Ug NX Workbook Student Manual Design Applications of Unigraphics

UNIGRAPHICS
DESIGN APPLICATIONS USING

UNIGRAPHICS
STUDENT MANUAL
September 2002
MT10055 - Unigraphics NX
EDS Inc.
Proprietary & Restricted Rights Notices
Copyright
Proprietary right of Unigraphics Solutions Inc., its subcontractors, or its suppliers are included in this
software, in the data, documentation, or firmware related thereto, and in information disclosed therein.
Neither this software, regardless of the form in which it exists, nor such data, information, or firmware may
be used or disclosed to others for any purpose except as specifically authorized in writing by Unigraphics
Solutions Inc. Recipient by accepting this document or utilizing this software agrees that neither this
document nor the information disclosed herein nor any part thereof shall be reproduced or transferred to
other documents or used or disclosed to others for manufacturing or any other purpose except as
specifically authorized in writing by Unigraphics Solutions Inc.
2002 Electronic Data Systems Corporation. All rights reserved.
Restricted Rights Legend
The commercial computer software and related documentation are provided with restricted rights. Use,
duplication or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to the protections and restrictions as set forth
in the Unigraphics Solutions Inc. commercial license for the software and/or documentation as prescribed
in DOD FAR 227-7202-3(a), or for Civilian Agencies, in FAR 27.404(b)(2)(i), and any successor or
similar regulation, as applicable. Unigraphics Solutions Inc., 10824 Hope Street, Cypress, CA 90630.
Warranties and Liabilities
All warranties and limitations thereof given by Unigraphics Solutions Inc. are set forth in the license
agreement under which the software and/or documentation were provided. Nothing contained within or
implied by the language of this document shall be considered to be a modification of such warranties.
The information and the software that are the subject of this document are subject to change without
notice and should not be considered commitments by Unigraphics Solutions Inc.. Unigraphics Solutions
Inc. assumes no responsibility for any errors that may be contained within this document.
The software discussed within this document is furnished under separate license agreement and is subject
to use only in accordance with the licensing terms and conditions contained therein.
Trademarks
EDS, the EDS logo, UNIGRAPHICS SOLUTIONS, UNIGRAPHICS, GRIP, PARASOLID, UG,
UG/..., UG SOLUTIONS, iMAN are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Data
Systems Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other logos or trademarks used herein are the property of their
respective owners.
Design Applications Using Unigraphics Student Manual Publication History:

Version 15.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 1999
Version 16.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 2000
Version 17.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 2000
Version 18.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 2001
Unigraphics NX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2002
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Course Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -1
Course Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -1
Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -1
Course Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -1
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -2
How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -2
Classroom System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -4
Class Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -5
About Part File Naming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -5
Class Part File Naming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -5
Seed Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -6
Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -7
Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -7
Unigraphics Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -8
Activity 1 - Toolbars in Gateway Application . . . . . . . . . . -10
Activity 2 - Toolbars in Modeling Application . . . . . . . . . -17
Constraining Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Sketch Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
DegreeĆofĆFreedom Arrows (DOF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Constraining Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Design Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
The Sketch Constraints Tool Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Creating Dimensional Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Text Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Dimensional Constraint Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Activity 1 - Taking Control of the Angular Adjustment . . 1-11
Editing Dimensional Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Delay Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Evaluate Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Update Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Activity 2 - Editing the Adjustment Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Creating Geometric Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Displaying Constraint Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Show/Remove Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Constraint Interrogation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
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Constraint Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24

Constraint Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Listing Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Removing Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Dragging Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Constraint Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Activity 3 - Adding Geometric Constraints to the Project 1-28
Add Existing Curves to a Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
Automatic Constraint Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-34
Activity 4 - Adding Objects to a Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36
Activity 5 - Auto Creating Geometric Constraints . . . . . . 1-43
Activity 6 - Applying Design Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-47
Design Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-47
Convert To/From Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-48
Activity 7 - Constraining Tangent Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-49
Design Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-49
Design Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-52
Another Design Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-53
Activity 8 - Constraining the Perimeter of a Sketch . . . . 1-56
Activity 9 - Controlling Heat Transfer in a Cooling Pipe 1-60
Constraint Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Alternate Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Activity 1 - Alternate Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Drag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Activity 2 - Dragging Sketch Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Placing sketches where they are needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Resolving DOFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Activity 3 - Creating and Positioning a Sketch . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Design Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Activity 4 - Positioning a Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31
Activity 5 - Using Positioning Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37
Reattaching the sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46
Reordering the sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-47
Activity 6 - Reattaching a Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48
Activity 7 - Moving Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-50
Mirroring in a Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-64
Activity 8 - Mirroring Sketch Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-65
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Additional Sketching Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Edit Defining String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Deleting or Suppressing Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Activity 1 - Edit Defining String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Activity 2 - Suppressing and Deleting Sketches . . . . . . . . 3-10
Animate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Activity 3 - Animating Sketch Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
The Expressions Dialog Box Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
How to use Cut, Copy, and Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Calculator Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Comments In Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Expression Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Other Expressions Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
List By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Rename . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Activity 1 - Working with Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
If (then) Else or Conditional Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Suppression by Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Suppress by Expression Dialog Box Options . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Activity 2 - Creating Conditional Expressions . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Design Intent Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Geometric Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Selection Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Editing Geometric Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Activity 3 - Applying a Geometric Expression . . . . . . . . . 4-21
Duplicating Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Mirror Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Activity 1 - Rectangle Instance Arrays & Mirrored Body 5-4
Mirror Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Selection Steps: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Activity 2 - Creating a Mirror Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
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Copy/Paste Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17

Copy Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Expression Transfer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Parent Transfer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Other Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Considerations when using the Copy/Paste Feature . . . . . 5-19
Activity 3 - Applying the Copy / Paste Feature . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Activity 4 - Copying a Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Assembly Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Assemblies Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Assemblies Pulldown Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Assemblies Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
The Assembly Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Opening the Assembly Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
The Assembly Navigator Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Node Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Assembly Navigator Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Selecting Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
PopĆUp Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Blank / Unblank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Pack or Unpack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Replace Reference Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Make Work Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Make Displayed Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Display Parent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Open" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Close" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Drag and Drop in the Assembly Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Activity 1 - Activating and Using the Assembly Navigator 6-14
Specifying Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-17
Assembly Navigator Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Component Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Assembly Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Attributes Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Parameters Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Weight Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
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Part File Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26

General Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27
Check Clearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
Activity 2 - Assemblies User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29
Preview Component on Add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-33
Activity 3 - Preview Component on Add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34
Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

General Concepts Concerning Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Using Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Excluding Unwanted Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Representing Components with Simple Geometry . . . . . . 7-4
Default Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
The Entire Part" Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
The Empty" Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Display Techniques for Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
The Simplified Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Simplified Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Simple Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Faceted Representations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Right Hand and Left Hand Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Tools to Automate the Creation of Reference Sets . . . . . . 7-8
Creating Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Origin and Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Reference Set Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Activity 1 - Taking a look at Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Replacing Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Replacing Reference Sets with the Assemblies pulldown 7-15
Replacing Reference Sets in context of an Assembly . . . . 7-17
Reference Sets on the Assembly Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Replacing Reference Sets with the Assembly Navigator . 7-18
Activity 2 - Replacing Reference Sets in an Assembly . . . 7-19
SubĆAssembly Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Activity 3 - Mass Replacement of Reference Sets . . . . . . . 7-24
Editing Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Deleting Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Renaming Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Load Options and Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Activity 4 - Load Options and Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . 7-35
TopĆDown Assembly Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
General Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
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Top Down Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

Method One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Method Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Creating a New Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Verifying the Creation of a New Component . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Activity 1 - TopĆDown Assembly Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Considerations of Selecting Data During Component
Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Designing in Context of an Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Selecting Geometry Outside the Work Part . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Sketching in Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Introduction to Interpart Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Geometry Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14
Considerations when Interpart Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-15
Activity 2 - Designing in Context of an Assembly . . . . . . . 8-16
Localized Interpart Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-27
Interpart Modeling Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-28
Part in Process Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-28
Mold/Die Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
Weldments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-30
Activity 3 - In Process Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-31
Activity 4 - Wave Geometry Linker - Mirror Body . . . . . 8-34
Editing Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
Broken Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-39
Deleting Parent Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-39
Activity 5 - Editing a Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-41
Activity 6 - Editing the Time stamp of a Link . . . . . . . . . 8-46
Interpart Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
General Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Types of Interpart Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Referencing Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Overriding Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Creating Interpart Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Edit Interpart Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Load Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Activity 1 - Creating Interpart Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Partial Loading Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Resolving Interpart Expression References . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Tips and Recommended Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Offset Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
Offset Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
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Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Activity 1 - Capturing Design Intent with Offset Curves 10-8
Trim Body / Split Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Trim Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
Split Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Activity 1 - Windshield Fluid Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Face Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1

Offset Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Activity 1 - Offset a Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Taper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-7
Taper Direction and Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8
Taper Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8
Tapering From Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10
Variable Angle Tapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-11
Isocline and Draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-11
Tapering Tangent to Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-12
Selection Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-12
Other Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-15
Editing Tapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-17
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-17
Activity 2 - Taper Solid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-18
Design Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-18
Activity 3 - Internal & External Taper Directions . . . . . . 12-24
Activity 4 - Creating a Windshield Fluid Reservoir . . . . . 12-29
Variable Radius and Cliff Edge Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1

Variable Radius Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2
Tips and Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Activity 1 - Creating a Variable Radius Blend . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Cliff Edge Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Mating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1

Mating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
General Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
FROM / TO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
The Mate Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3
The Align Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Using the CSYS Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
The Angle Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6
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The Parallel Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-7

The Perpendicular Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-8
The Center Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-9
Procedure: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-10
The Distance Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-11
The Tangent Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-11
Constraint / Object Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-12
The Mating Conditions Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-13
Defining Mating Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-14
Vary Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-14
Degree of Freedom Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
List Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-16
The OK, Apply, and Cancel Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-16
Tree Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17
Mating Constraint Popup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17
Mating Condition Popup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-18
Repositioning Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-20
Reposition Component Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-20
Move Objects or Move Handles Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21
Distance or Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21
Snap Increment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21
Point Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21
Vector Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21
Snap Handles to WCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21
Motion Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21
Collision Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-22
Stop on Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-22
Repositioning Components by Dragging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-23
Activity 1 - Mating the Nut Cracker Components . . . . . . 14-24
Activity 2 - Remember Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-38
Component Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-1

Component Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-2
Creating a Component Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-2
Editing a Component Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-3
Activity 1 - Creating a Circular Component Array . . . . . 15-4
FeatureĆBased Component Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-6
The Template Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-6
Component Arrays and Mating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7
FeatureĆBased Array Associativity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-8
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Activity 2 - Creating Feature ISET Component Arrays . . 15-9

Part Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-1
Capabilities and General Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2
Common Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-3
General Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-3
Part Families Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-4
Available Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-4
Attribute Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-5
Add Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-5
Chosen Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-5
Remove Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-5
Create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
Resume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
Cancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
The Part Family Spreadsheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-7
Verify Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-8
Update Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-8
Create Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9
Save Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9
Cancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9
Creating Family Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9
Activity 1 - Creating a Family of Standard Parts-Excel 16-10
Activity 2 - Creating a Family of Standard Parts-Xess . 16-15
Adding Part Family Members to an Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-19
Selection Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-20
Obtaining Information on Family Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-22
Family Of Parts Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-22
Activity 3 - Adding a Standard Part to an Assembly . . . . 16-23
Revisions and Substitutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-1
File Versioning/Revisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-2
Tracking Revisions By Part Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-2
Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-2
Disadvantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-2
Revising a Component and Assembly Using Save Part As. 17-3
The Part Modification Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-4
Additional Assembly Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-6
Update Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-6
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Where Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-7

Session Where Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-7
Activity 1 - Revising Components Using Save As" . . . . . 17-8
Load Options and Revisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-12
Defining Search Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-14
Partial Loading Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-15
Sharing Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-15
Legacy Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-15
Closing Assembly Component Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-16
Reopening Component Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-17
Substituting Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19
The Unique Identifier (UID) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19
Allow Substitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-20
Substituting Components Using Substitute . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-21
Substituting Components Using Reopen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-23
Substituting Components Using the Assembly Navigator 17-24
Activity 2 - Substituting Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-25
Alternate Mating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-30
Defining Alternates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-31
Activity 3 - Defining and Verifying Alternates . . . . . . . . . 17-32
Additional Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Project 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Project 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Project 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4
Project 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
Project 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-9
Project 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-10
Project 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-12
Project 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-14
Project 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-16
Project 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-18
Project 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-20
Project 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-22
Project 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-24
Project 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-26
Project 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-28
Project 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-30
Project 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-32
Project 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-34
Project 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-36
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System Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Enabling Interpart Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
File Versioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Regular Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
File Versioning Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
Expression Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
Precedence and Associativity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3
BuiltĆin Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4
Scientific Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL-1
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IN-1
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Table of Contents
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xii Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

Course Overview
Course Overview
Course Description
Design Applications Using Unigraphics is a method based course that will focus
on creating parametric models that captures design intent in a Master Model
environment. Some of the functionality used to accomplish this is: building
associativity between expressions, interĆpart modeling (linking geometry across
part files), creating sketches, building assemblies, and creating mating
conditions.
Intended Audience
Designers, Engineers, and CAD/CAM managers who have a need to create

parametric solid models that capture design intent while working in a Master
Model environment.
Course Objectives
After successfully completing this course, the student should be able to:
Create sketches.
Apply Top Down assembly modeling.
Create InterĆpart expressions.
Create Geometric expressions.
Copy/Paste a feature.
Apply the Load Options.
Create Reference Sets.
Design in Context.
Apply InterĆpart modeling using the WAVE geometry linker.
Trim a solid body.
Create a variable blend.
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Design Applications Using
-1
Course Overview
Create an offset face

Create a taper
Reorder features
Create mating conditions between component part files
Create simple part families
Prerequisites
Practical Applications of Unigraphics course
Basic understanding of parametric/explicit modeling, and the Master Model

Concept.
Working knowledge of the following:
Unigraphics interface
Part file saving conventions
Basic Curve Creation
Solid Primitives
Swept Features with Offsets
WCS & Absolute coordinate systems
Layer control
Form Features & positioning dimensions
Simple blends
How to Use This Manual
It is important that you use the Student Manual in the sequence presented
because later lessons assume you have learned concepts and techniques taught
in an earlier lesson. If necessary, you can always refer to any previous activity
where a method or technique was originally taught.
EDS Unigraphics NX
-2 Design Applications Using
Course Overview
The general format for lesson content is:
lecture
activity
project
summary
The format of the activities is consistent throughout this manual. Steps are
labeled and specify what will be accomplished at any given point in the activity.
Below each step are action boxes which emphasize the individual actions that
must be taken to accomplish the step. As your knowledge of Unigraphics
increases, the action boxes will seem redundant as the step text becomes all that
is needed to accomplish a given task.
Step 1 Open part file dau_topic_1.
From the menu bar, select File
Choose Open.
Double-click on the parts sub-directory.
Select the file dau_topic_1 and choose OK.
While working through lesson activities, you will experience a higher degree of
comprehension if you read the CUE and Status lines.
It is recommended that students who prefer more detail from an Instructor Led
Course ask questions, confirm with restatement, and, more importantly, attend
and pay attention to the instruction as it is given.
Obviously, it is always necessary for students to consider the classroom situation

and be considerate of other students who may have greater or lesser needs for
instruction. Instructors cannot possibly meet the exact needs of every student.
At the start of each class day you will be expected to log onto your terminal and
start Unigraphics, being ready to follow the instructor's curriculum. At the end
of the day's class you should always quit Unigraphics and log off the terminal.
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Course Overview
Classroom System Information
Your instructor will provide you with the following items for working in the
classroom:
Student Login: Username:
Password:
Home Directory:
Parts Directory:
Instructor:
Date:
EDS Unigraphics NX
Course Overview
Class Standards
The following standards will be used in this class. Standardization allows users
to work with and predict the organization of parts created by others . All work
should be performed in accordance with these standards.
About Part File Naming
In order to facilitate the identification of design models without requiring the

user to open a part file, the user community must establish standard names for
the various files associated with the part definition. The following is a sample
usage of a filenaming standard:
part name revision

(25 characters) (4 characters)
xxx_xxxxxxxxxxxx_xxxx_xxxx•prt
identifier configuration extension

(3 characters) (4 characters) (4 characters)
TIP Currently up to 128 characters are valid for file names. A four
character extension (.prt) is automatically added to define the file
type. This means the maximum number of user defined characters for
the file name is actually 124.
Class Part File Naming
This course utilizes the following filenaming standard:
underscore unique identifier number

part name
delimiter
dau_ x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x _ x • p r t
course identifier underscore delimiter extension

(3 characters) (4 characters)
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Course Overview
Where the student is requested to save a part file for later use, the initials of
the student's given name, middle name, and surname replace the course
identifier dau" in the new filename with the remainder of the filename
matching the original.
Seed Part
Seed parts are an effective tool for establishing customer defaults or any
settings that are partĆdependent (saved with the part file). This may include
nonĆgeometric data such as:
Preferences
Commonly used expressions
Layer categories
UserĆdefined views and layouts
Part attributes
TIP Once a seed part is established, it should be writeĆprotected to avoid

accidental modification of the seed part.
Two seed part files are available for use in this course. These files incorporate
the standards described above, and include the TFRĆTRI view as the default
view.
dau_seedpart_in (Inches)
dau_seedpart_mm (Millimeters)
EDS Unigraphics NX
Course Overview
Expressions
The student will notice that there is a standard set of expressions resident in
each of the part files as follows:
Expression Name Intended Use

bend_r=.5 identifies bend radius for sheet metal parts
dia=.5 identifies diameter
h=1 identifies height
l=1 identifies length
out_r=.625 identifies the outside radius for sheet metal
parts
rad=.25 identifies Radius
thk=.06 identifies thickness
w=1 identifies width
These expressions could be entered by the user in each file or could be a

standard expression file that could be imported into the part file by the user.
Expression files that are valid for importing carry the file extension of .exp. The
total number of characters allowed in an expression is 132.
Colors
The following colors are preset to indicate different object types:
Object Valid colors

Bodies
Solid Green
Sheet Yellow
Generating Curves (nonĆsketch)
Lines and Arcs Orange
Conics and Splines Blue
Sketches
Sketch Curves Cyan
Reference Curves Gray
Datum Features Aquamarine
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Course Overview
Points and Coordinate Systems White

System Display Color Red
EDS Unigraphics NX
Course Overview
Unigraphics Interface
Unigraphics utilizes a toolbar interface which is customizable for each user.

Many of the options located under the Menu bar and various cascades can be
accessed by selecting an icon from the appropriate toolbar. It is the intent of
this course to emphasis ease of use". Lessons will introduce functions and
identify their location with respect to toolbars and icons. The session of
Unigraphics that will be initiated has an out of the box" interface, therefore
the Gateway and Modeling applications will be customized through an activity.
Control of Toolbar display may be accessed from one of 3 places:
Choose ToolsCustomize from the main menu.

Choose ViewToolbars from the main menu.
Use the Third Mouse Button within the Unigraphics window, outside the
Graphics window.
The display of each toolbar, as well as each element of each toolbar, is user
customizable. To turn ON or OFF the display of a toolbar choose
ToolsCustomize or click MB3 in the toolbar area and select Customize.
Placing a check in the box next to the toolbar name will instantly display the
toolbar in the graphics area.
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Course Overview
To turn ON or OFF the display of a toolbar element choose the Commands tab.
Placing a check in the box next to the toolbar command will instantly display
the command in the appropriate toolbar. Removing the check turns off the
display.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Course Overview
Activity 1 - Toolbars in Gateway Application

This activity will demonstrate working with toolbars to establish an efficient
working environment in the Gateway application.
Step 1 Open the part file dau_seedpart_in.
Choose the Open icon.
Step 2 Display the Standard toolbar in the Gateway Application.
Click Mouse Button 3 (MB3) in the toolbar area and choose

Customize.
Click MB3 within

toolbar area.
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Course Overview
The Customize Dialog box appears and shows the current toolbars which are
displayed.
Verify that the Standard toolbar is checked ON.
The Standard toolbar should be displayed on the screen docked in the upper
left corner under the Menu bar.
Choose Close to dismiss the Customize dialog box.
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Course Overview
Step 3 Display the View, Selection and Utility toolbars.
Click MB3 in the toolbar area and verify the View, Selection
and Utility toolbars are checked ON.
The toolbars are displayed on the screen in an Docked state. Remember that
toolbars may be docked horizontally on the top or bottom and vertically on the
left or right. Locate the toolbars.
View
Selection
Utility
NOTE: Icons may vary for each

toolbar
Locate the Utility toolbar in the Unigraphics window, it may be docked or

undocked.
NOTE: Icons may vary.
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Course Overview
Step 4 Move a docked toolbar.
Place the cursor on the handle portion of the Utility toolbar

and press and hold down MB1.
Select Here
Drag the toolbar such that it is aligned under the Standard

toolbar completely to the left side of the window.
Release MB1.
The Utility toolbar remains docked to the Unigraphics window in the proper
position.
Select the View toolbar on the handle and drag the toolbar
such that it is aligned to the right of the Standard toolbar.
Locate Here
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Course Overview
Select the Selection toolbar on the handle and drag the

toolbar such that it is aligned to the right of the Utility
toolbar.
Locate Here
Step 5 Display the Application toolbar in the Gateway

Application.
Click MB3 in the toolbar area and check ON the Application

toolbar.
Click MB3 within

toolbar area.
Checked ON
Locate the Application toolbar in the Unigraphics window, it may be docked or

undocked.
NOTE: Icons may vary.
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Course Overview
Step 6 Customize the Application toolbar.

Click MB3 in the toolbar area and choose Customize.
Select the Commands tab and highlight Application in the

Toolbars column.
Select these
options
A listing with the commands for the Application toolbar is displayed. The
commands displayed on the toolbar are checked in the Commands column.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Course Overview
Scroll down to see all of the options in the Commands

column. Turn ON the Modeling, Drafting and Assemblies
commands and turn OFF all others options. Also, turn ON
the Separator above the Assemblies command.
Scroll
down
here
Note that the display of the toolbar changes immediately upon selection of
commands.
Locate the Application toolbar as shown below.
Locate here
These toolbar settings will be retained for the Gateway application for the rest
of the course.
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Course Overview
Activity 2 - Toolbars in Modeling Application

This activity will establish toolbars in the Modeling application for future
lessons.
Step 1 Enter the Modeling Application.
Select the Modeling icon in the Application toolbar.
Entering a different application will introduce a new set of toolbars. The

toolbars that were established in the Gateway application may move and have
different commands in them.
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Course Overview
Step 2 Display the common toolbars from the Gateway

application.
Click MB3 in the toolbar area and verify that the Standard,
View, Selection, Utility and Application toolbars are checked
ON. Turn OFF all other toolbars. Other toolbars will be
turned ON throughout the course as they are needed.
Dock the toolbars in similar locations as defined in the

Gateway application.
Step 3 Customize the toolbars.
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Course Overview
Select the Commands tab and adjust the toolbars to match

the commands in the table below.
Toolbars Standard View Selection Utility Application

New Refresh Select Work Drafting
General Layer
Objects
Open Fit Select Layer Assemblies
Features Settings
Save Zoom Select Separator Gateway
Components
Separator
Zoom Separator WCS
In/Out Dynamics
Commands Delete Rotate Type Filter Orient
Undo Pan Reset WCS
Separator Separator Separator
Information Wireframe Select All
Settings
Shaded Deselect All
Settings
Wireframe Separator
View Up One
Orientation Level
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Course Overview
Step 4 Display additional toolbars in the Modeling application.
Click MB3 in the toolbar area and turn ON the Form

Feature, Feature Operation, Edit Feature and Modeling
Toggles toolbars.
Form Feature
Feature Operation
Edit Feature
Modeling Toggles
NOTE: Icons may vary for each

toolbar
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Course Overview
Dock the toolbars horizontally or vertically in the locations

defined below.
Modeling
Feature Edit Feature Toggles
Operation
Form
Feature
Step 5 Customize the toolbars.
Select the Commands tab and adjust the toolbars to match

the commands in the following table.
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Course Overview
Toolbars Form Feature Edit Modeling

Feature Operation Feature Toggles
Form
Edit Feature
Sketch Taper Feature
Parameters
Toolbar
Feature
Edit
Extruded Body Edge Blend Operation
Positioning
Toolbar
Edit
Revolved Body Edge Chamfer Move Feature Feature
Toolbar
Sweep along
Hollow Separator
Guide
Instance Suppress
Separator
Feature Feature
Hole Unsuppress
Offset Face
Feature
Commands Boss Separator Separator
Delay Update
Pocket Trim Body
on Edit
Pad Separator Update
Slot Unite Separator
Feature
Groove Subtract
Playback
Separator Intersect
Datum Plane
Datum Axis
Datum CSYS
Separator
Block
Cylinder
Step 6 Choose FileCloseAll Parts. Do not save.
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Constraining Sketches
Constraining Sketches ÏÏÏ

ÏÏÏ
Lesson 1
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
PURPOSE This lesson describes geometric and dimensional constraints. It

also covers modifying the constraints in sketches.
OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
Identify Constraint types.

