Part Creating a Simplified

Interfaces Camshaft

This macro shows you how to create a simplified camshaft using

Part Design scripting functionnalities.

It allows you to create a camshaft for a four cylinder engine.

This macro uses the Pad, Pattern, Sketch, and Constraint object
capabilities.It also shows how to organize a macro with a main
program, and how to create Sub that can be called several
times.The simplified camshaft created is as follows:

The cam shaft is made of five bearings, four cam sets, and a
driving wheel.
The bearings are made of a pad and a pattern that duplicates
the pad. Each cam set is made of two identical cams separated
by a pin. The cam sets are each rotated of 90 degrees about the
camshaft axis. The driving wheel is a simple cylinder.
CAAPriCreateCamshaft is launched in CATIA [1]. No open
document is needed.

CAAPriCamshaft.CATScript is located in the CAAscdPriUseCases

module. Execute macro.
CAAPriCreateCamshaft includes six steps:

1. Prolog
2. Main program
3. Creating the Bearings
4. Creating a Cam Set
5. Creating a Cam
6. Creating the Pin Between two Cams and the Driving
Wheel

Prolog

...
'Number Of Cylinders
' ------------------
Dim iNumberOfCylinders As Integer

' Shaft data

' ----------
' -- Shaft origin
Dim iCenterX As Integer
Dim iCenterY As Integer

' -- Distance between two cams of two different cylinders

Dim iCylinderSpacing As Integer

' -- Bearing diameter

Dim iBearingDiam As Integer

' -- Distance between the cylinders centers

Dim iBearingLength As Integer

' -- Pin diameter between two cams

Dim iPinDiam As Integer

' -- Distance between 2 cams of a single cylinder

Dim iPinLength As Integer

' Cam data

' --------
' -- Thickness
Dim iCamThickness As Integer

' -- Circle 1 radius

Dim iCircle1Rad As Integer

' -- Circle 2 radius

Dim iCircle2Rad As Integer

' -- Distance between the 2 circle centers

Dim iCircleDist As Integer

' Pi definition
' -------------
Dim dPi As Double

' Global data to define the different elements of the camshaft

' ------------------------------------------------------------
' -- Cam Sketch and cam Sketch elements
Dim oCurrentSketch As Sketch
Dim oCurrentLine1 As AnyObject
 Dim oCurrentLine2 As AnyObject
Dim oCurrentCircle1 As AnyObject
Dim oCurrentCircle2 As AnyObject

' -- Current distance from shaft origin

Dim iCurrentLevel As Integer

' Part definition

' ---------------

' -- Part
Dim oPart As Part

' -- Main tool of the part

Dim oPartBody As Body

' -- Definition of YZ plane as work plane

Dim oPlaneYZ As Reference
...
This part of the macro defines the necessary data to compute
the camshaft. It contains the parameters to create the bearings,
the cams, and the driving wheel, as well as objects to be reused
in different Subs to avoid redeclaring them several times, and
the Part main objects: the Part, the PartBody, and the YZ plane.
Below are those parameters shown on a drawing of the
camshaft and on the cam sketch.
The cam sketch profile is made of two circle arcs and two line
segments. Constraints are set to fix the circles, to make the line
segments tangent to the circles, and to make circle arc and line
segment end points coincide.

Main program

...
Sub CATMain()

' -- Initialize global variables

iNumberOfCylinders = 4
iCamThickness = 15
iCircle1Rad = 25
iCircle2Rad = 15
iCircleDist = 35
iCenterY =0
iCenterX =0
iCylinderSpacing = 100
iPinDiam = 15
 iPinLength = 20
iBearingDiam = 32
iBearingLength = iCylinderSpacing - iPinLength -
2*iCamThickness
dPi = 3.14159265358979323846
iCurrentLevel =0

Dim oPartDocument As Document

Set oPartDocument = CATIA.Documents.Add ( "Part" )
Set oPart = oPartDocument.Part
Set oPartBody = oPart.MainBody
Set oPlaneYZ = oPart.CreateReferenceFromGeometry( _
oPart.OriginElements.PlaneYZ )

' -- Shading view Mode

CATIA.ActiveWindow.ActiveViewer.RenderingMode = 1

msgbox "Create Five Bearings"

Call CreatePatternBearing()
oPart.Update
CATIA.ActiveWindow.ActiveViewer.Reframe

msgbox "Create First Cam Set"

