:
● Check Transpose table to invert columns and rows.
● Check Sort table content to sort the table elements.
● Check Split table to split the table into several tables. For more information on
splitting tables, see Creating/Modifying a table.

4. Choose 2D reference axis system for the axis system from the associated drop-down
list.
5. Type the table name in the Title field.
6. Select Label: A, B, C from the Column drop-down list (you can also choose the
Index naming mode) to give a label to the selected points in the drawing.
7. Check X, Y and Diameter to have four

columns corresponding to the hole labels and
to the Cartesian coordinates. Then enter a
title for each column.
8. Check Transpose table to invert columns and rows in the table.
9. Check Sort table content and then click

the icon to define the sorting
parameters.
10. To sort the table by descending X

coordinates, choose X in the Sort by combo
box, and select Descending. Then, click
Close.
11. Click OK to validate your settings and then click in the drawing to define the
location of the table. The table is generated.



This task will show you how to create a table containing coordinates of points from 2D
and 3D.
1. Multi-select the points on one of the views or on all views.
2. Click the Coordinate Dimension Table icon on the Dimensioning toolbar to

launch the table creation command.

3. The Axis system and table parameters

Axis system:
You can choose to use the 2D axis system. It
can be either the one of the view or user-
defined. In this case, it can be defined
interactively by either:
● indicating a point by clicking in the view,
● selecting a point,
● selecting two lines.
Or it can be defined by typing the origin

coordinates in the X and Y fields.
You can rotate or flip the axis using the Flip

horizontally and Flip vertically icons and
choose to represent the axis system by
checking the Create representation box.
Or you can choose to use the 3D axis system.

In this case, it is the absolute axis of the 3D
model, or, if the model is a single part, a local
axis.
Title: Type the table title.
Columns:
● Choose a label (A, B, C... or 1, 2, 3...). If
you want column numbering to start with
values other than A or 1, click the icon
and specify the start value.
● Select and name the column to display,
Table format:
● Check Transpose table to invert columns and rows.
● Check Sort table content to sort the table elements.
● Check Split table to split the table into several tables. For more information on
splitting tables, see Creating/Modifying a table.

4. Choose Axis system.1 for the axis system from the associated drop-down list.
5. Type the table name in the Title field.
6. Select Label: A, B, C from the Column drop-down list (you can also choose the
Index naming mode) to give a label to the selected points in the drawing.
7. Check X, Y and Z to create four columns

corresponding to the points labels and to the
Cartesian coordinates. Then enter a title for
each column in the associated field.
8. Check Transpose table to invert columns and rows in the table.
9. Check Sort table content and click the

icon to define the sorting parameters.
10. To sort the table by descending X

coordinates, choose X in the Sort by combo
box, and select Descending. Then, click
Close.
11. Click OK to validate your settings and then click in the drawing to define the
location of the table. The table is generated.


Creating Radius Curvature Dimensions

This task will show you how to create and modify a radius curvature dimension. A
radius curvature dimension lets you know the curvature radius at a given point on a
curve (spline, ellipse, etc.).
Create a spline.
1. Select the Dimension icon from the Dimensioning toolbar.
2. Move the cursor over the spline. You can notice that the cursor changes to indicate
that you are going to create a dimension on a spline.
3. On the spline, click the point where you want to create the radius curvature
dimension. A preview of the radius curvature dimension is displayed.
4. Click to validate the dimension creation.

5. Move the dimension over the spline to modify the dimension.


This task will show you how to create overall dimensions on curves. You can create
dimensions on the overall horizontal or vertical size of any kind of curve, whether it is
canonical or not (e.g.: ellipse, spline, etc.). You can also create dimensions on the
overall size between 2 curves, or between a curve and a line, for example.
Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting. On the Dimension
tab, uncheck Dimension following the cursor (CTRL toggles).
Open the Dimension_Spline.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Dimension icon from the Dimensioning toolbar.
2. In the Tools Palette, click the Force horizontal dimension in view icon to
specify that you want to create the dimension based on the horizontal direction.
The direction of overall curve dimensions can only be horizontal or vertical.
3. Select a spline. A preview of the dimension is displayed.

If the preview shows a curvilinear length dimension instead of an overall curve

dimension, right-click to display the contextual menu and select Overall instead of
Curvilinear Length.
4. Click elsewhere in the drawing to validate the dimension creation. The dimension
you created indicates the overall horizontal size of the spline.
5. Again, click the Dimension icon .
6. In the Tools Palette, click the Force vertical dimension in view icon to
specify that you want to create the dimension based on the vertical direction.
7. Select the bottom line and the other spline. A preview is displayed. Yellow
manipulators and point indicators appear: these let you select precisely the
points that you want the dimension to take into account.

8. Move the spline dimension manipulator to point 7 on the spline, for example.
The preview is updated.

9. Click in the drawing to validate the dimension creation. The dimension you
created indicates the overall vertical distance between the bottom line and point
7 of the spline.


This task will show you how to create dimensions for the curvilinear length of a curve, i.e.
to measure the overall length of a curve.
Open the CurvilinearDimension.CATDrawing document.
2. Select a curve. A preview of the dimension is displayed. By default, this preview

shows an overall curve dimension.
3. Right-click the preview to display the contextual menu and select Curvilinear
Length instead of Overall.
4. Still in the contextual menu, select a representation mode for the dimension line:
● Offset displays the dimension line as an offset of the measured curve.
● Parallel displays the dimension line as a translation of the measured curve.
● Linear displays the dimension line as linear.
Select Parallel, for example.
5. Optionally drag the dimension line and/or the dimension value to position them as

wanted.
6. Click elsewhere in the drawing to validate the dimension creation. The semi-arc
symbol displayed over the dimension value symbolizes a curvilinear length
dimension. You can now handle the dimension just like any other dimension.
7. Again, click the Dimension icon .

8. Select another curve. This time, the preview of the dimension shows a curvilinear
length dimension (your previous selection was memorized).
9. Once again, right-click to display the contextual menu and select Offset as the
representation mode for the dimension line.
10. Click in the drawing to validate the dimension creation.

11. Repeat steps 7 to 9, this time selecting Linear as the representation mode for the
dimension line.
12. Still in the contextual menu, select Dimension Representation -> Force
Horizontal Dimension in View to specify the dimension line orientation.
13. Click in the drawing to validate the dimension creation.
More About Curvilinear Length Dimensions

General remarks
● Curvilinear length dimensions can be created using the Dimensions, Length/Distance
Dimensions and Technological Feature Dimensions commands; they cannot be
created using the Stacked Dimensions and Cumulated Dimensions commands.
● You can create curvilinear length dimensions for all types of curves: splines, circles, arcs
of circle, conics, etc. Note that in the case of circles and arcs of circle, they will be called
circular length dimensions.
● The curvilinear length symbol is defined by the administrator in the standards.
● The linear representation mode for the dimension line is:
❍ forbidden in the case of closed curves.
❍ the only authorized representation mode for True Length dimensions.
Limitations
● You cannot change the dimension line representation mode or orientation after the

dimension has been created.

● In the case of the parallel and offset representation modes, the dimension value cannot
be moved out of the curve limits. As a result, you cannot specify the dimension value
position (Inside, Outside, Auto).
● In some cases, depending on the curve and on the offset value, the offset
representation mode cannot be computed:
❍ In certain cases, when switching from another representation mode to the offset
mode, the dimension will be previewed as being not-up-to-date (i.e. using the color
configured in Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimension
tab, Analysis Display Mode): try to move the cursor closer to the dimension.
❍ In other cases, you will not be able to position the dimension further than a certain
limit. The examples below show the limits for positioning a curvilinear length
dimension in offset mode for a spline.

● In the case of curvilinear length dimensions in offset mode, it is recommended to

activate the Constant offset between dimension line and geometry setting in
Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > Dimension tab. This will
ensure that the dimension remains associative if the geometry is moved.
● When dimensioning a 3D curve that is not planar, the extension line of the curve will
extend to the projection of the endpoints of the curve in the view plane of the
dimension. As a result, the dimension may seem to point nowhere.
● Partial curvilinear length dimensions are not supported.
● Curvilinear dimensions cannot be measured along a direction.
● Curvilinear dimensions cannot be driving dimensions.

Creating Dimensions along a Reference

Direction
This task will show you how to create dimensions along a reference direction, i.e.
measure the projection of a segment/distance onto a direction. This direction is
determined using either a linear element, a fixed angle in the view or a combination of
both.
Dimensions along a reference direction can be created for length, distance, diameter
tangent, radius tangent, and overall curve dimensions, as well as on linear (i.e. not
angular) cumulated or stacked dimensions.
Open the GEAR-REDUCER2.CATDrawing document.
2. In the Tools Palette, click the Intersection Point Detection icon . Refer to
Creating dimensions between intersection points for more information about this
functionality.
3. Click the first element, in this case, an intersection point.

4. Click the second element.
The dimension to be created is previewed. In the Tools Palette, click the
Force dimension along a direction icon:

Several options are then displayed in the Tools Palette:
● Dimension along a direction creates the dimension using a

linear element (line, axis line, center line) as the reference direction, or
using an angle to define the reference direction relatively to a linear
element. In the latter case, key in a value in the Angle field.
● Dimension perpendicular to a direction creates the dimension

perpendicularly to a linear element.
● Dimension along a fixed angle in view creates the dimension

using a fixed angle in the view. In this case, key in a value in the
Angle field.
Note that such a dimension follows the view rotation. Thus, a
dimension line with a 30 deg angle in a view which is set at 45 deg
(relatively to the sheet) will be equivalent to a dimension line with a
75 deg angle relatively to the sheet.
These options are also available in the contextual menu that you can
display during the dimension creation.
5. Click the Dimension along a direction icon . For the purpose of this
scenario, leave the Angle field set to 0 deg.
6. Select a linear element to use as the reference direction. Once created, the
dimension will be associative to this element.

The dimension is updated so as to measure the distance between the

selected points once projected onto the reference direction.
7. Drag the mouse to position the dimension as wanted.


More About Dimensions Along a Reference Direction

● In the case of a dimension along or perpendicular to a direction, if you delete the
linear element used as the reference direction, the dimension will be automatically
converted into a dimension along a fixed angle in view (the angle being that of the
reference element in the view before its deletion).
● The behavior of a dimension along or perpendicular to a direction will actually

depend on whether the Only create non-associative dimensions option is
activated in Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > Dimension
tab, Associativity on 3D button:
❍ If it is activated, then the dimension will actually be a dimension along a fixed
angle in the view (the angle being that of the reference element in the view).
❍ If it is not activated, then the dimension will always match the direction of the
element defining the reference direction.
● Once a dimension along a reference direction has been created, you cannot modify
the elements that define the direction of measure, i.e. either the linear element
used as the reference direction or the fixed angle in view.
● The reference direction will not be taken into account when re-routing dimensions
(Re-route Dimension command).
● Dimensions along a reference direction cannot be driving dimensions. So, if the
Create driving dimension option is activated in Tools -> Options ->
Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimension tab, you will not be able to drive
dimensions when dimensioning along a direction.
● Dimensions created in a shot (i.e. cumulated/stacked dimensions, or dimensions
sharing the same type as the first one) all have the same reference direction.

Creating Dimensions between Intersection

Points
This task will show you how to create dimensions between an intersection point and an
element or between two intersection points.
Open the GEAR-REDUCER2.CATDrawing document.
2. In the Tools Palette, click the Intersection Point Detection icon .

3. Position the mouse over the first intersection point. An intersection point is the
meeting point of:
● 2 extensions lines (as shown in this example)

● 2 lines
● a line and an extension line
A preview of the intersection point is displayed.

In the case of drawings with many elements displayed on screen,

intersection points may sometimes be difficult to detect. If this happens (i.
e. if the intersection point is not previewed or if the previewed intersection
point is not the one you want), simply position the mouse over the first
and then the second reference element. The proper intersection point will
then be previewed.
4. Click to create the intersection point. The point is created, as well as

construction lines and coincidence constraints between the point and its
reference elements.
The display and behavior of intersection points is defined by the

administrator in the standards. Indeed, the administrator can specify the
style that should be applied to the intersection point and construction line,
whether the intersection point can be printed or not, and whether
construction lines should be displayed and/or printable.
5. Now, position the mouse over the second intersection point.

6. Click to create the intersection point. A preview of the dimension is displayed.

By default, this dimension is a distance dimension.

At this point, if you want to create a diameter dimension or a radius

dimension rather than a distance dimension, you can right-click to display
a contextual menu in which you will be able to change the dimension type
from the default Distance to Diameter Edge or Radius Edge.
For the purpose of this scenario, leave the default option, Distance,
selected.
7. Using the mouse, position the dimension as wanted.

8. Click to validate and end the dimension creation.


Creating Dimensions between an Element and

a View Axis
In this task, you will learn how to create dimensions between an element and a view
axis (one of the two axes or the origin).
Open the IntDrafting_Viewplane_Front.CATDrawing document.
Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> General and check
Display in the current view to display the view axis.
1. Click the Dimensions icon from the Dimensioning toolbar.
2. Click a first element in the view.
3. Select one of the two view axes or the origin.

4. Click anywhere in the drawing window to confirm the dimension creation.
The dimension is created.

This task will show you how to re-route dimensions, i.e. to recalculate dimensions taking into
account new geometry elements which are compatible with the re-routed dimension type.
Re-routing dimensions can be particularly useful in the case of isolated dimensions resulting
from V4 to V5 migration. Indeed, re-routing isolated dimensions to the geometry enables you
make them associative.
Open the Reroute_Dimensions.CATDrawing document. You can notice that the dimension
properties are customized.
1. Select the Re-route Dimension icon from the Dimensioning toolbar (Extension Line
Interruptions sub-toolbar).
2. Select the angle dimension. You can notice that the cursor indicates the type of dimension
you are selecting.
3. Select the first element you want to take into account for the dimension re-routing, and
then the second element.

Select the first element. Then, select the second element.
During this operation, the cursor gives a graphic preview of what type of element you are
selecting (in this case, lines).
A preview of the re-routed angle dimension is displayed.

5. You can proceed in the same manner to re-route the other dimension types available on
the drawing.
● Always make sure that the element(s) to which you are re-routing dimensions are
compatible with the re-routed dimension type. For example, when re-routing a radius
dimension, you need to select a curved element.
● You cannot re-route chamfer dimensions.
● In a Generative Drafting context, you cannot re-route dimensions generated via the
Generate Dimensions command.
● Re-routing dimensions preserves dimension properties when you customized them.


This task will show you how to modify the dimension type as you create a
dimension. In other words, you modify the dimension attributes. In this particular
example, we will apply a Radius Center dimension type to a hole.
1. Start creating a diameter dimension, for example. If needed, modify the dimensions
location by dragging it with the cursor.
2. Right-click the dimension.
3. Select the required dimension type from the displayed contextual menu. For
example, Radius Center.
The diameter dimension is automatically turned into a radius dimension.
4. Click in the drawing to validate the dimension creation. If needed, you can modify
the dimension location.

● When you display the contextual menu, you can decide that you want to restore the
dimension value to its original position. For this, select the Restore Value Position
option from the contextual menu.
● When you display the contextual menu, you can define the value orientation with the
screen, view or dimension line as reference, or still horizontal, vertical or
according to a fixed angle. These options are available in the Value Orientation
dialog box.


This task will show you how to interrupt manually one or more extension lines of one or
more dimensions.
Open the Interruption_ExtLine01.CATDrawing document.
1. You have several possibilities:

● Right-click a dimension and select the Dimension.1 Object -> Create
Interruption(s) option from the contextual menu.
● Select a dimension and click Insert -> Dimensioning -> Dimension Edition ->
Create Interruption(s) from the menu bar.
● Select a dimension and click on the Create Interruption(s) icon in the

Dimensioning toolbar (Dimension Edition sub-toolbar).
● You can also select the interruption command first, and then the dimension.
● You can multi-select several dimensions either using the Ctrl key or by trap.
2. In the Tools Palette, indicate if you want to create the interruption on one extension
line or on both extension lines.

3. Click to indicate the first point defining the interruption to be created.
4. Click to indicate the second point defining the interruption to be created.
If you have chosen to create the interruption on one extension line, the interruption is
automatically created on the extension line which is closest to where you click.
5. To remove the interruption you created, you have several possibilities:

● Right-click the dimension and select Dimension.1 Object -> Remove Interruption
(s) from the contextual menu.
● Select the dimension and click Insert -> Dimensioning -> Dimension Edition ->
Remove Interruption(s) from the menu bar.
● Select the dimension and click on the Remove Interruption(s) icon in the
Dimensioning toolbar (Dimension Edition sub-toolbar).
6. In the Tools Palette, indicate if you want to remove a single interruption on an

extension line, all interruptions on an extension line, or all interruptions on both
extension lines. In this case, leave the Remove One Interruption icon selected.

7. Click to indicate the extension line from which you want to remove the interruption.
The interruption is removed from the extension line which is closest to where you click.
● When creating or removing interruptions, you can select the dimension either before
or after selecting the appropriate command.
● If you move the dimension, the interruption will remain as you created it.
● If you modify either the overrun and / or the blanking, the interruption also remains
the same.
● You can apply a maximum of eight interruptions to an extension line.

● Extension lines with funnels cannot be interrupted. Likewise, you cannot add funnels
to extension lines with interruptions.


This task will show you how to modify the position of the dimension value text using
the mouse.
Open the Brackets_views02.CATDrawing document. Create a distance dimension, for
example.
1. Click the Select
icon , if needed.
2. Select the dimension
value text.
3. Drag the value text

to the new position.
4. Click to validate the
position.
Note that as a
useful help,
you can press
the Shift key
and switch to
the Snap to
Point on or off
mode. The
mode is
temporarily
changed (as
long as you
keep the
button
pressed).
When the

Snap to Point
mode is on, as
you select and
drag the
dimension
value, an
anchor
appears to
help you
locate the
middle of the
dimension.
At any time, you can restore the original value text position. To do this, right-click the
dimension you positioned and select Restore Value Position from the contextual
menu.


This task will show you how to modify dimension line location either as you create or
after creating dimensions.
example.
1. Click the Select icon , if

needed.
2. Select the dimension to be
modified. For example, a
distance dimension.
The distance dimension is
highlighted.
3. Select the dimension line.

4. Drag the dimension line to
the new position.
You can also modify the dimension line location using the extension line.
Note that as a useful help, you can press the Shift button and switch to the Snap to
Point on or off mode. The mode is temporarily changed (as long as you keep the button
pressed).
http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/driug_C2/driugbt0603.htm10/20/2004 5:28:04 PM

In this task, you will learn how to place automatically the value outside the area
between extremity symbols when this area is too small, or how to explicitly position the
value inside or outside the area between extremity symbols.
example.
1. Click the Select

icon , if needed.
2. Right-click the
dimension to be
modified.
3. In the contextual menu, select Properties. The Properties dialog box is displayed.
4. Click on the Value tab.

5. In the Value Orientation area, there are three options in the Position field.
● Auto: positions the value inside the area between extremity symbols whenever this
is possible; otherwise, positions it outside.
● Inside: positions the value inside the area between extremity symbols.
● Outside: positions the value outside the area between extremity symbols.
6. Select Auto.
If you change the
dimension from
now on, and the
value does not fit
inside the area
between extremity
symbols, the value
will be
automatically
positioned outside.
Try it by reducing
the dimension as
shown in our
example.
● The Auto position of the dimension value will be disabled if you modify the position
of the dimension value text using the mouse (i.e. if you manually move it). You can
restore the original position of the dimension value by right-clicking the dimension
and selecting Restore Value Position from the contextual menu.
● If you switch between Auto, Inside, and Outside, make sure the dimension value
is properly positioned by restoring the original position of the dimension value (use
the Restore Value Position option from the contextual menu).


This task will show you how to insert text before or after the dimension value.

example.
Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Manipulators tab,
and check the Modification box for the Insert text before and the Insert text
after options.
1. Click the Select icon , if needed.

2. Click the dimension to be modified. The dimension is highlighted and two
manipulators appear, both before and after the dimension value.
3. Click the manipulator before the dimension value, for example.

The Insert Text Before dialog box is displayed.
4. Enter the text that you want to add before the dimension value, L= for instance.
5. Click OK. The text is automatically inserted before the dimension value.
Note that any created Text Before is automatically added to the drop-
down list in the dialog box and can therefore be selected again from this
list.
6. Click in the free space.

Modifying the Dimension Overrun/Blanking

This task shows how to modify dimensions extension line overrun and/or blanking either together or
separately.
Open the Brackets_views02.CATDrawing document. Create a distance dimension, for example.
Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Manipulators tab, and check the
Modification box for the Modify overrun and the Modify blanking options.
1. Click the Select icon , if needed.

2. Drag the overrun manipulator(s) to a new position, as shown below:
If you want to modify one extension line only, press the Ctrl key and drag the desired
manipulator.
3. Drag the blanking manipulator(s) to a new position, as shown below:

4. If you need to be more precise, double-click

the manipulator. The Blanking Edition
5. Enter the desired value to modify the
blanking.
You can also modify the overrun/

blanking of only one extension line of
the dimension.
6. Double-click the overrun manipulator(s).
The Overrun Edition dialog box

appears.
7. Enter the desired overrun value and un-check

the Apply to both sides option from the
Overrun Edition dialog box.
Note that you can also right-click the dimension and select the Edit -> Properties option from the
displayed contextual menu. The Properties dialog box appears. Select the Extension Line tab and
modify the desired value(s) of the Overrun / Blanking Extremities option(s).

Overrun is the overrun minimum value. As an example, for a cumulated dimension (for ISO Standard):
You can increase the overrun size. You cannot decrease it below the minimum value.
To set Cumulate dimension extension line length and text position, customize the following parameter in
the standards: CUMLExtMode in Dimension parameters.


This task will show you how to line up the following dimensions relative to a point in
the free space:
In other words, you are going to organize dimensions into a system with a linear
offset. The offset will align the dimensions to each others as well as the smallest
dimension to the reference element.
Open the LineUp_Dimensions01.CATDrawing document.
1. Select the dimensions to be lined up.
2. Right click and select Line-up option from the contextual menu
or click on the Line-Up icon .
You can also select Tools->Positioning->Line-up item from the menu bar.
3. Click anywhere on the drawing.

The Line Up dialog box appears:
4. Enter the desired Linear offset value. For example, 20 mm.
5. Click the Only organize into systems option.
6. Click OK to validate.
The position of the smallest system dimension will not be modified. The stacked
system dimensions will be aligned to this smallest dimension.
The dimensions are now aligned:

When you click in the free space, the linear offset between the smallest dimension and
the reference is automatically set to 0 value. The space between two dimensions will
be the space defined in the Options dialog box (Tools->Options, Mechanical
Design ->Drafting at the left of the dialog box, Dimension tab, Line Up
paragraph). See Dimension Creation for more details.


This task will show you how to line up the following dimensions according to a given
reference:
Open the LineUp_Dimensions02.CATDrawing document.
1. Go to Tools->Options->Mechanical Design->Drafting->Dimensions tab.
The offset you can set in this dialog box corresponds to:

2. Select the dimensions to be lined-up.
3. Right click and select Line-up item from the contextual menu.
You can also select the Tools -> Positioning -> Line-up item from the menu bar.
4. Select the element that will be used as reference for positioning dimensions. See
the example above.
The Line Up dialog box appears. You can see that the default values are the ones set
in Tools Options menu (see step 1).
5. Enter the required offset values in the Line Up dialog box and, if needed, deactivate
the Only organize into systems option.

The smallest dimension positions with respect to the element selected and offsets by
20 mm. And offset between dimension is equal to 30mm.


