Top 20 Working Faster in NX Tips for I-deas users

Mark Lawry
Siemens PLM Software
2007. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved

Siemens PLM Software

I-deas Functionality in NX

I-deas Role

Toolbar
Toolbarbuttons
buttonsare
areorganized
organizedinto
intolists
lists
similar
similartotothe
theI-deas
I-deasicon
iconstacks.
stacks.
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I-deas Functionality in NX

continued..

Selection Intent, Stop at Intersection,

Follow Fillet
Extrude with multiple draft angle sets
Edge Blend options
Sketch on Path
Variational Sweep
Assembly constraints
Assembly arrangements
Hide and Show similar to Display Filter
I-deas terms in Command Finder
Select from any assembly
component (NX 6)
Assembly Relations Browser (NX 6)
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1. Right-click to create and edit

Right-clicking in I-deas and NX are both context-sensitive:
Right-click in I-deas is command-sensitive.

Right-click in NX is object-sensitive.

Example: Perform these steps without selecting any menu commands or

toolbar buttons:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Sketch on a datum coordinate system

Constrain and dimension
Finish the sketch
Extrude
Edit display properties
Right-clicking
Right-clickingtotofind
findcommands
commandsisis
faster
fasterand
andeasier
easiertotolearn.
learn.

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2. Click in the Part Navigator to Edit/Rename/Reorder

Click the green checkmark to

suppress a feature
Rename features in place
Reorder by click/drag
(Color shows dependencies)

The
ThePart
PartNavigator
Navigatorprovides
providesone
onecentral
central
place
placetotoview
viewand
andedit
editfeature
featurehistory.
history.

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3. Reorder a Datum Coordinate system to be feature #1

1. Click and drag to reorder

2. Edit to create associativity

You
Youcannot
cannotdo
dothis
thisininI-deas.
I-deas.
That
Thatisiswhy
whyititisisimportant
importantininI-deas
I-deasto
tostart
startaa
model
modelwith
withaaBORN
BORNcoordinate
coordinatesystem.
system.

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4. Use one sketch for multiple features

Use the same sketch for multiple features

without using I-deas Reference Curves.

Capturing
Capturingdesign
designintent
intentininfewer
fewer
sketches
sketchesmakes
makesititeasier
easierto
toedit.
edit.

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5. Mirror features or groups of features

Mirror features using the Mirror Feature command

I-deas
I-deascan
canonly
onlymirror
mirrorthe
theentire
entirepart
partmodel,
model,
not
notindividual
individualfeatures
featuresor
orgroups
groupsofoffeatures.
features.
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6. Constrain a sketch to the origin without using Focus

NX does not have the Focus command,
because it does not need it.

Save
Savetime
timewithout
withoutthe
theextra
extrastep
step
ofoffocusing
focusingon
onthe
theorigin.
origin.
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7. Create and edit dimensions in one step

Immediately after creating a dimension, edit the value
without the extra step of clicking Modify.

This
Thisisisaamajor
majortime-saver
time-saverininNX.
NX.
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8. Define the horizontal/vertical direction in a sketch

In I-deas, the horizontal and vertical directions are set by the S and T
coordinates of the sketch surface.
In NX, you can select an associative object to define this direction.

You
Youcan
canchoose
chooseaalogical
logicaldirection
directionto
tobe
be
horizontal
horizontalininaasketch.
sketch.
You
Youcan
canalso
alsoedit
editthis
thisdirection
directionlater.
later.
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9. Extrude with an offset

Extrude using the Offset option.

Save
Savetime
timeand
andfile
filesize
sizeby
bynot
notcreating
creating
another
anothersketch.
sketch.

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10. Work with translucency without a screen door

Translucency display

I-deas (Hardware Shading)

NX

Working
Workingwith
withtranslucency
translucencyisisan
anefficient
efficientway
waytoto
work
workininthe
thecontext
contextofofan
anassembly.
assembly.
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11. Open files using images

Open recent parts and assemblies using thumbnail
images in the History palette.
See thumbnail images in the Open Part File dialog box.
Visualize parts and assemblies in Teamcenter before
checking them out.

