Transition from SolidWorks to Unigraphics 4

[MDGroup]

Has anyone had to make the switch from SW to Unigraphics? or are currently working in both?

I have been using SW for over 10 years, so I feel very comfortable with it. I have an opportunity where they will be using UG and was wondering how much of a difference there is. Is it going to be an easy transition just re-learning where the commands are? or is a completely different way of thinking and modeling?

I had to use Pro/E for a few projects, and I didn't feel that was too much of a change from SW. Does UG fit in with everything else, or is something else.

Any input on whether SW and UG are fairly similar or completely different.

Thanks.

 

[MikeHalloran]

http://www.eng-tips.com/search.cfm?...works&t=&h=&searchSite=1&searchArea=1&d=1&s=1

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[TheTick]

SW lets you play. Pro/E lets you play doctor. UG lets you play God.

 

[HercalloY]

MDGroup,

Just to get this out of the way... its NX not Unigraphics, mmmkay? (sorry it just annoys me when ppl call things by the incorrect name when its easier to call it by its correct one). Anyway...

I have been a SW user since SW97/97Plus days and have been a user of NX since NX3 (late 2005 i think it was), albeit a relatively "light" user early on). What version of NX will you be using? In the earlier days i would say that there was quite a few differences that although they were basically the same (as far as CAD software goes) that there was really a lot of differences in how NX goes about its thing that really takes a seasoned SW user a bit of getting around. There are a lot of ways that NX does things that makes a SW user go "WTF... that seems so difficult, why can't i just do "this" like i can in SW!".

Luckily if you're going to be using a newer version of NX then this is not such a big thing any more. But it still does do things "its way" and once you get your mind around how NX's fundamentals work... you'll be right (not that its a big issue to begin with, but it does induce head scratching moments as you wonder why you can't get $hit working, when you're just not doing it right lol).

So to summarize ... yes it is a bit different. But nothing a seasoned CAD user won't handle relatively easily. Commands are quite different but this isnt in a bad way per-say. One thing is for sure... you'll absolutely LOVE how you can define/control Coordinate Systems & Planes and actually (wait for it...) control their Normal direction *AND* in a very stable manner.

NX "does" Drawings a bit differently as well. Probably the only other things i can think of off teh top of my head is that NX doesn't see to have any "weldment" functionality. I REALLY RALLY wish it had this feature similar to SW. And if you use SW for sheet metal... NX does that quite a bit differently. I really like SW's sheetmetal... its quite powerful and fast for the style of sheet metal i do.

Sorry about the long post. Any specific questions, only to happy to try and response.

 

[Georgels]

Hello, You're in luck. Going from SW to NX is a breeze. Both are built on Siemens Parasolid engine. What this means is SW is sort of a glorified GUI and interpreter for the Parasolid engine. This way NX's GUI is set up different but you will figure it out very quickly. G

 

[DesignIntent]

I have been a designer full time NX since early 1984 (UG V4 thru UG V16 and then NX thru NX8) working mostly in the automotive and medical device arenas.

I started using Solidworks in my small design services business (from SW2008 thru SW2014).
I actually found it harder to go from NX to SW because of my experience with NX.

But, to contrast the two, NX allows more direct 3D modeling in pure solids than SW does.
It is rare that you have to generate a surface of any type to create shapes that are required.
NX also shares data between model files much more easily than SW.
It can manipulate foreign solid models more easily.
The sketching environment is more robust and expression (equation) work is very intuitive.
Drawings can be done within an 3D model file or as a separate file.
Plane and datum features are easy to manipulate.
All modeling features can be hidden, suppressed or moved to an independent "layer", a new concept for SW users.

And it really does seem to let you "play God" because there is almost NOTHING you can't do.
I have also done some time on CATIA and Pro-E and even they don't measure up to NX, CATIA being the stronger of the two.
NX allows working on 256 of these independent "Layers" (which can each be considered as a separate model file).
That being said, SW is a very good system with a nice collection of capabilities but if you are going to NX from being a user only on SW, You are in for a culture shock.
It is "time stamped" and uses an ordered feature tree as does SW, (ref "flat tree" setting in SW).
NX does not have the separation rules for sharing data between files.
Coordinate manipulation will be new to you as will the numerous display and drawing options.

A "negative" to NX is that there are so many ways to do the same thing it makes you crazy sometimes.
This makes NX complex to grab on to but like any CAD system, once you find what works for you, it's smooooooth sailing because NX is just so powerful and VERY FAST.

Take your time and get some formal training if you can, that will help a lot.
Any installation of NX will have what they call "CAST" embedded in the help files.
This is a collections of narratives and examples which illustrated how the system modules and functionality works albeit basic, but it's free.

Good luck.

 

[ctopher]

It has been a long time since I have worked with anyone that uses UG.
I know it's still around, just not as common as SW or CATIA from what I see.

Chris, CSWA
SolidWorks 13
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[TheTick]

Ja, sure, UG is now "NX". "Prince" is now "The Artist", but no one calls him that.

 

[HercalloY]

Poor analogy. He changed his name, he's still the same person... he didn't get created from a full re-write of his DNA, unlike NX. Plus NX matters... some celebrity, not so much.

Ask Sir Baker. I'm sure he'll agree and echo a similar sentiment from the actual guys that do the "DNA" writing.

Call it by its correct name. And don't perpetuate the confusion/misnomers please thanks tah.

 

[JNieman]

If anyone perpetuates the misnomers, it's the NX software itself, with its myriad UG-named folders..

 

[TheTick]

Do you have pre- and post-samples of Price/Artist's DNA? Prince has already shown he can do anything he sets his mind to. I don't think a DNA morphing is out of the question.

 

[DesignIntent]

GM, General Electric, Caterpillar, Kodak, Carestream Health and Moog are just a small selection of companies that use NX.

 

[lghickey]

I have used the old ME10/ME30 (8 years), Pro/E (<1 year), Solidworks (14 years), and NX (6 years). NX is the hardest to learn, SolidWorks the easiest by far. I am a current user of NX and SW and have yet to see something that NX can do that SW cannot do. On the other hand, SW has the ability to set up different configurations within one file, which is extremely helpful in my work. A frequent problem that I have with NX is when I inherit someone else's file and cannot figure out how to change something because they did it in one of the dozen ways NX has of doing the same thing that I never learned. I once heard it expressed this way: Some CAD systems give you a thousand ways of digging a hole; other CAD systems give you a shovel. As a former user interface designer, I appreciate SW's focus on ease of use as a priority. The number of steps, clicks, and pull-downs to do anything, mouse mileage, and navigation are all vastly superior with SW. My worst day using SW is better than my best day using NX. These comments are primarily related to solid modeling. I find drafting in either to be similar, though SW still has the edge.

 

[TheTick]

I am a current user of NX and SW and have yet to see something that NX can do that SW cannot do.

Based on this statement, one of two things is true:
a. NX is only a pale shadow of what UG was.
2. You're not being challenged enough.

 

[bigguy136]

I've been a SW user for 14 years (also night instructor for 6 years) and our company needed NX for a new line at work. I received no training and after 3 months of suffering, I started to figure things out. I really like how SW had the tutorials for new users. There are simple things like holding ctr key to add constraints I miss but NX has a lot more that now I wish SW would do.

 

[loki3000]

night instructor
how does this look like