This task will show you how to create a datum feature.
1. Click the Datum

Feature icon from the
Dimensioning toolbar.
2. Select the point at

which you want the datum
feature to be attached
(attachment point).
3. Select the point at

which you want the datum
feature to be anchored
(anchor point).
The Datum Feature Creation dialog box is displayed with A as default value
(incremental value).
4. Enter the desired character string, if needed.
5. Click OK.
The datum feature is
created.
An extension line is automatically created on the datum feature.

● The character string that is edited in the Datum Feature Creation dialog box is
simultaneously previewed on the drawing.
● When you create more than one datum feature, the character string of this datum
feature is automatically incremented.
● To change Datum Feature ANSI representation into ASME representation, change
the TXTDatumMode parameter of your standard file (see Dimension parameters):
ASME
TXTDatumMode = 1
(Normal)
ANSI
TXTDatumMode = 2
(Flag)


This task shows you how to modify a datum feature by editing it.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create a datum feature.
1. Double-click the
datum feature you
want to modify.
The Datum Feature

Modification dialog
box is displayed.
2. Modify the datum

feature value. For
example, enter B
instead of A.
3. Click OK.
4. Click in the free

space or select
another icon.
The datum feature is

modified.



This task shows you how to create a geometrical tolerance (annotation).
You can also copy an existing geometric tolerance. You can set text properties either before or after you
create the text.
● Creating a geometrical tolerance
● Leader orientation
● Geometrical tolerance orientation

1. Click the Geometric Tolerance icon from the Dimensioning toolbar (Tolerancing sub-toolbar).
2. Select an element (geometry, dimension, text or point) or click in the free space to position the anchor
point of the geometrical tolerance.
● If you select an element, the anchor point will be an arrow. Note that
you can modify this symbol by editing the annotation leader.
● If you select a point in the free space, the anchor point will be a small
balloon.
● If you select a dimension or a text, no leader will be created. The

geometric tolerance will be displayed just below the element you
selected.
3. Move the cursor to position the geometrical tolerance and then click at the chosen location. The
Geometrical Tolerance dialog box appears.

● At this step, you can apply the parameter values of an existing geometric tolerance to the tolerance you
are creating: to do this, simply select the existing geometric tolerance.
● If you have selected the Use style values to create new objects option in Tools -> Options ->
Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Administration tab, the Geometrical Tolerance dialog box is pre-
filled with custom style values (as defined in the Standards Editor). In this case, Properties toolbars and
the Tools Palette are disabled during the creation of the geometrical tolerance.
On the other hand, if you have not selected this option, the Geometrical Tolerance dialog box is pre-filled
with the last entered values (if any). In this case, Properties toolbars and the Tools Palette are active
during the creation of the of the geometrical tolerance.
● You can reset the current style values in the Geometrical Tolerance dialog box at any time using the Reset
button.
4. Select the Filter Symbol option to filter the available tolerance symbols according to the type of
geometrical element you selected (if any).
If you did not select any geometrical element, the tolerance symbols will not filtered.
5. Specify the tolerance type by clicking the Tolerance Symbol button and selecting the appropriate symbol.
6. Type the tolerance value in the Tolerance value field, adding symbols as needed. To do this, position the
cursor at the proper location in the field, and click the Insert Symbol button to choose the appropriate
symbol.

You can add symbols to the tolerance and reference value as well as to the upper and lower text.
7. Type the reference values in the Reference value fields, adding symbols as needed.
8. To add a new geometrical tolerance, click the Next line arrow button and repeat steps 4 to 5.
9. Type the upper and lower texts in the appropriate fields. You may also add symbols if you want to.
The geometric tolerance is updated as you define values for each field.
10. Click OK when you're done. The geometrical tolerance is created.
11. You can add an all-around symbol to the leader. To do this, select the geometrical tolerance, right-click
the yellow manipulator on the arrow and select All Around from the contextual menu.

Specifying Leader Orientation

You can orient the geometrical tolerance leader perpendicularly to the element to which it is associated (for
example, if the leader is associated to a dimension, you can position the leader parallel to the dimension line
and orthogonal to the extension line).
For this, you have two different possibilities:

● Either go to Tools -> Options -> Drafting -> Annotation and Dress-up tab and check Activate
snapping (SHIFT toggles). Then, click the Configure button and select either On orientation or Both.
To orient directly the geometrical tolerance leader perpendicularly to the associated element, press the
Shift key before clicking in the drawing to position the tolerance (see previous scenario, step 3).
● Or go to Tools -> Options -> Drafting -> Annotation and Dress-up tab and check Geometrical
tolerance in Annotation Creation -> Apply snapping to. The leader will be oriented perpendicularly to
the geometry by default. In this case, pressing the Shift key will let you orient it differently.
Specifying Geometrical Tolerance Orientation

To make the tolerance vertical, hold the ctrl key before clicking in the drawing to position the tolerance
(previous scenario, step 3).


This task shows you how to modify a geometrical tolerance.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create a geometrical tolerance.
1. Double-click the
geometrical tolerance you
want to modify.
The Geometrical Tolerance dialog box is displayed.
You can reset the current style values in the Geometrical Tolerance dialog box at any
time using the Reset button.

2. Modify any desired value from the dialog box.
3. Click OK.
4. Click in the free space

to validate the geometrical
dimension modification.


This task will show you how to copy an existing geometrical tolerance and then edit
the content for creating a new one.
1. Click on the geometrical tolerance you want to copy.
2. Right-click and select the Copy option from the contextual menu.
3. Select the element to which you want the geometrical tolerance to be associated.
4. Right-click and select the Paste option on the contextual menu.
5. Move the copied geometrical tolerance to position it as desired.
6. Double-click the copied geometrical tolerance.
7. In the filter Symbols box, make sure that the desired option is activated.
Select to display only those tolerance symbols generally considered

appropriate for the type of geometrical element selected. Unselect it to display all
symbols, regardless of the selected type of element.
8. Modify any of the values.
After you enter a value, press Enter or Tab to move to the next field.
The geometrical tolerance is updated as you define values for each field.
9. Click OK to confirm your operation and close the dialog box.

This task shows you how to create dimensions that will drive associated constrained
geometry.
Go to Tools -> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Dimension and
select Activate analysis display mode. Then, click the Types and colors button to
define the characteristics that will be assigned to constrained geometry.
The Types and colors of dimensions dialog box lets you select the color you want to
assign to driving dimensions. Select the color shown below, for example.
Click the Dimensions icon from

the Dimensioning toolbar and create
a dimension on the geometry
previously selected. In this example,
create a length dimension on a line.
1. Double-click the dimension.
2. Modify the dimension via the displayed Dimension Value dialog box. For example,
enter 40 millimeter as the new length. This dimension will now drive the geometry.

If the Drive geometry option is

selected, the double-clicked
dimension becomes a constraint and
behaves as a dimension constraint.
The geometry is updated in order to reflect the new driving dimension. Let's call it driven
geometry.
In addition, this geometry is assigned the characteristics previously defined in the Types
and colors of dimensions dialog box via Tools -> Options. In this particular case, the
driving dimension is visualized as follows:
You cannot create driving dimensions in the following cases:

● Between a generated element and an interactive element, horizontal and vertical
dimensions are not available. If you double-click on the dimension, the Drive
geometry option is deactivated.
● Between an interactive element and a generated circle center, no type of dimensions
is available. If you double-click on the dimension, Drive geometry option is
deactivated:
To bypass this problem, create a point that is concentric with the center of the circle
and create the dimension between this new point and the other element.
● Between two elements (a generative one and an interactive one) that are not parallel,
no type of dimensions is available. If you double-click on the dimension, Drive
geometry option is deactivated:

To bypass this problem, create a point that will be coincident with line A and line B at
the same time and create the dimension between this new point and the other
element.
● Between two semicircles (apart from dimensions between the semicircles centers). If
you double-click on the dimension, the Drive geometry option is deactivated:

[ Back ] [ Up ]


This task will show you how to create associative thread dimensions.
Open the thread.CATDrawing document.
1. Click the Thread Dimension

icon from the
Dimensioning toolbar
2. Select the thread to be dimensioned in the front view. The diameter dimension
appears.
3. Click the Thread Dimension icon .
4. Select the only one of the

thread elements in the
section view, two
dimensions appear:
● the thread diameter

● the thread depth

In the top views you can modify threads dimensions orientation.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

Annotations
Annotations
Annotation commands are documented in the Interactive Drafting user's
Still, you can open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document and thus

manipulate annotations and dress-up elements in a Generative Drafting context.
In order to be consistent with the way commands have been grouped in toolbars
and sub-toolbars, the following tasks are documented in the Manipulating
Dimensions chapter:
● Datum Feature Creation and Modification
● Geometrical Tolerance Creation, Modification and Copy
See Before you begin to learn about important concepts, including setting text
properties.
Before you begin

You should be familiar with basic concepts such as setting the properties of a
text (font style, size, justification, etc.), using default values, and specifying
the position and/ or orientation of a text.
Create a free text

Create a text that either wraps or not, that is assigned an unlimited width text
frame, even though this text may reach the frame boundary.
Create an associated text

Create a text which you want to be and remain associated to an existing
element.
Make an existing annotation associative

At any time and once an annotation has been created, you can add a link
between an annotation and another element.

Annotations
Create a text with a leader

Create a text with a leader either in the free space or associated with an
element.
Add a leader to an existing annotation

Add a leader to an annotation that was previously created.
Handle annotation leaders
Add or remove breakpoints, extremity or interruptions. Move and position

leader breakpoints.
Add frames and sub-frames to existing text
Add a frame or a sub-frame to a text that was previously created.
Replicate a text and attribute:

Replicate text as well as the corresponding text attribute.
Copy text graphical properties:

Copy the text graphical properties of an annotation or element to other
elements.
Create a datum target:

Create a datum target on a view.
Modify a datum target:

Modify a datum target by editing it in a dialog box.
Create a balloon:
Create a balloon using a dialog box.
Creating an associative balloon on a generated product view

Create associative balloons on views generated from a product.
Modify a balloon
Modify a balloon using a dialog box.

Annotations
Create a roughness symbol

Create a roughness using a dialog box.
Create a welding symbol

Create a welding symbol using a dialog box.
Create a geometry weld

Create a geometry weld symbol.
Modify annotation positioning

Assign new positioning to existing annotations.
Create/modify a table
Create, edit and modify a table.
Find/replace text
Locate and then, if needed, replace strings of characters.
Perform an advanced search

Use the advanced search command.
Query object links
Query object links in a drawing.
Adding attribute links to text

Add one or more attribute links between text that was previously created.

Before You Begin
Before You Begin
Setting Text Properties

This task explains how to set the properties of a text, such as font style, size, justification, etc. Text
properties can be applied to text, dimension text, text with leader, balloon and datum target, as well
as to text included in datum features and geometrical tolerances. You can set the properties of a text
either before or after creating it.
Create a text.
1. Choose View -> Toolbars, and select Text Properties. The Text Properties
toolbar is displayed.
2. Select the text.
3. Choose the properties you want to apply to this text from the Text
Properties toolbar. For instance, select Italic and Bold. The properties you
chose are applied to the selected text.
The options available in the Text properties toolbar are listed in the table below:
Option Name Description
Font Name Changes the style of the text.
Changes the size of the text.

Font Size Note that this size cannot be
inferior to 0.2 mm.
Changes the weight of the
Bold text. Toggles between normal
and heavy (bold).
Changes the angle of the text.
Italic Toggles between normal and
slanted (italic)
Underline Adds a line under the text.
Adds a line through the center
Strike Thru
of the text.
Overline Adds a line above the text.
Raises the text above the
Superscript
normal text line.
Lowers the text below the
Subscript
normal text line.
Aligns multiple lines of text to
Left Justify
the left edge of the text frame.

Before You Begin
Centers multiple lines of text

Center Justify
within the text frame.
Aligns multiple lines of text to
Right Justify the right edge of the text
frame.
Anchor point Changes the position of the
point that connects the text to
the drawing or to an element.
Choices are as follows:
● Along the top of the text:
left, center or right
● Along the vertical center of
text: left, center or right
● Along the bottom of the
text: left, center or right
Frame Draws a single-line frame
around the text.
A variety of different shapes is
available.
You can choose to create each

frame with either a variable or
a fixed size. For a rectangular
frame, for example, the icon
represents the variable-
size frame, and the icon

(with the padlock) represents
the fixed-size frame.
Specifying the Position and Orientation of a Text

You can specify the position (x, y) and/ or orientation (angle) of a text.
Create a text.
1. Choose View -> Toolbars, and select the Position and Orientation command. The Position and
Orientation toolbar is displayed.

Before You Begin
2. Select the text for which you want to specify the position and/or orientation.
3. Enter the required values in the Position and Orientation toolbar.

● X: sets the horizontal position.
● Y: sets the vertical position.
● A: sets the orientation.
[ Up ] [ Next ]


This task explains how to create a text, with possible line wrapping. This text is
assigned a frame of unlimited width, even though it may reach the frame boundary.
You can set the properties of a text (anchor point, font size, justification, etc.) either
before or after creating it.
You will learn how to perform the following operations:

● Creating a Free Text
● Specifying Text Orientation

1. Click the Text icon from the Annotations toolbar.
2. Click where you want to insert the free text on the drawing. A green frame appears,
as well as the Text Editor dialog box.
3. If you want to specify the horizontal boundary of

the text, drag the frame to where you want to place
the boundary. If you want the horizontal boundary to
adjust to your text, proceed with the following step.

4. Type your text in the Text Editor dialog box.
The drawing is automatically updated with the text you are typing in the Text Editor
dialog box.
● You can copy and paste text from another application. Its layout and properties will
not be preserved.
● You cannot copy complex objects (such as tables) from another application.
5. When you are done typing your text, click OK in
the Text Editor dialog box, click anywhere on the
drawing, or click any command. You can also click
the Select icon : in this case, the text will remain
selected so you can change its properties for
example.
You can now start setting the properties of the text

you just created using the Text Properties toolbar.
Although you can create a text in a view that is not up-to-date, you cannot associate it
to geometry. If you try to do so, the following message will appear:
Specifying Text Orientation

You can associate the text to an element and make it parallel to it. To do this, you can
do the following:
● Go to Tools -> Options-> Drafting -> Annotations tab and check Text in
Annotation Creation -> Apply snapping to. From then on, any text you create
after having selected an element will be automatically associated to this element.
OR
● When the above option is not activated, you can specify when you want to associate
a text to an element. To do so, click the Text icon and then press the shift
key while selecting the element you want the text to be associated to. You can then
type your text.
You can also make the text vertical. To do this, click the Text icon and then press the
ctrl key while clicking in the drawing where you want to create your free text.


This task shows you how to create a text which you want to be associated to an existing element.
This text will remain associated with this element. You can set text properties either before or
after you create the text.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create two diameter dimensions, for
example.
1. Click the Text icon from the

Annotations toolbar.
2. Select the element to which you want to

associate a text.
Here, we will use a dimension. You can

associate the text either to the dimension line
or to the extension line by clicking the
appropriate element. Click the dimension line
as in our example.
The green text frame is displayed as well as

the Text Editor dialog box.
3. Enter the text to be created in the Text

Editor dialog box or directly on the drawing.
For example, enter "diameter".
4. Click in the free space or click the Select
icon to end the text creation.
5. If needed, select the dimension and move

it to the desired location.
The text remains associated to the dimension.

● Note that the text is associative to the

whole selected element. In other words, in
the case of a dimension, if you move the
dimension text exclusively, the associated
text will not move accordingly.
● When creating associated texts, pressing the SHIFT key lets you change the orientation of the
text as regards the element to which it is associated.
● You can associate text to the following elements:
❍ Annotations: text, datum feature, datum target, balloon, GD&T, roughness symbol, weld
symbols.
❍ Dimensions
❍ 2D elements: point, circle, ellipse, parabola, hyperbola.
❍ Generative edges


This task explains how, at any time and once an annotation has been created, you can
add a link between an annotation and another element. You can set text properties
either before or after you create the text.
Positional link
Available for every annotation.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create a text.
1. Click the Select icon .
2. Select any part of the text (text itself, frame or leader).
3. Right click and select Positional Link->Create from the contextual menu.
4. Select the element to which you want the text to be linked.
5. Select the associated element and drag it in the drawing, the text follows the
element.
6. Delete existing associativity using the same dialog but selecting the Delete option
(Positional Link contextual menu).
Orientation link
This functionality is available for text, text with leader and roughness symbol.
7. Right click on the text and select Orientation Link->Create from the contextual
menu.

8. Select the element to which you want the text to be linked.

9. Select the linked element and modify its orientation, the text orientation is
simultaneously modified.
Elements that are Text Associative

● Annotations
❍ text
❍ datum feature
❍ datum target
❍ balloon
❍ GD&T
❍ roughness symbols
❍ weld symbols
● Dimensions
● 2D elements
❍ points
❍ circles
❍ ellipse
❍ parabola
❍ hyperbola
● Generative edges


This task shows you how to create a text with a leader either in the free space or
associated with an element. You can set text properties either before or after you
create the text.
● Creating a Text with a Leader

● Specifying Leader Orientation
● Specifying Text Orientation
● Elements that can be Assigned Text with a Leader

Create a rectangle.
Note that leader lines are displayed in either of the following ways based on the
standard currently set in defining the sheet.
1. Click the Text With Leader icon from the Annotations toolbar (Texts sub-
toolbar).

2. Click the point on the element you want the leader to begin (arrow end).
A red frame appears.
3. Click in the free space to define a location for the text.
Both the red frame and the arrow end of the leader are now assigned white and yellow
manipulators.
4. If needed, drag the frame and/or arrow to a new location. For example, drag the
arrow to the right.
At this step, you can also decide that you want the text to be wrapped (like when
creating a free text).

The Text Editor dialog box is displayed.
5. Enter the text in the Text Editor dialog box or directly on the drawing.
6. If needed, re-position or modify the text.
7. To end the text creation, click again in free space or select a command icon.
The leader is associated with the element you selected. If you move either the text or
the element, the leader stretches to maintain its association with the element.

If you change the element that is associated with the leader, between both the new
element and the text with leader remains associative to each others.
8. Create a circle.
9. Move the text with a leader.
You can create a text in a view which is not up-to-date, but you cannot associate it to
geometry or the following panel appears:
Specifying Leader Orientation

When creating a text with leader, you can orient the leader perpendicularly to the
element to which it is associated.
To do this, you have two different possibilities:

● Either go to Tools -> Options -> Drafting -> Annotation and Dress-up tab and
check Activate snapping (SHIFT toggles). Then, click the Configure button and
select either On orientation or Both. To orient directly the leader perpendicularly
to the associated element, press the Shift key while clicking on the element to
which you want to associate the text with leader (previous scenario, step 3).
● Or go to Tools -> Options -> Drafting -> Annotation tab, and in Annotation
Creation -> Apply snapping to, check Text with leader. The leader will be
oriented perpendicularly to the geometry by default. In this case, pressing the Shift
key will let you orient it differently.
Specifying Text Orientation

When creating a text with leader, you can make the text vertical. To do this, hold the
Ctrl key while clicking in the drawing to position the text (previous scenario, step 3).
● You can also add a leader to existing text. To learn how to do this, refer to Adding a
Leader to Existing Text.
● You can perform a number of operations on a leader. To learn more, refer to Editing
Annotation Leaders.
Elements that can be Assigned Text with a Leader

● 2D elements:
❍ lines
❍ points
❍ circles
❍ curves
● Generative Edges


This task shows you how to add a leader to an annotation that was previously created.
Leaders can be positioned freely, or using snapping (the leader is oriented
perpendicular to the reference element).
For the purpose of this scenario, you will learn how to add a leader to an existing text,
but this functionality is available with other annotation types as well.
Go to Tools -> Options-> Drafting -> Mechanical Design -> Annotation tab .
Make sure the Activate snapping (Shift toggles) option is selected. Then, click on
the Configure button and select either On orientation or Both.
Create a hexagon. Create an annotation, a free text for example.
1. Right-click the annotation to which you want to add a leader.
2. Select the Add Leader command that appears in the

contextual menu.
3. You have two possibilities:
● If you want to position the leader freely:

Click where you want to position the leader head. The leader is created.
You can then move it to the desired location using the mouse. You can position the
leader breakpoint anywhere on the reference element, and snapping is not used.

● If you want the leader to be oriented perpendicular to the reference element:

Press the Shift key while clicking where you want to position the leader head. The
leader is created: it is snapped, and oriented perpendicular to the element to which
it is attached. Release the Shift key and the mouse.
To create as many leaders as required for an existing text, go to Tools -> Customize
and create the Add Leader command in a separate toolbar. You will then be able to
double-click the Add Leader command and click to locate the leader(s) to be created.

If several text elements are selected as you activate the Add Leader command, the
selection is cleared and a message prompts you to select an annotation.
If you modify the text associated with the leader, associativity between the text and
the leader is kept.


This task shows you how to handle annotation leaders, by performing such operations
as adding or removing a breakpoint, an extremity or an interruption. You will also
learn how to move and position leader breakpoints.
Depending on the type of annotation the leader is associated with, not all operations
described in this section will be available.
Handling Leaders
Create a text with a leader.
1. Right-click the yellow control point at the end of the leader. The leader's contextual
menu is displayed.
2. Choose from the available options.

Then, to remove this

● To add a breakpoint, select Add a Breakpoint. breakpoint, right-click on
the breakpoint and select
Remove a Breakpoint.
● To add an extremity to an existing breakpoint, right- Then, to remove this

click on the breakpoint, select Add an extremity, and extremity, right-click on the
then click where you want to position the extremity. additional extremity and
select Remove Leader/
Extremity.
You can add an extremity only in the case of a text Clicking on the main
or a welding symbol. leader extremity will remove

the leader.
● To add an interruption, select Add an Interruption and Then, to remove this

then, on the leader, click the two points between interruption, right-click on
which you want to add the interruption. the leader yellow control
point and select Remove
Interruptions.

Any existing interruption will be removed from the leader if you subsequently
add or remove a breakpoint.
● To remove the leader, select Remove Leader/Extremity.
● To add an all around symbol, select All Around.
● To modify the leader symbol shape, point to Symbol Shape. Then, select No
Symbol if you do not want a symbol for the leader, or select the symbol you want
from the available symbols.

You can remove the leader extremity symbol for all annotations.
3. You can also move the leader or any existing breakpoints by clicking a yellow
control point and moving it using the mouse.

● To move the annotation but not the leader, click the annotation and move it using
the mouse.
● To move the leader along with the annotation while making sure the leader keeps
its original shape, select Rigid and then move the annotation.
● This functionality is available for texts, welding symbols, 2D components, tables

and geometrical tolerances, but not for other annotation types.
● This functionality also applies when rotating the annotation text using the Free
Rotation icon .

Moving and Positioning Leader Breakpoints

You can move and position leaders breakpoints easily, for all types of annotations.
Leader breakpoints are moved and positioned using snapping (the leader is oriented
perpendicular to the reference element).
Go to Tools -> Options-> Drafting -> Mechanical Design -> Annotation tab .
Make sure the Activate snapping (Shift toggles) option is selected. Then, click on
the Configure button and select either On orientation or Both.
Open the Move_Leaders.CATDrawing document. This document contains a text with

leader and a balloon. Add a breakpoint to both annotations, as explained in the
previous section.
1. Move the text leader breakpoint with the mouse. You can position the leader
breakpoint anywhere, and snapping is not used.

