Freestyle Sketch Tracer: What'S New? Getting Started User Tasks
Freestyle Sketch Tracer: What'S New? Getting Started User Tasks
Freestyle Sketch Tracer: What'S New? Getting Started User Tasks
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Overview
Conventions
What's New?
Getting Started
Entering The Workbench
User Tasks
Importing Sketches
Creating an Immersive Sketch
Creating an Immersive Sketch using a Screenshot
Positioning the View
Positioning using the Cylindrical View
Positioning using the Conical View
Positioning using an Existing Sketch
Managing an Imported Sketch
Refreshing an Imported Sketch
Copying/Pasting a Sketch
Importing Another Sketch
Trimming a Sketch
Sketch Tracer Interoperability
Optimal CATIA PLM Usability for Sketch Tracer
Workbench Description
Menu Bar
Toolbars
Specification Tree
Index
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Overview
Welcome to FreeStyle Sketch Tracer User's Guide !
This guide is intended for users who need to become quickly familiar with the product.
This overview provides the following information:
Product Structure User's Guide presents the component structure and management.
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Conventions
Certain conventions are used in CATIA, ENOVIA & DELMIA documentation to help you recognize and
understand important concepts and specifications.
Graphic Conventions
The three categories of graphic conventions used are as follows:
Identifies...
estimated time to accomplish a task
a target of a task
the prerequisites
the start of the scenario
a tip
a warning
information
basic concepts
methodology
reference information
information regarding settings, customization, etc.
the end of a task
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Index
Text Conventions
The following text conventions are used:
The titles of CATIA, ENOVIA and DELMIA documents appear in this manner throughout the text.
Double-click
Shift-click
Ctrl-click
Drag
Drag
Move
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What's New?
No enhancement in this release.
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Getting Started
Entering The Workbench
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This task shows how to open a activate the FreeStyle Sketch Tracer workbench.
1. Select the File -> New commands (or click the New
icon).
The New dialog box is displayed, allowing you to choose the type of the document you need.
The use of a CATProduct-type document is especially useful to accommodate several sketches, one for each view
for example, or one sketch for several parts (located in CATPart documents).
3. Choose
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the specification tree and the geometry area in the main window
specific toolbar
a number of contextual commands available in the specification tree and in the geometry. Remember that these
commands can also be accessed from the menu bar.
If you wish to use the whole screen space for the geometry, remove the specification tree clicking off the View ->
Specifications menu item, or using the F3 key.
You could also directly choose Sketch Tracer from the Start -> Shape menu. It would automatically open a new
CATProduct document, provided there already is a CATIA session running.
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User Tasks
Importing Sketches
Positioning the View
Managing an Imported Sketch
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Importing Sketches
Creating an Immersive Sketch
Creating an Immersive Sketch using a Screenshot
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This task shows you how to load a sketch into CATIA. This sketch is positioned in relation to the open document. The view defined for
the document is also the image's view. You can define a view prior to importing the sketch, or at any time when positioning it.
A CATProduct must be open and the FreeStyle Sketch Tracer workbench active.
Make sure the correct visualization options are active by selecting the Apply Customized View icon
View -> Render Style command. If this option is not active, you may view only a black picture.
The File Selection dialog box pops up into which you can navigate to open the sketch you wish.
Here, navigate to the samples directory and select the SampleCar_side.tif image.
2. Click Open.
The image is loaded and the Sketch Parameters dialog box is displayed.
in the
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The element (identified as Painting x) is displayed in the specification tree under the Painting Gallery node.
You are now ready to set up the sketch positioning according to the import mode you choose.
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The Save dialog box pops up into which you can navigate to open the sketch you wish.
Here, navigate to the images directory and save it as Photo1.tif.
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The sketch is loaded into CATIA and identified as Painting x in the specification tree under the Painting Gallery node.
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Parallel view
3. From an external image editor, open the sketch to paint details on top of it.
4. Save the modifications.
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Perspective
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Parallel view
The element (identified as Painting x) is displayed in the specification tree under the Painting Gallery node.
You are now ready to create the corresponding geometry.
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Perspective
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This task shows you how to define the position of a sketch according to a cylindrical view: front, top, bottom or side view within the
document.
Generally speaking, sketch positioning is done in three steps:
1. defining the import view, in relation to the document view defined using the standard View toolbar (Quick View subtoolbar).
2. positioning the local axis-system (model axis) onto the image
3. scaling the image in relation to the geometry within the document using information from the image: the distance between
two points along one of the model axis direction, thus setting the rectangle's or the line's size. Then it may be necessary to
zoom in or out to get the rectangle or the line to match these two points, using local manipulators.
