How to Make a Sphere in CATIA
This guide shows you how to make a sphere in CATIA V5 using the Part Design workbench. You sketch a semicircle next to an axis of revolution, revolve it 360 degrees with the Shaft tool, and then adjust the sphere's color and view.
Video: CATIA V5 Tutorial #6 | Sphere | Beginner by 2D3D Technologies (2021). All credit for the demonstration goes to the creator; watch the original on YouTube. The written guide below was generated from this video by Docsie. Creator? Request a change or removal.
This guide shows you how to make a sphere in CATIA V5 using the Part Design workbench. You sketch a semicircle next to an axis of revolution, revolve it 360 degrees with the Shaft tool, and then adjust the sphere's color and view.
Prerequisites
- CATIA V5 installed and ready to launch
- Access to the Part Design workbench under Mechanical Design
Steps
Open CATIA V5 and select Part Design
Launch CATIA V5. From the top menu, select Start > Mechanical Design > Part Design.
The workspace shows a starry background with a menu overlay. Several part files are listed on the left, and the Part Design workbench is highlighted.
Check the Part Design workbench
After you select Part Design, the workspace changes to a dark blue background. The tree on the left shows the part structure: SPHERE with xy plane, yz plane, zx plane, and PartBody.
A coordinate system appears in the center of the screen, which means you can start sketching.
Start a new sketch on a plane
Select a plane to begin the sketch. The yz plane is a common choice.
The view zooms in on the selected plane, and a vertical dashed line appears. This line represents the axis of revolution. The cursor is positioned so you can begin drawing along the axis.
Draw the axis of revolution
Draw a vertical construction line (dashed). You will revolve the profile around this line. The line is labeled with coordinates, and you use the cursor to define its endpoints.
Draw a circle for the sphere profile
Select the circle tool and place the center at the intersection of the axis and the origin. Drag outward to define the radius.
The circle is centered on the axis, and its radius is displayed numerically.
Create a semicircle profile
Use the trim or arc tool to remove half of the circle. This leaves a semicircle profile on one side of the axis, ready for revolution.
The axis line is highlighted, and the semicircle is clearly visible.
Select the Shaft tool to revolve the profile
Make sure the semicircle and the axis are selected. Then click the Shaft (revolve) tool in the toolbar.
The semicircle and axis are now ready to be revolved into a 3D shape.
Define the shaft parameters and preview the sphere
The Shaft Definition dialog appears. Set First angle to 360deg and Second angle to 0deg. Make sure the profile is set to Sketch.1 and the axis to Sketch Axis.
Click Preview to see the resulting 3D sphere.
Change the sphere's color
With the sphere selected in the workspace, open the color palette on the left side of the screen. Click a color swatch, such as a shade of blue or purple.
The sphere's appearance updates immediately.
Hide or show the reference planes
In the tree on the left, right-click a reference plane such as xy plane, yz plane, or zx plane. In the context menu, select Hide/Show. You can also use the shortcut Ctrl+Space.
The reference planes are hidden, and only the sphere remains visible.
Adjust the view and lighting
Rotate or reposition the sphere in the 3D workspace to inspect it from different angles. Lighting and shading affect the surface, and you may see shadows and highlights. These effects can give the sphere different shades and enhance its 3D appearance.
Summary
You now know how to make a sphere in CATIA V5. Open the Part Design workbench, sketch an axis and a semicircle on a plane, and revolve the profile with the Shaft tool at a first angle of 360deg. You can then change the color, hide the reference planes, and rotate the sphere to check its shading.
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Generated by Docsie Video-to-Docs on 2026-11-15 from a 2-minute video. Screenshots are frames from the source video and belong to their creator, 2D3D Technologies, whose original is embedded above. If you own this video and want the guide removed or credited differently, contact us and we will act within one business day.