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Life After I-DEAS - Part IITCII, NX/Teamcenter Integration, and CMM – A User Perspective

Matt PeytonMoog Components GroupSr. Designer/CAD Administratormpeyton@moog.com

Brian Garcia MetaforeSr. PLM Applications Engineerbrian.garcia@meta-fore.com

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A Little Background

Moog Components Group (MCG) has been using I-Deas since 1997

I-Deas has served us well in those 10 years

We saw migration to NX as inevitable

I-Deas updates becoming sparse

NX had more features we wanted

Acquisitions forced this process to be sped up

Met Meta-Fore at PLM World ’07 and contracted them to do our Teamcenter setup, migration & training

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After TDM Migration….

After migrating all TDM data into Teamcenter (see Part I of this presentation), what’s next?

If you are like us, you will want to begin using NX as soon as possible

Take advantage of Dual Licensing

I-Deas and NX can be run side-by-side if versions are aligned (i.e. NXI5 & NX5)

Allow users to tinker with NX locally (outside of Teamcenter)

Get accustomed to Teamcenter

Get Training!!

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TCII - Using Teamcenter with Ideas

Meta-fore set up “TDM” searches and a migrated folder structure that mimicked TDM Project/Library hierarchy

Once data starts being manipulated and created, these searches and folders quickly become obsolete

Most users will get used to the Teamcenter searches as a more efficient way to find data

Encourage use of folders for personal organization

Can be used in a similar way that model files were used

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TCII – Cont’d

Make sure users understand what they are seeing in Teamcenter

Understand the differences between Item, Item Revisions, and Datasets

The Box Analogy

The Box Analogy

TCII – Cont’d

Encourage use of Model File View as opposed to Manage Bins

Model File View is more robust and promotes the “Teamcenter” style interface

Help users understand Teamcenter equivalents

TCII – Cont’d

Use the Model File View “display filters”

Will make looking at the data easier to understand

Make sure users understand how to update their parts from Teamcenter in the Model File View window

Turn on your “Check-Out By” Column in Teamcenter

Make sure users know to use Send-To Ideas, and not right-click > Check Out

This will most likely happen a lot during the first couple weeks of TCII use

TCII - Limitations

Understand that I-Deas was not created to work with Teamcenter

Some basic TDM functions have no Teamcenter Equivalent

Update in Library

Ham_Medic.exe

This has caused us some grief

TCII 5.1 has option to run Ham_Medic.exe on checkout

We have not tested this at our site yet

TCII – Limitations – Cont’d

Renaming items can be difficult in Teamcenter

Naming it right the first time is the best option

TCII Errors are typically vague

“Fix in I-Deas First” usually means your part or drawing needs to be updated prior to check-in

Occasionally model file will become “out of sync” with Teamcenter

“Synchronize Model File” usually fixes this problem

Setting up NX

Site wide defaults and templates can be read from a network location with the proper permissions and shares

We just copied the entire UGII folder to the network and tweaked everything from there

ugii_env.dat is the master file for NX Settings

UGII_ENV_FILE should be set in the environment variables for all users to point to the network location of the new ugii_env.dat file

Alternatively, this variable can be set in the start_ugmanager.bat file found in the Teamcenter Portal folder

This will only set the defaults when NX is ran from Teamcenter, not local

Modifying ugii_env.dat

Very similar to modifying ideas_paramXX.dat

If you can do that, you can do this

First and foremost, add the following variable:

UGII_BASE_DIR=“network location of the UGII folder”

This will save you time, as it will determine where the file looks when it sees ${UGII_BASE_DIR}

Now all settings and parameters should be reading from the network location you created

Network permissions should be controlled similar to network permissions of the “SDRC\Team” directory

Setting User Profiles and Defaults

We set our user profiles and user defaults to be located on each users personal network drive

This ensures their settings follow them from computer to computer

Less setup when a user gets a new computer

In the ugii_env.dat set the following

UGII_USER_PROFILE_DIR=[Network Location]\nxdata\user_settings

UGII_LOCAL_USER_DEFAULTS=[Network Location]\nxdata\user_settings\nx5_user.dpv

Customer Defaults Customization

If you are customizing the customer defaults, you will need to create another folder in the same directory as UGII on the network

We called ours “customer_defaults”

In this folder, create a folder called “startup”

Copy nx5_user.dpv (located under the users Local Settings\Application Data\Unigraphics Solutions\NX5) to this folder and rename it nx5_site.dpv

The permissions for this “customer_defaults” folder should be set to control who can access and change site wide settings