A dashed rectangular frame is displayed representing the size of the image, and scale in relation to the document. Several
manipulators are available, to help you scale and position the sketch properly:
The displayed axis-system allows you to define the document's origin.
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to set the size: drag the arrow one way or the other, or
right-click an arrow, choose the Edit contextual menu and
specify a value
Use a cube
This option enables you to define the view using a rectangle.
The loaded image looks like this:
1. Move the pointer over the axis-system's middle point and position it at the correct location.
2. Release the axis-system's middle point when you are satisfied with its position.
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click the Flip arrow at any time to invert the orientation and therefore the rectangular frame. (See also Copying/Pasting a
Sketch.)
right-click the Flip arrow to change the orientation and set another axis.
4. Move over to one of the frame's corner to define the model size:
With the pointer over the Size manipulator, right-click, and choose the Edit contextual menu item.
The Tuner dialog box is displayed, allowing you to enter exact values, in relation to the document's origin.
If you move the manipulators, the model size does not change.
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You can also be simply drag the Size manipulator to the correct location, provided the scaling already is correct.
The results may be something like this, with the rectangular frame's limit outside the image's limits, which may not correspond to
your needs.
5. In this case, you need to zoom the image in or out to define the image scale in relation to the geometry, using the Zoom
manipulator.
The rectangular frame's size being retained, the image is in fact zoomed, thus defining the scale.
Once the scale has been defined using the zoom in one direction, you do not need to redefine it in the other direction.
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Use a Line
This option enables you to define the view using a line.
1. Move the pointer over the first point and position it at the correct location.
2. Release the point when you are satisfied with its position (it is not necessarily the origin)
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click the Flip arrow at any time to invert the orientation and therefore the rectangular frame. (See also Copying/Pasting a
Sketch.)
right-click the Flip arrow to change the orientation and set another axis.
With the pointer over the Size manipulator, right-click, and choose the Edit contextual menu item.
The Tuner dialog box is displayed, allowing you to enter exact values, in relation to the document's origin.
If you move the manipulators, the model size does not change.
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6. Click the Stretch option to allow the manipulation and distortion of the image.
8. Use the arrows to stretch the image or right-click and choose the Edit contextual menu item.
The circle displays in dotted lines, meaning that the origin can no longer be modified.
Here is the result of a distortion:
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To cancel the distortion applied to the image, simply click the Reset button or right-click the circle manipulator and
choose the Edit contextual menu item.
3. Once you are satisfied with both the image size and the rectangular frame positioning, click OK in the dialog box.
The image has been imported into the .CATProduct document and a Painting feature is added to the specification tree.
You can now manipulate the image as any element into a .CATProduct or .CATPart document.
You can trim the image itself, using the manipulators on the solid green frame.
Click on the Focus Off text at the bottom of the image to reset the image parallel to the screen. You can also
choose the Activate Viewpoint contextual menu.
Once you have clicked this text, it changes to Focus On and lets you zoom or move (grabbing the red
triangles) the image within the document, independently of the compass. Note that you cannot rotate
the image.
To return to standard document manipulations, click the Focus On text, or choose the Deactivate
Viewpoint contextual menu.
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This task shows you how to define the position of a sketch according to a conical view.
Generally speaking, sketch positioning is done in three steps:
1. defining the import view, in relation to the document view defined using the standard View toolbar (Quick View sub-toolbar).
2. positioning the local axis-system (model axis) onto the image
3. scaling the image in relation to the geometry within the document using information from the image: the distance between
two points along one of the model axis direction, thus setting the cube's size. Then it may be necessary to zoom in or out to
get the cube to match these two points, using local manipulators.
You do not need to define a view in the View toolbar to import the sketch.
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A dashed cubic frame is displayed representing the size of the image, and scale in relation to the document. Several manipulators
are available, to help you scale and position the sketch properly:
The displayed axis-system allows you to define the document's origin.
to set the size: drag the arrow one way or the other, or
right-click an arrow, choose the Edit contextual menu and
specify a value
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2. Move the pointer over the axis-system's middle point and position it at the correct location.
3. Release the axis-system's middle point when you are satisfied with its position.
4. Right-click the the Flip arrow to define the axis orientation. You can either:
change the orientation and set another axis using the Set to options
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5. Define the cube rotation around three axes:
around X
around Y
around Z
6. Set the vanishing line using the perspective manipulators to adjust the cube to the view.
7. Move the pointer over the Size manipulator, right-click, and choose the Edit contextual menu item.
The Tuner dialog box is displayed, allowing you to enter exact values, in relation to the document's origin.
This lets you define the model size.
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You can also click the value tag to display the Tuner dialog box, or simply drag the Size manipulator to the correct
location, provided the scaling already is correct.