Define Sketch Points & Degree of Freedom Arrows.
Create and edit Dimensional Constraints.
Create Geometric Constraints.
Work with System Applied Geometric Constraints.
Auto Create and Display Geometric Constraints.
Work with Constraint Conditions.
Convert Sketch Curves To Reference Curves.
Update The Model.
Add Objects to Sketch.
Constrain the Perimeter of a Sketch.
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ÏÏÏ Sketch Points

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Sketch objects are defined by theoretical points. A line, for instance, is defined
by two points. The sketcher attempts to mathematically solve for the location of
the points by analyzing the constraints (rules) that are placed on objects.
The points that the sketch solver analyzes are referred to as sketch points. By
controlling the locations of these sketch points the line itself may be controlled.
There are various ways to control these points. The sketch points associated
with different types of curves are illustrated in the graphic below.
Line Fillet
Arc
Circle
+
Spline
Point
Ellipse
DegreeĆofĆFreedom Arrows (DOF)
Degree of freedom arrows occur at sketch points to indicate that the solver is
unable to fully define where the sketch point exists on the sketch plane. DOF
arrows are only displayed during the creation of dimensions or constraints; they
are yellow, and their base emanates at the sketch point with arrowheads
pointing in both the horizontal or vertical directions (when the sketch point has
no constraints).
An arrow pointing to the right means that the sketch point in question is free to
move in the horizontal direction, both to the right and left. An arrow pointing
up means that the sketch point in question is free to move in the vertical
direction, both up and down. If there are DOF arrows at a given point in both
directions, the point is free to move in both directions.
EDS Unigraphics NX
1-2 Design Applications Using
These arrows provide visual feedback to the user while in the process of
ÏÏÏ
constraining the sketch.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
(no display)
Undefined in X and Y Undefined in Y Undefined in X Defined in X

Directions Direction only Direction only and Y Directions
The system removes DOF arrows as rules are written that define the location of
the sketch points.
Arc - Arcs have sketch points at the center and at either end. These
sketch points as well as the radius of the arc may be defined if the user so
desires.
Circle - Circles may have the center point as well as a radius or diameter
defined.
Ellipse -An ellipse may have the location of its center defined; also, the
parameters for the size and orientation of the ellipse are stored for future
editing.
Fillet - Fillet is a specialized case of an arc. By definition a fillet is
tangent to the objects with which it is associated. The system applies this
rule as the fillet is created. Fillets may have the same information defined
as other arcs, and in some cases the tangency that is assigned will define
the endpoints.
Line - Lines may have the sketch points at either end defined.
Point - Points may be defined relative to other objects or at specific
locations in space.
Spline - Degree three splines may have their defining points located.
Slopes of the spline at the defining points may also be defined. Splines
that are of a degree other than three may be added to sketches however,
since their defining points are not located at their knot points, there is no
way to locate their defining points using constraints.
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ÏÏÏ Constraining Sketches

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ Design Intent
The power in sketching is derived from the ability to capture design intent. This
is accomplished by setting up rules that dictate how sketch objects will react to
changing input. These rules are called constraints. As many or as few constraints
as necessary may be applied to cause the sketch profile to update in the manner
desired. Unigraphics sketches are not required to be fully constrained. A group
of these rules may be thought of as a constraint set. The constraint set is
comprised of two types of constraints, dimensional and geometric and are
accessed from the Sketch Constraints tool bar.
The Sketch Constraints Tool Bar
Create Constraints
Dimensions
Creating Dimensional Constraints
A dimensional constraint establishes the size of a sketch object (such as the

length of a line or radius of an arc) or the scalar relationship between two
objects (such as the distance between two points).
Dimensional constraints appear in the graphics window. Unlike drafting

dimensions, changing the value of the dimensional constraints changes the shape
and or size of the sketch objects that are controlled by the sketch points. This
changes the feature of the solid model that the sketch curves control.
EDS Unigraphics NX
ÏÏÏ
The Dimensions icon accesses the Dimensions dialog. ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
You can use the dialog to create and edit dimensions, as well as change some of
the preferences.
There are nine icons located near the top of the dialog box. The top leftĆhand
icon is the most useful as it infers the dimension type based on the objects that
are selected and where their dimension text is located. It is also the default
icon. The other eight icons are supplied for times when the system is unable to
infer the desired dimension type. These different options are filters" that when
selected will only allow a specific dimension type to be created. Because of this,
certain types of geometry may not be selectable if they do not coincide with the
dimension type selected.
As dimensional constraints are being created, the dimension, its extension lines,
and arrows are displayed as soon as the geometry has been selected. Drag the
dimension to the desired location and place it by clicking the left mouse button.
When dimensioning from a datum axis or datum plane, the dimension will not
display until the location is selected.
During some dimensioning the system infers a dimension type before all of the
geometry has been selected. In these instances continue to select geometry until
the correct dimension type is displayed, or select the icon for the dimension
type desired and reselect the geometry.
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ÏÏÏ As dimensional constraints are being created, the system creates an expression.
ÏÏÏ This expression's name and value are displayed in the current expression fields
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
of the Constraints dialog box. This places the value field in overstrike mode so
the user may enter the desired dimensional constraint. A slider is also provided
below the value text and may be used to change the value.
Enter new Enter new statement

name or numeric value
Use slider bar to

change value
Below the value slider are two option menus for manipulating the appearance
of the dimensional constraint.
The leftĆhand option menu is for defining how the text and arrows of the
dimensional constraint will be displayed. Options are for automatic text
placement where the system decides the appearance, manual text placement
with the arrows inside the extension lines, or manual text placement with the
arrows outside the extension lines.
Auto Placement
Manual Placement,
Arrows In
Manual Placement,
Arrows Out
The rightĆhand option menu is for defining whether the dimension's leader is
attached to the right or left of the dimension text.
Leader From Left
Leader From Right
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Both of these option menus may be used before, during or after dimension
ÏÏÏ
creation.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Text Height
The display height of the dimension text is controlled by the text entry field at
the bottom of the dialog box. This value may be changed any time the
Dimensions dialog box is active.
The default value is .150 for inch part files and 4mm for metric part files. There
are no limits to values for this field. Modifying this value changes all the
dimensional constraints in the active sketch.
Dimensional Constraint Types
Inferred - Allows the system to select any of the dimension types listed
below, (except perimeter) based on object selection and cursor location. Points,
points on sketch curves (including spline knot points), edges, lines, arcs, datum
planes, and datum axes are selectable using this method.
Horizontal - Used to filter the system to specify a distance constraint

between two points with respect to the XĆaxis of the sketch coordinate system.
Points, points on sketch curves (including spline knot points), edges, lines, and
arcs are selectable using this method.
YC
ZC XC
.500 4.000
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ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Vertical - Used to filter the system to specify a distance constraint
ÏÏÏ
between two points with respect to the YĆaxis of the sketch coordinate system.
1 Points, points on sketch curves (including spline knot points), edges, lines, and
ÏÏÏ arcs are selectable using this method.
YC
2.000
ZC XC
.500
Parallel - Used to filter the system to specify a distance constraint

directly between two sketch entities. The parallel dimension is the shortest
distance between the two points. All sketch objects are selectable using this
method. The points selected will be inferred from the objects selected.
Arcs selected for 1.23 dimension
1.23 .500
Line endpoints
selected for
.500 dimension
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ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Perpendicular - Used to filter the system to specify a distance constraint
ÏÏÏ
measured perpendicular to a selected line and a point or the normal distance.
The first object selected using this method must be linear; the second will be a 1
point inferred from the next object selected. ÏÏÏ
.8502
.6302
Angular - Used to filter the system to specify an angular dimensional

constraint between two lines. The angle is measured counterclockwise from the
ends of the lines nearest the cursor upon selection. Only linear objects may be
selected with this method.
p0=45.507
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ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Radius - Used to filter the system to specify a radial size constraint for an
ÏÏÏ
arc or circle. Only arcs and circles may be selected with this method.
1
ÏÏÏ
R p4=0.250
Diameter- Used to filter the system to specify a diametral size constraint

for an arc or circle. Only arcs and circles may be selected with this method.
p1=2.568
Perimeter- The Perimeter constraint is used to constrain the collective

lengths of lines and arcs to a desired value. After the desired curves are
selected the user chooses OK, a dimensional constraint is created and its name
is prefixed with Perimeter, i.e. Perimeter_p7=6.456. There is no graphical
representation of this constraint on the graphics screen.
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Activity 1 - Taking Control of the Angular Adjustment ÏÏÏ

ÏÏÏ
In this activity, you will capture the design intent for a part by adding rules that
will control how the part is to change. These rules allow the part to be easily ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
modified. The included angle of the adjustment slot should change from 45° to
75°. Dimensional type constraints will be used to do this.
Step 1 Open the part file.
Open dau_angleadjbrckt_1 and save as

***_angleadjbrckt_1.
Step 2 Add the required dimensional constraints.
Choose Modeling.
DoubleĆclick on one of the sketch curves to activate the

sketch.
Choose Dimensions.
In the Text Height text box, key in .06 and press Enter.
Select the right end (over halfway, not endpoint) of the lower
angled line.
Select Here
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ÏÏÏ The system infers that you wish to create a horizontal, vertical, or parallel
ÏÏÏ dimensional constraint depending on the placement of the cursor relative to the
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
geometry. DO NOT PLACE THE DIMENSION!
Select the right end (not endpoint) of the upper angled line.
The system now changes the ghosted dimension to an angular dimension.
Select Here
Select a cursor location to place the dimension.
Select the right end (not endpoint) of the line across the
bottom.
Select the right end (not endpoint) of the lower angled line.
Second Selection
First Selection
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Select a cursor location to place the dimension, choose OK

ÏÏÏ
to dismiss the Dimensions dialog box.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Step 3 Change the viewpoint.
Choose Orient View to Model.
Choose Finish.
There are times, such as geometry creation, when looking directly at the plane
of the sketch is beneficial. At other times it is beneficial to change the view
point to more accurately understand the effects of changes on the geometry.
Step 4 Choose FileSave.
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1-13
ÏÏÏ Editing Dimensional Constraints

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
The editing of dimensional constraints may be achieved as follows:
To edit the value, simply double click on the dimension and edit the value
in the text box and press Enter.
To edit the position, simply drag a dimension's location.
Additional editing that may be done with the Dimensions dialog as listed below:
Name - Enter a new name in the text entry field.

Value - Enter a new value in the text entry field or use the slider.
Position - Click and hold the left mouse button to drag the dimension to
its new position.
Text placement method - Select a different option from the option menu.
Leader side - Select a different option from the option menu.
Text height - Enter a new text size in the text entry field.
NOTE: The name and value of a dimensional constraint may

also be edited by using the Expression Editor.
As dimensional constraints are edited, the constraints are evaluated and the
geometry is modified.
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ÏÏÏ
Delay Evaluation ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
At times it is advantageous not to have the geometry change until all of the
dimensional constraints have been modified. The Delay Evaluation is a toggle
on the Sketch tool bar that controls this condition.
Evaluate Sketch
The Evaluate Sketch button is provided so that the user may control sketch
evaluation when the Delay Evaluation toggle is on. Sketches are evaluated
automatically when the Constraints dialog box is exited.
Update Model
The Update Model icon located on the Sketch tool bar may be used to force the
model to update without leaving the sketch function.
When a sketch is deactivated the display of the dimensional constraints is

disabled. A toggle switch labeled Retain Dimension is supplied on the Sketch
Preferences dialog box to enable the display should there be a need to display
dimensions without an active sketch (such as to reference expression names
between sketches, plotting, etc.).
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ÏÏÏ Activity 2 - Editing the Adjustment Angle

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1 Sometimes you need more rules....
ÏÏÏ Continue using the part ***_angleadjbrckt_1.

Step 1 Change the layer settings.
Make layer 1 Selectable.
Fit the view.
Step 2 Edit a dimensional constraint.
DoubleĆclick on a sketch curve to activate the sketch.
DoubleĆclick on the 45 dimension.
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In the Dynamic Input Field text box, key in 75 and press

ÏÏÏ
Enter.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Step 3 Edit another dimensional constraint.
DoubleĆclick on the 15 dimension.
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ÏÏÏ In the Dynamic Input Field text box, key in 25 and press
ÏÏÏ Enter.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Notice how the geometry updates. Basic geometric assumptions that we make
when we look at this geometry are not specified to the system, i.e. the bottom
line has no horizontal constraint applied. If the geometry was created in the
sketch rather than added to the sketch, some of these geometric assumptions
would be added to the geometry as constraints during the creation process.
Step 4 Reopen the part file.
Choose Undo twice.
Choose Finish.
Choose FileCloseReopen All Modified Parts.
Do not save at this time.
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ÏÏÏ
Creating Geometric Constraints ÏÏÏ
A geometric constraint establishes a geometric characteristic of a sketch object
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
(such as defining a line as being horizontal) or the type of relationship between
two or more objects (such as requiring that two lines be parallel or
perpendicular, or that several arcs have the same radius).
Geometric constraints have no editable numeric values; a constant angle

constraint, for instance, simply dictates that the line stay at the angle it is at
when the constraint is applied.
The Create Constraints icon activates the process of creating constraints.

There is no dialog.
Constraints are created by selecting the geometry, and then choosing the
desired constraint icon from the upper left corner of the graphics screen. Only
icons for constraints that are possible for the selected curves will be displayed.
If you wish to assign multiple constraints at one time, you can control-select
the objects. Then the icons for constraints will remain on the screen after you
choose the first constraint. You can use MB2 to cancel creation of constraints.
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ÏÏÏ Listed below are all the possible constraints and their respective icon.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ Fixed Constant Angle
Collinear Concentric
Horizontal Tangent
Vertical Equal Radius
Parallel Coincident
Perpendicular Point on Curve
Equal Length Midpoint
Constant Length Point on String
Displaying Constraint Symbols
Constraint symbols are displayed when a sketch is active. Symbols for

Coincident, Point on Curve, Midpoint, Tangent, and Concentric are always
displayed. The other symbols are not displayed at all times.
The Show All Constraints icon will display the symbols for all the
constraints in the active sketch.
Sometimes, when the curves are very small on the screen (the view is zoomed
out), the symbols may not be displayed. You may need to zoom in to see them.
The following is a definition of each of the available geometric constraints:
Coincident - Defines two or more points as having the same location.
Collinear - Defines two or more linear objects as lying on or passing through

the same theoretical straight line.
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Concentric - Defines two or more arcs as having the same center.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Constant Angle - Defines a line as having a constant angle.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Constant Length - Defines a line as having a constant length.
Equal Length - Defines two or more lines as being the same length.
Equal Radius - Defines two or more arcs as having the same radius.
Fix - Defines fixed characteristics for geometry, depending on the type of

geometry selected, as follows:
Arc or circle - defines the radius and the location of the centerpoint.
Arc center, elliptical arc center, circle center, or ellipse center - locates
the centerpoint.
Arc or elliptical arc endpoint - locates the endpoint.
Ellipse - locates the centerpoint and defines the radii.
Ellipse center - locates the centerpoint.
Elliptical arc - locates the centerpoint and defines the radii.
Line - defines the angle and length.
Point - defines the location.
Spline - removes all of its rigid DOFs (it cannot be rigidly rotated or
rigidly dragged).
Spline control point - locates the control point.
Horizontal - Defines a line as horizontal.
Midpoint - Defines a point to lie on an imaginary line that is perpendicular

from the midpoint of the selected line.
NOTE: For the Midpoint constraint, select the curve anywhere

other than at its end points.
Mirror - Defines two objects as being mirror images of each other. This
constraint is automatically created when the mirror function is used. It cannot
be created manually.
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ÏÏÏ Parallel - Defines two or more linear objects as being parallel to each other.
ÏÏÏ
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1
ÏÏÏ
Perpendicular - Defines two linear objects as being perpendicular to each
other.
Point on Curve - Defines the location of a sketch point as lying on a curve.
Point on String - Defines the location of a sketch point as lying on an extracted

string.
Slope of Curve - Defines a spline, selected at a defining point, and another

object as being tangent to each other at the selected point.
Scale, NonĆUniform - Thus constrained, a spline will scale in the horizontal

direction while keeping the original dimensions in the vertical direction during
modification.
Scale, Uniform - A spline will scale proportionally in both the horizontal and
vertical when the horizontal length changes.
A Scale constraint may not be mixed with fixing of an internal spline point
as the uses of the two different constraint types are mutually exclusive.
Tangent - Defines two objects as being tangent to each other.
Vertical - Defines a line as vertical.
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ÏÏÏ
Show/Remove Constraints ÏÏÏ
The Show/Remove Constraints is a tool that aids you in the management of
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
constraints. The constraints may be listed by object/s or all of the constraints of
the active sketch may be listed at once.
Determines which
objects will have
their constraints
listed.
Determines what
type of
constraints will be
listed.
Determines if the
filtered constraint
will be included
or excluded in
the list.
Determines what
category of
constraints will be
listed.
Actions that can be

taken on the listed
constraints.
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ÏÏÏ Constraint Interrogation

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
One way to determine what geometric constraints are present is to pass the
selection ball over a sketch object. If the object has a constraint associated with
it, the sketch object will be preĆhighlighted as well as other sketch objects that
share the constraint and the constraint marker will appear next to the sketch
objects. If the selection ball passes over an object which has no constraints
associated with it, preĆhighlighting does not occur. The constraint types and
their markers are shown in the figure below.
Fix Perpendicular
Concentric Tangent
Coincident Equal Length
Colinear Equal Radius
Point on Curve Constant Length
Point on String Constant Angle
Midpoint on Curve Mirror
Horizontal Slope of Curve
Vertical Scale, Uniform
Parallel Scale, NonĆUniform
Constraint Categories
There are two major categories of geometric constraints, Explicit and Inferred.
Explicit constraints are constraints that the user has created by assignment
using the constraints dialog or by virtue of the creation method. Inferred
constraints are Coincident constraints that the system has inferred and created
during the curve creation process. The user has the option to list only the
Explicit, or Inferred constraints, or both may be listed at the same time.
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Constraint Listing
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
The constraints may also be listed in the Show/Remove Constraints dialog by
selecting one of the three options at the top of the dialog window. They are:
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Selected Object Once an object is selected, the associated constraints,
depending on the selected constraint category, are listed in the dialog box. To
view constraints associated with a different sketch object, simply select the new
object.
Selected Objects Allows the selection of multiple objects; the associated

constraints, depending on the selected constraint category, are listed in the
dialog box. Objects may be deselected by holding the shift key down and
selecting the object.
All in Active Sketch List all the constraints of the active sketch, depending on
the selected constraint category.
Listing Box
Any time that there are constraints listed in the list box they may be browsed by
selecting the constraint to highlight it. When the constraint is highlighted in the
list box, the sketch object(s) that is associated with it is also highlighted in the
graphics area. The Step Up the List and Step Down the List buttons allow easy
navigation through the various constraints. The Up and Down arrows on most
keyboards will mimic this behavior.
Information
The Information button located on the Show/Remove Constraints dialog box

will list all of the geometric constraints in the active sketch to the information
window. This is useful should there be a need to make a hard copy of the
constraints or save them as a text file.
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ÏÏÏ Removing Constraints

ÏÏÏ
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1
ÏÏÏ
Constraints may be deleted 3 ways:
Highlight them in the Show/Remove Constraints dialog List box and

select Remove Highlighted Constraint(s).
Turn on Select Constraints (on the Selection tool bar), select the
constraint symbol on the graphics screen, and then choose the Delete
icon.
Turn on Select Constraints, select the constraint symbol on the graphics
screen, and then use MB3→Delete to delete selected constraint.
Undo
The user may access undo from the edit pulldown on the main menu, the icon
on the standard toolbar, the third mouse button popĆup menu, or the
accelerator keys. Undo takes the creation procedure back one step at a time.
Dragging Geometry
UnderĆconstrained geometry can be dragged by simply holding down and

dragging MB1 while on the selected curve(s) or point(s).
Selection
When in the Sketcher Task Environment, the selection toolbar changes. It has
two icons that are only available in the Sketcher.
Select Sketch Objects allows selection of all objects in the sketch -

curves and dimensions.
Select Constraints allows selection of constraint symbols on the graphics

screen.
Deselect All deselects all objects that are currently selected.
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Constraint Conditions
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
When the Constraints dialog box is active, the status line lists the constraint
condition for the active sketch. A sketch may be fully constrained, under
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constrained, or over constrained. When the sketch is under constrained the status
line will indicate the number of constraints needed.
A sketch is evaluated each time a constraint is placed upon the sketch. Each
time a sketch is evaluated, the system attempts to solve the set of constraints
that describe how the geometric objects are positioned and their relationships
with each other.
In order to completely capture the design intent of a particular profile, it may

be beneficial to fully constrain the sketch. This occurs when the solver is able to
completely define all sketch geometry.
It is important to remember that there is no requirement to fully constrain a

sketch. The design intent has been captured sufficiently when the constraint set
applied to the profile causes it to update in the intended manner.
A sketch is under constrained when there is insufficient information to

completely locate each sketch point. DegreeĆofĆfreedom arrows are displayed at
each point that could not be solved to identify the direction in which that point
remains free to move.
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ÏÏÏ Activity 3 - Adding Geometric Constraints to the Project

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1 In this activity you will add geometric constraints to the angle adjustment
ÏÏÏ bracket to cause the expected update to occur when the dimensional constraint
is modified.
Continue working with ***_angleadjbrckt_1.
Step 1 Add the required geometric constraints.
DoubleĆclick on a sketch curve.
Fit the view.
Choose Create Constraints.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Select the line at the bottom of the sketch.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Choose Horizontal.
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1
ÏÏÏ
Select this line
This constraint will keep the line from rotating around when dimensional
constraints are modified.
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ÏÏÏ There are six places where the curvature transitions needs to maintain
ÏÏÏ tangency.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ Select the tangent curve pairs two at a time and Apply
Tangency constraints to each set. Be careful to select on the
correct half of the arc.
Lastly, the two arcs at the top of the slot should remain concentric.
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Select the two upper arcs and

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Apply a Concentric constraint.
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1
ÏÏÏ
Select these
two arcs
The slot should now be constrained such that the angle may be adjusted while
the configuration remains as intended.
Toggle Create Constraints off.
Step 2 Edit the dimensional constraints.
DoubleĆclick on the 45 dimension and change it to 75.
The sketch geometry changes in the expected manner.
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ÏÏÏ Step 3 Apply the change to the solid geometry.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ Choose Update Model.
Choose Finish.
Step 4 Choose File CloseSave and Close.
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ÏÏÏ
Add Existing Curves to a Sketch ÏÏÏ
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1
ÏÏÏ
Unigraphics affords the user the flexibility to sketch or not to sketch. Should
the user decide not to control a swept feature with a sketch, he/she may do so at
a later date. This is accomplished by using the Add Existing Curves function.
An example of this situation could be that the user has the general idea of what
a cross sectional profile looks like, but does not quite understand how form, fit,
and function of the part will drive the design intent. As the design matures and
the definition is recognized, the designer may then create a sketch and add the
geometry that has already been swept to create a solid feature.
When a sketch is active, the user may choose the Add Existing Curves icon and
simply select the curves or points required. Curves that are added to a sketch
have their layer reassigned to that of the sketch.
TIP No constraints are applied to curves created outside of the sketcher,

regardless of how the curves were created. The user must add
constraints, as required, to curves added to sketches.
Developed" or associative" curves may not be added to sketches. The shape

of these curves are controlled by other means, such as the associative faces for
projected points or curves, or the law functions that control certain types of
splines and helixes.
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ÏÏÏ Automatic Constraint Creation

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ The system has the ability to create certain types of geometric constraints in an
automated fashion. This functionality is especially useful when geometry is
added to a sketch rather than created as sketch objects. To create geometric
constraints in this manner, choose the Automatic Constraint Creation icon.
Toggle the desired constraints to on, and choose Apply or OK. Ensure that the
proper distance and angle tolerances are set.
The Set and Clear buttons, on the Auto Create Constraints dialog box, may be
used to turn all of the constraint fields on or off respectively.
EDS Unigraphics NX
When using the horizontal, vertical, parallel, and perpendicular auto create
ÏÏÏ
options, the system evaluates lines using the specified Angle tolerance to apply
ÏÏÏ
the proper constraints.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
When using the other types of auto create constraints, the system uses the
Distance tolerance to apply the constraints.
Using the Distance tolerance with the Coincident constraint will have the effect
of closing gaps that occur between geometric objects. This condition is common
with objects that have been translated from other systems.
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ÏÏÏ Activity 4 - Adding Objects to a Sketch

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
This activity will explore adding objects to a sketch, various curve operations
and auto creation of geometric constraints.
Step 1 Open dau_iges_1 and start the Modeling application.
Step 2 Create a Sketch.

Change the Work Layer to 21.
Choose Sketch.
Click on the sketch name; key in s21_profile and press Enter.
Choose OK to accept the XC-YC plane.
Step 3 Add the curves to the sketch.
Fit the view.
Choose Add Existing Curves.
Choose Select All from the Add Curve dialog box.
Notice that the top arc does not highlight. This is due to the arc lying outside
the plane of the sketch. In order to add the curves to the same sketch they must
first be coplanar. Do not choose OK to add the curves.
Choose Cancel.
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Step 4 Project the curves onto a plane.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Choose Finish.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Choose Insert→Curve Operation→Project.
Drag a rectangle to select all of the curves.
Change the Copy Method radio button to Move.
Change the Direction Method option menu to Along Vector.
Choose the ZC Axis icon and choose OK.
Change the Directions radio button to Both.
Choose the Faces/Planes icon
Select the fixed datum plane that was created with the
sketch.
Choose OK to perform the projection.
Notice that the arc at the top of the profile is blue while the other curves are
orange. By consulting the standards at the beginning of this manual, it becomes
apparent that a spline or conic was created rather than the intended arc.
Step 5 Convert the blue curve to an arc.
Choose Insert→Curve Operation→Simplify.
Choose Delete as the method of dealing with the original

curve.
Select the curve at the top of the profile.
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ÏÏÏ Choose OK to perform the simplify operation.

ÏÏÏ
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1
ÏÏÏ
The status line states that 2 lines or arcs were created in place of the conic.
Step 6 Delete the extra curve that was created during the
Simplify operation.
Choose Delete.
Select one of the arcs that was created and choose OK to

delete it.
Step 7 Modify the remaining arc to close the profile.
Choose Edit→Curve→Parameters.
Select the endpoint of the curve toward the opening.
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Select the endpoint of the line where the arc should end to
ÏÏÏ
limit the curve.
ÏÏÏ
Select this end of
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
the arc to stretch
Select this end

of the line to
limit the curve.
Choose Sketch.
From the Sketch Name pullĆdown select S21_PROFILE.
Fit the view.
Choose the Add Existing Curves icon.
Choose Select All and choose OK.
The curves are added to the sketch as evidenced by the color change to cyan.
Step 9 Analyze the curves.

Choose Analysis→Distance.
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ÏÏÏ Select the two endpoints of the curves shown below

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Endpoint of this arc
Endpoint of this line
Notice that the curves are not contiguous. This is very common when geometry
is translated into a double precision system, like Unigraphics, from a single
precision system. These values are fractions of a millimeter in this case;
however, trying to extrude these curves into a solid body will fail because of the
gaps.
Exit the Information dialog box.
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Step 10 Close the gaps between the curves.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Choose Automatic Constraints Creation.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Choose the Clear button to clear all constraint types.
Choose the Coincident constraint to toggle it ON.
Change the Distance tolerance value to .25.
Choose OK to create the constraints.
Unigraphics interrogates each sketch point for other sketch points within the
Distance tolerance and combines the points to one. The profile will now
extrude properly to create a solid body.
Choose Analysis→Distance and check the two endpoints

again.
Choose Finish.
Step 11 Extrude the sketch into a solid feature.
Choose Extruded Body.
Replace the view with the TFRĆTRI view.
Select a sketch curve to extrude.
The entire sketch highlights. Unigraphics treats the sketch as a single modeling
operation for swept features.
Choose OK to accept the sketch as the section string.
Choose Direction_Distance.
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ÏÏÏ Choose OK in the Vector Constructor dialog box to accept

ÏÏÏ the default direction.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ Enter a Start Distance of 50 mm and an End Distance of 200
mm. Use the defaults of zero for the First and Second
Offsets, as well as the Taper Angle.
Choose OK to create the body.
Fit the view.
The solid body is created. This profile could be further controlled by adding
other constraints to capture design intent.
Step 12 Choose File CloseAll Parts.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Activity 5 - Auto Creating Geometric Constraints ÏÏÏ

ÏÏÏ
This activity will explore Auto Creation of geometric constraints.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Step 1 Open the part.
Open dau_pipevise and start the Modeling application.
Step 2 Activate the sketch.
Step 3 Analyze the existing constraint set.
Choose the Show/Remove Constraints icon.
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ÏÏÏ Ensure the radio button for All In Active Sketch is ON.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Toggle the Show Constraints option to Both and notice the

different types of Explicit and Inferred constraints that exist
in this part. They are:
Collinear Equal Length Horizontal

Midpoint Point on Curve Tangent
Vertical Coincident
Step 4 Remove the geometric constraints.
Select Remove Listed.
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Choose OK.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Step 5 Selectively Auto Create the geometric constraints. ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Choose Automatic Constraint Creation.
Choose the Clear button in the All Constraints area of the

dialog box.
Toggle ON the buttons for Horizontal, Vertical, Coincident,

and Tangent only.
Choose OK to create the constraints.
Step 6 Manually create the rest of the constraints.
Select the leftmost vertical line.
Select the vertical datum axis.
Choose Collinear.
Select the bottom horizontal line.
Select the horizontal datum axis.
Choose Collinear.
Make layer 61 Invisible.
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ÏÏÏ Hold the Ctrl key down and select the two horizontal lines at
ÏÏÏ the top of the profile.
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ Choose Collinear and Equal Length.
Choose Deselect All.
Hold the Ctrl key down and select the bottom end point of
the vertical line controlling the slot location and the bottom
horizontal line.
Choose Point on Curve and Midpoint.
The Status line should now inform you that the sketch is fully constrained.
Click MB2 to exit the function.
Choose Finish.
Step 7 Choose File CloseAll Parts.
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Activity 6 - Applying Design Intent ÏÏÏ

ÏÏÏ
Design Intent ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Apply dimensional and geometric constraints to control the following:
The height and width of the part.

