Takes you to a hyperlink that is applied to an object
Starts a publishing session Allows a component to be translated or rotated by specified values
* Allows you to snap objects to one another
* Denotes this option has already been covered
Creating an annotated view
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DMU Navigator
DMU Navigator will allow you to perform several tasks. When working with complex assemblies, it may be desirable to show the assembly in a partially assembled state or more importantly, it may be necessary to draft an assembly when it is not fully assembled. DMU Navigator allows you to do just that. DMU Navigator also allows you to add additional information with your assembly such as hyperlinks that could point to manufacturer information on the Internet. DMU Navigator also allows you to record viewpoint animations.
Open your Compressor Pump product. It is located in your directory.
Switch to the DMU Navigator Workbench, if not already there. This can be done by either selecting the change workbench icon in the top right of the toolbar or by selecting Start, Digital Mockup, and DMU Navigator.
Some of the icons should look familiar. It is assumed that you understand those icons, therefore they will not be covered in this section. If you are unsure how an icon works refer to the previous sections for review.
Creating an annotated view
Select the create an annotated view icon. This creates an annotated view. This view is only 2D, meaning, that if you were to rotate the model the view would disappear.
You can always call the view back up using the manage annotated views icon. You should notice a set of new icons appear as shown below.
Allows you to draw a line
Create the following arrows. You create the arrow by pressing and holding the first mouse button at the first end location and then drag your mouse to the other end and let go of the button. It should appear similar to the diagram shown below.
Select the add annotation text icon. You have to define a location for your text.
Select above the left arrow. An Annotation Text window appears like the one shown below.
Change the size to 12 and key Head Bolts for the Text. It should look similar to the window shown above.
Select OK. The text should appear similar to the diagram shown below. If you the text is not in correct location, select it and drag the little box with the first mouse button that appears at the location you specified.
Using the third mouse button, select on the text and choose Properties from the window. This will allow you to modify the properties of the text. A Properties window appears.
Select the Text Properties tab. It should appear similar to the diagram shown below.
Change the Frame to Frame instead of No Frame and select OK. The text should appear with a rectangular frame around it. This is all you want to create for this annotated view.
Rotate your assembly just a little. The view disappears, you will retrieve it later. You should notice the Annotated Views branch appearing in your specification tree.
If you want you can create some other annotated views trying out some of the other options.
Most of the options are self explanatory. The insert picture marker icon allows you to insert pictures of the following formats: tiff, jpg, bmp and rgb. The create audio marker icon allows you create a wav file but you have to record it right then and you need the right equipment to do that.
You are now going to learn how you can create your own web page straight from CATIA using the publish option which creates an HTML file.
Publish
Select the start publish icon. This will bring up a Select Publish File window. An HTML file will be created with the publish icon.
Go to your drawings folder, then key Compressor in the File Name field and select Save. This will bring up a small toolbar of Publishing Tools.
Snapshot Takes a screen shot of the assembly in the current viewpoint.
Feature Publish Allows you to publish features in your assembly. Features such as simulations, replays, hyperlinks, interference analyses and distance analyses.
Text Allows you to add any type of text desired into your HTML document.
VRML Generates a VRML file and inserts a hyperlink in your HTML document to the VRML file.
Stop Publish Stops the publish session.
Any of these icons can be used in any order.
Hide the specification tree. This can be accomplished by selecting the pull down menu View and then Specifications or by pressing the F3 button on the keyboard. This will remove the specification tree so the published images will be more clear.
Zoom on the compressor until a good isometric view of the compressor is visible, as shown below. Since the snapshot icon takes a screen shot of the workspace, it is advisable to make your assemblies as large as possible in the workspace window.
Select the snapshot icon. This will take a snapshot of the image and put it in your HTML document. Note, there will be no indication that anything has happened.
Rotate the assembly as shown below and take another snapshot. Again, no indication that anything has happened will be displayed. This will be the second image inserted into the HTML document.
Select the VRML icon. This creates a link to a VRML file in your HTML document.
Select the text icon. This will display the Publish Text window. Any text entered into this window will automatically be inserted into the HTML document.
Key Remove the six head bolts. Select OK when done. This text will be inserted into the HTML document. You are now going to retrieve that annotated view you created earlier and then take a snapshot of it.
Select the manage annotated views icon. The Annotated Views window appears. It may contain more views then shown if you practiced creating them earlier.
Select View.1 and select OK. The display should change to the annotated view that you created earlier.
