Casting and Machining face props

[vitulin]

Hi,

I have one more quite interesting problem.

Lets assume that you have the following structure:

casting1 -> pre-machining1
->assemblymachining
casting2 -> pre-machining2

1. I would like to know, how you can distinguish the pre-machining, machining and casting faces. If you create link bodies, they have the same properties as the input model, but once the model is changed, the new faces dont keep the same colors. Is there any setting, that could help with this_? The modeling preferences only allows you to choose, if the new faces inherit the body color ( which would probably be the casting ) or the part default. Which is the color of the machining, so both of them are useless.

Thanks for answer

Vit

 

[hudson888]

The better answer is to look at signifying it with a different method. You have color settings which have been explained countless times on this forum which you could search for. However it is also true that you can scramble the face colors to the point where it is hard to identify at first glance which features belong to what operation.

So one way around it is to take a procedural approach simply making a rule that it should be done correctly according to different colors which you may have to manually keep up to date from time to time. I don't like that approach very much.

Another way is to group the features for the machining and name the groups according to machining operations. Machining users of NX will be able to see this in the part navigator with no problems.

Finally you can design the casting in one part and add the machining in a separate part file. This you can do using either wave linking of the casting solid bodies or using promotions. Again these have been adequately covered in other threads you could easily find on this forum. Many organizations prefer this method because it allows them to define a casting as an ordered item and the machining as value added.

Best regards

Hudson

 

[vitulin]

Hi,

I forgot to explain, that every part of the structure has to be separate part. And that is the problem. As I already wrote, when you wave link them, they only keep the face properties when the links were created. But when you then change the casting or pre machining model, it will take it as a new face and it will add it properties by the modeling preferences, either body or part default color. You can check it in the attached file

 

[vitulin]

I forgot to attach it.

 

[hudson888]

Yes I know all that which is why I suggested using anything but that to signify the machined areas.

Cheers

Hudson

 

[SiW979]

Vit

We do the same sort of thing. We have pre machined casting, then wave link it into a brand new sperate part file, then change the reference set of the pre machined casting to empty so it isn't shown in the machined part. We then just flick bewteen one or the other and nver really view both together in the same part file. Works fine for us

Best regards

Simon

 

[hudson888]

Hello Simon,

Yes we had a bit of a chat in a previous thread about it. If you remember the subject then we ought to find it and point it out to Vit for background information. You had your reasons for using wave links which were perfectly valid and unassailable, whereas I pointed out the we see advantages in using promotions especially in machined weldments etc.

Since that time I have produced examples with promotions working in NX-5 under teamcenter-10 and it appeared to work perfectly well I'm happy to report. These were production designs for welded parts not just a test by the way.

Cheers

Hudson

 

[vitulin]

to jcbcad:

yes, that is what we do...we have castings and machining...
machining is basicaly aseembly with linked casting body and then you change the reference set of the casting to empty...
the problem is, that if you change the casting, you have to go back into the machining tree to the linked body and change the body color again, otherwise the new faces created during the preocess of casting change would have the machining color, which is not preferable. You can avoid this by changing the modeling preferences and selecting New face properties from part body, but the problem is, that this will also affect the feature like chamfer ( you can go around with chamfering the tool body) but where you cannot avoid that is hole feature. You would have to sketch every hole you create to avoid this problem.

And in case, that you have casting - pre-machining and machining which means two times linked body, this doesnt work at all.

Vit