flattening woven materials and complex surfaces (

[potrero]

The following two tools are very useful for composite part design:

(1) "Fabric Flat Pattern"
Tools > Composite > Fabric Flat Pattern
(2) Metaform
Insert > Sheet Metal Feature > Metaform

They're both accessible from the Modeling Module.

But, upon using either of these tools, the software throws a warning message saying: "The Sheet Metal features in the Modeling application will be retired soon. Use the NX Sheet Metal application as a replacement."

Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's any tool(s) in NX Sheet Metal that replicates the functionality of either Fabric Flat Pattern, or Metaform.

Can anyone "in-the-know" comment on how soon is "soon", and whether there's a plan to incorporate the draping/woven fabric development as well as Metaform functionality inside the NX Sheet Metal application? (Or generally what's the plan there?)

 

[potrero]

I should have noted, for the record, that there's another way to get flat patterns from woven materials in NX, which is to use the NX Laminate Composite Modeler's Global Ply layup approach.

However, I'm fairly certain that this requires generation of a 2D mesh FIRST, which means you have to create a FEM file (and requires access to the Advanced Simulation module or similar), etc... So it's a bit more work to get to the flat pattern, than using "Fabric Flat Pattern" inside the Modeling application.

 

[hudson888]

Whenever I hear something like that I become a little agitated that it may mean that users with modelling licenses will lose functionality down the track. OR - does this mean that all current modelling user licences will be able to access some part of the NX-sheetmetal functionality that was hitherto a separate product which cost extra.

Yours nervously

Hudson

 

[potrero]

Oh, should have also noted, that this is in reference to NX 6.0.1.5 MP1

 

[JohnRBaker]

Note that I've passed your questions on to our Sheet Metal group. As soon as I hear anything, I'll post it here.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Design
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.

 

[potrero]

John,
Thanks; interested to hear what they say.

 

[JohnRBaker]

The following is the response I got back from the Product Manager for the Sheet Metal family of NX products:

The Fabric Flat Pattern (Accessed from Modeling via Tools -> Composite -> Fabric Flat Pattern) will be continued as it is currently and can still be accessed from the same location in the future. Currently this command issues a warning about being discontinued which is incorrect. We are working to have this corrected in NX 6.0.2 where this message would not show.

The plan is to include the Metaform command in a new NX Advanced Sheet Metal product being scheduled for NX 7.5. Although still supported under maintenance the old Advanced Sheet Metal Design product will no longer be available for sale. Our plan is to grandfather new NX Advanced Sheet Metal licenses to people who currently own the existing Advanced Sheet Metal Design license. So if you currently have Metaform available to you then in the future it will still be available under the new Advanced Sheet Metal application and not available as it is today from the Modeling application.

If there are any further questions or feedback, please reply to this thread and I'll pass along any relevant comments to the sheet metal group.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Design
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.

 

[uwam2ie]

... what about the one step formability analysis
for me a redesigned metaform.

 

[crazydiamond]

Would someone be so kind as to post a UG file using Insert > Sheet Metal Feature > Metaform. This sounds like a feature which would be come in very handy at times. A simple example will suffice, I just need to be able to follow the steps used to create the flattened sheet.

Thanks in advance.

Ron
Design Analyst