Adding new drawing sheet - Company standards not selectable? 3

[201181]

Hi,

I'm wondering if someone could help. I am using NX 7.5 at present, and the company (like most others) have their own drawing templates they use when creating 2D drawings. Currently, they are working without teamcenter.

When creating a new drawing file, the usual new dialogue box appears, and there is a tab next to 'Model' containing all of their own templates. This works fine.

The problem however is when I have begun a drawing, have done a half decent amount of work, then realise that I need to change the drawing sheet, it is not possible to select any of their templates when right clicking on 'Drawing > Insert sheet' or 'Sheet > Edit sheet'. The only ones in the insert sheet/edit sheet menu are A0 - A4 Drawing (5 templates in total). I just have to start with a whole new file, which is annoying...

I was wondering if someone could tell me why I cannot select the company templates when trying to insert/edit the drawing sheet?

Many thanks in advance

 

[JohnRBaker]

Are you working in Master Mode mode, where the part model that you're Drafting is a Component in a separate Drawing file?

There is no practical way to replace one drawing template with another, but you can add a second sheet using 'Insert Sheet', move all your views and stuff to the new sheet and then delete the original one, but you still have to set-up a set of so-called 'second sheets' so that you can use your company's templates. Also, If you're working in Master Model mode, you don't want to open your Drawing templates from the File -> New -> Model workflow but rather using templates in the File -> New -> Drawing workflow. If this is not the way that you're currently set-up, it's going to be difficult to take advantage of the way NX was designed to work.



John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

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

 

[201181]

Hi John, many thanks for your reply. Yes, we are using the matter model approach.

Adding a new sheet is no problem, it's just that I can't add one of the companies standard templates, which is annoying when half way through a drawing and realizing you need a different size sheet.

And yes, when we create new drawings, we use the 'File -> New -> Drawing' approach, except that at this current company, the tab is headed by the company name instead of the word 'drawing' (I know it is definitely the drawing tab, as this is where all templates, including standard NX templates are selectable).

So is there no way to change to another company template once a drawing has been started? I remember working at a previous company where I first used NX, and they had a toolbar set up where you could replace the existing company specific template with another. It's this easy to set up, or would you know how this could be done?

Many thanks again John

 

[ewh]

NX6
While this may not work for everyone depending on how your system is set up, at a previous employer it seems that I used to just delete the format, change the drawing size and import the correct size template into the drawing space. Of course, you have to know where the templates are located. ;-)
Now we are set up to bring in our format template after we create the drawing file, and can easily change drawing and format sizes.

“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
-Dalai Lama XIV

 

[SDETERS]

have you tried to insert part? If you know what part file your template part is, try going to file import part and import that part into your prt file you are working on. This will bring in the latest and greatest title block.

 

[201181]

Hi Reh & SDETERS, many thanks for your suggestions, I'll give them both a try when I'm back in the office tomorrow

 

[ewh]

I think it was pretty much the same suggestion, worded differently.

“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
-Dalai Lama XIV

 

[Arkance/PhoeNX]

@201181 the reason you can't select the templates you have in the Insert -> Sheet dialog is that you probably haven't edited the pax that controls it.
By default there are two pax files (ugs_drawing_templates.pax and ugs_sheet_templates.pax) that control the templates.

ugs_drawing_templates.pax controls the File -> New
ugs_sheet_templates.pax controls the Insert Sheet.

It sounds like your company have edited the ugs_drawing_templates.pax one and not bothered to do the other one.
Edit the ugs_sheet_templates.pax and add in your templates and they will then be available to add a new sheet.

I would normally recommend that you don't edit the default pax files, but I don't know how your company has made their customisations work.


Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer

NX5.0.6, NX6.0.5, NX7.5.5, NX8.0.0 -> NX8.0.3.4
NX8.5.0.23 -> NX8.5.2.3 & NX9.0.0.19

 

[SDETERS]

I think we posted at the same time. ha! Second on finding and trying to edit the correct pax files.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Gee Anthony, I was just going to post that same suggestion and you beat me to it ;-)

But Anthony's right, you need to either edit the 'ugs_sheet_templates.pax' file, found in the \UGII\templates folder, adding your company standard 'second-Drawingsheet' templates or replace the file altogether if you want only your own templates to be available.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

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

 

[Arkance/PhoeNX]

@JohnRBaker, you must remember we have the advantage of the time zones in our favour!

Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer

NX5.0.6, NX6.0.5, NX7.5.5, NX8.0.0 -> NX8.0.3.4
NX8.5.0.23 -> NX8.5.2.3 & NX9.0.0.19

 

[Twullf]

I am having a similar problem, except I have modified both the files

ugs_drawing_templates.pax
ugs_sheet_templates.pax

I am usually using the custom version, but to try and fix this problem I have reverted to the local installation. I have modified both files, to the point of removing everything on them BUT the company templates. I can get to the custom templates on new file but they are NOT showing on the add sheet window. It only shows the standard Siemens sheets.

 

[Twullf]

To clarify I'm using NX 9.0

 

[Twullf]

Never mind. It was bad coding. Found the error, it is good to go now. Thanks.