What is the best way to create tooling tabs to machine aircraft part? I have a imported model and would like to add tooling tabs to hold part down. I am using NX3!!!!
The prefered method is: You have your part model viewed in as an assembly item in the aircraft coordinate system. You then model the tabs in your nc part file then export those as an assembly item for others to load in if needed.
Yes, by all means model them as solids. This allows you to incorporate them into your part def., reducing the chance that you'll inadvertently mill through them. I sometimes even boolean them into a wavelinked part, just to keep things simple. I guess you could also just identify them as check bodies (I've never tried this).
Lately I've experimented with drawing from a library of standard tabs, defined by the size of shcs I want to use, sort of like a standard part or udf. I position them with assy constraints or (mating conds in your case.), and wavelink them so I can adjust dims (using SI) to part requirements as necessary.