Call CreateCamSet (0)
oPart.Update
CATIA.ActiveWindow.ActiveViewer.Reframe

msgbox "Create Second Cam Set"

Call CreateCamSet (90)
oPart.Update
CATIA.ActiveWindow.ActiveViewer.Reframe

msgbox "Create Third Cam Set"

Call CreateCamSet (180)
oPart.Update
CATIA.ActiveWindow.ActiveViewer.Reframe

msgbox "Create Fourth Cam Set"

Call CreateCamSet (270)
oPart.Update
CATIA.ActiveWindow.ActiveViewer.Reframe

msgbox "Create Driving Wheel"

 Call CreateCylinder (iPinLength/2, iBearingDiam )
oPart.Update
Catia.ActiveWindow.ActiveViewer.Reframe

msgbox "This is the macro end"

End Sub
...
The main program initializes the parameters (lengthes are
initialized in mm), and calls different Subs:

 CreatePatternBearing to create the bearings as cylinders

that join the cam sets and the driving wheel
 Four times CreateCamSet to create each cam set using a
different angle value (0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees.) A set
of cam is made of two cams and the pin that joins the two
cams. CreateCamSet calls other Subs in turn
 CreateCylinder to create the driving wheel. It is also called
by CreateCamSet to create the pin

The main program prompts you the task it will do before doing
it using the msgbox function, and when its done, updates the
part to compute the resulting geometry, and reframes the
display before prompting you the next task.

Among the parameters, note iCurrentLevel that is used

throughout the macro to record the current abscissa along the
camshaft axis.

Creating the Bearings

...
Sub CreatePatternBearing()

' Cylinder definition: Pad from a circular sketch

' -----------------------------------------------

' -- The YZ plane is the sketch plane

Set oCurrentSketch = oPartBody.Sketches.Add ( oPlaneYZ )

' -- The sketch is a circle centered on the shaft origin

' -- and of iBearingDiam diameter
Dim oFactory2D as Factory2D
Set oFactory2D = oCurrentSketch.OpenEdition
 Set oCurrentCircle1 = oFactory2D.CreateClosedCircle
( iCenterX, _
iCenterY, _
iBearingDiam/2 )
oCurrentSketch.CloseEdition

' Creation of the cylindrical pad

Dim oPad As Pad
Set oPad = oPart.ShapeFactory.AddNewPad
( oCurrentSketch, iBearingLength )

...
The pad to be patterned is a cylinder defined using a sketch
that is first added to the sketch collection as an empty object.
Then it is edited using the 2D factory object held by the sketch
object between the calls to the OpenEdition and CloseEdition
methods. The sketch is made up of a circle of the YZ plane
whose center is the plane origin, and whose radius is
iBearingDiam/2, thanks to the CreateClosedCircle method of the
2D factory object. The sketch is then used to create the pad
using the AddNewPad method of the shape factory object
available from the part object itself.

...
' Creating the pattern
' --------------------

Dim originElements1 As OriginElements

Set originElements1 = oPart.OriginElements

Dim oRefPlaneXY As Reference

Set oRefPlaneXY =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromGeometry( _
oPart.OriginElements.PlaneXY )

Dim rectPattern1 As RectPattern

Set rectPattern1 =
oPart.ShapeFactory.AddNewRectPattern(oPad, _
iNumberOfCylinders+1, _
1, _
iCylinderSpacing, _
0.0, _
1, _
 1, _
oRefPlaneXY, _
oRefPlaneXY, _
True, _
True, _
0.0)

' -- Update of the current level

iCurrentLevel = iBearingLength

End Sub
...
Once the pad is created, it can be patterned using a rectangular
pattern created thanks to the AddNewRectPattern method of
the shape factory object. The pattern parameters are:

 oPad: The feature to be patterned

 iNumberOfCylinders+1 and 1: The numbers of instances
along the pattern's first and second directions
respectively, that is here 5 and 1
 iCylinderSpacing and 0.0: The spacing between each
instance along the first and second directions
respectively. Since there is only one instance of the pad in
the second direciton, the spacing is set to 0
 1 and 1: The position of the initial pad among those
resulting from the pattern along the two directions
respectively
 oRefPlaneXY and oRefPlaneXY: The pattern's first and
second directions respectively. Referring two times to the
XY plane means that the first direction is the X axis, and
that the second direction is the Y axis. To enable for this,
the place must be passed as a reference object. This is
why the CreateReferenceFromGeometry is used from the
XY plane geometric object of the OriginElements object
 True and True: The flags that indicate whether the above
direction orientations should be kept as is or inverted
 0.0 is the angle to apply to both directions before
patterning. This angle is expressed in degrees.