2. Now, press the Shift key while moving the leader breakpoint with the mouse. The
leader is snapped, and is positioned vertically or horizontally, or with the same
orientation as the element to which it is attached.
3. Release the Shift key and the mouse when you are satisfied with the position of the
leader.
4. Move the balloon leader breakpoint with the mouse. You can position the leader
breakpoint anywhere, and snapping is not used.
5. Now, press the Shift key while moving the leader breakpoint with the mouse. The
leader is snapped, and is positioned vertically or horizontally, which happens to be the
same orientation as the element to which the leader is attached.
6. Release the Shift key and the mouse when you are satisfied with the position of the
leader.
Both leaders are now positioned properly.



This function allows you to add frames and sub-frames to texts and texts with leader.
Create a free text.
1. Select the text you have created and click the Frame icon in the Text Properties Toolbar. The Frames sub-
menu is displayed.
You can choose to create each frame with either a variable or a fixed size. For a rectangular frame, for example, the
icon represents the variable-size frame, and the icon (with the padlock) represents the fixed-size frame.
● Variable-size frames adapt to the text length, whereas fixed-size frames always remain as is, no matter what the
text length is. So if you choose a fixed-size frame and the length of you text exceeds the frame size, then the text
will extend beyond the frame.
● Fixed frame sizes are defined in the standards.
2. Choose a frame in the menu.

3. Click on the frame to select it
4. Right-click on the text and in the contextual menu choose the add leader command and click in the free space to
end the leader creation.
Zoom to move the leader round the text.
5. Right-click on the hanged point and select a mode in the contextual menu. The anchor points available will be
dependent on your choice. Set the Standard Behavior Off.
These anchor points allow you to move a leader around the text.
Standard Behavior is the default mode. Automatic Mode corresponds to the point 1 of Standard Behavior.
Frames Anchors Table:

Type of frame Standard Behavior OFF Standard Behavior ON

1 2 3
o-------o-------o
o-------o-------o
Rectangle / \
/ \
1 o o 2
4 o o 5
\ /
\ /
o-------o-------o
Square o-------o-------o
3
Circle
__o__ __o__
Scored Circle 2 o o 4 / \
| | | |
Set 1 o o 5 1 o o 2
| | | |
Fixed Support 8 o o 6 \ /
Sym Part --o-- --o--
7
Sym Set
3
o o
/ \ / \
Diamond 2 o o 4 o o
/ \ / \
1 o o 5 1 o o 2
\ / \ /
8 o o 6 o o
\ / \ /
Nota o o
7
3
o o
/ \ / \
2 o o 4 o o
Triangle / \ / \
1 o----o----o 5 1 o---------o 2
6
1 2 3
o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
Right Flag | \ | \
4 o o 5 1 o o 2
| / | /
o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
Right Oblong 6 7 8
1 2 3
o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
Left Flag / | / |
4 o o 5 1 o o 2
\ | \ |
o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
Left Oblong 6 7 8
1 2 3
Both Flag o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
/ \ / \
4 o o 5 1 o o 2
Oblong \ / \ /
o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
6 7 8
Ellipse

1 o---------o 2
Sticking 1 o---------o 2
3 4 5
o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
/ / / /
2 o o 6 o o
Parallelogram / / / /
o-------o-------o o-------o-------o
1 8 7 1 2
6. Drag the leader hanged point to move it to the anchor number 8 (see the previous table, circle, Standard
Behavior Off).
7. Select a part of the text, as an example "Te", for this:

● Double-click on the text to edit it, the Text Editor appears.
● Select "Te" in the Text Editor or in the drawing.
8. Apply the Both Flag frame to the text.
You cannot use Sticking and Nota frames as sub-frames.


This task shows you how to replicate text as well as the corresponding text attribute.
Open the GenDrafting_part_02.CATPart document. Open the GenDrafting_part_03.

1. Click the hole to be assigned text on the part. For example, on GenDrafting_part_02.
CATPart, select Hole.1.
2. Click the CATDrawing
(GenDrafting_part_03.
CATDrawing) and click the
Replicate icon from the
Annotations toolbar (Texts
sub-toolbar).
3. Select the text to be replicated.

The new replicated text automatically appears under the cursor.
4. Click where you want the new text to be positioned.
The hole diameter automatically corresponds to the diameter of Hole1 you selected on
the part.

5. If needed, add a text leader to the new text.


This task shows you how to copy the graphic properties of a text element to existing
texts. This is true for any type of Interactive Drafting element. In this task, we will take
free text as an example.
Create free texts.
1. Multi-select the free texts to be modified graphically speaking.
2. Click the Copy Object Format icon from the Graphic Properties toolbar.
3. Select the text to be used as a graphical reference for selected texts.

The graphical properties assigned to the text used as a reference are now copied onto
the multi-selected free texts to be modified.


This task will show you how to create a datum target on a right projection view. You
can set text properties either before or after you create the datum target.
1. Click the Datum Target icon
from the Annotations toolbar (Texts

sub-toolbar).
2. Select the attachment point of

the datum target leader.
3. Select a point to be used to

position the datum target (anchor
point).
The Datum Target Creation dialog box is displayed.
4. Enter the required field. For example, 1 and A.
click this button to define that

the datum target informs on the

diameter of the selected element.
5. Click OK.
The datum target is created.
The character string that is edited in the Datum Target Creation dialog box is
simultaneously previewed on the drawing.


This task shows you how to modify a datum target by editing it.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create a datum target.
1. Double-click the datum target you

want to modify.
The Datum Target Modification dialog

box is displayed.
2. Modify any of the datum target

values. For example, enter B instead
of A.
3. Click OK.
4. Click in the free space or select

another icon.
The datum target is modified.


Creating a Balloon
Creating a Balloon
This task will show you how to create a balloon. You can set text properties either before or after
you create the text.
1. Click the Balloon icon from the

Annotations toolbar (Text sub-toolbar).
2. Select an element. For example,

select the bottom line of the rectangle.
3. Click to define the balloon anchor

point.
The Balloon Creation dialog box appears, with the value 1 is pre-entered in the field.
4. You can enter another string or

value as needed. For the purpose of
this exercise, leave the pre-entered
value as is.
5. Click OK.
● The value that is edited in the Balloon Creation dialog box is simultaneously previewed on the
drawing.
● When you create more than one balloon, the value of this balloon is automatically incremented.

Creating a Balloon

Creating Associative Balloons on Generated

Product Views
This task will show you how to create associative balloons on views generated from a
product.
Open the Product_Balloon.CATProduct document.
On this CATProduct document, Product Structure

subproducts have already been assigned numbers
(Generate Numbering icon).
For more details, see the Product Structure User's

Guide.
1. Go to the Generative Drafting workbench by opening Product_Balloon.CATDrawing

document.
2. Click the Balloon icon from the Annotations

toolbar (Texts sub-toolbar).

3. Go over one of the part with your cursor.

All the edges on all the views extracted from the part
are highlighted.
4. Create a balloon by selecting an edge.

The number of the balloon corresponds to the number
of the sub-product created in the product which the
views were generated from. In this particular
example, even though the balloon you are creating is
the first one, it is assigned number four as it is applied
to sub-product number four.
Note that if you modify the numbering in the product and then regenerate the
product, the balloon modification will be applied to the generated views only after you
perform a view update.

Modifying a Balloon
Modifying a Balloon
This task shows you how to modify a balloon.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create a balloon.
1. Right-click the
balloon you want to
modify.
2. From the contextual menu, select Properties.
3. In the Properties dialog box, click the Text tab.
4. You will now define the balloon frame properties from the Frame drop-down list. By
default, balloons are assigned a variable-size circle which adapts to the balloon
text length. You have other options:
● You can display the balloon without a frame by selecting the None icon .
● You can assign a fixed-size frame to the balloon by selecting the fixed-size Circle
icon .
For more information about fixed-sized frames, refer to Adding frames or sub-frames.
For the purpose of this exercise, select the fixed-size Circle icon .

Modifying a Balloon
5. Click OK to validate
and close the Properties
dialog box. The balloon
size is modified.
6. Now, double-click the balloon. The Balloon Modification dialog box is displayed.
The Autofit option is active when the size of the balloon frame is fixed.
7. Modify the balloon value.
8. Select the Autofit option to adapt the size of the text to that of the balloon frame.

Modifying a Balloon
9. Click OK. The text is

enlarged to fit within the
balloon frame.
In the case of large texts, the Autofit option reduces the text size.
10. You can also modify the anchor point and thereby the position of the balloon.


This task will show you how to create a roughness symbol.
Open the Roughness.CATDrawing document.

1. Click the Roughness Symbol icon from the Annotations toolbar.
2. Select the attachment point of the roughness symbol. The roughness symbol position and
orientation will be associative to this point.
The Roughness Symbol dialog box is displayed.

The fields available in the Roughness Symbol dialog box depend on the standard used by the
drawing, as defined by the administrator.


Symbols Definition
Surface texture
Surface texture and all surfaces around
Basic
All surfaces around
Lay approximately parallel to the line representing the surface
Lay approximately perpendicular to the line representing the surface
Lay angular in both directions
Lay multidirectional.
Lay approximately circular
Lay approximately radial
Lay particulate, non-directional, or protuberant
Basic surface texture
Material removal by machining is required
Material removal by machining is prohibited.
3. Enter the required values in the various field(s).
4. Click OK. The roughness symbol is created.

5. If needed, modify the roughness symbol position by dragging it to the required location.
● If you have selected the Use style values to create new objects option in Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Administration tab, the Roughness
Symbol dialog box is pre-filled with custom style values (as defined in the Standards
Editor). In this case, Properties toolbars and the Tools Palette are disabled during the
creation of the roughness symbol.
On the other hand, if you have not selected this option, the Roughness Symbol dialog box is
pre-filled with the last entered values (if any). In this case, Properties toolbars and the Tools
Palette are active during the creation of the of the roughness symbol.
● If you have selected the Use style values to create new objects option, you can reset
the current style values in the Roughness Symbol Editor dialog box at any time using the
Reset button.
● At any time, you can modify the roughness symbol. For this, double-click the roughness
symbol to be modified and enter the desired modifications in the displayed Roughness
Symbol dialog box (for orientation modification, use the Invert switch button).
● When this is not already the case, you can link roughness symbol position and orientation to
another element, see Making an Existing Annotation Associative.


This task will show you how to create a welding symbol. You can set text properties
either before or after you create the text.
Welding symbols
Square butt weld
Singe V butt weld
Single bevel butt weld
Flare V butt weld
Flare bevel butt weld
Single U butt weld
Single J butt weld
Fillet weld
Spot weld
Back weld
Steep-flanked single-bevel butt weld
Steep-flanked single-V weld
Plug weld
Removable backing strip used
Permanent backing strip used
Surfacing weld
V flare weld
Spot weld

Complementary symbols
Weld with flat face
Weld with convex face
Weld with concave face
Flush finished weld
Fillet weld with smooth blended face

Finish symbols
C finish symbol
F finish symbol
G finish symbol
H finish symbol
M finish symbol
R finish symbol
Complementary indications
Field weld
Weld-all-around
Weld text side (up or down)
Indent line side (up or down)
Weld tail
Reference

1. Click the Welding Symbol icon from
the Annotations toolbar (Symbols sub-

toolbar).

2. Select an element or click in the free

space to position the anchor point of the
welding symbol, and then click to validate.
The welding leader will appear.
3. Move the cursor to position the welding

symbol and then click at the chosen location.
The Welding creation dialog box is displayed.
4. Type the desired values in the upper and/or lower field(s).
5. Click the symbol buttons to choose the welding symbol, complementary symbols
and/or finish symbols.
The welding symbols available depend on your standard.

6. If you want to add complementary indications like a field weld or a weld tail, for
example, click the appropriate button.

7. Click OK.
The welding symbol is created.
8. If needed, modify the welding symbol position by dragging it to the required

location.
9. Double-click on the welding symbol to edit it, and change the weld text side for
example by clicking the Up/Down switch button.

● If you have selected the Use style values to create new objects option in Tools -
> Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Administration tab, the
Welding creation dialog box is pre-filled with custom style values (as defined in the
Standards Editor). In this case, Properties toolbars and the Tools Palette are
disabled during the creation of the welding symbol.
On the other hand, if you have not selected this option, the Welding creation dialog
box is pre-filled with the last entered values (if any). In this case, Properties
toolbars and the Tools Palette are active during the creation of the of the welding
symbol.
● You can reset the current style values in the Welding creation dialog box at any time
using the Reset button.
● You can close the tail (reference) using a rectangle variable-size frame .
● At any time, you can modify the welding symbol. To do this, double-click the
welding symbol to be modified and enter the modifications in the displayed dialog
box.
● You can import a plain text file (.txt) to use as a reference (specification, process or
other) by clicking the Import File button.


This task will show you how to create a geometry weld.
1. Click the Weld icon from the Annotations toolbar (Symbols sub-toolbar).
2. Select a first element. For example, a line.
3. Select a second element. For example, another line.
The geometry default weld symbol automatically appears on the drawing.
The Welding Editor dialog box is displayed.
4. If needed, modify the geometry welding symbol. For example, modify the thickness
from ten to five millimeters.

5. If needed, modify the type of the geometry welding symbol by selecting the Change
Type option from the Welding Editor dialog box.
6. Click OK.
The geometry welding symbol is created.
The area fill corresponding to the geometry weld cannot be modified.



This task will show you how to assign new positioning to existing annotations.
You can also modify the position of the views using the same dialog.
Open the IntDrafting_Annotations_Positioning.CATDrawing document.
1. Multi-select the annotations

to be newly positioned. In this
example, multi-select text.
2. Select the Tools ->

Positioning -> Element
Positioning command from the
menu bar.
The Positioning dialog box

appears:
3. Select the Align to top option .

Align to the left
The reference text is the text, among the selected texts, that is positioned the most at the
left.
The text anchor point is moved to the left (for example, from the bottom center to the
bottom left).
The texts are aligned vertically relatively to the reference text origin point (same x abscissa
as for the reference text).
Align to the center
The reference text is positioned at the middle of both left and right extremity points.
The text anchor point is moved to the center (for example, from the top left to the top
center).
Align to the right
right.
The text anchor point is moved to the right (for example, from the middle center to the
middle right).
Align to the top
top.
The text anchor point is moved to the top (for example, from the bottom left to the top left).
The texts are aligned horizontally relatively to the reference text origin point (same y
coordinate as for the reference text).
Align to the middle
The reference text is positioned at the middle of both top and bottom extremity points.
The selected texts are assigned the middle attribute as text origin (for example, from the

top left to the middle left).

Align to the bottom
bottom.
The text anchor point is moved to the bottom (for example, from the top left to the bottom
left).
4. Select the Space from left to right option and set the Space value to 30mm.
Note that when you select a Space option, the modification does not appear similarly on the
drawing. This modification only appears when you enter the new Space value in the
Positioning dialog box or when you select a Space value.
5. Select the Distribute horizontally option .

6. Select the Move vertically to top option and set the Move value to -10mm.
Note that when you select a Move option, the modification does not appear similarly on the
drawing. This is only the case once you enter the new Move value in the Positioning dialog
box or when you select a spacing option.

This task shows you how to create and edit a table.
In this table, you can add text, insert columns, rows, merges cells, invert lines, invert
columns, switch lines and columns, and insert views. You can also split a table, import
a table, and insert a view in a table.
Choose a task:
● creating a table,
● editing and modifying a table,
● splitting a table,
● importing a table,
● inserting a view in table.
Creating a table
Create a new sheet and a new view.
1. Click the Table icon to launch the command.
2. Click a point in the drawing to choose the table position.

The table cannot be associative, do not select an element in the drawing to make the
table associative.
3. The following panel allows you to set the number of columns and rows you want for
the table.

● The line height corresponds to the height of a string.

● The line width corresponds to 5 times a string height.
4. Click ok to validate the creation.
Editing and modifying a table

5. Click on the table to select it and drag it to another position.
6. Double-click the table to edit it:
● To select a column, click just above the column when the symbol appears.
● To select a line, click on the left of the row .
● To leave edition, click outside the table.
When the table is in edition mode, you cannot move it anymore.
7. Right-click on the corner of the frame around the table to access the general
contextual menu.

This contextual menu allows you to:

● invert columns,
● invert rows,
● turn rows into columns and columns into rows,
● fit the text in the cells by automatically defining the optimal cell size,
● extend the table by adding columns and/or rows to it.
8. Choose Invert rows in the contextual menu.

Rows are inverted, i.e., the last row becomes the first one, the first row becomes the
last one, etc.

9. Choose Invert Columns in the contextual menu. Columns are inverted.
10. Select Invert Columns / Rows in the contextual menu. Rows and Columns are
inverted:
11. Select a column and right-click to get the contextual menu, it allows you to:
● Insert a column,
● Delete a column,
● Clear the content of a column,
● Modify the size of a column:
❍ either set a new column size,
❍ or autofit the size, i.e. fit the text in the cells by automatically defining the
optimal cell size.

Choose to autofit the column size, the following dialog box appears:
Set the column width to a new value value and click OK to validate.
The same functionalities are available for rows.
12. Select two cells and right-click them, then choose Merge in the contextual menu.
13. Then select the new cell formed by the two cells you have merged and choose
Unmerge to split them in two cells again.
14. Double-click on the text of a cell. The Text Editor appears: modify the text and
click OK to validate.
15. To choose vertical and horizontal text alignment, use the Anchor point tool .
Align the text of a cell on the right using .

Splitting a table
Open the Split_tables.CATDrawing document. It contains a table that you will split into
several tables.
1. Right-click the table and choose Split Table from the contextual menu. The Table
Split dialog box appears.

It contains the following options:

● Max. number of rows: if you want to split the table so that each new table
contains a maximum number of rows, select this option and enter the wanted
number of rows in the associated field.
● Max. height: if you want to split the table so that each new table has a maximum
height, select this option and enter the wanted height in the associated field.
● Vertical: check this option to create the new tables one below the other.
● Horizontal: check this option to position the new tables one next to the other.
● Distance: indicate the distance you want between each new table.
● Duplicate first row: check this option if you want to duplicate the first row in each
new table.
2. Select Max. number of rows, and enter 5 in the corresponding field.
3. Select Vertical.
4. In the Distance field, type 5 mm.
5. Select Duplicate first line.
6. Click OK. The table is split into several tables, according to the criteria you specified.
Importing a table
You can import a table (only .csv).
1. Click the Import Table icon and select the table you want to import.
Inserting a view a in table

Open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing file. Create a table in the front views.

1. Double-click on the table to edit it and right-click in the cell you want to fill. Select
Insert Object.
2. Choose the view you want to insert by clicking the view in the drawing or in the
tree. Choose the Top view:

The top view is inserted in the table, and it is resized so as to fit the cell. You can
resize the cell if you want to enlarge the view in the table.
● You cannot select the view containing the table,

● The view must be in the same drawing.
● If you modify the 3D part and update the drawing, the view in the table will be
updated as well.

Finding And Replacing Text

This task explains first how to locate a string of characters and then how to replace it.
Strings can be found and replaced in the following elements:

● balloons
● datum features
● datum targets
● dimensions
● texts
Open the IntDrafting_Text_Replace.CATDrawing document.
1. Select the Edit->Find item from the

menu bar.
The Find dialog box appears.
2. Select any of the optional settings. For

example, enter First as the Find what
text.
3. Select .
The following message appears in the dialog box: Searching All Current Sheet
Views. If you previously selected a given number of sheets or elements in the
document, the message will be Searching All Current Elements.
The first instance found is red colored.

4. If needed, select to search

for other instances.
5. Select .
The Replace dialog box now appears.
6. Enter the text you want to use as

replacement text and select
again. For example, enter Second as the
Replace with text.
To replace all instances of the text, select

.
You can also match case, find whole

words only or re-frame the window.
7. Select .
Note that you can directly access the Replace dialog box by selecting the Edit-
>Replace item from the menu bar.



This task will show you how to use the advanced search command in the Drafting
workbench.
First, refer to the Infrastructure User's Guide to learn more about advanced search.
1. Select the Edit->Search... command then click the Advanced tab:
2. Choose Drafting as the workbench.

Any element type has the following attributes:
● Name: indicate the name of the searched element
● Color: select a color from the color chooser or use the color of an existing element
● Set: a selection set indicating a numeric value with the corresponding unit of measure.
Some elements have additional types:

Additional
Type Value to select or to key in
attributes
Balloon Part name name of the searched element
Datum Feature Reference name name of the searched element
Datum Target Reference name name of the searched element
Size size indicated in the searched element
Dimension Type type of dimension (angle, diameter,
radius, length, etc.) searched
value dimension value searched
Not associative on 3D Yes/No
Not updateable Yes/No
Fake Yes/No
Driving dimension Yes/No
True Yes/No
Geometrical tolerance value tolerance value searched

tolerance type (circularity,
type concentricity, flatness, parallelism,
etc.) searched
Text having attribute links Yes/No
text string text string searched
3. Select an operating sign in the first combo box.
4. Select (if there is a combo box) or key in the value you are looking for.

Querying Annotation Links

This task explains how to query annotation links in a drawing (this lets you know what object an annotation is linked
to) and how to zoom on the linked object.
Open the query_link.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click on the text "Front view Scale: 1:1" and select Query Object Links in the contextual menu.
2. The Query Link Panel appears:

It displays the linked objects name and specifications. In our example, the view name and scale are linked to the
front view.
Zoom on the linked object

3. In the Panel, check Re-frame the window and select the linked object you want to zoom. As an example, select
ViewMakeUp.3
The object is zoomed.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

Dress-Up Elements
Dress-Up Elements
Dress-up commands are documented in the Interactive Drafting user's
Still, you can open the GenDrafting_part.CATDrawing document and thus

manipulate annotations and dress-up elements in a Generative Drafting context.
This dress-up will be associative to the elements created from a part or an

assembly. When created, these elements are associated with a view.
Note that if you delete generated center lines, threads or axis lines, you will NOT be
able to generate them again (by updating the drawing). It is impossible to restore
generated center lines, threads or axis lines that have been deleted.
Create center lines (no reference):

Apply a center line to one or more circles.
Create center lines (reference):

Apply a center line to one or more circles with respect to a reference (linear or
circular).
Modify center lines:

Modify one or more center lines at one or more end(s) of this/these center
lines.
Create threads (no reference):

Create a thread without a reference.
Create threads (reference):

Create a thread with a reference, either circular (circle or point) or linear
(line).
Create axis lines:

Create an axis line by selecting lines.

Dress-Up Elements
Create axis lines and center lines:

Create an axis line by selecting lines.
Create an area-fill:
Create an area fill, i.e. a closed area on which you will then apply graphical
dress-up elements called patterns (these can be hatching, dotting or
coloring). Patterns can be applied to area fills created from both sketched and
generated elements.
Create arrows:
Create an arrow.


This task will show you how to apply a pair of center lines to a circle or an ellipse.

1. Click the Center Line icon from the Dressup toolbar (Axis and Threads sub-
toolbar).
2. Select a circle.
Center lines are automatically applied to the circle
.
3. Click in the drawing to confirm the creation and select the center lines.
4. Use manipulators to modify center lines size.
● You can apply this scenario to an ellipse.
● When creating a center line on a generative view, a message will be displayed if the
center line cannot be associative to the 3D.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

This task will show you how to apply a pair of center lines to a circle or an ellipse with
respect to a reference (linear or circular).
1. Click the Center Line with Reference icon from
the Dressup toolbar (Axis and Threads sub-toolbar).
You can multi-select circles before you enter the

command to create center lines for all selected circles.
2. Select the circle to be applied a pair of center lines.
3. Select the reference line.
The center line created is associative with the

reference line.
You can create a pair of center lines according to a circular reference (a point or a
circle):
4. Click the Center Line with Reference icon from

the Dressup toolbar (Axis and Threads sub-toolbar).
You can multi-select circles before you enter the

command and thereby apply center lines to the
selected circles.
5. Select the circle to be applied a pair of center lines.
6. Select the reference circle.
The pair of center lines created is associative with the

reference circle type element.

