Calculating an area on a Drawing using a Section-View

[NutAce]

Hello all.

I need an idea on how I can Calculate an Area using a section-view on a drawing.
The option is available when in drafting (Advanced Mass Properties - area using curves) however that won't let me select the curves which are generated (Extracted edges) when creating the section view.

Also creating a boundary in the 3D model ( Master model ) won't let me transfer that to the views on the drawing ( Created a permanent boundary but the won't go into a reference set ).

The area calculation I would like to be assosiative such that when I change my model it will change the value on the drawing as well...
Ideas anyone?

Ronald van den Broek
Mechanical Engineer
Cad Environment Coordinator
Wärtsilä, Propulsion Services
NX8.5.3 / TC9.1.2
HPZ420 Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-1620 0 @ 3.60GHz, 32 Gb Win7 64B
Nvidea Quadro4000 2048MB DDR5
HP EliteBook 8570W Intel(R) Core(TM) I7-3740QM CPU @ 2.70GHz, 16Gb Win7 64B

 

[RobLN]

I think I can see a way to do that.

Try something like this:

1. Make your geometry in 3D modeler
2. Within the 3D model create an extracted face using the icon with a cube and a yellow plane above it. (extract geo.)
3. Now use the basic measure bodies command (from the analysis menu)and apply this to the extracted face you just created. make a note the measure feature ref. - like body measure(2)

4. Make your 2 D drawing.
5. Right click on a cell where you want to display your Area
6. Go edit text
7. Set Category - Relationships. click insert expression.

Now the measure command created 2 D area data as well as 3 D so just choose the measure you need (will be coded p12 (body Measurement(2) surface_area) or similar)

8. Once you click on the expression you need and do an OK the value for the 2D area will be displayed and will be associative to the part's extracted face.

NB this worked in my example for a simple cube, with 1 face extracted. But thats the theory..

Hope that helps!

Solid Edge; I-Deas 7 to 12; NX4 to NX8.5 / TeamCenter 9.1 & Ansys 14.5

 

[NutAce]

Hi Rob..

Unfortunately this won't work for my case... I want to maesure the area I derive from a section cut...
When I create a section cut the resulting face isn't really there. So I can't select it to extract it.

Have a look at the attached picture... I want to measure the area from the section view (area without hatching)

Ronald van den Broek
Mechanical Engineer
Cad Environment Coordinator
Wärtsilä, Propulsion Services
NX8.5.3 / TC9.1.2
HPZ420 Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-1620 0 @ 3.60GHz, 32 Gb Win7 64B
Nvidea Quadro4000 2048MB DDR5
HP EliteBook 8570W Intel(R) Core(TM) I7-3740QM CPU @ 2.70GHz, 16Gb Win7 64B

 

[cowski]

All is not lost. Building on Rob's suggestion:
[ul]
[li]model: create a datum plane where you want the section[/li]
[li]model: use extract body to create a copy of your model (turn off the 'fix at current timestamp' option so it remains at the end of the file)[/li]
[li]model: trim extracted body with the datum plane[/li]
[li]model: create associative face measurement[/li]
[li]model: create associative point on end point of cut edge of extracted body[/li]
[li]model: create part attribute, link to measurement value[/li]
[li]model: remove extracted body from ref set, add point[/li]
[li]drawing: use associative point to place section view cut line[/li]
[li]drawing: hide point object, create note referencing component face area attribute[/li]
[/ul]

This will result in an associative face area note on your drawing. The downside is: you will have a few extra objects in the model file to maintain. I suggest renaming (or adding comments to) the extract body and related features to remind yourself (or others who work on the file) why those features need to be there.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[RobLN]

Hi Ronald

I see what you are saying. The only way round that I can see would be once you are sure you have the cut where you want it, simulate the 'section cut' in the 3D part by doing a divide face by datum plane and then take a extract face from that and repeat as before taking the measure body about the extracted face (including the cut out piece as in your picture).

If you have the cutting plane in the 3D parametric you could even update the section - Control this by a dimension for example from the edge of the block to position of section A-A. (and also then use the same datum plane to place the 'real section line' in the 2D).

Just some ideas. Hope you find a way

Solid Edge; I-Deas 7 to 12; NX4 to NX8.5 / TeamCenter 9.1 & Ansys 14.5

 

[JohnRBaker]

While in the Drawing, select your Section View, press MB3 and select the 'Active Sketch View' option. Now use the 'Project Curves' function, select the relevant edge curves of the Section, hit OK and then exit the Sketcher, select the View, press MB3 and select 'Expand'. OK, now you can use the Advanced Mass Properties -> Area Using Curves function to get the area by selecting the Sketch Curves.

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.

 

[NutAce]

Hello John.

That would be an option but also a very user unfriendly way of working. Besides that, our design guidelines state that drawing curves in expand needs to be avoided at all times.
Also I discovered that the area measurement isn't stored as the other measurements. So there is no epression which I can refer to in the annotation editor. Ut can be automated of course but the would mean some extensive code writing... (anyone with spare time is of course more than welcome to accept this very nice opportunity.. )

What I'm actually wondering is the following. The area using curves option isnt'allowing me to select the extracted curves in the view itself. That would make life so much easier.
What is the reason behind that?

Ronald van den Broek
Mechanical Engineer
Cad Environment Coordinator
Wärtsilä, Propulsion Services
NX8.5.3 / TC9.1.2
HPZ420 Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-1620 0 @ 3.60GHz, 32 Gb Win7 64B
Nvidea Quadro4000 2048MB DDR5
HP EliteBook 8570W Intel(R) Core(TM) I7-3740QM CPU @ 2.70GHz, 16Gb Win7 64B

 

[JohnRBaker]

Note that the curves are NOT being added while the View is Expanded, that's just how Sketching in a View works. You only Expand the view to get direct access to the Sketch curves.

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.

 

[NutAce]

Hi John.

Indeed, you are right. So this w.o.w might be useful to us indeed...

Still leaves me with the question why the extracted curves from the view aren't selectable for this function.
Do you have an idea why?

Ronald van den Broek
Mechanical Engineer
Cad Environment Coordinator
Wärtsilä, Propulsion Services
NX8.5.3 / TC9.1.2
HPZ420 Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-1620 0 @ 3.60GHz, 32 Gb Win7 64B
Nvidea Quadro4000 2048MB DDR5
HP EliteBook 8570W Intel(R) Core(TM) I7-3740QM CPU @ 2.70GHz, 16Gb Win7 64B

 

[JohnRBaker]

Not really. I suspect it falls into the category of 'Modeling' operations that are not allowed while working on a 'Drawing'. It may be arbitrary, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

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.

 

[NutAce]

Hello All.

An ER has been created on this subject.
Hopefully more user will see the benefit of this...

ER 1996383; Desc: Extracted Edges not selectable for Area Calculation

Ronald van den Broek
Mechanical Engineer
Cad Environment Coordinator
Wärtsilä, Propulsion Services
NX8.5.3 / TC9.1.2
HPZ420 Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-1620 0 @ 3.60GHz, 32 Gb Win7 64B
Nvidea Quadro4000 2048MB DDR5
HP EliteBook 8570W Intel(R) Core(TM) I7-3740QM CPU @ 2.70GHz, 16Gb Win7 64B