NX6 - Drafting, Creating a gage line dimension for a taper

[Kasey7]

Hola!
How would I go about dimensioning a tapered surface when there are no points to select?
I used the gage line and points from a customer drawing within sketcher to create the model, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to recreate the gage line dimension in drafting for our own manufacturing drawings. Other than the following "cheat", that is...
Selecting the midpoint of the curve representing the taper allows me to create my Ø and horizontal dimensions. While this works, it's less than ideal as any changes to the length of the line (such as merely adding a radius to the model at one end of the taper) results in these dimensions changing. I'd like to avoid that.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Could you at least provide us with an image showing exactly what it is that you're trying to create as a 'dimension' in an NX drawing?

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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

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

 

[Kasey7]

My bad.
Here...

 

[phillpd]

Kasey7,

You shouldn't have to recreate the gage line in Drafting.

Just use the Entire Part reference set and you'll have access to the Sketch in your drawing file. I personally use a reference set called DRAAWING, which includes the solid body, plus any 'other' geometry that I want to be able to dimension to.

Specialty Engineered Automation (SEA)

http://www.sea4ug.com

a UGS Foundation Partner

 

[JohnRBaker]

I think phillpd is on the right track, but I would just include the extra objects (curves, points, whatever) in the Model Reference Set and then just Hide them when no longer needed on the drawing as that way there is never a moment where someone might think that the data had been deleted or something.

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

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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

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

 

[hudson888]

Depending on how messy it is to work with something like your entire part reference set turned on I would probably be keen to at least work with objects on different layers using visible in view as a mask so that you can make those extra entities appear in only one view. In general I think of some things as being part of a model and others being part of a drawing so that I have a preference for not using extra reference sets because I think they're just another something to maintain. In that case I might consider linking a small amount of geometry into the drawing file (again on a separate layer) so that I can maintain the extra objects I need simply and exclusively to support a drafting view.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[Xwheelguy]

Wouldn't using the Drafting Sketcher and constraining the endpoints of the gage line to the drafted "edge" midpoints also be another option? It should automatically update with any model changes if constrained correctly.

Tim Flater
Senior Designer
Enkei America, Inc.

http://www.enkei.com

Some people are like slinkies....they don't really have a purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

 

[Kasey7]

I've never used reference sets, but it sounds like a plan. I'll try the other suggestions too and see how well the drawing handles an update.

Since I won't be at my desk today to try them out, I'll get back with the results before the end of the week.

 

[hudson888]

Yes I think the Drafting Sketcher in NX-6 would be as good ab idea as any.

Like anything I love reference set but hate having to maintain somebody else's. In systems where a component is designed and released often before the drawing is made we often write lock the components and hand the drawing task off to a different operation, so that operation can not add further content to the component. It means that you have to be aware on occasions that if the drawing relies upon something non-essential to the component itself then the drafter just has to add it into the drawing file. Tools to do this associatively make sense then.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[Jaydenn]

I know it depends on the end use of this model, and all kinds of other factors, but what I would do is to actually model a very, very , very tiny sharp edge at the gauge line. (think "revolve a square around the taper")
That way you will get an edge in your drafting view.

Also, if you cannot edit the model itself, you could wave link the body and edit the linked solid.

Another idea would be to create this taper from 2 seperate, but associative solids(NOT united). This will generate a line to dimension aswell.

Also, you could try playing around with the "intersection OR target point" function in INSERT>SYMBOL menu.

 

[hudson888]

Jaydenn,

If you're going to lengths to manipulate geometry that doesn't or isn't supposed to exist in the model definition then I'd probably avoid doing that.

Think linked face into the drawing file with an associative section, or as suggested elsewhere using a drafting sketch if you can pick end or intersection points to span a line between.

I think you're always better off creating any geometry designed to support drafting in the drafting file, mainly because with master model concept drawings the two are separately maintained.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[Kasey7]

Bringing in the Entire Reference Set seems to work for me. Our models aren't terribly complicated, and this seemed to be the simplest solution.
Initially the drawing appears a little cluttered, but at least I can select the points that created the taper in sketcher. Then using Expand Member View, and hiding some of the clutter (filtering with Sketch, Datums, and CYCS), I'm able to clean up everything pretty nicely. Best of all, even though the points are not visible now (regretable) in the view, I'm able to modify the model and view is updating properly. ^_^

 

[phillpd]

That's why I suggested the use of a 'special' reference set (ie DRAWING).

We use this to 'collect' features/geometry etc ... that are required either for an NC Programmer, or the person creating the drawing.

Specialty Engineered Automation (SEA)

http://www.sea4ug.com

a UGS Foundation Partner