How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
3
JohnRBaker (Mechanical)
(OP)
I didn't want to hijack the Sheet Metal thread from earlier today but felt that users might be interested in this 'Tip' so I started a new one.
When you create a Flat Pattern in NX Sheet Metal and then place the special Flat Pattern view on your Drawing, automatic Annotation gets created which shows the manufacturing/forming information for each brake feature.
Normally these Annotations look like this:

But with a little creative editing of the Sheet Metal Customer Defaults, you can combine the three separate notes into a single Annotation which will look like:

This will make you Drawing look less busy and will also allow you more easily manipulate the Drawing objects for appearance sake since you can now more all three related pieces of Info as a single object.
All that you have to do is go to...
Customer Defaults -> Sheet Metal -> Flat Pattern -> Annotations
...simply Copy & Paste the 'Bend Angle' and 'Bend Direction' text from the 'Content' widgets in the 'Custom Callout 2' and Customer Callout 3' sections of the dialog and paste them into the 'Content' widget in the 'Custom Callout 1' section of the dialog so that if you were to list the contents of this widget it would look like:
Bend Radius = <!KEY=0,3.2@UGS.radius>
Bend Angle = <!KEY=0,3.2@UGS.angle>
Bend Direction = <!KEY=0,3.2@UGS.direction "UP" "DOWN">
You'll also notice that I replaced the lowercase "up" and "down" with UPPERCASE entries since I think this looks better on the final Drawing.
One last thing that you will need to do is that once you've update the 'Content' of the 'Custom Callout 1' (BTW, in my set-up I also changed the 'Name' used for 'Custom Callout 1' to 'Bend Properties' since that's more descriptive of what it now represents) you should go the other two 'Custom Callouts' and toggle OFF both the 'Available' and 'Enabled' options. This way ONLY the new 'Bend Properties' callout will be available to be placed on the Drawing.
Anyway, if you think this is helpful, give it a shot.
When you create a Flat Pattern in NX Sheet Metal and then place the special Flat Pattern view on your Drawing, automatic Annotation gets created which shows the manufacturing/forming information for each brake feature.
Normally these Annotations look like this:

But with a little creative editing of the Sheet Metal Customer Defaults, you can combine the three separate notes into a single Annotation which will look like:

This will make you Drawing look less busy and will also allow you more easily manipulate the Drawing objects for appearance sake since you can now more all three related pieces of Info as a single object.
All that you have to do is go to...
Customer Defaults -> Sheet Metal -> Flat Pattern -> Annotations
...simply Copy & Paste the 'Bend Angle' and 'Bend Direction' text from the 'Content' widgets in the 'Custom Callout 2' and Customer Callout 3' sections of the dialog and paste them into the 'Content' widget in the 'Custom Callout 1' section of the dialog so that if you were to list the contents of this widget it would look like:
Bend Radius = <!KEY=0,3.2@UGS.radius>
Bend Angle = <!KEY=0,3.2@UGS.angle>
Bend Direction = <!KEY=0,3.2@UGS.direction "UP" "DOWN">
You'll also notice that I replaced the lowercase "up" and "down" with UPPERCASE entries since I think this looks better on the final Drawing.
One last thing that you will need to do is that once you've update the 'Content' of the 'Custom Callout 1' (BTW, in my set-up I also changed the 'Name' used for 'Custom Callout 1' to 'Bend Properties' since that's more descriptive of what it now represents) you should go the other two 'Custom Callouts' and toggle OFF both the 'Available' and 'Enabled' options. This way ONLY the new 'Bend Properties' callout will be available to be placed on the Drawing.
Anyway, if you think this is helpful, give it a shot.
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum: http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.





RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
customer defaults ->drafting ->view ->flat pattern annotations
as in
Customer Defaults -> Sheet Metal -> Flat Pattern -> Annotations
and neither of them seem to be doing anything.
Got any ideas?
P.S.: thanks a lot for the help, I've had my mind on changing this for a while now, but have never gotten around to it.
NX 7.5
Teamcenter 8
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Preferences -> Sheet Metal -> Flat Pattern Display
...that in the section at the bottom of the dialog that the name of the modified callout is toggled ON as well.
Also note that these settings have to be made BEFORE you create the Flat Pattern feature in your part model.
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum: http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Small question: why is this option available on 2 places? And what does the other one do?
NX 7.5
Teamcenter 8
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
<!KEY=0,3.1@UGS.angle><$s> <!KEY=0,3.2@UGS.direction "OP" "NEER">
So this could result in "90° OP" or "135° NEER"
A question for John:
Is there a way of redefining where the arrow attaches to the bend line? As it is now it's always attached to the center of the bend line and I can't find a way to change that.
Thanks
2x NX8.0.0.25 Mach Design
1x Solid Edge ST2
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Best regards
Simon NX7.5.3 - TC 8 www.jcb.com
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Now if you wish to move the the arrow to another location, at the moment you have to first delete the original leader-line, leave the edit dialog and then reselect the annotation when you can now add a new leader pointing to wherever you wish.
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum: http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum: http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Maybe we can discuss this behavior during beta testing in Cypress...
I will remind myself
Greetings,
Frank
2x NX8.0.0.25 Mach Design
1x Solid Edge ST2
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum: http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
BTW we are doing some beta testing in the UK this year, I don;t suppose you'll be involved will you John?
Best regards
Simon NX7.5.3 - TC 8 www.jcb.com
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
issue -> in Drawings it doesn't work only in the modelling view
what is the reason?
thanks in advance
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum: http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
it's possible to have - 90° when flanges are down ?
Thank you...
Using NX 8 and TC8.3
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
where is in the customer default and in the preferences, the setting for to have the same result as John annotations ?
Thank you...
Using NX 8 and TC8.3
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Regards,
Arvind
Mechanical Engineer
UG 7.5.5.4 & TC8.3
"People can take everything from you except luck"
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Thank you...
Using NX 8 and TC8.3
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Go to File -> Utilities -> Customer defaults -- and find the attachement for next paths.. If you have same setting, you would be able to get what John is showing. Thanks!
Regards,
Arvind
Mechanical Engineer
UG 7.5.5.4 & TC8.3
"People can take everything from you except luck"
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
you don't have understand.
As you can see from my lasted attached image, in the red circle, I talk about 'stub lenght' that I would like as default.
Thank you...
Using NX 8 and TC8.3
RE: How to better format your Flat Pattern Annotation...
Select the line (Click on RMB).. Select Style -> Line /Arrow -> Looks at "D" parameter and see it has required parameter.. Pls find the attachement for detail. Hope this was your issue.
Regards,
Arvind
Mechanical Engineer
UG 7.5.5.4 & TC8.3
"People can take everything from you except luck"