In recent times, the NX product has seen some major revisions to its user interface, with the introduction of greater levels of direct model interaction through the use of drag handles, more on-model call-outs and such. This release continues this work by introducing the same methods of interaction across a greater proportion of the commands (now including revolve, extrude, blend, chamfer, draft, face blend, offset surface, chamfer, trim, shell, etc).

The new dynamic interaction tools allow you to interact directly with a much wider range of operations using drag handles and call outs. It now including revolve, extrude, blend, chamfer, draft, face blend, offset surface, chamfer, trim and shell.

But alongside these ‘incremental’ updates which continue existing work on the UI, perhaps the biggest update on the usability front is the introduction of a roles-based configuration of the interface. Essentially, ‘Roles’ allow the user to very quickly configure the interface to a particular task (such as surfacing, draughting, rendering etc) or user level (such as novice, intermediate or expert) by dragging and dropping a ‘Role’ from the resource bar. This adapts the interface to a particular workflow or user level, by changing menu and toolbar layouts, system preferences and hiding irrelevant functions.

For example, with the beginner/novice roles, icons are larger and have descriptive text attached to them, whilst for more advanced users the icons are smaller. Task Roles will present specific icons and toolbars to support a particular workflow and hide those not required or commonly used. The system is delivered with a number preconfigured roles that cover both uses (task/workflow and user level), but you can, of course, adapt the system to your requirements and save as a custom role – without having to edit menu files and such.

Part modelling updates

Moving onto design modelling, new functionality has been added all across the board. There have been several updates to the way in which the core modelling commands work.

Firstly, related to the consolidation of the core commands discussed earlier, you now create sheet/surface or solid features from the same dialog. In previous releases you would have had to perform separate Extrude Solid and Extrude Surface operations. These are now combined into a single dialog, which not only makes learning easier but has the benefit that the geometry you’re building can be switched at any time downstream.

Another factor to consider are the changes to the manner in which the system handles sketch-derived features. If you kick off a feature, such as extrude, the system will ask you to create the sketch on which it’s based. When you’ve finished that feature, the sketch is eaten by the feature (although it still remains accessible through the feature tree). If you create the sketch first, then kick off the extrude command, the sketch remains at the top level in the feature history, for use in other features and such.

Alongside this, you can also edit features with rollback. This allows you to automatically edit a feature in its original state without having to manually roll-back the feature history. Also on the dynamic editing front, you can now create and edit work-planes on-the-fly, without having to exit your current command.

In addition to new technology, this release also sees existing functionality brought across from the I-deas product set. Features that have been the mainstay of I-deas for some time, such as the variation sweep and emboss features, have now been introduced into NX. If you haven’t come across the v-sweep command within I-deas, it allows you to create very complex forms based on the edges of other geometry, such as for the construction of complex flanges (hence it’s popularity within the body-in-white design industry). The ambiguously named Emboss feature allows you to create a complex feature that is essentially an extruded form, but one which handles particularly complex geometry conditions, where the direction (in relation to the existing surfaces) changes across the part. It also allows you to create such forms in a single, intelligent feature – where previously, you’d be looking at several features to create the same geometry.

The Default NX interface.

NX 4 Essentials UI.jpg: The NX interface with the Essentials role applied. This is designed for new or infrequent NX users. It provides the operator with basic geometry creation tools with text under the icons to immediately convey the function underneath.

The Advanced Role removes text from icons and presents more advanced functions – designed for users who are well versed with the icons and are looking to utilise advanced geometry creation tools and functions as part of their daily tasks.

On a more generic front, there’s also been work done to allow you greater flexibility when defining both draft and offset for various operations. You can now define multiple values for both as well as being able to sub-divide faces when adding draft to achieve the results you want (either for aesthetic or manufacturing reasons) rather that relying on the results that the 3D modelling system gives you. Also related to this is the ability to output multiple bodies when creating extruded or trimmed features.

2D sketching workflow

There’s been a lot of work done on the 2D sketching functionality within the system. Release 4 sees a consolidated environment for 2D Design work, from basic sketch layouts, through to large layout handling. Many of the sketching tools have been revamped so that both creation and modification is much easier. Sketch entities can be copied and reused by dragging (with the CTRL key pressed) not just the geometry, but the dimensions and constraints as well.

It might sound odd these days, but you now also have the ability to redo commands as well as undo. Another capability that’s going to make the 2D workflow much easier in a part or assembly modelling context (in particular, top down design and layout) is the ability to use colour. These can be used to display constraint status (whether it’s under constrained or parametrically locked down) in a much more flexible user defined manner. For layout work, this will make it possible to differentiate 2D entities within large layouts that pertain to specific parts or sub-systems.

