User Interface

In this course we will study essential manipulations and tools and get knowledge with standerd CATIA CAD CAM interface and behaviors.

Now we will take a quick idea of the user interface for the largest mechanical drawing program in the world.

   CATIA User Interface                                                              

We will learn and exercise basic concepts of CATIA V5 user interface such as: Standard manipulations {Drag and Drop, Edit in place, Copy & Paste...},Tool-bars, Standard and exclusive menus {File, Edit, Wive, Insert, Tools...}, Workbenches (modules) and related tool-bars, Specification Tree inclusive all technological lineaments, relationships, constraints..., Multi-document support.

   1 Menus.

   2 Window of active document.

   3 Tree.

   4 Tree scroll bar.

   5 Icons to maximize, minimize,  or close windows.

   6 Icon of active workbench (Part Design).

   7 Tool bars of active workbench.

  8 Dual arrows mean there are more toolbars pull the [>>] mark to move invisible toolbars.

Note that we can open more than one document at the same time within the CATIA V5 window.

And we can easily change the styling of CATIA V5 window by hiding, removing, adding or moving toolbars.

   Toolbars and Menus                                                             

Toolbars supply fast entry to tools, for mechanical design program (CATIA), which are also available in menus.

   1 Use the View menu to activate toolbars.

   2 Dual arrows mean there are more toolbars pull >> mark to move invisible toolbars.                    

   3 Drag separator to move the toolbar anywhere.

   4 Right mouse click in the prompt zone to fast access the toolbar list.

   5 Click {x - Button} to close the toolbar.

   6 Toolbars that are checked are accessible. Others are invisible.

   Dialog Boxes                                                                           

The Dialog boxes provide parameters to introduce features. They are standardized and simple to use.
For example: if we double-click on a hole, we will obtain the definition dialog box for Hole, such as this:

   1 Click the [X] to close the dialog box.

   2 Click the question mark [?] and choose a field to obtain help.

   3 Name of the function or  task.

   4 Select a tab to define standards setting or parameters.

   5 Select an choices in the drop down list.

   6 Write the value, or click up or down arrows

   7 Fields locked  (not selectable).

   8 Select button to activate the action.

   9 Click check box to activate the option.

   10 Inactive field.

   11 Click OK to emphasize.

   12 Click Cancel to quit the mission.

   13 Click Preview to display demo the result.

   Manipulating Windows & Multi-documents Support                        

As we see in the figure below the mechanical design program catia V5 support multi documents, that is mean we can open more than one project at the same time as any Flexible windows program.

   1 Click here to close.

   2 Full screen mode (Click to maximize).

   3 Iconify (Click to minimize).

   4 Use the Window frame, to list and exchange open windows.

   5 CATIA window.

   6 Inactive Document.

   7 Active Document.

   8 Click and pull any edge to change the size of window.

   9 If full screen or minimized (Click to return to the initial size).

Note that we can activate any CATIA V5 Document by one click on it with MB1.

   Positioning Windows                                                             

In the mechanical design program CATIA V5  It is easy to Dealing with several documents and positioning them anywhere.

   1 To verify the opened documents, Click on the Window menu.

   2 The active document.

   3 Choose Tile to division the display vertically or horizontally.

   4 Two documents are open, The 2nd one is active.

   5 Choose  the document by the Window menu.

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In the next lessons we will learn General Concepts about mechanical design program CATIA, such as catia workbench (modules), that we have mentioned in an earlier lesson, and To Manipulate Objects by Mouse.