How to Transform a Product into a Part in CATIA 3DExperience?

Dear 3DExperience and CATIA Fans,

A lot of my customers asked me “how can we transform a product to a part like in CATIA V5?” and the answer → Derived Representation feature in CATIA Assembly Design.

In this article you will learn how to transform an assembly into a part using the derived representation feature.

Here a the following steps you need to execute for this tutorial.

Step 1: Assembly Preparation
Open an assembly containing few parts. In that case, it is a small assembly composed of 8 parts (Pulley, Axle, Bearings, etc.). It is a simple example for you to start to be familiar with the scenario.

Right click on the Root Product and insert a 3DShape.

This one is fixed in the assembly, and will be used for the derived representation. (Basically the whole product will be transform into a part inside the 3DShape.

Step 2: Use Derived Representation
Use the feature derived representation on the assembly

Select the 3DShape that you just created.

Tick the option “keep link” in the panel.

Then select the parts you want to keep and the one you want to remove from selection

Click on OK

The assembly is hidden, and now the geometry are inside the 3Dshape (the parts become bodies)

Step 3: Boolean operations
Now you have several bodies.

-> Go to structure tab in action bar

Use the feature Add

Add the different bodies to the PARTBODY (repeat action several times)

Then create a new Body

Call it “CUT”

Draw a sketch and extrude a profile

Use the feature Remove

And remove the CUT to the PARTBODY

Now you have a cut in your 3DShape

Step 4: Drawing (optional)
Insert a Drawing in the root assembly

go to Drafting application

Insert an isometric view

go back to assembly

select the 3DShape

The view is now generated

Watch and Learn 🙂

In the video you can see how to transform a small assembly to a part and make a cut. You can keep the links with original parts and change parameters.