Also, the various 2D entities (either singularly or grouped) can be organised within the Part Navigator feature tree, allowing you to start organising data and creating product structure from the very earliest stages. Finally, on the 2D sketching front, the whole sub-system has been reworked so it will handle very, very, very large layouts – we’re talking in the order of 10,000 curves in a single scheme. While this is pretty impressive on its own, when you hook it up to the WAVE inter-part modelling technology then you get something more special. It means that the 2D scheme can become a control system that starts the design process off and lets people do quick iterations that then can be rippled out to more detailed designs.

Industrial design and styling

NX (or its predecessor, Unigraphics) has always been strong in the surfacing and styling arena and this release sees work done on both the commands and operations pertaining to curve and surface design and the manner in which you interact with the geometry.

In terms of core curve and surface related tools, NX is pretty well developed (as Unigraphics already was). That said, this release delivers improvements that are designed to “streamline the workflow for creating and refining freeform shapes.” For example, in the area of direct curve and surface manipulation, all of the tools now support relative and absolute movement of control points and poles. As associative modelling features, the manner in which the system updates models has been improved particularly when the degree or span of the underlying objects change. Intersection curves have been enhanced to allow for multiple curve inputs that produce a single feature. Finally, direct curve and surface manipulation to achieve the desired shape is simplified through enhanced capabilities for refitting with lighter curves and surfaces while preserving the original shape.

" UGS continues to evolve its tools to find better ways of solving real design, development and manufacturing issues "

Alongside updates to the core styling related updates, another area that’s seen attention is support for the reverse engineering process – the taking of point cloud data, converting it into a polygon mesh, refining and removing any erroneous data and finally creating a surface or solid model as required. As long-time followers of the SDRC/UGS merger will know, SDRC acquired reverse engineering and surface modelling specialist, Imageware, some time ago (certainly predating the merger) and this brought a wide range of reverse engineering technology into the product portfolio. As things have progressed, Unigraphics, then NX have seen the transfer of this technology into the core of the product and this continues with this release.

Firstly, there are new tools that allow you to refine the facets of your polygon mesh. The new Surface Fit functions allow you to take the polygon mesh and quickly apply either splines or a surface that conform to its contours – with user control over the various parameters and variables that control the process. Finally, the analysis tools available to inspect the surfaces resultant from the process have been enhanced with tools that allow you to visually inspect the deviation of the surfaces from the underlying point cloud or polygon mesh.

Sheet metal design

On the sheet metal side of things, UGS continues to utilise the experience it has gained with its Solid Edge product and for NX 4 has implemented tools which extend the usefulness of sheet metal into areas where NX is commonly found, such as the Aerospace sector. The sheet metal operations added to this release include lofted flanges and cutouts that can be made normal to the surface of the part, the ability to create 3-bend corners, as well as libraries for punched or stamped features such as dimples, louvers and beads. There are also tools made available that take a 3D model and convert it into a sheet metal form – whether that’s from a basic block model or from imported data – using the break corner and the edge ripping tools that allow you to do exactly that. Alongside this, there have been new aerospace specific sheet metal tools to handle specific workflows for Aerospace design and development process, including aerospace flange, joggles, unform and reform.

Assembly modelling

Moving onto the assembly modelling updates, this release sees rework of the existing tools to make component mating much more efficient, allowing the user to create intelligent links between parts and sub-assemblies much quicker than was traditionally the case. Other assembly modelling updates include the ability to use multiple part revisions within a single session. This allows you to use parts at different revisions within the same assembly, allowing the user to create assemblies that feature old and new iterations of a part. While for many this might seem odd, the fact is that in some cases, two revisions of the same part are required, so this allows you to do that and manage the process, ensuring that although you’re working with a complex scenario, both NX and Teamcenter can handle it in a controlled manner.

On the subject of Teamcenter integration (something we’ll be looking at shortly), you can now also synchronise specific portions of a products’ structure to your Teamcenter data management environment. In previous releases, you could only synchronise the whole structure, which for those working with complex products, could be a major delay. The new tools allow the user to carry out a ‘partial’ structure, whether that’s components within their remit, a specific sub-system or an assembly.