You cannot apply this scenario to an ellipse.
When creating a center line on a generative view, a message will be displayed if the
center line cannot be associative to the 3D. In this case, the center line is neither
linked to the 3D nor to 2D drawing elements. For example, a non-associative center
line with a reference line will not be updated when the reference line is moved.


This task will show you how to modify a pair of center lines at one or more end(s) of
this/these center lines. The same method applies to axis lines.
1. Click the center line.
Red end points appear.
2. Select any end point and drag to move all the center line extremities to a new
position.

3. Press the Ctrl key while selecting any end point and drag the selected extremity to a
new position.
Multi-selection can be performed to modify center lines.
You can also modify the center line using the contextual menu (Properties) and
displayed Properties dialog box (Graphic tab).


This task will show you how to create a thread without a reference. In this particular
case, you will apply a thread to a hole.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Thread icon from the Dress-up toolbar
(Axis and Threads sub-toolbar).
You can also multi-select holes before clicking the Thread icon .
Activating this command displays two options in the Tools Palette which is
automatically displayed:
● The Tap type option , which is activated by default.
● The Thread type option .
2. Select the Thread type option .
3. Select the hole (or circle) to which you want to apply a thread. The thread is
created.

4. Select an axis line manipulator and drag it along a direction.
Thread axis lines are modified symmetrically.

If you want to move only one axis line, hold on the Ctrl key while you are dragging
the manipulator.
● The thread that appears on the hole is assigned a standard radius and
representation (compliant with the selected standard).
● When creating a thread on a generative view, a message will be displayed if the

thread cannot be associative to the 3D.


This task shows you how to create a thread with a reference, either circular (circle or
point) or linear (line). In this particular case, you will apply a thread to a hole with a
line as reference.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Thread

with Reference icon from the Dress-up toolbar
(Axis and Threads sub-toolbar).
You can multi-select holes before you enter the

command and then apply center lines to the selected
holes.
Activating this command displays two options in the
Tools Palette:
● The Reference Tap type option , which is

activated by default.
● The Reference Thread type option .
2. Select the Reference Thread type option .
3. Select a reference line.

The thread is created according to this reference.
4. Select a manipulator and drag it along a direction.

the manipulator.
When creating a thread on a generative view, a message will be displayed if the

center line cannot be associative to the 3D. In this case, the thread is neither linked
to the 3D nor to 2D drawing elements. For example, a non-associative thread with a
reference line will not be updated when the reference line is moved.


Creating Axis Lines
Creating Axis Lines

This task will show you how to create an axis line.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Axis Line icon from the Dressup
toolbar (Axis and Threads toolbar).
2. Select two lines.
The axis line is created
● If needed, you can select two non-parallel lines that are not colinear.
● Both in the case of center lines and axis lines, a default overrun is created.

Creating Axis Lines
● When creating an axis line on a generative view, a message will be displayed if the
axis line cannot be associative to the 3D.
● You can create axis lines between symbolic fillet edges or fillet representation on
generative views. Note that these axis lines will not be associative (a message will
be displayed).
If you need to modify an axis line, please refer to Modifying a center line as the
method is similar. Note that multi-selection can be performed when modifying axis
lines.


This task will show you how to create simultaneously axis and center lines on several
circles.
1. Click the Drawing window, and click the Axis Line and Center Line icon from
the Dressup toolbar (Axis and Threads toolbar).
2. Select two circles. The axes and center lines are created.
4. Select an axis line manipulator and drag it along a direction.

the manipulator.

When creating axes and center lines on a generative view, a message will be
displayed if axes and center line cannot be associative to the 3D.


An area fill is a closed area on which you then apply graphical dress-up element called patterns (these can
be hatching, dotting or coloring). You can create area fills on the following elements:
● sketched elements,
● generated elements
● part-sketched, part-generated elements
In this task, you will learn how to create an area fill on a drawing containing a mix of sketched and
generated elements.
Open the GenDrafting_Area_Fill.CATDrawing document. This drawing is a generated one.
Define your area fill profile by creating lines so that

your drawing looks like the figure shown here. In
this example, sketched elements (the ones you
create) are selected (they are shown in red), and
generated elements are shown in black.
The area fill profile will therefore consist of both

sketched and generated elements.
You do not need to activate the view in which you are going to create an area fill.
1. In the Graphic Properties toolbar, click the down arrow besides the Pattern icon.
2. In the Pattern dialog box, select a pattern for your area fill and click OK.
3. Click Insert -> Dress Up -> Area Fill.
OR
Click the Area Fill icon from the Dress Up toolbar.

The Area Detection dialog box appears.
4. Click the Automatic option (the other option is

described in the remarks section below) and then
click inside the area for which you just defined the
profile, under the line which represents the fillet
edge.
The software automatically detects the area to fill

based on where you clicked and fills this area with
the selected pattern. The Areas to Fill dialog box
disappears.
A few remarks
Area to Fill dialog box
The two options available in the Area to Fill dialog box are described below. You can specify the area you
want to fill before or after choosing the option in the Area to Fill dialog box.
For each option, examples illustrate what kind of area fill you will get depending on where you click. Note
where the cursor is located on the figures.
● Automatic automatically detects the area to fill based on where you click: just click inside the area you
want to fill.
If you click in this area: You get this area fill:

● With profile selection lets you specify the area to fill: select all the 2D elements that make up the
boundary of the area you want to fill, and then click inside this area.
As you select elements on a view,
intersection symbols (stars) appear
where elements intersect. This enables
you to know where the profile is open:
in this case, intersection symbols do not
appear. As you cannot apply an area fill
to an open profile, make sure all
elements intersect.
If you select these elements: You get this area fill:

Miscellaneous remarks about applying area fills

● Whichever option you choose in the Areas to Fill dialog box, make sure the profile you select is closed, i.
e. that all elements that make up its boundary intersect. An error message will appear if you select a
profile which is not closed.
● When you create an area fill on sketched elements, or on part-sketched, part-generated elements, extra
sketched elements are added over the generated elements which make up the boundaries of the area
fill. Also, coincidence constraints are created between the original generated elements and the added
sketched elements.
● On generated drawings, the area fill is not associative with the 3D part. If you modify the original 3D
part and then update the generated drawing, the area fill will not be changed.
● Select elements carefully: the area will be filled according to the elements you selected.
● If you apply modifications to the filled area, the pattern will be modified accordingly.
● If you create text in a filled area, the background of the text will be blanked as shown here.
● With hatching or dotting patterns, the spacing between each hatch or dot is sometimes larger than the
area to fill. This makes it impossible to display the pattern properly. In such a case, the area fill contour
is made bold and is turned into the same color as the pattern color. This enables you to identify items
with area fills even if the pattern is not visible. The figures below illustrate what the sketched element
will look like in such a case.
What you have before applying the

pattern:
What you get if the pattern cannot be

displayed:


Creating Arrows
Creating Arrows
This task will show you how to create an arrow. For the purpose of this exercise, you
will use an arrow to illustrate the kind of hole you want to apply to a circle.
1. Click the Drawing window, and select Insert->Dress Up->Arrow from the menu
bar.
2. Click a point or select an object to define the arrow starting point (the tail). For
example, select a circle.
3. Click another point or select another object to define the arrow extremity (the
head). The arrow is created.
The arrow and the selected object are associative.

Creating Arrows
● To modify the position of the arrow, click the arrow and use the yellow
manipulators to drag it to its new location.
● To modify the general appearance of the arrow, either click the arrow and then use
the Graphic Properties toolbar, or right-click the arrow and then use the Properties
dialog box (select Properties and click the Graphic tab).
4. You will now add a breakpoint to the arrow. Select it and right-click on a yellow
manipulator. A contextual menu appears.

Creating Arrows
5. Select Add a Breakpoint. A breakpoint is added to the arrow; you can drag it to
change the arrow path.

Creating Arrows
6. You will now choose a symbol for the arrow tail. To do this, right-click on the
yellow tail manipulator.
7. In the contextual menu, point to Symbol Shape and select a symbol, Filled
Circle for example.
The symbol you choose now appears on the arrow tail. You can also change the
symbol used for the arrow head by repeating steps 6 and 7.

Creating Arrows
8. You will now create an interruption on the arrow tail. Right-click on the yellow tail
manipulator again.
9. In the contextual menu, select Add an Interruption. An interruption is added to

the arrow.
● You cannot add another extremity to an arrow.

● Arrow angle and length are defined by standards. For more information, see
Dimension Parameters.

Creating Arrows
[ Back ] [ Up ]

Properties
Properties
This section discusses how to quickly access and edit information on 2D geometry, dress-up
elements, annotations and dimensions in a single dialog box, provided you use the Edit-
>Properties contextual command.
The data you can access (tabs) depends on the element you select. Note that clicking the
More switch gives you access to more tabs.
The tasks described in this section are listed below.
Editing view properties

Access and, if needed, edit view properties.
Editing 2D geometry feature properties:

Access and, if needed, edit information on 2D geometry features (name
and stamp).
Editing 2D element graphic properties:

Access and, if needed, edit graphic properties.
Editing annotation font properties:

Access and, if needed, edit annotation font properties.
Editing text properties:

Access and, if needed, modify text color, position and/or orientation.
Editing dimension text properties:

Access and, if needed, edit dimension text properties.
Editing dimension value properties:

Access and, if needed, edit dimension value properties.
Editing dimension tolerance properties:

Access and, if needed, edit dimension tolerance properties.
Editing dimension extension line properties:

Access and, if needed, edit dimension extension line properties.

Properties
Editing dimension line properties:

Access and, if needed, edit information on dimension line properties.
Editing 2D component instance properties:

Access and, if needed, edit 2D component instance properties.


This task explains how to edit view properties.
1. Right-click the front view and select properties. Choose the View tab. You can notice
that are number of options are disabled, as they apply to generative views only.
2. Choose your options.
Visualization and behavior

● Display view frame: shows/hides the view frame,
● Lock view: locks the view so that it cannot be modified anymore.
● Visual clipping: lets you reframe a view so as to display only part of it.
Scale and Orientation

● Angle: defines the angle between the view and the sheet,
● Scale: defines the scale of the view.

View Name
Allows you to modify the name of the view (or of the 2D component when pertinent),
and to enter a prefix, an ID or a suffix. Among other things, you can create a formula
for the view name.
Properties available on Generative Views
The properties described below apply to generative views only. They will be active in a
Generative Drafting context.
Dress-up
Specifies the dress-up elements that should be displayed in the view:

● Hidden lines
● Center line
● 3D spec
● 3D Colors
● Axis
● Thread
● Fillets: you can choose to view Boundaries, Symbolic, Original

Edges, Projected Original Edges.

Boundaries: thin lines, representing the

mathematical limits of the fillets.
Boundaries will not be projected if they correspond

to two faces which are continuous in curvature.
They will be projected only if they correspond to a
smooth edge which is situated between two faces
whose curvature radii vary.
This mode will be used automatically to represent a

connection between two faces which are not joined
by a fillet, no matter what option you select.
Symbolic
Original edges, projected in a direction that is
normal to each corresponding surface.
Approximated Original Edges

Original edges, at the intersection of the two
surfaces joined by the fillet.
Projected Original Edges

Original edges, projected on fillet surfaces in the
direction of the view projection.
This projection mode is equivalent to the CATIA V4

fillet projection mode.

● 3D Points: projects points from 3D (no construction elements). You can choose
from the following options:
3D symbol inheritance: keeps the symbol from the 3D.
Symbol: displays the symbol you choose from the drop-down list.
● 3D Wireframe: displays both the wireframe and the geometry on generated views.
You can choose whether projected 3D wireframe can be hidden or is always visible:
Can be hidden: in some cases, depending on the projection angle, part or
all of 3D wireframe will possibly be hidden.
Is always visible: 3D wireframe will be visible in all cases, independently
of the projection angle.
Note that if you delete generated center lines, threads or axis lines, you will NOT be
able to generate them again (by updating the drawing), even if you select the
appropriate dress-up options in the Properties dialog box. It is impossible to restore
generated center lines, threads or axis lines that have been deleted.
Generation Mode
● Only generate parts larger than: specifies that you only want to generate parts
which are larger than the size indicated (in millimeters) in the appropriate field.
● Enable occlusion culling: saves memory when generating exact views from an
assembly (or a part or product) which is loaded in Visualization mode (i.e. when the
Work with the cache system option is active). This will load only the parts which
will be seen in the resulting view (instead of loading all of them, which is the case by
default), which optimizes memory consumption and CPU usage.

● View generation mode: lets you change how the view is generated. For more
information on the various view generation modes, refer to View Generation Settings
in the Customizing chapter.
❍ Exact view: turns the view into a exact view (the geometry becomes available).
❍ CGR: turns the view into a CGR view (only the external appearance of the
component is used and displayed; the geometry is not available).
❍ Approximate: turns the view into an approximate view. Although approximate
views are not as high in precision and quality as exact views, this generation
mode dramatically reduces memory consumption. Performances may also be
improved, depending on how you fine-tune precision. Therefore, the approximate
mode is particularly well-adapted to sophisticated products or assemblies involving
large amounts of data.
❍ Raster: turns the view into an image view. You can configure a number of options
such as the level of detail or the type of image to generate (shading, shading with
edges, etc.).
If you select a mix of exact, CGR, approximate and/or raster views, the options will be
disabled. To activate these options, make sure you select views which are using the
same generation mode.
Generative view style
● The Generative view style area shows the generative view style which is applied to
the view.
● If you have modified the values of the properties defined in the selected generative
view style by editing some dress-up properties, for example, you can use the Reset
to style values button to reset these values to the original style values. (To let you
know when properties have been changed compared to the original generative style,
an asterisk is displayed in front of them.)
The Generative view style properties are only available on generative views, when
generative view style functionalities are activated (i.e. when the Prevent generative
view style creation option is de-selected in Tools -> Options -> Mechanical
Design -> Drafting -> Administration tab).
[ Up ] [ Next ]


This task shows you how to access and, if needed, edit information on 2D geometry
features (name and stamp).
1. Select a 2D element on the CATDrawing you opened.
2. Select the Edit->Properties command and click the Feature Properties tab.
You can also right click the 2D element and then select the Properties command
from the displayed contextual menu.
3. If needed, click the More switch.
4. Enter a new name for the element in the field.

The information displayed concerns the creation of the elements.
5. Click the Graphic Tab, Lines and Curves option, Pickable option and Layers
options are available. For settings, see Editing Element Graphic Properties.

5. Click OK.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit graphic properties.
1. Select a 2D element on the CATDrawing you opened.
2. Select the Edit-> Properties command and click the Graphic tab.
You can also right click the current element and then select the Properties command
4. If needed, modify the available options:
● Fill:
❍ you can color the selected element and set the filling transparency.
● Edges:
❍ it allows you to define edges colors, thickness and the type of line (dotted,

dashed, etc.), see Graphic Properties Toolbar.
● Lines and Curves:

❍ it allows you to define lines and curves colors, thickness and the type of line
(dotted, dashed, etc.), see Graphic Properties Toolbar.
● Show, Pick and Layers:

❍ you can choose if the element will be shown or not (check/uncheck Shown
option)
❍ you can activate or deactivate Pickable mode, if you uncheck it geometry will
not be selectable anymore, see Pick/No Pick mode.
❍ you can choose a layer for the selected geometry.
5. Click OK.
For more information on graphic properties, please refer to Infrastructure User's

guide.
Pick/No Pick mode

When you create elements using the No Pick mode (Pickable option unchecked),
● If you want to make one or several elements pickable back again, perform as
follows:
1. Select Edit -> Search from the menu bar and select the element(s) to
be modified from the Search dialog box.
2. Select Edit -> Properties option from the menu bar and check the
Pickable option from the Properties dialog box.
● If you want to make all the elements on a sheet or in a view pickable back again,
perform as follows:
1. Click the sheet or the view(s) to be applied the Pick mode from the
specification tree.
2. Select the Force Pick Mode option from the contextual menu.

Graphic Properties Toolbar

You can also modify the graphic properties using the Graphic Properties toolbar.
The Graphic Properties toolbar allows modifying the following graphical options:
● the line color
● the line type
● the line weight
● copying objects (Copy Object Format icon )
● the pattern (Pattern Chooser option )

This option displays the Pattern dialog box:

Care when you assign graphical attributes to a line (for example, make it thick and
red).
When you turn this red thick line into a construction line (from the contextual menu:
Object.Line -> Definition..., Construction line option in the Line Definition dialog box),
the line will become a dotted gray line. Even though you then decide to make it a
standard line back again (by un-checking the Construction line option), the line will
have lost its "red" and "thickness" attributes and will be assigned its original attributes.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit pattern properties. Patterns are
used for area fills or, in a Generative Drafting context, when cutting through material in
section views/cuts or breakout views, for example.
Open the GenDrafting_Edit_Pattern_Properties.CATDrawing document.
1. Select the pattern be modified. For the purpose of our scenario, select the hatching
pattern in the Section view.
2. Select Edit-> Properties.
You can also right-click the pattern and then select Properties from the displayed
contextual menu.
3. In the Properties dialog box that appears, click the Pattern tab.

4. If you want to define your own pattern, choose a pattern type from the Type drop-
down list. The types available depend on the standard used by the drawing.
Or if you want to choose from the various patterns available, click the [...] button. This
will display the pattern chooser, from which you can make your selection.
5. Select your options as required.

The options available depend on the type of pattern you selected, as well as on the
standard used by the drawing.
Hatching
● Number of hatchings: Defines the number of different hatchings to use in this
pattern. A tab will be created for each hatching, to let you define each one
individually. This option is unavailable with the current drawing standard.
● Angle: For each hatching this pattern, specifies the angle value in degrees.
● Pitch: For each hatching in this pattern, specifies the pitch in millimeters.
● Offset: For each hatching in this pattern, specifies the offset in millimeters.
● Color: For each hatching in this pattern, specifies the color. This option is
unavailable with the current drawing standard.
● Linetype: For each hatching in this pattern, specifies the linetype. This option is
unavailable with the current drawing standard.
● Thickness: For each hatching in this pattern, specifies the linetype thickness. This
option is unavailable with the current drawing standard.
● Preview: Lets you preview the resulting hatching pattern.
Dotting
● Pitch: Specifies the dotting pitch in millimeters.
● Color: Specifies the dotting color.
● Zigzag: Specifies whether dotting should zigzag.
● Preview: Lets you preview the resulting dotting pattern.
Coloring
● Color: Specifies the color.
● Preview: Lets you preview the resulting coloring pattern.
Image
● Browse button: Lets you select the image to use for this pattern. This option is
unavailable with the current drawing standard. You can only use the images defined
by the administrator. These images are available from the pattern chooser (click the
[...] button).
● Angle: Specifies the angle value in degrees.
● Scale: Specifies the scale.
● Preview: Lets you preview the original image (not the result after modifying the
angle and scale).

When editing the properties of a pattern associated with a part material, the software
offers its own selection of patterns, and not the patterns defined in the standard.
6. Click OK.
Graphic Properties Toolbar
You can also modify pattern properties using the Pattern icon on the Graphic
Properties toolbar.
This option displays the Pattern dialog box:



This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit annotation font properties.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create a free text, for example.
1. Double-click the text to switch it to edit mode.
2. Select the whole text (you can also select only part of the text) and then select the
Edit-> Properties command.
You can also right-click on the selected text and then choose Properties from the
contextual menu.
3. In the Properties dialog box that appears, click the Font tab. The associated panel
is displayed.
● Font, Style, Size, Underline and Color: choose the font, size, style and color of
the text, and underline it.
● Attributes: draw a line through (Strikethrough) or above (Overline) the
selected text, and make it superscript or subscript.

You can either underline or overline a text, but you cannot do both.
● Character:
❍ Ratio: modify character size.
❍ Slant: modify character slant (for italic text, slant=15 deg).
❍ Spacing: change the spacing between characters.
❍ Pitch: set a fixed or a variable pitch. As an example, create the free text "Tools"
and apply the font ROM1.
Fixed Pitch Variable Pitch
The Slant and Pitch options are available only for stroke fonts.
Clicking the More button will display extra options, if any are available.
4. Modify the available options as required.
5. Click OK.
For more information on font properties, please refer to the Infrastructure User's
guide.
Changing Character Ratio and Spacing

In this task, you will learn how to change the character ratio and spacing of a portion
of text, but it is also possible to change these for a whole text.
Create a free text.

2. Select a portion of text and

right-click it.
3. Click Properties in the menu that appears. The Properties dialog box appears.
4. Click the Font tab.
5. In the Character area, increase or decrease the value in the Ratio field to change
the character ratio.
5. Modify the value in the Spacing field to change the character spacing.
6. Click OK to validate your

changes. The text is updated.
Making Text Superscript or Subscript

In this task, you will learn how to make a text superscript, how to make a text
subscript, and how to specify their position.
Create a free text.

2. Type a text, "subscript" for example, after the text you created previously.
3. Select the piece of text you

just typed and right-click it.
5. Click the Font tab.
6. In the Attributes area, select the Subscript check box.
7. Click OK to validate your changes. The selected text is made subscript.
8. Now type another text, "superscript" for example, after the existing text. For the
moment, the new text takes on the properties of the subscript text in front of it.

9. Select the piece of text you

just typed and right-click it.
10. Repeat steps 4 and 5.
11. In the Attributes area, select

the Superscript check box
(instead of Subscript) and click
OK. The selected text is made
superscript.
12. For the purpose of this exercise, you will now align the subscript and superscript
texts and set their offset and size. To do this, select the whole text and right-click it.
The offset defines the vertical position of the superscript or subscript text from the
baseline of the text. The size defines the height of the superscript or subscript text.
Both values are expressed as a percentage of the font size.
13. Click Properties in the menu that appears.
14. In the Properties dialog box, click the Text tab.
15. In the Options area, select the Back Field check box to align the texts.
16. Increase or decrease the values for the superscript and subscript texts in the
Offset and Size fields to set the offset and size.
17. Click OK to validate. The subscript and superscript texts are now aligned and set
as defined.

This functionality does not always work when the text is wrapped.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, modify text color, position and/or
orientation. You will also learn how to specify the text display mode.
Open the Brackets_views02.CATDrawing document. Create an annotation such as a
free text, for example.
1. Select the annotation you just created. (For the purpose of this exercise, you select
a free text, but you could also select any other type of annotation.)
2. Select the Edit-> Properties command.
You can also right-click on this dimension and then choose Properties from the
contextual menu.
3. Click the Text tab. The associated panel is displayed.

● Frame: you can choose a frame type for the selected text that is to say rectangle,
triangle, circle, etc. You can specify the color, line thickness and line type for the
frame in the associated fields.
● Position:
❍ Anchor Point: you can change the text position in relation to the anchor point.
❍ Justification: you can specify a justification for the text: left, center or right.
❍ X, Y: you can modify anchor point coordinates.
❍ Anchor Mode: it allows you to position the anchor line to the character Top and
Bottom or to the character Cap or Base.
● Line Spacing Mode: you can choose the spacing mode between to line of
characters. As an example, create the following free text:
Now, select base to cap option in the combo box. The spacing between the two lines
will be between the base of first line characters and cap of second line characters:

● Line spacing: you can increase or decrease the spacing between two lines of
characters.
● Word wrap: allows you to wrap the text in a width you specify.
When you create a free text, the anchor point is the point you click in free space to
define a location for the free text.
● Orientation: specify a text orientation.