8. Once you are satisfied with both the image size and the cubic frame positioning, click OK in the dialog box.
The image has been imported into the .CATProduct document and a Painting feature is added to the specification tree.
You can now manipulate the image as any element into a .CATProduct or .CATPart document.
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You can click the Flip text at any time to invert the axis orientation, and therefore the rectangular frame. (See
also Copying/Pasting a Sketch)
You can also trim the image itself, using the manipulators on the solid green frame.
Click on the Focus Off text at the bottom of the image to reset the image parallel to the screen. You can also
choose the Activate Viewpoint contextual menu.
Once you have clicked this text, it changes to Focus On and lets you zoom or move (grabbing the red
triangles) the image within the document, independently of the compass. Note that you cannot rotate
the image.
To return to standard document manipulations, click the Focus On text, or choose the Deactivate
Viewpoint contextual menu.
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This task shows you how to copy the parameters of an existing sketch by selecting it in the specification tree while editing or creating
another sketch.
This capability enables to use the properties of existing sketches to fasten their positioning and definition.
was selected from the View toolbar to import the sketch within this view.
The Set cylindrical view type was selected from the Sketch Parameters dialog box.
The image size is indicated in the dialog box shows a size of 1237 X 651.
The image has been imported into the .CATProduct document and a Painting feature is added to the specification tree.
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You can see that the orientation and the size of this sketch is different from the first one: it shows a size of 1243 X 799.
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the view orientation of the second sketch is the same as the selected sketch
the current sketch is centered on the selected sketch and proportionally scaled.
As a consequence, scaling and positioning the second sketch will be quicker and easier.
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The Sketch Parameters dialog box is displayed, containing the imported image's
name and location path.
The image is updated taking into account modifications done outside CATIA.
3. If needed, re-position the frame on the new image.
4. Click OK to save this new image within the Painting.x feature.
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Copying/Pasting A Sketch
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This task shows how to copy/paste an image within the same document or within another document.
Open the CarSideView.CATProduct document from the Samples directory, select
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3. Click OK in the Sketch Parameters dialog box.
The image is trimmed as specified and the resulting .CATProduct document containing both images now looks
like this:
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The Image File Selector dialog box pops up. By default, it opens to the location of
the last imported image.
2. If needed navigate to a new folder, select a new image, and click Open.
The image is loaded and the Sketch Parameters dialog box is displayed.
3. Position the image as described in Positioning in 2D Mode, then click OK in the Sketch
Parameters dialog box.
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Trimming A Sketch
This task shows how to trim the imported image to retain only a specific part of the initial image.
Open the CarSideView.CATProduct document from the Samples directory and select
menu.
1. From the specification tree, double-click the Painting 1.
The Sketch Parameters dialog box opens up and you can edit the image.
2. Grab the green frame from the bottom left corner manipulator and bring it to the front of the car in the top view of the car.
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3. Once the bottom left manipulator is set in place, use the top-right manipulator and set the green frame to limits of the car top
view.
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Workbench Description
This chapter describes the various menus, submenus, items and toolbar of the FreeStyle Sketch Tracer workbench.
Menu Bar
Toolbars
Specification Tree
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Menu Bar
There are no menu command specific to the FreeStyle Sketch Tracer. Therefore you can refer to
general menu commands as described in the Infrastructure User's Guide. Refer to the Menu Bar
section, and to the commands related to .CATProduct documents in the Product Structure User's
Guide.
You can now manage and edit document links. Therefore, the image file is referenced as an
external file.
External documents directly pointed to by the active document can be displayed using the Edit>Links... or File->Desk... command.
Please refer to the Editing Document Links chapter in the CATIA Infrastructure User Guide.
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Toolbars
This section describes the FreeStyle Sketch Tracer toolbar.
The Filter toolbar is also displayed, allowing you to Select Only Products.
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Specification Tree
Within the FreeStyle Sketch Tracer workbench, you can generate a number of features that are
identified in the specification tree by the following icons.
Further information on general symbols in the specification tree are available in Symbols Used in the
Specification Tree.
Painting
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Index
C
command
Copy
Create an Immersive Sketch
Create an Immersive Sketch using a Screenshot
Paste
conical view
Copy
copying
creating
cylindrical view
F
frame
trimming
I
immersive sketch
creating
immersive sketch using a screenshot
creating
importing
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managing
O
orientation
sketch
P
Paste
pasting
positioning
sketch
Products Selection
command
R
refreshing
Reload Image File
command
S
sketch
copying
importing
managing
pasting
positioning
refreshing
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trimming
T
trimming
V
view
conical
cylindrical
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