Truck, bus and train seat maker improves design process and ensures customer data compatibility

Freedman Seating designs better with Solid Edge. Moving from SolidWorks to Solid Edge improves the design process while ensuring data compatibility with customers and suppliers. Freedman now has a better ability to meet short lead times as virtual prototyping replaces physical testing. Freedman achieves more design re-use with part count down by 50 percent.

Learn more here!

Start your 45 day free trial of Solid Edge here.

Creating Macros for Customization in NX

The simplest way to customize NX is through the use of macros

A macro records a series of keystrokes in order to automate them into a simple keystroke or an icon on a custom Toolbar. Any series of keystroke a NX operator does repeatedly should be considered for a macro in order to speed up the process.

 Follow these steps to create a macro:

1. Select the tools drop down menu
2. Select macro
3. Select start record

Note: Macros have to be updated between releases.

Macros can be setup for user interaction also and can be paused to give the user instructions. Macros can be setup with user entry boxes or file selection dialog boxes.

Watch the video below to view a macro I created to change the color to green and my translucency to 75%. The video shows how I created the macro and un-did the macro’s result. The video also shows the playback of the macro created for testing.

Brian Brown
Application Engineer
Swoosh Technologies

Have a Draft and missing your original model? No problem with Solid Edge!

In Solid Edge, the draft file does not need the original model it was based off in order to open and display its information and views. So if you ever find yourself in the position where you have lost your model and all you have left is your draft, not all is lost! You can still use that information to regenerate your 3D model.

Prepping your orphan draft file
When opening the draft file disregard the dialog box about it not being able to find the model.

The off color center line surrounding all the views, is just a visual indicator that the model is missing and nothing will happen if you update the views. You can still add and remove dimensions from each of the views.

All of the information that makes up the view is still there, but you will not be able to select any lines or circles. Think of it as a ghost image. If you try to use the Create 3D command now you will only recognize the dimensions on the draft. You first need to save the draft file as a *DWG and reopen it inside Solid Edge.           

Create your 3D model
With the DWG loaded, clean up the views by removing any extra hidden and center lines, crosshatching, section view text, and border items that might get in the way of the Create 3D command. You can double views to activate the block (if present) and do your deleting there, and afterwards, you will need to “Unblock” the views. (Again if present, performing this step will allow you to select the individual lines.)

Run the Create 3D command, select your *.par template, set your views, and the PAR file will be loaded. You may need line up your sketches to make it easier to create your model, but once there just use your steering wheel to re-create your part.

Watch the video below for more details!

Sam Estrada
Application Engineer
Swoosh Technologies

Customize Radial Menus in NX 9

Radial menus in NX are small icons that appear surrounding your cursor location; each icon can be customized to your most used features. These menus allow you to quickly and easily access features with a click and swish of your mouse. Follow the instructions below to get started customizing your NX experiences:

To access this menu in NX 9, open NX and right click on some empty space on the toolbar and click Customize.

Scroll to the bottom of the list and locate options for radial menus 1 to 3. In order to customize each menu click the box to the left of the heading.

With the first menu up while in customize mode, drag your most used features from the main menu bar into one of the eight spaces available in the radial menu. The horizontal and vertical positions on the radial menus are the easiest to access; therefore I suggest placing your most frequently used functions here.

All three radial menus can be customized using this method. I use each menu for a different set of tools (e.g. 1. Basic modeling, 2. Sketching 3. Synchronous tools).

In order to utilize the menus the 1st (left click), 2nd(Middle wheel click) and 3rd (right mouse click) must be completed while holding down Control and Shift. To make this process easier, I assign Ctrl and Shift to a function key making it very easy to instantly access any function.

Matt Beisel
Application Engineer
Swoosh Technologies

Adding Rule Based Dimension and Sensors in Solid Edge

Adding Rule Based Dimension and Sensors in Solid Edge

For those designers who know exactly what the final product is going to be, these couple of Solid Edge features may not help, but those other 99% of us may need some help building intelligence into our design to facilitate future changes.

The first thing to take a look at is Rule Based Dimensions. For example, my company designs skid mounted pressure equipment. Typically these designs have a build envelope to work in. Solid Edge is a great tool to make fast changes, but what if those changes invalidate the design, and you’re not aware this happened? Here’s the formula for this D = Design,  $ + dollars and : ( = wrong change so   D + : ( = $$$$$$$.

You get the idea: a wrong design change typically cost lots of monies and upset bosses. SO the first thing I would do as a designer is add a Variable dimension for a rule based less than or equal to dimension to make sure my overall build stays within my envelope (Read this past post about variable tables in Solid Edge). And to add another level of control to my design we can use Sensors. Sensors allow a designer to add design intent to a model.

As in the case above, we have a skid and we have a sheet metal control box that houses all the electronics. First thing we may need is a lock on the cover. You usually have a hole in the face to allow the locking mechanism to mount to. What happens if a design change came along and said the box need to be narrower, causing the hole the lock fits into gets too close to the edge? When the part is made the guy punches the hole and deforms the sheet metal or even worse it tears along the closest edge. With a few clicks these things can be all be elevated. A simple cutout to edge Sensor can be applied so these things will pop up a warning on the screen notifying you of such conditions.

To wrap this up the old adage fits well (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure).  Swap cure for a wad of money, and our bosses love to hear about all the money you saved the company.

Watch this video to learn how to add rule based dimensions and sensors in Solid Edge:

Dylan Malek
Application Engineer
Swoosh Technologies

Steam accessories and control instrument maker increases design efficiency 65%

Forbes Marshall designs better with Solid Edge. Move from 2D to 3D allows company to concentrate on innovative new design work. With Solid Edge’s synchronous technology, Forbes also eliminated vendor mistakes due to drawing management issues, saved 150,000 rupees per month and increased its market share.

Learn how here!

Start your free trial of Solid Edge here.