Possible move to Unigraphics from Catia- Tube routing options?

[happystamps]

Afternoon all-

I currently work in the automotive industry, doing a lot of work in Catia modelling coolant pipes etc. We've just had a lot of interest from another customer that uses Unigraphics. Now, we've stopped our Unigraphics support, so currently we're stuck with 7.5.

So:

Question 1.
Are later .prt files backwards compatible? At least on a temporary basis until I can convince management to shell out for a new contract!?

Question 2.
On Catia, you can easily lay a 3D polyline and either sweep a sketch or a radius around it to model a tube- and, of course, rotate sketches around an axis for end-forms etc. I had heard that this wasn't an option on the basic version of Unigraphics, and that you need a special license. I know you can do it along a single sketch on UG but if we just made 2D tube profiles we'd be out of business! Is this correct, do we need an extra package?

Question 3.
It's been a long time since I used Unigraphics, any good training courses in the UK? Preferably endorsed by OEMs!

Cheers for your time all

Simon

 

[Xwheelguy]

1. You cannot open, an NX8 file in NX7.5, but you can open an NX7.5 file in NX8. You can have someone with NX create a Parasolid file for NX7.5 and then you can open the file, but without history - similar to importing a CATIA v4 model into v5, but I feel it's less of a translation and more a direct dump of the data from NX.

2. I believe the basic solid modeling will include the Tube command, which will sweep a circle along a path - you input the diamer (inner and/or outer) in lieu of the section curves. You should also have the Sweep command available (solid, not Freeform). If you have a license for Freeform modeling, you shouldn't have any issues with creating tubes or their end forms. You should check your license file to see what modules or bundles for which you may be licensed. You might be thinking of the Routing module, which is an extra cost compared to what I'd consider the "basics" of NX (solid modeling, freeform modeling, drafting, assemblies, standard translators) or what used to be called the Advanced Designer Bundle. The Routing module isn't a MUST to do tubes - I work for an emissions control supplier and we don't use Routing or Sheet Metal for anything and get by just fine.

3. Can't answer, I'm in the US.

Tim Flater
NX Designer
NX 9.0.2.5 Win7 Pro x64 SP1
Intel Xeon 2.53 GHz 6GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro 4000 2GB

 

[happystamps]

Hi Tim, thanks for the response. So you can use a 3D polyline, not based off a sketch plane?

Cheers

Simon

 

[ewh]

Yes, any tangent curves will work for creating tubes.

"Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively."
-Dalai Lama XIV

 

[happystamps]

OK, that's great- thank you!

 

[Rob_N]

I have the old Advanced designer bundles. I use tube for "draw" beads. curves can be 2d,3d, associative or not. they just have to be tangent.
in our case, we dropped catia and stuck with NX. for the cost of maintaining 1 Catia v5 HD2 seat, we can maintain 2 NX advanced designer bundles.