How to Trace path of Mechanism in CATIA V5

• This work is done on Catia V5R17 it may differ slightly on new released versions.

For more information on any topic related to Catia mail at : nikhilsgaikwad@gmail.com

How to Trace path of Mechanism

We require a mechanism which can be simulated

Add points

Add points on individual parts whose path you need. Remember the point must be in a geometrical set and not in any body.

Complete assembly with all required points on individual parts in a geometrical set. Refer the part coupler triangle for reference.

Creating a simulation

Go to the simulation button in DMU generic animation highlighted in red.

Select the Mechanism 1 created and click OK !

•You will see 2 windows after clicking OK.

•Now click the red highlighted tab from the middle window.

•The bottom window will pop up. Set the highest value so that the mechanism completes the 1 rotation or complete path exceeding the highest value is not useful. 360 degree in this case is 1 rotation so we enter 360 (degrees) here. It can be (mm) also.

•The spin box increments is for accuracy here it denotes 5 degree so the mechanism would move by 5 degrees increment. For higher accuracy set it lower and click OK ! It can be (mm) also.

Now just click Insert. Do not click anything from the bottom window. Notice the number 1.00 in top window.

Click the highlighted from the bottom window and then the insert from top window. You will notice the increase in value 2.00 as highlighted in top window, this denotes the second step of mechanism.

Repeat the procedure in previous slide (slide no 8) till you complete till 360 degrees. Keep noticing the no in place of 3.00 It will go on increasing.

After doing the procedure in slide No 8. You will finally reach 360 degrees. The final value you can see is 73 [(360/5=72)+1(overlap point to complete path)]. Now Press the OK highlighted by green.

Now click the compile simulation

Click generate an animation file to generate a video file. Choose VFW Codec for avi file generation. Then click File name to give proper location . Finally click OK.

Video File generation process in action.The video file is generated at the location mentioned after completion of the command.

Click compile simulation once again. In the same command you need to generate a replay, so click the generate a replay followed by OK!

Replay generation in process you can see the replay added in the specification tree.

Creating a replay

Go to the replay button in DMU generic animation highlighted in red.

This is alternate method of replay generation. You can refer it later on also. Leave it for time being.

Now click the Trace command in DMU Generic Animation.

Trace command window will pop up. Now click the Main point form the geometrical set of the part which we had previously created for tracing. Click new part tab for creating trace curve in the new catia part file. Then click OK !

The curve is generated in the new part file in a geometrical set.

Copy the geometrical set form the new part created.

•Paste the geometrical set in the base part. Here the part in mechanism which will not move. •If you paste it in any other part and the whole assembly is done using different co-ordinate systems then the path will be seen else where and it will not relate the point at all.•You can paste the geometrical set in any part if all parts are having a same co ordinate system.

Update the part by activating it till then you will not see the path.

Similarly repeat the same steps for all points desired. At the end you will find the similar result as in snap. Remember you can also save the Trace part created for each point separately.

END OF PRESENTATION