Development question for Guru John B.

[Jaydenn]

Hey!
Is there any plan to improve the current Tool List creation method?

Seeing as NX is supposed to be a full PLM solution, correct? How is it that the tool list creation for manufacturing is so woefully inadequate?

Getting accurate tool information to the shop floor is so pivotal in the process I cannot understand how it has been ignored for so long!!!!

It needs to be Visual. It needs to be associated to the CAM database. It has to be automatic.

NX already creates solid tool models for the verify function, all I need is to be able to create a drafting sketch of this model. Thats it.

The text based "ShopDocs" are not even close to appropriate.

Does anyone out there have a solution?
I'm just about fed up with making all my tool lists by hand.

Thanks,
J

 

[JohnRBaker]

Note that I'm NOT a CAM guy (I'm a Machine DESIGNER by both education and professional experience) and in fact, the NX manufacturing applications are not even the responsibility of the development organization which I'm a part of. Sorry.

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

 

[joycejo]

You can create a simple tool list from the operation navigator. Set it to the machine tool view and export it to a spreadsheet. If you use logical tool names you have a tool list.

When you edit a tool in NX the system displays the solid body. If you look at the assembly navigator you will see the tool is added as a component, temporarily.

Select Window - More and you will see the tool on the list Select the tool and now you have a solid model of the tool.

Save it as you would any other file.

You can take this one step further by adding the tool to the library. Check out the help docs section on customizing the cam environment.


As far as the shop docs go - Yes they do not provide a lot unless you know how to write Tcl/Tk



John Joyce
Tata Technologies
1675 Larimer St.
Denver, CO

http://www.myigetit.com

NX3,4,5,6 Solid Works, Pro/e, Solid Edge

 

[Jaydenn]

Thanks John Joyce,
But it aint so...

The "Window > more" option is always greyed out for me.

I can see the solid model, but I cannot use it at all.

I use NX5 for the record. I've tried in NX6 aswell. Same thing. Nothing.

John Baker,
Sorry, but you seem to have insight into all things NX so I asked you!

J

 

[miner49]

This is strange because it works for me and has since NX3.

Do you have the assemblies license checked - Start Assemblies?


I would call GTAC if I were you

 

[joycejo]

Yes - Very strange

See the attached mavie recorded from NX6.



John Joyce
Tata Technologies
1675 Larimer St.
Denver, CO

http://www.myigetit.com

NX3,4,5,6 Solid Works, Pro/e, Solid Edge

 

[Jaydenn]

Alright,
Is there a way to completely nuke everything and put NX back to factory defaults?

Something is wrong with my workstation and I want to start clean.

Dialog memory doesn't work on my workstation either and I have never found a solution.

J

 

[Jaydenn]

Update:
No one in my office can access the "WINDOW > MORE" option.

Perhaps this is a license issue?

J

 

[joycejo]

Like someone else recommended call GTAC

John Joyce
Tata Technologies
1675 Larimer St.
Denver, CO

http://www.myigetit.com

NX3,4,5,6 Solid Works, Pro/e, Solid Edge

 

[wmalan]

I've spent a fair amount of time with Shop Docs to realize it's full power is mostly used in the large manufacturing companies. They have folks with the full time task of customizing NX for their needs. I still run into folks that just populate a spreadsheet by hand with NX.

I've used John's method of the OM export. Sort of works, but lame for such a highend system. I even got close to something I liked using the HTML output by tool but after several long hours figured out I can't get it to query for comments in the operations. Shop Docs can't read mom_operator_comment (at home now can't remember the exact var name.

There are many users looking for answers to shop docs.