The depth and width of the slot.
The slot should always stay in the middle of the part along the X axis.
slot width
slot depth
height
width
Step 1 Open dau_seedpart_in.
Step 2 On Layer 21, create sketch S21 in the XCĆYC plane.
Step 3 Create curves to produce the profile shown above.
Step 4 Fully constrain the sketch according to the design intent.
Step 5 After constraining the sketch, edit the dimension for the
width of the part to verify that the slot remains in the
center. Use any reasonable value of your choice.
Step 6 Choose FileCloseAll Parts.
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ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ Convert To/From Reference
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ At times it is nice to be able to see what the effects of a change are numerically,
but adding a dimensional constraint to do this causes the sketch to be over
constrained. Additionally, sketch curves may need to be associated to other
sketch curves that are not intended to represent a portion of the swept feature.
To support these needs, Unigraphics allows Reference objects within sketches.
These reference objects may be either curves or dimensional constraints. The
Convert To/From Reference icon is located on the Sketch Constraints toolbar.
To change the status of the objects, set the radio button to the status desired,
select the object(s) and choose OK or Apply. An option menu is provided to
filter for All (the default), Curve, or Dimension.
Reference curves are displayed in gray color and phantom line font. Reference
curves are ignored during sweep operations.
Reference dimensional constraints are shown in white color and only the value
portion of the expression is shown, regardless of the preference setting. The
value for this reference dimension will be updated as the sketch is changed, but
it does not control the sketch geometry with which it is associated.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Activity 7 - Constraining Tangent Curves ÏÏÏ

ÏÏÏ
Design Intent ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Apply dimensional and geometric constraints to control the following:
The width of the slot.

The total length of the slot.
Dia (width)
length
Open dau_straightslot_1 and save it as ***_straightslot_1

where *** represent your initials.
You will now constrain the slot in its current configuration. Later, the constraint
set will be changed to accommodate two other changes.
Choose Modeling.
Step 2 Create a sketch
Choose Sketch.
Click on the sketch name; key in s21_slot and press Enter.
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ÏÏÏ Select the front face as the attachment face.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Attachment Face
Horizontal
Reference here.
Select the horizontal reference as shown above.
Choose OK.
Choose Add Existing Curves.
Choose Select All and then choose OK.
Step 4 List the constraints currently on the sketch.
Choose Show/Remove Constraints.
Ensure the radio button for All In Active Sketch is toggled

ON.
No explicit constraints exist in this sketch because the curves were added to the
sketch and not created with the sketch active. There will be four inferred
constraints
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Cancel the Show/Remove Constraints dialog box.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
Step 5 Fully constrain the sketch according to the design intent. ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Use Dimensions to locate the left arc center 1 inch
from the left side of the part and 2 inches from the bottom of
the part.
Add the following geometric constraints:
Horizontal constraint to both lines
Tangent constraint to arcs and lines (4 places)
Add the following dimensional constraints:
Step 6 After constraining the sketch, edit the dimensions for the
slot to ensure that it updates properly. Use any
reasonable values of your choice.
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ÏÏÏ Design Change

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Change the design intent on the previous sketch: modify dimensional and
geometric constraints so that one end may be made larger than the other.
The total length still needs to be controlled. Examine the diagram below and
follow the steps to perform the design change.
Radius 2
Radius 1
length
Step 7 List the constraints currently on the sketch and identify

any that do not meet the new design intent. Delete the
constraints that do not meet the new design intent and
add new constraints.
Select the Show/Remove Constraints icon.
Verify the radio button for All In Active Sketch is selected.
Delete the horizontal constraints.
Delete the slot width dimension and replace it with a radius

dimensional constraint on each arc.
The sketch is not fully constrained but, it does meet the design intent; one end
may be made larger than the other.
Step 8 Edit the dimensions for the slot to ensure it updates

properly.
Assign a value of .5 to the left radius dimensional constraint.
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Assign a value of .25 to the right radius dimensional

ÏÏÏ
constraint.
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Another Design Change
Change the design intent again so that the sketch may be oriented at various
angles other than horizontal. The total length of the shape should still be
controlled.
Angle
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ÏÏÏ Step 9 Create reference geometry.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Create the two lines shown below and apply the constraints
as instructed below.
Assign a Vertical and

Constant Length
constraint to this line.
ÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓ
This line is created from
ÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓ
arc center to arc center.
Step 10 Converting Curves to Reference Lines.
Choose the Convert To/From Reference icon.
Select the two lines just created.
Ensure that the radio button is set to Reference.
Choose OK.
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Step 11 Add dimensional constraints shown below.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
NOTE: If a horizontal dimension for the slot length was inferred

or manually defined, delete it and replace with a parallel dimension.
Step 12 After constraining the sketch, edit the dimensions for the
slot to ensure that it updates properly. Use any
reasonable values of your choice.
Step 13 Choose FileCloseSave and Close.
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ÏÏÏ Activity 8 - Constraining the Perimeter of a Sketch

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
In this activity, you will constrain the perimeter of a swimming pool sketch.
Step 1 Open the part file dau_skt_perimeter and start the

Modeling application.
Step 2 Activate the SWIMMING_POOL sketch.
Step 3 Investigate the existing constraints using Show/Remove

Constraints.
If necessary, toggle on All in Active Sketch.
Verify the Constraint Type is set to All.
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Verify the Show Constraints option is set to Explicit.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Choose the first constraint in the list, A5 Equal radius to A7.

Investigate the highlighted curves on the screen.
Select the Step Down The List button or use your down
arrow key and read through the constraints to get an idea of
the existing constraints in the sketch. Then Cancel the dialog
box.
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ÏÏÏ Step 4 Add the two dimensional constraints shown.

ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Step 5 Constrain the perimeter of the sketch.
Choose the Perimeter icon from the dimension types.
Select all of the curves, a total of eight.
Select the middle mouse button to signify that you are

finished selecting curves.
TIP If you do not get all of the curves selected, highlight the perimeter
constraint in the Dimensions list and choose the Remove Highlighted
button.
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Verify that a Perimeter dimension appears in the Dimensions

ÏÏÏ
list. (It may be a different p"Ćnumber.)
ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Step 6 Edit the perimeter.
Slide the slider bar to the left and right and observe the
changes in the sketch.
Slider Bar
Edit the Perimeter and other dimensions by entering values

and/or using the slider bar.
Step 7 Close the part. Do not save it.
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ÏÏÏ Activity 9 - Controlling Heat Transfer in a Cooling Pipe

ÏÏÏ
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1
ÏÏÏ pipe.
In this activity, you will apply a dimensional perimeter constraint to a cooling
The purpose of this constraint will be to control the cross sectional area of
the fin relative to the flow of the coolant.
Step 1 Open the part file dau_perim_1 and start the Modeling
application.
This part contains the following features:
Cylinder
Thru Hole - The diameter of the thru hole controls the diameter of the
cylinder by maintaining a constant wall thickness.
Sketch
Step 2 Interrogate the sketch.
Activate the FIN sketch.
Fit the view.
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The sketch is located by 2 geometric constraints, collinear and concentric, as

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show below.
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1
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Reference curve and
datum plane (layer 61)
are collinear.
Sketch arc and OD of

cylinder feature are
concentric.
Step 3 Add a dimensional perimeter constraint to the sketch.
The sketch needs one more constraint to be totally constrained.
Make layer 1 invisible.
Choose Dimensions.
Choose Perimeter.
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ÏÏÏ Select the curves shown below.

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1
ÏÏÏ
Select the middle mouse button to signify that you are

finished selecting curves.
Note that there is a new dimensional constraint called Perimeter_p## and that
the sketch is now fully constrained.
Choose Cancel.
TIP If you do not get all of the curves selected, highlight the perimeter
constraint in the Dimensions list and choose the Remove Highlighted
button.
Step 4 Extrude the sketch.
Choose Finish.
Select a sketch curve and choose OK.
Choose Trim to Face/Plane.
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Choose Cycle Vector Direction so that the extrusion vector

ÏÏÏ
points in the negative ZC direction and choose OK.
ÏÏÏ
Toggle Extend Trim Face to ON. ÏÏÏ
1
ÏÏÏ
Select the face shown below.
Select this face.
Choose OK.
Make sure taper angle is set to 0 (zero) and choose OK.
Choose Unite.
Step 5 Create a circular array of the extruded fin.

Choose Instance.
Choose Circular Array.
Select the Extruded feature and choose OK.
Enter:
Number = 8
Angle = 45
Choose OK.
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ÏÏÏ Choose Datum Axis.

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1
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Select the datum axis in the graphic window.
Choose Yes.
Choose Cancel.
Make all but the work layer invisible.
Step 6 Capture the design intent for the fin.
Choose ToolsExpression.
Select the ID expression and change it to 4.
Choose Apply.
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ÏÏÏ
Fit the view.
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1
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Notice that the fins have retained their original profile. If the cooling pipe's
volume is going to increase the cooling fins will also need to increase.
For this application, each fin's profile should equal 1.25 of the cross sectional
flow area.
An expression has been created for you that represents the area of the flow
cross section; it is called Flow_area. This expression is associative to the hole
feature and will update automatically.
Undo the last expression operation to return the heat

pipe to its original configuration.
Select the expression called Perimeter_p21 (the two digits

following the p in your expression may be different).
Edit the expression as follows:
Perimeter_p21=Flow_area*1.25
and choose Apply.
Select the ID expression and change it to 4.
Choose Apply.
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ÏÏÏ
ÏÏÏ Fit the view.
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1
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Notice how the fins have updated to meet the new flow requirement.
Step 7 Close the part. Do not save it.
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1
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SUMMARY Sketch constraints allow you to capture and maintain design

intent even after design changes occur. Through dimensional and geometric
constraints, you can adapt your solid models to the design intent of the final
product.
In this lesson you:
Applied Design Intent.

Defined Sketch Points.
Identified Degree of Freedom Arrows.
Created Dimensional Constraints.
Edited Dimensional Constraints.
Created Geometric Constraints.
Auto Created Geometric Constraints.
Displayed Geometric Constraints.
Converted Sketch Curves To Reference Curves.
Updated the Model.
Added Objects to a Sketch.
Constrained a Sketch by its perimeter.
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ÏÏÏ
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1
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Constraint Management
Lesson 2
ÉÉÉ
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2
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PURPOSE This lesson describes other constraint management tools as
well as additional ways to use sketches.
Create an Alternate Solution.

Drag a sketch curve.
Reorder sketches.
Position Sketches on a Solid Body.
Locate a Sketch with Constraints.
Move a sketch using Reattach.
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Alternate Solution
Constraint sets may be valid in one or more configurations depending on the

given geometry. Scalar dimensional constraints have no positive or negative
sign, they specify only an absolute value. This absolute value may be applied to
specify a given distance between objects in one direction or the other.
There are times when multiple solutions may be available for a given constraint
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2
set. At these times there is a need to ask the system to change the configuration
based on the given set of constraints. Unigraphics provides this functionality as
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an Alternate Solution.
Selecting the Alternate Solution icon from the Sketch Constraints toolbar will
bring up a small dialog box containing the options OK, Back, or Cancel. The
Cue line prompts the user to Select a dimension or circle/arc".
One alternate solution as it applies to a dimensional constraint would be the

fairly simple case illustrated below. Geometric constraints for horizontal and
vertical have been applied to the appropriate lines, as well as collinearity
between the two horizontal segments as shown. The dimensional constraint is
selected for an alternate solution with the results as shown. The vertical
dimension is valid in either case when it is applied as an absolute value.
p4=1
p4=1
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Two alternate solutions as applied to a circle or an arc, are when two circles are
constrained tangent to each other or a line is constrained tangent to an arc.
This is illustrated below. In the case of the two circles, either solution is valid
given the constraints supplied. Alternate Solution may be used to switch
between the two, should some other constraint cause the system to select the
wrong configuration.
First selection
Two tangent circles ÉÉÉ

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2
ÉÉÉ
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Second selection
OR
First selection
A line tangent
to an arc
Second selection
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Activity 1 - Alternate Solution

In this activity you will explore alternate solutions to constraint sets and the
effects that different constraints have as they are applied.
Step 1 Open dau_alternate_1.
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2
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Step 2 View the constraints.
Choose Modeling.
Ensure the List Constraints for radio button is set to

All In Active Sketch.
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Change the Constraint Type to Tangent.
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2
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Select A1 Tangent to L6 to see the only tangent constraint in

the sketch.
Choose Cancel.
Step 3 Add dimensional constraints as shown.
Choose Dimensions.
Select the bottom horizontal line and place the dimensional

constraint on the screen.
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Choose Radius.
Select the circle and place the dimensional constraint on the

screen.
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2
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Choose OK.
Step 4 Obtain an Alternate Solution.
Choose the Alternate Solution icon.
The Cue line prompts you to Select a dimension or circle/arc".
Select the arc and the center vertical line.
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The circle flips to the other side of the line. This is a valid alternate solution,
the circle is still tangent to the line.
Step 5 Obtain another Alternate Solution.
Select the circle and the center horizontal line.
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2
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Since there is no constraint associated to the two objects selected, there is no
alternate solution available. Unigraphics displays a message stating that there is
no valid alternate solution for the selected objects.
Choose OK to dismiss the message.
Choose Cancel in the Alternate Solution dialog box.
Step 6 Add a Tangency constraint.
Choose the Create Constraints icon.
Select the circle and the center horizontal line.
Apply a Tangent constraint.
Choose Alternate Solution.
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Select the arc and the center horizontal line.
ÉÉÉ
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2 Here's what happened.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ The center horizontal line has six constraints associated to it:
Horizontal
Tangent to the arc
Left endpoint is located midpoint of the left vertical line.
Left endpoint is located on the left vertical line.
Right endpoint is located midpoint of the right vertical line.
Right endpoint is located on the right vertical line.
When the alternate solution is applied to the line and circle, the top horizontal
line collapses onto the bottom horizontal line. The two vertical lines now have a
theoretical length of 0 (zero), which allows the middle horizontal line to meet
its midpoint, point on curve, and tangent constraints.
Choose Undo to restore the geometry.
Step 8 Add constraints to the center horizontal and vertical

lines.
Choose the Create Constraints icon.
Select the left vertical line and the bottom horizontal line
and apply an Equal Length constraint to them.
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Choose Alternate Solution.
Select the arc and the center horizontal line.
With the addition of the Equal Length constraint, the geometry now updates in
the desired manner.
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2
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Choose Finish.
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Drag
Unigraphics provides a variety of feedback about the sketch. The user may find
information about the constraint condition of a sketch, list current constraints,
or obtain information about sketch objects. Degree of freedom indicators are
provided to help gain insight into information that the system does not have.
There are occasions when the user considers a sketch constrained and the
system still lists the status of the sketch as under constrained. One method of
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2
interrogating the sketch is to drag the geometry. Dragging allows under
constrained geometry to be moved in the unconstrained directions.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Dragging is accomplished by selecting curve/s or end point/s and then click and
drag the selected objects. Objects that share sketch points with the object being
dragged remain connected to the object and stretch to accommodate the
movement.
In the figure below, L6 is being dragged while L4 and L5 stretch to

accommodate the movement of the line. L6 maintains its angular and length
relationship during the drag operation.
This line selected for drag

L4 L6
p1=2 L5 p3=45°
p2=3.75 These two lines stretch
p1=2 p3=45°
p2=3.75
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Drag may be used to drag multiple sketch curves. Select the curves to be
dragged, then use the left mouse button to click and drag to move the objects in
their unconstrained directions. Selecting two or more objects to drag causes
different results as the constraints applied to different curves have different
effects on how the group of curves react.
These two lines are selected to drag
p1=2 p3=45° ÉÉÉ

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2
p2=3.75
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
These two lines
also stretch
p1=2 p3=45°
p2=3.75
Drag may be used to drag a single sketch point. Select the point to be dragged,
then use the left mouse button to click and drag to move the sketch point in its
unconstrained directions. Objects that share the sketch point stretch to
accommodate the movement.
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In the figure below, V1 is being dragged. The lines that share the sketch point
stretch to accommodate the movement of the point. Their angle and length are
modified by the drag operation.
V1
p1=2 p3=45°
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2
p2=3.75
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ p3=45°
p1=2
p2=3.75
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Drag may also be used to approximate the correct location of a sketch profile
relative to other objects. This may be useful when the process of constraining
distorts the sketch profile so that it would be difficult to undo.
Undesired Results
Vert. Axis Vert. Axis

Distortion caused
by the act of
constraining
Horz. Axis Horz. Axis ÉÉÉ

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2
Desired Results
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Vert. Axis
Horz. Axis
Desired results entire profile
dragged from quadrant to
quadrant
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Activity 2 - Dragging Sketch Objects

Step 1 Open the part file dau_drag_1.
Step 2 Activate a sketch.
Choose Modeling.

ÉÉÉ
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2 Zoom out the view to give yourself some working room
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around the geometry.
Toggle Show All Constraints on.
Notice that the constraint set is presently made up of 1 vertical and 11 tangent
constraints.
Step 3 Drag a curve.

Place the cursor over the curve at location 1 shown below.
Hold MB1 down and drag the curve to location 2.
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Notice how the vertical and tangent constraints impacted the drag operation.
Also notice how the circle was left behind.
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2
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Choose Undo.
Select the arc and circle shown below. Apply a concentric

constraint,
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Toggle Create Constraints off (or MB2).
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2
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Notice how this time the circle moved with the drag operation.
Undo the last Drag.
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Step 4 Dragging curves versus endpoints.
1
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2
2
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Notice how the two lines remained tangent to the arcs that they are constrained
to.
Choose Undo.
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Select and drag the endpoint shown below

from location 1 to 2.
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2
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2
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ÉÉÉ 1
Choose Undo.
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Select and drag the endpoint shown below

from location 1 to 2.
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2
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Choose Undo.
As you can see the selection of an end point compared to that of an entire curve
may produce different results.
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Step 5 Drag several curves at one time.
Select the curves shown below by dragging a rectangle

around them.
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2
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Drag the selection to the position shown below.
Step 6 Drag all of the sketch geometry to a new position.
Select all of the sketch curves by dragging a rectangle around

the geometry.
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Drag the geometry to the location shown below.
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2
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Step 7 Locate the sketch.
Select the arc center of the arc and the horizontal datum
axis.
Apply a Point on Curve constraint.
Select the same arc center and the vertical datum axis.
Apply a Point on Curve constraint.
Toggle Create Constraints off (or MB2).
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Notice what happened to the sketch geometry. The arc center moved to the
prescribed location and the vertical line still meets the vertical and tangent
constraints assigned to it.
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2
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Fix the geometry by dragging the vertical line to the other

side of the arc. Try to maintain the same size of the upper
and lower arcs.
Choose Finish.
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Placing sketches where they are needed
Locating a sketch in the correct position and orientation relative to other

objects is very useful. By creating an association between the objects in a sketch
and a governing object, the correct modification of a solid during a change
process may be assured.
Sketches may be located relative to datum axes, datum planes, objects

belonging to other sketches, nonĆsketch curves, or solid edges.
Remember that sketches are features, and as such may only be located relative
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to features that are higher in the creation hierarchy (have a lower time stamp
number).
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Sketches may be located by one of two methods:
Combination of dimensional and geometric constraints.

Positioning dimensions.
Resolving DOFs
As points on a sketch are resolved the DOFs for that point will be removed. To
resolve a DOF, it must be located in space.
When using dimensional and geometric constraints, an individual object is

located and the DOF is resolved by relating back to an external object, i.e.
datum axis, datum plane, solid edge.
When using positioning dimensions the entire sketch is being located. In order
for the DOFs to be resolved, a point must be fixed.
The following activities will guide you through the application of both methods.
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Activity 3 - Creating and Positioning a Sketch
Design Intent
The function of this part requires a triangular pocket located from a certain
angled face. By creating the sketch on the solid, the sketch position can update
automatically if the angle of the face changes.
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2
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Step 1 Open dau_fence_1.
Step 2 Start the Modeling application and make layer 21 the

work layer.
Step 3 Create a sketch of the pocket.
Choose Sketch.
Click on the sketch name, key in s21_pocket and press

Enter..
Select the larger top face of the block as the placement face.
By design, the pocket should be oriented with respect to the pad such that the
two legs of the triangle at right angles to each other can be constrained as
horizontal and vertical.
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Select the upper half of the angled edge of the pad as the
horizontal reference. By selecting the edge on its upper half,
the positive direction of XC will point away from the pointed
end of the pad.
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2
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Choose OK.
If your display does not look like the graphic below, start over (choose
File→Close→Reopen Selected Parts).
YC
ZC XC
The shape of the pocket in this sketch may be defined with only three lines. The
corner radii of the pocket will be applied later as blends.
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Choose Profile.
In the middle of the placement face, create the three lines as

shown below.
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2
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Step 4 List the current constraints.
Choose Show/Remove Constraints.
Ensure List Constraints for is set to All in Active Sketch,

Constraint Type is set to All, and Show Constraints is set to
Explicit.
There should be one horizontal and one vertical constraint.
Choose Cancel.
Step 5 Constrain the sketch.
By design, the size of the pocket should be controlled by defining the lengths of
the horizontal and vertical sides.
Choose Dimensions.
Select the horizontal line and place the dimension.
Change the value to 6 and press Enter.
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Select the vertical line and place the dimension.
p34=6.000
p35=4.000
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2
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Choose Finish.
Step 6 Extrude the sketch.
Extrude the sketch to a depth of 1 inch and subtract it to

create a pocket.
Add a .5 inch blend to the inside pocket corners.
Step 7 Constrain the sketch position.
Locate the sketch .75 inch away from the pad with the 90 degree corner of the
pocket 1 inch from the back edge of the part.
Choose Fit.
Choose Dimensions.
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Create the dimensional constraint as shown below.
0.750
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2
ÉÉÉ
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Now add another dimensional constraint to locate the sketch from the back of
the part.
Select the edge at the rear of the part as shown.
Select the Point at the 90° corner.
1.000
Note that the status line indicates that this is a perpendicular dimension.
Use a cursor location to place the dimensional constraint.
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Enter a value of 1 and press the Enter key.
The dimensional constraint will update to display the new expression.
The two constraints applied give the system enough information to determine
the exact position of the sketch. The sketch then automatically moves into
position.
Choose Update the Model.

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2
Choose Finish.
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Step 8 Maintain the sketch position.
Dimensional constraints associate the sketch to the target edges selected. Now
edit one of those edges and observe how the sketch is affected.
Since the pad has been positioned relative to the block, its angle may be
changed by editing the appropriate expression.
Choose Tools→Expression.
In the expression listing is an expression named fence_angle, that is currently

equal to Ć20 degrees. This value controls the angle of the pad. If this value
changes, the angle of pad will change.
Change the value for fence_angle to Ć35, press Enter and

choose OK.
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Note that the sketch remains parallel to the pad, .75 inch away, and remains 1
inch from the back of the part. In some cases if the edit to an edge used to
position the sketch is great enough, an Alternate Solution to a dimensional
constraint may occur. If either of the locating dimensional constraints have
flipped, perform an Alternate Solution on the applicable dimension to resolve
the flip.
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2
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Activity 4 - Positioning a Sketch

This activity will demonstrate how to create a sketch and position it with
alignment methods.
This structural frame requires pockets to minimize its weight. The thickness of
the walls and the webs should be controlled.
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2
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Step 1 Open dau_frame_1 and save it as ***_frame_1 where ***

represent your initials.
Step 2 Constrain the sketch using both dimensional and

geometric constraints to position the sketch curves
relative to the solid edges and datum planes.
Choose Modeling.
Choose Fit.
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Select the 3 sketch arcs and the solid edge shown below and
Apply a Concentric constraint.
ÉÉÉ
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2
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Sketch arcs
Solid edge
Select the 3 sketch arcs and Apply an Equal Radius

constraint.
Choose Dimensions.
Enter a Radius constraint of 2.25 to the curve shown below.
Apply a 2.25 radius

constraint to this arc.
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Create the dimensional constraint as shown below. Note the

name of the expression.
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2
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NOTE: When applying geometric constraints between datum

features and sketch curves the constraints have to be applied
individually. In the next example one line and one datum plane
should be selected and a parallel constraint applied and then
repeated for the rest of the lines.
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Apply a Parallel constraint to the objects as shown below.
Parallel
constraint Parallel
constraint
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2
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Parallel
constraint
Apply the dimensional constraints as shown below.
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Apply the remaining dimensional constraint as shown below.

Apply Alternate Solution where required.
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2
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The sketch is now fully constrained and positioned on the solid body.
Step 3 Extrude the sketch and subtract it from the solid to create
the pockets. Use a Start Distance of 0 and an End
Distance of 0.56.
Step 4 Edit the chamfer feature.

Choose Edit→Feature→Parameters.
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Select the Chamfer feature and choose OK.
Choose the Feature Dialog option and change the offset

values to 1.5 and 2.0 and choose OK 3 times.
Examine the part to ensure the update was correctly applied.

