Show Sketch Dimensions from Model in Drawing

[Recon1775]

Hi Everyone,

I'm extremely new to the NX world of CAD software coming from 10+ years with Pro-Engineer/Creo now moving to NX9.
One of the nice things I loved about Creo is the idea that all drawing data came from the model, of course if properly setup.
So that means all the dimensions, GD&T, datums, notes, etc. all were shown on the drawing with the special "Show and Erase" function and driven by the model.

Now in NX my new co-workers say that this function doesn't exist in NX. Everyone models basically at a whim and spends all the time dimensioning the drawing with no dimensional thought on how the model was constructed. I can see this in conceptual time frames, but later and especially in the world of model centric driven designs this sounds insane. The best part of building a model with dimensional considerations is the CAD software (Creo) helps you to figure out if you are under or over constrained. Yes this isn't perfect especially with very complicated geometry, but if in NX your dimensioning by hand I might as well break out a pencil and a triangle for drafting. I already spent all the time building the model with dimensions why wouldn't this be available to use in the drawing?

Please someone tell me there is a default built in process, which is similar to PTC/Creo on how to structure a model and drive the drawing so there is a continuous path of data from one point and not done in multiple places throughout the data structure.

Thanks so much everyone!
Corey

 

[joycejo]

Search the help docs for feature parameters. Yes this can be done in NX. It has been available for a long time.

John Joyce
N.C. Programming Supervisor
Barnes Aerospace, Windsor CT
NX7.5, NX9.0, NX10.0(Testing)
Vericut7.3.3

 

[cowski]

In the NX help files, search for the term "inherit sketch dimensions".

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[Recon1775]

That's awesome to hear! I was hoping there was something similar to this. I'll see what I can find in the help area regarding Feature parameters and inherit sketch dimensions.
Maybe I'll be able to teach my co-workers some things.

If anyone else has any other tidbits regarding this subject matter please feel free to add it.
I'm sure there are some serious tricks to the trade of using NX this way.

Thanks everyone,
Corey

 

[Recon1775]

Ok first question on the Feature parameter function...
I believe I followed the directions to show the dimensions on the view I selected, but after hitting apply nothing appears.
Would this be affected by layering or some other visibility setting?

Also when the selection of items to show is up in the feature parameters window I only see sketches.
Does this include dimensions like the depth of an extrude?
Will those dimensions appear?

 

[JohnRBaker]

The other approach is to create PMI dimensions from the sketch dimensions and you can also include the 'depth' of the extrude and then inherit those PMI dimensions onto the Drawing.

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

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

 

[Recon1775]

So to acquire all the dimensional information available there's two steps?
*First take the dimensions in the model and establish them as PMI dimensions?
*Then in the drawing inherit those PMI dimensions into the views of the drawing?

Does this also include items like GD&T, notes, datum callouts, etc. that are established in the model?

My goal with learning to use NX is to have a single storage area of data, in this case the model, and the drawing is just an arranged display of that information.
Basically leading to a model centric process where if someone were to just take the model they have the same information that is contained on the drawing face.

Thank you for any feedback you can provide,
Corey

 

[JohnRBaker]

That's the idea behind the PMI approach to documenting your model and adding the relevant manufacturing information such as tolerances and inspection requirements:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.c...ion (PMI) - NX Fact Sheet - 9645&docType=.pdf

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

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

 

[Recon1775]

Ok. I'll need to read up on it. Right now, as with a lot companies, we're in a grey area where there's a want to do 3D model documentation but there's still a need to do 2D drawings. I just haven't found a clean simple way of pulling the data from model to drawing without redoing the work I had done already in the model at least in the NX suite since I'm just learning the software.

Only comparison I have to this is thinking of the process PTC Creo has, so my mind keeps going back to the functions of that CAD system and I'm having a hard time figuring out the process in which NX would do something similar.

Thank you for your help with this,
Corey

 

[Recon1775]

Reading the information on PMI within the help file it appears to still be limited in use on drawing faces as in it specifically states "You cannot display PMI in other view types such as section views or broken views." How does one get the drawing data driven by the model in a clean fashion? It seems to be very disjointed.

I understand PMI was intended for 3D model documentation, but I'm looking for that model centric intermediate point where the model is king and the drawing just displays the information. I'm really at loss why it is so cumbersome in NX to get data from the model to the drawing when the data is there and available to use. I know software is a sticky world where once a software suite heads down a path it's hard to deviate from it.

In the PTC world the design centers around the model and the folks I work for now appear to want that very same thing, but we use NX and they don't have the understanding on how to make that work in NX. I can tell them all day if we use Creo I'm all over it. But I don't want to preach that Creo is better because every software suite has a downside.

Does no one use NX this way, using the model as the sole source of information and using the drawing as the display piece for that information?
At the moment 3D documentation is not accepted everywhere especially at small suppliers so drawings are yet to go away from daily life.