Presentation Schneider 111403

Getting Started with KBE:
Working With the

CATIA / Visual Basic Interface
Nathan Clark and Tom Schneider

Vought Aircraft Industries
November 14, 2003
Working with the CATIA / VB Interface
AGENDA
è Automate CATIA? HOW? WHY?
– Discuss CATIA V5 Automation Approaches
– What about Knowledgeware?
è Macro / .CATScript Demonstration
– Recording Macros
– Review and Reuse Recorded Code
– Introduce Automation Objects in CATIA V5
è VBA Project Demonstration
– Introduce VBA Editor Included with CATIA V5
– Create User Interface Using VBA Form
– Incorporate User Input in Existing Code as Variable
è Summary and Questions
12/2/2003
Slide 2
è CATIA V5 Automation Approaches
– Macros / .CATScripts
¬ Free, Rapid Deployment, Easy to Reuse Recorded
macros, Limited Flexibility, Difficult to Debug
– VBA / .CATvba
¬ Free, Graphical User interface (Forms), Editor Provides
Debugging Capability
– VB6 & VB.NET
¬ Runs Outside of CATIA, Increased Implementation of
Components and Type Libraries, Individual Module Files
Makes Collaboration and Sharing Code Easier
– CAA
¬ More Powerful and Faster than VB, Harder to Learn,
Provides Access to Interfaces Not Currently Available to
Visual Basic
12/2/2003
Slide 3
è Automation Versus CATIA V5 Knowledgeware
– Knowledgeware Products
¬ Pros: Integrated Into CATIA, Persistent, Supported and
Documented by Dassault.
¬ Cons: Complex Models Difficult to Maintain, Lacks
Debugging Help, Requires Additional Licenses.
– Automation Using Visual Basic
¬ Pros: External to CATIA, Graphical User Interface,
Coding Editor, Functions Without Existing Seed Model,
Supports Large Complex Applications.
¬ Cons: Not Persistent, All CATIA Functionality Not
Exposed, Limited Applicable Documentation.
– Combining Both Approaches
¬ With Some Creativity, You can Get The Best Of Both
Worlds to Produce Efficient and Powerful Applications.
12/2/2003
Slide 4
Macro / .CATScript Demonstration
12/2/2003
Slide 5
è Recording Macro Demo
– Tools / Macro / Start Recording…
– Macro Libraries:
Directories – folder location to store recorded macros
VBA Products – recorded code inserted into VBA project
– Language Used :
MS VBScript – does not include dim statements
CATScript – includes dim statements (preferred)
12/2/2003
Slide 6
Creating RUG Demo
è Start Recording Macro (CATScript)
– Open New CATPart
– Create Three (3) Closed
Sketches on XY Plane
– Create Three (3) Pads
From Sketches
– Apply Graphic Color To
The Pads
– No Show the Origin Planes
– Apply “Fit-All-In” Button
to Reframe Pads
è Stop Recording Macro
12/2/2003
Slide 7
è Let’s Look At The Recorded Code
– Open text-file using built-in editor or use any simple text editor
(such as WinWord).
– Lines that begin with ‘ have been manually added. These lines
are called comment lines and are skipped during runtime.
– All measurements are in millimeters and not inches (multiply or
divide by 25.4 to convert).
– Lines containing “ReportName” have no discernable function
and can be safely deleted.
– Sometimes the recording of a particular operation will be blank.
This does not necessarily mean that coding is impossible, just
more challenging.
– Tip: You must exit a sketch before stopping the recording or else
the macro will be blank.
12/2/2003
Slide 8
è Let’s Look At The Modified Code
– Additional comment lines have been added.
– The code responsible for creating geometry in all three sketches
have been replaced with new code that creates customized
geometry.
– Lines containing “ReportName” have been deleted.
– A section of code has been re-written (condensed) into more
efficient code.
– Since the as-recorded code did not record applying colors to the
pads and no-showing the origin planes, the appropriate code
has been inserted here.
– To tweak the orientation of each completed pad, the values
assigned to the ‘SetAbsoluteAxisData’ array for each sketch was
modified. (advanced topic).
12/2/2003
Slide 9
Working with the CATIA/ VB Interface
è Introduction to Automation Objects in CATIA V5
Dim documents1 As Documents
Set documents1 = CATIA.Documents
Dim partDocument1 As PartDocument

Set partDocument1 = documents1.Add("Part")
Dim part1 As Part

Set part1 = partDocument1.Part
Dim bodies1 As Bodies

Set bodies1 = part1.Bodies
Dim body1 As Body

Set body1 = bodies1.Item("PartBody")
Dim sketches1 As Sketches

Set sketches1 = body1.Sketches
Dim originElements1 As OriginElements

Set originElements1 = part1.OriginElements
Dim reference1 As Reference

Set reference1 = originElements1.PlaneXY
Dim sketch1 As Sketch

Set sketch1 = sketches1.Add(reference1)
12/2/2003
Slide 10
è Introduction to Automation Objects in CATIA V5
Dim documents1 As Documents
Set documents1 = CATIA.Documents
Dim partDocument1 As PartDocument