Look to see if any Alternate Solutions need to be applied to
the dimensions from the datum planes.
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Step 5 Optional: Add blends to the solid edges.
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Create 0.125 blends on the walls of the pockets.
Create 0.0625 blends on the floors of the pockets.
Create 0.325 blends on the vertical outside edges of the solid.
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Activity 5 - Using Positioning Dimensions
Step 1 Open dau_position_1.
Step 2 Start the Modeling application.
Step 3 Locate the sketch on the placement plane.
DoubleĆclick on a sketch curve. ÉÉÉ

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2
Choose Fit.
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Choose Show All Constraints.
Notice that there are 2 vertical,1 horizontal and 2 tangent constraints.
Choose Dimensions.
Select the arc center and the bottom horizontal edge of the
solid body.
Place a vertical dimension to the right of the part.
Notice that the status line indicates that 1 constraint is needed. Also notice that
the vertical DOFs no longer appear.
Select the arc center again and the right vertical edge of the
solid body.
Place a horizontal dimension above the part.
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2
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The sketch is now fully constrained
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Step 4 Apply a design change.
Due to a design change the sketch needs to be rotated 20 as shown below. This
set of instructions will demonstrate how Positioning Dimensions can accomplish
this.
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2
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Choose Angular.
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Select the objects in the order and at the locations as shown

below.
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2
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2
1
Place the dimension to the right of the part.
Notice how the dimension and horizontal constraint are displayed in yellow.
Also notice that the status line indicates that the sketch is over constrained.
The angular dimension and horizontal constraint are presently redundant (over
constrained). If you were to change the angular dimension value, the
dimensional constraint would then be in conflict with the horizontal and both
vertical constraints. Since we do not want to delete and reassign geometric
constraints, we will reposition the sketch using positioning dimensions.
Step 5 Create positioning dimensions.
Choose Undo.
Choose Positioning Dimensions.
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An error window popsĆup informing you that you cannot apply positioning
dimensions when there are sketch constraints to external objects. This message
is referring to the dimensions going to the solid body.
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2
Choose OK.
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Select the two dimensions that position the sketch to the
solid body.
Choose Delete.
Choose the endpoint shown below and apply a Fixed

constraint.
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Choose Positioning Dimensions.
Choose Perpendicular.
Select the bottom horizontal edge of the solid body.
Select the arc and choose Arc Center.

ÉÉÉ
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2 Choose OK to accept the value of 3.
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Choose Perpendicular.
Select the right vertical edge of the solid body.
Select the arc and choose Arc Center.
Choose OK to accept the value of 2.
Choose Angular.
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Select the objects in the order and at the locations as shown

below.
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2
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2
1
Key in 20 and choose OK.
Notice how the sketch rotated even though there are vertical and horizontal
constraints present. This is because positioning dimensions operate on the
entire sketch as a feature, where dimensional and geometric constraints operate
on objects.
Choose Orient View to Sketch.
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Choose Fit.
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2
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Now you can see that the sketch was rotated and that the vertical and
horizontal constraints are still valid relative to the sketch plane.
Step 6 Edit the angle positioning dimension.

Choose Edit Positioning Dimension from the pullĆdown.
In the graphic window select the angle positioning

dimension.
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Key in a value of 45 and choose OK twice.
Choose Orient View to Sketch.
Fit the view.
Choose Finish. ÉÉÉ

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2
Step 7 Close the part do not save.
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Reattaching the sketch
When a sketch has been created on the wrong sketch plane, or needs to be
moved for some other reason, the Reattach icon located on the Sketcher
toolbar may be used. Reattach allows for the redefinition of a sketch's sketch
plane and reference direction.
Below, the extruded feature was reattached to a new face and a new horizontal
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2
reference was specified.
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Reattached to a new
Original feature placement face
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Reordering the sketch
Since sketches are features they appear in the Model Navigator as well as the
list of features presented when performing an Edit→Feature→Reorder. This
allows sketches to be located anywhere in the creation hierarchy.
Reordering will become necessary when attempting to add generating or guide

curves, of a swept feature, that occurs before the sketch. The sketch will need to
be relocated in the build order so that it occurs before the swept feature that is
generated or guided by the curves. Once the timing of the sketch relative to the
swept feature is resolved, and the curves are added to the sketch, the curves
may be treated as any other sketch curve for the purposes of constraining. ÉÉÉ
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Activity 6 - Reattaching a Sketch
Step 1 Open dau_reattach_1 and save as ***_reattach_1.
In this activity you will reattach a sketch that defines two cam blocks. The
arrows in the illustration point to the cam blocks.
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Step 2 Reattach a sketch.
Choose Modeling.
Change the display to Visible Hidden Edges.
Make layer 62 selectable.
Activate the INSERT_RELIEF sketch.
Choose Reattach.
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Select the face shown below.
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Click on the Y axis of the coordinate system.
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Select the datum plane to define the vertical direction.
Choose OK.
Choose Finish.
Shade the model and review the part.
The sketch is now reattached to the defined face and the cam block features are
rebuilt.
Step 3 Save and close the part.
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Activity 7 - Moving Sketches

This activity highlights moving sketches into the proper positions to create a
model of a switch base.
Step 1 Open dau_switchbase_1 and save it as ***_switchbase_1

Notice that the geometry is two dimensional and appears as if it was brought
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into this Unigraphics file from another system where it was used to define a
drawing. You will selectively eliminate some of the resultant geometry and
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constrain the remainder in sketches so that parametric control over the model
may be defined by the geometry.
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The two dimensional curves from the views in the drawing can be used to define
three orthogonal profiles and added to sketches. The sketches will initially be
created on the same plane. Two of the sketches will later be moved into the
proper positions to create the extruded features on the solid model.
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Step 2 Move the curves required for each profile sketch to
separate layers.
Choose Modeling.
Choose Format→Move to Layer.
Select only the two circles in the top" view and choose OK.
Key in 21 and press Enter.
Move the lines shown below in the front" view to layer 22.
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Move the curves shown below in the right" view to layer 23.
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This part file has existing standard expressions which will be referenced by the
dimensional constraints in the sketches. They should be edited to the desired
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values.
Step 3 Edit the expressions for the diameter and height.
Change the value of the expression dia to 3.75 and the value
of the expression h to 5.75.
Choose OK.
Step 4 Create a sketch for the top profile.
Change the work layer to layer 21 and make all other layers
invisible.
Create a sketch named S21_TOP on the XCĆYC plane.
Choose Fit.
Add the two circles to the sketch.
Step 5 Constrain the sketch for the top profile.
Add constraints to position the sketch so that the centers of

the circles are aligned with the two datum axes.
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Add a dimensional constraint for the outer diameter. Change

the value of this expression to dia to associate it to the
expression.
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Choose Finish.
Choose Fit.
Step 6 Move the datum plane and two datum axes to layer 61.
They are no longer required for this sketch but will be
referenced by the other sketches.
Step 7 Create an extruded feature using the top profile.

Change the work layer to layer 1 and keep layer 21
selectable.
Replace the view with the TFRĆTRI.
Extrude the sketch S21_TOP in the +ZC direction using a
start distance of 0 and an end distance of h.
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Step 8 Create a sketch for the front profile.
Change the work layer to layer 22. Make layer 61 selectable

and all other layers invisible.
Choose Fit.
Create a sketch named S22_FRONT. Define the placement

face with the existing datum plane and select the datum axis
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parallel to the XC axis as the horizontal reference.
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ÉÉÉ Choose Fit.
Add all of the curves on layer 22 to the sketch.
Step 9 Constrain the front profile sketch.
Use the Automatic Constraint Creation to create

horizontal and vertical geometric constraints.
Add dimensional constraints for the total height and width as

shown below.
Test the behavior of the sketch by changing the height

constraint to 7.0 and the width to 5.0.
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Notice that the sketch does not satisfy the design intent and remain symmetrical
when the expressions are changed. To satisfy the design intent you can add a
reference line and additional geometric constraints.
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Choose Cancel.
Choose Undo, twice if necessary, to change the

dimensions back to their original values.
Create a vertical line between the midpoints of the two

horizontal lines as shown and convert it to reference.
Add the dimension, Collinear and Equal Length constraints

as shown below.
Collinear
Equal Length
and Collinear
Change the value of the expression for the total width to dia
and the total height to h.
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Choose Finish.
Step 10 Create associative reference features to be used as

attachment faces for the front and right profile sketches,
and as location aids.
Change the work layer to layer 62. Make sure layers 1 and 61
are selectable to display the solid and the other datum
objects.
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Choose Datum Plane and create a Datum Plane
through the axis of the outer cylindrical face of the solid.
Create another Datum Plane through the axis of the

cylindrical face and at a 90 degree angle to the plane you just
created.
Create a Datum Axis through the axis of the cylindrical face

of the model.
The front profile sketch will be attached to the datum plane that is parallel to
the ZC-XC plane. However, the plane was created after the sketch and cannot
be referenced as a target face unless it precedes the sketch.
Step 11 Reorder the sketch after the datum planes.
Choose the Model Navigator icon.
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In the Model Navigation window, place the cursor on the

S22_FRONT:SKETCH node.
Press the right mouse button to display the popĆup menu,

slide the cursor down to the Reorder After option, and select
the last datum axis from the cascading menu.
Step 12 Attach the front profile sketch to a datum plane.

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Choose Reattach.
Select the datum plane that lies in the ZC-XC plane as the
target face.
Notice the Datum Axis used for Horizontal Reference is still valid. It is not
necessary to redefine all steps during the reattach operation.
Choose OK.
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Step 13 Position the sketch.
Choose Fit.
Add a constraint to make the centerline of the sketch

Collinear with the datum axis through the cylindrical face
axis.
Add another constraint to make the lower horizontal line in

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the sketch Collinear with the datum axis that is parallel to
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2 the XCĆaxis.
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ÉÉÉ Collinear
Collinear
Choose Finish.
Step 14 Extrude the front profile sketch.
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Extrude the sketch S22_FRONT along the YC axis using a

start distance of -dia/2 and an end distance of dia/2 and
choose the Intersect operation.
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Step 15 Create the sketch for the right profile.
Change the work layer to layer 23, make layer 61 selectable,

and all other layers invisible.
Create a sketch named S23_RIGHT. Once again, define the

placement face with the datum plane defined for the
S21_TOP sketch and select the datum axis parallel to the XC
axis as the horizontal reference.
Choose Fit.
Add all of the curves to the sketch.
Step 16 Constrain the right profile sketch.
Choose Automatic Constraint Creation.
Set the Distance value to .01.
Toggle on: horizontal, vertical, coincident, tangent, and equal

length.
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Choose OK.
Create two vertical reference lines between the midpoints of

the horizontal lines as shown below.
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Add the dimensional constraints as shown above.
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Change the value of the expression for the width to dia"

and the value of the expression for the height to h" to
associate them to the other sketches.
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Step 17 Attach the right profile sketch to a new datum plane.

Choose Fit.
Choose Reattach.
Select the datum plane that lies in the YCĆZC plane as the
target face.
Choose OK.
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Step 18 Add geometric constraints to position the sketch.
Choose Fit.
Add a geometric constraint to make the centerline of the
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sketch collinear with the datum axis through the cylindrical
face axis.
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ÉÉÉ Add another constraint to make the lower horizontal line in
the sketch collinear with the datum axis that is parallel to the
XC axis.
Collinear
Collinear
Choose Finish.
Step 19 Extrude the right profile sketch.
Change the work layer to layer 1.
Choose Fit.
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Extrude the sketch S23_RIGHT along the XC axis using a

start distance of -dia/2 and an end distance of dia/2 and
choose an Intersect operation.
Choose Cancel.
Make all layers invisible.

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Step 20 Edit the expressions to modify the part.
Change the value of the expression dia to 4.25 and the value
of the h to 6.5.
Choose OK to update the model.
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Mirroring in a Sketch
The sketch mirror functionality provides a means for copying geometry and
constraints within the context of a sketch whenever a sketch design intent is
meant to be symmetrical. The mirror function may provide a time saving option.
To mirror sketch curves:
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Choose Mirror.
Choose the mirror line.
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ÉÉÉ Choose the curves to be mirrored.

Choose OK or Apply.
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Activity 8 - Mirroring Sketch Objects

Step 1 Open the dau_mirror_1 part file and rename as
***_mirror_1.
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This part file contains a sketch and a solid body that was extruded from the
sketch. When the model is complete it will represent a VĆBlock.
Step 2 Activate the sketch.

Double click on a sketch curve.
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The status line indicates that the sketch is fully constrained.
The sketch represents half of the VĆblock. The left side will be identical to the
right.
Step 3 Mirror the sketch curves.
Choose Mirror.
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Select the line, pointed to in the illustration below, as the
mirror line.
Click MB2 to advance the selection step to Mirror Geometry.
Select the remaining sketch geometry.
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Choose OK.
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Choose Update Model.
Because the extrusion feature is based on the sketch the model updates to
reflect the current sketch.
Step 4 Edit the angle of the VĆblock.
DoubleĆclick on the P2=60.000 dimension.
Choose Finish.
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2
SUMMARY Sketches can be reconfigured by using an alternate solution
when more than one configuration applies to a given set of constraints.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Sketches also can be dragged to other locations or in relation to their own
members. Managing sketches will allow you more flexibility when you create
your designs.
Positioning sketches using dimensional or geometric constraints or a

combination of both can help you maintain design intent when related features
change.
Reattaching a sketch to another sketch plane offers you greater flexibility in

your final configuration.
In this lesson you:
Created an Alternate Solutions to obtain the appropriate profile.

Dragged sketch objects to analyze constraint sets.
Located sketches using constraints.
Reattached sketches.
Reordered sketches.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Additional Sketching Techniques

Lesson 3
PURPOSE This lesson describes additional techniques that may be used to

manipulate sketches.
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Edit a Defining String.
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Suppress and Delete Sketches. ÉÉÉ
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Animate Sketch Dimensions.
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Edit Defining String

Sketches are used to define profiles or paths for swept features. The profiles
are called Section Strings and the paths are called Guide Strings.
Sketch objects that define another feature of the solid model cannot simply be
deleted due to the parent/child dependency relationship.
Edit Defining String is accessed in the Sketch Operations toolbar.
This option allows objects to be added to or removed from a string of objects

defining a Section String or Guide String that has been swept into a solid
feature. This is useful when the shape of a string member changes, or when the
number of objects changes.
When the Edit String dialog box displays, the system shows a list of features
ÉÉÉ associated with the active sketch. By default, the top feature in the list is
ÉÉÉ highlighted in the dialog box and the sketch objects associated with the feature
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are highlighted in the graphics area.
To add objects to the defining string, simply select them.
To remove objects from the defining string, hold down the Shift key while
selecting them.
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The closure condition of the string may not be altered while adding or removing
objects. A closed loop of objects must remain closed.
An option menu is provided to allow filtering of selectable objects. Options are

provided for All (the default), Curve, Edge, Face, and Sketch.
The radio buttons at the top of the dialog box, Section and Guide, are for
instances where sketches are used both as a section string for one feature and ÉÉÉ
as a guide string for another feature. In these cases the system provides for ÉÉÉ
editing of defining strings of the nonĆactive sketch because of the associativity
of the sweep along guide feature.
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Deleting or Suppressing Sketches
Since sketches are features of the model, they may be deleted or suppressed by
choosing Edit→Delete or Edit→Feature→Suppress.
Sketches may also be deleted or suppressed from the Model Navigator.
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Activity 1 - Edit Defining String

In this activity you will modify the profile of a part that already exists by
changing the curves that define the profile.
Step 1 Open dau_bbqcover_1 and save it as ***_bbqcover_1

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Step 2 Activate the sketch defining the profile.
Choose Modeling.
Choose Sketch.
From the sketch name pull down select

S21_CROSSSECTION.
Step 3 Change the profile defining the part.
Make layer 1 Invisible.
Choose the Spline icon on the Sketch Curve toolbar.
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Choose the Through Points creation method.
Verify that the Curve Degree is set to 3, and that the Curve
Type is set to Multiple Segments; choose OK.
Choose Point Constructor as the Point Specification

Method.
Start with the upper left endpoint on the sketch as shown.

Follow with points 2, 3, and 4 as cursor locations. Finish with
the upper right endpoint as shown.
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2 4
1 5
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Choose OK to signal the end of point specification at the
same point last specified.
The Cue line prompts to ask if you are Done specifying

points?"; choose YES or OK.
The Cue line now prompts to Specify constraints or choose OK to proceed",

the slope at the ends of the spline should match the slope of the angled lines at
the ends of the sketch to assure a smooth transition. This could be done using
the dialog box shown, but it would not assign a constraint. We will assign a slope
constraint using Geometric Constraints.
Choose OK to create the spline.
Cancel the Spline Through Points dialog box.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Select the left angled line and the left endpoint of the spline
as shown below. Make sure the spline is highlighted when
selecting the left endpoint.
Apply a Slope of Curve constraint to these objects.
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Repeat the previous action for the right angled line and the
right endpoint of the spline.
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Step 4 Constrain the sketch as shown below.
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ÉÉÉ Step 5 Edit the defining string for the model.
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ÉÉÉ Choose the Edit Defining String icon.
Select the spline to add it to the string.
Hold down the Shift key and select the top horizontal sketch
line to remove it from the string.
Choose OK.
Step 6 See the change to the model.
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Step 7 Convert the extraneous line to a reference line.
Choose the Convert To/From Reference icon.
Select the top horizontal line that was just removed from the
string, ensure that the radio button is set to Reference, and
choose OK.
This line is still needed because the spline is constrained to the point.
Choose Finish.
Examine the new and improved barbecue cover.
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Activity 2 - Suppressing and Deleting Sketches

In this activity you will suppress and delete a sketch that has features associated
to it.
Step 1 Open dau_delete_1.
Step 2 Suppress a sketch.

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Choose Modeling.
Choose Edit→Feature→Suppress.
Choose the sketch named S21_CAM from the Feature

Selection dialog box.
Choose OK.
The dependents of the sketch are also selected. This includes all of the features
except the datum plane and axes used to define the sketch plane.
Step 3 Unsuppress the sketch.
Choose Edit→Feature→Unsuppress from the main menu

bar.
Choose all of the suppressed features from the Feature

Selection dialog box (Choose the top feature in the list and
drag with the left mouse button to the bottom of the list).
EDS Unigraphics NX
Choose OK.
Step 4 Delete a sketch.
Choose Model Navigator.
Place the cursor over S22_EAR. Click MB3 and choose

Delete from the popĆup dialog.
A Notification window pops up informing you that deleting this feature will
affect other features.
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Choose Information. ÉÉÉ
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The Information window list the other features that will also be deleted.
Close the Information window.
Choose OK in the Notification window.
The dependents of the sketch are also selected. This includes two circular array
instances and a blend.
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Animate
The Animate function dynamically displays the effect of varying a given
dimension over a specified range. Any geometry affected by the selected
dimension is also animated. The behavior of the animation is relative to the
existing dimensional and geometric constraints.
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Dimensions list box: Lists the dimensions that can be animated.
Value: The value of the currently selected dimension.
Lower Limit: The smallest value that the dimension will be during the
animation. The default limit is the selected dimension value minus 10%.
Upper Limit: The largest value that the dimension will be during the animation.
The default limit is the selected dimension value plus 10%.
Steps/Cycle: The number of times that the dimension value changes when it
moves from the upper limit to the lower limit (or vice versa).
Display Dimensions: Optional: lets you display the original sketch dimensions
during the animation.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Activity 3 - Animating Sketch Dimensions
Step 1 Open dau_animate_1 and save it as ***_animate_1 where

*** represent your initials.
Step 2 Animate the first sketch.
Choose Modeling.
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Toggle Show All Constraints on.
The constraints that presently exist in this sketch are:

Lines are either horizontal or vertical.
Lines are equal length to each other.
Arcs are equal radius to each other.
Lines are tangent to adjacent arcs.
Choose Animate Dimension.
Pan the sketch to the right so that none of the geometry is

hidden behind the dialog.
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Select the p5=1.000 dimension.
Key in the following values:
Lower Limit = .125

Upper Limit = 2.875
Steps/Cycle = 10
Choose Apply.
The sketch animates the radius dimension within the animate limits and the
present constraints of the sketch.
Choose OK to stop the animation.
Change the Steps/Cycle value to 20 and choose OK.
Changing the number of steps per cycle slows down the animation.
Choose OK.
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Choose Finish.
Step 3 Animate the second Sketch.

Change the work layer to 22 and make layer 21 invisible.
The constraints in the sketch consist of a fixed horizontal line and 4 angular
dimensions that are associative to each other.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Lower Limit = 10
Upper Limit = 60
Steps/Cycle = 20
Choose OK.
NOTE: If you are using a space ball, you may zoom and pan
during the animation so that you can see the entire range of motion.
Choose OK.
Edit the p2 dimension to have a value of p1*9

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(p2=p1*9).
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Lower Limit = 10
Upper Limit = 60
Steps/Cycle = 20
Choose OK.
The animation now dynamically reflects the new dimensional value.
Choose OK.
Choose Finish.
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Step 4 Animate the third Sketch.
Change the work layer to 23 and make layer 22 invisible.
ÉÉÉ Review the sketch constraints. Notice the reference line with
ÉÉÉ the constant length constraint.
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3
ÉÉÉ Choose Animate Dimension.
Lower Limit = .625

Upper Limit = 4.49
Steps/Cycle = 20
Choose OK.
Choose OK when you done viewing the animation.
Choose Finish.
EDS Unigraphics NX
SUMMARY The Edit Defining String feature in Unigraphics provides the

ability to add or remove objects from sketches to change the shape of the
sketch. When the strength analysis of your design proves you need another rib,
you can accommodate the change with a minimum of delay. Suppressing or
deleting sketches can provide you a means to create varying configurations of
your final product.
In this lesson you:
Edited the defining string of a swept feature.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ

Deleted, suppressed, and unsuppressed sketches.
Animated sketch dimensions.
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3
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EDS Unigraphics NX
Expressions
Expressions
Lesson 4
PURPOSE This lesson describes various aspects of the expression

functionality.
Cut, Copy, and Paste functions in Expressions.

Use the Expression Editor as a Calculator.
Create comments in Expressions.
Create Conditional Expressions.
Create Geometric Expressions.
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Expressions
The Expressions Dialog Box Window
Name Filter
Expression List
Expression Editor
& Calculator
Geometric
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Expressions
Interpart
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4 Expressions
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Expressions
How to use Cut, Copy, and Paste

Highlight the statement in the expressions editor field by doubleĆclicking
or by clickingĆandĆdragging over the text.
With the cursor inside the editor field, use the third mouse button (MB3)
and choose Copy or Cut.
From the expression list, click on the expression that you want to add the
information to, move the cursor to the position for inserting the text, use
MB3, and choose Paste.
Calculator Capabilities
You can use the expression editor field to perform calculations. You may then
copy the value into an actual expression. If you enter an arithmetic statement
without an expression name, the system will simply evaluate your statement and
will place the value below the expression editor field.
For example, entering the following expression in the editor field will create a
new expression:
length = 3 * (pi() * 6) / 3.4
However, if you had entered the following and pressed Enter:
3 * (pi() * 6) / 3.4
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No expression is created, because no name (left side) is given in your statement.
The system would evaluate the statement and place the value in the Value= 4
area as shown below. ÉÉÉ
Value = 16.63196
The statement in the text entry box can be cut or copied and pasted into actual
expressions.
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Expressions
Comments In Expressions
You can create comments in expressions by inserting double forward slashes

//" after the mathematical statement. Anything appearing after the forward
double slashes is ignored. The <Enter> key terminates the comment. If an
expression statement is to exist on the same line as a comment, the expression
needs to be stated first.
Examples are shown below:
length = 2*width //comment :Valid

//comment// width'0 = 5 :Invalid
Expression Operators
Expression operators can be found in Appendix C.
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Expressions
Other Expressions Options
List By
The List by: option automatically reorders the expressions. The three ways to
order the list are:
by the Creation order, where the expressions are listed in the order
they are created (first to last),
by Reverse Creation order, where the most recently created
expressions are listed first (a very effective option), or
by Name, where they are listed in alphanumeric order. Uppercase
expressions are listed before lowercase expressions.
Filter
The Filter option displays a list of expressions containing a userĆspecified string.

The filter text is case sensitive.
For example, if the following is entered in the field:
p* only expressions starting with a 'p' are listed
*rad* only expressions containing the string rad" are listed
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To use filter:
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4
Choose to Include or Exclude string. ÉÉÉ
Enter a string in the filter field and press the Enter key.
Expressions that contain the specified string are displayed or not
displayed in the expressions list dialog box, depending on the chosen
Filter Action (Include or Exclude).
Choose Save Current Filter if you wish to retain the new setting in place
of the default.
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Expressions
Delete
To delete an expression:
Choose the expression that you want to delete from the expression list.
Choose Delete in the dialog box.

Choose Undo from the Standard Toolbar or Edit→Undo List and select
Expression from the list if you decide that you do not want to delete the
expression.
NOTE: You cannot delete an expression that is still in use. To

delete all unused expressions, use
FileUtilitiesPart CleanupDelete Unused Expressions.
Rename
To rename an expression:
Choose the expression you wish to rename from the expression list.
Choose Rename.
Enter a unique name in the Rename Variable dialog box. (To cancel the
rename action, choose Back.)
Choose OK on the Rename dialog box.
Choose Undo from the Standard Toolbar or Edit→Undo List and select
Expression from the list if you decide that you do not want to keep the
name change.
ÉÉÉ When the expression is renamed, it is changed in every occurrence where used.
ÉÉÉ
4 Remember that all expression names must be unique. It is often helpful to
ÉÉÉ rename the expressions, which are automatically generated by the system, to
more descriptive names.
List
The List option displays an information window with all of the expressions in
the current part file by name and the current value of each of those expressions.
You may save the listing to a text file by choosing File→Save As from the listing
window. Also, you have the option of printing the entire listing window to your
default printer, without saving it to a text file by choosing File→Print from the
listing window.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Expressions
Activity 1 - Working with Expressions

In this activity, you will make the expressions easier to understand by renaming
and adding comments.
Step 1 Open dau_express and save as ***_express.
Step 2 Rename some of the expressions.
Choose Information→Expression→List All.