In the ugii_env.dat file, add the following setting

UGII_SITE_DIR=${UGII_BASE_DIR}\customer_defaults

Customer Defaults Customization – Cont’d

In NX5, go to File > Utilities > Customer Defaults

You should now have a Defaults Level pull down for Site, & User

User settings will override any site setting that is not locked

Default Levels are read in the following order

Site

Group *

User

The lower level settings override the previous level’s

*To set the group defaults, use a similar tactic as setting the site defaults

Drafting Standard Customization

While in NX5, set the Defaults Level to Site and navigate to Drafting

Click Customize Standard, and do a Save As to create a new standard

This file should save into the customer_defaults location you created

You now have Custom Site settings, and a Custom Drafting Standard that can be tweaked to your site’s needs

Customer Defaults – Misc

Lock any setting at the site level that you do not want tweaked at the group or user level

We have the following settings locked

Drafting Standard

Default Units

Locking Policy

We were told by GTAC to set this to Automatic or problems would arise

Use the “Binoculars” to find specific settings

This is a real time saver

Use network permissions to control who has access to change settings at each level

Setting up Seed Parts

Seed parts are controlled by PAX files These files are located under

{UGII_BASE_DIR}/UGII/templates nxdm_ugs_drawing_templates.pax nxdm_ugs_model_templates.pax nxdm_ugs_sheet_templates.pax nxdm_ugs_cae_templates.pax

Edit the PAX files to only show the seed parts you wish to see (or to add in your custom seed parts) This controls what the user will see during a “File > New”

Template files are located in Teamcenter, and can be modified or completely new seed parts can be created Do a Teamcenter search for *template*

Setting up Seed Parts – Cont’d

Know that some settings must be controlled in the seed part as opposed to the Customer Defaults

Most things that are under Preferences

Custom Attributes

Layer definitions

Load and Save options

Must have DBA access to edit Seed Parts

nxdm_ugs_sheet_templates.pax controls what files will be used during Insert Sheet > Use Template

This can also be added to the resource bar as a Palette if needed

Setting up Drawing Templates

Edit the Drawing Templates and Sheet Templates PAX files to control your Drawing and Sheet Templates

Drawing templates can be imported in from I-Deas via CGM Text will be converted to line

A way around this is to import as DXF, then CGM out and back into NX

Use Attributes to fill in your title block text <W@DB_PART_NAME> = Part Name <W@DB_PART_DESC> = Part Description

We use this for our Part Number at MCG

<W@DB_PART_REV> = Part Revision <W@$SH_SHEET_SIZE> = Sheet Size For a full attribute list look in the NX5 Help files

A Quick Note about Drawing Scale Attribute

SCALE <W@$SH_SHEET_SCALE_NUMERATOR>:<W@$SH_SHEET_SCALE_DENOMINATOR>

When inserting a view, you have a scale option similar to I-Deas

This attribute is not the same as the drawing scale attribute

After placing views (or prior to placing views) double-click (or right-click) the drawing border and set the scale there

This will update all views to the scale you specify, and maps to the Drawing Scale attribute in your title block

Setting up Custom Roles

Very easy to do

We tweaked the existing roles (Advanced with Full Menus)

Create a folder in the existing “startup” folder on your shared network location called “roles”

Modify Toolbars, Resource Bar, etc… to how you want them in your role

Right-Click any toolbar > Customize >Roles tab

Click Create and save to the shared “roles” folder*Note: if you want custom images to show up, they must be located in a

shared location where the users have write privileges*

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Some Thoughts on NX Training

Most users will pick up basic modeling and assembly very quickly

Make sure to spend time on drafting

Drastically different

Detailing of models in NX5 is a big improvement over I-Deas

Basic 2D and adding 2D data to drawings is perplexing and cumbersome to use compared to I-Deas

Something you have to learn to get used to

Coming from I-Deas, we found this aspect of NX5 the least appealing

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Training – Cont’d

Spend some time on Data Management with Teamcenter

Very different from TDM and TCII

Once part is opened and modified, a “soft” check-out lock is created

There is no Reference/Read Only for users of the same group

Lock is removed when part is closed

When 2 or more users of the same group are working on the same project, problems arise

“Hard” check-outs resolve this issue….sometimes

We are still struggling with this at MCG

Problems could possibly be circumvented using Teamcenter Groups and Teamcenter workflows effectively

Training – Cont’d

Spend some time on the Assembly Navigator

There are a lot of powerful tools in there Reference Sets

Dependencies Browser

This is how you view assembly constraint relations

Closing and Opening Parts

Working In Context of Assembly/Drawing

Learn basic WAVE functions

Can be used in a similar way to Associative Copy in I-Deas

Very powerful tool with endless uses

Use the Command Finder

Utilize CAST (Computer Assisted Self Teach)