❍ Reference: choose Sheet to use the sheet as the reference for the text
orientation, or View / 2D Component to use the view or 2D component as the
reference for the text orientation.
❍ Orientation: the text is oriented according to the chosen reference; choose
Horizontal to position it horizontally, Vertical to position it vertically or Fixed
Angle to position it using a fixed angle.
❍ Angle: if you choose Fixed Angle for Orientation, you can define the
orientation angle according to the chosen reference.
❍ Mirroring: specify whether you want to apply a mirroring to the selected text,
and what kind of mirroring, or if the text should flip automatically in such a way
that it will always be in a readable position.
● Options:
❍ Display Units: in a text containing parameters with units, displays these units.
❍ Apply scale: applies the scale of the view or of the 2D reference component to
the display of the text.
If you want to use as symbols 2D components with text, activate both the
Apply Scale property and the Create with a constant size setting (in Tools ->
Options -> Mechanical Design -> Drafting -> Annotation and Dress-up
tab): the size of both the 2D component and its text will then be independent
from the view scale.
❍ Back Field: aligns superscript and subscript texts above one another.
❍ Blank Background: specifies that the text background should be blanked when
the text is displayed over a pattern or over a picture.
❍ Superscript: increase or decrease the values for the superscript texts in the
Offset and Size fields to set the offset and size.
❍ Subscript: increase or decrease the values for the subscript texts in the Offset
and Size fields to set the offset and size.
❍ Display: specifies a display mode for the text.

4. Click the More switch button to check if extra options are available.
6. Click OK.
Specifying the Text Display Mode

In this task, you will learn how to specify the display mode for the text. For the
purpose of this exercise, you will use a text with a leader and a frame, but this feature
is also available with text only, as well as with dimension texts.
Create a text with a leader and a frame.
1. Select the text and right-click it.
3. Click the Text tab.

4. In the Options area, choose the display mode you want for your text from the
Display list.
You have the following options:

● Show Value: displays the text, and (when applicable) its leader and its frame. This
option is selected by default.
● Show Box: replaces the text and (when applicable) its frame by a rectangular box
and displays its leader.
● Hide Value: hides the text and (when applicable) its frame but (when applicable)
displays its leader.
5. Click OK to validate. The text is now displayed using the mode you set.
If you select Hide Value as the display mode for a text with no leader, the text will not
be visible at all on your drawing. You can find all hidden texts in a drawing using
advanced Search options. To do this, choose Edit -> Search, click the Advanced tab.
Select Drafting from the Workbench list, Text from the Type list, Display from the
Attributes list. In the dialog box that appears, select = and Hide Value and then
click OK. Click the Search button. All hidden texts are listed.
In the case of dimensions, the display modes are as shown below:

● Show Value: displays the dimension and its leader. This option is selected by
default.
● Show Box: replaces the dimension by a rectangular box and displays its leader.

● Hide Value: hides the dimension but displays its leader.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit dimension text properties.
Open the Brackets_views02.CATDrawing document. Create a diameter dimension, for

example.
1. Select a dimension (whatever the type) on the CATDrawing you opened.
2. Select the Edit-> Properties command and click the Dimension Texts tab.
You can also right click the current element and then select the Properties command from
the displayed contextual menu.
4. If needed, modify the available options.
● Prefix - Suffix: you can insert either a symbol or a text before the dimension text or a
text after the dimension text.

You can not insert a prefix and a suffix.
If you want to remove the symbol before the dimension text,

select this symbol:
● Associated Texts: you can insert texts before, after, below and above the main and
the dual value.
Dimension texts positioning:
● Dimension score options: you can choose to score only the value, all dimension texts
or not to score (for Main Value and/or Dual Value).
● Dimension frame options: you can choose to include in the frame Value+tolerance
+texts or Value+tolerance or Value for Main Value, Dual Value or both.
5. Click OK.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit dimension value properties.

example.
1. Select a dimension (whatever the type) on the CATDrawing you opened.
2. Select the Edit-> Properties command and click the Value tab.
You can also right click the current element and then select the Properties command
4. If needed, modify the available options.

Dimension Type: check Driving if you want projected dimensions to drive geometry.
If you want to key in a value for the driving dimension, you must close Properties
dialog box, double-click the dimension in the drawing, check Drive geometry and key
in a value.
Value Orientation: you can choose
● the value orientation reference (Screen, View or Dimension Line),
● the value orientation (Parallel, Perpendicular or Fixed Angle),
● the orientation angle if Fixed Angle is selected in orientation,
● the value position (Auto, Inside or Outside),
● the value offset in relation to the dimension line.

Dual Value: you can show dual value checking Show dual value option and choose its
location.
Format: you can set Main value and Dual value format.
● Description: select a type of format.
● Display: choose to display one, two or three factors.
● Format: choose fractional or decimal format.
● Precision: select the value precision.
For chamfer, you can set Description, Display and Format in chamfer tab.
Fake Dimension: check this option to display fake dimensions, you can choose to
display numerical or alphanumerical fake dimensions.
Text limitation: eight characters.
If you need to insert a text containing more than eight characters:
● leave the dimension text blank (for this, you can create a blank fake dimension),
● create an associated text.
5. Click OK.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit dimension tolerance properties.
There are different types of tolerances:
● Numerical tolerances
● Alphanumerical tolerances
● Combined tolerances (an

alphanumerical value and two
numerical values): ISOCOMB tolerance.

example.
1. Select the diameter dimension.
2. Select the Edit-> Properties command and click the Tolerance tab.
You can also right-click the dimension and then select the Properties command from
the displayed contextual menu.
3. You can associate a tolerance to the selected dimension. In this example, choose
ISOALPH1 in the Main Value field.
The First value field is enabled and displays an alphanumerical value. The
corresponding numerical equivalents are displayed in the Upper value and Lower
value fields. (These equivalents are defined by standards.)

4. Assign the desired tolerance to this dimension by selecting another alphanumerical

value. In this example, select H9 in the First value field. The corresponding
numerical numerical equivalents are automatically displayed.
5. In some cases, you may wish to display another tolerance. In this case, select a
tolerance type in the Dual Value field.
If you choose the same tolerance type for main and for dual value, then the values for
this tolerance will also be the same.
6. Click OK.
For dimensions with alphanumerical tolerances, you can display the corresponding
numerical equivalents in the drawing, simply by placing the cursor over the dimension
value in the drawing. The numerical equivalents are displayed in a tooltip.



This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit dimension extension line properties.

example.
1. Select the dimension you created (whatever the type).
You can also right-click on this dimension and then choose Properties from the contextual
menu.
3. In the Properties dialog box that appears, click the Extension Line tab. The associated
panel is displayed.

● Color: choose a color for the extension line.

● Thickness: specify the thickness of the extension line.
● Display first extension line: check to display or uncheck to hide the first extension
line, when applicable.
● Display second extension line: check to display or uncheck to hide the second
extension line, when applicable.
● Slant: set the slant angle for the extension line. This angle is contained between 90
degrees and -90 degrees excluded, the default angle being 0 degree.
This functionality works only on linear dimension line and the line linking extension line
anchor points (blanking excluded) has to be parallel to the dimension line, as shown below.
● Extremities: it allows you to increase or decrease extension line Overrun and Blanking.
Overrun is the overrun minimum value. As an example, for a cumulated dimension (for ISO
Standard):
You cannot decrease it below the

You can increase the overrun size
minimum value
To set extension line length and text position for cumulated dimensions, use the
CUMLExtMode dimension parameter in the standards.

● Funnel: to insert a funnel, you must check this option. You can configure the funnel:
❍ the Height,
❍ the Angle,
❍ the Width,
❍ the funnel mode: external or internal
External Funnel Mode Internal Funnel Mode

● the Funnel side allows you to apply funnel only on one extension line or both of them.
You cannot create interruptions on funneled dimension lines.
5. Click OK.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit dimension line properties.

example.
1. Select the dimension you just created (whatever the type).
You can also right-click on this dimension and then choose Properties from the
contextual menu.
3. In the Properties dialog box that appears, click the Dimension Line tab. The
associated panel is displayed. Not all fields are active: their activation depends on
your choice of options.

Representation
Specify how you want the dimension line represented: Regular, Two Parts, Leader
one Part, Leader two Parts.
Color
Choose a color for the dimension line.
Thickness
Specify the thickness of the dimension line.
Second part
If you chose Two parts or Leader two Parts for the representation, you need to
provide information about the second leader part:
● the Reference for positioning the second part of the dimension line,
● the Orientation for the secondary part of the dimension line in relation to its
reference,
● the Angle for the secondary part of the dimension line in relation to its reference
(if you selected Dimension Line in the Orientation field and Fixed Angle in the
Reference field).
Extension
Choose an extension type for your dimension line.
Leader Angle
Specify the angle you want for the extension line.
Symbols
Choose the properties you want to apply to Symbol 1, Symbol 2 (you may need to
check this box to specify you want to the dimension to display two symbols), and
Leader Symbol (if you chose to represent the dimension line with a leader).
● Shape: you can choose the dimension line shape (arrow, circle, plus, etc.).
● Color: you can choose the symbols color.
● Thickness: you can define the symbol thickness.
● Reversal: set the position of the symbols (inside or outside) in relation to the
extension line.

In the case of two-symbols dimensions, you can specify a different

position for each symbol (i.e. symbol 1 inside and symbol 2 outside, or
vice-versa).
You can also this interactively using the Ctrl key.
You can apply different kinds of modifications between arrow symbol 1 and symbol 2
on the condition the drawing was created from version 5 release 5 on.
Foreshortened
For radius dimensions, you can activate the Foreshortened option.
It allows you to transform a radius dimension line into a foreshortened radius

dimension line. You can then choose from the following options:
● Text position: specify whether the text should be positioned on the long segment
or on the short segment of the dimension.
● Orientation: define the orientation of the text associated to the dimension line
(parallel or convergent).
● Angle: specify the angle value.
● Ratio: specify the ratio for the short segment and the long segment of the
foreshortened dimension.
● Point scale: specify the point scale value.
● Unfix extremity position: check this box to unfix the extremity point of the
foreshortened dimension line. You will then be able to move the extremity point
using a yellow manipulator.
For foreshortened radius dimensions, you can define the appearance of the extremity
point by making sure the Symbol 2 box in the Symbols area is checked, and then
choosing the appropriate options.
Clicking the More button will display extra options, if any are available.


For example, from the Representation drop-down list, choose Leader two Parts.
5. In the Leader Angle field, specify the angle you want between the two parts of
the leader.
This angle is applied to the first segment:
You can also drive the second segment from the options in the Second Part area: it
can be horizontal, vertical, parallel, perpendicular, fixed angle with screen, view, or
dimension horizontal and vertical.
6. Change the Leader symbol in Symbols-> Shape.

Choose Double Filled Arrow, for example.

7. Transform this two parts leader into a one part leader: from the Representation
drop-down list, choose Leader one Part.
8. Click OK.


This task explains how to access and, if needed, edit information on instantiated 2D
component properties.
Open the Position_Component03.CATDrawing document.
1. Right-click on the Instance to access the contextual menu.
2. Select Properties command and click the 2D Component tab. You can modify the
2D component instance position and orientation:

You can also select the instance and go to Edit -> Properties command and click the
2D Component tab.
● Location:
It allows you to access to the instance location and the origin of the 2D component
it was instantiated from.
● Position and orientation:
you can modify detail instantiated 2D component coordinates, angle with horizontal
reference axis and scale.
3. Click OK.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

Images
Images
The Generative Drafting workbench lets you add images to Drafting sheets as well as edit them.
Insert images
Insert raster or vector images in a drawing.
Edit images
Edit raster images using the raster editor, or view information about vector images.

This functionality allows you to insert images on every operating system. It is useful for
V4 Drawings translation.
In this task, we will see how to insert raster (*.bmp, *.jpg, *.tif, etc.) or vector images
(*.cgm. *.gl, *.gl2) as native V5 Drafting elements. The scenario below provides an
example using a raster image, but the procedure is the same for vector images.
● Define a new sheet and a view.

● Insert a frame title block, choose the Drawing_Titleblock_Samples1.
● Save the logo.tif document on your computer (to do this, right-click on "logo.tif" and
choose Save Target As in the contextual menu).
1. Select the Insert -> Picture command.
A dialog box appears, allowing you to browse your disk.
2. Select the file "logo.gif" you have previously imported. The image is imported in your
drawing.
3. Click on the image to select it. Scaling manipulators appear. Drag one of the

manipulators to decrease the picture size.
You get this:
The image is a native V5 Drafting element, it is positioned by default at the origin of the
view.
The anchor point of the picture corresponds to its lower left-hand corner.
● In the Properties dialog box available from the image's contextual menu, on the Picture
tab, check the Lock aspect ratio option to make sure images will keep their ratio
aspect.
● If the previous option is unchecked, use the Ctrl key to keep the picture ratio aspect.
● Use the Shift key to snap to the grid.
4. Drag the image to the required position.

[ Up ] [ Next ]


In this task, you will learn how to edit raster images (*.bmp, *.jpg, *.tif, etc.) inserted
in a drawing.
Save the logo.tif document on your computer (to do this, right-click on "logo.tif" and
choose Save Target As in the contextual menu) and insert it in your drawing.
1. Double-click on the raster image. The Image Editor dialog box is displayed.

2. Edit the image as wanted. For more information on how to edit images, refer to
Editing Images in the Album in the Infrastructure User's Guide.
3. When you are done, click OK. The image is updated in the drawing.
Viewing information about vector images
You cannot edit vector images (*.cgm. *.gl, *.gl2) inserted in a drawing, but you can,
however, view information about them. To do this, simply double-click on a vector
image in a drawing. This will display the Image information dialog box. To exit the
dialog box when you are done reviewing the image-related information, click OK.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

Interoperability
Interoperability
The Generative Drafting workbench provides a simple method to create and modify
views from a .model.
Create and modify views from a .model

Use a master model exact solid to create and modify views from a .model.

This task will show you how to create and modify views from a .model on the condition this .model is
a master model Exact Solid.
Open pm6-7b-1e_gun_body_draw.model.
Tile the windows horizontally to see your drawing sheet and your Sheet Metal part at the same time.
1. Create projection views from this .model. The views are generated.
● The only modifications you can perform on views generated from .model documents are dress-up
modifications.
● Dress-up modifications applied to any .model are not associative.

Elements from .model documents are handled differently depending on their type and on the type of
view you are generating:
● In section cuts, section views, and breakout views: Exact Solid and Skin elements from .model
documents are supported in exact mode.
● In projection views, quick detail views, clipping views and broken views: Exact Solid and Skin
elements from .model documents are supported in exact mode. All elements from .model
documents are supported in CGR and raster mode.
[ Up ]

Printing a Document
Printing a Document
The Generative Drafting workbench provides a simple method for print one or more sheets
inserted in your document.
Print a document quickly

Quickly print a given sheet.
Print a document after modifying current display settings

Modify the settings of a document you will then print.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

This task will show you how to quickly print a given sheet.
When printing a sheet, the current filter and layers (those used for screen display) are taken
into account. For more details on layers and filters, see Infrastructure User's Guide.
Open a CATDrawing document. Create a circle, a line and a profile on this document.
1. Select File -> Print Preview from the menu bar.
The Print Preview dialog box is displayed.
2. Press OK.

3. Select File -> Print from the menu bar.

The Print dialog box displays.
4. Click the required options from the box.
5. Press OK.
You may print either all or given sheets (the sheet selected or a given number of existing

sheets).
You may also print the views currently displayed on your screen (Current display option).
You may also choose the number of copies you need to print.
Fitting choice provides the following options:
● : Assigns the best orientation to the views to be printed.
● : Prints keeping the printer options.
● : Clips the drawing representation to the sheet format.
For details on Options, see Infrastructure User's guide Version 5.

By default the sheet to be printed will Fit to Printer Format. The printer default format will
be used whatever the sheet format. Let's say the printer format is Portrait. If you check the
options as described below, the sheet will be previewed and printed as follows.
Best Orientation/Fit to printer format/Clip to the sheet format

Fit to printer format/Clip to the sheet format
Clip to the sheet format

Best orientation/Clip to the sheet format

Let's start from a new drawing:
Best Orientation/Fit to printer format/Clip to the sheet format

Best Orientation/Fit to printer format

[ Up ] [ Next ]

Printing a Document After Modifying Current

Display Settings
This task shows how to modify the settings of a document you will then print.
Create views on different sheets with the Landscape orientation.
1. Select File -> Print from the menu bar.
The Print dialog box is displayed.
2. Click the required Printer options from the dialog box.
3. Activate the Current display option.
4. Click the Options option from the box.

5. If needed, select the Color tab.
6. If needed, select the Banner tab.
7. If needed, select the Various tab.
8. Click OK.

9. Click the Settings option from the Print dialog box.
The Layout dialog box is displayed.
10. De-activate the Fit in Page option.
11. For example, click the center switch for positioning the sheet at the center of the
previewed layout.
12. Press OK.
13. Select the Print Preview option from

the Print dialog box.
The Print Preview dialog box is displayed.
14. Press OK.
The Print dialog box is displayed.
15. Press OK to launch the printing

operation.

[ Back ] [ Up ]

In the Generative Drafting workbench, administration tasks deals with the administration
of generative view styles.
You can manage and customize the styles that will be used to generate views using the
Standards Editor.
Before you begin

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Before you begin
Before you begin
About Generative View Styles

Generative view styles let you customize the appearance and behavior of a generated
view via a set of pre-defined parameters and options.
Administrators can create one or several generative view styles from which users can
choose when creating a generative view.
Generative view styles are defined in an XML file.
Some workbenches (such as the Structure Functional Design workbench, for

example) also offer the possibility of configuring generative view styles. These styles
will be specific to views generated from this workbench, and will specify the
appearance of the geometry to be generated. To know if a given workbench supports
generative view styles, refer to its documentation.
Management of Generative View Styles

One generative view style per view
When you create a view using a generative view style, you specify the XML file that
will be associated with this view. Within a drawing, you can only associate one
generative view style to a given view, but you can use several generative view style
files by associating different files to different views.
Standalone drawings
The values of the parameters in the specified XML file are then copied into the
CATDrawing document. Each drawing contains an embedded copy of the generative
view style(s) it uses. The drawing is therefore standalone. This makes it possible for
users, projects, or companies to exchange CATDrawing documents without needing to
send the generative view style file along.
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Before you begin
Administrator-controlled access and modification
The administrator defines and controls the location of the generative view style files
as well as the ability to modify existing ones. For example, the administrator can
define a single generative view style, and prevent users from modifying it.
Administrator-controlled authorized styles
The administrator defines the list of authorized generative view styles, in the Drafting
standards XML file.
A generative view style file available by default
By default, a pre-defined generative view style file is delivered. This file is located in
install_root/resources/standard/generativeparameters/
DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml.
Administrators can customize this file to define their default generative view styles.
They can also use this file as a template for creating new generative view styles.
They can add as many generative view style files as needed. Refer to Administering
Generative View Styles for more information.
Do not delete the DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml file: it contains all generative view

style parameters. Furthermore, it is used as a default if a parameter happens to be
missing from a custom view style file (in this case, the corresponding parameter
defined in DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml will be used instead). In case the
DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml file cannot be found, then the application will use its
own default parameter instead.
Editing the generative view style file
The generative view style files can be edited using an interactive editor. This editor
provides an easy-to-use graphic interface to let you customize the parameters
included in the generative view style file. For information on how to customize the
parameters included in the generative view style file, refer to Setting Generative View
Style Parameters.
The interactive editor is available in Tools -> Standards. (It is the same editor with
which you can customize the Drafting standards). For more information on how to
use this editor, refer to the Customizing Standards chapter in the Infrastructure
User's Guide.

Before you begin
Make sure you use the Standards editor available in Tools -> Standards when
modifying and customizing the XML generative view style files. Using other editors
(such as text editors) may alter the consistency of the generative view style XML
files, and may make them unusable.
Import of a newer version of a generative view style file
Once a generative view style has been assigned to a view, it is embedded into the
drawing. This means that if you update the generative view style file that was used to
create the view, the style of the view itself will not be modified and will remain as it
was when the view was created.
To modify the style used by the view, you need to import the newer version of the
generative view style XML file into the drawing. To do so, select Tools -> Import a
generative view style. In the dialog box which is displayed, select the generative
view style to import and click OK.
Note the following points:

● The newer, imported generative view style will completely override the older
version of the generative view style in all views which use this generative view
style.
● If the drawing contains views which use other generative view styles, these views
will not be affected by the import.
Importing a newer version of a given generative view style file will be useful to
ensure that views created on a previous release using the generative view styles
provided by default with the application benefit from the new styles parameters that
were added in the latest release.
Using Generative View Styles

Creating views using generative view styles
When generating a view from the 3D, users can choose to use one of the styles
defined by the administrator. Refer to Creating Views Using Generative View Styles.
Switching a view to another generative view style
Once a view has been created using a specific generative view style, it is possible to
switch this view to another view style. Refer to Switching a View to Another

Before you begin
Generative View Style.
Applying the generative style of a view to another view
You can apply the generative view style used to create a given view to another view.
Refer to Applying the Generative Style of a View to Another View.
Applying a generative view style to a view
You can apply a generative view style to a view which was created without one. Refer
to Applying a Generative View Style to a View After its Creation.
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Administering Generative View Styles and

Standards
This task documents the administration of both generative view styles (Generative
Drafting workbench) and standards (Interactive Drafting workbench), as the
procedure is basically the same whether you are administering generative view styles
or standards. The examples provided in this task specifically deal with the
administration of generative view styles.
For more information on customizing and administering standards, refer to the

Administration Tasks chapter in the Interactive Drafting User's Guide.
Location of generative view style files or standard files

The location of generative view style files or standard files is defined by two
environment variables which can be set during installation or modified afterwards:
Variable name Description
CATCollectionStandard Path and name of the directory (or directories)
which contains:
● the generativeparameters sub-directories
(which themselves contain the customized
generative view styles). It is in these
generativeparameters sub-directories
that you should add the generative view
styles customized for a company, project
or user.
● the drafting sub-directories (which
themselves contain the customized drafting
standards). It is in these drafting sub-
directories that you should add the
drafting standards customized for a
company, project or user.

CATDefaultCollectionStandard Path and name of the directory (or directories)

which contains:
● the generativeparameters sub-directories
(which themselves contain the predefined
generative view styles delivered by Dassault
Systemes).
● the drafting sub-directories (which
themselves contain the predefined drafting
standards delivered by Dassault Systemes).
The default location for this directory (set during

the installation process) is the installation
directory install_root\resources\standard.
Setting the location of generative view style files

Refer to the Administration Tasks chapter in the Interactive Drafting User's Guide for
specific information on how to set the location of generative view style files.
There are two possibilities:

● If you want to place all customized generative view styles in a custom directory,
named mydirectory for example, you need to proceed as follows:
1. Create a directory named as you like (mydirectory, for example).

2. Create a sub-directory under this directory, which needs to be
named generativeparameters.
3. Place the XML files containing your customized generative view
styles in mydirectory\generativeparameters.
● If you have not yet customized your XML generative view style files, then proceed
as follows:
1. Create a directory named as you like (mydirectory, for example).

2. Create a sub-directory under this directory, which needs to be
named generativeparameters.
3. Set the CATCollectionStandard variable to mydirectory. After
you have customized the XML generative view style files, the
standard editor will then save them in mydirectory
\generativeparameters.