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Notice how some of the expression names are not very descriptive, i.e. p0, p1,
etc. .
ÉÉÉ
Exit the Information window.
Choose Information→Expression→List All by Reference.
In the Information window choose Edit→Find.
Enter p0 and press Enter.
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Expressions
The window scrolls down till it finds the first occurrence of p0. Notice that p0 is
used in the EXTRUDED(1) feature and controls the taper angle. You will use
this information to rename the expressions that control the extruded feature.
Exit the information window.
Start the Modeling application, if needed.
Select p0=0.
Choose Rename.
Enter, ext_taper_ang and choose OK.
Continue by renaming the following expressions as shown in

the table below.
Old Name New Name

p1 ext_lim1
p2 ext_lim2
p3 ext_offset1
p4 ext_offset2
ÉÉÉ Step 3 Build associativity between the inside blend and outside
ÉÉÉ
4 blend.
ÉÉÉ Select blend_outside=.25.
With the Backspace key, remove .25.
Select blend_inside=.25.
Notice how the expression name has been placed to the right of the equals sign.
Enter a +
EDS Unigraphics NX
Expressions
Select thickness=.25.
The expression should now read as follows:
blend_outside=blend_inside+thickness
Press Enter.
Now the part will maintain a constant wall thickness. If the inside blend
changes the outside blend will update accordingly.
Step 4 Add a comment to an expression.
Select the hole_v=height/2.
Edit the expression by adding a comment as shown below:
hole_v=height/2 // hole vertical position
and press Enter.
Select the hole_h=length/2.
Edit the expression as shown below:
hole_h=length/2 // hole horizontal position
and press Enter.
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4
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Choose List.
Adding comments is another way of making your partfiles easier to understand,

not only for you but for down stream users.
Exit the information window.
Choose OK.
Step 5 Save the part, do not close it.
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Expressions
If (then) Else or Conditional Expressions
You have the ability to develop design rule relationships between certain
elements of your model. One way to accomplish this is through conditional
expressions or conditional equations.
Conditional expressions are created by using the if (then) else structure that uses
the following syntax:
single_variable = if (this condition is true) (then this) else (this)
For example:
width = if (length>=8) (3) else (2)
Alternative syntax shown below without some of the parentheses.
width = if (length>=8) 3 else 2
Means that:
If the length is greater than or equal to 8, the width shall be 3.
If the length is less than 8, the width shall be 2.
ÉÉÉ Syntax and the command portions of the statement must be lower case.
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Expressions
Suppression by Expression
Using this option, you can use an expression to suppress a feature using the
expression editor, which provides a list of suppress expressions to edit. This
function is not available if Delayed Update on Edit is active.
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If a child feature has its own suppress expression, its suppression status will be
controlled by that instead of by its parent's suppress status (i.e., the child is not
automatically suppressed when its parent becomes suppressed). Child features
that do not have their own suppress expressions are automatically suppressed
when their parents suppress.
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Expressions
Suppress by Expression Dialog Box Options
Function Description
Allows you to create an expression for the suppression of
Create for each
individual features selected from the list box.
Allows you to create a single expression that controls the
Create shared
suppression of all features selected from the list box.
Allows you to delete the selected feature's suppression
Delete for each expression. The list box displays all features which contain
a suppression expression.
Allows you to delete the selected features' shared
suppression expression. The list box displays all features
Delete shared which contain a shared suppression expression. If you seĆ
lect a feature, the list box highlights the other features
which share that same expression.
Filter Allows you to limit the features that appear in the list box.
Lists the features that can be selected for a suppress by
List box
expression operation.
Allows you to generate a report that lists features which
List
contain a suppression expression.
Procedure
Once you have selected the appropriate option, choose Apply, and the system
generates the new expressions and updates the selection feature list. All
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previous selected features are removed from the list.
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Expressions
Activity 2 - Creating Conditional Expressions

In this activity, you will continue working with the ***_express partfile by
developing conditional expressions to capture a revised design intent.
Design Intent Change
Assume that the design intent of the part has changed as follows:
The length is 2 times the height.

The width is equal to the height.
The hole diameter is a function of the height as illustrated in the table
below.
Part Height Hole Diameter

> 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5
> 4 but <= 6 . . . . . . 3.5
> 2 but <= 4 . . . . . . 1.5
> 1 but <= 2 . . . . . . 0.75
<= 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0
The hole will be constrained by conditional expressions as follows:
hole_dia=if(height>6)(5.5)else(hole_c)
Translation -If the height is greater than 6, hole_dia will equal 5.5;
otherwise go to expression hole_c. ÉÉÉ
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hole_c=if(height>4)(3.5)else(hole_b) ÉÉÉ
otherwise go to expression hole_b.
hole_b=if(height>2)(1.5)else(hole_a)
otherwise go to expression hole_a.
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Expressions
hole_a=if(height<1)(hole_sup)else(.75)
Translation -If the height is less than 1, go to expression hole_sup; otherwise

the hole diameter will be 0.75.
hole_sup=if(height<=1)(0)else(1)
Translation -If the height is less than or equal to 1, suppress the hole
feature; otherwise do not suppress the hole feature.
Step 1 Change the height and width Expressions.
Choose length from the Edit Expressions dialog box.
Edit the right side of the expression to be 2*height, and

press Enter.
Choose width from the Edit Expressions dialog box.
Edit the right side of the expression to be height, and press

Enter.
Choose OK.
ÉÉÉ
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4 Choose Fit.
ÉÉÉ The model updates to reflect the changes.
Step 2 Create the Hole Suppression Expression.
The design intent specifies that if the height is less than 1 then the hole
diameter will be 0.0. If you attempted to edit the hole diameter to 0.0 you
would receive an error. This aspect of the design intent will be accomplished by
creating an expression that controls feature suppression.
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Expressions
Choose Edit→Feature→Suppress by Expression.
Ensure that Create for each is selected.
Select the Simple Hole feature.
Choose OK.
List the expressions by Reverse Creation.
The expression at the top of the list is the one that was just created to control
the suppression status of the hole feature. A value of 1 and the hole feature is
unsuppressed. A value of 0 and the hole feature is suppressed.
Click on the top expression.
Choose the Rename icon.
Enter hole_sup.
Choose OK.
Choose hole_sup from the Edit Expressions dialog box.
Edit the right side of the expression to be

if(height<=1)(0)else(1) and press Enter.
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Now the hole_sup expression has captured the design intent as specified at the ÉÉÉ
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beginning of the activity. ÉÉÉ
Step 3 Develop the remaining Conditional Expressions.
NOTE: Variables used on the right hand side must be previously

defined on the left hand side of an earlier expression.
Enter
hole_a=if(height<=1)(hole_sup)else(.75) and press Enter.
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Expressions
Enter
hole_b=if(height>2)(1.5)else(hole_a) and press Enter.
Enter
hole_c=if(height>4)(3.5)else(hole_b) and press Enter.
Choose hole_dia from the Edit Expressions dialog box.
Edit the right side of the expression to be

if(height>6)(5.5)else(hole_c) and press Enter.
Choose Apply.
Step 4 Test the Design Intent.
Choose height from the Expressions dialog box.
Edit the right side of the expression to be 7, and press

Enter.
Choose Apply and choose Fit.

Enter.
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4
ÉÉÉ Choose Apply.

Enter.
Choose Apply.
Choose Fit (MB3).
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Expressions
Choose the hole_dia expression.
Look at the Value under the text box. Is the value correct in
regards to table at the beginning of the activity?
Edit the right side of the expression to be .75, and press

Enter.
Choose OK.
Did the hole update as required by the design intent?
Step 5 Save and close the part file.
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Expressions
Geometric Expressions
Geometric expressions reference geometric properties to create defining
feature parameters. There are three types of geometric expressions: distance,
length, and angle. Geometric expressions are features, and can be found in the
Feature Browser (Information→Feature) and Feature Selection dialog boxes
(Edit→Feature→Parameters).
When you choose Geometric Expression on the Edit Expressions dialog

box, the Geometric Expression dialog box appears.
Infer
Existing Point
End Point
Control Point
Arc/Ellipse/Sphere Center
Quadrant Point
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ÉÉÉ Type
The Distance type lets you create a distance expression based upon the
minimum distance between two objects, a point and an object, or two points.
The Length type lets you create a length expression based upon the
length of a curve or edge.
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Expressions
The Angle type lets you create an angle expression based upon the angle
between two lines, planar faces, linear edges, datums, or a combination of these
objects.
Selection Steps
The Selection Steps are used to select the objects for the geometric expression.
The objects that you can select vary according to the Type you chose:
For Distance, you can select curves, edges, faces, bodies, datum planes,
and points.
For Length, you can select curves and edges.
For Angle, you can select curves, edges, faces, datum planes, and datum
axes.
Select the First Object when this selection step is active. The Filter
options can help you select the object.
Select the Second Object when this selection step is active. The Filter
options can help you select the object. (This icon is not available when the Type
is set to Length.)
If you choose Point for the Filter option, the Point Method options become
ÉÉÉ
available to help you define the point.
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Expressions
Procedure
To create a geometric expression, follow these steps:
Choose the geometric expression Type: Distance, Length, or Angle.

Select the First Object, using the Filter if you wish.
If your Filter option is Point, choose the Point Method option that you
want.
Select the Second Object, using the Filter and Point Method options, if
appropriate.
Choose OK or Apply to create the geometric expression.
Editing Geometric Expressions
Geometric expressions can be edited by selecting Edit→Feature→Parameters

or through the Model Navigator.
If you choose Edit→Feature→Parameters, the geometric expressions appear in

the Feature Selection dialog box. Select a DISTANCE_EXP, LENGTH_EXP, or
ANGLE_EXP feature from the Feature Selection dialog box, and the appropriate
dialog box (Edit Distance Feature, Edit Length Feature, or Edit Angle Feature)
appears.
The options on these dialog boxes are the same options on the Geometric
Expression dialog box. Options that you cannot change, such as Type, are
ÉÉÉ grayed out. You can reselect the objects; in some cases, you will have to deselect
ÉÉÉ
4 the original ones first.
ÉÉÉ
To delete a geometric expression, choose Edit→Feature→Delete and select the
expression from the Feature Selection dialog box, or use the Model Navigator.
You can use the Information→Expression→List All Geometric operation to get

additional information on geometric expressions.
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Expressions
Activity 3 - Applying a Geometric Expression

In this activity, you will capture an aspect of the design intent by applying a
geometric expressions to the location of a form feature.
The design intent for the part that you are about to create is as follows:
Line A, an imaginary line, always starts and ends at the corners as

illustrated below.
Line B, the center line of the hole, is always 90° to Line A and passes
through Edge C.
The hole depth is always 80% of the F value.
The intersection of Line A and Line B is always located at the center of
Line A.
F
F x 0.8
D/2
Line A D
Line B
Edge C
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Expressions
Step 1 Open dau_seedpart_in and rename it to ***_geo_express.
Step 2 Create a 4x4x10 primitive block, locate it at 0,0,0, and Fit

the view.
Step 3 Create the reference features that will orient the hole
feature.
Choose Datum Axis.
Select the two endpoints as shown below
and choose OK.
Endpoint
Endpoint
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Choose Datum Plane.
Choose Datum Plane Dialog.
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Expressions
Select the two edges shown below and choose Apply.
Edge
Edge
Select the datum plane and datum axis, enter 90 for the
angle, and choose Apply.
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Expressions
Select the datum plane and endpoint as shown below and

choose OK.
Endpoint
Datum plane
Step 4 Create the geometric expressions.
The first geometric expression to be created will provide the D" value as
illustrated at the beginning of this lesson.
Choose the Geometric Expression icon.
ÉÉÉ Be sure the Distance icon is selected.

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Expressions
Select the endpoints as shown below and choose OK.
Endpoint
Note: Reference
features not shown
for clarity.
Endpoint
List the expressions in Reverse Creation.
Notice the new expression created in the Edit Expression dialog box,
p4=distance(5), (the name of your expression may be different). Remember,
this expression is a feature; thus it has a time stamp, [ (5) ].
Rename the expression just created to geo_dist_1.
The next geometric expression will control the depth of the hole.
Choose Geometric Expression.

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Expressions
Select the datum plane and endpoint as shown below and

choose OK.
Endpoint
Datum plane
Rename the expression just created to geo_dist_2.
Choose OK.
Step 5 Create the hole feature.
Choose Hole.
Ensure the Simple icon is selected.
ÉÉÉ Select the last datum plane created as the placement face.
ÉÉÉ

4
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Select this
datum plane.
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Expressions
Select Reverse Side, if required, so the vector points toward

the solid body.
Enter:
Diameter = 1
Depth = geo_dist_2*.8
Press Enter to preview the diameter and depth parameters
on the graphics screen.
Choose OK.
Choose Point onto Line and select the datum axis.
Choose Horizontal.
Choose the Datum Axis as the Horizontal Reference.
Select the endpoint shown below as the target object.
Endpoint
Note: Reference
features not shown
ÉÉÉ
for clarity.
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4
ÉÉÉ
Enter geo_dist_1/2 and press Enter.
Step 6 Edit the values of the block feature to test the design
intent.
Select the solid block feature.
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Expressions
On the block, right click and choose Edit Parameters.
Click on p2=10.00.
Choose OK.
The solid body updates per the design intent.
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4 Step 7 Save the part and close.
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Expressions
SUMMARY You can use the expression editor field to perform

calculations. You may then copy the value into an actual expression. If you
enter an arithmetic statement without an expression name, the system will
simply evaluate your statement and will place the value below the expression
editor field.
You can create comments in expressions using double forward slashes //"
before the actual comment.
When the expression is renamed, it is changed in every occurrence where used.

Also, all expression names must be unique.
Conditional Expressions allow you to develop design rule relationships between

certain elements of your model.
Suppression by Expression is a tool that may be used to suppress individual or

groups of features based on the value of a single expression.
You may use Geometric Expressions to create a feature which contains a

numeric value based on some geometric distance, length, or angle.
In this lesson you:

ÉÉÉ
Used Cut, Copy, and Paste on expressions.
ÉÉÉ
4
Used the calculator capabilities in expressions. ÉÉÉ
Suppressed a feature using an expression.
Created comments in expressions.
Created conditional expressions.
Created geometric expressions.
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Expressions
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Duplicating Features
Lesson 5
PURPOSE This lesson describes some of the various options you may use
to create duplicate features.
Create a Mirror body feature.

Create a Mirror Feature.
Copy and Paste Features.
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Mirror Body
Mirror Body lets you mirror an entire body about a datum plane. You can use
this, for example, to form the other hand of a left or rightĆhand part. When you
use this option, the system creates a separate feature whose name is Mirror. This
feature is listed when you use Information→Feature, just like other features.
When you mirror a body, the Mirror feature is associative to the original body;
it has no editable parameters of its own.
By default, the Mirror Body function is set to use an At Timestamp option. This
means that any additional features added to the master body will not be
reflected in the mirrored body. If the design intent for the mirrored feature is to
reflect all future features in the master body, then the At Timestamp option
should be toggled OFF by editing the parameters of the mirror feature.
To apply the mirror feature functionality, choose

InsertFeature OperationInstance and then choose the Mirror Body button.
The following statements describe the mirror feature and its relationship to the
original body and the datum plane:
If you change the parameters of a feature in the original (master) body,

causing the original body to change, those changes are reflected in the
mirrored body, providing that those features occurred before the mirror
feature (if the At Timestamp option is toggled ON).
If you edit the parameters of the associated datum plane, the mirrored
body changes accordingly.
If you delete the original body or datum plane, the mirrored body is also
deleted.
If you move the original body, the mirrored body also moves.
Features can be added to the master body, but will only be added to the
mirrored body if At Timestamp has been toggled OFF.
Features can be added to the mirrored body, however, the features will
exist only in that body.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Features created in the master body, after a mirror instance operation,
5
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
can be reordered before the mirror instance so that they are also reflected
in the mirrored body.
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If At Timestamp is toggled OFF, reordering the mirror function is not

possible.
You can combine the original and mirrored bodies, using the Unite option
on the Create Feature dialog box, to create a symmetrical model, as
shown below.
Datum plane Original body
BEFORE
Mirrored body
AFTER
Procedure
Select one or more bodies to mirror.
Select a datum plane.
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5-3
Activity 1 - Rectangle Instance Arrays & Mirrored Body

You will now create a rectangular instance array of simple through holes and
create a mirrored body.

Open part file dau_mirror_body. Enter the Modeling
application.
You will be creating a rectangular instance array of the small hole along the top
flat face of this part.
ZC
YC
XC
Step 2 Create a Rectangular Instance Array.
Choose Instance Feature.

Choose the Rectangular Array option.
You will be creating a row of holes, so you will choose the simple hole listed in
the dialog box as the feature to instance.
Choose SIMPLE_HOLE(3) and then OK.
Enter these values:
Number Along XC = 5
XC Offset = 7
Number Along YC = 1
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YC Offset = 0
5
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and choose OK.
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A temporary display of the elongated hole locations are displayed in the

graphics area.
Choose OK (or Yes.)
The rectangular instance array is complete.
Choose Back so that you can try Mirror Body.
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5-5
Step 3 Create a Mirrored Body Instance.
You will now learn how to use the Mirror Body Instance option to create a
feature that is an inverse copy of the selected solid.
Datum plane
Solid
Choose the Mirror Body option.
The cue prompts you to select the bodies to mirror.
Select the solid and choose OK.
You must mirror the body about a datum plane. The cue prompts you to select
the datum plane.
Select the datum plane to complete the feature.
The mirrored body is created as a separate solid.
Note the edges of

the two solid bodies
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Although the mirrored body is a separate solid, it is still associated to the other
solid and the datum plane. If you were to delete the original body or datum
5
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plane, the mirrored body would also be deleted.
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Step 4 Verify the new feature.
Notice the new MIRROR feature at the bottom of the list.
Since the entire body is mirrored, subsequent changes to a feature's parameters

in the original body would be reflected in the mirrored copy.
Close the model navigator by moving the cursor into the

graphics area.
Step 5 Unite the two solid bodies into one solid.
Choose InsertFeature OperationUnite.
Select both the original and the mirrored bodies and

choose OK.
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The two solids are united into one solid body.
Notice the new feature UNITE(7) at the bottom of the list.
Step 6 Close all part files.
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Mirror Feature
Mirror Feature lets you create symmetrical models by mirroring selected

features through a datum plane or planar face. To create a mirrored body you
would normally use the Mirror Body option. Mirror Feature, however, lets you
mirror features within a body. Output from this option is a feature named
MIRROR_SET. During the edit of a MIRROR_SET feature, you can redefine
the mirror plane and add and remove features to it.
To apply the mirror feature functionality, choose

InsertFeature OperationInstance and then choose the Mirror Feature
button.
Feature to Mirror
Mirror Plane
Add
Remove
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Selection Steps:
Feature to Mirror - Lets you select the features in the part that you wish
to mirror. To specify a feature to be mirrored, highlight it in the Features
in Part listing and use the Add button to add it to the Features in Mirror
listing.
Mirror Plane - Lets you specify the planar face or datum plane through
which to mirror the selected features.
Allows you to limit the number of entries displayed in the
Filter Features in Part listing. Standard wildcards can be used (i.e.
EX*, * or *PROFILE).
Allows you automatically add the dependent features of
Add Dependencies
another feature to the Features in Mirror list.
When ON, specifies that all features in the body will be
included in the Features in Mirror list. One feature from the
All in Body
Features in Part column must be selected and added to the
Features in Mirror list for this to take effect.
Features in Part Displays the names of features that exist in the part.
Displays the names of features that have been selected
Features in Mirror
from the Features in Part listing.
Allows you to add selected features in the Features in Part
Add
listing to the Features in Mirror listing.
Allows you to remove selected features from the Features
Remove
in Mirror listing.
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Procedure
Select Feature Mirror from the Instance dialog box.
If desired, toggle on Add Dependencies or All in Body
Select the features to Add.
Choose the Add button.
Choose the Mirror Plane button.
Select the plane to mirror through.
Choose Apply.
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Activity 2 - Creating a Mirror Feature

In this activity you will apply the mirror feature in several different ways.
Open part file dau_mirror_feature_1. Enter the Modeling

application.
Step 2 Mirror the boss feature.
Choose Mirror Feature.
Ensure that Add Dependencies and All in Body are toggled

OFF.
Select BOSS(6) and choose Add.
Choose Mirror Plane.
Select the datum plane in the graphics window.
Choose OK.
Notice that the boss sticks out the bottom of the block feature. It is important
that you understand the construction techniques that were used to create the
solid body. In this case a trimming function was used on the original boss.
Choose Cancel.
Choose Undo.
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Select BOSS(6) and TRIM_BODY(8).
Choose Add.
Choose OK.
Notice that the boss does not protrude through the bottom of the block.
Choose Cancel.
Choose Undo.
Step 3 Mirror the boss and its dependencies.
Toggle Add Dependencies to ON.
Select BOSS(6) and choose Add.
Notice that the dependencies were automatically added but the

TRIM_BODY(8) feature was not.
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Select TRIM_BODY(8) and choose Add. ÉÉÉ
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Choose OK.
Notice the new feature that was created, MIRROR_SET(15).
Choose Cancel.
Choose Undo.
Step 4 Identify dependencies of one of the counter bore holes.
Select COUNTER_BORE_HOLE(11).
Notice that BLOCK(0) is highlighted in magenta. This indicates that it is the

parent feature of the selected feature. Also notice that CHAMFER(13) is
highlighted in cyan. This marks it as a child feature of the selected feature.
Step 5 Mirror the counter bore hole.
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Ensure that Add Dependencies is toggled ON.
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Select COUNTER_BORE_HOLE(11) and choose Add.
Notice that the chamfer feature was not added automatically.

Choose Cancel.
Select CHAMFER(13) feature.
Notice that the chamfer feature is applied to both counter bore features. If an
attempt would have been made to mirror the chamfer feature with only one
counter bore hole feature, an error would have been encountered. This is
because there would not have been an edge present for both chamfers. The
next step will show how to remedy this situation.
Step 6 Remove an edge from the chamfer feature.

Select the green check mark in front of the CHAMFER (13)
feature to Suppress it.
Right click (MB3) on the CHAMFER (13) feature in the
Model Navigator and choose Edit Parameters.
Choose Add/Remove Chamfer Edges.
Remove the edge shown below by holding the shift key down
and selecting it.
Select the top edge

of this counterbore.
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Choose OK two times.
Select the empty box in front of the CHAMFER (13) feature

in the Model Navigator to Unsuppress it.
The chamfer is no longer applied to the edge of the second counter bore hole.
Step 7 Mirror the counter bore hole.
Ensure that Add Dependencies is toggled ON.
Select COUNTER_BORE_HOLE(11) and choose Add.
Notice that the chamfer feature is added automatically.
Choose OK.
Step 8 Close all part files; do not save.
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Copy/Paste Feature
The Edit→Copy Feature and Edit→Paste functions let you copy features and
paste them within the same part, or from one part file to another. When you
paste a feature, you can define whether the new feature should be connected to
its original feature.
Copy Feature
When you choose Edit→Copy Feature, the Feature Selection dialog box
appears. You can select the feature that you want to copy from this dialog box
or from the graphics window.
Toggle Add Dependent Features ON if you want to select a feature's dependents

when you select the feature.
You can select more than one feature.
Paste
When you choose Edit→Paste, the Paste Feature dialog box appears.
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Expression Transfer Mode
The Expression Transfer Mode options define how the expressions in the
pasted feature should be related to the original expressions:
Creates a new expression for the pasted feature that is sepĆ
New arate from the original feature. The value of one
expression can be changed without affecting the other.
Creates an expression for the pasted feature that is
associated to the original feature (i.e. p10=p4). This link
Link to Original
can be broken by simply removing the reference to the
original expression and replacing it with another value.
If the copy is in the same part file the expressions of the
original feature are used. If the copy is to a different part
Instance of Original
file then Instance of Original works the same as Link to
Original, and an interpart expression is created.
Parent Transfer Mode
The Parent Transfer Mode options specify how parent curves of pasted features
should be defined:
Copy Original Curves Creates a copy of the parent curves for the pasted feature.
The system prompts you for new curves that will replace
Prompt for New
the original curves in the pasted feature.
The parent curves of the original features are also the parĆ
Instance of Original
ent curves of the pasted feature within the same part.
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Other Options
The list window shows all the external references for the feature you are
pasting. Each unresolved reference has the symbols (-) in front of it. As you
resolve a reference (e.g., by selecting placement faces, etc., on the part where
you are pasting the feature), the symbols change to (+).
You do not always have to resolve all of the references before you can paste the
feature. For example, if you copied a sweep feature with 10 curves, the
unresolved references include 10 curves. But if you only supply 5 curves before
choosing OK, the system may succeed in creating the sweep.
If the Parent Transfer Mode is Copy Original Curves, the references for the
external curves are marked as resolved. (There may be other unresolved
references.)
If you select geometry that has a direction vector, Reverse Direction lets you
reverse that vector.
If the feature has no external references, the Paste Feature dialog box appears
without the list window and Reverse Direction option.
Considerations when using the Copy/Paste Feature
Before using the Copy/Paste feature across part files you should evaluate the
downstream impacts.
In general there are no issues to consider when the use of the Copy/Paste
feature is in a single part file. However, when the feature is applied across part
files with any intended associativity, the user must consider if those part files
will always maintain a relationship where the system may apply the associative
feature.
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Activity 3 - Applying the Copy / Paste Feature

This activity is an example of a situation where an instance of a feature is
needed, yet the desired orientation of the new features do not lend themselves
to the circular or rectangular array functions.
Step 1 Open dau_seedpart_in.
Step 2 Create a 4x10x.50 primitive block, locate it at 0,0,0, and

Fit the view.
Step 3 Create a .50 diameter x .50 high boss and locate it as

shown below.
Step 4 Copy and Paste the boss feature.
Select the boss feature.
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Choose Edit→Copy Feature.
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Choose Edit→Paste.
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Toggle Instance of Original to ON for the Expression Transfer

Mode. Since there is no parent geometry, the Parent Transfer
Mode setting is of no consequence.
Select the planar placement face as shown below and choose

Apply.
Select this face.
Position the boss as show below and choose OK.
The Paste Feature dialog box reappears because you chose apply after selecting
the placement face.
Choose Apply to place another boss on the same surface.
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Choose OK to add the last boss.
The four bosses created are not instances, however they all share the same
expressions that define diameter and height.
Choose Information→Expression→List All by Reference.
Scroll through the information window.
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Notice how p3, p4, and p5 are used to control the same parameters of each
boss.
Step 5 Close all dau" part files; do not save.
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Activity 4 - Copying a Sketch

In this activity you will use a profile captured in a sketch in more than one place
in the model.
Step 1 Open dau_cover_valve_body_2 and start the Modeling

application.
Step 2 Copy a sketch to create a new feature.
Choose Edit→Copy Feature.
Select S21_FLANGE:SKETCH(5).
Choose OK.
Step 3 Paste the sketch feature to the top of the block.
Change work layer to 22.
Choose Edit→Paste from the main menu bar.
Set the Expression Transfer Mode to New.
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Since the actual sketch itself was copied there is no need to select an option for
Parent Transfer Mode.
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Select the placement face, vertical reference, and the sketch

external reference as shown below.
Sketch External
Target Placement Face
Reference
Vertical Reference
Choose OK to paste the sketch.
The different Vertical Reference caused the sketch to rotate and the External
Reference was needed to locate the sketch. In the original sketch there was a
concentric geometric constraint between the arc and the boss. By selecting the
circular edge of the boss as an external reference it will be used as the edge for
the concentric constraint for the pasted sketch.
Step 4 Rename the sketch.
With MB3, click on S21_FLANGE_0:SKETCH(6) and

choose Rename.
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The layer assignment for the sketch is 22, the name suggests differently. ÉÉÉ
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Edit the New Sketch Name text entry field to the correct
name of S22_Flange. Press the Enter key and the sketch
name will update.
Choose OK.
Step 5 Change the sketch.
DoubleĆclick on a sketch curve of the copied sketch (top

face).
Choose Fit.
DoubleĆclick on the radius dimension, enter .5 and press

Enter. The sketch is modified.
DoubleĆclick on the horizontal dimension, enter 4 and press

Enter. The sketch is modified.
Choose Finish.
Step 6 Use the sketches to create features of the model.
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Choose Extrude Body.
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Select one of the curves from the original sketch

(S21_FLANGE) and extrude it in the positive ZC direction
from 0 to 1 inch. Unite the feature.
Select one of the curves from the copied sketch

(S22_FLANGE) and extrude it in the positive ZC direction
from 0 to 1.625 inches. Unite the feature.
Choose Cancel.
Step 7 Test the associativity.
Select the boss feature.
With the cursor on the boss feature, click MB3 and choose
Edit Parameters.
Click on p5=2.250. ÉÉÉ

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Key in 2.75. ÉÉÉ
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OK until the part updates.
Step 8 Close the part; do not save.
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SUMMARY Duplicating features reduces the time you use to create

multiple occurrences of the same or mirrored feature.
Mirror Body lets you mirror an entire body about a datum plane. You can use
this, for example, to form the other hand of a leftĆ or rightĆhand part. When you
use this option, the system creates a separate feature whose name is Mirror.
Mirror Feature allows you to mirror features within a solid body about a datum
plane on planar face.
The copy/paste feature allows the duplication of features within or across part
files. It also can be used where feature orientation does not conform to either
circular or rectangular array envelopes.
In this lesson you:
Created a Mirrored Body.

