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Items UG needs to fix!! 6

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HellBent

HellBent

Automotive
Sep 29, 2002
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I just posted in another thread how I'm always telling myself I need to write down the minor "annoyances" I have to deal with everyday while running UG but I just never seem to do it. For some reason I think having a thread dedicated to just that may help. At some point maybe these items will get the attention they deserve by UG. So I'll start it off with a couple that immediately come to mind:

#1. Fix the darn 2d translators!! Why does making a DXF or a DWG of my drawing have to be so difficult? It has never worked right! Why am I forced to run it through CGM in order to get reliable results?

#2. Let me fix errors during feature creation rather than having to start all over again. I.E. "Through curve mesh" intersection errors force me to fix the intersections and then start all over again. Let me edit the intersections from within the creation menu so I don't have to re-select all of my geometry again! Apply this mentality to all feature creation...give me the ability to fix mistakes on-the-fly.


I think I'll be more likely to add items to a thread on a message board than write them down on a notepad so let's give it a shot!

Take care...
 
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Like I said, since the variable has to be un-set to get what you want, it's like un-ringing a bell. It can't be done, at least not by a user who does not have access to the adminstrative files.

What we're going to do is make this a 2 valued variable meaning that when we fix it, there will be one value to enable it and another to disable it, which will then allow you set it in you .bat file, which is also the way I work (but of course I also have access to my ugii_env.dat file).



John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
UGS NX Product Line
SIEMENS
UGS PLM Software
Cypress, CA
 
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I have an issue that NX5 may have addressed, but thought worth asking.

When chosing blank, for example, NX4 opens up a mini toolbar that includes 3 options unlike prior releases. Class select, accept, cancel. The original class select tool bar includes all these options already, and I was wondering if there is a way to bypass the mini toolbar? I would be happy with a macro call, or some way to edit either the customer defaults or an .ini file.
 
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OK, just between you and I (we wouldn't want this to get around :)) there is a very easy way to disable all of those Class Selection 'mini toolbars' and use the full dialogs instead.

Just set the following environment variable, either in your user profile or, if you start NX from a .bat file, in there:

NX_FORCE_CSD=1

Now that was easy, wasn't it?

BTW, in UGS NX 5 there is no longer a Blank, nor for that matter, an Unblank command. They are now known as Hide and Show. Same difference, just terms that can be translated into other languages (Blank was OK, but there is not such word as Unblank in the dictionary).



John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
UGS NX Product Line
SIEMENS
UGS PLM Software
Cypress, CA
 
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Be aware, if you're using Macros and you set NX_FORCE_CSD=1
, then they will need to be edited, or recreated.

I like layers, been using them since 1984. Never known anything different. So which CAD systems don't use layers, and how do you manage what's visible, and what's not ?

Specialty Engineered Automation
 
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Personally, I wouldn't lose any sleep if layers did go away, at least in the way they now behave. The concept of having a fixed number of mutually exclusive 'partitions' to your 'file' is an idea born out of the days when the 'D' in CAD stood only for DRAFTING.

What would be better would be a scheme by which we would have somthing along the lines of a 'group' where I could define as many or as few as I needed. Where I could name them and define what their behaviors would be, to meet my needs. Now if that meant that I needed 256 numbered groups whose members could only occupy one group at any one time, so be it. But if I preferred a hierarchical scheme where groups could be members of other groups and where objects could be found in more than one group while also carrying names that conveyed more meaning that a simple numerical ID< should be able to that as well.

But don't hold your breath. While we are continuing to enhance and expand the capabilities of so-called 'groups' in NX, it'll be awhile before we will be ready to replace layers as part of a more comprehensive and flexible 'grouping' scheme.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
UGS NX Product Line
SIEMENS
UGS PLM Software
Cypress, CA
 
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I don't use layers anymore anyway. Hide/show works perfectly for me. To be honest, I find the implementation of layers in UG to be quite confusing compared to other CAD systems. It's a pain having to refer to them by number all the time when in other systems you can name them and refer to them by their name.