● If the CATDefaultCollectionStandard and the CATCollectionStandard variables

both contain an identically-named generative view styles, it is always the style
found in CATCollectionStandard which will be used.
● If two directories referenced by the CATCollectionStandard and/or
CATDefaultCollectionStandard variables contain identically-named generative
view style files, it is always the style in the directory listed first which will be used.
Customizing and defining generative view styles or

standards
To edit and save generative view style files or standard files in Tools -> Standards,
you must be running the V5 session in administrator mode (-admin).
The recommended method for customizing generative view style files or standard files
is the following:
1. You need to work in administrator mode. To do this, proceed as follows:
a. Set up the CATReferenceSettingPath variable.
b. Start a V5 session using the -admin option.
For more information, refer to the Managing Environments chapter in the
Infrastructure Installation Guide.
2. Set up the CATCollectionStandard environment variable as explained above.
If none of the conditions are respected, a warning message will appear to let
you know that you will neither be able to modify nor save the XML files.
3. Modify the generative view styles or the Drafting standards as appropriate.
4. Use the Save As or the OK button to store your modifications.
5. To exit, use the Cancel button.
Once the generative view style files or the standard files have been customized and
saved, they can be used in a V5 session in normal mode.


The Generative Drafting workbench lets you set generative view style parameters.
Before you begin
You should be familiar with important concepts such as the structure of generative
view styles and how to customize generative view style parameters.
Generate parameters
Specifies whether the elements will be projected in the view or not.
View dress-up parameters

Defines the style of the various parameters which deal with the dress-up of the view.
[ Back ] [ Up ]
Before you begin
Before you begin
Structure of the Generative View Styles

A generative view style file is structured as a tree, as it appears in the Standards Editor
(available via Tools -> Standards). It contains several main sections, one of which is
specifically devoted to customizing generative view styles for drafting. This section
contains sub-sections, each dealing with a specific aspect of drafting customization:
● Generate parameters: specifies whether the elements will be projected in the view or
not.
● View dress-up parameters: defines the style of the various parameters which deal
with the dress-up of the view.

Before you begin
Customizing Generative View Style Parameters

In this scenario, you will learn how to customize generative view style parameters
using a specific example.
The pre-defined DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml file specifies that hidden edges should

be displayed in black, using a specific linetype and thickness. You will modify these
parameters so that hidden edges are displayed in orange, for example, and using a
different linetype and thickness.
Select Tools -> Standards to launch the standards editor. Choose the
generativeparameters category, and then open the DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml
file from the drop-down list.
1. In the editor, expand the following nodes successively: DefaultGenerativeStyle

-> Drafting -> ViewDressup -> GeneratedGeometry -> HiddenEdges.
2. Select the Color parameter.
3. Set the color to orange, for example by choosing another color from the drop-
down list in the right-hand pane.
4. Select the Linetype parameter.
5. Set the linetype to 4, for example by choosing another linetype number from the
drop-down list in the right-hand pane.
Note: Linetypes are defined in Tools -> Options -> General -> Display ->
Linetype tab.
6. Select the Thickness parameter.
7. Set the thickness to 2, for example by choosing another thickness number from
the drop-down list in the right-hand pane.
Note: Thicknesses are defined in Tools -> Standards -> Drafting category ->
[StandardFile] -> Linethickness node.
8. Click OK to save your modifications and exit the standards editor.
9. Define a new drawing sheet.
10. Create a front view. The view is generated, taking into account the parameters
you defined.

Before you begin
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Generate Parameters
Generate Parameters
Generate parameters are located in the Drafting -> Generate nodes of the
generative view style XML file. They specify whether the elements should be projected
in the view.
Parameter Value Description

Specifies whether axis
AxisLines Yes/No
lines should be projected.
Specifies whether center
CenterLines Yes/No
None / Boundaries / OriginalEdges / Defines the fillet
Fillets
ProjectedOriginalEdges representation mode.
Specifies whether hidden
HiddenLines Yes/No
Specifies whether threads
Threads Yes/No
should be projected.
Specifies whether 3D
3DPoints Yes/No
points should be projected.
Specifies whether
Wireframe Yes/No wireframe should be
projected.
Specifies whether colors
Using3DColors Yes/No defined in 3D should be
kept.
Specifies whether 3D
specifications (cut, use,
Using3DSpec Yes/No
hidden lines) should be
used.

View dress-up parameters are located in the Drafting -> ViewDressup nodes of the
generative view style XML file (available in Tools -> Standard ->
generativeparameters category -> *.XML file).
They define the style of the various parameters which deal with the dress-up of the
view.
There are various kinds of dress-up parameters:

● Operators
● 3D Inheritance
● GeneratedGeometry
Operators
Parameter Parameter Name Value Description
Determines the color of the
Color color
section profile.
Determines the linetype used for
Section Linetype integer
the section profile.
Determines the line thickness
Thickness integer
used for the section profile.
Determines the color of the skin
Color color
section profile.
Section -> SkinSection Linetype integer
the skin section profile.
Thickness integer
used for the skin section profile.
Determines the color of the solid
Color color
section profile.
Section -> SolidSection Linetype integer
the solid section profile.
Thickness integer
used for the solid section profile.
Color color
detail profile.
Detail Linetype integer
the detail profile.
Thickness integer
used for the detail profile.


Color color
break profile.
Break
Linetype integer
the break profile.
Thickness integer
used for the break profile.
Color color
breakout profile.
Breakout Linetype integer
the breakout profile.
Thickness integer
used for the breakout profile.
3DInheritance
Specifies whether wireframe color should be
Color yes/no
inherited from 3D.
Specifies whether wireframe linetype should be
Wireframe Linetype yes/no
inherited from 3D.
Specifies whether wireframe thickness should
Thickness yes/no
be inherited from 3D.
Specifies whether solid color should be
Color yes/no
inherited from 3D.
Specifies whether solid linetype should be
Solid Linetype yes/no
inherited from 3D.
Specifies whether solid thickness should be
Thickness yes/no
inherited from 3D.
Specifies whether 3D points color should be
Color yes/no
inherited from 3D.
3D Points
Specifies whether 3D points symbol should be
Symbol yes/no
inherited from 3D.

GeneratedGeometry
Color color Determines the color of vivid edges.
Linetype integer Determines the linetype used for vivid edges.
VividEdges
Determines the line thickness used for vivid
Thickness integer
edges.
Color color Determines the color of hidden edges.
Determines the linetype used for hidden
Linetype integer
HiddenEdges edges.
Determines the line thickness used for
Thickness integer
hidden edges.
Color color Determines the color of fillets.
Fillets Linetype integer Determines the linetype used for fillets.
Thickness integer Determines the line thickness used for fillets.
Color color Determines the color of wireframe.
Linetype integer Determines the linetype used for wireframe.
Wireframe
Determines the line thickness used for
Thickness integer
wireframe.
Determines the symbol used for 3D points.
3DPoints Symbols integer Use O to inherit from the 3D symbol,
use 1 to 8 to choose a custom symbol.
[ Back ] [ Up ]

This section contains the list of the icons and menus specific to Generative Drafting workbench.
You may read these pages whenever you require more detailed information on these commands which have been
documented in other parts of the guide.
Command Board
Menu Bar
Toolbars
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Command Board
Command (and Option) Board
General
Grid Analysis Display Mode
Snap to Point Show Constraints
Detected Constraints Filter Generated Elements
Projected/Forced/True Length Dimension
Drawing
Sheets
New Sheet New View
New Detail Sheet Instantiate 2D Component
Frame Creation
Generated Views
Front View View from 3D
Advanced Front View Quick Detail View
Projection Views Quick Detail View Profile
Auxiliary View Detail View
Unfolded View Detail View Profile
Offset Section View Clipping View
Offset Section Cut Clipping View Profile
Aligned Section View Broken View
Aligned Section Cut Breakout View

Isometric View Views via the Wizard

Command Board
Views via the Wizard Views via the Wizard

Views via the Wizard
Generating Dimensions
Generating Dimensions Generating Dimensions Step
by Step
Dimensioning
Dimensions Dimension Edition

Tolerancing
Dimensions Create Interruption(s) Datum Feature
Cumulated Dimensions Remove Interruption(s) Geometrical Tolerances
Stacked Dimensions Re-route Dimension
Length/Distance
Dimensions
Angle Dimensions
Technological Feature
Dimensioning
Technological Feature
Radius Dimensions
Dimensions
Length Technological Feature
Diameter Dimensions
Dimensions
Angle Technological Feature
Chamfer Dimensions
Dimensions
Radius Technological Feature
Thread Dimension
Dimensions
Diameter Technological
Coordinate Dimensions
Feature Dimensions
Hole Dimension Table
Points Coordinates Table

Command Board
Annotations
Texts
Symbols
Text Roughness Symbol
Text with Leader Welding Symbol
Text Replicate Geometry Weld
Balloon
Datum Target
Text Template Placement
Table
Dress-up Elements
Axis and Threads

Center Line (No Reference) Thread (No Reference)
Center Line (Reference) Thread (Reference)

Axis Line Axis Line and Center Line
2D Component
Re-use a component from a catalog
Graphic Properties

Command Board
● line color Copy Object Format

● line type Pattern
● line weight
Dimension Properties
Line Type
one part dimension ● Tolerance type
● Unit
two part dimension ● Precision
two part leader
Text Properties
Font Name Font Size
Bold Superscript
Italic Subscript
Underline Left Justification
Strike-thru Center Justification
Over-line Right Justification

Command Board
Anchor point Frame
Style
Style
[ Up ] [ Next ]

Menu Bar
Menu Bar
In this chapter we will describe the various menus, submenus and items specific to the Generative
Drafting workbench.
File
For... See...
Page Setup... Defining the Drafting Sheet
Print... Printing a Document Quickly
Printer Setup... Printing a Document After Modifying Current

Display Settings
Edit
For... See...
Links Saving and Loading (unresolved link)

Saving and Loading (resolved link)
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Menu Bar
Not Aligning a View
Properties Access and edit information on 2D geometry, dress-

up elements, annotations and dimensions in a single
dialog box
Background Creating a Frame Title Block
Insert
For... See...
Views Creating Views

Drawing Creating Sheets
Dimensioning Creating Dimensions
Generation Generating Dimensions
Annotations Annotations

Menu Bar
Dress Up Dress-Up Elements
New sheet Define a Drafting Sheet
New Detail Sheet Create a 2D component
New View Create views
Instantiate Detail Re-use a 2D component

Menu Bar
Dimensions Create dimensions
Cumulated Dimensions Create cumulated dimensions
Stacked Dimensions Create stacked dimensions
Length/Distance Dimensions Create explicit dimensions
Angle Dimensions Create explicit dimensions
Radius Dimensions Create explicit dimensions
Diameter Dimensions Create explicit dimensions
Chamfer Dimensions Create chamfer dimensions

Menu Bar
Coordinate Dimensions Create coordinate dimensions
Create Interruption Interrupt one or more extension lines
Remove Interruption Interrupt one or more extension lines
Remove all Interruptions Interrupt one or more extension lines
Datum Feature Create a datum feature
Geometrical Tolerance Create a geometrical tolerance
Generating Dimensions Generate dimensions in one shot

Menu Bar
Generating Dimensions Step by Step Generate dimensions semi-automatically
Balloon generation Generating Associative Balloons
Bill of material Add a generative Bill of Material
Text Create a free text
Text with Leader Create a text with a leader
Text Replicate Replicate a text attribute
Balloon Create a balloon
Datum Target Create a datum target
Roughness Symbol Create a roughness symbol
Welding Symbol Create a welding symbol

Menu Bar
Weld Create a geometry weld
Center Line Create center lines (no reference)
Center Line with Reference Create center lines (reference)
Thread Create threads (no reference)
Thread Create threads (reference)
Axis Line Create axis lines
Axis Line and Center Line Create axis lines and center lines
Tools
For... See...
Positioning Further down

Menu Bar
Analyze Further down
Reset All Defaults Before You Begin:
Insert File Exporting and Importing a File
Element Positioning Modifying annotation positioning
Line up dimensions (free space)

Line-up
Line up dimensions (reference)
Dimension Positioning Position dimensions

Menu Bar
Show Geometry in All Viewpoints Showing Geometry in Views
Dimensions Analysis Analyzing Interfering Dimensions

Toolbars
Generative Drafting Toolbars

This section describes the various icons of the Generative Drafting workbench. The toolbars
are located on each side of the workbench in the default set-up.
Toolbar Purpose
Views Create different kinds of views
Specify the generative view style that should be used
when creating views
Create sheets, views, 2D components and frame title
Drawing
blocks
Dimensioning Create all types of dimensions needed for your drawing
Dimension Generation Generate dimensions and balloons
Annotations Add annotations to existing views by creating them
Dress-Up Add dress-up elements on the drawing
Tools Activate display and positioning tools
Use specific options or value fields available for a given
Tools Palette
command
Properties
Text Properties Modify the text properties
Graphic Properties Modify the graphic properties of all kind of features
Dimension Properties Modify the dimensions properties
Style Set the style that will be used to create a new object
[ Back ] [ Up ]
Drawing
Drawing
See Manipulating the Drafting Sheet
See Creating a 2D Component
See Re-using a 2D component
See Creating a 2D Component

See Add a generative Bill of Material
[ Up ] [ Next ]
Views
Views
See Creating a Front View
See Creating an Advanced Front View
See Creating an Unfolded View
See Creating Projection Views
See Creating an Auxiliary View
See Creating an Offset Section View/Offset Section Cut
See Creating an Offset Section View/Offset Section Cut
See Creating an Aligned Section View/Aligned Section Cut
See Creating an Aligned Section View/Aligned Section Cut
See Creating a Quick Detail View/Quick Detail View Profile

Views
See Creating a Detail View/Detail View Profile
See Creating a Detail View/Detail View Profile
See Creating a Clipping View
See Creating a Clipping View
See Creating an Isometric View
See Creating a Broken View
See Creating a Breakout View
See Creating Views via the Wizard
See Creating Views via the Wizard


See Creating a View using Generative View
Styles
See Dimensions Generation in One Shot
See Semi-automatic Dimension

Generation
See Generating Balloons
[ Back ] [ Up ]

These sections explain how to customize settings for Drafting.
Customizing for Interactive Drafting
Customizing for Generative Drafting
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This section explains how to customize settings and toolbars for Interactive Drafting.
General settings
Set general settings to be used in the Interactive Drafting workbench.
View and sheet layout settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating views or when adding sheets.
Geometry creation settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating 2D geometry, whether using
autodetection (or SmartPick) or not, or still adding constraints to this geometry.
Dimension creation settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating or re-positioning dimensions.
Manipulator settings
Visualize given manipulators that will be used when creating or modifying dimensions.
Annotation and dress-up settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating annotations.
Administration settings
Customize settings for the management of drawings.
Toolbar customization
Customize the appearance of properties toolbars.
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General Settings
General Settings
This task shows you how to set general settings to be used in the Interactive Drafting
workbench.
1. Select the Tools->Options command.
The Options dialog box appears.
2. Click Mechanical Design -> Drafting in the list of objects to the left of the
Options dialog box.
3. Select the General tab. It contains several categories of options:

● Ruler
● Grid
● Rotation
● Colors
● Tree
● View Axis
Ruler
Show ruler
Check this option to display the ruler in your sheet. It means you
visualize the cursor coordinates as you are drawing.
Grid
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General Settings
Display
Check this option to display the grid in your session. You will note that
this capability is also available via the Drafting Options toolbar.
Snap to point
You need to check this option if the geometry needs to begin or end on
the points of the grid.
Allow Distortions
Check this option to apply different graduations and spacing between H

and V.
H; V; Primary spacing; Graduations
To define your grid, enter the values of your choice in the H and V
fields. The Primary spacing option lets you define the spacing between
the major lines of the grid. The Graduations field lets you set the
number of graduations between the major lines of the grid, which
actually consists in defining a secondary grid.
Rotation
Rotation Snap Angle
Specify the angle that should be used when rotating text elements (text,
frame, or leader) using snapping. In other words, this option defines the
snapping value used when rotating an element using the Select or
Rotate commands.
Automatic Snapping
This option automatically uses snapping when rotating an element.

General Settings
Colors
You can customize given options for modifying the drawing background color. You
can do this at any time.
Sheet background
Choose the color that will be used for the sheet background.
Detail background
Choose the color that will be used for the background of 2D components.
Graduated color
If you want the sheet background and/or the detail (i.e. 2D component)
background to be graduated, check the associated box.
For example, if you customize the color type as shown below:
You will get this result:

General Settings
Tree
You can choose whether or not parameters and relations should be displayed in the
specification tree.
Display parameters
Check this option to display in the specification tree the formula

parameters used in the drawing.
Display relations
Check this option to display in the specification tree the relation

parameters used in the drawing.
View axis

General Settings
Display in the current view
Check this box if you want the view axis to be displayed when you
activate a view.
Zoomable
Check this box if you want to be able to zoom view axes (as you can do
with geometry).
Reference size
Enter the size that you want to use as a reference to display view axes
size.
4. Choose the options you want and then click OK to validate your settings.
[ Up ] [ Next ]


You can customize given options when creating views or when adding sheets.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the Layout tab. It contains the following sets of options:

● View Creation
● New Sheet
● Background View
● Section / Projection Callout
View creation
View name
Check this box if you want the view name to be created automatically
when creating views.
Scaling factor
Check this box if you want the scaling factor to be created automatically
View frame
Check this box if you want the view frame to be created automatically

Propagation of broken and breakout specifications
Check this box if you want broken and breakout specifications to be

reproduced.
Auxiliary and section views orientation according to profile
You can decide if auxiliary and section views will be oriented according to
the profile. In this case, the X axis will be parallel to the profile.
New sheet
Copy background view
Check this box if you want a background view to be copied into newly
created sheets.
Source sheet
Specify whether you want the source sheet for the background view to
be the first sheet of the current drawing, or a sheet from another
drawing by selecting the appropriate option.
Background view

Directory for frame and title block
You can specify the path to the directory containing the frame and title
block macros.
Section/Projection Callout
Size not dependent on view scale
Check this option if you do not want the size of projection and section
callout elements to be dependent on the view scale. This option will
apply to newly created callouts, i.e. selecting this option will not have
any impact on new callouts.

Geometry Creation
You can customize given options when creating 2D geometry, either or not using
autodetection (or SmartPick), or still adding constraints to this geometry.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the Geometry tab. It contains several categories of options:

● Geometry
● Constraints creation
● Constraints Display
● Colors
Geometry
Create circle and ellipse centers
You can decide whether or not you want to create centers when creating
circles or ellipses. By default, this option is activated. Just uncheck it if
you do not need to create circle and ellipse centers.
Allow direct manipulation
Select this option to be able to move geometry using the mouse. When
moving geometry, you can move either the minimum number of
elements, the maximum number of elements, or still the minimum
number by modifying the shape of elements, if needed. Click the
Solving mode... button to configure manipulation.

The dialog box that appears offers the following options as regards the
solving mode:
Solving mode for moving elements
Standard mode
You move as many elements as possible and also respect existing
constraints.
Minimum move
You move as few elements as possible and also respect existing
constraints.
Relaxation
You move elements by re-distributing them over the sketch, globally
speaking. This method solves element moving by minimizing energy
cost.
Drag elements end points included
Furthermore, you can choose to drag elements along with their end
points by checking this box.

Show H and V fields in the Tools Palette
You can show the H and V fields in the Tools Palette when creating 2D
geometry or when offsetting elements. Leaving the option unchecked
enables you to directly enter the value corresponding to the type of
element you are creating: for example, the length when creating a line,
the radius when creating a circle or the offset value when offsetting
elements.
When a command (such as the Point creation command) does not have
any parameters other than H and V, then these two fields will remain in
the Tools Palette, whether you select this option or not.
Create end points when duplicating generated geometry
When duplicating geometry that was generated from the 3D, you can
choose to create end points for these geometrical elements.
Constraints creation
Create detected and feature-based constraints
Select this option if you want to create the geometrical or dimensional

constraints detected by the SmartPick tool. If all of the detection options
are unchecked, the Create detected and feature-based constraints
option is not available.
If this detection option is unchecked, the Create detected constraints

option will be inactive by default in the Tools toolbar. You will be able to
activate it at any time.
SmartPick... (switch button)
As you create more and more elements, SmartPick detects multiple

directions and positions, and more and more relationships with existing
elements. This may lead to confusion due to the rapid highlighting of

several different detection possibilities as you point the cursor at

different elements in rapid succession. Consequently, you can decide to
filter out undesired detections by clicking the SmartPick... button.
The SmartPick dialog box provides these options:

● Support lines and circles
● Alignment
● Parallelism, perpendicularity and tangency
● Horizontality and verticality
Uncheck the elements you do not wish to detect when sketching.
Disabling SmartPick completely (i.e. unchecking all options in the

SmartPick dialog box) is particularly useful when your screen is full of
elements: in this case, it may be a good idea to disable SmartPick to
concentrate only on the geometry.
Constraints Display

Display constraints
Check this option to visualize the logical constraints specific to the

elements. Note that if the Display constraints option is unchecked, the
other options in this category are not available.
Reference size
Specify the size that will be used as a reference to display constraints

symbols. Changing this reference size will modify the size of all
constraints representations.
Constraints color
Choose the color that will be used to display constraints.
Constraints types... (switch button)
Click this button to define which types of constraints you will visualize as
you create the geometry.

The Constraints types dialog box provides these options:

● Horizontal
● Vertical
● Parallelism
● Perpendicularity
● Concentricity
● Coincidence
● Tangency
● Symmetry
Uncheck the types of constraints you do not want to visualize as you

create the geometry.
Colors
Two types of colors may be applied to sketched elements. These two types of colors
correspond to colors illustrating:
● Graphical properties
Colors that can be modified. These colors can therefore be modified using the
Tools->Options dialog box.
OR
● Constraint diagnosis
Colors that represent constraint diagnoses are colors that are imposed to elements
whatever the graphical properties previously assigned to these elements and in
accordance with given diagnoses. As a result, as soon as the diagnosis is solved,
the element is assigned the color as defined in the Tools->Options dialog box.
Visualization of diagnosis
Select this option if you want over-constrained, inconsistent, not-

changed or iso-constrained elements to be identified using specific
colors. Then, click the Colors... button to configure these colors.

In the dialog box that appears, you can configure colors for the following
types of elements:
Over-constrained elements
The dimensioning scheme is over-constrained: too many dimensions
were applied to the geometry.
Inconsistent elements
At least one dimension value needs to be changed. This is also the case
when elements are under-constrained and the system proposes defaults
that do not lead to a solution.
Not-changed elements
Some geometrical elements are over-defined or not-consistent. As a
result, geometry that depend(s) on the problematic area will not be
recalculated.
Iso-constrained elements
All the relevant dimensions are satisfied. The geometry is fixed and
cannot be moved from its geometrical support.
Other color of the elements
Click the Colors... button to configure the colors of other elements.

In the dialog box that appears, you can configure colors for the following
types of elements:
Isolated elements
Use-edge (projection, intersection, etc.) that does not depend on the 3D
anymore.
Protected elements
Non-modifiable elements.
Construction elements
A construction element is an element that is internal to, and only
visualized by, the sketch. This element is used as positioning reference.
It is not used for creating solid primitives.
SmartPick
Colors used for SmartPick assistant elements and symbols.
When opening a drawing, colors are not recomputed. Colors will not be displayed
until you create another element or move the geometry.

