NH 2026-09-08

CATIA User Community

Welcome to 3DEXPERIENCE Technical Practices!
In this section, you will explore a use case that demonstrates working with alternative modules in your design.

During trade studies, designers often create multiple design variants that exist in separate files with no guaranteed interface compatibility. Alternative modules keep every variant inside a single parent module, guaranteeing identical interface contracts and enabling instant switching between them, making design comparison and selection a controlled operation within one managed model. Alternatives can also be used directly for design optimization, allowing the best-performing variant to be identified and selected without rebuilding or reorganizing the model.

An alternative module is a sibling module under a parent module that shares the same interface contract but implements a different internal solution. Switching between alternatives swaps the active geometry without affecting surrounding parts.

The Modules & Interfaces feature is available if you have one of the following roles:

Mechanical Designers, Conceptual Designers, Mechanical Surface Designers

Alternative Module: A variation of an existing module created under the same identifier, allowing multiple design options.
Creation Method:
- Select the base module in the tree.
- Use the toolbar or action bar to create an alternative.
- A new alternative appears under the same identifier.
Contribution Status:
- Original module → Contributing (visible).
- Alternative module → Non-contributing (hidden by default).
Visibility Control: Options exist to show/hide all alternatives or only contributing ones.
Sorting Options: Alternatives can be ordered by:
- Creation order
- Alphabetical order
Updating: “Update All” ensures alternatives stay aligned with the latest changes in the design.

Use Case: Seamless Variant Management in Complex Designs

Scenario: During the design process, working on a complex part with repeating feature clusters can quickly become time-consuming and error-prone if managed manually. Each design change requires updating every individual instance, which often leads to inconsistencies across the model.

With the help of Module Alternatives, you can create multiple versions of a module and switch between them seamlessly, while preserving the interface relationships with other modules. This ensures that design variants remain consistent and interchangeable without disrupting the overall structure.

Play the video to watch how to create and define the Alternative Module.

To learn more about Modules and Interfaces, you can refer Explore the Mechanical and Shape Engineer Role Learning Module.