Flexible PCB design

One area in which UGS is moving into is the interaction between mechanical and electrical/electronic sub-systems within a product and of course, as with all things these days this field of study has a marketing friendly name - mechatronics. This release sees the existing technology improved in several key areas. Firstly, for those working with PCB-based systems, NX is now starting to support the definition of flexible PCBs. NX already has an established module that deals with the interaction of ECAD data and the 3D modelling design realm. It allows users to import PCB data and process it for use within a 3D digital master model (using the widely supported IDF file format). What this release adds is the ability to define flexible PCB data using 3D modelling tools – in particular, it allows the creation and modification of transitional area design and transitional feature connections. This takes the operations developed for the sheet metal tools and repurposes them to allow the design of such items or features. The benefit is that this allows you to develop an ‘as used’ model, with the transitional (flexing) segments in position, according the specific design rules (in terms of bend radii). You then create the flattened form for manufacture, as you would with sheet metal. You can then use the existing PCB exchange tools to send that data back to the electronics design department/supplier.

Draughting

The final area we’re going to cover this month is Draughting – after all, it’s still a vital part of many company’s processes and the production of two dimensional drawings is going to remain standard for the foreseeable future. The last few releases have seen a lot of work done to improve the automation of the draughting process, with the use of quick Sheet templates to very quickly lay out drawing views according to company or departmental standard, and then apply annotation using efficient tools. This release sees this work continue with complete rework of the ordinate dimension creation tools, which now include multiple margins and doglegs and direct methods of editing. Also on the rework side of thing, there’s a brand new easier to use GD&T editor. Finally for draughting specific updates, you can now automatically add trace lines in exploded views and can re-attach leader lines much more easily than before.

Alongside the core draughting updates, another area which has seen work is Product Manufacturing Information or PMI for short. If you haven’t come across this technology before, it allows the user to take established drawing dimensioning and annotation methods and take them to the 3D realm. If implemented correctly it allows you to store all of the GD and T that you’d traditionally store within a 2D drawing, but on a 3D model - essentially fully documenting a design in 3D. This release sees the continuation of existing work with both usability improvements and enhanced support for ASME’s y14.41-2003 standard. You can now view and edit PMI within the part navigator (the feature tree), create and reuse 3D sections views when modelling, and display PMI on natural planes. Of course, one of the benefits of storing your annotation and such in a 3D model is when you want to generate a 2D drawing, much of that vital information can be extracted automatically.

Human modelling

One area of NX’s development which I’m personally very interested in the ability to integrate human forms within a digital modelling environment – and being able to actually do something useful with them. Human Factors analysis is something that more and more organisations are looking to take advantage of as a way if improving product quality (in terms of comfort or suitability for purpose) and the ability to conduct preliminary tests on virtual components is a very useful, if rare, tool indeed. NX saw the introduction of human modelling capabilities (from the VisJack products) in the last year or so, and the work done has been continued with this release.

The anthropometrically correct models now contain reach zones when the human is seated or standing – importantly, this reach zone shows the maximum reach distance for either the hands or feet. On the subject of hands, the libraries are now populated with a wider variety of hand shapes and contains a suite of standard, but customizable postures – ideal for those working with any types of products with which users interact manually (whether that’s automotive instances, consumer electronics, or industrial tools, it doesn’t really matter).

In conclusion

This month we’ve covered a wide range of the updates to NX 4, but there’s more to come in March when we look at the updates to the digital analysis and simulation tools and the enhancements made to the NX/Teamcenter product that allow effective but unobtrusive management of the product development process.

As it stands, it should be clear that UGS is moving on apace with its next generation platform and it’s shaping up to become something very interesting indeed. The existing tools are already impressive, but what’s impressed me most during the last few months of talking to the team behind the products and seeing it in action on several occasions, is UGS’ attention to detail and how it continues to evolve its tools to find better ways of solving real design, development and manufacturing issues. Of particular note are the extension to the human modelling tools, the addition of greater support for the 3D documentation process, and the introduction of PMI tools that now truly enable the user to fully document every aspect of a product’s manufacturing requirements within a single master model – something that other vendors are only just catching onto. This release also sees new initiatives started such as the tools that allow the development of flexible PCBs as intelligent parts that can be bi-directionally exchanged with electronics designers.

All in all, with NX 4 UGS continues to deliver on its ideals and road-map to create a product that is worthy of the title ‘next generation product development and production system’. The amount of work done is pretty mind boggling, and it’s even more impressive to see UGS continue to enhance and refine concepts that were introduced in previous versions – something that many vendors frequently fail to follow through on. I can’t wait to have a look at what NX5 has to offer.