Set partDocument1 = documents1.Add("Part")
Dim part1 As Part

Set part1 = partDocument1.Part
Dim bodies1 As Bodies

Set bodies1 = part1.Bodies
Dim body1 As Body

Set body1 = bodies1.Item("PartBody")
Dim sketches1 As Sketches

Set sketches1 = body1.Sketches
Dim originElements1 As OriginElements

Set originElements1 = part1.OriginElements

Set reference1 = originElements1.PlaneXY
Dim sketch1 As Sketch

Set sketch1 = sketches1.Add(reference1)
12/2/2003
Slide 11
è Recorded Macro Can Be Coded More Efficiently
Dim reference1 As Reference As Recorded Code:
Set reference1 = part1.CreateReferenceFromName("") Creates Generic Pad;
Dim pad1 As Pad Then Assigns Sketch
Set pad1 = shapeFactory1.AddNewPadFromRef(reference1, 20.000000) and Length Parameters.
Set reference2 = part1.CreateReferenceFromObject(sketch1)
pad1.SetProfileElement reference2
Dim limit1 As Limit

Set limit1 = pad1.FirstLimit
Dim length1 As Length

Set length1 = limit1.Dimension
length1.Value = 2.540000
Dim reference2 As Reference Efficient Code:

Set reference2 = part1.CreateReferenceFromObject(sketch1) Assigns Sketch and
Dim pad1 As Pad Length Parameters
Set pad1 = shapeFactory1.AddNewPadFromRef(reference2, 0.1 * 25.4) While Creating Pad.
12/2/2003
Slide 12
è Reference CATIA Automation Documentation
For Shape Factory Methods
12/2/2003
Slide 13
è Become Familiar With The Selection Object
The Selection Object Has a Property Called VisProperties that manages the
graphical properties of all elements in the current selection.
'APPLY COLORS
CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.Clear
CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.Add pad1
CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.VisProperties.SetRealColor 151, 150, 155, 0
CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.VisProperties.SetRealColor 50, 78, 139, 0
'NO SHOW ORIGIN PLANES

CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.Add part1.OriginElements.PlaneXY
CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.Add part1.OriginElements.PlaneYZ
CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.Add part1.OriginElements.PlaneZX
CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection.VisProperties.SetShow CatVisPropertyNoShowAttr
The Selection Object is Extremely Important When Working With User Interfaces
12/2/2003
Slide 14
12/2/2003
Slide 15
VBA Project Demonstration
12/2/2003
Slide 16
Tools > Macro > Visual Basic Editor (Alt + F11)
12/2/2003
Slide 17
è A VBA Project is made up of a set of
components that eventually compile into a
single application
– Forms
– Modules
– Class Modules
è There must be a CATMain subroutine used as a
start-up procedure
è Expanded power and flexibility – and the best
part…ITS FREE
12/2/2003
Slide 18
è VBA Project - Form
– An encapsulated, visual interface
containing a set of controls which
allow the user to interact with the
application
– Event Driven
¬ Click, DoubleClick, Initialize,
GotFocus Events
¬ Use events to run specific code
and/or change the look and feel of
the form
– Can contain form-level declaration
of Variables, Functions, or
Procedures
– Code in a form is usually specific
to the application using the form
12/2/2003
Slide 19
è VBA Project - Module
– A container for code in the form
of Subroutines or Functions
– Can contain Global or Module-
level declarations of Variables,
Constants, or Procedures
– Code without external
dependencies can be used
regardless of the application
containing the module
12/2/2003
Slide 20
Insert > UserForm Insert > Module Paste Script
into Module1
12/2/2003
Slide 21
è Create an input form
Text Box
Change Name
Property
Command Button
Label
(Double Click Here to add code)
Drag Controls
onto the Form
12/2/2003
Slide 22
è Write the code that executes when the button is clicked
Define a
variable for the
Pad Thickness
Store the value

in the text box
Pass the value to the (convert it to a
subroutine in double)
RugDemoModule
12/2/2003
Slide 23
è Modify existing script Create CATMain routine
to display the form
Customize
Name Property
Rename Script
Routine and Add a
Passed in Argument
12/2/2003
Slide 24
è Replace Hard Code thickness values with a variable
Insert Variable
Name (Convert
to mm)
12/2/2003
Slide 25
è Some Variables must be late-bound in a VBA Project
Comment variable type

declarations as required
to prevent errors
12/2/2003
Slide 26
12/2/2003
Slide 27
Hands On Summary
è Macros / .CATScripts
– Great tools for rapid deployment of simple automation
applications
– Personal time saving operations
– They are limited in scope and flexibility.
è VBA Projects
– Offer increased flexibility and complexity through
implementation of user interface forms and modules
– Requires a short learning curve
12/2/2003
Slide 28
QUESTIONS:
12/2/2003
Slide 29

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Getting Started with KBE:

Working With the

Nathan Clark and Tom Schneider

Macro / .CATScript Demonstration

Dim partDocument1 As PartDocument

Dim part1 As Part

Dim bodies1 As Bodies

Dim body1 As Body

Dim sketches1 As Sketches

Dim originElements1 As OriginElements

Dim reference1 As Reference

Dim sketch1 As Sketch

Dim partDocument1 As PartDocument

Dim part1 As Part

Dim bodies1 As Bodies

Dim body1 As Body

Dim sketches1 As Sketches

Dim originElements1 As OriginElements

Dim reference1 As Reference

Dim sketch1 As Sketch

Dim limit1 As Limit

Dim length1 As Length

Dim reference2 As Reference Efficient Code:

'NO SHOW ORIGIN PLANES

VBA Project Demonstration

Store the value

Comment variable type

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