About CATIA V5

Practical Catia

What is CATIA?

CATIA, which stands for Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application, is the most powerful and widely used CAD (computer aided design) software of its kind in the world. CATIA was created by Dassault Systems of France and is marketed worldwide by IBM.

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Who uses CATIA?

An easier question to answer might be, who doesn't use CATIA? Look around you. Anything and everything you see had to be designed before it could be manufactured. The pen on your desk, your desk, the chair you're sitting in, your appliances, your automobile, etc. The list is almost endless. Today, nearly all products are designed on computers. Computers are even designed on computers. CATIA plays a major role in the design process. Architects are now using CATIA. The great Guggenheim Museum in Spain, considered an architectural masterpiece, was designed using CATIA.

CATIA is used by the automotive and aerospace industries for automobile and aircraft product and tooling design. There are thousands of companies the world over using CATIA. For every company that uses CATIA for product design, there are hundreds of suppliers to those companies that also use CATIA.

CATIA is found in a variety of industries throughout the world. Some of these industries include; Aerospace, Appliances, Architecture, Automotive, Construction, Consumer Goods, Electronics, Medical, Furniture, Machinery, Mold and Die, and Shipbuilding.

CATIA has played a major role in NASA's design of the Space Shuttle. The military, working with private industry, uses CATIA for the design of "jet-fighter" aircraft, aircraft carriers, helicopters, tanks and various other forms of weaponry.

NOTE: I think it is important to point out that CATIA is just a tool used in the various design professions. Knowing how to use CATIA, or any other CAD software, does not qualify you to be a designer. That comes with time and experience.

For more information on who's using CATIA, please visit the IBM "success" website by clicking here.

Where is CATIA used?

Catia is used throughout the North American and European continents, as well as Australia. Wherever companies are engaged in the design and/or manufacture of products of any kind, CATIA can usually be found. Many CATIA operators travel throughout the US and abroad on so-called "paid" vacations by accepting CATIA design positions in whichever area of the country or world they wish to visit.

What job opportunities are there?

With more and more companies adopting CATIA as their primary CAD system, there are never enough designers (with CATIA knowledge) to fill the world-wide demand.

To get an idea of the design opportunities available for people with CATIA knowledge, please visit the Practical Catia Job Search page.

Or,

Why CATIA? Why not Unigraphics or SDRC?

Unigraphics and SDRC are merging into one hybrid software called Unigraphics NX which is now owned by EDS (GM). Ford Motor Co. is abandoning SDRC and switching to Catia V5. GM has a rule that prohibits anyone working on a GM program anywhere in the world from moving directly to another GM program. This is true for contractors as well as direct employees. In other words, if you're working on a GM program in Warren Michigan, you could not accept a job anywhere else in the world doing GM work, regardless of pay. GM does this to keep from competing against itself for the design talent, thus keeping the hourly rates and salaries down. Ford has had similar restrictions. However, with Ford and Daimler-Chrysler both using Catia V5, switching back and forth between the two (and their suppliers) is now possible.

CATIA, on the other hand, is owned by Dassault. Anyone using CATIA must license it from them. So restrictions, such as those described above, do not exist. This enables designers to move freely from job to job, company to company. This unrestricted competition for CATIA users naturally increases available job opportunities, and thus increases the hourly rates and salaries.

What is the earnings potential for designers with CATIA knowledge?

Catia Solution Magazine's publishes a "Salary Survey" every year. Please click here to subscribe to their online magazine. It's free!!!!

The following list represents just a few of the 20,000 + companies now using CATIA worldwide

For more info on who's using CATIA, click here.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Practical Catia Training course is not offered as vocational training or as qualifying one for any particular employment. There are no course credits transferable to any accredited educational institution.