proE and UG 4

[NikonF6]

We (a large company) are discontinuing ideas and make a switch to proE.
I am writing this for two reasons:
1. Once again who decided on proE never ever made any drawing in their life (the probable reason is price)… This I see again and again throughout many companies. Consequences are visible just anywhere…
2. As I can see many comparisons UG/Catia/proE on internet, I would like to add:
I am witness that many engineers quit their company when they are forced to use proE. Any comparison proE vs UG is just funny to think about, and is nothing more than waste of time.
People who say how good is proE just do not know for better. To one newer tasted good fruit and lemon is sweet.

I would like to learn about your first hand experience of switching to another software and consequences of using wrong software, just because I think this problem with proE becames slowly and really high grade problem in N.America (US and Canada).

many thanks

 

[mlb2]

TLRider: I am experiencing the same thing. But opposite. I have been a NX/UG user for 15 yrs. In my previous position I was considered a power user. I was hired at a company to do some surfacing in Pro E. I really don't like Pro E at all. It drives me crazy! Why, cause I think like an NX user! Hang in there, it gets easier. But FYI - you'll always prefer Pro E, as I will always prefer NX!

 

[TLrider]

Thanks mlb2,
I appreciate the encouragement. I have to admit I don't like NX for the same reason. Just like CNC controls, you like what you learn on. This has been two years and some things don't seem any easier...

My frustration makes me want to throw in the towel and work somewhere that uses software I like but I like where I work and what I do. The company is unlikely to pay for training as it is not in the budget this year; I'm to the point of considering paying for the training myself as I really dislike the hunt and peck method of teaching myself.

I really feel there is something fundamental I am missing and haven't reached that AHA! moment yet.

 

[JohnRBaker]

While this is by no means a substitution for formal training, you may want to go through the various short video files that we now include with your NX Help documentation set, just look at the last section on the NX Help's 'Home' page titled 'Videos with audio'. There are videos covering examples from all three major areas of NX; CAD, CAE and CAM. As I said, while they aren't intended to replace formal training, they do provide you with several examples of typical workflows which might help you better understand how you do things with NX and/or how to approach a task like modeling a stamped part or learning some of the techniques available to modify a model using the Synchronous Modeling tools, to name just a few of the topics found in the video library.

Note that starting with NX 9.0, rather then collecting of the video into a single top-level location, we're now providing links to the various videos from the particular help page where a topic which has an accompanying video is being covered. That being said, we will still have a place where you can find several of these videos in the 'Getting started with NX' section of the NX Help document. And speaking of the 'Getting started' material, there is one section which you might find extremely useful and that's the section titled 'Transitioning from Pro/ENGINEER' (there are also sections covering the transition from I-deas, CATIA and AutoCAD).

Of course, the best thing about these videos and the various 'transitioning' documents is that they are all FREE, or at least they are if you've installed the NX Help files.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

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

 

[JohnRBaker]

Also don't overlook the material that you can find out on YouTube covering NX and how to use it. In addition to we here at Siemens PLM starting to publish more informational and simple how-to videos, there are many users who have posted their own videos showing how they've tackled certain tasks using NX.

To see what I mean, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SiemensPLM

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

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

 

[deedub777]

I was creating a sketch plane the other day and when asked for my horizontal reference I picked a plane to be horizontal as I would have in Pro/E (a no-no) and that plane ended up vertical. In order to get it horizontal I had to tell NX to use it as a Vertical reference. That is why I mention the vector aspect, parallel to the vector that is perpendicular.

Ah, I know what you mean. Once you get used to NX you will not feel the necessity to specify the horizontal axis, as you don't need to (thinking like Proe!). In the default state of the dialog, when you create a sketch, the Plane Method is 'Inferred'. As you hover over the plane or face you want to sketch on, it picks up the orientation by default (if you hover over the graphics background, the part CSYS is inferred so just MMB and sketch away.). You can then specify an orientation and origin if you want to but 'you don't need to'. I found after a while, I pick the sketch plane and MMB and sketch away accepting the defaults. If the orientation is important, use the Sketch Origin Reference options (horiz and vert) and use Reverse Direction, there's no need to select anything (especially a datum plane!) - all orientations can be achieved this way.

As far as the plane selected as a horiz axis ending up vertical, I need to look into that one!

Then there's Direct sketch but let's not go there just yet!

Hope this helps?

 

[deedub777]

OK, I got the plane selection issue sorted.

If you pick a datum plane as the horizontal axis, NX use the normal of that plane as datum planes do not have an X,Y orientation, (just Z) I think!

(try creating a datum plane on its own and note the Plane Orientation only offers Z direction).

Another way to select orientation is use the CSYS axis. Initiate quick-pick on the origin of the CSYS and the X, Y and Z Axis should appear in the list - select the one you want

 

[mlb2]

There is a website where you can take classes on your own time. A previous company used it for NX training of the new employees. (After all the current employees had official NX training from Siemens.) I found it useful for refreshing my memory at times. I think the cost is pretty reasonable, and maybe your company would/could reimburse you.
Link

 

[JohnRBaker]

Note the Siemens PLM also offers remote or 'e-Learning' services. To find out more about these offerings, go to:

http://training.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/mytraining/index.cfm

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

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

 

[TLrider]

Thank you all for the input and the links to the available on line training and I am currently looking into them.

@deedub777, you have pointed out a caveat that is difficult to pick up from the help files. I just watched a youtube video by AllyPLM where the presenter pointed out some of those type things. Hopefully some of the on line training courses will do this as well.

@JohnRBaker, I have reviewed the 'Transitioning from Pro/E' material and have found it useful. What I feel I'm missing, which is where formal training comes in, is the ability to ask a person, 'What information does NX need to do this function that I know how to do in Pro/E?' Please understand I am not asking why doesn't it do it like Pro/E.
I think NX's need for vector information is confusing me. I have not used Pro/E since 2007 and I do not recall needing to give it vector information; if I did it was called something else.

The learning continues...

 

[JohnRBaker]

Generally speaking, when NX specifically asks for some sort of 'vector' reference, it's because it's going to use that vector as part of the definition of the feature, that is it's going to create an associative relationship with however you defined the vector. For example, if you had selected a line to define the vector of say an extrude feature, subsequent editing of the direction of the that line object will cause the feature to update using the orientation of the line as the new extrude direction. You will also note that in the vast majority of the cases, the system will assume or infer a Vector direction so you only really need to concern yourself with this step when and only when you want to use a vector direction that is either not what the system has assumed or you wanted to create an explicit 'direction' relationship with some other object in the model. Note that you can even define a vector by using what's called a 'Vector Expression' where you control the direction using explicit parameters or other expressions to define the I,J,K values of the 'Vector'. This will allow you full parametric control over all aspects on many feature types where a 'vector' option was included in the feature definition. BTW, that same is true for the 'Point' options in a feature definition, you can choose some aspect of the model to define an associative 'point' relationship, or use a 'Point Expression' to parametrically control the X,Y,Z values of that 'Point'.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

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