Interactive Templates Quick Reference

User Features
Part and Assembly Templates		 This topic is intended for those of you who need a quick answer to their questions about the interactive templates. However, using this part requires a prerequisite knowledge of templates as no detail is given. 

User Features

Creating a User Feature
Saving a User Feature in a Catalog
Instantiating a User Feature from a Catalog
Instantiating a User Feature from a Document
Instantiating a User Feature from a Selection
Editing a User Feature
Managing the orientation of the items making up the User Feature (planes, curves, ...)
after instantiating the User Feature in Edit mode
Working with the User Feature Definition Window

Creating a User Feature Scenario

  1. Open a .CATPart file.

  2. Select Insert > UserFeature > UserFeature Creation... from the standard menu bar. The User Feature Definition dialog box is displayed. 
    If need be, select the Definition tab. Replace the default User Feature name, then select the object in the specification tree.

  3. Select the Outputs tab. Specify the main result.

  4. Click OK in the dialog box. The User Feature is added to the specification tree.
Saving a User Feature in a Catalog Scenario

  1. Open a .CATPart file.

  2. Click the Save in Catalog icon from the standard menu bar. The 'Catalog save' dialog box is displayed.

  3. Select the Create a new catalog option and click the button on the right-hand side of the Catalog name field. The dialog box displayed allows you to create a .catalog file where to store the created User Features. Enter a file name and click Open. Then click OK in the Catalog save dialog box. The catalog containing the User Feature is created.
Instantiating a User Feature from a Catalog Scenario

  1. Open a .CATPart file.

  2. In the standard toolbar, click the icon. The catalog browser is displayed.

  3. Click the icon. In the dialog box which is displayed, select the catalog which contains the User Features that you want to instantiate. Click Open to open the selected catalog. The dialog box which is displayed next depends on your last interaction on this catalog. Double-click the object displayed in the left pane until the User Feature is available.

  4. To instantiate the object into the document:

    1. If need be, select the feature in the Insert Object dialog box, then select the feature in the document geometry area or in the specification tree.

    2. Click Parameters. The dialog box which is displayed provides you with the way to modify the parameter you have declared as published at the User Feature creation. Modify the value (if necessary).

    3. Click OK to instantiate the User Feature and exit the Insert Object dialog box. The User Feature is instantiated into the document. 

Instantiating a User Feature from a Document Scenario

  1. Open a .CATPart file.

  2. Click the Instantiate an element stored in a document icon. The File Selection dialog box is displayed.

  3. Select the .CATPart file containing the User Feature to instantiate, and click Open. The Insert Object dialog box is displayed.

  4. To instantiate the object into the document:

    1. If need be, select the feature in the Insert Object dialog box, then select the feature in the document geometry area or in the specification tree.

    2. Click Parameters. The dialog box which is displayed provides you with the way to modify the parameter you have declared as published (if any) at the User Feature creation. Modify the value (if necessary).

    3. Click OK to instantiate the User Feature and exit the Insert Object dialog box. The User Feature is instantiated into the document. 

Instantiating a User Feature from  a Selection Scenario

  1. Open the CATPart file that will contain the User Feature instance as well as the file containing the User Feature that you want to instantiate.

  2. Tile the window vertically.

  3. Expand the KnowledgeTemplates node in the file containing the User Feature and click the User Feature once.

  4. Go to the file that will contain the User Feature and click the Instantiate from Selection icon (). The Insert Object dialog box is displayed.

  5. Make the appropriate selections and click OK to instantiate the User Feature and exit the Insert Object dialog box. The User Feature is instantiated into the document. 

Editing a User Feature
To edit a User Feature, double-click it in the specification tree to display the UserFeature Definition dialog box and edit its content. Note that as far as User Features are concerned, only the following actions can be performed in Edit mode:
  • Renaming inputs
  • Publishing parameters
  • Modifying parameters values
  • Associating an icon with the User Feature
  • Modifying the main result
  • Creating a type associated with the User Feature
Note that the User Feature definition cannot be modified after leaving the Definition tab during the creation process.
Managing the orientation of the items making up the User Feature (planes, curves, ...) after instantiating the User Feature in Edit mode

  1. Open the PktManagingPlanes.CATPart file.

  2. From the Standard menu, select Insert > Instantiate from Document....

  3. In the File Selection window, select the PktPlaneUDF.CATPart file and click Open.

  4. The Insert Object dialog box is displayed. Select:

    •  

    Plane.1=zx plane
    •  

    Point.1=Point.1
    •  

    Plane.2=xy plane

  5. Reverse the direction of the zx and xy planes and click OK when done. The User Feature is instantiated.

  6. Double-click UDF.1 in the specification tree. The Definition box of the User Feature is displayed.
    Note that even if the selected inputs are both planes, in the first case (Plane.1), the display shows the zx plane as selected, and in the second case (Plane.2), the display shows a new element (Inverse.1) which was created and inserted at instantiation. Click OK to exit the dialog box.

