Catia Generative Shape Design Tools

CATIA V5-6 Shape Design & Styling Portfolio

Shape Design & Styling Solutions

CATIA V5-6 offers highly intuitive tools to easily create, validate and modify any type of surfaces, from freeform surfaces to mechanical shapes.

Domain Objective

CATIA Shape Design & Styling solution set delivers innovative and fun-to-use products for the creation, control and modification of engineered and freeform surfaces.

Shape Design & Styling Domain Overview

CATIA V5-6 offers highly intuitive tools to easily create, validate and modify any type of surfaces, from freeform surfaces to mechanical shapes.

Mechanical designers, shape designers and stylists will find within the following products the extensive set of functionalities supporting their surface modeling, editing and validation processes. High quality rendering will bring your virtual creation to reality.

CATIA V5-6 Shape Design & Styling solutions provides an integrated competitive environment to handle both Free Form, Aesthetical, Aero surfaces and Mechanical Surfaces.
According to your industry and your skill, this unmatched surfacic system answers from general to specialized requirements. For example:

Master up to high complexity shapes

Exterior skin of an airplane: Lofting
Complex tyre Sculptures
Aesthetical Bottles
Automotive inner panels : Body in White

In an accessible intelligent way...

High Productivity, efficiency
Meeting precise constraints and environment
Accessible to non expert users
Integrating and capitalizing Knowledge

By allowing the most flexible modification schemes...

Through Specs driven Wireframe and surfaces
Provide the first Feature based definition of Free Form Surfaces
In an hybrid (Solid Surfaces) environment

Shape Design & Styling Product List

CATIA ICEM Shape Design AeroExpert Product Overview

CATIA ICEM Shape Design AeroExpert is a dedicated workbench used for the creation and modification of surfaces within the aeronautical surface modeling domain, providing specialized modeling functionality and global modeling capability to support typical aerospace workflow and processes.

Offering a comprehensive hybrid modeling environment of both explicit and feature-based surface modeling for high quality surface generation, modeling and analysis. AeroExpert addresses both the engineering and aeronautical needs by generating high quality smooth but simple surfaces whilst respecting strict engineering tolerances requirements.

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CATIA ICEM Shape Design Center Product Overview

CATIA ICEM Shape Design Center (ICM) the foundation of the ISD product portfolio offers advanced surface and curve functionality to create, modify and analysis aesthetic and ergonomic shapes to the highest quality. Supporting a hybrid environment of both explicit and feature-based surface modeling. With traditional direct surface modeling techniques as the base, accompanied by strong associative and feature-based modeling methodology, ICM dramatically improves the productivity within the Class A design process delivering new levels of integration within the product development lifecycle.

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CATIA ICEM Shape Design Expert Product Overview

CATIA ICEM Shape Design Expert (IEX) offers an extended tool set which complements the ISD Center (ICM) product. This add-on module enables the creation and modeling of aesthetic and ergonomic shapes using advanced global surface modeling and shape modeling capabilities. In addition this product provides specialized Class A and dedicated Industry specific functionality such as Advanced filleting, Tri-Tangent filleting, Create Gap, Accelerated surfaces, Feature Modeling.

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CATIA Photo Studio 1 Product Overview

Photo Studio 1 (PH1) provides users with an easy way to produce photorealistic images at the early stage of the product development. It has been designed to fit casual users needing to quickly create high quality renderings.

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CATIA Photo Studio 2 Product Overview

Photo Studio 2 (PHS) generates high quality photo-realistic images and movies of a digital mock-up, by using a powerful ray-tracing engine. This engine drastically enhances the realism of the resulting images by computing real soft shadows as well as accurate reflections and refractions of light. PHS manages reusable scene settings and delivers powerful animation capabilities. By giving a physically realistic simulation of the model appearance, it can also provide final validation of the design. Photo Studio 2 (PHS) product is thus able to give a competitive advantage to companies that want to present their products in context to their own customers

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CATIA – Automotive Body-In-White Fastening Product Overview

CATIA – Automotive Body-In-White Fastening 3 (ABF) is dedicated to the design of Automotive Body In White Fasteners. It supports Welding technologies and mechanical clinching, along with Adhesives, Sealers, and Mastics.

The user is provided with intuitive tools to create and manage Spot like Fasteners. The user can switch, if needed from a 3D Point shape definition to a 3D hemispherical shape specification. In addition to placing the fasteners, reports can be issued from the application in order to list : Fastener location coordonates and the Joined parts properties at each fastener location: crossed thicknesses and flange materials, flanges normals, joined parts stacking order,….

The CATIA V5 generative feature infrastructure enables the associative update of fasteners feature placement from a Part design change (modification of the flange shape, flange thickness or material property) or Assembly structure change (Move Joined parts, Replace joined part). CATIA – Automotive BiW Fastening 3 can be cooperatively used with other current or future applications of CATIA Version 5 like part design, assembly design.

