Modeling Decals? 1

[edgray]

What is the best way to model a decal? Basically I am looking for a way to design a 2D design that I would then apply to a 3D surface.

I am currently on NX5 but I anticipate moving to NX7.5 soon so if there are some new options in newer versions, that would be of some help as well.

Ed Gray NX5

 

[jnikolauk]

we've always made them out of curves and projected them to the surface

 

[edgray]

I was hoping to do it in a more assembly like fashion.

 

[JohnRBaker]

You can use the...

View -> Visualization -> Decal...

...function to place an image (JPG, PNG or TIF) on the face(s) of a model.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

UG/NX Museum:

http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

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

 

[edgray]

Thanks John, that sounds good.

 

[cubalibre000]

The View -> Visualization -> Decal...need a special license named 'Studio...'

For decal I would like a support without extra license and supported in drafting.

Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC8.3

 

[JohnRBaker]

Sorry, since the added decal will only show up in a rendered state, software- or hardware-based, and since those states are only available as part of the Studio application, why would you need to place a 'decal' in normal modeling if there's no way that you would ever see it?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

UG/NX Museum:

http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

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

 

[Toost]

Well, hm, this is one point where our dear development team haven't thought the full length of the design process, -In the end that decal / label also needs to be documented somehow...- maybe shown or somehow illustrated on a drawing. And since drawings cannot display Studio rendered shaded views, ...

Regards,
Tomas

 

[JohnRBaker]

All you have to do is capture a raster image of the "Studio rendered shaded view" in either JPG, PNG or TIF format and the use the...

Insert -> Image...

...function to place that image on the face of the Drawing.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

UG/NX Museum:

http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

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

 

[Toost]

- And probably add a note/ dimension where this label should fit, so what one has to do is either vectorize the label and project that as well such that there is something that can be annotated.
Or extract the faces where the label goes and trim these into the same position / shape as the decal, then annotate the extracted sheet.

Regards, Tomas

 

[JohnRBaker]

If the positioning of the 'decal' is critical, you may find it useful to create a sketch on the face where the decal will be placed and in the sketch create a rectangle representing the size and location of the area where the decal is to be placed. Once you leave the sketch use it to sub-divide the face and then place the decal on just this face using the 'Full Face' option to fit the logo. Now you will not only have some edges which will appear in your drawing views, which could be view-dependently edited to be dashed or dotted so as to help identify it for what it is and which can even be dimensioned if that's needed, but also, if you ever wish to move the decal, all you have to do is edit the sketch.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

UG/NX Museum:

http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

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

 

[cowski]

John, I like your workaround for decals; do you have any tips for working with artwork applied directly to a model - such as pad printing applied to a surface with compound curvature (molded plastic parts)?

http://www.nxjournaling.com

 

[JohnRBaker]

In the example below, instead of a sketch I created a set of isoparametric curves on the face of the model and used them to defined the boundaries of the sub-divided face:

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

UG/NX Museum:

http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

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

 

[cubalibre000]

John,
in SolidWorks, Solid Edge and Inventor you can add decals / textures in modeling and show the result in drafting without special license or special hardware.
Use decals or textures are very useful and important.
It's time to implement and improve in NX.

Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC8.3

 

[cubalibre000]

Here in SolidWorks.


Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC8.3

 

[JohnRBaker]

There is no special hardware except perhaps that entry level home systems just don't cut it. However, anything you buy today which is identified as a 'workstation' will have adequate graphics hardware.

As for the license issue, that has NOTHING to do with technology, that's a business issue, which means you're talking to the WRONG guy in the WRONG forum (Meaning that Eng-Tips is NOT the place to discuss issues which are related to pricing & policy. You need to take that up with your Siemens PLM rep or the VAR that you normally deal with.).

As for making this work in the context of a Drawing, now that's technical but since it's clearly not supported now, your best bet it to contact GTAC and have them open an ER.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

UG/NX Museum:

http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

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

 

[cubalibre000]

Hi John,
you have right, sure it's not the place to discuss.
But you are a good guy, very important for NX user and a NX employee.
You are the person were NX user transfer their opinions and needing.
Maybe in some your SIEMENS reunion talk about suggestion discusses in this forum.

Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC8.3

 

[Toost]

a few examples, where positioning probably is very important.

 

[jnikolauk]

those are not as percise as you'd like to think

 

[edgray]

Considering the number of responses and the heat of this discussion, it really sound like there is reason for an enhancement request.

I would like to see a "module"(?) designed for creating 2D "parts" that could be assembled to "flat"(planar, cylindrical, or conic) faces in an assembly, using "apply" and "orient" constraints.

These parts would be designed on a "modeling" side and have drawings made on a "drafting" side.

I would think the modeling side could leverage some popular graphics application but this might make it difficult to port to multiple platforms. One would really like to have a rich graphics toolset. Not for my work but I could see where one might.

comments? flame?