Lost FunctionalityBetween NX5 & I-Deas

Modeling

Irregular patterns/arrays – NX5 does not support this

Instance clocking can be used

Causes CMM’d parts to create BREP’s

Defining X & Y vectors of a rectangular pattern – can not be done on the fly in NX5

Must re-orient the WCS

Mirroring a body without keeping the original – can not be done in NX5

Similar effect can be achieved using reference sets or layers

Lost Functionality – Cont’dBetween NX5 & I-Deas

2D Drafting – Basic 2D functions

Very difficult to use compared to I-Deas

Use “Expand Member View” to insert Curves (Lines) into drawings

This isolates “Curves” to a single view

Editing a “Curve” after inserting it proves difficult

Use the Sketcher in 2D

Create User Defined Symbols

Use tables/Tabular Notes – these are great

Can be driven by a spreadsheet

Lost Functionality – Cont’dBetween NX5 & I-Deas

Step File Translations

Assembly Step Files can not be imported directly into NX with Teamcenter

They must either be done in a local NX session, or as “New Parts” (creates local files)

Then imported into Teamcenter using Tools > Teamcenter Integration > Import Assembly

This has some nice features such as “Number Generator”

Transferring 2D information (non-text) from drawing to drawing must be done using CGM export/import

This is very similar to Ideas 2D Symbols/Instances

Gained Functionality(hey, it’s not all bad)

Detailing of Models is much faster and easier

Broken Views

Detail Views

Revolved Sections

Much easier to maintain dimensional associations to model

Layers (that are easy to use)

The NX5 Hole command

Very robust (once you get used to it)

Centerlines that work much better than I-Deas

Gained Functionality – Cont’d

Spreadsheet driven Tabular Notes

Part Families

Attributes

Can be used to streamline your templates and seed parts

Sheet Metal

Much better than I-Deas

Very user friendly and easy to learn and use

Sketcher

Similar to I-Deas, but better

Trim works!

Mirror sketch – Retains constraints

Gained Functionality – Cont’d

WAVE Linker

Can achieve some very tricky geometry

Ties geometry and features between parts

Will require an additional license to unlock it’s full potential

Direct Modeling

Datums

Very usable and easy to modify

New Assembly Constraints

Specifically “Center” & “Concentric”

Expression Editor

More Gained Functionality…

Re-orient sketch

Can get you out of situations that would have been pretty hairy in I-Deas

Very useful on CMM migrated parts

Sketch Drag

Just click on the sketch and drag it, evaluates constraints in real time

Convert to/from Reference

Very easy to do

Saves time and preserves design intent

Multiple Sketches that can be tied to each other

Can be cross planar

Even More Gained Functionality….

Extrude/Revolve with offset

Very cool feature

Saves time

UNDO!

CSYS (Coordinate System) – Very usable

Much easier to manipulate than I-Deas CSYS

“BORN Blue” now “BORN Red”

Just move the sketch curves around to evaluate sketches similar to “Show Free”

“Bushy Tree” now “West Virginia Family Tree”

No branches

CMM

Works VERY well for Assemblies and Models

Most assembly constraints make it through

Most model features make it through

Typical features that cause BREPs

Fillets (#1 offender)

Irregular Patterns

“Fancy” extrudes or revolves

Yellow Nodes (depending on your settings)

Yellow nodes can either be fixed in I-Deas first, or created as BREPS

We were originally fixing these in I-Deas but quickly switched them to BREPs

CMM – Cont’d

BREPs can be handled very easily in NX5 using Direct Modeling

NX6 possibilities are even better

Manipulating I-Deas CAD data in NX surprisingly easy

Use “Reattach Sketch” to re-orient former cutter parts

Use Edit Sketch instead of Edit Sketch with Rollback

Boolean sections not shown in NX

Edit Sketch retains outline of model with sketch overlay

Red Nodes must be fixed in I-Deas prior to migration

Parts must be up-to-date in I-Deas prior to Migration

Can not be checked out

CAN be referenced in a model file (though not Ideal)

CMM – Identifying Revs for Migration

This can prove difficult

Our approach was to use “Assembly View” under the top level Item Rev and copy those items into a specific folder

