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.

 

[Dave K]

And have the external threads dimension, the same as the internal. No more hand typing.

-Dave

NX 9, Teamcenter 10

 

[Toost]

Re : MR76
"By the way, drafting application: about hole callout, when we have threaded holes... is there any chance, we can display "thread size" without pitch??
For example if I have M12 x 1.5, just display "M12" (I don’t understand why we have to display thread size and pitch, we do can display pitch only, but can’t display thread size only). "


I think that the reason for the above is "poor survey" when somebody wrote the specs for the old thread and corresponding drafting annotation ,
In the imperial world, threads are normally/often annotated with pitch information.
In the metric world , the rule is that if you don't print the pitch, it's thread preference class 1/choice 1 and IF you print pitch, it's not Preference 1.
The specs are pretty obviously written for the Imperial system.

 

[CNSZU]

[ul]
[li]Extrude tool on par with Solidworks (extrude up to offset surface and not being so fussy about extruding up to a surface)[/li]
[li]Boolean operations should have an option to automatically interact with *any* intersecting body (and not force the user to select a body)[/li]
[li]Different color for surfaces and solid bodies (to aid in determining which is which)[/li]
[li]Visualization tools on par with 3DS Max/Maya/Cinema 4D:[/li]
[li]

Ability to create any type of realistic material​

[/li]
[li]

Intelligent UV unwrapping tools for applying materials (especially over multiple surface patches)​

[/li]
[li]

Ability to organize scenes (cameras, lighting, material sets)​

[/li]
[li]

The latest in realistic render technology (Real time, IPR, GPU, Raytracing)​

[/li]
[li]Consistent, aesthetic interface over the entire package (Like Creo does)[/li]
[li]Ability to customize the entire interface layout regarding panels/side bars etc. (similar to Adobe applications)[/li]
[li]A smarter coordinate input cursor box that is more discreet and out of the way (especially when moving components)[/li]
[/ul]

That should give the developers something to work on.

NX10.0 Win8.1 64bit i7-3770K 16GB QuadroK2200

 

[Dave K]

RE: "Different color for surfaces and solid bodies (to aid in determining which is which)"

Doesn't this do that?

File, Utilities, Customer Defaults, Gateway, Object Solid Body tab and Sheet Body tab, both have a color option

I have not tested this.

-Dave

NX 9, Teamcenter 10

 

[Tingsryd]

NeilMGW:
"A decent high performance roughing strategy - why should I have to pay a significant amount for a plug in like Volumill or the soon to be released iMachining for NX? Take a look outside the NX bubble and you'll see that this is included in nearly all your competitors. A better tool library, again take a look at what others are doing - especially the ability to use a solid model.
NX 10.0.3 "

I second your opinion on wanting peel milling although, as for NX not having it, I have heard through the grapevine there are patent/licensing issues and lawsuit(s) going on.

NX can use solids for tool holders but I don't believe they are used in operations; just for simulation, which seems weird to me.
Perhaps Mark R can chime in on that...

NX 10.0.3

10.0.2

 

[Crocostimpy]

I haven't read every post so maybe this has been mentioned already.

I would like to be able to group components in an assembly like I can group features in a part. I know I can use Layers/Categories to do something like this, but what I want to accomplish is to shorten the number of lines in the Assembly Navigator to make it easier to scroll through to find what I'm looking for.

For instance, when I'm for the most part done working on the front suspension, put everything in a group so while I'm working on the rear I don't have to scroll through all of those parts. Or all of the vehicle parts that are pretty much just there for reference. Once they're placed I don't need to do anything with them anymore.

It seems to me it should be pretty easy to do, and I was quite surprised it couldn't be done.

(NX 10)

Mike

 

[daluigi]

Grouping Components is possible BUT you need an Advanced Assembly License to be able to use that function...
Right-click on one of the Assembly Navigator's headers and activate "Show Component Groups".
From there you can create "Session" groups (temporary) or "In Part" groups (saved with the part) and manipulate them as you need.

 

[Crocostimpy]

Thanks daluigi, I didn't know about that. I can see how it might be useful, but it doesn't do what I want, which is collapse so I can make the AN list shorter.

Mike

 

[PrintScaffold]

Right-click on the Assembly Navigator and pick "Filter Components". Unloaded or invisible components will be hidden.

http://www.cadroad.com

 

[Crocostimpy]

Maybe I'm being unclear on what I'm wanting to do. I'm not talking about Show or Hide, or turning off or on layers.

