NX5 drafting preferences

[moog2]

We're still using NX3, but have loaded NX5, ready to change over, once all users are ready.
I've set up all my defaults, but it doesn't read from my drafting preferences.
In the defaults i've set annotations to what i want, and saved my own "drafting standard" file, and when you go in and read the customer defaults, it is set to them.
But when i create a new component, and add a drwg, the dimensions go on as the out of the box settings, not my settings, then i open annotation preferences, and pick load all defaults, and THEN, my preferences work.
Is there a variable i need to set, or is it because i've still got NX3 loaded.
If i change a modelling default, IE std block size, it WILL work in a new part ( after re-openig UG), so it's reading my defaults, but not my drafting defaults. So i'm thinking the NX3 is upsetting it because those defaults didn't have a separate file for the "drafting std"

 

[JohnRBaker]

Many, if not most, drating preferences are part specific. That means that they are saved with your part file. If you are using an existing drawing template, the drafting preferences have already been set and saved with the template part and most anything you changed under Customer Defaults will NOT be applied to an existing template when it is used. Now if you create a NEW part file, this one will get the current settings from Customer Defaults. What you're going to need to do is open your template file(s) as a regular part file, update any preferences and then resave it, before you start using it as templates.

To see which defaults are part or session specific, go to Customer Defaults and do a Search Defaults on "drafting". Once you have the list up, scroll to the far right side of the list and note the enties in the column labled 'Scope'. Any item shown as 'Part', means that making a change will NOT have any effect on an existing part file.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Product Line
SIEMENS PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[moog2]

John, I don't use a "template part", and every time i change or try the defaults, i create a new part to try it out, but its not picking up my annotation defaults

 

[moog2]

John, i think i know what you mean, i've found the template files, i'll try that, do i also have to do it in the drwg templates as well

 

[JohnRBaker]

Yes, in fact, as far as your drafting defaults, it's imperitive that you update them in the Drawing Template (but you don't have to in the part templates as the Drawings are only created and annotated in the Drawing template file.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Product Line
SIEMENS PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[moog2]

ok, so how do i tell the system to look for templates in a different location, so i can have global templates on the server

 

[JohnRBaker]

I've created my own tabs (that are added to the File New dialog) that list the templates that I wish to use (both Modeling and Drawing) using XML files. Place these files in the 'Startup' folders of the locations pointed to using the normal UGII_SITE_DIR or UGII_GROUP_DIR variables.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Product Line
SIEMENS PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[moog2]

John ,can you give me some tips on how to do this ?
Also someone else suggested using pallette's, i think that could also work well for drwg creation, and we used to create parts lists that way at my old company, which worked good.
I need to find how to create the .pax files to do this, any help much appreciated, or is there a training thing i can download to help do these things

 

[JohnRBaker]

OK, after I answered your question I realized that I probably misled you a bit, but since it didn't come to me until a few minutes later, when I was on the plane flying home, I couldn't correct it and then it slipped my mind as my flight was from Bangkok to L.A. (I was responding to your question while sitting in the Cathy Pacific Business Class lounge at the Bangkok airport).

Anyway, back to what you need to do.

What I described was how you could set up NX 5. However, if you're still on NX 3, you need to use a Resource Bar 'Tab' instead. The easiest way to do that is to create your template files and then place them all in the same folder. Then go to Preferences -> Palettes... and use the 'Open Directory as Palette' option (4th icon in the upper-left corner of the palette dialog) and select that folder. Alternatively you could write your own .PAX files using the ones supplied (in the \UGII\html_files folder) as an example, and then use the 2nd icon in palette dialog.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Product Line
SIEMENS PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[moog2]

John,
we have now swopped over to NX5, but i'd still like to do pallettes for drafting tables, if not drwg templates as well...

 

[JohnRBaker]

Drafting tables are still done using Palettes, however we recommend that you use the File New mechanism for 'creating' any NEW part files, be it for modeling or drafting (NX 5 also provides a tab for CAE templates and NX 6 will include one for CAM templates as well).


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Product Line
SIEMENS PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[moog2]

John,
I've been playing with the pallettes and i've got them working fine, using edited .pax files.
I've got drwgs which will assemble the diplayed part into a drwg, and i've got sheets which i can add for extra drwg sheets.
So, how should i go about doing it with the file-new way?

 

[JohnRBaker]

Email me at my siemens.com address (my username except with periods in the appropriate places) and I will forward you some sample files and instructions on how to set up your own customized File New tabs.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Design
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[DavidTolsma]

You can force NX to use your settings versus what is in the seed/template file. This is a customer defaults setting variable. If you can't find it let me know, and i'll forward the exact path to this override variable.

Since I do not want to maintain updating seed files for every change that is done, I've enabled this setting.

-Dave

http://plmwiki.com

http://groups.google.com/group/NX_CAX/

 

[moog2]

Dave,
i couldn't find one that sounded like that, would it be the "user tools definition file directory" ?

 

[DavidTolsma]

I'll look tomorrow and let you know

-Dave

http://plmwiki.com

http://groups.google.com/group/NX_CAX/

 

[moog2]

John,
Thanks for the info,...So if that .pax file overides the default one, i should be able to dump all that stuff in with my personal defaults stuff,(not the valve parts) try it all out, then remove it all, and i'll be back the way it was ??

 

[JohnRBaker]

Yes, as long as that file is NOT in the 'Startup' folder, the system default .pax file will take precedent.

However, if the .pax file in your 'Startup' folder does NOT have the same exact name as the default .pax file, what will result is that an additional 'tab' will be added to the File New dialog containing your custom templates, AND the original 'tab' with the system templates will still be there as well.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Design
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[DavidTolsma]

In the customer Defaults:

Drafting -> General -> Drawing -> Drawing settings (use Settings from standard)

This will force the files to read your drafting settings what is in the part file.

-Dave

http://plmwiki.com

http://groups.google.com/group/NX_CAX/