When designing in CATIA, reusing features like sketches, pockets, or design logic across multiple parts is common. Instead of rebuilding everything from scratch each time, CATIA offers two powerful tools to help you work smarter: Power Copies and User Features.

Both tools let you create templates of your design elements that can be reused, saving you time and keeping your work consistent. But they work differently and serve different needs.

What Power Copies and User Features Have in Common

• They allow you to reuse geometry or design logic efficiently.
• You can build templates that speed up your workflow.
• Both let you duplicate elements such as points, lines, sketches, pads, pockets, and more.
• They include knowledge objects like formulas, rules, and parameters.
• They rely on a similar structure:
  • Components Definition: The features you want to copy (e.g., sketches, pockets).
  • Inputs: External references you select during insertion (e.g., faces or edges).
  • Parameters: Values controlling the template that you can publish for users to edit.

Power Copy:

A Power Copy is like an intelligent copy/paste. When you insert a Power Copy:

• All features are fully visible and editable in the specification tree.
• You can modify sketches, constraints, parameters, and more after insertion.
• There is no permanent link to the original template, so each instance is independent.

Use Case:
Imagine you create a polygon pocket you want to reuse on many solids but still want to edit the sketches and parameters individually later. Power Copy is perfect here.

Note: If you change the original template during definition, CATIA can update inputs automatically. But after creation, each Power Copy instance stands alone.

User Feature: Your Custom, Protected Feature

A User Feature is a more advanced, “locked-down” template:

• It appears as a single feature in the tree.
• Internal construction features are hidden, so users can’t accidentally modify them.
• Only published parameters and inputs are visible for editing.
• Acts like a custom CATIA feature with strong design control.

Use Case:
You design a parametric polygon cut with multiple sketches and formulas. You want your team to reuse it but prevent them from changing the internal logic. A User Feature fits this need.

This protection is why many companies use User Features to enforce design standards and maintain consistency.

Catalogs and Knowledge Integration

Both Power Copies and User Features can be saved in catalogs — libraries of reusable templates like:

• Standard holes
• Custom ribs
• Company profiles
• Reinforcement features
• Surface elements
• Knowledge-based templates

You can also combine them with Knowledge Patterns, macros, and automated scripts to boost efficiency.

Important: When exporting catalogs, avoid placing templates inside aggregated representations (like a 3D Shape inside another part) because that may cause export failures.

How to Create a Power Copy (Quick Steps)

1. Open the part containing the geometry to reuse.

2. Go to Tools → Power Copy.

   
3. Name your Power Copy (e.g., PowerCopy-Polygon).
4. Select features to include (e.g., the pocket).
5. Use tabs to manage definition, inputs, parameters, and properties like icons or screenshots.
6. Validate and save.

How to Create a User Feature (Quick Steps)

1. Open the part with your geometry.

2. Go to Tools → User Feature.

   
3. Name your feature (e.g., UserFeature-Polygon).
4. Select components and inputs, similar to Power Copy.

5. Publish parameters for editing by users.

   
6. Save your User Feature into the database.

How to Instantiate a User Feature

There are two ways to insert a User Feature:

• From a Representation (Library):
  Open a new part → Tools → Instantiate from Representation → Select your feature → Pick inputs → Preview & confirm.
• From Selection (Session):
  Select the User Feature in the current session’s tree → Choose inputs → Validate.

Power Copy vs User Feature — Quick Summary

Both Power Copies and User Features can save you huge amounts of time in CATIA. The choice depends on your project needs:

• Want flexibility? Use Power Copy.
• Want protection and clean structure? Use User Feature.

By mastering both, you can build smarter, cleaner models and work more efficiently whether solo or in a team.

For more details, you can read the full blog here.