Finally, the abscissa of the top of the pad is put into

iCurrentLevel to be used as reference: the next pad will be
created on top of it.
Creating a Cam Set

...
Sub CreateCamSet(angle)

' -- Create the first cam

CreateCam(angle)
iCurrentLevel = iCurrentLevel + iCamThickness

' -- Create a cylinder for the pin between cams

Call CreateCylinder(iPinLength, iPinDiam)

' -- Create the second cam

CreateCam(angle)

' -- Update the current level

iCurrentLevel = iCurrentLevel + iCamThickness +
iBearingLength

End Sub
...
CreateCamSet creates the camset according to its angle about
the shaft. It calls CreateCam, CreateCylinder, and CreateCam
again to create the first cam, the pin between the two cams of
the set, and the second cam respectively. iCurrentLevel is
updated after the two calls to CreateCam to correctly position
the next object. CreateCylinder updates it itself.

Creating a Cam

...
Sub CreateCam(angle)

Dim dRad As Double

dRad = angle*dPi/180

Dim dDSin1 as Double

dDSin1 =
iCircle1Rad*sin(dRad)

Dim dDCos1 as Double

dDCos1 =
iCircle1Rad*cos(dRad)
 Dim dDSin2 as Double
dDSin2 =
iCircle2Rad*sin(dRad)

Dim dDCos2 as Double

dDCos2 =
iCircle2Rad*cos(dRad)

Dim dCSin as Double

dCSin = iCircleDist*sin(dRad)

Dim dCCos as Double

dCCos = iCircleDist*cos(dRad)
...
This first code section converts the angle passed as argument
from degrees to radians in dRad, and creates some variables
that will be used to compute the coordinates of the circle arc
and line segment end points. These end points are not intended
to exactly create the cam profile, but to give an outline. Then
the circle arcs and line segments will be constrained to create
the actual cam profile. Let's see the geometric objects' creation

...
' Create a sketch
' ---------------
Set oCurrentSketch = oPartBody.Sketches.Add ( oPlaneYZ )

' Create geometric elements in the sketch

' ---------------------------------------
Dim oFactory2D As Factory2D
Set oFactory2D = oCurrentSketch.OpenEdition

Set oCurrentLine1 = oFactory2D.CreateLine ( _

iCenterX - dDSin1, iCenterY + dDCos1, _
iCenterX + dCCos - dDSin2, iCenterY + dCSin +
dDCos2 )

Set oCurrentLine2 = oFactory2D.CreateLine ( _

iCenterX + dDSin1, iCenterY - dDCos1, _
iCenterX + dCCos + dDSin2, iCenterY + dCSin -
dDCos2 )
...
The sketch is created and added to the sketch collection of the
part body using the Add method that designates the YZ plane
as the sketch plane. The sketch is then opened for edition
thanks to its OpenEdition method that returns the 2D object
factory.

The first line segment is then created using the CreateLine

method of the 2D object factory. The first two arguments are
the abscissa and ordinate of the line segment start point
expressed in the sketch plane coordinate system, and the last
two are those of its end point. These coordinate values are
generic and apply to any angle value. The second line segment
is created in the same way.

This sketch shows how the lines are created using these
coordinates, for an angle of 30 degrees. Their points are located
on the circles where perpendicular diameters to the circle
center direction cross the circles. The circles shown here are the
support circles or the circle arcs.

