Just started I-deas from Solidworks 1

[arcticcatmatt]

I was a solidworks admin for our company. Took me many years to get to that level.

Now, I was moved and I am using NX I-deas 5. WOW is this different. I can't use my spaceball since I am using a windows PC to dial into a Unix station. There is no feature tree, there are no planes, I had to tape words to keys on my keyboard so I know what does what (f1 is pan f2 is zoom etc), It took me 2 hrs to model a square and has taken me over an hour so far trying to figure out how to modify a dimension to change the size of the square.

Good god am I in for it. This program is far from easy to learn.

 

[IdeasNative]

Extrude.... Why have lots of different commands when you can have one that fits all. Cut, Join,intersect... all under the options

You can create a new variant by copying the drawing in Manage Bins. You then have an option to also copy the part rather than referencing the existing part. Now edit the history on the new part.

Drawing templates can be set to create standard views and you can also drag in attributes into the title block. This takes some configuartion but is possible.

The translators rely on Orbix which consists of 4 services. If one of these services goes down, a reboot will normally rectify this. Firewall/ Antivirus may be causing these an issue or change of machine name

The thing I like about I-deas is that there are many different ways to achieve the end result. If you hit a brick wall you'll always manage to find a way round it.

 

[arcticcatmatt]

New questions -

1. How do I cut my assembly in half to look inside? In SW I am used to the glass plane feature that allows you to slide this plane thru an assembly to view the section view on your screen wherever you want.

2. Is there a concentric mate or variable distance mate? Example - I make a cylinder with a 2 inch stroke, If I put a variable distance mate on it from 0-2 I can click and drag the shaft of the cylinder and it will slide out to 2 inches only.. that is in SW. How do I do it in I-deas?

 

[arcticcatmatt]

Dang.. I can't edit that post. I had a number 3 also

3. I have to do a weldment. Is there a weldment feature in ideas? Hopefully one that automatically generates the cutlist also?

 

[SDETERS]

1. Use Dynamic Clip It is cool See JPG to get to this feature

2. I am confused on this you just can put in a dimension constraint and modify the dimension for what you want. You can also Animate this dimension from 0 - 2. Or use Assembly equations.


3. Weldments You are talking C channels and i-Beams and such We do not have this in our I-Deas but I do not work with weldments.

 

[arcticcatmatt]

^ Thanks. I am trying to use the dynamic clip thing but I can't get it to slide thru the part. Can I only slice it on a plane? Right now it cuts thru my assembly 20% of the way thru but I want to drag it thru the assembly and watch it.

As far as the cylinder mate goes I am used to being able to just click the cylinder and drag it out so it is extended, I guess here I will have do it different with dimensions and clicks and views and filters and whatever.

No weldments? oh man.

I just spent 10 mins trying to click the face of a part. I rotated it every which way, tried F8, it would want to click everything but the face! I made a phone call and was told to hit the icon that looks like a TV to redisplay. Apparently that is not the same thing as UPDATE. It worked. UGH!

I miss my spaceball and the ability to just click and drag my parts to rotate them or move them.

 

[SDETERS]

oK If you are in 12m4 release there is an issue with Dynamic clip

Hit CTRL+M to bring up side screen menu then Click on display options and hit reset and couple of times. Then get back into your dynamic clip box and click the drag icon and it should work for you. How many Planes do you have turned on under options. If you have two planes you hit the drag command and then you to pick the plane you want then drag that plane.

Try f12 to redisplay

Never move your parts

Always move the instance in the assembly. If you move the part, it will move that same amount in your assembly.

 

[arcticcatmatt]

^ Yep that worked thanks. I am in NX I-deas 5 m3 - C3P 13.3 whatever all that means.

When I said move the part, I ment as in dragging it across the screen. I-deas has this icon to move, rotate, drag.. I am used to rotating my assembly and parts with the space ball or just the buttons on the mouse. Ideas had to turn it into a multi clicking process

Well now I am trying to design a part that goes into my assembly to fit over and around these other parts (it is a fixture). I am used to doing a simple create new part and making it right in my assembly.. a top down design.. but I am being told not to do that in ideas and to just take measurements with the ruler and design the part separate.

 

[SDETERS]

So you are automotive supplier then with the C3P package I do believe.

You can design on the part while it is in the assembly. YOu can Acess the history sketch Focus lines from other stuff in the assembly also you can do Associative copies of other surfaces in the assembly.

that sounds cool being able to rotate the part with a space ball. Aligning parts up would be so much easier.

 

[RobLN]

One thing I-deas is actually quite good at is the sketch in place within assembly. Just put yourself into the master modeller with an assembly on the bench and use sketch in place. You then choose any face you want make your 2 D sketch then 'extrude as new part'. then it prompts for a new name and your part is there sketched in place. You just need to then go and swicth to the assembly mode and be sure to add your new part to the assembly tree. You'll then have an instance and the part on the screen so you can close the part if you want and continue working with your assembly.
Good luck with I-deas I'm using NX5 and must confess do not miss I-deas one little bit...

 

[SDETERS]

How big was the learning curve when you went From I-Deas to NX5?