Say I'm in Modeling working on a part. There are 100 features in the Part Navigator. If I take 50 of them and put them in a Feature Group, and check the Embed Feature Group Members box, the list of features in the PN gets shorter by 50 lines. Well, actually, 49 lines, because the Feature Group takes up a line. Fifty is easier to scroll through looking for something than 100 lines.

That's what I would like to be able to do in an assembly. With potentially hundreds of components it would be easier to scroll around if I could do with components the same thing you can do with features.

Mike

 

[PrintScaffold]

If you hide or unload components with "Filtered components" turned on, they will be taken away into the "More..." line, shortening the assembly tree.

http://www.cadroad.com

 

[Crocostimpy]

Ah, I see.

So I looked it up in the Help because I couldn't get it to do anything. You have to go into the properties of the AN and select what you want included to be filtered. I selected Hidden, and the Display More Indicators is selected. It worked and did what I wanted.

However, I unfiltered it and now I can't seem to get it refiltered. Is there a trick?

Mike

 

[Toost]

Crocostimpy:
Have you never considered placing your components in subassemblies ?
- Do you use Assembly constraints ?
If no, you can drag-drop components from the top assembly to a sub assembly and back without loss. If there are constraints, they will be lost but the position in space will be the same.

Regards,
Tomas

 

[Crocostimpy]

Toost, yes and yes. I almost always have sub-assemblies. Some can get quite big though. Right now this whole thing is in a prototype stage so everything is kind of thrown together in one big assembly, with subs wherever possible. Were it to go to production parts would be combined into more subs based on how we would offer replacement parts or kits. I haven't gotten to use it yet, but I imagine I would be using Create New Parent a lot when it comes time to break everything down.

I always use assembly constraints. Mostly because I make articulating assemblies and everything needs to stay together.

I may be able to make filtering work for me if I play around with it some more. So far it seems confusing because some parts don't get refiltered after they've gone back and forth.

Mike

 

[vball85jb]

In drafting I have a few:

1. It would be nice for the auto-balloon function to not allow balloons leaders to cross over each other and be a minimum distance away from each other.
2. When you drag a balloon (or hole dimension callout) around a object that is circular/cylinder it would be nice if the arrow always pointed toward the center of the object. (NX copy code from Solid Edge)
3. It would be great to be able to insert word documents into drafting for the notes, (ideally notes would be editable by Word and tables (BOM) editable by Excel)
4. More characters shown (only 17 currently) for the table "edit cell" feature.

Windows 7
NX 10.0.3.5

 

[Toost]

Vball85jb:
2. Try press the Shift key when dragging. does the trick ?
3. You do know that you can drag-drop a .txt file onto a drawing ?
4. ?


Regards,
Tomas

 

[vball85jb]

Tomas,

Using the shift key with a dimension works great, I didn't know that trick. It didn't appear to work for a balloon though.
The txt file also works nicely until you have to edit it in NX, I just am not a fan of their text editor... I'd rather it launch a 3rd party software like Word that is built for documents.

Thanks!

Windows 7
NX 10.0.3.5

 

[vball85jb]

How about being able to copy drawing views from one drawing to another, not just from sheet to sheet. Ex. I have a inspection pin that is used in multiple assemblies as a component but I have to document it in each assembly because each pin is custom finished to match the worst case out of tolerance position of the fixture it is used at. Ideally I could just copy and paste the component views into the new drawing.

Windows 7
NX 10.0.3.5

 

[studiotreccani]

We would like to have a 1:1 scale view on our monitors (obviously with freeze zoom, only pan)
and ability to set scale for presentation on projector
on tv monitor.

First: to have possibility to see the real size of a insert
or other parts. (we make moulds)

Second: to present the projects to our coustomers
and often they wanna have the perception of real size.

NX 7.5 64bit
NX 9.0.3.4 MP4 64bit
NX 10.0.3.5 MP3 64bit

http://www.studiotreccani.com

 

[cowski]

You can specify a precise zoom factor in View -> operation -> zoom... You will need to calibrate your display (preferences -> visualization -> view/screen) to get the size of the object on screen to match the real world dimensions.

When I want to keep the view on screen at a specific scale, I lock out the zoom function on my spaceball. This way only I don't inadvertently zoom the model when I'm trying to do a translation or rotation.

www.nxjournaling.com