...
Dim dRad1 As Double
dRad1 = dRad - dPi/4

Dim dRad2 As Double

dRad2 = dRad + dPi/4

Set oCurrentCircle1 = oFactory2D.CreateCircle ( _

iCenterX, iCenterY, _
iCircle1Rad, dRad2, dRad1)

Set oCurrentCircle2 = oFactory2D.CreateCircle ( _

iCenterX + dCCos, iCenterY + dCSin, _
iCircle2Rad, dRad1, dRad2)
...
Two angles, dRad1 and dRad2, are then computed from dRad
by adding and subtracting 90 degrees (PI/4) to be used as start
and end angles for the circle arcs. The first circle arc is created
using the CreateCircle method of the 2D object factory. The first
two arguments are the abscissa and ordinate of the circle
center expressed in the sketch plane coordinate system, the
third one is the circle radius, and the last two are the start angle
and end angle respectively, expressed in radians, that define
the start point and the end point of the circle arc. The second
circle arc is created in the same way. The actual geometric
objects created for an angle of 0 degrees are as follows.
As you can see, the sketch is not closed. Constraints will then
be set to these objects. But first, Reference objects must be
retrieved from the geometric objects, since constraints can
apply only to these Reference objects.

...
' Get references from elements to constraint
' ------------------------------------------

Dim oRefLine1 As Reference

Set oRefLine1 =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentLine1)

Dim oRefCircle1 As Reference

Set oRefCircle1 =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentCircle1)

Dim oRefLine2 As Reference

 Set oRefLine2 =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentLine2)

Dim oRefCircle2 As Reference

Set oRefCircle2 =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentCircle2)

Dim oRefLine1StartPt As Reference

Set oRefLine1StartPt =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentLine1.StartPoint)

Dim oRefLine1EndPt As Reference

Set oRefLine1EndPt =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentLine1.EndPoint)

Dim oRefLine2StartPt As Reference

Set oRefLine2StartPt =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentLine2.StartPoint)

Dim oRefLine2EndPt As Reference

Set oRefLine2EndPt =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentLine2.EndPoint)

Dim oRefCircle1StartPt As Reference

Set oRefCircle1StartPt = _

oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentCircle1.StartPoint)

Dim oRefCircle1EndPt As Reference

Set oRefCircle1EndPt =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentCircle1.EndPoint)

Dim oRefCircle2StartPt As Reference

Set oRefCircle2StartPt = _

oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentCircle2.StartPoint)

Dim oRefCircle2EndPt As Reference

Set oRefCircle2EndPt =
oPart.CreateReferenceFromObject(oCurrentCircle2.EndPoint)
...
A Reference object is obtained for the two line segments, the
two circle arcs, and for each of their end points. Now the
constraints can be set.

...
' Create constraints
' ------------------
Dim oConstraints As Constraints
Set oConstraints = oCurrentSketch.Constraints
Dim oConstraint As Constraint

' -- Fix Circle1

Set oConstraint =
oConstraints.AddMonoEltCst(catCstTypeReference,
oRefCircle1)

' -- Fix Circle2

Set oConstraint =
oConstraints.AddMonoEltCst(catCstTypeReference, oRefCircle2)

...
The constraint collection is retrieved from the sketch, and a
current constraint object is created to be used throughout the
constraint creation step. First, the two support circles of the two
circle arcs are set as non modifiable using a fix constraint, that
is they can't move, or their radius can't change, thanks to the
AddMonoEltCst method to which the catCstTypeReference
constraint type, for fix constraint, is passed, along with the
reference to the circle. This is shown by the tangency symbol.
...
' -- Tangency Line1 Circle1
Set oConstraint =
oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeTangency, _
oRefLine1, _
oRefCircle1)
...
A tangency constraint is set between the first line segment and
the first circle arc, thanks to the AddBiEltCst method to which
the catCstTypeTangency constraint type, for tangency
constraint, is passed, along with the references to the line
segment and the circle arc. This is shown by the tangency
symbol.
...
' -- Tangency Line1 Circle2
Set oConstraint =
oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeTangency, _
oRefCircle2, _
oRefLine1)
...
Another tangency constraint is set between the first line
segment and the second circle arc.
...
' -- Coincidence Circle1 Start Point Line1 Start Point
Set oConstraint =
oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeOn, _
oRefCircle1StartPt, _
oRefLine1StartPt)
...
A coincidence constraint is set between the first line segment
and the first circle arc, thanks to the AddBiEltCst method to
which the catCstTypeOn constraint type, for coincidence
constraint, is passed, along with the references to the line
segment and the circle arc. This is shown by the coincidence
symbol. Now the geomentric object are relimited.
...
' -- Coincidence Circle2 End Point Line1 End Point
Set oConstraint = oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeOn,
_
oRefCircle2EndPt, _
oRefLine1EndPt)
...
Another coincidence constraint is set between the first line
segment and the second circle arc.
The first line segment now connects and is tangent to the two
circle arcs. The same applies to the second one

