Engineering Symbols  

This section deals with the customization of engineering symbols.

 

Defining Engineering Symbols
 

This workbench proposes three categories of engineering symbols:

  • Basic symbols: they are provided by default in standard files. They cannot be deleted nor renamed. However, it is possible to modify the font and character code of basic symbols.

  • Substitution symbol : it is provided by default in standard files. It cannot be deleted nor renamed. Its Unicode character can be modified, but not its font. The substitution symbol is displayed in a document in place of a symbol missing in the Standard file.

  • Custom symbols: Administrators can create a new custom symbol or delete it. They can also modify its name, font and Unicode character. Custom symbols are used in annotation text and dimension text only, from the Text Properties toolbar or from Edit > Properties > Dimension Text tab.

Parameters

To define an engineering symbol, three parameters are necessary:

  • Name: in a standard file, all the symbols must have a unique name. However, two symbols from two different standards can have the same name.
    Do not use Unicode characters to name engineering symbols, since standard files do not support Unicode string.

  • Font: all fonts can be used (Stroke, PostScript, TrueType or OpenType). The usable fonts are not limited to the fonts listed in Tools > Standard > Standard file > General > Allowed Text Fonts.

  • Unicode character: this is a number designating a character in font file. This hexadecimal code is valued between 0 and FFFF.

 

Note that for an optimum performance, a maximum of 128 symbols should be created in a standard file.
 

Creating a new custom symbol

  1. Click on the Engineering Symbols node of the Standard Definition editor. The editor is displayed.

  2. Select the New icon.
    A new line appears at the end of the symbols list.
    By default, a name, a font and a Unicode character are given to the new symbol:
    • if a symbol is selected, its name, font and character are proposed for the new symbol.
    • if there is no symbol selected, the new symbol is named by default CustomSymbol, with a CATIASymbol font and a 24C8 Unicode character. 

  3. Type MyCustomSymbol1 as the new symbol name and select the Arial Unicode MS (True Type) font.
    Type 2217 in the Unicode Character field.

  4. Press Enter.
    The Preview is automatically updated.

  5. Click OK to create the new engineering symbol.
    An information window appears to confirm in which file the symbol will be saved.

  6. Click OK to close the information window.

    The new symbol is automatically added to the symbols list from the Text Properties toolbar and from the Edit > Properties > Dimension Text and Text tabs.