Created a Mirror Feature.
Copied and Pasted Features.
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Assembly Functions
Assembly Functions ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Lesson 6
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PURPOSE This lesson introduces the Assembly Navigator functionality.
Activate and interpret the Assembly Navigator window.

Use the popĆup and pullĆdown menu options in the Assembly Navigator
window to manipulate the assembly.
Rearrange Components in the Assembly Navigator.
Check clearances of components within an assembly.
Preview a component before adding it to an assembly.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Assemblies Application

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ÉÉÉ Assemblies licenses are controlled by the Assemblies option on the
Applications pulldown menu. Toggling Assemblies ON starts the Assemblies
license, displays the new Assemblies toolbar, and expands the functions
available in the Assemblies pulldown menu. Assemblies may also be toggled on
by choosing the Assemblies icon from the application toolbar.
NOTE: By default, the Assemblies application will be toggled

OFF at the beginning of a Unigraphics session. This setting can be
remembered between sessions by changing
Assemblies_RestoreApplication to yes in the ug_english.def or
ug_metric.def customer default files.
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Assembly Functions
Assemblies Pulldown Menu ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Turning ON the Assemblies application will expand the Assemblies pulldown
menu. Some assemblies functions are still available when the Assemblies
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application is toggled OFF.
Assemblies Application OFF Assemblies Application ON
NOTE: Some of the functions in the Assemblies pulldown menu

are dependent on the availability of other licenses such as
UG/WAVE and Advanced Assemblies.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Assemblies Toolbar

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If the Assemblies toolbar is not visible, choose ViewToolbarsCustomize or

ToolsCustomize to bring up the Customize dialog box. Scroll down the
Toolbars list on the Toolbars page, then turn ON the Assemblies toolbar by
setting its checkbox.
You can control which icons appear on this toolbar by selecting the Commands
page of the Customize dialog box, and choosing Assemblies from the Toolbars
list. Then choose the items that you want from the Commands list. For more
information about customizing toolbars, see the Gateway Help.
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Assembly Functions
The Assembly Navigator ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
The Assembly Navigator gives you a graphical display of the assembly structure
of the displayed part in a separate window, and provides a quick and easy
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method of manipulating components in an assembly. For example, you can use
the Assembly Navigator to select components for various operations, as well as
to perform assembly management functions such as changing the work part,
changing the displayed part, blanking and unblanking components, and more.
The Assembly Navigator represents the assembly structure displayed as a tree.

Each component is displayed as a node in the assembly tree structure.
Many of the functions in the Assembly Navigator can also be found in cascade
menus under the Assembly pulldown, however to have the options available you
must first start an Assemblies license by selecting Application Assemblies.
Opening the Assembly Navigator
To open the Assembly Navigator, click the Assembly Navigator tab on the
right side of the Graphics window. Once open, you may choose to keep it open
by selecting the pin in the upper left corner. If you wish to open the Assembly
Navigator in a separate window, simply double-click the tab.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ The Assembly Navigator Window

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When you open the Assembly Navigator the window may be resized, and scroll
bars are available to enable you to see the entire tree structure.
Node Display
Each component of an assembly is displayed as a node in the assembly tree

structure. If you select on a node with MB1, the system will highlight the
component geometry in the graphics window.
Each node consists of a checkbox, an icon, and the part name, plus the other
columns. If the part is an assembly or subassembly, an expand/collapse box will
also be present.
Components may be selected for various operations, (i.e. Assemblies→Change

Work Part, Edit→Object Display, etc.), by choosing the appropriate node in the
Assembly Navigator with Mouse Button 1.
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Assembly Functions
Assembly Navigator Icons ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Assembly (or subassembly). If the icon is yellow, the assembly is within
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the work part. If the icon is colored gray, but has solid black borders, the
assembly is a non-work part. If the icon is grayed out, the assembly is closed.
Component (not an assembly or subassembly). If the icon is yellow, the

component is within the work part. If the icon is gray, but has solid black
borders, the component is a non-work part. If the icon is grayed out, the
component is closed.
Expand/Collapse Box Ć Children of a node are only displayed when it is

expanded. To expand or collapse the node, place the cursor over the box and
click MB1. When a node is collapsed, the expand/collapse box is marked with a
+. An expanded node is marked with a -.
Checkbox Ć Provides a quick means of determining a part's status. A checkbox

also lets you load and show a part with a single action.
NOTE: You cannot close a part by clicking on its checkbox. To close a

part, use the File→Close options or the Close options on the Assembly
Navigator popup menu.
The part's status is shown by the checkbox indicator:
No check The part is closed. Clicking on this type of checkbox:

Loads the component and its children partially or fully, depending on the
load options. Unloaded parents may also be loaded at this time.
Any components that were blanked are now unblanked.
Afterwards, the checkboxes of the part and its children have large red
checks, except for those whose loading failed, who have an excluded
reference set, or are on invisible layers.
A thin gray check The part is blanked, and at least partially open. It also
appears for unblanked parts which either have an excluded reference set or are
on invisible layers. Clicking on this type of checkbox:
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Unblanks the component, along with any of its children that were
ÉÉÉ blanked.
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If any of its children were unloaded, they are now loaded.
Afterwards, the checkboxes of the part and its children have large red
checks, except for those whose loading failed, who have an excluded
reference set, or are on invisible layers.
A large red check The part is unblanked, at least partially open, in a

visible reference set, and on a visible layer. Clicking on this type of checkbox:
Blanks the component and its unblanked children.

Afterwards, the component's checkbox has a thin gray check, and its
children have gray checks (if blanked) or no checks (if unloaded).
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Assembly Functions
Selecting Components ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
When you can select components using a dialog box, you can also select them
using the Assembly Navigator by choosing the appropriate node with MB1. You
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can select single or multiple components. When selection is complete, you can
process the components in the list by choosing OK from the dialog box.
To select multiple components in the Assembly Navigator, select the first

component and then either:
Use <Shift>MB1 (together) on another component to select all the

components between those components
Or use <Ctrl>MB1 on another component if you want only it and the
first component
You can also use <Shift>MB1 on components in the graphics screen or

<Ctrl>MB1 on components in the Assembly Navigator to deselect them.
Identifying Components
If you click MB1 while the cursor is over a non-work part whose checkbox has
a red check, that part is highlighted. The highlighting stays until you select
another part. (Hovering the cursor without clicking MB1 has no effect.)
If you hover the cursor over a part that is not visible (e.g., blanked, on another
layer, out of the reference set, unloaded), a box defining the boundaries of the
component appears in the graphics window. The box disappears when you move
the cursor to another part. This only happens when the Preselect Invisible
Nodes preference is toggled ON.
Checkboxes for parts that are not visible will have a thin gray check or no check.
NOTE: Because of configuration differences, you may have to hold

MB1 down for a couple of seconds before the box is drawn. In some
cases, the box may not be drawn until you release MB1. Also, the box will
not be drawn if you double-click MB1.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ PopĆUp Menu Options

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ÉÉÉ and
If you position the cursor over a node in the tree that represents a component
click MB3, a popup menu with the following options appears. Depending
on the type of component; all options may not be available.
Component's node that

MB3 was applied on.
The parent assembly for the
node's component that MB3
was applied on.
Blank / Unblank
Blank or unblank components and subassemblies. (Blanking a subassembly
causes it and all its components to be removed from the graphics display.
Unblanking a component restores it to the graphics display.)
Pack or Unpack
Pack removes multiple occurrences from the Assembly Navigator display and
replaces each multiple occurrence with a single icon. (Multiple occurrences are
components with the same parent, and whose prototype is the same part.)
Unpack reverses this process; it lets you show all occurrences.
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete

Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete are selfĆexplanatory.
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Assembly Functions
Replace Reference Set

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Replaces the display of a component in the graphics screen with one of its
reference sets. ÉÉÉ
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Make Work Part
Selects the part in which to create geometry, giving you the ability to design in
context.
NOTE: Double clicking on a component's node in the Assembly

Navigator will also make that component the Work Part. In addition
the reference set is changed to Entire Part. When the component is
no longer the work part, the reference set is returned to its original
condition.
Make Displayed Part

Switches the display between currently loaded parts. The displayed part
becomes the top node of the Assembly Navigator display.
Display Parent
Switches the Displayed Part from a component or an assembly to one of its
parent assemblies, including the Start Part if the current node represents a
linked part.
NOTE: Under PreferencesAssemblies the option Maintain

Work Part allows control of the work part setting when displaying a
parent assembly. If turned ON, the work part will be unchanged
when displaying a parent assembly. When turned OFF, the
displayed parent will become the work part.
Open"
Opens various components within the assembly structure.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Close"
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ÉÉÉ
Closes the selected component (the Part option) or the entire assembly (the
Assembly option). If the part has been modified, the Part (Modified) option
will be active to alert you that you might wish to first save the file. Once you
have closed the component part, you can later reopen it using the Open option.
If you selected multiple components, Part closes only the components that are
not modified, while Part (Modified) closes all of them.
Edit
Substitution, Mate, and Reposition dialog boxes are available through this
menu option.
Properties
Duplicates the Assemblies→Components→Properties option for assembly

components. This will be discussed in depth later in this lesson.
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Assembly Functions
Drag and Drop in the Assembly Navigator ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
While holding down MB1, you can select a component, drag, and drop it into
another subassembly. If the component is dropped onto a piece part, the piece
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part will turn into a subassembly. Only loaded components can be dragged.
Drag and Drop will not work under the following conditions:
The target is not loaded.

The dragged component already has an instance of the target as its child,
which would create a cyclic assembly structure.
You can choose to receive a warning message after you have dragged and
dropped components. This can be toggled ON and OFF in
PreferencesAssembliesWarn on Drag and Drop.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Activity 1 - Activating and Using the Assembly Navigator

ÉÉÉ
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In this activity, you will explore Assembly Navigator functionality.
Step 1 Open dau_hole_punch_assm and start the Modeling

application. Verify the Assemblies application is ON.
Step 2 Activate the Assembly Navigator.
Choose Assembly Navigator.
Step 3 Verify the structure of the assembly
Select various nodes in the Assembly Navigator, notice the

associated component geometry highlights in the graphics
screen.
Step 4 Use the Assembly Navigator to select components when

the Set Work Part dialog box is active.
From the Assembly Navigator window, select one of the

dau_hp_punch_block nodes.
Choose Assemblies→Context Control→Set Work Part.
In the Assembly Navigator, double click on the

dau_hole_punch_assm node to make it the Work Part.
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Assembly Functions
Step 5 Collapse and expand the assembly node.

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Click on the Expand/Collapse button, as shown below, to
collapse the assembly tree. ÉÉÉ
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Click on the Expand/Collapses box
Click on the Expand/Collapse button again to expand the

assembly tree.
Step 6 Pack a component that has multiple occurrences.
Place the cursor over one of the dau_hp_punch nodes.
Press Mouse Button 3 and choose Pack from the popĆup

menu.
Step 7 Blank and Unblank components.
Using the Mouse Button 3 popĆup menu, Blank the

dau_hp_lever.
Note that the dau_hp_lever component geometry has disappeared from the
graphics display.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Using the Mouse Button 3 popĆup menu, Unblank the

ÉÉÉ dau_hp_lever.
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ÉÉÉ Blanking and unblanking can also be accomplished by simply clicking on the
checkmark.
Step 8 Change the Displayed Part and the Work Part using the
Assembly Navigator popĆup menu.
Using the Mouse Button 3 popĆup menu, make the

dau_hp_frame the Displayed Part.
Step 9 Change the Displayed Part back to the

dau_hole_punch_assm.
Place the cursor over the node in the Assembly Navigator.
Press Mouse Button 3 and choose

Display Parent→dau_hole_punch_assm.
Step 10 Close all parts.
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Assembly Functions
Specifying Columns ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
You specify which columns appear in the Assembly Navigator by selecting in an ÉÉÉ
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open area of the Assembly Navigator with MB3 and sliding down to Columns in ÉÉÉ
the subsequent menu. When that menu expands you may choose to turn on or
off a particular column, or choose Configure to open the Assembly Navigator
Properties dialogue.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Assembly Navigator Properties

ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
Columns list box - The list of possible columns that may appear in the
Assembly Navigator. The columns that are currently visibly are checked. The
position of the columns in the Assembly Navigator may be modified by choosing
the Move Up or Move Down buttons.
The first column in the Assembly Navigator must be one that identifies the
component, such as Part Name, Component Name, or Descriptive Part Name.
The system will not allow you to move any other choices to the top of the list.
Attribute - Allows you to enter an Attribute Name which may then be added to
the Column List Box by selecting the Create icon beside the window. Any
Attribute added to the list box may be deleted by choosing the Delete icon
below the Move Down icon.
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Assembly Functions
The columns that can appear in the Assembly Navigator are:

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Column Description
Descriptive Part Name Displays the descriptive part name of the part.
Displays the component name of the part. This column will
Component Name
be blank for the displayed part.
Part Name Displays the file name of the part.
Displays the current read status of the loaded parts:
= Read & Write
Read Only = Read Only
= Partially Loaded
blank = Unloaded part
Tells if a part has been modified in the current session:
Modified = Yes
blank = No
Displays the mating or variable position of the parts:
= Unconstrained
Position
= Partially Unconstrained
= Fully Constrained
Displays the number of components in the assembly or
Count
subassembly, including the assembly or subassembly itself.
Displays the name of the current reference set. This
Reference Set
column will be blank for the displayed part.
Tells whether a part is out of date:
Out of Date = Out of date
blank = Current
Displays the file description, where one is defined, of the
File Description
part
Units Indicates whether part is inch or metric.
Weight (lbs) List the weight of the part in pounds.
Weight (grams) List the weight of the part in grams.
Weight (kgs) List the weight of the part in kilograms.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Indicates whether:

ÉÉÉ = This weight is okay.
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ÉÉÉ Weight Status = This weight has been asserted.
= Something with this weight may need attention.
= There is a problem with this weight.
Displays the color of the part, if it has been modified in the
Color assembly. "Not Set" indicates that the color attribute from
the component part file is being used.
Displays the current layer of the component. "Original"
Layer indicates that the original layers of the component file are
being used.
Shape Tells whether a part has been deformed.
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Assembly Functions
Component Properties ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
The Component Properties dialog box provides status information about the
selected component(s), as well as the ability to modify many of the component
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ÉÉÉ
properties (such as blank, layer, suppress, attributes, and the component
name).
The Component Properties dialog box may be accessed in several ways:
Select the component from the Assembly Navigator and choose

Properties from the MB3 popĆmenu.
Select the component from the graphics screen and choose Properties
from the MB3 popĆup menu.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Assembly Property Page

ÉÉÉ
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The Assembly page lists the Load Status, and has options to Blank, change the
Layering method, or open the Information window.
The component display properties, Color, Translucency, and Partial Shading

will be available for you to revert to attributes of the component part file, if
they have been overridden at the assembly level.
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Assembly Functions
Attributes Property Page ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
The Attributes page provides the Title and Value of each existing attribute, a ÉÉÉ
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button that lets you Delete the highlighted attribute, and text fields that let you ÉÉÉ
create new or edit existing attributes. When editing attributes, you can only edit
or delete part attributes if the component is the displayed part. Creating
attributes while the assembly is the displayed part will generate assembly level
object attributes.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Parameters Property Page

ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
The Parameters page shows the Component Name, Suppression options (plus
an Expression field to be used if you choose the Suppress by Expression
option), and the Part Family options Update and Information. The part family
Information option is also available from AssembliesReportsFamily Report.
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Assembly Functions
Weight Property Page ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
The Weight page shows information about the component's weight (if loaded)
and options as to when to update the Weight data (On Save or Now).
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Part File Property Page

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ÉÉÉ
The Part File page shows information about the component's part file (if
loaded) such as: Header Status, Header Description, Machine Format, File
Compression, Part File Format, Part File Type, Creation Date, and Creation
Time. If the Mating Constraints of any component have been saved they will be
listed at the bottom of this page.
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Assembly Functions
General Property Page ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
The General Property Page is another opportunity to change the Component
Name of the part. On this page the names can be indexed, specifically located,
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ÉÉÉ
or deleted. Access to the information widow is also available.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Check Clearances

ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
This provides a simple way to check the clearances for your changed
components prior to saving the changes.
This may be accessed by choosing AssembliesComponentsCheck

Clearances or the Check Clearances icon on the Assemblies toolbar.
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Assembly Functions
Activity 2 - Assemblies User Interface ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Step 1 Open the part file dau_plate_assm. Start the Modeling
application and verify that the Assemblies application is
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ÉÉÉ
on.
Step 2 Change the columns in the Assembly Navigator.
Right-click (MB3) in an open area of the Assembly

Navigator, then select ColumnsConfigure.
Click on the empty box in front of Descriptive Part Name to

activate that column.
Choose OK to finish changing the Assembly Navigator

columns.
Step 3 Rename a component object using the Component

Properties dialog box.
Make sure Select Components is ON from the

Selection toolbar.
In the graphics screen, select the top dau_mt_plate_1

components.
dau_mt_plate_1
component
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ With the cursor on the selected component, click Mouse

ÉÉÉ Button 3.
ÉÉÉ
6
ÉÉÉ On the popĆup menu, choose Properties.
Choose the Parameters tab from the Component Properties

dialog box.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Assembly Functions
Change the Component Name to PLATE_1, and Apply the

ÉÉÉ
dialog box.
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6
ÉÉÉ
Notice the component name has changed in the Assembly Navigator.
Choose Cancel.
Step 4 Check clearances for one of the plate components.
Choose AssembliesComponentsCheck Clearances.
Select the upper dau_mt_plate_1 component and OK.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ The system will identify touching interferences with the bushings and spacers.
ÉÉÉ
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6
ÉÉÉ
Select one of the interferences from the list and choose

Isolate Interference.
All components except those involved in the selected interference will be

blanked. You can also doubleĆclick on an interference to perform an isolation.
Choose Cancel.
Step 5 Close all parts without saving.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Assembly Functions
Preview Component on Add ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
With this option ON, an additional graphics window is displayed to show the
component before adding it to the assembly.
ÉÉÉ
6
ÉÉÉ
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ Activity 3 - Preview Component on Add

ÉÉÉ
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6
ÉÉÉ Step 1 Open the part file dau_plate_assm, start the Modeling
application, and ensure that the Assemblies application is
on.
Step 2 Preview a component before adding it to your assembly.
Choose PreferencesAssemblies.
If necessary, toggle Preview Component on Add to ON and

choose OK.
Choose the Add Existing Component icon from the

Assemblies toolbar.
Choose the part dau_bolt_1 from the list of components.
Choose OK.
Notice the picture of the component in the right hand

corner.
Choose Cancel.
Step 3 Close all parts without saving.
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Assembly Functions
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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6
ÉÉÉ
SUMMARY The Assembly Navigator provides a graphical display of an

assembly which allows you to quickly and easily select components and
manipulate the assembly. Searching for components, opening only components
within close proximity of a component, and checking clearances between
components prevent delays in design and manufacturing of your final product.
In this lesson you:
Activated the Assembly Navigator for an existing assembly.

Interpreted the display of the nodes in the Assembly Navigator window.
Used the popĆup and pullĆdown menu options to perform operations on
components in the assembly.
Checked clearances between components within an assembly.
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Assembly Functions
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6
ÉÉÉ
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Reference Sets
Reference Sets
Lesson 7
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
PURPOSE Reference sets allow you to limit the amount of information
brought into an assembly from component parts. When you add all of the data
that is contained in the component parts to an assembly, the assembly can
become very cluttered and difficult to manage. Reference sets will also allow
you to show alternate representations or simplified versions of the model.
Create reference sets in components.

Replace reference sets for individual components in an assembly.
Create reference sets for subassembly components.
Perform mass replacement of reference sets.
Define default reference sets in Load Options.
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Reference Sets
General Concepts Concerning Reference Sets
A reference set is a named subset" or group" of data that is defined in a

component part (a piece part or subĆassembly). Reference sets can be used at
the next level assembly to control what is brought up from the component part.
Assembly
Only the data in the
specified reference set is
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7
brought into the assembly
from the component.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Component Part
A user creates a reference

set here containing only
the solid.
A reference set may contain the following data:
Name, Origin, and Orientation (translation matrix)

Geometric Objects, Datums, Coordinate Systems, Component Objects
Attributes (nonĆgeometric information used for a parts list)
Using Reference Sets
After a reference set is defined in a component part it can be used in the

assembly. There are two primary reasons for using reference sets.
Exclude, or filter" unwanted objects in a component part so that they do

not appear in the assembly.
Represent a component part in the assembly with alternative or simpler
geometry than the complete solid body.
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Reference Sets
Excluding Unwanted Objects
A component part may contain many objects used to help define a solid body
including sketches, datums, sheets, and construction geometry. Displaying the
entire contents of all of the component parts in a large assembly can be
confusing and difficult to manage, especially when you are working in context
and reference specific objects in the components.
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
By defining a reference set in each of the component parts which contain only
the solid body, unnecessary geometry can be left out of the assembly making it
easier to manage.
This use of reference sets also works in accordance with the Master Model
concept, allowing downstream users to access different sets of data from the
master part file.
There is no limit to the number of reference sets that may be created in a single
part file and the same object may belong to multiple reference sets.
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Reference Sets
Representing Components with Simple Geometry

Another use of reference sets is to represent the components with simpler
geometry in the assembly. One reference set called BODY" could consist of
the complete solid body while another reference set called SIMPLE" could
consist of only a simplified solid or minimal wireframe geometry, (i.e. the guide
string of a tube).
BODY" Reference Sets SIMPLE" Reference Sets
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Using these SIMPLE reference sets in the assembly will let the component load
faster, use less system memory, and allow for quicker graphic updates, yet still
display selectable geometry for the component.
Default Reference Sets
By default, every component in an assembly has access to two reference set

conditions:
Entire Part" condition
Empty" condition
The Entire Part" Condition
The Entire Part condition is the default component part condition and refers to
all model geometry in a part regardless of any defined reference sets.
Displaying the Entire Part is a quick way to address all model geometry in a
component.
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Reference Sets
The Empty" Condition
The Empty" reference set is used as a place holder in an assembly when the
part geometry need not be seen.
This reference set (EMPTY) serves as a place holder

for the component (does not display).
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
This reference set (BODY)
contains the solid geometry
of the component part.
NOTE: When a component is replaced with its Empty reference

set, any associative drafting objects in the assembly will be retained
according to the Retain Annotations setting in
PreferencesDrafting. When the geometry reappears by
replacing reference sets, the drafting objects will return to their
active state.
NOTE: When an assembly is opened, a component represented by

an empty reference set will remain unloaded.
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Reference Sets
Display Techniques for Assemblies
The Simplified Assembly
A major benefit of reference sets is to represent component objects with

simpler geometry in an assembly. This technique has several advantages.
Retrieval is faster.
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7
Less system memory is used.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ

Attribute information is still available.
Dimensions to the assembly are associative.
There are different methods to simplify an assembly.
Simplified Solids
To use this technique, an associative copy of the complete solid model is created
in the component part using the Insert→Form Feature→Extract functionality
in the Modeling Application. Then, unwanted faces are removed from the
extracted body using the Insert→Feature Operation→Simplify function.
A separate reference set that contains only this simplified solid is created and
displayed in the assembly.
BODY" Reference Set SIMPLE" Reference Set
This method may be useful for manipulating complex solid models so that you
can hide their internal detail in an assembly.
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Reference Sets
Simple Curves
To use this technique, simple curves are created in the component part. These
curves could be existing sketch, generator, or guide curves that are associated to
the solid body.
An additional reference set is created that includes only these curves. The
display of the component in the assembly is controlled by replacing the
reference set.
This method may be useful for tubing, which can be represented by the guide ÉÉÉ
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7
string that was used to construct the solid.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
BODY" Reference Set CENTERLINE" Reference Set
Faceted Representations
This display technique involves the use of the functionality that is a part of the
Advanced Assembly Application. For more information on this application, you
can refer to the technical documentation under Assembly Modeling.
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Reference Sets
Right Hand and Left Hand Parts
One application of reference sets is to control the use leftĆ and rightĆhand parts
in an assembly when both configurations are in the same component part file.
This can be achieved with the following procedure.
Create a solid for either the right or left hand part.