...
' -- Tangency Line2 Circle1
Set oConstraint =
oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeTangency, _
oRefLine2, _
oRefCircle1)

' -- Tangency Line2 Circle2

Set oConstraint =
oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeTangency, _
oRefLine2, _
oRefCircle2)

' -- Coincidence Circle1 End Point Line2 Start Point

Set oConstraint = oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeOn,
_
oRefCircle1EndPt, _
oRefLine2StartPt)

' -- Coincidence Circle2 Start Point Line2 End Point

Set oConstraint = oConstraints.AddBiEltCst(catCstTypeOn,
_
oRefCircle2StartPt, _
oRefLine2EndPt)

oCurrentSketch.CloseEdition

' Create the Pad from the sketch

' ------------------------------
Dim oPad As Pad
Set oPad = oPart.ShapeFactory.AddNewPad
( oCurrentSketch, _
iCamThickness + iCurrentLevel )
oPad.SecondLimit.Dimension.Value = iCurrentLevel*-1

End Sub
...
When the constraints are set, the sketch edition is closed, and
the pad relying on this sketch can be created using the
AddNewPad method.

Creating the Pin Between two Cams and the Driving

Wheel

They are all made up of a simple cylinder created using the

CreateCylinder Sub to which the thickness, that is, the height of
the cylinder, and its radius, are passed as arguments.

...
Sub CreateCylinder(thickness, radius)

' -- Create a sketch

Set oCurrentSketch = oPartBody.Sketches.Add ( oPlaneYZ )

' -- Create base circle in the sketch

Dim oFactory2D As Factory2D
Set oFactory2D = oCurrentSketch.OpenEdition
Set oCurrentCircle1 = oFactory2D.CreateClosedCircle
(iCenterX, iCenterY, radius)
 oCurrentSketch.CloseEdition

' -- Create the Pad from the sketch

Dim oPad As Pad
Set oPad = oPart.ShapeFactory.AddNewPad
( oCurrentSketch, _
iCurrentLevel + thickness )
oPad.SecondLimit.Dimension.Value = iCurrentLevel*-1

' -- Increase Level

iCurrentLevel = iCurrentLevel + thickness

End Sub
...
A sketch is added to the sketch collection of the the part body,
and the 2D factory is retrieved by opening the sketch edition. A
closed circle is created thanks to the CreateClosedCircle
method using the radius passed as argument and whose center
is the YZ plane coordinate system origin. Then the sketch
edition is closed, and the pad is created using the AddNewPad
method of the shape factory object aggregated to the part
object. It uses the just created sketch, and sets the pad height
to current level plus the thickness. At this moment, the created
pad extends from the YZ plane to the iCurrentLevel + thickness
abscissa. This is far too much. The SecondLimit property of the
pad object enables the pad to be resized. The value of the
dimension object of this second limit is set to the opposite to
the current level. The second limit value is counted positive
along the negative abscissa of the pad extrusion axis. This is
why the opposite of the current level is taken into account. This
makes the pad's second face, that is, the second one parallel to
the sketch, with the top face of the previous one, that is, the
face of the last bearing. Below are two screen shots that show
the effect of these two successive pad creation instructions.
Another way of coding could be:

...
Dim oPad As Pad
Set oPad = oPart.ShapeFactory.AddNewPad
( oCurrentSketch, thickness )
oPad.FirstLimit.Dimension.Value = iCurrentLevel +
thickness
oPad.SecondLimit.Dimension.Value = iCurrentLevel*-1
...
This is a more natural way to create the pad using its actual
thickness, but requests three instructions instead of two.
Though the pad is created using its actual thickness, it extends
from the YZ plane to the point of thickness abscissa. Its first
limit, then its second limit are set. Below are three screen shots
that show the effect of these three successive pad creation
instructions.

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In Short

This use case has shown how to create a simplified camshaft using
the PartInterfaces framework objects, namely the Pad and the
Pattern objects. The Sketch and Constraint objects are also used to
create the sketch on which the cam pads rely. The use of Reference
objects retrieved from the geometric object is shown to be used to
create the pattern and the constraints. In addition, this use case
shows how to organize a macro with Subs that can be called several
times during the macro execution.

[Top]

References

[1] Replaying a macro

[Top]

Copyright © 2001, Dassault Systèmes. All rights reserved.