Loading parts from your last session when opening NX

It's possible to have NX load all your parts/assemblies that were open the last time you worked with NX.

First, you need to switch on the customer default "File → Utilities → Customer Defaults → Gateway → General → Part → Write Bookmark File on Exit". This will make sure that a bookmark file is written as "yourusername_last_context.plmxml" under TEMP directory.

When you want NX to load this bookmark, you can launch NX with the following command :

ugraf.exe -retrieve:%TEMP%\%username%_last_context.plmxml

Or, you could use File-Open to load the .plmxml file.

Renaming components outside of NX

If for some reason I needed to rename one of my components in an assembly; here's how I did it so far :

• Rename the part in windows
• Open the parent of this component
• Click OK for the warning saying that the component couldn't be found/loaded
• Open As.. or Substitute the component with the new one.

Instead, there's a command line utility under UGII directory called ug_edit_part_names.exe, which changes the reference of the renamed part in the parent. The good thing is that you don't need to actually load the parts to save the changes.

Suppose the assembly structure is like this :

assy
..|---part1
..|---part2
..|---part3
.......|---part3a
.......|---part3b ---> part3_renamed


If you need to rename part3b into part3_renamed ; here's the syntax :

ug_edit_part_names part3.prt -o part3.prt -change_name part3b.prt part3_renamed.prt

I must note that this tool does not rename the file itself, it merely updates the referencing parent. So you need to rename the file yourself at the O/S level.

There are some more uses;

ug_edit_part_names assy.prt -o assy.prt -upper_name will make all the components uppercase. Try ug_edit_part_names -examples for a few more usage examples including querying / changing the last known whereabouts of a component.

This could be used along with ugpc to rename components in a batch process, in case the clone assembly's renaming features are not fit for your needs.

Interpart Link Browser

Here's how to see all your interpart stuff collected in one place, before all gets too complicated to verify. Go to Assemblies - WAVE - Interpart Link Browser.

You can investigate object links, features or parts; and also edit or delete these links.

Assembly Constraints - The new 'mating' alternative

Since NX5, it is now possible to use bidirectional mating conditions in the Assemblies module. The old 'mate' commands are still available, but if you need the newer functionality, you need to enable it first.

• For the current part, go to Preferences - Assemblies - Assembly Positioning and set Interaction to 'Positioning Constraints'
• For all the new parts from now on, go to Customer Defaults - Assemblies - Positioning - Interface - Positioning and select 'Positioning Constraints'

What's new with the new and shiny Positioning Constraints ? Well, there are numerous changes.

• First of all, the GUI is much easier. ( both to use, and to teach to a newbie !)
• Bidirectional relationship is now possible.
  
• Align and Mate is combined into a new 'Touch Align' constraint
• There's a 'fix' constraint. As the name implies, it fixes your part.
  
• It's possible to 'bind' a component to another.
• You can visually see the constraints in the screen and hide/show some of them.
  
• You can calculate an 'extraction path' in Sequences.
  

I must also note that it is possible to convert the old mates in your assembly to the new Positioning Constraints using the command Assemblies - Components - Convert Mating Conditions. I've converted quite a number of assemblies so far, and it works quite smoothly.