NX 7.5 Offset Face

[tshanashiro]

The Offset Face function stopped working for me after using it multiple times while modeling my part. The function's dialog box opens, but I am unable to select faces. The selection filter is set to select all types and the surfaces I am selecting are definitely faces. Once this function stops working I am still able to edit offsets in the history tree I created before. However, I need to make new offsets, but I cannot seem to have it recognize faces anymore. In order to get the job done, I used the Offset Regions function, which was successful, but that too stopped recognizing faces. Now, I am stuck. Is there a solution to this problem?

 

[JohnRBaker]

That's a new one... Never heard of this happening before.

Did you try saving the part, restarting NX and opening the part to see if that changed anything?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
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[tshanashiro]

Hi John. Thank you for your response. I have tried restarting everything and it still happens. I have some new phenomena that I have encountered while trying to proceed with my project. I tried exporting the solid bodies as a parasolid and importing them into a new part file and then trying to use the offset face function -- still does not work, not as a step file either. I tried adding the corrupted part file in a new part file as a component in assembly mode, then creating a wave linked body so that I am able to modify it within the new part file -- it does not work. This whole time I have been working with metric part files. I then attempted to do the same thing I just mentioned, but instead of adding in the corrupted file as a component in a new metric part file, I added it in a new english part file. I created the wave linked bodies and the offset face function now worked! So, this is what I did to continue modeling with the originally metric part file now added as a component to an english part file. It was the only way to keep the modeling history be it in a convoluted way.

I then realized I could copy and paste an existing offset face feature within the corrupted part file's model tree. This copy/paste method allowed me to select faces when normally it wouldn't recognize them.

Any thoughts?

 

[JohnRBaker]

Not without seeing the original NX feature model.

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.

 

[tshanashiro]

Would sending you the model be possible, if so, how? This problem has happened to me before in NX 6, but hasn't occurred in NX 7.5 until now.

 

[JohnRBaker]

If the model is not that large (less then 4 or 5 megabites and if it bigger you can always zip it first) just upload it using the links at the bottom of this page.

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.

 

[tshanashiro]

The model is linked below. I really appreciate your help!

 

[JohnRBaker]

Which faces were you having problems with as I've been able to offset, multiple times, virtually all of the faces on your model using NX 7.5.5.4?

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.

 

[tshanashiro]

You are right, John. I was able to perform the offset face on another machine at our office using NX 7.5. I've attached the screenshot of what it looks like when in the Offset Face dialog box on my PC. The selection bar at the top is grayed out which is why I cannot select any faces. I've tried resetting the selection filters, switching up the roles from essential back to advanced with fulls menus (per GTAC support), but it still doesn't let me select any faces.

 

[jerry1423]

if it works on one machine and not the other, it could be a graphics card issue

 

[Arkance/PhoeNX]

@tshanashiro,
Two things I would suggest.
1. On the Offset Face dialog, try clicking on the circular arrow (see image) to reset the Offset Face dialog.

2. If that doesn't work, I would try deleting the dialog memory file.
On Windows 7, it's called DialogMemory.dlx and is found in C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Unigraphics Solutions\NX75


Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer

NX5.0.6, NX6.0.5, NX7.5.5, NX8.0.0 -> NX8.0.3
NX8.5.0 -> NX8.5.3, NX9.0.0 -> NX9.0.1

 

[JohnRBaker]

If it works on one machine but not another running the same exact version of NX, then it's probably NOT the software.

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.

 

[tshanashiro]

Deleting the dialogmemory.dlx file fixed the issue. I mentioned this to GTAC and this was their response:

"There have been a few cases of that dialog memory file going corrupt. It can happen if NX crashes during a session, or if NX is closed using the X in the upper right of the screen."

The only other time I've deliberately deleted this dialogmemory.dlx file was to increase the time it takes NX to exit due to it having to read/write to this file before shutting down. I was told it can get quite large, especially when working in the Manufacturing module, and it can make closing NX take forever. Apparently, it can become corrupt and cause other issues.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[JohnRBaker]

You do know that you can 'Reset' all of the NX dialogs (which in essence deletes the .dlx file) by going to...

Preferences -> User Interface -> General

...and selecting the button at the bottom of the dialog labeled 'Reset Dialog Box Settings'.

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.