Select the snapshot icon. This inserts that picture in your HTML document.
Rotate your assembly a little. This will get you out of the annotated view.
Select the feature publish icon.
Select the Pulley Removal replay from the tree. This inserts that information in your HTML document. You will not notice anything happening.
Select the stop publish icon. This ends the publish session and creates the HTML document. Next, a hyperlink will be created to go to the document.
Hyperlinks
Select the add hyperlinks icon. This will allow you to add an URL or Internet address to components of your assembly. These URL links can be links to other web sites within your company or to vendor web sites. You can also add links to other types of documents. For example, if you have a specific technical document that is associated with your part, then you can associate that document to your part.
Select the Air Compressor from the specification tree. The air compressor is the very top branch in the tree. Since the HTML document was made for the whole air compressor, it is suited for the hyperlink to be attached to the whole air compressor. The Manage Hyperlink window displays.
Change the Name to Published Document. This will give the hyperlink a more descriptive name.
Select the Browse... button. This will bring up the Link to File window. If not already there, change the current directory to your drawings folder.
Select Compressor.html and then Open when done. This is the document that was just created in the publish. This will add the path to the list area under Link to File or URL.
Several files or documents can be added to the hyperlink.
Select OK. This will insert a hyperlink in your assembly. You should notice a Hyperlink branch in your specification tree.
Select the go to hyperlinks icon and select the Air Compressor assembly. This will launch a web browser and display your published document. Look the document over.
When done, close the web browser.
3D Annotation
You will now create a 3D annotation on your assembly. This is a good way to communicate to other designers who will look at this assembly. In this case you are going to specify that a particular part needs to have stress analysis applied to it.
Select the 3D annotation icon. You have to select an object that you want the annotation attached to.
Select the green cylinder head. The Annotation Text window appears. This is the same window that appears when you created text in the annotation view.
Key Needs stress analysis performed. Select OK. The text appears on your assembly as shown below.
Next, a few scenes will be generated.
Scenes - basic
Select the scenes icon. This will bring up the Edit Scene window that is asking for a name for the scene.
Change the name to Internal Components. Select OK when done. The background and toolbar will change. This is to denote that you are in the scene and not just the regular workbench. Most of the options are ones that you have used before.
Changes workbenches
Allows you to snap objects to one another
Searches for objects Explodes the assembly Starts a publishing session
Within scenes, you can manipulate the model in any form you feel necessary. The
manipulation is only stored with the scene, leaving the original assembly as it was. This is great for creating technical documents.
Hide all of the outer casing as well as all of the bolts and pulley. This will be the viewpoint that is to be saved in the scene.
Hide the specification tree. If you do not then the scene will contain the specification tree.
Select the save viewpoint icon in the toolbar. This will update the scene and it is what will be displayed the next time the scene is viewed.
Select the exit from scene icon. This will take you back to the assembly as it was when you entered the scene. You will also note the scene picture in the bottom left corner of your screen. This is the pre-visualization of the scene. You can turn the display of those by using the F4 key on your keyboard or by using the pull down menu View, Scene
specification.
A new scene will be generated, this time you are going to alter the display before you enter the scene workbench.
Search
Select the search icon. This will bring up the Search window. Used properly, this feature can be quite useful. Search allows you to multi-select elements through various methods. Make sure you switch to the General tab.
A * in the field denotes that all entities of that category will be searched. You will use the search to select all the .375 Hex bolts.
Key *.375*hex* in the Name field. This will tell the search feature that you are looking for any string that has the number .375 and the word hex in it.
Select the Search button. This will search through the entire air compressor document for anything that matches the search string. Notice in the results area that more than just the parts themselves are found. This is not what you wanted. You only wanted the parts to be found instead of all the parameters too.
Select the drop down for Workbench and select Assembly Design. Select the drop down for .Type and select Product. You choose these two selections so that you will select the bolts from the assembly only.
Select the Search button again. This time, eight objects are found and they are only the parts and not all the part parameters.
Select the Select button at the bottom of the Search window. This will select all of the .375 Hex bolts that it found.
Select OK. This will close the search window, keeping the bolts selected.
Current selection panel
Select the current selection panel icon. This will bring up a window that will show just what is selected. This feature can be quite useful when more than what you wanted was selected in a search or proximity query selection. This will show you what else was
selected.
Select the 3D tab, if not already there. This will show you graphically the bolts that are selected. Notice where the other two bolts came from. They are from within the
compressor.
