Supression by expression

[jerry1423]

I am creating an assembly where some of the components are being controlled using "supression by expression".
After the expression gets toggled to "1" I need to go into the ANT and toggle the checkmark next to that component to make it visible (actually, not hidden anymore).
I believe this assembly used to work fine where the components were visible immediately, without going into the ANT, but I think I did something to make it not work anymore.
Do you have any suggestions to make the components visble (not hidden) after the associated expression gets toggled to 1?

 

[JohnRBaker]

What version of NX are you using?

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/

 

[hudson888]

I can quickly go back as far as NX-3 to say that when you use the suppression by expression (such great alliteration), in the ANT that the expression value will be displayed in a field within the dialog. Earlier versions may not have been so sophisticated. I could go back to V18 if I fire up an older machine, but I think you'll already know what the likely answer is if you are still on a much earlier version.

Best Regards

Hudson

 

[jerry1423]

I am running NX5.0.2.2

 

[JohnRBaker]

I'm running NX 5.0.5.1 and it works as expected, that is that I don't have to manually unhide a component after changing the suppression status by editing an expression controlling the suppression of a component.

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/

 

[hudson888]

Jerry,

I think you need to conduct some fairly exhaustive testing to establish exactly what is going on. I have some suggestions each of which you would in order supposing each time that the previous method failed. You need to establish whether it happens all the time, with single parts, sub-assemblies or just in the one case.

That method actually creates an expression that you can find in the expression editor if you turn on all expressions. If you can find such an expression then try manually editing the values either 0 or 1, just to see if anything happens.

Try setting the suppression to never for all cases, and see if that works. Then try recreating the suppression by expression and is if you have better luck that way. Keep an eye on the expressions in the editor if you're able to see any changes.

Try testing with a small assembly with just one component and then with a sub assembly see which if either case fails to work.

Try again with your problem assembly by removing the component or sub-assembly that doesn't work, save and get right out of NX. Re-open the top assembly and re-add firstly a different part, then a different sub-assembly then the one that failed in the first place. Check for each whether suppression by expression works.

If all else fails you should contact GTAC before you do anything else. They may suggest further diagnostics that you need to keep the system as it is to conduct.

You could try re-installing and try also with NX-5.0.4.1 we found we were better off at any higher version than NX-5.0.2.2, for other reasons but just to let you know I don't think it will do any harm.

For re-installing the logic is simply that if some other software has overwritten an essential .dll file or something then your easiest way to get back the original may be to simply overwrite it with a clean install. I'm not given to do this lightly however only as a last resort many who do so too readily seem to entertain a superstition that it is the answer to all their problems. What it really is is a risk and an inconvenience that doesn't offer any real understanding or diagnosis of the problem, but just happens to work on many occasions.

Best regards

Hudson

 

[jerry1423]

I think what I am going to do here is just set everything to "one", and then save the master assembly so everything opens up when the file is open.
Then when someone wants to make the assembly that they want, the expressions will toggle from 1 to 0 to turn off what is not needed, instead of toggling the expression from 0 to 1 to turn on what they do need.
Thank you for all the help.

 

[man2007]

You can also make use of "Include Suppressed Components" MB3 option in the ANT to see all the components in the assembly.

 

[NXinstructor]

Jerry1423-
Are you using the spreadsheet to control your expression settings? 0/1 This might effect the display if you are setting the values in a spreadsheet and using Root Part Cascade to unsupress your components.