  7. Open the PktPlaneUDF.CATPart file and double-click the User Feature:

    •  

    The input corresponding to Plane.1 is pointed by a Sketch: The orientation of Plane.1 is performed inside the Sketch feature. That is why the input is still the zx plane.
    •  

    The input corresponding to Plane.2 is pointed by a surfacic feature (Extremum.1): To manage the orientation of surfacic features, an Inverse feature is created. That is why the input references Inverse.1.

  8. Go back to the PktManagingPlanes.CATPart file and double-click the UDF1.1.

  9. Select Plane.1 in the Definition box.

    • Note that the orientation of the zx plane is not the identical to the one you selected at instantiation. It is a default orientation for the input. If you click the corresponding arrow, you can modify this orientation to get the desired one.

  10. Select Plane.2 in the Definition box.

    • Note that the orientation is the default one for the Inverse.1 feature. If you click the corresponding arrow, you can modify the orientation of the User Feature input. You will see then that the Inverse feature disappears or reappears depending on the direction of the arrow.
Working with the User Feature Definition Window
Renaming an Input
To rename an input:
  • Click the Inputs tab in the User Feature Definition window.
  • Select the input whose name is going to be modified in the graph.
  • Change its name in the Name field and click OK when done.
Publishing Parameters
It is possible to publish parameters. This way, when instantiating the User Feature, you can edit these parameters on the User Feature instance. Published parameters appear under the User Feature reference in the specification tree. 
To publish a parameter:
  • Click the Parameters tab in the User Feature Definition window
  • Select the parameter intended to be modified in a forthcoming instantiation and check the Published option.
It is recommended to change the name of the published parameters for them to be meaningful to the end user.
Renaming a Parameter
To rename a parameter:
  • Click the Parameters tab in the User Feature Definition window.
  • Select the parameter whose name is going to be modified .
  • Select the Published check box and enter the name of the parameter.
Modifying a Parameter Value
To modify the value of a parameter:
  • Click the Parameters tab in the User Feature Definition window
  • Select the parameter whose name is going to be modified
  • Select the Published check box, and enter the new parameter value.
Managing Design Tables
Suppose you include a design table in the User Feature, you will see the document pointed by the Design Table (as in Edit > Links). When instantiating or editing the User Feature, you will be able to change the document pointed by the internal design table.
   Modifying the Main Result
 

  1. Open the PktModifyingMainResult.CATPart file.

  2. Double-click UserFeature1 located below the KnowledgeTemplates node. The User Feature Definition window is displayed.

  3. Click the Outputs tab. 

    Suppose you are only interested in instantiating the CloseSurface object of Assemble.2.

    •  

    Select the Main result output.
    •  

    Click Replace, then select the CloseSurface.2 feature in the specification tree. The  CloseSurface.2 feature will be the only object carried forward to the receiving document during the instantiation process (no supporting pad).

    Suppose you want to instantiate the Assemble.2 feature as a whole plus one of the circles required to build the Body.2 object (Circle.2 for example).
    •  

    Specify Assemble.2 as a main result
    •  

    click Add, then select the Circle.2 object in the specification tree. The instantiation process will carry  forward the Assemble.2 object and the Circle.2 object to the receiving document. 

    Note that the dimension of the secondary outputs must always be inferior to the Main result. 

Associating a Type to a User Feature Scenario 

  1. Open a .CATPart file.

  2. Select Insert > Userfeature > Userfeature Creation... from the standard menu bar. 

  3. In the Definition tab, replace the default User Feature name (enter Pad1 as a new name for example) then select a feature in the specification tree.

  4. In the Type tab, enter the name of the instance type: Enter the first part of the type in the first box, the second part in the second box and hit the Enter key.

  5. Click Manage Type. Indicate the Super Type and the Package.

  6. Click Create Type, Save, Close.

Part and Assembly Templates
Creating a Part Template
Instantiating a Part Template
Introducing the Document Template Definition Window
 
Creating a Part TemplateScenario

  1. Open a .CATPart file.

  2. From the Insert menu, select Document Template Creation ....

  3. In the Document Template Definition window, click the Inputs tab to select the inputs you want to select.

  4. In the Document Template Definition window, click the Published Parameters tab to publish parameters (if need be.)

  5. Store the document template in a catalog.

  6. Save the Catalog and the Part.
lnstantiating a Part TemplateScenario

  1. Open a .CATProduct file.

  2. Click the Catalog icon and select the catalog you created when creating the template.

  3. Double-click the family and the Document Template.1 template.

  4. In the Insert Object window, click Use Identical Name in the Insert Object window. Make the appropriate selections in the viewer when necessary and click OK when done.
Using the Document Template Definition Window

Adding External documents
  To add external documents:
  • In the Documents tab, click Add.... The File Selection window is displayed.
  • Select the file that will be associated with the template.
  • Click Open.
Note that external documents can only be files of the following types:
  • .CATDrawing
  • .CATAnalysis
  • .CATProcess

Assigning a Role to an Input
  To assign a role to an input:
  • Click the Inputs tab in the Document Template Definition window.
  • Select the input whose name is going to be modified in the graph.
  • Change its name in the Name field and click OK when done.