Close the Current Selection Panel window and hide the bolts. You can close the window by selecting the X at the top right corner of the window and you can hide the bolts by
selecting the hide/show icon. Next, a proximity query will be used.
Proximity query
Select the proximity query icon. The proximity query will select objects that are in relation to the selected product. The Proximity Query window appears.
Select the Cylinder Head. This will define what component will be used as the base or starting point for the proximity query.
Change the Accuracy to .025. This will set the maximum distance to approximately .15 inches. Anything that is further than .15 inches away from the cylinder head will not be selected.
Make sure the Products to select is set to Nearby products including selection and select Apply. The proximity query will generate 3dmaps of all the products and then analyze them for distances away from the cylinder head. This may take a some time. Notice all the hex bolts that were just hidden are also selected.
Select OK and hide the selected objects. This will hide the cylinder head and the compressor head.
Hide all the aqua hex bolts. It is left to you to determine how you want to select all of them or if you even want to use a multi selection tool at all.
Translation or rotation
Select the translation or rotation icon. This icon will allow you to translate or rotate a selected object any distance or rotation angle entered. You can also define the exact position you want the part in relation to the assembly axis.
Select the Pulley and set the Offset X to 10. This will define what is to be moved and how far it is going to be translated.
Select Apply. This will move the pulley ten inches from where it was.
Select one of the Drain Plugs. Next, the drain plugs will be translated out. Notice that the 10 inches in Offset X is still there.
Change the Offset X to 0 and the Offset Y to -12. Select Apply when done. The drain plug will move away from the base.
Select the other drain plug, change the Offset Y location to -15 and select Apply. Select OK when done. This will finalize the translations.
Hide the 3D annotation.
Scenes - advanced
Rotate the model as shown below and create a scene. Call the scene Long Block. The scene will automatically look like the workspace. Be sure to exit the scene when done.
Go back to the assembly design workbench. Notice that the assembly reassembles itself based on the constraints that have been applied.
Show all of the objects.
Double select the Long Block scene that is located in the lower left corner. Notice that when you go in to the scene that the drain plugs and the pulley are back at their original locations.
Use the compass to drag the pulley and the two drain plugs out. You have to place the compass on the object then it should turn green allowing you to drag the object. After you drag the first element you need to take the compass off the element and then deselect the element. Then you can place the compass on a new object.
Exit the scene and go back in to it. Notice that the scene now keeps the objects separated.
Select the Pulley and then the reset the selected products icon. This option will move the pulley back to the location it is on the assembly.
Exit the scene and save your assembly.
Congratulations, this completes this portion of the DMU Navigator. Next, fly mode will be
Fly mode
Fly mode is an integral part of DMU Navigator. Although you are going to use it with DMU Navigator, fly mode can be activated in any workbench. Even though fly mode will be covered with assemblies, it is still possible to use fly mode with individual parts as well.
Open the Track document from the Fly Throughs directory. This is a short track that will get you working with the fly mode.
The first obstacle you will have to overcome is working in perspective mode rather than parallel. By default, parallel mode is current. Perspective mode will make the CATIA world feel and look more like the real world. The further away from you the geometry is, the smaller it becomes.
Select pull down menu View, Render style, and Perspective. Notice the back of the track becomes much smaller and the front seems to grow somewhat. This is the perspective view being applied. If you tried to go to fly mode without being in perspective mode, it would switch you automatically.
Rotate and position your viewpoint to the start of the track. Your screen should look something like the picture below. The start of the track is considered to be where the gap is.
Up until now, you have worked in examine mode. It is time to now switch to fly mode.
Select the fly mode icon. This icon is along the bottom toolbar. You will notice a few toolbar changes. Take a closer look at them.
Turn Head This icon simulates you turning your head in the workspace.
The same effect can be done by pressing button two and then button one on the mouse.
Fly This icon enters you into flight. The same effect can be accomplished by selecting button two, then tapping button one.
Accelerate & Decelerate These two icons will accelerate your flight or decelerate your flight. A better method to speed up
Entering flight mode, your will have the following symbols appear on your screen.
1) This is your target Your cursor will turn into a small hollow arrow. The closer to the center of the target you move the cursor, the straighter your flight path will be. The opposite is also true, the further away from the target you move the curser, the sharper the turn will be.
1) This is your target Your cursor will turn into a small hollow arrow. The closer to the center of the target you move the cursor, the straighter your flight path will be. The opposite is also true, the further away from the target you move the curser, the sharper the turn will be.