CATIA – Realistic Shape Optimizer Product Overview

CATIA – REALISTIC SHAPE OPTIMIZER 2 (RSO) completes the design-simulation loop enabling users to easily update nominal CAD shapes into realistic shapes from operation's conditions simulations or measurements.

RSO enables to perform the geometric morphing of a nominal shape from any displacement files resulting, for instance, from finite elements analysis, discrete measurements or CAA V5 partners simulations applications. The realistic shapes are then reusable as any other V5 features.

Once created, users can exploit those shapes for many purposes as checks product's interferences under loads conditions, or optimizes product's definition based on a comparison between the as-built measurements and initial CAD definition. This proven technology enables both to better assess and enhance the design of products and tooling, and to save time and capitalize knowledge.

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CATIA – Real Time Rendering 1 Product Overview

Real Time Rendering (RT1) Enables designers to leverage technological material specifications to produce realistic renderings of their model. Texture can be created from scratch, modified from imported digital images, or selected from the included library. Associativity is maintained between the material library and the material applied to the parts. Materials can be applied through a specification-driven approach or through simple selection. Real-time display computations quickly convert models to realistic renderings.

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CATIA – Real Time Rendering 2 Product Overview

Real Time Rendering 2 (RTR) enables designers to interactively create realistic and dynamic renderings and animations in real-time, by extensively using all the hardware features available. The user can dynamically create and manipulate materials, lights and environments and immediately view the result of any modification. By providing the ultimate dynamic display of your mock-up, Real-time Rendering 2 allows efficient design evaluation and validation at any time during the product development process.

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CATIA – Photo Studio Optimizer 2 Product Overview

Photo Studio Optimizer 2 (PSO) is an essential complement to Photo Studio 2 (PHS) for users who want to create images and movies that will match reality. PSO extends PHS's rendering capabilities with such advanced technologies as global illumination and caustics. With the product's 3D texture and bump mapping capabilities, the user can see at the beginning of its life cycle how the finished product will look.

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CATIA – Generative Shape Design 1 Product Overview

CATIA – Generative Shape Design 1 (GS1) helps design mechanical shapes based on a combination of wireframe and multiple surface features. CATIA – Generative Shape Design 1 (GS1) provides an extensive set of tools for creating and modifying mechanical surfaces used in the design of complex shapes or hybrid parts. GS1 brings smart tools, like powercopy to manage the feature reuse. Its feature-based approach offers a productive and intuitive design environment where design methodologies and specifications can be captured and reused.

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CATIA – Generative Shape Design 2 Product Overview

CATIA – Generative Shape Design (GSD) helps to design advanced shapes based on a combination of wireframe and extensive multiple surface features, with full specification capture. CATIA – Generative Shape Design (GSD) includes all the functions and commands from the CATIA – Generative Shape Design 1 (GS1) product. It provides an extensive set of tools for creating and modifying mechanical surfaces used in the design of complex shapes or hybrid parts. Its feature-based approach offers a productive and intuitive design environment to capture and reuse design methodologies and specifications.

Knowledgeware and laws functionalities included in CATIA – Generative Shape Design (GSD) bring to the user the best in class tool to faster create complex surfaces. In addition of CATIA – Generative Shape Design (GSD) the new CATIA – Generative Shape Optimizer (GSO) product allows to access to powerful global deformation technologies.

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CATIA – Mechanical Surface Refinement Product Overview

Transport & Mobility Design used to focus on exterior styling and visual quality, with the mission to create the perfect visual buying experience. Now, market trends demand that the visual buying experience should no longer be limited to exterior styling.

More traditional mechanical shapes & components (door openings, engine covers …), briefly seen by the customer, are expected to reach the highest visual quality throughout the design process.

In support of these increasing demands, CATIA Mechanical Surface Refinement 2 (SRF) complements CATIA Generative Shape Design, to deliver advanced Curve and Surface Modeling capabilities, enabling Mechanical Engineers to work within surfacing design domains, higher quality results normally attributed to the Class A surfacing.

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CATIA – Generative Shape Optimizer Product Overview

CATIA – Generative Shape Optimizer 2 (GSO) extends the wireframe and multiple surface creation features of CATIA – Generative Shape Design 2 (GSD) with powerful global deformation technologies. Based on exclusives smarts tools, CATIA – Generative Shape Optimizer 2 (GSO) allowing the user to deform shapes quickly and decreasing the time to complete the design process.

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CATIA – Developed Shapes Product Overview

CATIA – Developed Shapes 1 (DL1) quickly and easily unfolds ruled and non-ruled surfaces and develops curves on revolution surfaces. Design engineers, both non-surface specialists and advanced-shape designers, can define an associative flattened pattern from their 3D models for manufacturing from flat sheets of raw materials. Developed Shapes 1 features an intuitive cross-platform user interface foster productivity, ease of use, and low training costs.

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CATIA – Freestyle Shaper Product Overview

CATIA – Freestyle Shaper 1 (FS1) provides easy to use surface-based tools to help designers create styled shapes, enabling even casual users to easily smooth and trim curves and surfaces. Real-time quality checking is possible through extensive curve and surface diagnosis tools to ensure quality.