Save
Savetime
timeby
byopening
openingthe
thecorrect
correctparts
parts
or
orassemblies.
assemblies.
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12. Reuse sketches and features

Reuse sketches and features using Copy and Paste.
1. Right-click a feature or multiple features and choose Copy in the Part
Navigator.
2. Paste into a new file with or without associativity.

Copy
Copyand
andPaste
Pasteare
aresimilar
similarto
toother
otherWindows
Windows
applications.
applications.
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13. Use top-down product modeling

Start top-down modeling by creating multiple bodies in the same file.
Use Create New Component to move them to separate files.
Design in the context of an assembly (NX 6):
Use the Create Interpart Link button
When Off- You can select geometry from other parts nonassociatively, like I-deas yellow point assembly Focus.
When On An interpart link is automatically created when you
select geometry from another part.
The
TheNX
NXfile
filestructure
structureallows
allowsthe
thesame
samefile
fileto
tochange
change
from
fromaapart
parttotoaasubassembly.
subassembly.
Create
Createinterpart
interpartlinks
linkswhen
whenyou
youwant
wantassociativity.
associativity.

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14. Use assembly centering constraints

Use NX Assembly constraints to constrain components by centering
two faces between two other faces.

This
Thisconstraint
constrainttype
typeisisnot
notavailable
availableininI-deas.
I-deas.
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15. Constrain between sketches

Use NX constraints and dimensions between sketches.

Sketch 1

Sketch
2
Sketch
3

Organize
Organizeyour
yourdesign
designintent
intentusing
usingsingle
singleor
or
multiple
multiplesketches,
sketches,whichever
whicheverisismost
mostlogical
logicalfor
for
your
yourproducts.
products.
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16. Constrain and dimension without using Focus

In NX, sketch constraints and
dimensions can reference
objects off the sketch plane.
Sketch plane
Constrain
On Curve
Save
Savetime
timewithout
withoutthe
theintermediate
intermediate
Focus
Focusstep
stepto
toproject
projectcurves
curvesto
tothe
the
sketch
sketchplane.
plane.
There
Thereare
areno
nointermediate
intermediateprojected
projected
curves
curvestotobecome
becomeout-of-date
out-of-date(yellow
(yellow
sketch
sketchcurves).
curves).

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Dimension

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17. Use reference curves for construction lines

Use reference curves in a sketch to identify construction lines that will
not be extruded with the feature.

Reference
curve

Selecting
Selectingsections
sectionsisisfaster,
faster,
more
morerobust,
robust,and
andrequires
requiresless
less
use
useofofSelection
SelectionIntent
Intentoptions
options
such
suchas
asStop
StopatatIntersections.
Intersections.

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18. Center a sketch using the Midpoint constraint

Center a sketch without adding an extra line or dimension using the
Midpoint constraint.
In NX, the Midpoint constraint is separate from the On Curve
constraint.
Midpoint
Constraint

Fewer
Fewerconstruction
constructionlines
linesare
are
required
requiredto
tocreate
createconstraints.
constraints.
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19. Use Equal Length and Equal Radii constraints

Constrain equal lengths and equal radii instead of using matched
dimensions.
This shows only one typical dimension, which is similar to drafting
practice.

Equal
Radii

Using
Usinggeometric
geometricinstead
insteadofof
dimensional
dimensionalconstraints
constraintskeeps
keepsthe
the
sketch
sketchless
lesscluttered.
cluttered.
ItItalso
alsomakes
makesthe
themodel
modeleasier
easierto
to
edit,
edit,since
sincethere
thereare
arefewer
fewernumeric
numeric
equations.
equations.

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20. Use design features

Hole features include parameters for countersunk, counterbore, thread
clearance, and entry and exit chamfers in one feature.
Slots and pockets include parameters for radii.

Capture
Capturemanufacturing
manufacturingintent
intentusing
using
design
designfeatures.
features.
Edit
EditHole
Holefeatures
featurestotochange
change
between
betweensimple,
simple,counterbore,
counterbore,and
and
countersunk
countersunkholes.
holes.
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Conclusion
NX contains the best functions from both former UG and I-deas.
Take advantage of the time savings provided by new NX functions.

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2008. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved

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Mark Lawry
Siemens PLM Software
Learning Media Development
Mark.Lawry@Siemens.com
513.576.5677

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2008. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved

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