create Custom Symbols

[uwam2ie]

question about Custom Symbols:
does anybody know how / can I add text to custom symbole related to the object attributes of the custom symbol?
thx in ad

 

[JohnRBaker]

Now we're talking about 'Custom Symbols' and NOT 'User Defined Symbols', correct?

Then the answer is yes (up to a point). Just construct your symbol 'master' like any other part file and create your Part Attributes. Then as part of the symbol, add your text, including where you wish to substitute the value of an attribute, the following string:

<W@ATTRIBUTE_NAME>

...where 'ATTRIBUTE_NAME' is the name of the Part Attribute that you wish to be linked to the Symbol.

Now here's the part that may not behave exactly as you wish.

Once your symbol is created and you now have a 'xxxx.sym.prt' part file, it will no longer have any attributes. However, if you add this symbol as a symbol object to a drawing file and if THIS DRAWING FILE has any Part Attributes defined, the embedded attribute references inside the just added Symbol will automatically read and update based on the values of any Part Attributes that are found to match them.

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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

 

[uwam2ie]

Thank you John so far,
to clear it I' ve attached a picture
In my Custom Symbol the text ( Ra 1.6, Ra50) should be controlled by an object attribute not a part attribute. .
thx in ad

 

[JohnRBaker]

I just can't see how you could possibly do that.

First off you can't assign an Object Attribute to a Custom Symbol until AFTER it exists as an 'object' which is only when it has been added to a Drawing. Until then it exists ONLY as a 'part' file and you can't assign Object Attributes to Part File.

And second, you have to define the embedded text while the Custom Symbol is still just a bunch of curves and text strings in a Part File and so at that moment when you create the text string which references the value of an Attribute, there are NO Attributes to reference. Sort of a Catch 22. Besides, even if I could somehow create a placeholder text string and I was later permitted to edit it I would still not be allowed to reference an attribute assigned to an object containing the text string that I wanted to contain the value of the attribute, as this would be a sort of 'circular logic' which is generally not allowed in NX or in any software scheme that I'm aware of.

You can't edit something (an Object Attribute) that then modifies an object (an embedded text string) which is part of the object (the Custom Symbol) that the Object Attribute is part of.

I hope that was clearer to you than if sounded when I read it out loud but that's the real bottom line issue.

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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

 

[uwam2ie]

Thank you John,
I was not sure , but now I will not spend any time on this way. Is there an other way to create this symbol configuration
shown in the picture. In old version it had worked with patterns but they are not really supported in NX versions of Unigraphics.
thx in ad

 

[hudson888]

If it is any help I would suggest trying to create a little program or journal to create the desired symbol based perhaps on a few inputs and placed according to a screen click. The result may be a standard user defined symbol with some text. And while this may seem a bit less polished that you had hoped for the time taken to apply this method and/or simply delete and re-apply when you wish to change it would be fairly quick.

You may find that by altering the line spacing and lettering sizes etc that you might even be able to get this done with a single note. Sure you'd probably have to set it all back after the note is placed, but done with a macro or journal the result would be a long tedious process compressed into a couple of clicks.

You could finish be creating a set of four 90, 180, 270, 360 degrees, and add them on to a toolbar.

Best Regards

Hudson