Expiring spline tool

[Twullf]

Has anyone found the new way (in NX 9.0) to create a spline by importing points?

I used to use (and currently can until it is expired) the command called spline from Insert-> Curve -> Spline...

I would then select "Through Points" and select "Points from File". I have been unable to find a new version of this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JohnRBaker]

You can now create the points using the...

File -> Import -> Points from File...

...function and once created you can then go to...

Insert -> Curve -> Fit Curve...

...and use this function to get your spline thru points.

Note that this topic has been discussed in some detail in another thread recently:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=344906

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.

 

[Twullf]

In addition to what was discussed in that thread, I can point out, we use the functionality of placing a spline using points from a file in practically EVERY part file.

Will your method mentioned above work IN a sketch environment. We use data files to define airfoils and the now defunct command within the sketch environment as well as outside it to define other features.

We use such spline to define surface areas of internal components for the blades we design. the spline points being defined by other programs we have written to take into account varying wall thickness.

Practically everything we do requires the use of that particular function, and I need to know that there will be some way to adapt these points to the new NX.

 

[markrief]

If you do this on practically EVERY file, have you looked at writing or buying an API program to automate this?
It might be a very good investment.

Mark Rief
Product Manager
Siemens PLM

 

[Twullf]

I wrote some actually. but they use that particular feature.

 

[JohnRBaker]

There is no real need to include the points in a Sketch itself if the points lie on the same plane as the Sketch, since by design, while creating at Sketch, any point selected on the plane of the Sketch will automatically be used as a constraint location, say for the end points of a line or the center of an arc, or in your case, as the points of a spline. And later if you edit the locations of the points (outside the Sketch of course), as long as they remain on the plane of the Sketch, this will cause the Sketch to update based on the new point locations.

That being said, why are you even using a Sketch in the first place, unless of course you're working with a set of connected curves that represent the airfoil cross-section?

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.

 

[Twullf]

basically on a series of sketches are some airfoils, these are on sketches because the are constrained by sketch elements, a chord line, an vertical line, and a horizontal line. The splines are read in as a unit chord, and then constrained to uniform scale then the leading edge is attached to the front of the chord line and the trailing edge of the splines are attached to the trailing edge line. This allows the airfoils to increase or decrease in size as the chord size is changed. Then the sketches are attached to each other using the spline feature available and a curve mesh is used to skin it.

In our other parts, we don't use sketches. these parts have splines read into the three D environment and manipulated there.

However in both cases we use this spline tool which reads in a series of points and places the spline. If we use this new system a series of points are read in and then the user has to connect them using the spline tool, which increases the time for each part a great deal and I have NO idea how I would do the airfoil sections. So I really need to know what is going to replace this functionality.

Thanks for the feed back.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Nothing is going to replace the legacy function, but there are more than enough tools using NX Open to do what you're looking for. In fact, if your workflow is as described and it's something which is repeated often, it might be possible to automate all or most of it using those same NX Open tools. That alone may be worth the investment, if not by yourself, then by someone who you might be able to hire to develop the programs for you.

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.