Mirror the solid body using
Insert→Feature Operation→Instance→Mirror Body.
ÉÉÉ
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7
Create a reference set named RHĆBODY" and add the right hand solid
to it.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Create another reference set named LHĆBODY" and add the mirrored
solid to it
Specify the appropriate reference set when adding the part to the
assembly.
Specify attributes for the right and left hand reference sets to
differentiate them in the assembly, especially if generating a parts list.
NOTE: Right and left hand parts can be created in separate part
files using the Wave Geometry Linker. In this case, different
reference sets would not be required.
Tools to Automate the Creation of Reference Sets
This course will utilize a function in a default file (ug_english.def or

ug_metric.def) to automatically create a reference set which contains the
model" geometry. The reference name for this course is BODY and will be
created and saved with each part file. The variable set in the default file is:
Assemblies_ModelReferenceSet: BODY
Automating the creation of reference sets will ensure that you include the
correct data, eliminate spelling errors, and proliferate the use of standard
names. Reference Sets for Faceted Representations and light weight or
wrapped" geometry can also be automatically created by adding names to the
appropriate variables in the ug_english.def or ug_metric.def files.
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Reference Sets
Creating Reference Sets
There are three situations in which you can create a reference set:
In a component part, outside of an assembly, when the component is the

displayed part and the work part.
In a component part, when designing in context of an assembly with the
assembly being the displayed part and the component the work part.
From an assembly during creation of a new component.
ÉÉÉ

(TopĆDown). The reference set will exist in the new component.
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7
Reference Sets may be created and edited by choosing
Format→Reference Sets from the menu bar.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Create
After choosing the Create icon you will be prompted to enter a name for the
reference set and select the objects to include in the reference set.
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Reference Sets
The following rules apply to reference set names:
Must be 30 characters or less.

Must have no embedded spaces.
They are not case sensitive. The system automatically converts all names
to uppercase characters.
TIP It is recommended that you use a common name for reference sets to
ÉÉÉ
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7
make it easier to replace them in the assembly and to assist those
using the component as a master model. Using the automated
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
reference set creation function found within the default files
ug_english.def or ug_metric.def can eliminate these concerns.
Origin and Orientation
You can define a reference set coordinate system and origin in the Create
Reference Set dialog box.
If Create Ref Set, CSYS is toggled to No, the reference set will use the Absolute
orientation and origin by default.
If Create Ref Set, CSYS is toggled to Yes, you will be prompted to specify an
orientation using the coordinate system orient menu and specify an origin point
using the Point Subfunction dialog box.
The orientation and origin of the reference set will not effect the location of the
components in existing assemblies.
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Reference Sets
Reference Set Information
You can obtain information about reference sets that reside in the work part by
choosing Information→Assemblies→Reference Set from the main menu bar or
by selecting the information icon from the Format→Reference Sets dialog box.
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7
ÉÉÉ
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Information
When you request information on a reference set using the

Information→Assemblies→Reference Set method, the system will:
Highlight the members of the set in the graphics window.

Display the origin and orientation in the graphics window.
Provide a listing of relevant data in the Information window.
When you request information on a reference set by selecting the information

icon from the Format→Reference Sets dialog box, the system will:
Provide a listing of relevant data in the Information window.
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Reference Sets
Activity 1 - Taking a look at Reference Sets

This activity will work with a subĆassembly of a vise assembly.
Fixed Jaw
SubĆAssembly
ÉÉÉ
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
In this activity, you will create a reference set in each of the three piece parts of
a subĆassembly (dau_fixed_jaw_assm) which is a component of a larger
assembly (vise_assm). You will give the reference sets a common name
BODY" and add only solid bodies to them.
Step 1 Change the Load Options.
Choose FileOptionsLoad Options.
Change the Load Components option to All Components.
Step 2 Open the part dau_fixed_jaw_assm and start the

Modeling and Assemblies applications.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
Step 3 Open the Assembly Navigator, if necessary.
Choose Assembly Navigator and pin open.
Step 4 Verify the reference set in the fixed jaw.
In the Assembly Navigator, select the dau_fixed_jaw node

with MB3 and choose Make Displayed Part.
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choose Format→Reference Sets.
Notice the BODY reference set is already created but is

listed as Model ("BODY"), which identifies that it was
created automatically. We are taking advantage of a
customizable default file that allows us to give a name to the
reference set that contains only the appropriate model
geometry, in this case just the solid body.
Step 5 Verify the contents of the reference set.
Select Model ("BODY") from the dialog box and choose the
information icon.
Note the data in the Information window and Exit it.
Choose Cancel.
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Reference Sets
Step 6 Make the fixed_jaw_assm the displayed part and work

part.
In the Assembly Navigator window select the dau_fixed_jaw

node with MB3 and choose
Display Parentdau_fixed_jaw_assm.
Step 7 Verify a reference set in the context of the assembly.
ÉÉÉ
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7
In the Assembly Navigator, double-click on the
dau_jaw_plate node to make it the Work Part.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Choose Information→Assemblies→Reference Sets.
Choose the BODY reference set from the list.
Choose OK.
Note the data in the Information window and Exit it. Now
notice the highlighted geometry in the graphics window.
Notice similar information is shown using this method of interrogation, however

if you dismiss the information window the geometry that is contained in the
reference set is highlighted in the graphics window and a CSYS is displayed at
the origin.
Choose Cancel in the Choose Name dialog box.
Step 8 Do not close this part, you will use it in the next activity.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
Replacing Reference Sets

Although reference sets are created in the component parts, you actually use
them in the next level assembly. You can benefit from using reference sets by:
excluding unwanted objects from the assembly to reduce clutter.
representing components with simpler geometry to improve system
performance.
While working in context of an assembly, you may often need to change the
display of various components to show different reference sets.
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The action of changing the currently displayed reference set of components in
an assembly is termed replacing reference sets. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Replacing Reference Sets with the Assemblies pulldown
One way to replace reference sets in an assembly is by choosing

Assemblies→Components→Replace Reference Set from the main menu bar.
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Reference Sets
After selecting Assemblies→Components→Replace Reference Set, a Class

Selection dialog box will become available for component selection from the
graphics area. Once the desired component(s) has been selected a Replace
Reference Set dialog box appears.
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The system displays all of the reference sets available for the selected
component(s). You can identify the reference set to display by:
choosing a name from the list.

entering the name of the reference set.
NOTE: You can select all components listed by entering an

asterisk (*) in the name field of the Class Selection dialog box and
clicking Enter.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
Replacing Reference Sets in context of an Assembly
Another way to replace reference sets in an assembly is by choosing

Format→Reference Set from the main menu bar and then choosing Set as
Current. This option only works if your work part is set to the component of
which you would like to replace the reference set. One benefit with this dialog
box is that you can create the reference set in context of the assembly and then
immediately use the new reference set by choosing the Set as Current icon in
the same dialog box.
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Set as Current
Reference Sets on the Assembly Toolbar
The Assemblies toolbar has an option to change the reference set of a

component.
Reference Set
To change a Reference Set of a component, use the pullĆdown menu to choose

any available reference set.
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Reference Sets
Replacing Reference Sets with the Assembly

Navigator
The Mouse Button 3 popĆup menu in the Assembly Navigator is a convenient

way to replace reference sets for individual components.
When you select the Replace Reference Set option on a component node in the
Assembly Navigator, a menu of existing reference sets in that component
appears with the one currently displayed in the assembly grayed out.
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choosing a reference set from the list changes the display of that component as
it appears in the assembly.
NOTE: Although you perform this action on a component node in

the Assembly Navigator, you are actually changing the reference set
name that is stored with the component object in its parent
assembly.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
Activity 2 - Replacing Reference Sets in an Assembly

In this activity you will replace the reference sets displayed in the fixed jaw
assembly.
Step 1 Make the fixed_jaw_assm the work part.

In the Assembly Navigator, double-click on the
fixed_jaw_assm node to make it the Work Part.
Step 2 List the components in the fixed jaw assembly.

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7
Choose Assemblies→Reports→List Components.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
NOTE: The term None appears in the Ref Set Name column for
each component. This is a default condition that actually means the
entire part is being referenced (no reference set).
Even though there are reference sets named BODY in each of the three
components of the fixed jaw assembly, you have not yet told the assembly to
display them.
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Reference Sets
Choose File→Exit in the Information window.
Step 3 Replace the reference set for the fixed jaw.
Choose Assemblies→Components→Replace Reference Set.
Select DAU_FIXED_JAW from the graphics area and OK.
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7
Fixed
Jaw
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choose BODY as the new displayed reference set and OK.
The system updates the display of the fixed jaw so that you only see the solid.
The other components will still be displayed in their entirety.
Step 4 Replace the reference set for the jaw_plate while working
in context of the assembly.
In the Assembly Navigator window, select the dau_jaw_plate

node with MB3 and choose Make Work Part from the
popĆup menu.
Choose Format→Reference Sets.
Select Model ("BODY") from the list then choose the Set as
Current icon.
Choose Close
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
In the Assembly Navigator, doubleĆclick on the

dau_fixed_jaw_assm to make it the work part.
Step 5 Replace the reference set for the dau_plate_screws using

the Assembly Navigator and the Assemblies Toolbar.
In the Assembly Navigator window, select the

dau_plate_screw node with MB3 and choose Replace
Reference Set→BODY from the popĆup menu.
TIP
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7
ÉÉÉ
You can easily replace the reference set for multiple occurrences of a
component on the same level of an assembly by packing the nodes
first. ÉÉÉ
Select the second dau_plate_screw node in the assembly
navigator with MB1.
In the assemblies toolbar, select the down arrow in the

reference set area and choose BODY.
All components are displaying their BODY" reference sets so only the solid
bodies are displayed.
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Reference Sets
Step 6 Verify that the reference sets were replaced.
Choose Assemblies→Reports→List Components. The

reference set column now lists BODY for all of the
components.
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
SubĆAssembly Reference Sets
Just as you can create reference sets in piece parts to include or exclude
geometric objects in an assembly, you can create reference sets in
subĆassemblies to include or exclude component objects in the next level
assembly.
You are already familiar with using layer categories to organize part files,
typically creating designĆdriven categories for each layer so that you can make
ÉÉÉ
all" invisible, then turn specific layers on, such as upperĆcavity" or
driveĆtrain".
ÉÉÉ
7
You can use this same idea using reference sets to organize various ways to ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
display your assembly. Use reference sets as assembly management tools, much
like layers are used as part management tools.
Example: The total assembly of a car has

subĆassemblies relating to specific areas of the
automobile:
engine
drive train
electrical, etc.
The engine block component has its model
geometry added to an engine reference set.
Now if, when viewing the entire car assembly, you

want to look at only the engine, you can:
replace all components with their empty

reference sets (model display will be empty).
replace the empty reference sets with the
engine reference sets.
Components that have data in the engine reference
set will appear. Components that do not have that set
will keep their last used reference set (empty). The
result is that your assembly will show all of the
components in the engine area.
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Reference Sets
Activity 3 - Mass Replacement of Reference Sets

In this activity, you will work with a vise assembly and create a custom reference
set. It will be named fastener on both the piece part and subassembly levels.
Then you will perform mass replacements of the different reference sets
throughout the assembly. You will see the display of the assembly change as
different reference sets are employed.
All Components using Entire Part reference set
ÉÉÉ
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
All Components using Body reference set
Only Fastener reference sets displayed
To do this, the body reference sets for solid bodies in the assembly have been
created automatically by the system because of a default definition file setting.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
Second, you will create a fastener reference set in the three fastener parts,
adding the solid body to it.
dau_plate_screws
dau_shaft_nuts
dau_screw_nuts
Third, you will create a fastener and body reference set in the four
subĆassemblies and add only those components that have their own fastener and
body reference sets.
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7

dau_fixed_jaw_assm
dau_guide_assm
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
dau_moving_jaw_assm
dau_handle_assm
Step 1 Open the part dau_vise_assm and start the Modeling and
Assemblies applications.
In steps 2 through 10, you will create the different reference sets for the
assembly. Keep in mind that, ordinarily, the reference sets would be created at
the time the part was modeled.
Step 2 Create reference sets for the shaft nut.
Choose Assembly Navigator and pin it open.
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Reference Sets
Place the cursor over one of the headers in the Assembly

Navigator and with MB3 choose Expand All
Place the cursor over

a header
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select the dau_shaft_nut node and with MB3 choose

Make Displayed Part.
Create a Reference Set named fastener and add the solid

body.
Choose Close.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
In the Assembly Navigator with MB3, select the node and

choose Display Parentdau_vise_assm.
NOTE: Since the reference sets are created in the component

part, all occurrences of the components will be able to use them.
Step 3 Create reference sets for the plate screw.

Make dau_plate_screw the Displayed Part.

body to it. ÉÉÉ
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7
In the Assembly Navigator with MB3, select the node and ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 4 Create reference sets for the screw nut.

Make the dau_screw_nut the Displayed Part.

body to it.
In the Assembly Navigator with MB3, select the node and

Step 5 Create reference sets in dau_fixed_jaw_assm.

Make dau_fixed_jaw_assm the Displayed Part and Work
Part.
In the Assembly Navigator select both dau_plate_screws and

with MB3 choose Replace Reference SetFASTENER.
Create a Reference Set named fastener, selecting both

plate_screws from the Assembly Navigator and choose OK.
In order for the reference set FASTENER, to display the desired objects, the
correct objects must be added to it. If the dau_plate_screw nodes had been
selected while their reference sets were set to Entire Part, then all of the
plate_screw's objects would be displayed in the subassembly's FASTENER
reference set. That is why both dau_plate_screw reference sets were changed to
FASTENER, and then added.
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Reference Sets
Select all the nodes in the Assembly Navigator and with MB3
choose Replace Reference SetBODY.
Create a Reference Set named body, selecting all the

component nodes in the Assembly Navigator and choose
OK.
Notice that the body reference set appears as Model ("BODY") in the list. This
is because the name body matches the default assigned name by the system. The
system recognizes this and appropriately assigns the model" reference set
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7
attribute.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Step 6 Create reference sets in the dau_guide_assm.
Make dau_guide_assm the Displayed Part and Work Part.
In the Assembly Navigator, select both dau_shaft_nuts and

with MB3 choose Replace Reference SetFASTENER.
Create a Reference Set named fastener, select both

dau_shaft_nuts from the Assembly Navigator and choose
OK.
choose Replace Reference SetBODY.

component nodes in the Assembly Navigator.
Step 7 Create a reference set in dau_handle_assm.
Make dau_handle_assm the Displayed Part and Work Part.
choose
Replace Reference SetBODY.

component nodes in the Assembly Navigator.
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Reference Sets
Step 8 Create a reference set in dau_moving_jaw_assm.
Make dau_moving_jaw_assm the Displayed Part and Work

Part.
In the Assembly Navigator, select both dau_plate_screws and

the dau_screw_nut, with MB3
choose Replace Reference SetFASTENER.
Create a Reference Set named fastener, selecting the

screw_nut and both plate_screws from the Assembly
Navigator. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
7
Select all the nodes in the Assembly Navigator and with MB3 ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ

choose
Create a Reference Set named body, selecting all the nodes in

the Assembly Navigator.
Step 9 Make dau_vise_assm the Displayed Part and Work Part.
Step 10 Display the main assembly using the Entire Part

reference sets.
In the Assembly Navigator, place the cursor on

dau_vise_assm and with MB3 choose Select Assembly.
On any node with MB3 choose

Replace Reference SetEntire Part.
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Reference Sets
Accept the Information window by choosing OK.
Step 11 Display the main assembly using the BODY reference

sets.
With all of the nodes selected, click MB3 on different nodes,

choose
Replace Reference Set.
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7
Notice the Reference Sets available between different assemblies and
components. (Not all nodes have FASTENER Reference Sets.)
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ With MB3 on any node, choose
Accept the Information window by choosing OK.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reference Sets
Step 12 Display the main assembly using the FASTENER

reference sets.
In the Assembly Navigator, select all of the nodes.
On any fastener node with MB3, choose

Replace Reference SetFASTENER.
An information window pops up informing you that some of the component

parts do not have a FASTENER reference set.
Choose OK.
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ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Step 13 Close all parts; do not save.
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Reference Sets
Editing Reference Sets
There are options to delete, rename and change the contents of existing
reference sets available in the Reference Sets dialog box.
(Format→Reference Sets)
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Add Objects
Remove Objects
Delete Rename
Delete Allows you to delete the highlighted reference set.
Rename Allows you to rename the highlighted reference set.
Add Objects Allows you to add objects to the highlighted reference set.
Allows you to remove objects from the highlighted
Remove Objects
reference set.
TIP Use InformationAssembliesReference Set to visually verify the contents

of a reference set as well as receive an information window displaying
contents.
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Reference Sets
Deleting Reference Sets
The process of deleting a reference set does not delete any geometry. It merely
eliminates the list" of information associated with the geometry.
If the reference set you are deleting is being used in a loaded assembly, the
confirmation message will tell you that it is in use.
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
NOTE: If you delete a reference set that is used in an assembly, when
you open or return to the assembly, it will show the entire part (default
condition).
Renaming Reference Sets
Renaming a reference set allows you to change its name without having to
delete and recreate the set.
NOTE: If you rename a reference set that is used in a loaded

assembly, the system will automatically change the name stored with the
component object in the assembly. If the assembly is not loaded when the
reference set is renamed, when you open the assembly, it will show the
entire part (default condition).
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Reference Sets
Load Options and Reference Sets

It is possible to replace reference sets as you open an assembly. This is useful if
you are working with a large assembly and do not know what reference sets
were displayed when it was was last saved.
You can define the reference sets to be loaded in the Load Options dialog box.
Choosing Default Reference Sets expands the Load Options dialog box to
include additional options.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Reference
Set List
Enter reference
set name
Replace reference sets

in all components in Removes
assembly tree selected name
from list
Adds entered
name to list
Moves selected
Moves selected reference set
reference set up down in the list
in the list
When an assembly is opened, the system will try to load the first reference set
in the list from each component. If a component does not contain this reference
set, the system will try to load the next reference set in the list. The system will
continue to look down the list until it finds a reference set that can be loaded.
The Move Up and Move Down buttons are used to reorder the list and change
the hierarchy of the reference sets.
NOTE: As Saved, Entire Part, and Empty are default entries

in the list. They can be moved up or down but cannot be removed
from the list.
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Reference Sets
Activity 4 - Load Options and Reference Sets

In this activity you will specify which reference sets to load by using the Load
Options dialog box, before opening an assembly.
Step 1 Change the Default Reference Sets in the Load Options.

Choose File→Options→Load Options.
Choose the Default Reference Sets button.
Enter plastic in the New Reference Set entry field and

choose Add.
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7
Select Empty from the reference list and choose the
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Move Up button so that it is positioned below Plastic.
When the system cannot find the Plastic reference set it will
look for the next reference set in the list.
Choose OK to accept the settings.
Step 2 Open the dau_hole_punch_assm assembly part located in

your parts directory.
All of the components that have a PLASTIC reference set were loaded.
Step 3 Change the hole punch assembly back to the BODY"

condition.
In the Assembly Navigator window, select the
dau_hole_punch_assm node with Mouse Button 3 and
choose Select Assembly from the popĆup menu.
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Reference Sets
In the Assembly Navigator window, select any of the nodes

under dau_hole_punch_assm with Mouse Button 3 and
choose Replace Reference Set→BODY from the popĆup
menu.
Choose OK to dismiss the message window that appears.
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ The message simply states that a reference set cannot be set for the displayed
assembly.
Step 4 Remove PLASTIC from the Default Reference Sets in the

Load Options.
Choose Default Reference Sets in the Load Options dialog

box.
Select the PLASTIC Reference Set from the list.
Choose the Remove button.
Select Empty from the reference list and choose the

Move Down button so that it is positioned at the bottom of
the list.
Choose OK.
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Reference Sets
SUMMARY Reference sets are used to limit the amount of information

brought into an assembly or sub-assembly. They allow you to create different
ÉÉÉ
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7
displays of the same assembly or component to simplify the assembly or provide
alternate configurations. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
In this lesson you:
Created reference sets.

Replaced reference sets.
Created reference sets in subassemblies.
Replaced reference sets throughout the entire assembly structure.
Defined what reference sets were to be loaded using Load Options.
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Reference Sets
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7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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TopĆDown Assembly Modeling

Lesson 8
PURPOSE One method of assembly modeling is to build the component

part files in context of the assembly, in other words, build parts around other
parts.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Create a new component using the TopĆDown method. 8
Design a component in context. ÉÉÉ
Build associativity across parts in the assembly using the Geometry
Linker.
Edit Linked Geometry.
Edit the Timestamp for a link.
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General Concepts
TopĆDown assembly modeling is the process in which you create a new

component part while working in context of the assembly. Since the definition
of a component part is dictated by its function within the assembly, you first
create the geometry in the assembly. Then, when you want to work with this
geometry as a component, you push the geometry into its own part file leaving
only a pointer (the component object) in the assembly.
Design in Context is the process in which you define geometry in one part to
reference geometry in some other part. It is accomplished while the
uncompleted component is the work part and is displayed in the context of the
assembly. This process can be applied when a hole in one component part
needs to be positioned to some feature in another component part.
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8
ÉÉÉ
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Top Down Design
In top down design, components are created and edited in context of the
assembly. The new components are created while the assembly is both the
displayed part and the work part.
There are two basic methods to create a component topĆdown.
Method One
Create geometry in the assembly (sketch, curves, solid, etc.)
assembly
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ

comp. obj. 1 comp. obj. 2
Create a new component and add the geometry to it.

ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
assembly
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Method Two
Create an empty" component object first.
assembly
comp. obj. 1 comp. obj. 2 comp. obj. 3
Make the empty" component the Work Part.
assembly
Work Part comp. obj. 2 comp. obj. 3
ÉÉÉ Create the geometry in the component part.

ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ assembly
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Creating a New Component
A new component is created by choosing the Create New option from the
Assemblies→Components pulldown in the main menu bar while the assembly is
the work part. This function may also be started by choosing the Create New
Component icon from the Assemblies toolbar.
ÉÉÉ
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8
ÉÉÉ
The Class Selection dialog box will be available to allow you to select geometry
to add to the new component part (Method One). If no geometry has been
created you can immediately choose OK (Method Two).
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After a part file name is designated for the new component, you can specify
information in the Create New Component dialog box.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Component name: The name of the component object. The default name for
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
the component is the name of the part file.
Ref. Set name: The name of a reference set to be created with the new
component. If none is specified, no reference set is created.
NOTE: All geometry selected will be added to the reference set.
Layer options: This defines what layer any added geometry will be placed. The
choices are Work, Original or As Specified.
Component Origin - Determines the origin and orientation of the component

part.
If Copy Defining Objects is toggled OFF, selected geometry that depends on

defining objects that were not selected will be left out of the new component. If
this option is toggled ON, all selected geometry and defining objects are copied
to the new component.
Delete Originals - Determines the fate of the original data in the assembly file
if geometry is selected.
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Verifying the Creation of a New Component
Since the graphics display does not necessarily change, it may not be obvious
that a new component was created. There are a few ways to verify the creation
of a new component.
Activate the Assembly Navigator and look for the new component node.
Select the node with Mouse Button 1 to highlight the geometry that
belongs to it.
List components using Assemblies→Reports→List Components and look
for the new component in the list.
Change the work part to the new component using Assemblies→Context
Control→Set Work Part.
Read the Status line.
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ÉÉÉ
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Activity 1 - TopĆDown Assembly Modeling

In this activity, you will create a new component for a locator in the context of
the assembly.
Step 1 Open dau_fixture_assm and start the Modeling and

Assemblies applications.
Step 2 Create the geometry in the assembly.
Choose Block.
Use the Origin, Edge Lengths option to create a block of the

following size and define the origin of the block at the top
left corner of the baseplate as shown. (Hint: select one of the
line endpoints at the corner.)
ÉÉÉ X Length = 2
ÉÉÉ Y Length = 2
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8
ÉÉÉ
Z Length = 1
Origin
ZC
YC
XC
Step 3 Create a new component for the block.
Choose Create New.
Select the block you just created and then choose OK.
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In your directory enter ***_locator for the file name of the

new component and choose OK.
In the Create New Component dialog box, make sure Delete

Originals is toggled ON and choose OK.
NOTE: Because Delete Originals was turned on, the geometry

was copied to the new component and then deleted from the
assembly.
Step 4 Verify that the new component was created.
Choose Assembly Navigator.
With MB1 select the ***_locator node; notice the locator

block highlights.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 5 Close all parts; do not save. ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
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Considerations of Selecting Data During Component

Creation
Adding data to a new component can be thought of in terms of moving or

copying the data into the new part. If Delete Original is turned ON, it is moved;
otherwise it is copied.
All geometry, whether moved or copied, will have the same color, layer
and blankĆstatus as the original. The occurrences of that geometry created
in the assembly will look" identical to the originals.
If you attempt to move" an object, and some other object which you are
not moving depends on that object, then the selected object will in fact be
copied".
Example: If you select a sketch (which has been extruded) to be moved to a

component, but you do not select the associated extruded body, the sketch will
be copied.
ÉÉÉ If you select a line (which is part of a sketch) to be moved to the component,
ÉÉÉ but you do not select the sketch, the line will be copied.
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ If you copy only a sketch and the sketch has a swept solid associated with
it, the copied sketch will not be associated to the solid. If the sketch is
attached to a face, the body it is attached to will be copied.
If you move a solid that was created from a sketch, the sketch is copied.
Any expressions that the sketch uses are copied into the new part. Any
expressions that are not required by the sketch are not copied. Any sketch
dimensions associated with the sketch are copied.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Designing in Context of an Assembly

Designing in Context is the process by which you define geometry in one part by
referencing geometry in another part.
When designing in the context of an assembly, the component part in which you
are adding the geometry must be the work part and the assembly must be the
displayed part. Creation or editing of geometry will take place in the work part,
yet geometry in other components will be selectable.
It is important to remember that when a component is added to an assembly,
the geometry is not being copied into the assembly but rather it is being
referenced by the assembly. Changes made to the component part will
immediately be reflected in the assembly. If multiple occurrences of the same
component exist in an assembly, they will all update because they are
referencing the same component part.
Selecting Geometry Outside the Work Part

When working in the context of an assembly many functions allow you to select
geometry from components other than the work part. This is useful when
specifying a location with the Point Subfunction dialog box or checking a
ÉÉÉ
clearance using Information→Object or Analysis→Distance.
ÉÉÉ
In the example below, a block is created in the current work part by defining ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
diagonal points relative to geometry in nonĆwork parts, eliminating the need to
calculate and enter numerical values for the edge lengths.
Diagonal Point 1
End point Block is created in Work Part
Diagonal Point 2
Mid point
NOTE: The size and position of the block in the example above
are not associative. Associativity between components can be
attained through the use of the Wave Geometry Linker, Interpart
Expressions, and Mating Conditions, which are covered later in the
course.
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Sketching in Context
Sketching in context is the ability to create and edit sketches in a component

part while the assembly is displayed. While sketching in context, you can
reference geometry within other component parts of the current assembly.
Work Part
When working with sketches in context of an assembly:

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Existing objects belonging to the sketch can be selected in any occurrence
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
of the work part.
If the Work Part is changed while working on a sketch, the active sketch
will be updated and you will be presented with the Sketch Tools dialog
box for the new Work Part.
Introduction to Interpart Modeling
The Wave Geometry Linker provides a means to associatively link geometry

from another component part in an assembly into the Work Part. The linked
geometry is associative to the parent geometry so modifying the parent
geometry will cause the linked geometry in other parts to update.
Different types of objects can be selected including points, curves, sketches,

datums, faces, and bodies. The linked geometry can be used for creating and
positioning new features in the Work Part.
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This function is accessed by choosing Assemblies→Wave Geometry Linker, or by
choosing the icon on the assemblies toolbar.
Type of Geometry
to Link
Options particular to
geometry type
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ÉÉÉ
The At Timestamp toggle lets you specify where the linked feature is placed in
the feature list. When turned off, any new features later added to the original
geometry will be reflected in the linked geometry. When turned on, any new
features will not affect the linked geometry.
Blank Original lets you blank the original geometry so that the linked geometry
in the Work Part will be easier to select while the assembly is displayed.
Create NonĆAssociative allows you to create a link of the original geometry so

that the linked geometry in the Work Part is nonĆassociative. The linked
geometry is automatically created as a Broken Link.
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NOTE: The Wave Geometry Linker is not turned ON by default.

