Project curves

[UGperson]

can you project curves away from a point onto a surface?

 

[JohnRBaker]

Can you provide at least a picture/sketch of what it is that you're attempting to do?

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.

 

[UGperson]

Attached is an example file. If the stuff in green is known how would you get yellow? The versions of NX that I have available are 7.5 and 8.

Thanks.

 

[JohnRBaker]

No, that behavior is not supported.

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.

 

[FrankSwinks]

Here is an example journal to demonstrate that it is possible to do with journal/program. The demo journal only applies to lines. For splines one would need determine sufficient spline points, project these points the same as I have done for the line end points and then create the spline. Arcs and circles would be projected as conics. Note that I have not included error checking for datum plane orientation.

' Journal to project lines from a point to a datum plane
Option Strict Off
Imports System
Imports NXOpen
Imports NXOpen.UF
Imports NXOpenUI

Module ProjFromPointToPlane
    Dim s As Session = Session.GetSession()
    Dim ui As UI = ui.GetUI()
    Dim ufs As UFSession = UFSession.GetUFSession()
    Sub Main()
        Dim wp As Part = s.Parts.Work
PointStart:
        ' select a point
        Dim pnt1 As Point = Nothing
        Dim response1 As Selection.Response = Selection.Response.Cancel
        response1 = select_a_Point(pnt1)
        If response1 = Selection.Response.Back Then GoTo End1
        If response1 = Selection.Response.Cancel Then GoTo End1
        Dim pnt0 As Point3d = pnt1.Coordinates
DatumStart:
        Dim dplane1 As DatumPlane = Nothing
        Dim response2 As Selection.Response = Selection.Response.Cancel
        response2 = selectDPlane(dplane1)
        If response2 = Selection.Response.Back Then GoTo PointStart
        If response2 = Selection.Response.Cancel Then GoTo End1
        Dim response3 As Selection.Response = Selection.Response.Cancel
CurvesStart:
        ' datum plane normal
        Dim dplanenormal1 As Vector3d = Nothing
        Dim dplaneorigin1 As Point3d = Nothing
        dplanenormal1 = dplane1.Normal
        dplaneorigin1 = dplane1.Origin
        ' should check that datum plane normal is directed towards the point
        ' and that the projection is possible. This is not implemented
        ' select a line to project
        Dim line1 As Line = Nothing
        Dim startpnt As Point3d = Nothing
        Dim endpoint As Point3d = Nothing
        Dim vec1 As Vector3d = Nothing
        Dim uvec2 As Vector3d
        Dim vec2 As Vector3d
        Dim sub1 As Double = Nothing
        Dim sub2 As Double = Nothing
        Dim param1 As Double = Nothing
        Dim dplanepnt1 As Point3d = Nothing
        Dim dplanepnt2 As Point3d = Nothing
        Dim line2 As Line = Nothing
curvesContinue:
        response3 = select_a_line("Select line to project", line1)
        If line1 Is Nothing Then GoTo End1
        ' Get line endpoints
        startpnt = line1.StartPoint
        endpoint = line1.EndPoint
        ' project each point to datum plane
        ' startpoint
        vec1 = SubtractPoint3d(dplaneorigin1, pnt0)
        vec2 = SubtractPoint3d(startpnt, pnt0)
        uvec2 = UnitizeVector(vec2)
        sub1 = Dot(dplanenormal1, vec1)
        sub2 = Dot(dplanenormal1, uvec2)
        param1 = sub1 / sub2
        dplanepnt1 = AffineComb(pnt0, param1, uvec2)
        ' endpoint
        vec2 = SubtractPoint3d(endpoint, pnt0)
        uvec2 = UnitizeVector(vec2)
        sub2 = Dot(dplanenormal1, uvec2)
        param1 = sub1 / sub2
        dplanepnt2 = AffineComb(pnt0, param1, uvec2)
        ' now create line
        line2 = wp.Curves.CreateLine(dplanepnt1, dplanepnt2)
        GoTo curvesContinue
End1:
    End Sub
    Public Function SubtractPoint3d(ByVal p1 As Point3d, ByVal p2 As Point3d) As Vector3d
        Dim v1 As Vector3d
        v1.X = p1.X - p2.X
        v1.Y = p1.Y - p2.Y
        v1.Z = p1.Z - p2.Z
        Return v1
    End Function
    Public Function UnitizeVector(ByVal v1 As Vector3d) As Vector3d
        Dim v2 As vector3d
        Dim length As Double = math.sqrt(v1.x * v1.x + v1.y * v1.y + v1.z * v1.z)
        v2.x = v1.x / length
        v2.y = v1.y / length
        v2.z = v1.z / length
        Return v2
    End Function
    Public Function SubtractVectors(ByVal v1 As Vector3d, ByVal v2 As Vector3d) As Vector3d
        Dim v3 As Vector3d
        v3.X = v1.X - v2.X
        v3.Y = v1.Y - v2.Y
        v3.Z = v1.Z - v2.Z
        Return v3
    End Function
    Public Function Dot(ByVal v1 As Vector3d, ByVal v2 As Vector3d) As Double
        Return v1.X * v2.X + v1.Y * v2.Y + v1.Z * v2.Z
    End Function
    Public Function AffineComb(ByVal p1 As Point3d, ByVal s As Double, ByVal v2 As Vector3d) As Point3d
        Dim p2 As Point3d
        p2.X = p1.X + s * v2.X
        p2.Y = p1.Y + s * v2.Y
        p2.Z = p1.Z + s * v2.Z
        Return p2
    End Function
    Function selectDPlane(ByRef object1 As DatumPlane) As Selection.Response
        Dim selectionMask_array(0) As Selection.MaskTriple
        selectionMask_array(0).Type = UFConstants.UF_datum_plane_type
        selectionMask_array(0).Subtype = 0
        selectionMask_array(0).SolidBodySubtype = 0
        Dim cursor As Point3d = Nothing
        Dim resp As Selection.Response = _
        ui.SelectionManager.SelectObject("Select a Datum Plane", "Select a Datum Plane", _
            Selection.SelectionScope.WorkPart, _
            Selection.SelectionAction.ClearAndEnableSpecific, _
            False, False, selectionMask_array, object1, cursor)
        If resp = Selection.Response.ObjectSelected Or _
           resp = Selection.Response.ObjectSelectedByName Then
            Return Selection.Response.Ok
        ElseIf resp = Selection.Response.Back Then
            Return Selection.Response.Back
        ElseIf resp = Selection.Response.Cancel Then
            Return Selection.Response.Cancel
        Else
            Return Selection.Response.Cancel
        End If
    End Function

