Displaying a Part Symmetrically

This task shows you how to visualize a part symmetrically in relation to a plane, in a product context. This allows you to work on half of the geometry only, therefore with a smaller document size-wise, but to view the final element as a whole.

Open the FreeStyle_Product_01.CATProduct document.

  1. Expand the tree down to the Part5, then double-click it.

  2. Click the Visual Symmetry icon:

  3. Select the Part to be mirrored from the specification tree.

  4. Select the mirror plane.
    The mirror plane can be a plane or any planar face that the system recognizes as a plane (a planar face of a pad, for example, and so forth).
    A part, symmetrical  in relation to the selected plane, is displayed.
    • The part is also duplicated in the specification tree. However, even though it will be saved within the document, this part cannot be edited as geometry. It is modified only as the result of modifications performed on the initial part.
    • Indeed you are not even allowed to select the mirrored elements in the geometry.
      If you select a mirrored element in the specification tree, you will note that the highlighted geometry belongs to the initial part.

  5. Click the Control Points icon:
    The Control Points dialog box is displayed.

  6. Choose the adequate options and modify the initial part as needed.
    The mirrored part reflects exactly the modifications imposed on the initial part.

  7. Click OK in the Control Points dialog box.
    You can then save and close the CATPart and CATProduct documents. The mirrored part is retained, and is present when you open these documents again.