What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
(OP)
We are making the transition from I-DEAS to NX, and it is going well for the most part, but there is one thing that has me stumped.
In I-DEAS it was very simple to join two bodies (or parts) together to make a new part. For those of you familiar with I-DEAS, the operation was called "join with relations." The result was to add a new "branch" to the history tree of the first part. We would use this technique often to create certain types of parts such as compound spur gears, for which it is convienient to model the two gears separately before joining them together.
I cannot find an equivalent technique in NX. It can be done as an assembly but that is not desirable.
In I-DEAS it was very simple to join two bodies (or parts) together to make a new part. For those of you familiar with I-DEAS, the operation was called "join with relations." The result was to add a new "branch" to the history tree of the first part. We would use this technique often to create certain types of parts such as compound spur gears, for which it is convienient to model the two gears separately before joining them together.
I cannot find an equivalent technique in NX. It can be done as an assembly but that is not desirable.





RE: What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare. - Robert Hunter
RE: What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
If you are in the Part file that you wish to 'Merge' another Part INTO, then use File -> Import -> Part...
However, if you're in the Part file which has the data that you wish to 'Merge' into ANOTHER Part file, use File -> Export -> Part... using the 'Existing' option for the 'Part Specification'.
Note that if there is only a portion of the file that you wish to Merge into another, it's best to use 'Export' since you can control the content of what gets 'Merged'. if you use the 'Import' method, you get everything.
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/
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
Take my gear example. To make a compound gear, you want to attach a face of the second gear to a face of the first gear, maintaining the centerline alignments. Also, if the first gear is modified, say by changing the face width, you want the second gear to move with it. It behaves just like an assembly constraint (touch align, infer centerlines), but it is a single part.
RE: What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
Tim Flater
Senior Designer
Enkei America, Inc.
www.enkei.com
Some people are like slinkies....they don't really have a purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
RE: What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
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/
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: What's the best method to join bodies (NX5)
Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare. - Robert Hunter