Change a view type 1

[bbylls]

Is it possible to change a view configuration?
Say I have a view that is "Exact" and now I want to make it "Lightweight"
Can this be done or does the view have to be re-created?

Brad

 

[JohnRBaker]

What version of NX are you running?

Starting with NX 8.5, if you're creating a new Drawing from scratch, your views will either be 'Exact' or 'Smart Lightweight', and you'll be able to switch between them with no real hassles. Just select the view(s) of interest and with your cursor over a view's boundary, press MB3 and select 'Settings' and you will see option to set the 'Representation' for the view(s). If you select, 'Smart-Lightweight' you'll also have the choice of three different resolutions.

If you're working with Drawings created in a version prior to NX 8.5, you'll be more limited in what you can do, generally only having access to 'Exact (Pre-NX 8.5)' views. Now there is an option to use a 'Lightweight' view but these cannot be dimensioned, sectioned, change the Hidden Line display, etc. In those cases, if you really feel that you need to use a 'Lightweight' view and yet you wish to retain most of the functionality that you would have using an 'Exact' view, then YES, you would need to replace the legacy views with new ones.

And speaking of 'Lightweight' views, even starting with NX 8.5 and the introduction of 'Smart Lightweight' views, you should really ONLY go that route if you're creating Drawings of very large and complex Assemblies. There should be almost NO rational reason why you would want to use 'Smart Lightweight' views when detailing single piece parts, no matter how complex those models might be, and even when you feel it helps performance enough to warrant their use in situations like this, you may still wish to limit them to pictorial and illustrative views, not necessarily where you will be doing a lot of dimensioning and adding appended annotation.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[PrintScaffold]

then YES, you would need to replace the legacy views with new ones.

John, what if we use Refile utility?

http://www.cadroad.com

 

[JohnRBaker]

Sorry, while 'Refile' can help to get the lightweight models created so that you're able to create NEW 'Smart Lightweight' Drawing views, 'Refile' itself changes NOTHING when it comes to existing Drawings (or as little as absolutely necessary).

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[PrintScaffold]

Thanks, good to know. I asked out of sheer curiosity anyway.

http://www.cadroad.com

 

[bbylls]

Thanks John.
It is NX8.5 that I am using and didn't mention in the original post. My bad.
Anyway the reason I ask, I found out that if I use "Exact" and dimension to a 2D centerline, the system hangs for awhile and condenses my BOM to a single line and the feature parameters does not work.
If I create views "Exact (Pre-NX 8.5)" everything seems to work fine.
So using M3 and settings does not give me the choice to change to "Pre-NX 8.5"
Have to re-create the views.
Bummer.
Thanks again for the help.

 

[JohnRBaker]

I've never heard of that problem before. If it's something that you can easily reproduce using more than one Drawing file, please contact GTAC and have them look at this.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.