Create a Sandbox to Customize NX CAM

A sandbox in NX (Unigraphics) allows you to create a safe customization environment in which you can experiment in NX CAM without affecting the base install. 
 
Why customize NX? 

Every shop is unique and tailoring your NX CAM experience to meet your specific needs can greatly increase your productivity. Customizing NX can also offer these benefits:

• Customization gives you the ability to set default values and limit the number operations available.
• Reduce the number of errors in your operations by minimizing user input. 
• NX CAM has broad functionality, which your shop may not use often. 

Where to start? 

Customization in NX CAM is best started with templates. Templates are easy to develop and share and allow you to reuse anything from a tool to the complete operation process. Using customized templates allow you to utilize best practices regarding reuse and enforces consistent programming. When customizing these templates you don’t want to damage your existing installation. Therefore, it is crucial to set up a sandbox to avoid complications.
 
Let’s Get to Work: Set Up a Sandbox in NX 

1. Create a folder in Users\username\named Demo.
2. Copy in some out of the box files you would like to work with

• Locate the NX home folder. This can be done by opening up the log file and clicking on Help->log file
• Scroll down to UGII_BASE_DIR and see where it points.

• Copy the location.
• Open up a new window and navigate to the home folder. 
• Navigate to location and copy over MACH\resource\ folder into the Demo folder.

3. Change protection on folder.

• Right click on properties.
• Uncheck "Read-only" and Click Apply.

• In the Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box choose “Apply changes to this folder, sub-folder and files” and click Apply.

4. In the Demo folder create a folder named “usertools”

5. In the usertools folder create  “bitmap” folder and a “startup” folder.

6. Create a copy of ugii_env.dat to the folder above.
7. Open file.

8. Add the following:

#My resource area
UGII_CAM_RESOURCE_DIR=C:\Users\matt\demo\resource\

# My bitmaps
UGII_USER_DIR=C:\Users\matt\demo\usertools\
UGII_BITMAP_PATH=${UGII_USER_DIR}bitmaps

NOTE: Replace your user name for highlighted text.
 
9. Save and close the file.
10. Click on Start-> Siemens NX 9.0, right-click and drag the shortcut to your Demo folder.

• Right click on the copied shortcut and change the “start in” folder to the demo folder created above.

11. Run NX from the created shortcut and go to log file. *Notice locations have changed for CAM.

Now you are ready to begin customizing your templates for NX CAM! These templates are located in the Demo\resource\template_part\english\ folder.  

For example you can open up the mill_planar part and see all of the operations available for mill planar. You can remove operations or add new operations in order to fulfill the needs of your shop and also pre-populate tools in pockets to a specific template. How will you use Sandbox to customize your NX experience? 

By Matt Beisel, Application Engineer, Swoosh Technologies & Solutions