Dimension Creation
Dimension Creation
You can customize given options when creating or re-positioning dimensions.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the Dimension tab. It contains several categories of options:

● Dimension Creation
● Move
● Line-Up
● Analysis Display Mode
Dimension Creation

Dimension Creation
Dimension following the mouse (ctrl toggles)
You can decide that the dimension line is positioned according to the
cursor, following it dynamically during the creation process.
Constant offset between dimension line and geometry
The distance between the created dimension and the geometry remains
the same when you move the geometry.
Default dimension line/geometry distance
If you position the dimension according to the cursor, you can define the
value at which the dimension is created. If you create associativity
between the dimension and the geometry, you can define the value at
which the dimension will remain positioned.
Associativity on 3D
If you click the switch button, the Dimensions associativity on 3D dialog

box appears.
A link can be applied between a dimension and the 3D part. As a result,

when you update the drawing, the dimension is automatically re-
computed. If you do not check this option, when you perform the
update, you need to re-create the dimension afterwards.
Create driving dimensions
The dimensions you will create will drive the geometry.

Dimension Creation
A new field will appear in the Tools Palette during the creation process,
allowing you to enter the driving dimension value.
Detect chamfer
Automatically detects chamfers so that you can create chamfer

dimensions in a single click.
As chamfer detection may slow performance down, you may want to
deactivate this option for large products or assemblies.
By default, create dimensions on circle's
Specify whether the dimension you will create between a circle and
another element should be on the circle center or on the circle edge.
Move
Activate Snapping (shift toggles)
Select to activate the snapping option. Click the Configure button. In

the dialog box, specify whether the dimension should be snapped on the
grid, or whether the dimension value should be located at its default
position between symbols (it will work only if the cursor is between the
symbols), or both.

Dimension Creation
Pressing the Shift key allows you to temporarily deactivate or activate

this mode.
Move only selected sub-part
Activate this option if you want to move only a dimension sub-part (text,
line, etc.).
Line-Up
You can organize dimensions into a system with a linear offset. The offset will align
the dimensions to each other as well as the smallest dimension to the reference
element.
Default offset to reference
This allows you to set the offset between the smallest dimension and the
reference element.
Default offset between dimensions
This allows you to set the offset between dimensions.

Dimension Creation
Align stacked dimension values
Lets you align all the values of a group of stacked dimensions on the
value of the smallest dimension of the group.
Align cumulated dimension values
Lets you align all the values of a group of cumulated dimensions on the
value of the smallest dimension of the group.
Automatically add a funnel
Whenever the value of a cumulated dimension requires a funnel to be

displayed correctly, lets you have one added automatically.
Analysis Display Mode
Activate analysis display mode
Colors can be customized with this option. To activate this mode, select
this option and then click the Types and colors button. The Types and
colors of dimensions dialog box lets you assign the desired color(s) to
the selected dimension types. You will then be able to visualize the
different types of dimensions using their assigned colors.

Dimension Creation

Manipulators
These options apply to the Interactive Drafting workbench only.
You can decide that you will visualize given manipulators whenever creating or
modifying dimensions.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the Manipulators tab. It contains several categories of options:

● Manipulators
● Dimension Manipulators
Manipulators
These settings can be used for any type of manipulator (texts, leaders, center lines,
dimensions and so forth).
Reference size
Specify the reference size that should be used for manipulators. In the
case of texts, for example, this reference size corresponds to the diameter
of the rotation manipulators.
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Zoomable
Check this box if you want to make manipulators zoomable.
Dimension Manipulators
These settings let you define which manipulators you will visualize and therefore use
when creating and/or modifying dimensions:

Modify overrun
If you drag select one overrun manipulator, both overrun extension lines
are modified. To modify only the selected overrun extension line, use the
Ctrl key. You can also double-click on the manipulator and enter the new
value in the dialog box that appears.
Modify blanking
If you drag select one blanking manipulator, both blanking are modified.
To modify only the selected blanking, use the Ctrl key. You can also
double-click on the manipulator and enter the new value in the dialog box
that appears.
Insert text before
Allow inserting a text before, without using the Properties dialog box. For
this, you will click on the manipulator and enter the new text in the dialog
box that appears.
Insert text after
Allows inserting a text after, without using the Properties dialog box. For
this, you will click on the manipulator and enter the new text in the dialog
box that appears.
Move value
Allows moving the dimension value and only it.
Move dimension line
Allows moving the dimension line and only it by dragging to the new
location.
Move dimension line secondary part
Allows moving the dimension line secondary part and only it by dragging
to the new location.


Annotation and Dress-up

You can customize given options that will be used when creating annotations.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the Annotation and Dress-Up tab. It contains the following sets of
options:
● Annotation Creation
● Move
● 2D Component Creation
● Balloon Creation
Annotation Creation
In order for these options to be taken into account, the Activate Snapping (SHIFT
toggles) box must be checked. Note that the option selected in the Activate
snapping dialog box will be taken into account. See the Move section.
Create text along reference
Select this option if you want to create annotation texts along a

reference direction. For example, if you select a line when creating a
text, the text will be oriented parallel to the line.
Text
Select this option if you want to create the extremity of text leaders

normal to a reference direction. For example, if you select a line when

creating a text with leader, the leader will be normal to the line.
Geometrical tolerance
Select this option if you want to create the extremity of geometrical

tolerance leaders normal to a reference direction. For example, if you
select a line when creating a geometrical tolerance, the leader will be
normal to the line.
Move
Activate Snapping (SHIFT toggles)
Select this option to activate snapping. Click the Configure button.
In the dialog box that appears, specify whether you want the annotation
to be snapped on the grid, according to the orientation, or both. This will
apply to the annotations selected in the Annotation Creation area. To
deactivate snapping when creating or moving annotations, press the
Shift key.
2D Component Creation

Create with a constant size
Select this option if you want all 2D component instances to have the
same size when you create them, no matter what the view scale is.
This lets you create 2D component instances whose size is independent

from the view scale so that they always look the same. You can use
them as symbols, for example.
If you want to use as symbols 2D components with text, activate both

the Create with a constant size setting and the Apply Scale property
for the text (in Edit -> Properties): the size of both the 2D component
and its text will then be independent from the view scale.
Balloon Creation
3D associativity
You can specify what kind of balloons you want to create (using the
Balloon command from the Annotation toolbar) or to generate (using the
Generate Balloons command from the Generation toolbar).
First, select the 3D associativity box to indicate that you want to
associate balloons with information from the 3D. Then, select from the
list the kind of balloons you want to create or generate: the numbering
of parts within an assembly (default option), the instance name or the
part number.

Administration
Administration Settings
You can customize settings for the management of drawings.
1. Select the Tools -> Options command.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the Administration tab. It contains the following sets of options:

● Drawing management
● Style
● Generative view style
● Dress-up
Drawing management
Prevent File>New
Check this box to make it impossible to create drawings using the File -
> New command. All drawings will be created using the File -> New
From... command instead.
Prevent switch of standard
Check this box to make it impossible to change standards, i.e. to use a

standard other than the one currently defined in the Page Setup dialog
box.
Prevent update of standard

Administration
Check this box to make it impossible to update standards for the current
document in the Page Setup dialog box.
Prevent background view access
Check this box to make it impossible to access the background view.
Style
Use style values to create new objects
Check this box if you want dialog boxes, Properties toolbars and the
Tools Palette to be pre-filled with custom style values (as defined in the
Standards Editor) when creating new annotations. In this case,
Properties toolbars and the Tools Palette will be disabled during the
creation of the annotation.
If you leave this box unchecked, annotation dialog boxes, Properties
toolbars and the Tools Palette will be pre-filled with the last entered
values (except for Texts, Texts with leader, Balloons and Datum
features). In this case, Properties toolbars and the Tools Palette will be
active during the creation of the annotation.
If you check this box, you will be able to reset the current style values in
dialog boxes at any time using the Reset button.

Administration
Create new sheet from
This setting lets you specify if the properties used for creating new
sheets should be those defined in the standards or those defined in the
first sheet in a drawing. These properties are the scale and the
projection method (first or third angle).
Select Style if you want the sheet to use the style defined in the
standards (in Tools -> Standards -> Drafting -> [StandardName] -
> Styles -> Sheet).
Select First sheet if you want the sheet to use the properties defined in
the first sheet in a drawing. For example, you can use this option if you
use an existing drawing to create a new one (i.e. when you want the
new drawing to have the same properties as the existing drawing).
Lock "User Default" Style
Check this box to make it compulsory to use User Defaults (i.e., user-
defined values set as default). The Styles drop-down list will be set to
Only User Defaults and will be inactive so that Original Defaults or
User Defaults cannot be selected.
This option applies only to drawings created with versions up to V5 R10

whose standard has NOT been updated or changed in V5 R11 and later.
Prevent "Set As Default" and "Reset All Defaults"
Check this box to use the current defaults and to make it impossible to
create, change and reset user defaults (i.e. user-defined values). This
disables the Set as Default and the Reset All Defaults commands.
This option applies only to drawings created with versions up to V5 R10

whose standard has NOT been updated or changed in V5 R11 and later.

Administration
Prevent generative view style creation
Check this box if you do not want to use generative view styles when
creating views. In this case, you will not be able to select a generative
view style after having selected a view creation command, which means
that the Generative View Style toolbar will not be displayed. (In the case
of advanced front views, it is the Generative view style list in the View
Parameters dialog box which will not be displayed).
Dress-up
Prevent dimensions from driving 3D constraints
Check this box to make it impossible to modify a 3D constraint via a 2D

dimension that was generated from it.

Toolbars
Customizing Toolbars
You can customize the appearance of some fields in the following properties toolbars:
Styles, Graphic Properties, Text Properties, Dimension Properties.
1. Right-click the toolbar field you want to customize. A contextual menu is

displayed.
2. If necessary, scroll down this contextual menu to display the toolbar customization
options.
The customization options that you can apply to the selected field are displayed.
The options available depend on the selected field. For more information on what
options will be available for each field, see the table below.
3. Click the option you want. Depending on the option you selected, the
corresponding dialog box appears.
4. Enter the appropriate value in the dialog box.

Toolbars
● Set text width: sets the width used to display the field in the toolbar, in number
of characters to be displayed (based on 'W').
● Set list width: sets the width used to display the drop-down list, in number of
characters to be displayed (based on 'W').
● Set list height: sets the height used to display the list, in number of lines to be
displayed (up and down arrows will make it possible to scroll within the list).
● Icons display: defines whether icons should be displayed in this field, or only in
the list, when the list is collapsed.
● Precision: sets the precision used to display a numerical value in this field, in
number of digits after the separator.
5. Click OK to validate.
The table below indicates which fields you can customize in each toolbar, along with
what you can customize for each field.
Set text Set list Set list Icons

Set precision
width width height display
Style toolbar
Style Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Text Properties toolbar
Font Name Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Font Size Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Dimension Properties toolbar
Tolerance
Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Description
Tolerance Yes Yes Yes No No
Numerical
Display Yes Yes Yes No No
Description
Precision Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Graphic Properties toolbar
Color Yes No No No No
Thickness Yes No Yes No No

Toolbars
Linetype Yes No Yes No No

Point type Yes No Yes No No


This section explains how to customize settings for Generative Drafting.
General settings
Set general settings to be used in the Generative Drafting workbench.
View and sheet layout settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating views or when adding sheets.
View generation settings

Customize given geometry, dress-up and view generation options that will be used
when generating views.
Generation settings
Customize given options for controlling dimension and annotation generation.
Geometry creation settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating 2D geometry, whether using
autodetection (or SmartPick)or not, or still adding constraints to this geometry.
Dimension creation settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating or re-positioning dimensions.
Manipulator settings
Visualize given manipulators that will be used whenever creating or modifying
dimensions.
Annotation and dress-up settings

Customize given options that will be used when creating annotations.
Administration settings
Customize settings for the management of drawings.
Toolbar customization
Customize the appearance of properties toolbars.
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You can customize given options for controlling geometry and dress-up behavior when
generating views, as well as view generation.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the View tab. It contains several categories of options:

● Geometry generation / Dress-up
● View generation
Geometry generation / Dress-up

This category of options lets you specify what kind of geometry and dress-up elements
you want to generate when generating views.
Generate axis
Select to generate axis lines.
Generate threads
Select this option to generate threads.
Generate center lines
Select this option to generate center lines.
Generate hidden lines
Select this option to generate hidden lines.
Generate fillets
Select this option to generate fillets. Additionally, click the Configure

button to configure fillets generation. You can choose to generate either of
the following types of fillets:
Boundaries
Thin lines, representing the mathematical limits of
the fillets.
Boundaries will not be projected if they correspond

to two faces which are continuous in curvature.
They will be projected only if they correspond to a
smooth edge which is situated between two faces
whose curvature radii vary.
This mode will be used automatically to represent a

connection between two faces which are not joined
by a fillet, no matter what option you select.

Symbolic
Original edges, projected in a direction that is
normal to each corresponding surface.
Approximated Original Edges

Original edges, at the intersection of the two
surfaces joined by the fillet.
Projected Original Edges

Original edges, projected on fillet surfaces in the
direction of the view projection.
This projection mode is equivalent to the CATIA V4

fillet projection mode.
Inherit 3D colors
Select this option if you want the colors of a part to be automatically

generated onto the views.
In the case of parts whose color is white, the views generated with this
option selected will be white, and will therefore not be properly displayed.
Project 3D Wireframe
Select this option to visualize both the wireframe and the geometry on
generated views. Additionally, click the Configure button to configure the
3D wireframe projection mode. You can choose whether projected 3D
wireframe can be hidden (in some cases, depending on the projection
angle, part or all of 3D wireframe will possibly be hidden) or is always
visible (3D wireframe will be visible in all cases, independently of the
projection angle).

Project 3D Points
Select this option to project points from 3D (no construction element).

Additionally, click the Configure button to select the type of points
visualized in the projected drawing. In the 3D Point Projection dialog box,
you can choose between keeping the symbols that are used in the 3D or
using a new symbol.
Apply 3D specification
Select this option to specify that, in an assembly, given parts will or will
not be sectioned into section views or breakout views (Generative Drafting
workbench). For this, you select one view, then the Edit -> Properties
command from the menu bar from the Assembly Design workbench
(Mechanical tab, Drafting properties options) and either activate or de-
activate the Not cut in section views options.
View Linetype
Click the Configure button to configure linetypes for specific types of

views: section view, detail view, broken view, breakout view, skin section
view (in the case of wireframes and surfaces). In the Linetype and
Thickness dialog box, select the line type and the thickness you want for
each type of view, from the associated fields. Click Close when you are
done.

If you choose the zigzag linetype (linetype #8), note

that this linetype is just a graphical dress-up of the
view. This means that if one line is relimited on the
breakout line, then it will be relimited on the
theoretical line as shown here, and not on the
visualized zigzag line.
View generation

View generation mode
From this list, select how you want to generate views.
Exact view
Generates exact views from the Design mode, i.e. views for which the
geometry is available. The exact generation mode will be the best option in
most cases:
● This is the fastest generation mode.
● All types of views can be generated using this option.
● All functionalities (dress-up, dimensions, annotations, etc.) are available.
However, there are a few cases in which choosing the exact generation
mode will not be appropriate:
● In the case of sophisticated products or assemblies involving large
amounts of data, generating exact views may consume too much
memory.
● Polyhedral elements (such as dittos, surfaces, etc.) from V4 .model
documents are not supported.
CGR
Generates views using the CGR format (CATIA Graphical Representation).

CGR corresponds to a data format containing a graphical representation of
the geometry only, which is available with the Visualization mode (as
opposed to the exact geometry, which is available with the Design mode).
With CGR, only the external appearance of the component is used and
displayed; the geometry is not available. The corresponding .cgr file, if it
exists, is inserted from the cache system.
CGR views are not as high in quality as exact views, but they consume
much less memory during the generation. This may be useful when dealing
with sophisticated products or assemblies involving large amounts of data.
However, this generation mode is rather slow.
For more information about the advantages and restrictions associated

with the CGR generation mode, see Advantages and restrictions common
to CGR and Approximate modes below.

Approximate
You can now generate views in Approximate mode. Although Approximate

views are not as high in precision and quality as exact views, this
generation mode dramatically reduces memory consumption.
Performances may also be improved, depending on how you fine-tune
precision. Therefore, the Approximate mode is particularly well-adapted to
sophisticated products or assemblies involving large amounts of data.
The Approximate mode offers about the same advantages and restrictions
than the CGR generation mode (see above). However, there are some
differences:
● Approximate consumes even less memory than CGR.
● Approximate is faster than CGR, but performances largely depend on
fine-tuning.
● Approximate provides more approximate results than CGR, but these
results largely depend on how you fine-tune precision.
You can fine-tune the generation options according to your needs. Click
the Configure button. In the dialog box, move the cursor to set the
precision (i.e. the level of detail) with respect to the performances (i.e.
generation time). The higher the precision, the lower the performances,
and vice-versa. In any case, memory consumption will not be impacted.
Click Close when you are done.
For more information about the advantages and restrictions associated

with the Approximate generation mode, see Advantages and restrictions
common to CGR and Approximate modes just below.
Advantages and restrictions common to CGR and Approximate
Using CGR or Approximate to generate views offers the following

advantages:
● Optimize memory consumption when generating and handling
projection views for large products or assemblies.
● Generate views from third-party data (such as MultiCAD), as well as
from polyhedral elements (such as dittos, surfaces, etc.) in V4 .model
documents.
However, the CGR or Approximate generation mode involves a number of

restrictions:
● You cannot generate section views, section cuts, detail views, detail
view profile, breakout views, unfolded views and views from 3D.

● You cannot project 3D elements such as wireframe, points, etc. on CGR

or Approximate views.
● CGR or Approximate views cannot contain dress-up elements (axis,
center lines, threads).
● Auxiliary view profiles, annotations, dimensions, etc. are not associative
on CGR or Approximate views.
● CGR or Approximate views being only a graphical representation of the
geometry, only line segments are generated in such views. As
dimensions are not associative, the only elements that can be
dimensioned are these line segments.
As a result, it is impossible to create certain types of radius or diameter
dimensions in such views; to put it simply, you cannot create radius and
diameter dimensions on elements other than these line segments.
As a consequence of these restrictions, selecting either the CGR or the

Approximate option disables a number of other options on the View and
on the Generation tab.
Raster
Generates views as images. This enables you to quickly generate overall

views for large products or assemblies, regardless of drawing quality. Such
views are associative to the 3D geometry and can be updated when the
part or product changes.
Raster views offer a number of restrictions:

● You cannot generate the following types of views using this option: view
from 3D, section views, section cuts, detail views, breakout views,
unfolded views.
● Raster views cannot contain dress-up elements (axis, center lines,
threads).
● Creating dimensions is impossible.
● Generally speaking, all commands requiring the selection of geometry
are not available.
● Raster views cannot be edited (you can work around this by isolating
the view: double-clicking the image will then launch an image editor).
As a consequence of these restrictions, selecting this option disables a

number of other options on the View and on the Generation tab.

To optimize disk space and memory consumption, it is recommended that

you do not select the Inherit 3D colors option when generating views as
images.
Click the Configure button to configure the raster mode options.
From the Mode list, select the mode that you want to use: Dynamic
Hidden Line Removal, Shading, Shading with edges. These modes are
equivalent to the 3D rendering styles. For more information, refer to Using
Rendering Styles in the Infrastructure User's Guide.
Now, set the level of detail (i.e. the definition, in dpi) that will respectively
be used to visualize and to print the drawing. You can choose between
three pre-defined modes (Low quality, Normal quality and High quality)
and a custom mode (Customize). If you choose to customize the definition
yourself, set the dpi for visualization and for print in the appropriate fields.
Click Close when you are done.
The level of detail applies to the scale of the view. In some cases (when
the view would print with a considerable height or width), there may be
too many pixels to generate the view. In this case, the view will be
displayed as a red cross-mark. If this happens, try to reduce the scale of
the view and/or the level of detail.
If you want the colors of a part to be used when generating Raster views
using the Shading or Shading with edges mode, remember to select the
Inherit 3D Colors option. Otherwise, the view will be generated using
shades of grey.

To further improve performance when generating Raster or CGR views, we recommend

you work in Visualization mode: to do this, in the Options dialog box, go to
Infrastructure -> Product Structure -> Cache Management tab and select Work
with the cache system. (For more information, see Customizing Cache Settings in
the Infrastructure User's Guide and Visualization mode in the Product Structure User's
Guide.)
Exact preview for view generation
Make sure this option is selected if you want an exact preview when
generating views. As a result, the part or product will be loaded in Design
mode when previewing the view to generate, even if you are working in
Visualization mode. Deselect this option to get a quick preview of the 3D
document when generating views. In this case, a part or product open in
Visualization mode will not be loaded in Design mode for the preview,
which optimizes memory consumption.
Only generate parts larger than
To specify that you only want to generate parts which are larger than a
certain size, select this option and indicate the appropriate size by
providing a value in millimeters in the appropriate field.
Enable occlusion culling
Select this option if you want to save memory when generating exact
views from an assembly which is loaded in Visualization mode (i.e. when
the Work with the cache system option is active). This will load only the
parts which will be seen in the resulting view (instead of loading all of
them, which is the case by default), which optimizes memory consumption
and CPU usage.
To ensure the efficiency of this option, make sure that the Exact preview
for view generation option is not selected.
In the case of an assembly which is loaded in Design mode, or in the case
of a part, the Enable occlusion culling option will help increase
performance by reducing CPU usage.

Keep the following restrictions in mind when selecting the Enable

occlusion culling option:
● The Project 3D points option will be disabled.
● The only option available for Project 3D wireframe is Can be hidden.
● If you choose to project 3D wireframe, you will need to make sure that
your wireframe elements have been taken into account when the CGR
data was created: this is the case if you activated the Save lineic
elements in cache option from Tools -> Options -> General ->
Display -> Performances before the creation of CGR data (i.e. before
you launched the part or product in Visualization mode). If not, you
need to activate the Save lineic elements in cache option and then re-
create the CGR data. To do this:
1. Close all open parts and products and exit the application.
2. Delete your CGR data from the cache. (The cache location is
specified in Tools -> Options -> Infrastructure -> Product
Structure -> Cache Management tab, Path to the local cache
field.)
3. Re-open the product in Visualization mode.
These options are also available in the Properties dialog box for each view: from the
contextual menu, click Properties, click the View tab and then select the desired
options.

Generation
Generation
You can customize given options for controlling dimension and balloon generation in
generative views.
Options dialog box.
3. Select the Generation tab. It contains several categories of options:

● Dimension generation
● Balloon generation
Dimension generation
Generated dimensions are positioned according to the most representative views. In

other words, a dimension will appear on a view so that it does not need to be created
on another view.
The dimensions are generated on the views on the condition the settings were
previously switched to the dimension generation option.
Generate dimensions when updating the sheet
Check this option to generate dimensions automatically each time you

update the sheet.
Filters before generation

Generation
Check this option to display the Dimension Generation Filters dialog box
before generation. This enables you to specify what type of dimensions
you want to generate. Also, in assembly or product views, this lets you
indicate what parts you want to generate dimensions for.
Automatic positioning after generation
Check this option if you want the dimensions to be automatically

positioned after generation.
Allow automatic transfer between views
Check this option if you want dimensions to be automatically transferred to

the most appropriate view when regenerating dimensions.
Analysis after generation
Check this option to display the Generated Dimension Analysis dialog box
after generation.
Generate dimensions from parts included in assembly views
Check this option to extract 3D part constraints (on top of assembly

constraints) when generating product dimensions.
This option is particularly useful if you want to generate dimensions for all
parts included in assembly or product views, without displaying the
Dimension Generation Filters dialog box before dimension generation. Note
that if you display the Dimension Generation Filters dialog box before
generating dimensions, you will need to indicate what parts you want to
generate dimensions for (whether this option is selected or not).
Delay between generations for step-by-step mode
Specify the delay between each dimension generation when generating

dimensions step by step.
Balloon generation

Generation
Creation of a balloon for each instance of a product
If you select this option, a balloon will be generated for each instance of a
component: therefore, if a component is used two times within a product,
then the balloon will be generated twice.
If you leave this box unselected, a single balloon will be generated for all
instances of the same component, when a component is used several
times within a part or product.

