Editing drawing template 1

[polaris7eng]

Hello
I have a problem (or I don't understand something) with drawing template.
I am replacing the template file in catalogue UGII/Template and this works ok but I need suggestion about preparation good template for Drawings.

I don't know how the original NX template is made. How to edit original template. There aren't sketches, any editable feature. (I don't see them .
I have found an online template (Eng-Tips) about the template. The tutorial suggest to make a drawing template by sketch (i am not sure is this professional way to do that.. )
The problem appears when I prepare a new drawing because I have in Navigator SKETCH feature in editing mode.... This looks different to the original template
Look at the attachment
How to edit original NX template

 

[Toost]

Well, hm,... This issue is in my perception not really fully thought through by our dear development.
In the "old" days curves in (all) cad systems were non parametric. Then the "sketch" arrived in all or most systems. The older type of curve still exist in NX in parallel to the newer sketcher tools. The "old type" is not a feature.
In spite of the sketcher tools arrival , people defining drawing borders/ templates continued/ continues using the older non parametric curves to define the drawing borders since a drawing frame doesn't really need to be parametric. - An A4 will stay A4 over time, and the non parametric curves can still be edited in case one wants to.
Then one day somebody ( in development ) tried to simplify the menus in the Drafting application, and removed the menu option to create the old style non parametric lines.
The problem ( then ) was that there was no hint on that they could be re-activated for the person that was to create the templates. ( it might be fixed now, i have not looked since i know the trick.)
The original templates have the "older style non parametric lines" since they are static. ( A4 will stay A4 etc.)
A sketch can be "killed" by doing an export - CGM ( temporary file) , delete the sketch, import the temporary file Import- cgm. Then the lines from the sketch will come in as non parametric lines. ( like the Siemens templates)
If you desire to edit an existing non- parametric line ( simplest method) in Drafting : Help - command finder- search for "edit curve", then click the down arrow - show on .... ( The option will be shown in the dialogs) The line can also be double clicked but there are more options under the Edit- curve.)
The old style curves can be created if one ( simplest method) in Drafting : Help - command finder- search for "Basic Curves" etc.

But, on the other hand, the decision to hide these commands give consultants like myself more jobs

Regards,
Tomas

 

[JohnRBaker]

What version of NX are you running?

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

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

 

[polaris7eng]

Hello
I am using NX8

Thank you Tomas (toost) for your very useful . I didn't expect this is so complicated because of the development process. I have checked what you have said.
1. I am preparing some drawing-template and then exporting to CGM
2. I am opening a NEW drawing
3. Importing CGM file
That's works PERFECT. I got new sheet with template dwowing but now any sketch.
Thank you

I have another question:
I have a couple models of parts and I need to make drawings for them (drawings and models must be in the same file- NO MASTER type but stand alone).I want to use my own template and generally I am replacing existing file template to my own (I am saving my own template in default catalog :UGII/Template and changing name to default name: Drawing_A4-Size2D-template.part) This method works good.
My question is about ADDING new templates not replacing. I changed the PAX file but all the time i have only 5 siemens-default templates. I see my new own templates in list when I want to make a NEW drawing but never when I want to insert new sheet inside already existed model (standalone- model and drawing in one file).
Is there anything I should know ?
Look at the attachement.

 

[JohnRBaker]

If you're running NX 8.0 have you considered creating your drawing borders and title blocks using the NEW tools provided with NX 8.0 for doing exactly that? Go to...

Tools -> Drawing Format -> Borders and Zones...

...or by enabling the 'Drawing Format' toolbar and selecting your Drawing Border and Title Block functions from there.

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

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

 

[Toost]

Polaris, there is a separate .pax for when inserting new sheets into existing parts ( Ugs_sheet_templates.pax) ,
along with the "ugs_drawing_templates.pax" which applies when creating new drawing parts.
The same actual part ( the template part) can be referenced/used by both .pax files.


Regards,
Tomas

 

[polaris7eng]

Hello
Thank you Tomas, thank you John.
Yes now I am using "Drawing Format" tools from NX 8. I asked you about this because I have seen some tutorial where it was suggested to use sketch for making own table in template but tree looks different to the original template tree in navigator.

I don't know why this isn't so simple but Tomas answer is very useful. It works good.
When I am using "Drawing Format" Tools/ Mark as a template then all the time software want to change ugs_drawing_template.pax file . I should change file to ugs_sheet_template.pax when I need only format of drawing IN MODEL.
Looks to the attachment.

Now I recognize there two pax files: ugs_drawing_template.pax and ugs_sheet_template.pax have relation to the same templates files.I don't know why there are two pax files but now everything work well.

Thank you

 

[JohnRBaker]

The second .pax file is used when adding additional sheets to an existing Drawing. Many organizations use a different format for secondary Drawing sheets so this provides a way of having two different sets of templates with each being controlled by a specific function, the first Drawing sheet using the File -> New... menu and any additional sheets using the Insert -> Sheet... menu.

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

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

 

[polaris7eng]

Thank you John.
mmm... Now I understand why this is so popular in cad systems. Other cad like Solid Works also have separat configuration for Drawing and Sheet. Now all is clear.