Mass attribute NX8

[Michel1978]

thread561-318897

Why can I not refer to the masspropmass attribute? I would like to have the mass on my drawing and can now in NX8 easily refer to attributes in de model but not to the mass attribute.
Now I have made another expression called mass which refers to the masspropmass attribute.
And an extra attribute "mass" which is linked to the mass expression. This works, but doesn't seem the proper way to me.

Beside that I can not manage to have say 2 digits in stead of 14. The X0.2 does not work.

Regards, Michel

I use NX8.5
HP Z600 Intel Xeon E5520 2.27GHz Dual
Quadro FX 3800 5GB
9GB Memory
Windows 7, 64-bit

Groeten, Michel

http://www.kvi.nl

A leading Dutch institute in atomic and subatomic physics

 

[JohnRBaker]

I assume that you're using the Master Model approach where the Part being drafted is a Component in an 'Assembly' which is the Drawing.

If so, when you create your model, assign the Material and when you save it the first time the Mass Property Attributes are created automatically, correct? Now, before you create your drawing, select the SOLID MODEL, press MB3 and select the 'Properties' option. Select the 'Attributes' tab and create a new 'String' attribute named 'Mass' which, using the 'Reference Text' option, you reference the Part Attribute 'Mass' (or whatever is the name used by the system when it created the automatic Mass Property Attributes) and hit OK. Now immediately go to the Expression dialog and you will see that the SYSTEM automatically created TWO new Expressions, one is an Expression linked to the Part Attribute that you selected when you were assigning that OBJECT Attribute to the Solid Body and the second Expression is converting the first Expression into a 'String' Expression. And in this second Expression you will find the familiar C-formatting statement 'format("%0.4f", XXX)' where XXX is the name of the first Expression. Now just edit the '%0.4' to '%0.2' and accept the edit to the Expression and you will see that the String is now showing only two decimal places.

Now when you create your Drawing, when you create your 'Mass Property' note, link it using the 'Relationships' option of 'Insert Object Attribute' and select the Solid Body and not the Component and you will find your Mass Property Attribute already properly formatted.

Anyway, as for your comment about feeling that using Expressions to link Attributes "doesn't seem the proper way" is perfectly OK since that's EXACTLY the way the system does it when IT creates links between Attributes.

Anyway, to show you how all this works I've attached a simple Master Model example for you to look at where I've followed that same workflow I described above.

John R. Baker, P.E.
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[Michel1978]

Thanks John for your explanation.
But unfortunately I still can't get it to work the way I would like it.
It works the way you describe but:

1) it looks like that it doesn't work inside a tabular note because I don't get the option to select the solid body. Also not when using a spreadsheet to edit.

2) I also wanted to put it into the model template so that we always get the correct mass on our drawings. It works as long as you use a "start" body with the mass attribute in it. But if the body is deleted the attribute is gone aswell.

I wonder why it is so complicated? It took my many hours already.

Michel


I use NX8.5
HP Z600 Intel Xeon E5520 2.27GHz Dual
Quadro FX 3800 5GB
9GB Memory
Windows 7, 64-bit

Groeten, Michel

http://www.kvi.nl

A leading Dutch institute in atomic and subatomic physics

 

[Michel1978]

Just found out that the automatic update of mass is only available with advanced license. Which means that it is useless for us since not all of us has the ability to use this expensive license. Why is suchs a basic function made exclusively usable by advanced users?

This way we still can't trust on the mass shown on the drawing. Because we don't know if it is updated.

I use NX8.5
HP Z600 Intel Xeon E5520 2.27GHz Dual
Quadro FX 3800 5GB
9GB Memory
Windows 7, 64-bit

Groeten, Michel

http://www.kvi.nl

A leading Dutch institute in atomic and subatomic physics

 

[Michel1978]

And it looks like the "update mass on save" function doesn't work on existing parts. NX does not make an attribute either.

I use NX8.5
HP Z600 Intel Xeon E5520 2.27GHz Dual
Quadro FX 3800 5GB
9GB Memory
Windows 7, 64-bit

Groeten, Michel

http://www.kvi.nl

A leading Dutch institute in atomic and subatomic physics

 

[Michel1978]

I've solved it without using all those complicated ways.
Just by Analysis => measure bodies (associative)
Change the mass expression P... in "Mass"
And in attributes create a Mass attribute which is linked to the Mass expression.
In the drawing you can easily recall the Mass attribute.
One small disadvantage, it has 6 digits. But who cares.


I use NX8.5
HP Z600 Intel Xeon E5520 2.27GHz Dual
Quadro FX 3800 5GB
9GB Memory
Windows 7, 64-bit

Groeten, Michel

http://www.kvi.nl

A leading Dutch institute in atomic and subatomic physics