This must be done for all sub-assemblies as well

Can be time consuming

Usually will always miss something

Drawings that have a separate ID will need to be found as well

Search, search, search

CMM – Issues we have run into

Mostly concerning drawings

Drawings do retain associativity to model, and are typically accurate

Use the drawing compare overlay tool

Does not work for multiple sheets

Can be worked around by exiting without saving and re-opening

Views are created “from part” in NX

Can make things difficult when trying to update the drawing to the model

This caused us problems with geometry not showing

CMM – Issues – Cont’d

Other issues with migrated drawings Projection angle of drawing will be changed to it’s opposite

(First Angle will be Third Angle, vise-versa) Does not affect existing views, only views added/projected

after migration Recommended to fix this prior to drawing approval, or at least

make your users aware

Detail views come across as two views One view of the geometry One view of the dimensions

We have found it easier, (and cleaner) to simply re-create the drawings if there are drastic changes A better drawing will be retained as a result We have not been doing this for basic “Change Order” type

changes

CMM – Issues – Cont’d

Drawings from assemblies seem to have the most issues

Reference Sets may need tweaking

Disappearing and/or invisible Geometry

Sometimes can be fixed with View Dependent Edit > Delete All Edits

Sometimes part must be “un-blanked” 1.) Component is grayed out which means it is blanked

2.) Select on Component -> MB3 -> Replace Reference set -> MODEL

3.) Select on Component -> MB3 -> Show Only which will blank everything

4.) select on Component -> MB3 -> Show which will bring back all of the parts and then update all of the views.

CMM – Unique Solutions to Consider

We had a simple hardware part that would not migrate into NX NX Dataset was created, but blank Rather than spend time trying to evaluate the problem, we

took the MacGuyver approach Created a STEP file out of I-Deas and imported it into the

blank NX Dataset Hardware was still associated with model

Nice!

So far, we have had one other file that would not migrate fully into NX A Drawing that stops at 70% This is an open GTAC IR

CMM – Suggestions

Go to the Migration Lab

Learn how to use CMM tools

Become comfortable

Get on the CMM distribution list

CMM is constantly being updated and enhanced as users like us place calls to GTAC

Don’t be afraid to call GTAC

You will get to know Sonia Kelley & Ron Davis very well

Practice makes perfect

Practice in a test environment as much as you can

Limit the number of CMM operators

Things you should know(that we didn’t’)

You will most likely need some additional licenses

You should receive a 1 to 1 I-Deas to NX license exchange, however some functionality will be lost

Advanced Assembly (in order to do weight/mass analysis)

NX Data Management is VERY different from I-Deas/TCII

Problems arise when multiple users work on same parts

2D drafting is VERY difficult and time consuming compared to I-Deas

This is NX5’s weakest aspect

CMM is not being used by a large customer base

Lot’s of progress has been made with CMM, but you will still be near the forefront on this

Other Suggestions

Get a Space Ball NX was designed to work with a Space Ball Using the mouse for movement can be difficult

Accidentally closing/completing commands

If you don’t have a Space Ball, Shift & Control keys can be used similar to F-keys in I-Deas

Do not use the “I-Deas” role It is a crutch Learn NX as NX, not I-Deas Does not give you full functionality

Sys Admins – Get Teamcenter Admin training TC Admin training will touch on NX Admin To my knowledge, there is no NX Admin class

Other Suggestions – Cont’d

Utilize all available resources

Help files

CAST

GTAC

Online forums

User Groups

Company resources if available

Get help for your migration and setup, either from UGS or some other source

There is no way we could have completed our migration as fast and successfully without Meta-Fore

Closing Thoughts

NX5 is very good CAD software and a welcome step forward from I-Deas

A few things still need to be tweaked to ensure a more seamless upgrade for I-Deas users

“Legacy” Unigraphics commands can be difficult to use as an I-Deas user

Things can only get better from here as more I-Deas functionality becomes integrated with NX and New NX features are created and old ones updated

Overall the shift to NX5 has been fairly pleasant, with a few instances of wanting to pound our collective heads against a wall

After using NX5 you will not want to go back to I-Deas, even with NX5’s shortcomings

Thanks to

Meta-Fore

Brian Garcia

Laila Hirr

Lee Guthrie

Mike Nelson

Randy Ellesworth

Clarke Wingfield

PLM World

Bryan Cridlin

Pat Turman

A.D. Link

Valerie Shrader

Gary Morris

Richard Kelley

Andreas Lindenthal

Irma Boehringer John Kirk

Dennis McCoy

Sonia Kelley

Paul Bailey

Apologies to Darwin

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Matt PeytonMoog Components GroupSr. Designer/CAD Administratormpeyton@moog.com

Brian Garcia MetaforeSr. PLM Applications Engineerbrian.garcia@meta-fore.com

Thank you