 

[RobLN]

Going from I-deas to NX5 is not too bad. In my previous company I used Solid Edge 12 about 8 years ago. Many functions in NX5 are similar to solid edge especially the sheet metal mode. When migrating from I-deas there is more incentive . Solid Edge to I-deas was much more painful.

 

[arcticcatmatt]

I am putting holes in ideas for a C'bore 1/4-20 SHCS. I SW I am used to just clicking hole wizard, 1/4-20 SHCS c'bore, DONE.

In I-deas it seems that I have to look up the numbers in machinery handbook and cut them into the part with features. Next thing I know I will be using word perfect or lotus 123 hehehe

 

[RobLN]

Yes, it is often back to basics with I-deas. At least you'll know its right I suppose. Sometimes we rely heavily on the pre-loaded data - we have to hope its right. If its in the good book then you'll be OK!

 

[arcticcatmatt]

^ That preloaded data is identical to the machinery handbook, thats where it came from. Even press/slip fits (H7 and so on) are automatic.

Another day... more questions

1. Tapped holes in my drawing. They look like normal holes. Do I have to manually sketch in the dotted center lines for the threads? Do I have to just put a note pointing to the hole and say 2X M5 x .8 ?

2. How do I do a dowel hole symbol?

3. All my dimensions have commas instead of decimal points. I figured out how to change one.. but how do I change them all?

4. How do you line up one view to another view?


As I dig into this program more, I just cannot figure out why some companies are still using this. It would be like trying to design a website on your cell phone.

 

[SDETERS]

1. Tapped holes in my drawing. They look like normal holes. Do I have to manually sketch in the dotted center lines for the threads? Do I have to just put a note pointing to the hole and say 2X M5 x .8 ?

I draw them in by hand in 2D drafting. This is huge and other arguments for doing this is partion the model to show minor of threads. This is not one of I-Deas strong points. Yes always call out your threads

2. How do I do a dowel hole symbol? What is that? Dimension it with tolerances.

3. 3. All my dimensions have commas instead of decimal points. I figured out how to change one.. but how do I change them all? Under modify there is a icon called edit multiple dims or type EM then select all the dims in your drawing. You can change the defaults but this gets more interesting. I will not get into that at this time.

4. How do you line up one view to another view? This is called view orgin Type VO or go to top right of icon stack. Then click the origin in the view of the part which should be a 2d coordinate system looking object then line it up with the one in the other view. You will get this play with it.

5. HOw do design a cad program on your cell phone First
LOL

Have fun

 

[Dward]

I agree with an earlier comment by whagen1974 that Ideas handles large complex parts much better than SW.
I think one of the main reasons for this is the linear nature (1-dimensional) of the SW feature tree (history). As soon as this gets to more than 100 or so steps, it becomes very difficult to find your way around.
Some of the complex moulded parts I get involved with in Ideas have over 2000 steps in the tree (see attached jpg), and the 2-dimensional structure that can be built up in the tree is very useful for finding your way around the various features. I think I am right in saying you can't even zoom in and out of the tree in SW, to see the whole thing!

Inherent in this Ideas modelling approach is the use of complex feature nodes, which maintain their complete history even when extracted and used in another part.
I have been using Ideas for the last 14 years, and also SW for the about 4 years. I can see very clearly the differences, SW is certainly much easier to use to begin with, but Ideas is a much more complete modelling solution.

What is the tree structure like in NX5 or 6? I looked at it a while ago (NX4) and it was very SW-like.

 

[arcticcatmatt]

Thanks SDETERS!

I-deas history tree sucks. It is just unlabeled dots. SW has a feature history tree that is just a click to "roll back" and they are all easily labeled and expanded with a + sign like normal windows formatting.

When SW tree gets more than 100 steps it is hard to find your way around? Just click the feature on the model you want to modify and it highlights it in the feature tree and scrolls to it automatically. You can also search the feature tree if you named the feature something.

I-deas a much more complete modeling solution? I just peed my pants hehe.

I just had a problem figuring out how to get my title block imported. My coworker said "click the bolt". I have to click the bolt to get my title block?? Then after I get it in, it doesn't fit. He says I need to make my sheet size match my format size. My sheet size is A2 so I do not know what sheet size that is (I am familiar with A/B/C/D/E).

Ya know.. in SW.. ALL of this is automatic and 1 or 2 clicks with no prior knowledge of the program needed.

Comparing I-deas to SW is like comparing a Corvette to an Amish Buggy

 

[arcticcatmatt]

Whoops.. forgot to answer what a dowel pin symbol was..

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=135587&page=9

Of course in SW it is one click

http://www.kxcad.net/SolidWorks/SolidWorks_Online_User_Guide/detailing/hidd_dve_dowel.htm

I just had to make sketches and fill in the sketch in I-deas on all my dowel holes.

 

[SDETERS]

YOu can set up templates when you go and create your drawings. It is really easy. You can set templates up for different sizes of drawings. This can be a huge time savings for you if you do not use templates at the current time. After you set these up it is really one or two clicks and you get your title block layers and everything already set. I can tell you how this is done. It is really easy.

For your node names in your history tree. You can control the size of these. Go to options preferences clcik on modler/assembly then slide the bar that says history access node display name.

 

[arcticcatmatt]

Question -

Ordinate dimensions on a drawing. I used them but I missed something. How can I add it to my dimension set?