Creating copy of a part 2

[Manley23]

Hello,

How do I create a copy of a part file so that the copied file has no link with the parent file i.e whatever changes I make in the copied part file should not have any effect on the original file even when both files are in the same folder? When we need a copy of an assembly we create a clone, is there something similar for parts?


Thanks in advance.

 

[SS88]

File - Save As, if you don't want to include the copied part in the assembly.
If you want to keep the copied part in the assembly: copy the part, right-click the copy in Assy Navigator and select Make Unique. Then you're asked to give a new name to the part. As the command name says, this won't have a link to the parent part either.

I think Make Unique command was introduced in NX 8.0. So this depends on your version of NX as well.

 

[Manley23]

Thank You for your help.

 

[scout67]

Another method is outside of NX.

Using a windows navigator, select file name, copy, paste, and rename the file with " - Copy" added as a suffix.

Note: Do not use a windows navigator to rename files, as this will break all assembly links to the file.

 

[cowski]

Be aware that when you do a "save as" with the part and assembly open, the assembly will want to reference the new version of the part rather than the old one. If you do not want the assembly to reference the new "save as" version of the part, close the assembly before performing the save-as.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[Manley23]

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[JohnRBaker]

While cowski is correct about NX WANTING to save the Assembly as well, it is optional as you can choose to NOT save the Assembly when you're asked to do so. That being said, you will have to keep in mind that after saving the Component part using the new name but not saving the Assembly, that when you eventually do Close the Assembly, remember to NOT save it as you're going to be asked agian.

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

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

 

[Manley23]

Thank you for the tip John.

 

[MFDO]

I find Save As with the hint = “Saves the WORK Part under a different name” is bit of confusingly worded.

After saving the work part, another Save As window opens and it continues. While showing the working part, it allows to rename the parent assemblies too.

Unless you look at the Cue Line, you don’t know what are the other windows are for. It would be nice if the Cue Line is appeared with the new opening Windows (in other command windows as well) where now, it could be unnoticed or hide behind the opened window.

The way I see NX’s “Save As” command is a “ReName” process. For generally intended “Save As”-> “As a Copy” without breaking the existing file structure, one has to go through “Make Unique” which has a different working path. I don’t think it’s possible to use “Make Unique” with the Displayed Work part.

I think if NX could clean up the command structure and bring similar functions to work to gather, it will increase its user friendliness. Especially adding the Cue/hint where the user input needed.


Michael Fernando (CSWE)

http://www.solidCADworks.com

Tool and Die Designer
Siemens NX V9.0 + PDW
SWX 2013 SP3.0 X64
PDMWorks 2013
Logopress3
FastForm Advance
FormatWorks

 

[JohnRBaker]

It is true that 'Save As' works sort of like a 'rename' when used in context of an Assembly, although to be absolutely honest, 'Make Unique', which is fairly new to NX (introduced in NX 8.0) while 'Save-As' is almost as old as UG/NX itself, is a more likely candidate for doing a 'rename' of a Component in the context of the Assembly, and it has the added 'benefit' of not having to go through that confusing set of extra 'File Save' dialogs and obscure Cue/Status messages. In the end, if you did a 'Save-As' but did not then use the second dialog to save the Assembly, your result would be the same as doing a 'Make Unique' with ONE significant difference. If the component that your were 'renaming' was used more than once in the Assembly, doing a 'Save-As' would replace ALL occurrences of that Component with the newly renamed version, while 'Make Unique' will ONLY effect the explicit Component that was selected when you performed the operation, a very nice feature to have, which is why we added it in the first place. And besides, it made the old Ideas users very happy ;-)

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

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

 

[MFDO]

John, I fully understand the concepts.

What I’m saying is that “Make Unique” must be an option inside of “Save As” function.

Also I’m doubtful if anybody using the function of secondary windows of “Save As” command to rename working part’s parent assembly/ies. I think those secondary windows could do more harm than good.


Michael Fernando (CSWE)

http://www.solidCADworks.com

Tool and Die Designer
Siemens NX V9.0 + PDW
SWX 2013 SP3.0 X64
PDMWorks 2013
Logopress3
FastForm Advance
FormatWorks

 

[JohnRBaker]

I don't disagree with you, but not letting people know what is and is not happening is a problem as well. At least the current 'Save-As' behavior does let you know that 'changing the name' of a Component is also potentially changing the Assembly as well and you can either keep the current name for your Assembly, by doing nothing, or stopping and entering a new name and continue with the process. Perhaps we could do a better job, but IF you read the Status and Cue line and the look at what the dialogs that pop-up are really doing as well as the messages that appear on the screen, we are telling the user exactly what he needs to know while all this is happening.

As for your contention, that we need a 'Make Unique' while doing I 'Save-As', I disagree 100%. Don't mess with the 'Make Unique' as it's doing exactly what it was intended for. If I were to propose anything it would be perhaps a simple 'Rename' function which would ONLY work on the part selected but that it would act like 'Save-As' in that it would affect all the instances of the Component in the Assembly, but you would not be given the option to do a 'Save-As' for the Assembly, just leave it as a separate operation that's now fully the responsibility of the user to perform himself or not at a later point in time if he so desires. So you have a choice, we either FORCE you make a decision concerning the status of the now changed Assembly, at the time that we caused it to change, by doing a 'Save-As' on a Component, or we let never mention it, even though it still happened, and we'll assume that you'll not only KNOW what to do, but WHEN to do it. What's it going to be? Play it safe and ram it into your face. Or make it hidden and hope you understood what really happened.

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

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

 

[MFDO]

What I would like to see is, simply having a Save As command with the options of current process and “Make Unique” (with a check box) option applicable ONLY to Work Part. I don’t see any complexity in this. (Since this is not a bulk cloning process)

Do you find any instance that this simple method will not work?



Michael Fernando (CSWE)

http://www.solidCADworks.com

Tool and Die Designer
Siemens NX V9.0 + PDW
SWX 2013 SP3.0 X64
PDMWorks 2013
Logopress3
FastForm Advance
FormatWorks

 

[JohnRBaker]

Open an ER and Product Management (of which I'm NOT part of) will give it consideration.

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

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

 

[MFDO]

Am I alone here? No other comments, criticism, support or acknowledgements from any other forum users.

From somebody else yesterday I received an e-mail with the following;

www.solidCADworks.com[/URL]
Tool and Die Designer
Siemens NX V9.0 + PDW
SWX 2013 SP3.0 X64
PDMWorks 2013
Logopress3
FastForm Advance
FormatWorks

 

[MFDO]

Ok here are the ERs

IR Description: Bring Cue Line to the foreground
This IR was converted into an enhancement request (ER) on 27-MAR-2015
and is now referenced as ER Number 7342002. It is OPEN for review at this time.

IR Description: Re-Architecture Save As command
This IR was converted into an enhancement request (ER) on 27-MAR-2015
and is now referenced as ER Number 7342365. It is OPEN for review at this time.


Michael Fernando (CSWE)

http://www.solidCADworks.com

Tool and Die Designer
Siemens NX V9.0 + PDW
SWX 2013 SP3.0 X64
PDMWorks 2013
Logopress3
FastForm Advance
FormatWorks