AIM: STUDY & PRACTICE ON SURFACE MODULE IN CATIA V3.

SURFACE MODELING Surface models are a type of three-dimensional (3D) models with no thickness. These models are widely used in industries like automobile, aerospace, plastic, medical, and so on. Surface models should not be confused with thick models, that is, models having mass properties. Surface models do not have thickness whereas thick or solid models have a userdefined thickness. In CATIA V3, the surface modeling techniques and feature creation tools are the same as that used in solid modeling. A solid model of any shape that is created can also be created using the surface modeling techniques. The only difference between the solid model and the surface model will be that the solid model will have mass properties but the surface model will not. Sometimes, complex shapes are difficult to create using solid modeling. Such models can be easily created using surface modeling and then the surface model can be converted into the solid model. It becomes easy for a person to learn surface modeling if he is familiar with solid modeling feature creation tools. A non-solid feature created using the surface creation tools (commonly referred to as a quilt). A bounded face defined by a solid feature. A datum plane (infinite flat surface). Working With Surface: You can use surfaces in many ways to capture the design intent: Create solids Use them to manipulate solid surfaces Use them to create cuts. Shell a solid model using surfaces

Creating Solid Features from Surfaces Once you have generated the appropriate surfaces, the solid geometry can be created. You can use the Protrusion, Use Quilt option to create a solid feature from a surface. Thin Feature Provide thickness to an open quilt. Solid Feature Create a solid out of a closed quilt. Manipulating Solid Surfaces

You can use quilts to change the shape of a solid surface using the following Tweak options: Replace Patch Free Form Removing Material from a Solid You may use quilts to change the shape of solids to perform the following: Cuts: Use quilts to remove material. Shell: use quilts to shell a solid model that has complex surfaces and CREATING SURFACES You can use following surfacing methods to create simple surface features : Extrude Revolve Sweep Blend Offset Copy Fillet You can create complex surfaces using following advance surfacing methods: Variable Section Sweep Swept Blend Helical Sweeps Boundaries Section To Surfaces Surfaces to Surfaces CATIA V3 allows you to manipulate the surfaces that you have created by: Extending the surfaces Trimming the surfaces