I'm glad UGS have changed the terminology of blank/unblank to hide/show. PTC still uses hide/unhide!
 
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Well, internalizing the sketches solves one problem and with UGS NX 5, for datums referenced by sketches, you can internalize them as well. As for the rest, just use Hide (that's what I do). Even if something is hidden, when you initiate an edit from the Part Navigator, the software makes it visible while you're editing it and then rehides it again afterwards. The same of course goes for 'internalized' objects. The goal is to have a system where only the most relevant and needed objects are always visually seen but where the rest of the objects are accessable from navigators like the Part and Assembly Navigators, or they exhibit a behavior that when needed for an edit or an interaction, that it's easy to quickly (or even automatially) make hidden objects visible and selectable yet which automatically 'cleans-up' the display when those objects are no longer needed.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
UGS NX Product Line
SIEMENS
UGS PLM Software
Cypress, CA
 
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WOW this is great!!!
My turn!
In drafting: I'd like a hole chart. Nothing to big, select a 0,0 point pick all the holes you want listed and it creates a tab block with the x/y coords and hole sizes.

In Modeling: Id like to be able to add constraints to points (points on a curve), so when I adjust the curve it keeps the points with it. (I use the points to locate hole centers)
 
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Well I can't help you with Hole Charts, at least not at the moment, but as for associative points on a curve, prior to UGS MX 3, you'd have had to use a 'smart point' inside the sketcher to do that, but since the release of UGS NX 3, you can create 'smart points' directly in modeling and make them associative to to a curve by using the 'Point of Curve/Edge' placement option.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
UGS NX Product Line
SIEMENS
UGS PLM Software
Cypress, CA
 
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Speaking for the CAST on the Resource Bar, here is a little copy/paste:
"You are no longer able to access CAST from the Resource Bar in NX — the Training tab has been removed. The Resource Bar has been getting more and more use in recent releases of NX, and it is no longer practical to display the training in the Resource Bar, since so many of the training activities require you to view things in the Resource Bar.
If you have an installation of the CAST Library, you can still access it using Help?Training from the NX menu bar, as before."

_____________________________________
Complex problems have simple, easy-to-understand, wrong answers.
_________________
PI Penkov
CAM Programmer
Non-standard Equipment Designer
 
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Well, I suspect that there are several issues at play here with respect to having CAST available from the Resource Bar, the first being the one stated in the 'message' that you recieved, that is that it's not convenient to to 'tie-up' the Resource Bar for the CAST lessons if those lessons are going to ask you to access other tabs on the Resource Bar since only one tab can be open at a time (and remain attached).

Another which I know has been a bone of contention for some time is that users have asked for either more control over what system controlled tabs get displayed, or at least, don't include any tabs that serve no purpose for that particular installation, and the prime example being the tab-space 'wasted' for those people who do not have CAST (wasting that space on the Help pull-down is not seen as big a deal).

And lastly, we might have also run into the same problem with CAST running under Windows-64 as we did with the Help Files. While I don't know this for certain, it's quite possible that like the search engine tool used in the Help Files, that some utility needed for CAST was only available in a 32-bit version. And the reason that this is an issue is that if you were running the Windows 64-bit version of NX 5, anything launched from the Resource Bar, since that is integrated into NX, would also have to be fully implemented in 64-bit. Items launched from a menu pull-down do not since in the case of any IE-based untilites, like Help or CAST, this just spawns an independent application which can be a 32-bit version running on Windows 64.

So taking ALL of these issues into consideration, it appears that the decision was made to remove CAST from the Resource Bar for NX 5. Now I did check the ugii_env.dat file and there does not seem to be a provision, like there was for the Help Files to override this if you were running the 32-bit NX, so apparently someone felt more stgronly about this situation than they did with Help.

Anyway, if you wish, I can investigate this a little further on Monday, but I suspect that what I've said here is going to be confirmed, at least the first 2 items for sure and most likely the last one as well.