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Product Overview

CATIA – Freestyle Shaper 2 (FSS) provides powerful easy to use surface-based tools to help designers create styled shapes, enabling even casual users to easily smooth and trim curves and surfaces. Real-time quality checking is possible through extensive industry-oriented curve and surface diagnosis tools to ensure quality.

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CATIA – Freestyle Optimizer Product Overview

CATIA – Freestyle Optimizer 2 (FSO) extends the shape and surface modeling functions of CATIA – Freestyle Shaper 2 (FSS) to the morphing of complex, multi-surface shapes. Designers can globally change multiple surfaces as if they were a single patch while preserving the previously prescribed design characteristics. The system is able to match an established design to fit other geometry such as a physical mock-up scan. To verify the quality of surface designs, users can conduct a virtual showroom inspection with real-life cubing visualized by computed reflect lines from a neon row.

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CATIA – Freestyle Profiler Product Overview

CATIA – Freestyle Profiler 2 (FSP) Addresses intuitive dynamic surface creation by sweeping a profile curve along multiple guides. This product offers associative Styling Sweeps and associative Net Surfaces tools to cover the need for complex profiled surfaces. All types of FreeStyle analysis are provided e.g. curvature analysis, cutting plane, distance analysis, environment mapping and isophotes.

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CATIA – Freestyle Sketch Tracer Product Overview

CATIA – Freestyle Sketch Tracer 1 (FSK) allows the integration of stylists' work (such as 2D painting) into a 3D format, as the basis for 3D virtual mock-up. This product provides an intuitive toolbox for helping the user to convert 2D data into 3D data: the user will first position and scale the image in 3D, then use Shape Design & Styling products to draw the geometry over the sketches.

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CATIA – Imagine & Shape Product Overview

Dedicated to aesthetical shapes creation for industrial and conceptual design, CATIA – Imagine & Shape 2 (IMA) introduces very new concepts, breaking the traditional approach of surfaces modeling. It could be used in any domains needing quick surface creation, including rapid virtual prototyping, ideas expression and simulations. CATIA – Imagine & Shape 2 (IMA) combines a powerful technology, based on subdivision surfaces, and a simple use, making easy for a non surface specialist to design within a CAD system. CATIA – Imagine & Shape 2 (IMA) is really shaped to leverage in V5 the engineering of emotional content: "From ideas to 3D" becomes then quick and easy for all.

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CATIA – Digitized Shape Editor Product Overview

CATIA – Digitized Shape Editor 2 (DSE) addresses digitized data import, clean up, tessellation, cross sections, character line, shape and quality checking with real time diagnosis. This product takes place at the beginning of the Reverse Engineering cycle, just after the digitizing machines and before several processes covered thanks to the complementary use of other CATIA V5 applications from mechanical and freestyle surfaces design to direct manufacturing. The inspection process can be directly handled with DSE by utilizing alignment between Clouds of points and CAD models.

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CATIA – Quick Surface Reconstruction Product Overview

CATIA – Quick Surface Reconstruction 2 (QSR) easily and quickly recovers surfaces from digitized data that has been cleaned up and tessellated using the CATIA Digitized Shape Editor 2 (DSE) product. Quick Surface Reconstruction 2 offers several approaches to recover surfaces depending of the type of shape : free form fitting, mechanical shape Identification (plane, cylinder, sphere, cone) and primary surface extension. Thanks to QSR's tools which analyse curvature or iso-slope property, users can easily create polygon segmentation in pertinent surfaces area. Quick Surface Reconstruction 2 includes its own quality checking tools.

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CATIA – Shape Sculptor Product Overview

CATIA Shape Sculptor 2 (DSS) provides modeling tools to quickly create, edit, or enhance a shape from a concept or an existing physical model. This new approach of creating aesthetic and conceptual forms allows non-CAD specialists to manipulate and test 3D virtual models. The objective is to enhance the collaboration between design and engineering offices through a fun and easy to use sculpting tool. In this way, CATIA Shape Sculptor 2 (DSS) complements and reinforces the existing CATIA surfacing tools, such as CATIA Freestyle Shaper 2 (FSS) and CATIA Freestyle Sketch Tracer 2 (FSK) particularly in situations where surfacing becomes very complex. It can be used to generate a shape from curves and surfaces, to add details on a model, to sculpt and then copy and paste features from an existing model to another, or to simply work on a polygonal model as obtained from CATIA – Digitized Shape Editor 2 (DSE).

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CATIA – Automotive Body In White Templates Product Overview

CATIA – Automotive Body in White Templates is an advanced product that uses unique skilled features to boost body in white design phase productivity. These powerful features allow body in white design teams to quickly create or modify a car body in an associative styling and engineering context. For instance, a user can create an associative shape, place welding points on it, and then assemble the two parts with unprecedented rapidity. The manufacturability of the created body is taken into account, as well as the management of potential styling changes. ABT takes advantage of its total integration with the mechanical shape design products, the freestyle products, and the unique Body in White Fastening product (ABF).