Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5

[Josh2013]

I am using NX 7.5 and would like to link the dimensions from my drafting view to an excel spreadsheet. Can this be done and how?
I also need the excel spreadsheet to update if the dimensions change.

I have attempted this using the "part families" option but can't seem to get the values to update if the dimension changes.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[JohnRBaker]

The value of Drawing dimensions themselves cannot be linked to a spreadsheet, at least not without doing some custom programming using NX Open tools. Howover, the expressions which drive the size and shape of a model can be linked to a spreadsheet, at least in the sense that the parameters of the model, the expressions used by the various modeling features, can be driven by the contents of a spreadsheet. That is, changes made in a spreadsheet can drive (i.e. update) the values of a model's parameters. However, again, there is no built-in way to change the value of an Expression in NX and get an external spreadsheet to update.

John R. Baker, P.E.
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[Josh2013]

Ok, with that being said how do I link the models geometry to a spreadsheet so that if the spreadsheet is updated it will be reflected on the solid model?

I can use the spreadsheet as the driver of the model if that is the only way of doing it.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[JohnRBaker]

When in the Expression Dialog, there is an icon at the bottom left which looks like f(x). Selecting it will take you to where you can embed preprogrammed 'functions' in an expression. When you are in the 'Insert Function' dialog you will find in the list of function categories one titled 'spreadsheet' where you'll find several functions for reading data from external spreadsheets.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
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Siemens PLM:
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To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[Josh2013]

Ok, I appreciate the info.

Now say I create my solid model then dimension it in drafting. Now I create a second sheet in drafting and add a tabular note. Is there a way to link the cells in the tabular note to the first dimensioned sheet?
Meaning I change a dimension on the first sheet and that dimension updates on the tabular note I have on sheet 2?

Thanks!

 

[cowski]

Meaning I change a dimension on the first sheet and that dimension updates on the tabular note I have on sheet 2?

Are you sure you want to do this? It sounds like the start of a (potentially large) documentation control headache. You double your work recording the changes any time there is a revision to one of the dimensions. As an alternative, have you considered giving the dimensions of interest their own "callout" numbers (for lack of a better term)? You can use an ID symbol type that you don't use for anything else, and attach the symbol to the dimension. On page 2, refer to the "callout" number of the dimension. This has 2 advantages that I see:
[ol][li]when a dimension changes, you don't have to note any change on page 2[/li]
[li]the user of the drawing is forced to look back at the model/dimension for the value, giving it context[/li][/ol]

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[JohnRBaker]

It looks like you're trying to go back to where you want to edit the DIMENSIONS on the face of the Drawing and this will somehow drive your model. This is not how NX works. However if you had done as I explained earlier, set your model up to be DRIVEN by the values found in an external Spreadsheet, there is nothing preventing you from creating a Tabular Note where the text in the cells in the note are linked to the same Expressions as are driving your model and which are linked to the external Spreadsheet. This way, when you edit the Spreadsheet and force NX to update, the model will update causing both the Drawing DIMENSIONS and the TEXT in the Tabular Note to update.

That being said, cowski is correct about one thing, this will take a lot of effort and will be a rather tedious process if this is something that you're going to do a lot of.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[Josh2013]

I was trying to do this to eliminate the need to go to multiple places to change a value. If I can update it in one place (the drawing) and it updates in the other areas where the dimension is referenced it will save time and eliminate the other documents from not getting updated.

I understand your points in using the external spreadsheet.

You are saying the tabular note can only be tied to the excel file and not the drawing model?

Thanks!

 

[JohnRBaker]

Actually the Tabular Note can only be linked to the Expressions in the part file, it's the Expressions that are driven by the Spreadsheet.

However, there is one approach that might work for you. If you want to try a totally 2D 'Drawing' type workflow where all of the geometry is part of the Drawing itself, you could get what you're looking for. See the attached Drawing file. You can double-click the dimensions on the drawing, edit them and the 'model' will update as well as the Tabular Note. However, there is NO 3D modeling involved here, it's simply three 2D views drawn on the face of the Drawing as a single sketch and the Tabular Note is linked to the 'dimensions' vis their underlying Sketch Expressions. Also note that there is no link to an external spreadsheet.

Anyway, take a look and see if this would get you what you're looking for. Granted, this will only be practical for relatively simple 'Drawings', but it does exactly what you're looking for.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[Josh2013]

Actually that is what I am looking for. That is a great example, thank you for providing that.

How did you go about getting that to work?

Thanks again!

 

[JohnRBaker]

I assume that you know how to create a Sketch, even on a Drawing (pick the drawing border and press MB3 to find the Sketch option). And you add dimensions using the regular dimensioning tools, if done while the skecth is active, constraints are created along with their expressions. And then edit the text in the Tabular Note's cells using the 'Relationship' option and selecting Expressions. This is all pretty straightforward stuff.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[Josh2013]

Ok thanks for the info. I haven't used the relationship option in NX before but I got it figured out. I appreciate the help.

Can I add expressions together to get a value to be a combination? Say I have three lengths of 2" I want to display 6" in the spreadsheet cell. Can this be done?

Example:
<X0.2@p0> + <X0.2@p1> + <X0.2@p2>

And that giving me a total of 6" being displayed on the spreadsheet

Thanks

 

[JohnRBaker]

You can just create a new Expression adding the other three together, as I've done in the attached updated example.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[Josh2013]

Great! That helps a lot.

Is there anyway to incorporate tolerances and GD&T into the P values so they are tied to my tabular note?

Thanks!

 

[Josh2013]

I can just add GDT and tolerances to the cell in the edit text option so that works.

I will play around with it. The goal here is to eliminate the need to go and update all these forms we have tied to the dimension when it changes so this may be an option

Also the symbols referencing the dims isn't a bad idea either.

I'm open to any suggestions

Thanks!