Features you wish NX had? 32

[junfanbl]

Hello, I am curious to know peoples opinions on what they like most about NX and some new features( or improvements) that it could use. I know I can think of some myself. I ask because I am always trying to gather ideas on how to better utilize the software in my own personal workflow. Part of that for me is developing scripts and stand alone libraries that extend NX functionality.

So I thought what better way to get ideas than to ask the engineering community in general. Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Karlis]

Hi,
One of the things that I really miss is a 3D sketch capability like SolidWorks has. I know it is possible to create 3D curves that are end connected but each resides in a different plane. While this works, it does not give you optimal updating possibilities, for example defining and changing angles between 3D curves. A 3D sketch is nicely contained and constrains itself easily via dimensions or other constraints.
Another thing I can think of is a configuration tree, also like in SolidWorks. I know there is something similar in NX but from what I have heard, it functions completely differently. Thus it is very hard to find and learn the feature by myself. The idea is to have many different configurations of one part, each containing different sketch dimensions or constraints, some features suppressed or un-suppressed.

 

[AlexLozoya]

diameter dimensioning..

like catia (look at the "D")

______

Alex ,

 

[cowski]

Alex,
Is it just the "D" notation, or is there something else special about these dimensions? I ask, because you can easily do the same in NX. Use the "cylindrical" dimension type and change the prefix to "user defined".

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[mmauldin]

The ability to easily create a mirrored part. We make rights and lefts of a lot of our products and creating a mirrored component with mirrored drafting would be awesome.

 

[JohnRBaker]

White there's not an automatic 'Make a mirrored Drawing' type function, making Mirrored Parts, Including Mirrored Assemblies, has been supported for years. Not sure, except for perhaps the mirrored Drawing issue, what it is that you think NX does not have.

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.

 

[AlexLozoya]

@cowski
are you talking about sketches in modeling or drafting??

that D word is called "radius/diameter dimension constraint" in Catia..
it is the easiest way to apply dimensions (diameter dimensions)..
without creating extra curves (mirror curve)..
without formulas....
display the value of the intended diameter..


in just one click...

______

Alex ,

 

[ewh]

In my experience in aerospace, fabricators could make mirrored parts based on a note on a drawing specifying "-X SHOWN, -Y OPPOSITE".
I have found that other industries prefer that every thing is dimensioned on both LH and RH parts. So, while the mirror part function is valuable, it does fall short of one that includes mirror drawing. ;-)

"Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively."
-Dalai Lama XIV

 

[JohnRBaker]

Back in my 'Drawing Board' days when we had a part that needed to be made in both 'left' and 'right' hand versions, we used a single Drawing with two dash-numbers, -1 for 'As Shown' and -2 for 'Opposite'. When the shop got a traveler with the work order and print for a -2 part, they would often go to the print room and ask for an additional white print run with the drawing flipped-over so that they would have something the at least looked like what the final part was going to be.

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.

 

[cowski]

Alex,
Not being familiar with CATIA, I didn't know the "D" was a special type of constraint. It makes more sense now, thanks for the additional info.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[TomLoughlin]

Two things for me:

1, Show/hide dimensions - In ProE - once you've modeled a component, you create a drawing, and all dimensions used to model are automatically shown on the drawing view - saves having to duplicate yourself. I have mentioned this in a previous thread - and about the closest thing are 'Feature Parameters' - but this is only for one feature at a time, rather than an entire component.

2, As Alex has mentioned - a way of defining a diameter on a revolved component in sketching - ProE has a very similar method to Catia by the look of it, depending on mouse click location, you either get a Dia or a Rad.

Tom

Contract Mechanical Design Engineer.

 

[PrintScaffold]

A functionality to directly access component bodies at the assembly level for the material addition or subtraction without the need to promote of WAVE-link or use Assembly cut, and also to smoothly replace the components thus treated.

http://www.cadroad.com

 

[Toost]

Regarding the Mirror feature/drawing
Something i have learnt over the years is :
1) The purpose of a drawing is to pass information from the creator to the reader.
2) The faster 1) can be done, the better.
3) because of 2) some drawing standards can be "mildly tweaked" if it clarifies/simplifies/enhances this information transfer.
Which means things like, if an extra 3d view/ section view etc speeds/clarifies the understanding of the model, add it even if it doesn't follow any standards.
Since dimensions are per the model/ automatic, sometimes duplicate dimensions can be ok, if it simplifies the understanding of something.

In the hard coded standard world, a drawing of a mirrored part is very close to a duplicate dimension, which is ( at least in the ISO standard) very illegal.
But, in the 2016 cad-world, we should have means to both create mirrored drawings, and tools to make sure that the duplicated dimensions / specifications are identical to the master specs.



Regards,
Tomas

 

[Toost]

And , by the way,
I hope that you all write ER's on your wishlists !?!
How else will Siemens Development know what you want ?

This is what i wrote in a different thread. :

If you find an option which you think is missing, or a function/ feature which could be enhanced.
You go :

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/suppor...

then select either "Contact Support- Gtac operating hours and phone menu"
( or "Gtac Country Websites" for non-US users.)
OR
"Create or Update an IR"

When filing Enhancement Requests ( this will in Siemens vocabulary be an "ER") Remember to motivate why this feature/function is important and how much money you would save if it existed.
Siemens development must for each new release decide which new features / functions to spend their development budget on.
They have a very long list of possible enhancements, features requested by the users, features that competitors have, features needed because of future projects etc etc. All projects have a cost.
No features are today implemented just for fun, they must all be motivated.

Posting good ideas on forums like this, might else not result in much more than a post on a forum.


Regards,
Tomas

 

[PrintScaffold]

With all respect, I consider the whole ER workflow being in place for mostly decorative purposes. There are many improvements for which the user base have been screaming for many years, and which are pretty much acknowledged by the development, but nothing chronically gets done. Do we write ER's? Absolutely! I personally opened a few. Do they get acted upon? Sorry, no.

http://www.cadroad.com

 

[mmauldin]

"Not sure, except for perhaps the mirrored Drawing issue, what it is that you think NX does not have. "

Well, this: "White there's not an automatic 'Make a mirrored Drawing' type function"

I would like to point out that the question is "Features you wish NX had?" and add that the operative word in my reply was "easily". As in one button click. We have been making lefts and rights for some time now using the mirroring capabilities already present in NX. I'm in the middle of such a project right now, which is why that particular wish came to mind.

 

[capnhook]

Do you all ever make anything, or do you just draw stuff?

It is a big effort to manufacture mirrored parts in NX. Simpler, cheaper CAM software already can run circles around NX in this regard.

How about NX putting more development into this?

Proud Member of the Reality-Based Community..

[green]To the Toolmaker, your nice little cartoon drawing of your glass looks cool, but your solid model sucks. Do you want me to fix it, or are you going to take all week to get it back to me so I can get some work done?[/green]

 

[Rob_N]

I want that "DONE" button my boss thinks I have.

As far as machining a mirrored part? I just mirror my geometry and cut it.
I've never been asked to make a mirrored drawing, the only reason I can think of for needing one(on a symmetrically opposite part) is lack of skilled people to actually make things

 

[capnhook]

Easy peasy, eh robnewcomb..? Well, good for you!

Not in my experience, though.....any other opinions on machining mirrored parts in NX out there?


Proud Member of the Reality-Based Community..

[green]To the Toolmaker, your nice little cartoon drawing of your glass looks cool, but your solid model sucks. Do you want me to fix it, or are you going to take all week to get it back to me so I can get some work done?[/green]

 

[JavadM]

hello

I think the lack of "automatic dimensioning" and "dimension arrangement solution" in drafting
is one of most needed problems