3DConnexion Space Mouse 2

[bigguy136]

I work with both SolidWorks and NX. When I have a part open in SW, my space mouse always rotates about the center of part unless I assign a new rotate point. NX doesn't have that option and I have to assign the rotate point. If I close the model and re-open, I have to re-assign the rotate point. Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks.

 

[cowski]

I never explicitly choose the rotate point in NX. If NX chooses a rotate point off in the wild blue yonder, I hit the 'home' key which reorients my model and resets the rotate point to something reasonable.

 

[JohnRBaker]

No, you're not missing anything, that's the way NX has always worked.

However, if you don't want to explicitly assign a 'rotate' point perhaps you may want to try this; next time you wish to rotate about a specific point on your model, but you don't want to take the time or the extra steps to assign an actual 'rotate' point, what you do instead is place your cursor over that part of the model, say an edge, face or vertex, where you would like the 'rotate' point to be. Now press down and HOLD MB2 (Middle Mouse Button). While you're holding down MB2 you will note that a temporary 'rotate' point is displayed and as long as you HOLD down MB2, the Spaceball will use this point as the center of rotation.

I know this may not be exactly what you're looking for but it does make it very easy to at least temporarily leverage the idea of there being a fixed 'rotate' point without having to stop and create one, and besides it allows you to quickly designate DIFFERENT 'rotate' points on-the-fly as they are needed and when they are needed.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[bigguy136]

I will try both ways.

Isn't NX a high end software and SolidWorks a low end? Why would SW have a simple check box to rotate about center and NX has a couple of work arounds?

Thanks.

 

[JohnRBaker]

These are NX FEATURES, not workarounds ;-)

Besides, the behavior of your Spaceball is NOT what differentiates a high-end CAD package from any other package. It goes a LOT DEEPER than that.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[bigguy136]

Maybe not the correct thread but-
Sketching
Adding constraints to sketches (hold CTR and select two lines, icon then shows what constraints are possible)
Creating work planes
Projecting surfaces
Dims to surfaces
Normal to icon
Assembly constraints......

Sorry, just not seeing it yet. I've been on NX for almost a year and I have over 10 years on SW (and I teach SW at the local tech college at night) but I will keep asking for help. I see some of the everyday tasks/ commands I use in SW and I wish NX would incorporate them.
I do understand that NX has high end features but everyday things could be made/ done much easier.

Thanks again.

 

[JohnRBaker]

And what version of NX are you running?

While you didn't provide a lot of details about what I assume are SW functions, I suspect that what we have here is a matter of semantics more than anything else. For example, you mention using the ALT key to create sketch constraints on selected curves. In NX you use MB3.

BTW, have you done any 5-axis machining using SW's multi-axis CAM module complete with full machine tool simulation of the post-processed toolpath? Or how about solving a combined Heat Transfer/CFD problem for an electronics packaging application?

As I said, it goes a LOT DEEPER...

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[bigguy136]

And as I said before, I'm sure there is more.

My point is fix all the small things for everyday conviences. SW shouldn't have better solutions on rotating a part with a space mouse.
I'm using NX 7.5 with ANCA Grinding
I also use 5 axis SW/ CAMWorks for programming the mills. Space mouse works great in CAMWorks.

 

[JohnRBaker]

I suspect that if I were to conduct a survey here (which BTW the Eng-Tips powers-that-be frown on ;-) so I won't) we might discover that most NX users like the way the Spaceball currently works. The reality is that many of these minor User Interface issues are a matter of judgment and evolution (UG/NX has been sold commerically for 38 years with many of those earliest customers currently running the latest software). To start spending a lot of resources on stuff like this would not be a good use of our time or money. After all, where does it say that all CAD software have to behave the same. Besides, who determines which 'product' is to be used as the 'model' for the rest to immulate?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[bigguy136]

I agree to keeping your old customers happy with how it was. SW gives you the choice (see attached). A simple check box will give the user the freedom to do as they want. Maybe it's a dumb idea from a below average software company to give the user such a choice.

 

[JohnRBaker]

To each his own.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[JohnRBaker]

BTW, you never mentioned what you thought of the idea of being able to change, on-the-fly, the 'rotate' point to anywhere you liked by simply holding down MB2.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[bigguy136]

I've been working with SW today (not normal) but I should be on NX in a few hours. I will give it a try then.

All in all, all software have something you wish the other had. I know the more I work with NX, the more I will enjoy it. Just kinda frustrating knowing something that should be a simple toggle on/ off isn't there.

I look forward to some of the more advanced features in NX over the next few years.

 

[wecurb]

John, I appreciate your postion as Product Evangelist. I understand it is to tout all the good things about NX. 5 axis machine capability may be wonderful for a very select audience. The overwhelming masses use NX for applications that AutoCad or SW can fully handle. Very often with greater ability than the canned NX functions. SpaceMouse may be one, Guaranteed that Sketch is another. NX Sketch is now at least useable. Handy? Nope. When real life questions are supplied to the Guru, PLEASE process them upstream! Some of us are forbidden from contacting GTAC. That leaves this forum as our only resource to let Siemens know of the functional issues.

 

[JohnRBaker]

You ask for my help, now I'm going to ask for yours...

Please, ALWAYS include the current version of NX which you are running!

I highly recommend that you create a signature and include that information there if you don't want to explicitly enter it each time you post something. Unless you're running the latest version of the software, which is currently NX 7.5.2.x, you're not seeing all that we have done in our product. I realize that some things will always be less then perhaps what you would like, that's just the way things are, but we do appreciate comments and feedback and trust me, I do pass along, sometimes with even more passion than what is displayed here on a broad class of issue, both major AND minor, to development and my management. However, we are constrained in the resources that we have and the time that we have to accomplish what we have already committed ourselves to do, so please understand that there will always be the appearance that we are either not doing everything that is expected or that we are ignoring that which has been asked of us. It's a simple fact of business.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[bigguy136]

I worked with the above ideas to help with the space mouse. The MB2/ picking an edge works when I'm not looking at tool paths. I run into the problem when I'm checking a tool (grinding) path. I have an 8" grinding wheel that wants to hit everything around and I need to rotate the model a lot. I can't use the above MB2 process when I'm checking grind paths (when I need it most).

NX 7.5