CATIA

                CATIA - which stands for Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application - is the most powerful and widely used CAD (computer aided design) software. CATIA is owned/developed in 1977 by French aircraft manufacturer Avions Marcel Dassault (Dassault Systems), its initially named as CATI   (Conception  Assistée  Tri-dimensional Interactive). CATIA delivers the unique ability not only to model any product, but to do so in the context of its real-life behavior: design in the age of experience. Systems architects, engineers, designers and all contributors can define, imagine and shape the connected world.

            CATIA has developed into much more than a CAD (Computer Aided Design) software package. It is now a software suite which incorporates the following capabilities; CAD, CAM and CAE. 

            CATIA currently stands at version level 6, better known as CATIA V6. The most widely used version of CATIA at present is CATIA V5, with CATIA V4 still being used in some industries, mostly in conjunction with V5. Between versions, CATIA has varied significantly in terms of usage and appearance. Each Version of CATIA brings significant additional functionality. Between V4 and V5, the fundamentals to the design process were developed and between V5 and V6 the handling of data changed. Within each version, Dassault Systems also offer updates in the form of releases. New releases are typically released annually and also bring additional functionality within the Version as well as bug fixes.

            

            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.