Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
(OP)
I am using NX 7.5 and would like to link the dimensions from my drafting view to an excel spreadsheet. Can this be done and how?
I also need the excel spreadsheet to update if the dimensions change.
I have attempted this using the "part families" option but can't seem to get the values to update if the dimension changes.
Thanks,
Josh
I also need the excel spreadsheet to update if the dimensions change.
I have attempted this using the "part families" option but can't seem to get the values to update if the dimension changes.
Thanks,
Josh





RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
I can use the spreadsheet as the driver of the model if that is the only way of doing it.
Thanks,
Josh
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
Now say I create my solid model then dimension it in drafting. Now I create a second sheet in drafting and add a tabular note. Is there a way to link the cells in the tabular note to the first dimensioned sheet?
Meaning I change a dimension on the first sheet and that dimension updates on the tabular note I have on sheet 2?
Thanks!
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
Are you sure you want to do this? It sounds like the start of a (potentially large) documentation control headache. You double your work recording the changes any time there is a revision to one of the dimensions. As an alternative, have you considered giving the dimensions of interest their own "callout" numbers (for lack of a better term)? You can use an ID symbol type that you don't use for anything else, and attach the symbol to the dimension. On page 2, refer to the "callout" number of the dimension. This has 2 advantages that I see:
www.nxjournaling.com
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
That being said, cowski is correct about one thing, this will take a lot of effort and will be a rather tedious process if this is something that you're going to do a lot of.
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
I understand your points in using the external spreadsheet.
You are saying the tabular note can only be tied to the excel file and not the drawing model?
Thanks!
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
However, there is one approach that might work for you. If you want to try a totally 2D 'Drawing' type workflow where all of the geometry is part of the Drawing itself, you could get what you're looking for. See the attached Drawing file. You can double-click the dimensions on the drawing, edit them and the 'model' will update as well as the Tabular Note. However, there is NO 3D modeling involved here, it's simply three 2D views drawn on the face of the Drawing as a single sketch and the Tabular Note is linked to the 'dimensions' vis their underlying Sketch Expressions. Also note that there is no link to an external spreadsheet.
Anyway, take a look and see if this would get you what you're looking for. Granted, this will only be practical for relatively simple 'Drawings', but it does exactly what you're looking for.
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
How did you go about getting that to work?
Thanks again!
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
Can I add expressions together to get a value to be a combination? Say I have three lengths of 2" I want to display 6" in the spreadsheet cell. Can this be done?
Example:
<X0.2@p0> + <X0.2@p1> + <X0.2@p2>
And that giving me a total of 6" being displayed on the spreadsheet
Thanks
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
Is there anyway to incorporate tolerances and GD&T into the P values so they are tied to my tabular note?
Thanks!
RE: Linking Dimensions to Spreadsheet NX7.5
I will play around with it. The goal here is to eliminate the need to go and update all these forms we have tied to the dimension when it changes so this may be an option
Also the symbols referencing the dims isn't a bad idea either.
I'm open to any suggestions
Thanks!