CUSTOMIZE "FILE NEW" MENU 1

[jkcone]

I'm trying to have my File New menu read a custom .pax file located outside the default NX6 folders in a custom "Templates" folder & add my inch & metric model templates to the list.

I've successfully edited the default "ugs_model_templates.pax" file to point to my inch & metric model templates along with a custom jpg image. This works okay but I'd like to have a separate custom .pax file instead of editing the default to keep everything separated during upgrades.

I've done some searching including thread561-195643. But still can't seem to get it right. I don't find a "UGII_TEMPLATE_DIR" environment variable in the ugii_env.dat. When I add "UGII_TEMPLATE_DIR=${NX_CUSTOM_DIR}\Template\" to it the File New menu is empty. I've added "C:\UG\Custom\NX6" to "custom_dirs.dat".

Does anyone have advise on this?
Sorry for the long winded post.

James

 

[JohnRBaker]

OK, what you need to do is create a folder which we refer to as your 'user dir', which you can put anywhere you wish. Inside THIS folder add a folder titled 'startup' and in it place your customized '.pax' file. Now in this file, in the line that starts...

<Presentation name=

...go down to the place where it reads...

FileNewTab="Model"

...if you use the same exact name that the system's .pax file used, your entries will be ADDED to the 'Model' tab on the File New dialog (of course if you delete or edit the .pax extension on the system's .pax file, then the 'Model' tab will ONLY contain your entries). However, if you give it a DIFFERENT name, then it will be added as it's OWN tab, ahead of the current 'Model' tab, on the File New dialog. Also place all of your template and image files in this same folder (that way you will not have to use full path names when you reference these files in your .pax file as the systems will look in the same folder as the where the .pax file for any referenced part and images files).

Now set the following environment variable...

UGII_USER_DIR=

...to point to your 'user dir' (don't include the 'startup' folder in your path, just the folder that it's in).

Note that you can follow this same procedure to modify, augment, or replace the 'Drawing' tab (or any of the others) on the File New dialog.

Anyway, I hope this helps.

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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

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

 

[jkcone]

Thanks John! That worked great. That's exactly what I was looking for.

So I'm assuming that by adding my custom startup path to UGII_USER_DIR in ugii_env.dat that I no longer need to add it to custom_dirs.dat for tbr files, right?

James

 

[JohnRBaker]

Correct. Keep in mind however that if you add this to the 'ugii_env.dat' file, you'll need to update it every time you install a new version of NX. However, if you add this variable to your Windows profile, it will always be there and in effect every time you login.

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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

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

 

[jkcone]

John
You lost me there. How do you "add this variable to your Windows profile"? That's a new one for me.

James

 

[JohnRBaker]

On your desktop there's an icon labeled 'My Computer'. Double-click it and when it opens place your cursor over some 'white space', press MB3 and select 'Properties'. When the 'System Properties' dialog comes up select the 'Advanced' tab and then the 'Environment Variable' button. Now if you're the only person using this computer it doesn't make much difference whether you add the variable to the 'User variables' area or the 'System variables' area. Any variables which you place in either area will be invoked whenever you log onto your system, even before NX is launched.

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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

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

 

[jkcone]

Thanks John for taking the time to explain things to this greenhorn.

Merry Christmas everybody

James