NX1899 - mass in a titleblock 1

[PhoeNX]

NX1899 has just been released and brings with it a change/update in the way Assembly Mass can be calculated.

Working support, I've been asked many times on how to show the mass for parts or assemblies on a drawing.
I've made videos about it but the solutions have never been great & involve a bit of mucking about with attributes to make it work.

Part of the change in NX1899 is the new roll-up attributes & expressions, which will populate with the Mass (amongst other things) for parts or assemblies.
See image below, you can turn on the attribute, but I think more importantly is the expression.

In your drawing template/s, you then create an expression called MassPropRollupMass and specify a generic value, making sure it's a number (I prefer unitless as the type of expression).

Then in your drawing titleblock, edit the appropriate cell and link to the expression MassPropRollupMass and save your drawing templates.

Now when you create a new drawing using that template (whether of an assembly or piece part) the value will not populate in the titleblock, but if you click the Update Mass Properties button, the mass will be calculated, MassPropRollupMass will be updated and the titleblock will show the mass.

I've made a video that shows how this is done:

https://phoenxplm.sharefile.com/d-se9e5d07a5c54e5c8

Hopefully this helps someone.

Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer


NX4 to NX CR with almost every MR (18versions)

 

[NutAce]

Sounds cool.

How would I go about components which I don't want to have calculated? Like Raw Materials, Premachined etc...

Ronald van den Broek
Senior Application Engineer
Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd
NX9 / TC10.1.2

Building new PLM environment from Scratch using NX12 / TC11

 

[PhoeNX]

You can use component groups, suppress the parts, or make the parts non-geometric.


Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer


NX4 to NX CR with almost every MR (18versions)

 

[carlharr]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for this info.

One problem I've noticed is that if any scenery (components or bodies) are added to the drawing, their mass is included in the expression.

As an alternative I wondered about pulling the expression from Master Model instead.

This is fine if it's an assembly, but if it's a piece part no MassPropRollupMass expression is created, so it won't work.

I've just raised an IR, but wondered if you'd encountered this and found a solution?

Regards,

Carl Harrison

http://www.oneplm.com

 

[PhoeNX]

It works with a piece part. I've tested this and if I create a drawing (master model, so drawing separate from the model), MassPropRollupMass is created & populated correctly.

If the drawing is in the model file, then no it wouldn't work, but there is the MassPropMass expression. I would think it would be possible to either have a sheet already in the model template file, or have a sheet that can be added to use MassPropMass instead.

As for 'scenery' that's the way it's always been. You could either suppress unecessary components or use delete body to remove unwanted geometry.

Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer


NX4 to NX CR with almost every MR (18versions)

 

[carlharr]

Hi Anthony,

I don't think I've explained properly, I am using the master model method, with a separate drawing file.

When creating the drawing template, I'm trying to pull the MassPropRollupMass expression from the master model (by pressing link to part), not from the drawing file itself.

This avoids the problem of scenery weight that has been added into the drawing file.

I've just had a look at the MassPropMass expression - you're right this can be created for a component, but unfortunately it won't work for assemblies.

So I can't see a way to create one note in the drawing template that would pull mass from either a master model or master assembly.

I'll wait to see what Siemens come back with and update here. This is a great addition to NX, I just feel like it needs a little tweak so it can be used in a template for all situations.



Carl Harrison

http://www.oneplm.com

 

[PSI-CAD]

Hi Anthony,

I have tried in NX1903 your explanation at this link : [URL unfurl="true"]https://phoenxplm.sharefile.com/d-se9e5d07a5c54e5c...[/url]

But I can't succeed because the Mass Properties Tab is missing in Assembly Navigator (I have large assembly license !!!)

Is there any setting to display it ?

Did you tried ?

Regards
Didier Psaltopoulos

http://www.psi-cad.fr

 

[lklo]

Hi -
I have simply created a “DO checker” in our check-mate environment ....
It always calculate the assy-Mass automatic during check mate runtime - value is always latest up to date and populated in titleblock before check-mate save the drawing part....

Nice mechanisnm...

Br Lars...

 

[cowski]

DidierPSICAD,
Do you have an advanced assemblies license? If not, the new mass functionality probably won't show up. It looks like we got a "free preview" in the 1899 version.

https://community.sw.siemens.com/s/...lies-license-no-longer-needed-for-assert-mass

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[PSI-CAD]

Hi Anthony,

As I have said, I have large assembly module with my Mach3 Industrial Design.

With the link to the forum, I have found the answer to display the mass properties panel

So, It works, but how to have an automatic update ?

I have simply created a “DO checker” in our check-mate environment ....

Coudl you explain how to create a Do checker

TIA

Regards
Didier Psaltopoulos

http://www.psi-cad.fr

 

[PSI-CAD]

Hi,

I have found that It should update upon saving if Generate Mass Data Upon Save is ticked on our Save Options.

But it should also update during drawing update.

It's a reason of error, because we can export pdf with a wrong value

I will open an ER



Regards
Didier Psaltopoulos

http://www.psi-cad.fr