    Public Function GetUnloadOption(ByVal dummy As String) As Integer

        'Unloads the image immediately after execution within NX
        GetUnloadOption = NXOpen.Session.LibraryUnloadOption.Immediately

    End Function
    Function select_a_Point(ByRef pnt1 As Point) As Selection.Response
        Dim mask(0) As Selection.MaskTriple
        With mask(0)
            .Type = UFConstants.UF_point_type
            .Subtype = 0
            .SolidBodySubtype = 0
        End With
        Dim cursor As Point3d = Nothing
        Dim resp As Selection.Response = _
        ui.SelectionManager.SelectObject("Select point to project from", "Select a Point", _
            Selection.SelectionScope.AnyInAssembly, _
            Selection.SelectionAction.ClearAndEnableSpecific, _
            False, False, mask, pnt1, cursor)
        If resp = Selection.Response.ObjectSelected Or _
           resp = Selection.Response.ObjectSelectedByName Then
            Return Selection.Response.Ok
        Else
            Return Selection.Response.Cancel
        End If
    End Function

    Public Function select_a_line(ByVal prompt As String, ByRef line1 As Line) As Selection.Response
        Dim mask(0) As Selection.MaskTriple
        With mask(0)
            .Type = UFConstants.UF_line_type
            .Subtype = 0
            .SolidBodySubtype = 0
        End With
        Dim cursor As Point3d = Nothing
        Dim resp As Selection.Response = _
        ui.SelectionManager.SelectObject("Select line to project", "Select a line", _
            Selection.SelectionScope.WorkPart, _
            Selection.SelectionAction.ClearAndEnableSpecific, _
            False, False, mask, line1, cursor)
        If resp = UFConstants.UF_UI_OBJECT_SELECTED Or _
           resp = UFConstants.UF_UI_OBJECT_SELECTED_BY_NAME Then
            Return resp
        ElseIf resp = Selection.Response.Back Then
            Return Selection.Response.Back
        Else
            Return Selection.Response.Cancel
        End If
    End Function
End Module

Regards
Frank Swinkels

 

[FrankSwinks]

Just realized that projecting arc/circle will only work when the point/circle forms a cone. The more general case will require a spline.

Frank Swinkels

 

[UGperson]

Thanks for the post Frank.

How would I add the ability to pick splines to the journal?

What software are you using to write the journals with?