John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
UGS NX Product Line
SIEMENS
UGS PLM Software
Cypress, CA
 
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I like layers, been using them since 1984. Never known anything different. So which CAD systems don't use layers, and how do you manage what's visible, and what's not ?
Click to expand...

The only one I'm familiar with is Catia. They also use the hide/show system. I think that UG is trying to bridge the gaps from other systems making it easier for new users to get up and running faster. This is what I hope the intent is, since I'll be like the other long term users trying to get acclimated to the new protocols. That being said, Catia uses a tree type system with parent objects and children within them. I've never been trained on using it, but I fish through it getting the information I need before migrating the data to UG.

Also, thanks once again Mr. Baker for being helpful. The "mini toolbar" problem has been fixed and everyone in the office is happy. It's amazing what little things can do. ;)
 
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JohnRBaker said:
Anyway, if you wish, I can investigate this a little further on Monday, but I suspect that what I've said here is going to be confirmed, at least the first 2 items for sure and most likely the last one as well.
Click to expand...
No thanks. Bearing in mind the things you said I believe it's good to have CAST separated from the main NX window. Just wanted to clear the things for the people wondering what is the exact situation.

_____________________________________
Complex problems have simple, easy-to-understand, wrong answers.
_________________
PI Penkov
CAM Programmer
Non-standard Equipment Designer
 
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I have recently transitioned from NX2 to NX3 and am having some difficulty with projecting curves onto a contoured or curved surface. I also need to make a cut into the curved surface or thickened sheet normal to the surface.
Can anyone help?

Thanks all.
Gator91826
 
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This might get more exposure if you started a new thread, as it really doesn't have anything to do with "Items UG needs to fix!!!", and isn't broken.
 
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I have to agree with the redo button. It is needed.
Is it me or does part families really suck when dealing
with several components and assemblies in one file.
Mating conditions don't always stay, or they get blown out
updating part families. Wave linking in multiple assemblies
you lose data integrity. Preferences don't stay in drafting.
I have to change arrows in STYLE all the time. Editing
features can be a pain as well sometimes(offsetting flanges,
couterboring on angles, and sketcher; when modifying multiple
extrusions in one sketch). Finally information object doesn't
always give you the info your looking for about that
particular object or feature. I'm done ranting.
These are my issues that "urk" me even though I work around
them.
 
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NX5 already has a Redo button....maybe even NX4 as well. Are you using an older version? If so, then maybe check out NX5, as it's much different than previous versions of NX.

I cannot offer any advice about assemblies since I don't work with them very often and when I do, they are just a few components. However, I do know that if you use datums instead of faces for assigning constraints, that should make dealing with the constraints a little bit easier. Based on my limited experience with constraints in NX, they typically only fail when you've replaced a face in one of the mated components. This can occur when you delete a curve from a sketch that is used to created some sort of body whose face is used within the model and also has a constraint assigned to that face or an edge of the face. It's just basic common sense in regards to parent/child relationships.....IF that is the true culprit.

Regarding the Preferences in Drafting, if you don't set them as DEFAULT then don't expect the arrows to be correct as you create them. Changing the Style of one dimension after you've already created it is NOT the same as setting it as default. You can set the defaults for dimensions in your customer defaults to be whatever you want them to be and I'm positive that DOES work. You can set defaults to be just for the session as well. Both have worked fine for me for the entire NX series (about 5 years now). Could it be you're not using the correct commands to set dimension defaults (Style)?

Sketcher has worked fine for me in regards to editing sketches for years...not really sure what issues you're having with editing. Maybe just not familiar with it?

What information doesn't Information Object give? There's very little that I can think of that doesn't appear in the Info window about geometry, if you're using a preferred method. After you pick the object and the dialog appears, are you clicking the big "i" button? For features, I'd suggest using the Model Navigator rather than trying to isolate the features from the geometry and using Information Object.

Tim Flater
Senior Designer
Enkei America, Inc.

Some people are like slinkies....they don't really have a purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
 
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