Glossary
Glossary
A
absolute position A sheet coordinates.
active view A view from which you create any element: another view
or 2D dress-up. The view from which section views,
section cuts and detail views will be created. This view
generally corresponds to either the front view or the
isometric view.
aligned section view A section view created from a cutting profile defined from
non parallel planes. In order to include in a section certain
angled elements, the cutting plane may be bent so as to
pass through those features. The plane and feature are
then imagined to be revolved into the original plane.
approximate mode One of the various modes that can be used to generate
views. The Approximate mode is particularly well-adapted
to sophisticated products or assemblies involving large
amounts of data. Although Approximate views are not as
high in precision and quality as exact views, this
generation mode dramatically reduces memory
consumption and performances may also be improved.
associative detail A detail view associated with a 3D element.
view
associativity In the Drafting workbench, the ability of child view(s) to
follow the behavior of the parent view: moving, scaling.
attribute In the Drafting workbench, the graphical and/or
geometrical properties inherited from 3D element.
auxiliary view A view in a direction not necessarily vertical or horizontal.
In order to show the true shapes, it is necessary to
assume a direction of sight perpendicular to planes that
are perpendicular of the curves. This auxiliary view,
together with the top view, completely describes the
object.
B
background sheet A sheet dedicated to frames and title blocks.
background view A sheet dedicated to frames and title blocks.
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Glossary
back-clipping A back-clipping removes all the elements behind a pre-

defined plane. It can only be applied on an extracted view.
Aback-clipping plane is a plane used for generating a back-
clipping.
A piece of information inserted into the active view of a
bill of material CATDrawing document. For this, you can be either in the
working view or in the background view.
breakout A breakout is a partially removed section which allows
visualizing a particular element in the view. A breakout
view is one not in direct projection from the view
containing the cutting profile. In other words, it is not
positioned in agreement with the standard arrangement of
views. A breakout view is often a partial section.
A view that allows shortening an elongated object, using
broken view two profiles corresponding to the part to be broken from
the view extremities.
C
callout A graphical representation of a cutting profile.
CGR mode One of the various modes that can be used to generate
views. CGR (CATIA Graphical Representation) corresponds
to a data format containing a graphical representation of
the geometry only, which is available with the
Visualization mode (as opposed to the exact geometry,
which is available with the Design mode). CGR views are
not as high in quality as exact views, but they consume
much less memory during the generation. This may be
useful when dealing with sophisticated products or
assemblies involving large amounts of data.
child view A view generated from a parent view.
clipped view A view modified via a clipping profile.
clipping profile A zone to be kept and visualized in a view.
cross hatching A symbolic representation in the form of a pattern used to
display a cut area.
cut area The cut surfaces on a section view or section cut.
cutting profile A set of planes used to define a section view or section cut.
D
datum feature An element defining a contacting surface on a part.
datum target An element defining a contacting surface on a part and
represented by spherical or pointed locating pins.

Glossary
design tree Area of the document window reserved for viewing the
design specifications of a drawing, presented in the form
of a tree structure.
detail view A view corresponding to a zoomed particular area to be
visualized. This area to be visualized is defined by a circle
or a given polygon. This view is computed using a boolean
operator from the 3D
The root feature. Sheets are aggregated in the drawing.
drawing
Views are aggregated in the sheets.
dress-up A graphical attribute of a 2D element.
E
One of the various modes that can be used to generate
exact view views. Exact views are generated from the Design mode, i.
e. they are views for which the geometry is available.
F
A view that is extracted from a 3D part that is assigned 3D
FD&T view
tolerance specifications and annotations.
filter A restriction on elements to be cut in a section view or
section cut, or elements to be seen in a projection view.
first angle projection method An orthographic representation of the views comprising
the arrangement, around the principal view of an object,
of some of all of the other five views of that object. With
reference to the principal view, the other views are
arranged as follows: the view from above is placed
underneath, the view from below is placed above, the view
from the left is placed on the right and then the view from
the rear is placed on the left or on the right, as convenient.
(Ref. No. ISO 10209-2:1993)
A plane of projection upon which the front view is
frontal plane
projected.
front view A projection view obtained by drawing perpendiculars from
all points on the edges of the part to the plane of
projection. The plane of projection upon which the front
view is projected is called the frontal plane.
G
A set of pre-defined parameters and options which let you
generative view style customize the appearance and behavior of a generated
view.

Glossary
I
isometric view A 3D view that represents a part according to a given
projection plane. This view allows a perspective
visualization. To produce an isometric projection (isometric
means "equal measure"), it is necessary to place the
object so that its principal edges make equal angles with
the plane of projection and are therefore foreshortened
equally.
L
lock A locked view is a view in which any graphical modification
of the generated 2D elements is forbidden.
M
main view The view which supports the geometry directly created in
the sheet.
O
object In the Drafting workbench, there are two kinds of object:
activated and selected. The view frame of an activated
object is displayed in red.
offset section view /cut A section view created from a cutting profile defined with
several parallel planes. In sectioning through irregular
objects, it is often desirable to show several features that
do not lie in a straight line by offsetting or bending the
cutting plane.
overlay In a multi-model context, all passive elements are called
overlayed elements.
P
parent view A reference view from which another view is generated
(for example a front view from which a section view will be
created). The view frame of the parent view is displayed in
red. Typically the front view is a parent view. See also
child view.
part A 3D entity obtained by combining different features in the
Part Design workbench.

Glossary
A graphical representation used to represent a sectioned/

pattern cut part. A same representation is used for the different
parts of the resulting section or section view.
projection view A view conceived to be drawn or projected onto planes
known as planes of projection. A transparent plane or
pane of glass representing a plane of projection is located
parallel to the front surfaces of the part.
Q
quick detail view A view corresponding to a zoomed particular area to be
visualized. This area to be visualized is defined by a circle
or a given polygon. This view is directly computed from
the 2D projection.
R
raster mode One of the various modes that can be used to generate
views. The raster mode generates views as images.
S
section cut A view representing the intersection between the 3D
geometry and the cutting profile.
section profile See cutting profile.
section view In the Drafting workbench, a view representing the
intersection between the 3D geometry and the cutting
profile, and all the 3D geometry located behind the cutting
profile.
simple breakout A simple breakout removes locally a sectioned part
perpendicularly to the current view plane. You will then be
able to visualize the remaining visible inside part.
sheet A set of views. Several sheets may be created in the
Drafting workbench.
standard The international conventions that are supported in the
Drafting workbench: ANSI, ISO and JIS.
T
template In the Drafting workbench, an object that is included in
the document (for example, the title block).

Glossary
An orthographic representation of the views comprising

the arrangement, around the principal view of an object,
of some of all of the other five views of that object. With
reference to the principal view, the other views are
third angle projection method arranged as follows: the view from above is placed above,
the view from below is placed underneath, the view from
the left is placed on the left and the view from the rear is
placed on the left or on the right, as convenient.
(Ref. No. ISO 10209-2:1993)
title block A frame which contains the title block.
U
An unspec breakout operation removes locally a 3D part.
unspec breakout It allows visualizing the inside of a 3D part. It can only be
applied to an extracted view.
unfolded view A projected view that is created from a Sheet Metal part in
order to include in a section certain angled elements. As a
result, the cutting plane may be bent so as to pass
through those features.
V
A square or rectangular frame that contains the geometry
view frame
and dimensions of the view.
W
wizard An assistant for views to be automatically generated once
the CATDrawing document is opened. These views can
then be modified as if they had been manually created one
after the other.

Index
Index
Symbols
.model
Numerics
2D component creation (annotation and dress-up settings)
2D components
editing instance properties
2D geometry, editing feature properties
2D/3D associativity
3D constraints
driving via dimensions
generating dimensions from
A
active view
adding leaders to annotations
administration settings
advanced search
aligned section cuts, creating
aligned section views, creating
aligning views
analysis display mode (dimension settings)
analyzing
generated dimensions
interfering dimensions
http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/draugix.htm (1 of 25)10/20/2004 5:49:45 PM

Index
angle dimensions, creating

annotation creation (annotation and dress-up settings)
annotation settings
annotations
adding leaders
editing properties
handling leaders
modifying positioning
overview
positioning leader breakpoints
querying links
Approximate views
area fills
arrows
associated text, creating
associative balloons, creating
associative thread dimensions, creating
associativity (2D/3D)
attributes
replicating for texts
Autocad2000
axis lines
creating
creating with center lines
B
background view (view and sheet layout settings)
background views, managing
balloon creation (annotation and dress-up settings)
balloon generation (generation settings)
balloons
creating

Index
creating associative balloons

generating on a view
modifying
batch, updating drawings
Best Practices
DXF/DWG Small Entities
STEP Quality of Conversion
bill of material
blanking in dimensions, modifying
BOM
breakout views
broken views
C
callouts
modifying geometry
modifying graphism
CATDrawing documents
creating
loading and saving with resolved link
loading and saving with unresolved link
managing
opening
updating via the batch monitor
center lines
creating with axis lines
creating with no reference
creating with reference
modifying
CGM
Export
export

Index
import
cgm
extension
CGR views
chamfer
detecting
dimensions, creating
Choice of Standard
DXF/DWG
clipping view profiles, creating
clipping views, creating
CMG
insert
colors (geometry creation settings)
command
1 Symbol
Add an Interruption
Advanced Front View
Align Views Using Elements
Aligned Section Cut
Aligned Section View
Area Fill
Arrow
Auxiliary View
Axis Line
Axis Line and Center Line
Balloon
Breakout View
Broken View
Center Line
Center Line with Reference
Chamfer Dimensions
Clipping View

Index
Clipping View Profile

Coordinate Dimension
Coordinate Dimension Table
Copy Object Format
Create Interruption(s)
Cumulated Dimensions
Datum Feature
Datum Target
Detail View
Detail View Profile
Dimension
Dimension Positioning
Exploded View
Extend to Center
Frame
Frame and Title Block
Frame Creation
Front View
Generate Balloons
Generate Dimensions
Geometrical Tolerance
Half Dimension
Hole Dimension Table
Import a generative view style
Invert Profile Direction
Isolate
Isometric View
Line-Up
Locate Reference View
Locate Resulting View
Offset Section Cut
Offset Section View

Index
Position and Orientation

Position Independently of Reference View
Projection View
Query Object Links
Quick Detail View
Quick Detail View Profile
Radius Center
Remove Interruption(s)
Remove One Interruption
Re-route Dimension
Restore Deleted
Roughness Symbol
Search
Set Relative Position
Show Geometry in All Viewpoints
Stacked Dimensions
Superpose
Swap to Radius
Symbol Shape
Table
Text
Text Properties
Text with Leader
Thread
Thread Dimension
Thread with Reference
Unfolded View
View From 3D
Weld
Wizard
constraints creation (geometry creation settings)
constraints display (geometry creation settings)

Index
constraints, driving via dimensions

coordinate dimension table
coordinate dimensions, creating and modifying
copying
geometrical tolerances
graphic properties
creating
advanced front views
aligned section cuts
aligned section views
angle dimensions
area fills
arrows
associated text
associative balloons on views from products
associative thread dimensions
auxiliary views
axis and center lines
axis lines
balloons
breakout views
broken views
center lines with no reference
center lines with reference
chamfer dimensions
clipping view profiles
clipping views
coordinate dimensions
cumulated dimensions
curvilinear length dimensions
datum features
datum targets
detail view profiles

Index
detail views
dimensions
dimensions along a reference direction
dimensions between element and view axis
dimensions between intersection points
driving dimensions
explicit dimensions
exploded views
frame and title blocks
free text
front views
generative view styles
half dimensions
holes dimensions table
isometric views
offset section cuts
offset section views
overall curve dimensions
points coordinates table
projection views
quick detail view profiles
quick detail views
radius curvature dimensions
roughness symbols
section cuts (planar surface)
section cuts with profile defined in 3D
section views (planar surface)
section views with profile defined in 3D
stacked dimensions
tables
text frames

Index
text with a leader

threads with no reference
threads with reference
unfolded views
views
views from 3D
views from a .model
views using generative view styles
views via the wizard
welding symbols
welds
creating drawings
cumulated dimensions, creating
curvilinear length dimensions, creating
customizing
administration settings
annotation and dress-up settings
dimension creation settings
general settings
generation settings
geometry creation settings
manipulators settings
toolbars
view and sheet layout settings
view generation settings
D
datum features
creating
modifying
datum targets

Index
creating
modifying
defining sheets
Design mode
defining
using
detail view profiles, creating
detail views, creating
detecting chamfer
dimension creation (dimension settings)
dimension creation settings
dimension generation (generation settings)
Dimension Generation toolbar
dimension manipulators (manipulators settings)
dimensions
along a reference direction
analyzing generated dimensions
analyzing interfering dimensions
angle dimensions
between element and view axis
between intersection points
chamfer dimensions
creating
cumulated dimensions
curvilinear length dimensions
dimension extension line properties
dimension line properties
dimension text properties
dimension tolerance properties
driving 3D constraints
editing dimension value properties

Index
explicit dimensions
filtering dimension generation
generate dimensions in one shot
generate dimensions semi-automatically
generating from 3D constraints
generation overview
half dimensions
holes dimensions table
lining up (free space)
lining up (reference)
modifying blanking
modifying dimension line location
modifying dimension type
modifying overrun
modifying text before/after
modifying value text position
overall curve dimensions
overview
positioning (view per view)
radius curvature dimensions
re-routing
searching dimension status
specifying value position
stacked dimensions
display settings
documents
printing after modifying display settings
printing quickly
drawing management (administration settings)
Drawing toolbar
drawings
creating
loading and saving with resolved link

Index
loading and saving with unresolved link

managing
opening
updating via the batch monitor
dress-up
overview
settings
dress-up (administration settings)
dress-up generation (view generation settings)
driving 3D constraints
driving dimensions, creating
duplicating generative geometry
DWG
Import
DXF/DWG
Choice of Standard
Export
export
Export unit
Export VBScript Macros
Extension
Import
import
Import of multiple viewports and layouts
Import VBScript Macros
Imported Elements
Multi-sheet export
Report File
Trouble Shooting
What about the elements you export
DXF/DWG CATIA V4
Trouble Shooting
DXF/DWG File Size

Index
Trouble Shooting
DXF/DWG Kanji or unicode characters
Trouble Shooting
DXF/DWG Small Entities
Best Practices
DXF/DWG VBScript Macros
utility
E
editing
annotation leaders
dimension value properties
images
exact views
explicit dimensions, creating
exploded views
Export
CGM
DXF/DWG
export
CGM
DXF/DWG
file
Export unit
DXF/DWG
Export VBScript Macros
DXF/DWG
Extension
DXF/DWG
extension
cgm
extension lines, interrupting

Index
F
file
export
import
filtering dimension generation
finding text
frame and title blocks
creating
inserting an image in
frames
creating for text
free text
front views
creating
creating from sub-bodies/sub-products
creating with local axis system
creating with selection sets
G
general settings
generated dimensions, analyzing
generating
balloons
bill of material
dimensions
generation
overview
settings
generative view style (administration settings)
Generative view style toolbar

Index
applying to other views

applying to views
concepts
creating
creating views
generate parameters
importing newer versions
structure of
switching view styles
view dress-up parameters
views
copying
creating
modifying
geometry
duplicating
showing in views
geometry (geometry creation settings)
geometry creation settings
geometry generation (view generation settings)
geometry welds, creating
graphic properties
copying
editing
grid
H
half dimension, creating
handling annotation leaders
holes dimensions table, creating

Index
I
images
editing
inserting
overview
Import
DWG
DXF/DWG
import
CGM
DXF/DWG
file
Import of multiple viewports and layouts
DXF/DWG
Import VBScript Macros
DXF/DWG
Imported Elements
DXF/DWG
importing
a generative view style
importing tables
insert
CMG
inserting
images
images into a frame and title block
views in tables
interfering dimensions, analyzing
interoperability
interrupting extension lines
isolating views
isometric views

Index
L
leaders
adding to annotations
handling
positioning breakpoints
line-up (dimension settings)
lining up dimensions
free space
reference
loading and saving drawings
with resolved link
with unresolved link
local axis system, creating front views with
locating views
locking views
M
managing
drawings
manipulators (manipulators settings)
manipulators settings
modifying
annotation positioning
balloons
callout geometry
callout graphism
center lines
cut elements in a section view
datum features

Index
datum targets
dimension line location
dimension text before/after
dimension type
dimensions overrun and blanking
patterns
tables
views
views from a .model
move (annotation and dress-up settings)
move (dimension settings)
moving views
Multi-sheet export
DXF/DWG
N
new sheet (view and sheet layout settings)
O
objects, querying links
occlusion culling
offset section cuts
opening drawings
orientation of text
orientation of views
overall curve dimensions, creating
overrun in dimensions, modifying

Index
P
patterns
editing properties
modifying
points coordinates table
positioning
dimension value text
dimensions (view per view)
leader breakpoints
positioning views
aligning
independently of reference view
methods
relatively
superposing
printing
after modifying display settings
overview
quickly
properties
2D component instance properties
2D element graphic properties
2D geometry feature properties
annotation font properties
dimension extension line properties
dimension line properties
dimension text properties
dimension tolerance properties
dimension value properties
pattern properties
text properties
properties

Index
Q
querying object links
quick detail view profiles, creating
quick detail views, creating
R
radius curvature dimensions, creating
raster images, inserting
raster views
relative position for views
renaming views
replacing text
Report File
DXF/DWG
re-routing dimensions
restoring deleted elements
roughness symbols, creating
ruler (general settings)
S
saving
drawings (resolved link)
drawings (unresolved link)
scaling views
search (advanced)
creating

Index

creating
section views, modify cut elements in
section/projection callout (view and sheet layout settings)
selection sets, creating front views with
setting relative position for views
settings
administration
annotation and dress-up
dimension creation
general
generation
geometry creation
manipulators
view and sheet layout
view generation
sheet layout settings
sheets
sheets
managing background views
modify
sheets, defining
showing geometry in views
specifying dimension value position
splitting tables
stacked dimensions, creating
standards
STEP Quality of Conversion
Best Practices
style (administration settings)

Index
sub-bodies/sub-products, creating front views from

superposing views
T
tables
creating
creating points coordinates table
importing
inserting views in
modifying
splitting
text
associated text
creating frames
creating free text
creating text with a leader
editing properties
finding and replacing
making an existing text associative
replicating text and attribute
specifying orientation
text before/after dimension value, modifying
threads
creating with no reference
creating with reference
toolbars
customizing
Drawing
Views

Index
Trouble Shooting
DXF/DWG
DXF/DWG CATIA V4
DXF/DWG File Size
DXF/DWG Kanji or unicode characters
U
unfolded views, creating
updating drawings via the batch monitor
utility
DXF/DWG VBScript Macros
UpdateBatch
V
vector images, inserting
view axis (general settings)
view creation (view and sheet layout settings)
view generation
settings
view generation (view generation settings)
view layout settings
views
active view
advanced front views
aligned section cuts
aligned section views
aligning
applying generative view styles
applying generative view styles to other views
auxiliary views
breakout views

Index
broken views
clipping view profiles
clipping views
creating
creating and modifying from a .model
creating via the wizard
detail view profiles
detail views
dress-up
exploded views
front views
front views from sub-bodies/sub-products
front views with local axis system
front views with selection sets
generating Approximate views
generating balloons on
generating CGR views
generating exact views
generating raster views
inserting in tables
isolating
isometric views
locating views
locking
managing background views
modifying
modifying cut elements in a section view
moving views
offset section cuts
orientation

Index
positioning
positioning independently of reference view
projection views
quick detail view profiles
quick detail views
renaming views
restoring deleted elements
scaling views
setting relative position
showing geometry in views
superposing
switching generative view styles
unfolded views
using generative view styles
view from 3D
Views toolbar
Visualization mode
improving performance
saving memory
W
welding symbols, creating
welds, creating
What about the elements you export
DXF/DWG
wizard for creating views

Catia V5 Mechanical Design Solutions 2

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Catia V5 Mechanical Design Solutions 2

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Generative Drafting

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/CATIAfr_C2/draugCATIAfrs.htm (1 of 7)10/19/2004 5:43:25 PM

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/CATIAfr_C2/draugCATIAfrs.htm (2 of 7)10/19/2004 5:43:25 PM

Generating Balloons on a View

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/CATIAfr_C2/draugCATIAfrs.htm (3 of 7)10/19/2004 5:43:25 PM

Creating Dimensions between Intersection Points

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/CATIAfr_C2/draugCATIAfrs.htm (4 of 7)10/19/2004 5:43:25 PM

Modifying Annotation Positioning

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/CATIAfr_C2/draugCATIAfrs.htm (5 of 7)10/19/2004 5:43:25 PM

Administering Generative View Styles and Standards

Customizing for Drafting

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/CATIAfr_C2/draugCATIAfrs.htm (6 of 7)10/19/2004 5:43:25 PM

Using This Guide

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/CATIAfr_C2/draugCATIAfrs.htm (7 of 7)10/19/2004 5:43:25 PM

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/draugpr01.htm (1 of 2)10/19/2004 5:43:41 PM

Using This Guide

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/draugpr01.htm (2 of 2)10/19/2004 5:43:41 PM

Using This Guide

Where to Find More Information

● Infrastructure User's Guide

Select (menus, commands, geometry in graphics area, ...)

Right-click (to select contextual menu)

Graphic conventions are denoted as follows:

indicates a target of a task.

indicates the prerequisites.

indicates the scenario of a task.

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/icons_C2/conventions.htm (1 of 3)10/19/2004 5:45:10 PM

indicates basic concepts.

indicates methodological information.

indicates reference information.

indicates information regarding settings, customization, etc.

indicates the end of a task.

indicates functionalities that are new or enhanced with this Release.

indicates functionalities that are P1-specific.

indicates functionalities that are P2-specific.

indicates functionalities that are P3-specific.

allows you to switch back the full-window viewing mode.

These icons in the table of contents correspond to the entries or mode.

"Split View" mode.

"User Tasks" or the "Advanced Tasks".

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/icons_C2/conventions.htm (2 of 3)10/19/2004 5:45:10 PM

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/icons_C2/conventions.htm (3 of 3)10/19/2004 5:45:10 PM

Hidden geometry management

Generative View Styles

3D properties inheritance of projected geometry

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/draugwn.htm (1 of 2)10/19/2004 5:46:23 PM

Dimension generation on Part Design user-defined feature

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/draugwn.htm (2 of 2)10/19/2004 5:46:23 PM

Defining the Drawing Sheet

View names and scaling factors:

This step-by-step scenario introduces the basic capabilities of Generative Drafting.

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/drauggs01.htm (1 of 2)10/19/2004 5:46:30 PM

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/drauggs01.htm (2 of 2)10/19/2004 5:46:30 PM

Defining the Drawing Sheet

2. Select Drawing from the List of Types and click OK.

In this particular case, and all along the guide,

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/drauggs03.htm (1 of 2)10/20/2004 5:05:18 PM

The drawing sheet appears as shown here:

http://pop.dia.uniroma3.it/catia/online/draug_C2/drauggs03.htm (2 of 2)10/20/2004 5:05:18 PM

The File Selection dialog box appears.

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Creating a Front View