To enable it, you must change the statement
Assemblies_AllowInterPart: no to yes in the ug_english.def or
ug_metric.def files.
Geometry Types
Several different types of geometry can be selected.
Points
Curves
Sketches/Strings
Datums
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Faces
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8
ÉÉÉ Regions (of Faces)
Bodies
Mirrored Bodies
Routing Objects
When selecting the geometry to copy, you also need to consider how permanent
the geometry will be. If you copy as little geometry as possible to do the job,
performance will be improved but updates will be less robust when the parent
geometry is altered.
For example, if you copy individual curves to another part, the link may not
update correctly if one of the curves is deleted. On the other hand, if you copy
an entire sketch, curves may be removed or added to it and the link will still
update.
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Considerations when Interpart Modeling
Before using the WAVE Geometry Linker, the user should evaluate the
downstream impacts.
Do not use the WAVE Geometry Linker just because you can. This is a very
powerful tool that adds another level of complication to the assembly.
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ÉÉÉ
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Activity 2 - Designing in Context of an Assembly

In this activity, you will add a workpiece to the fixture assembly and then edit
the locator in context to complete the design.
Design Intent: The purpose of the locators is to hold a workpiece in place

during a drilling operation. Material must be removed from the locators so that
they conform to the size of the work piece and do not extend out over the
opening in the baseplate. Holes must be added to the locators so that they can
be attached to the baseplate.
work piece
locator
baseplate
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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8
ÉÉÉ
First you will modify the locator so that it does not extend out over the opening
in the baseplate. You will reference a sketch in the baseplate to subtract the
necessary material from the locator.
Step 1 Open dau_fixture_assm2. Start the Modeling application

and verify the Assemblies application is ON.
Step 2 Create a linked sketch.
Change the Work Part to dau_locator.
Change the Work Layer to 15 and make layer 21 selectable.

Layer 15 will be the layer where the linked geometry resides.
Choose Wave Geometry Linker.
Choose Sketch/String.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Select the sketch used to create the opening on the top of

the baseplate (the sketch will be hidden by the solid edges).
Sketch
Choose OK.
Step 3 Extrude the linked sketch and subtract it from the

locator.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select the sketch as the Section String and OK to accept. ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
Make sure the direction reference vector is pointing upward.

If so, choose OK; if not, choose Cycle Vector Direction. Then
choose OK.
Select the top face of the locator as the trimming face and
choose OK.
Trimming Face
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Set the default offsets and taper to 0 (zero) and choose OK.
Choose Subtract to remove material from the block.
Choose Cancel.
Next, you will add a workpiece component and use its solid to subtract material
from the locator.
Step 4 Add the work piece component.
Change the Work Part to dau_fixture_assm2.

ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ Choose Add Existing.
Choose the Choose Part File button from the Select Part
dialog box.
Choose the part dau_work_piece from the parts directory.
In the Add Existing Part dialog box, change:

Reference Set to BODY
Positioning to Absolute
Layer options to Original
and choose OK.
Define the origin at XC=0, YC=0, ZC=0.5 and choose OK.
Choose Cancel.
Step 5 Create a linked body of the work piece.
Change the Work Part to dau_locator.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Change the Work Layer to 16. Layer 16 will be the layer

where the linked geometry resides.
Choose Body.
Toggle Blank Original to ON so that the linked geometry will

be easier to see.
Select the dau_work_piece solid body and choose OK.
Step 6 Subtract the linked solid from the locator.
Choose Insert→Feature Operation→Subtract.

ÉÉÉ
Select the dau_locator block as the target solid. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ

8
Select the dau_work piece as the tool solid and OK to accept. ÉÉÉ
Step 7 Add a relief hole.
Choose Hole.
Enter a Diameter of 0.2 .
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Select the top face as the planar placement face at the

approximate position shown and select the floor of the
pocket as the Thru Face.
Hole Position
Thru Face
Choose OK.
Choose the Point onto Point icon to position the hole.
Select the endpoint shown as the target
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Edge End
point
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
Next, you will create holes in the locator that are associated with the holes in
the baseplate.
Step 8 Create linked geometry for the holes to be aligned with

the baseplate.
Choose Point.
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Change the Point Type to Arc/Ellipse/Sphere Center and

select the upper edge of the hole in the baseplate shown.
Arc Center
Choose the Curve icon and select the upper edge of

the other hole in the baseplate shown.
Curve
ÉÉÉ
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8
ÉÉÉ
Choose OK.
Step 9 Extrude the linked curve.
Select the curve you just created as the section string and OK
to accept.
Make sure the direction vector is pointing upward and

accept it.
Select the top face of the locator as the trimming face and
choose OK.
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Choose OK to accept default offsets and taper of 0 (zero).
Choose Subtract.
Step 10 Create a counterbore hole.
Choose Hole.
Choose Counterbore for the hole type.
Enter a CĆBore Diameter of 0.3, a CĆBore Depth of .25, and a

Hole Diameter of 0.2.
Select the top face of the locator for the planar placement
face.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Select the bottom face of the locator for the Thru Face.
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ Choose OK.
Choose Point onto Point to position the hole.
Select the linked point you created as the target.
Make layer 1 the Work Layer and all others invisible.
Choose Edit→Blank→Unblank All of Part to display the

original work piece solid.
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Step 11 Add another dau_locator.
Make dau_fixture_assm2 the work part.
Replace the Entire Part reference set of the Locator with the
BODY reference set.
Choose Add Existing.
Select the dau_locator and choose OK.
Ensure the following settings:
Multiple Add = No
Reference Set = BODY
Positioning = Reposition
Layer options = Original
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choose OK.
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
Select the origin point as shown below.
Select origin here
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Click MB1 on the WCS handle shown below. You will use
this handle to rotate the component.
Note: Components
removed for clarity.
Click MB1 on this handle
Enter 180 for the Angle.
Choose Apply.
Choose the Point onto Point icon.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Select the first and second points as shown below.
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
Select first point
here
Select second
point here
Choose OK.
Choose Cancel.
In the next few steps you will make changes to the baseplate and workpiece to
demonstrate the associativity of the linked geometry in the locator.
Step 12 Edit the sketch for the pocket in the baseplate.
Change the Work Part to dau_baseplate.
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Choose Sketch.
Select the S21_POCKET sketch in the Sketch Toolbar List

Box to activate it.
Choose Dimensions.
From the Dimensions dialog, select the expression offset=1

and change its value to 1.5. Press the Enter key to update the
sketch.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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8
ÉÉÉ
The offset expression controls the distance the sketch curves are from the edges
of the block.
Choose OK.
Choose Finish.
Step 13 Edit the positioning dimension of a hole in the baseplate.

Choose Edit→Feature→Positioning.
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Choose the feature BLIND_HOLE_PATTERN from the list

and OK.
Choose Edit Dimension Value.
Select the positioning dimension p29=1.625 and change the

expression value to 1.25.
Choose OK until the model updates.
When the position of the hole was changed, the linked point and the
counterbore hole in the locator moved with it.
Step 14 Edit the width of the workpiece.
Change the Work Part to dau_work_piece.
ÉÉÉ Choose Tools→Expression.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
Choose the expression width=5.
Change the value to 4.75.
Choose OK to update the model.
Step 15 Change the Work Part to dau_fixture_assm2.
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Localized Interpart Modeling
Localized interpart modeling is the ability to relate the geometry of interacting

parts in an assembly. This has two distinct advantages in assembly modeling:
Reduces the cost of design changes.

Maintains design integrity.
This reduces cost since changes made to a single part can be automatically
propagated to other related component parts in the assembly. Design integrity
is maintained because the parts will always have correct geometric and
positional relationships.
A simple example would be creating a gasket which is derived from a parent

face in a housing. If the size or shape of the parent face changes in the housing,
the gasket will change accordingly.
Example:
1 To create this object 3 ÉÉÉ
in Part B... then, whenever Part
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
8
A is changed...
Part B
ÉÉÉ
2 ...from
link the face
Part A into
Part B and extrude 4
it to form the ... Part B will change
feature in correspondingly
Part B Assembly
Part A
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Interpart Modeling Applications
Interpart modeling can be applied to different areas including tooling and

manufacturing engineering.
Part in process modeling

Mold/Die Core/Cavity design
Weldments
Part in Process Modeling
Part in process modeling allows you to validate and illustrate a manufacturing

process plan.
An example would be a cast part which is used to derive a machined part. A

linked solid is created in the machining part from the casting. Then, features
ÉÉÉ unique to the machining are added to it.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ casting part machining part
Linked body created

from the casting into
the machining file.
Linked body is
edited and refined
Your processes may require you to design the finished machined part first and
subsequently define the cast part. This can be accomplished with a similar
procedure. Instead of removing material with holes, grooves, and chamfers,
etc., you would add material using offset and simplify features.
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Mold/Die Applications
Interpart modeling can be applied to create an associative mold or die from a

finished piece part. As in the case of inĆprocess parts, a solid body can be linked
from one part into another where features can be applied to define the cavity in
the mold or die.
Linked geometry from the design model

and blank are used to create a cavity.
design
model
mold/die
blank mold/die
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
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Weldments
Weldments may be created by modeling the individual members in separate

part files, adding the members as components to an assembly, creating linked
bodies in the assembly, and uniting them.
The linked bodies that make up the weldment are associative to the parent
geometry in the component parts.
Linked solid bodies are

created in the assembly assembly
and united.
bracket latch
ÉÉÉ You can use Load Options to load the weldment solid (which resides in the
ÉÉÉ assembly) without loading the parent geometry in the component parts.
ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
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Activity 3 - In Process Parts

In this activity, you will apply interpart modeling to derive a machined part
from an existing cast part.
Step 1 Using the seedpart, dau_seedpart_in, create a new part

called ***_process_housing and start the Modeling
Step 2 Add the casting part as a component.
Choose Choose Part File.
Select the part dau_cast_housing from your parts directory.
Set Reference Set to Body, Positioning to Absolute, Layer

ÉÉÉ
options to Original, and position at WCS 0,0,0.
ÉÉÉ
Choose Cancel. ÉÉÉ
8
ÉÉÉ
Step 3 Create a component part for the machining.
Choose Create New.
Choose OK in the Class Selection dialog box (because you

are not adding any objects).
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Enter ***_machined_housing in your directory and choose

OK.
Accept the default component settings.
Step 4 Create a linked body in the machined part.
Change the Work Layer to 16.
Change the Work Part to ***_machined_housing.
Choose Body.
ÉÉÉ Toggle Blank Original to ON, if necessary.

ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
Select the casting solid body and choose OK.
NOTE: The following step assumes you are proficient in

featureĆbased modeling. You may add only one or two of the
features, if desired, and continue to the next step. The purpose of
the activity is to illustrate the basic procedure for defining
inĆprocess parts.
Step 5 Add features to define the machining solid.
1.126" Thru Hole
Groove
4 x .312" Thru
Holes
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Create a Rectangular Groove with a diameter of 1.625 inches

and a width of 2.5. Align the top of the groove with the
uppermost circular edge of the part.
Tool edge
Select the smaller of
the two diameters
located here as the
target edge.
Create a Simple Thru Hole with a diameter of 1.126 inches

in center of part.
Create a Simple Thru Hole with a diameter of .312 inches

dia and position it .5 inches in both directions in one corner
of the part (choose the bottom edges).
Create an Instance Array of the .312 inch hole with 2 holes ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ

and a 3 inch offset in both the XC and YC directions.
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The features were added to the linked body in the machining part which is still
associated with the solid body in the casting.
Step 6 Edit the cast part.
Choose Edit→Blank→Unblank All of Part to see the original

cast solid body.
Change the work part to dau_cast_housing.
Edit the boss feature, changing the diameter to 1.75 and the
height to 2.75.
Note the change to the machined" solid.
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Activity 4 - Wave Geometry Linker - Mirror Body

In this activity you will create the last component for this assembly using the
Wave Geometry Linker - Mirror Body function.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Step 1 Establish the assembly part file.
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ÉÉÉ Open the part file dau_wave_assm, start the Modeling
application, and verify the Assemblies application is ON.
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Step 2 Create a new part file for the next component in your
assembly.
Choose Create New.
Choose OK in the Class Selection dialog box.
Enter ***_left_side for the part name.
Inside the Create New Component dialog box, set the

following:
Component Name: left_side

Ref. Set name: (leave blank)
Layer options: Original
Component Origin: Absolute
Choose OK.
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Step 3 Create the left side part by using the Wave Geometry ÉÉÉ
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Linker mirror function.
Make ***_left_side the work part.
Change the work layer to 20.
Choose Mirror Body.
From the graphics screen, select the dau_inter_right_side as

the part to mirror.
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Confirm your selection if necessary, then choose OK.
Select the center datum

plane as the mirror plane
Select this part

to mirror
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Mirrored
Body
Select the Center Datum Plane of dau_inter_body as the

plane through which you will mirror the part, then choose
OK.
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Step 4 Make dau_inter_body the work part.
Step 5 Modify the part per the illustration below.
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Step 6 Make dau_wave_assm the work part.
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Editing Links
Links may be edited by choosing Edit→Feature→Parameters and selecting a
linked feature. Linked features have an edit dialog box similar to the one below.
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While this dialog box is displayed, the cursor is active in the graphics area so
that new parent geometry can be selected for the link being edited. The new
parent geometry must be the same type as the old geometry (curve, datum, solid
body, etc.).
Parent indicates the parent geometry type. If the feature was linked, but the
link has been broken, the parent is shown as Broken Link.
Part shows the name of the part where the parent geometry is located.
At Timestamp lets you specify the timestamp at which the linked feature is
placed. If this option is toggled ON one of the parent part features may be
selected from the list to specify a new timestamp location for the linked feature
being edited. If this option is toggled OFF, all features in the parent part will be
reflected in the linked feature.
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Break Link lets you break the association between the linked feature and its
parent. This means that the linked feature will no longer update if its parent
changes. You can later define a new parent by selecting geometry with the
cursor.
Broken Links
A link may become broken for several reasons:
The parent geometry is deleted.

The path from the linked geometry to its parent part is broken. This can
occur if the component containing the parent geometry is removed or
substituted.
If you deliberately break the link using Edit Feature dialog box.
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Broken links can be repaired with the Edit Link dialog box.
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Deleting Parent Geometry
To prevent unintentional deletion of the parents of linked geometry, a message

will warn you if a delete operation would cause interpart links to break. This
applies to operations using Edit→Feature→Delete, Edit→Delete, and Model
Navigation Tool→Delete while the parts containing the linked geometry are
loaded.
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The Information option provides details about the links that will be broken in
an Information window.
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Activity 5 - Editing a Link

In this activity, you will create and edit a linked curve used to create a pin by
associating it with a different edge.
Step 1 Open the part dau_wave_block_assm, start the Modeling

application, and verify the Assemblies application is ON.
ÉÉÉ
Step 2 Create a new empty component for a pin.
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Choose Create New.
Enter a part name ***_pin where *** are your initials.
Use the following settings in the Create New Component

dialog box.

Choose OK to create the component.
If necessary, cancel the Class Selection dialog box.
Step 3 Link a curve from the block into the pin component.
Change the work part to ***_pin and the work layer to 15.
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Choose Curve.
Select the top edge of the hole in the block shown below.
Select the top

edge of the hole
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ÉÉÉ Choose OK to create the linked geometry.
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ÉÉÉ Step 4 Create a solid for the pin.
Extrude the linked curve downward (-ZC) using the

Direction & Distance method and an End Distance of 1.5.
Choose Cancel, if necessary.
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Step 5 Edit the parent geometry.
Change the work part to dau_wave_block.
Make sure Delay Interpart Updates is toggled OFF

(Assemblies→Delay Interpart Updates no check mark).
Change the Diameter of the hole SIMPLE_HOLE(2) to

.375.
NOTE: The hole will move slightly after editing because the hole ÉÉÉ
is positioned from the edge by twice the diameter.
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Step 6 Edit the linked curve in the pin.
Change the work part to ***_pin.
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Select the feature LINKED_CURVE(0) from the feature list

and choose OK.
ÉÉÉ Select the top edge of the larger hole with the cursor in the
ÉÉÉ graphics area. This edge will be the new parent of the linked
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feature.
Select the top edge

of this hole as the
new parent
Choose OK twice to update the part.
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The pin updates to the size and location determined by the new parent edge.
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Activity 6 - Editing the Time stamp of a Link

In this activity, you will create a linked mirrored body and then edit its
timestamp to exclude some features that are in the parent body.
Step 1 Open the part dau_wave_bracket_assm and start the

Modeling and Assemblies applications.
This assembly contains only one component for the left hand part. The
component consists of a solid body and a datum plane to be used for mirroring.
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ÉÉÉ Step 2 Create a new empty component to contain the mirrored
body.
Choose Create New.
Enter a part name ***_bracket_rh where *** are your

initials.
Use the following settings in the Create New Component

dialog box.

Choose OK to create the component.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Step 3 Create a linked mirrored body.
Change the work part to ***_bracket_rh.
Make sure At Timestamp is toggled OFF.
Choose Mirror Body.
Select the left hand bracket solid as the body to mirror and
choose OK.
Select the datum plane as the plane to mirror through and

choose OK.
Fit the view to see the mirrored body.

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All features from the parent body are reflected in the mirrored body.
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Step 4 Edit the timestamp of the linked mirrored body to exclude

the three holes in the vertical flange.
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Select the LINKED_MIRROR(0) feature to edit and choose

OK.
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Toggle At Timestamp to ON.
Select SIMPLE_HOLE(5) from the list of features and

choose OK twice.
This will change the mirrored body as if the link had occurred immediately after
SIMPLE_HOLE(5) was created.
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The three holes in the vertical flange do not appear in the mirrored body
because they were created after SIMPLE_HOLE(5),
(6)
(7)
(8)
(5)
(4)
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SUMMARY TopĆDown Assembly Modeling allows you to build components

in relation to other components within the same assembly. Interpart modeling
methods allow you to relate geometry of interacting parts in an assembly.
In this lesson you:
Created new components using the TopĆDown method.

Designed in Context of the assembly.
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Created components using interpart modeling.
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Built associativity across component parts in an assembly using Geometry
Linker.
Edited the timestamp for a link.
Edited linked geometry.
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Interpart Expressions
Lesson 9
PURPOSE Interpart expressions allow you to link expressions between

components in an assembly.
Create and apply referencing interpart expressions.
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General Concepts
Interpart Expressions (IPEs) allow the user to establish relationships between

expressions of separate part files. A change to an expression in one part file
may affect a change to an expression in a different part file, thus altering the
geometry of that part.
Interpart expressions are disabled by default in Unigraphics to give the

customers time to establish rules or conventions on how they are to be used
within their organization. Your system administrator can enable IPEs for your
use.
A simple example is if you wanted to constrain a hole in a part called abc.prt so

that its diameter is always linked to the pin diameter in a part called xyz.prt. You
could create the following expression in the assembly file.
abc::dia=xyz::dia + clr
Thereby creating a link between the two expressions. The result being when
either the expression dia in part xyz.prt or clr" (for clearance) in the assembly
file are changed, the hole diameter in part abc.prt automatically changes in the
assembly.
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Types of Interpart Expressions
Interpart expressions can be created in two basic forms, referencing or

overriding.
Referencing Expressions
Referencing expressions are used to reference an expression from one part to

an expression in another part. This means that the value of one expression will
depend on the value of an expression in another part.
There are two ways that referencing expressions can be used. The driving
expression can be created in the assembly and be referenced by the component
parts below it.
ASSEMBLY
dia=0.5
PIN BLOCK
hole_dia=assembly::dia
pin_dia=assembly::dia
The alternative is to have one component reference an expression in another

component directly.
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ASSEMBLY
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PIN BLOCK
pin_dia=0.5 hole_dia=pin::pin_dia
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Overriding Expressions
Overriding expressions are those that are created in an assembly and have an
interpart link on the left side of the expression equation (part_a::length=1).
Although they reside in the assembly, they assign a value to an expression in a
component part. The expression in the component part will take on this value
when the component is opened with the assembly.
In the example below, the hole_dia expression in the block part is being
overridden by the expression in the assembly which sets it equal to the pin
diameter.
ASSEMBLY
pin::pin_dia=0.5
block::hole_dia=pin::pin_dia+.03
PIN BLOCK
!pin_dia=0.5 !hole_dia=.53
The expression being overridden will appear as locked (a ``!" is placed in front
of it). This means that it can only be edited from the expression in the assembly
which is overriding it.
NOTE: Overriding expressions can only be created in an

ÉÉÉ assembly and used to override the value of an expression in one of
ÉÉÉ
9 its components.
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Creating Interpart Expressions
Interpart expressions are created and edited in the Edit Expression dialog box
found under Tools→Expression.
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Functions
related to
interpart
ÉÉÉ
expressions
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The following functions are related to Interpart Expressions:
Used by Allows you to list a description of where the selected
expression is used. When used in conjunction with interpart
expressions this option will only list usage by parts that are
currently loaded in your session.
Create link Initiates the link process and prompts you to choose a part file
and expression to be linked. Parts can be chosen from the curĆ
rently loaded parts or from disk.
Edit link Activates the Edit Interpart Link dialog box.
Open Activates the Load Parts dialog box and allows you to fully
load selected partially loaded parts, so that the interpart
expressions will update.
Lock Allows you to lock an expression to prevent it from being
overridden by another part using interpart expressions. A
locked expression will appear with a !" in front of it
(i.e. !hole_dia=5)
TIP When creating links, it is also possible to create a link by simply

entering the expression in the entry field using the correct syntax, i.e.
x=part_name::expression_name. If your filename includes hyphens
(-) then the part name alone should have quotes placed around it,
i.e. x=123-4567-890"::length
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Edit Interpart Links
The Edit Interpart Links dialog box is activated upon selection of the Edit Link
option and provides three options:
Change link Allows you to change all expressions that refer to the part
ÉÉÉ
selected so that they refer to a new part.
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9
Delete link Allows you to break the relationship with a selected part and
replaces it with the current numeric value.
ÉÉÉ
Delete all links Similar to Delete Links except it will delete ALL interpart
links in the current work part.
NOTE: When changing links, the expressions must exist in both

parts. If this is not the case, the system will display a message that
it will substitute the missing expressions with the current numeric
values.
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Load Parts
The Load Parts dialog box is activated upon selection of the Open option and
provides the following options:
Parts→All modified Lists only those partially loaded parts whose expressions
have been modified.
Parts→All referenced Lists all partially loaded parts with expressions referenced by
the work part.
Load all parts in list Allows you to fully load all parts listed.
TIP The OpenComponent Fully option in the Assembly Navigator can

also be used to fully load and update a components interpart
ÉÉÉ expressions.
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Activity 1 - Creating Interpart Expressions

In this activity, you will create interpart expressions so that the diameter of a
pin in one part is related to the diameter of a hole in another part.
This is a simple example to introduce the concept of interpart expressions. The

Wave Geometry Linker could also be used to associate the sizes of the parts.
Step 1 Open the inch seedpart and start the Assemblies

Application if necessary.
Step 2 Rename the seedpart to ipe_block_assm (ipe = interpart

expression).
Step 3 Add the part dau_block as a component on the work layer

and position it at absolute coordinates 0,0,0.
Step 4 Add the part dau_pin as a component on the work layer

and reposition as illustrated below.
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Step 5 Create expressions in the assembly that will be referenced ÉÉÉ
by the pin and the block.
Choose Application→Modeling.
Enter the following expression for the diameter.
ipe_dia=.75
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Press Enter.
Enter the following expression for the clearance.
ipe_clr=.05
Press Enter.
Choose Apply.
ipe_block_assm
ipe_clr=.05 Work Part
ipe_dia=.75
pin block
Step 6 Edit the expression for the diameter of the pin to link it to
the expression in the assembly.
Make dau_pin the Work Part.
The Expressions dialog box will update to list the expressions in the pin.
Select the expression dia=1 from the list of expressions in
ÉÉÉ the Expressions dialog box.
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Remove the 1 (after the dia=") from the expression string.
Choose the Create link icon.
Choose ipe_block_assm from the Select Part dialog box as

the part to link and choose OK.
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Choose the expression ipe_dia=.75 as the expression to link

to and choose OK.
Press Enter.
The expression should look like the following:
dia=ipe_block_assm::ipe_dia
Choose Apply in the Expressions dialog box to update the

pin.
TIP To see the entire expression, you may have to stretch" the
Expressions dialog box to make it wider.
ipe_block_assm
ipe_clr=.05
ipe_dia=.75
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ÉÉÉ dau_pin
dau_block
TIP You can also create the link by typing the expression directly in the
text field using the correct syntax
x=part_name::expression_name
The Create Link icon simply lets you avoid typing.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Step 7 Edit the expression for the diameter of the hole to link the
diameter and clearance set in the assembly part file.
Change the Work Part to the dau_block.
Select the expression dia=1 , remove the 1, and choose the
Create link icon.

the part to link to and choose OK.
Choose the expression ipe_dia=.75 as the expression to link

to and choose OK.
At the end of the expression, type a +.
TIP You can use the End key on the keyboard to avoid using the arrow
keys to get to the end of the expression.
Choose the Create link icon.

the part to link and choose OK.
Choose the expression ipe_clr=.05 as the expression to link

to and choose OK.
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Press Enter. ÉÉÉ
ipe_block_assm
ipe_clr=.05
ipe_dia=.75
dau_pin dau_block
dia=ipe_block_assm::ipe_dia+ipe_block_assm::ipe_clr
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Choose Apply to update the block.
Step 8 Edit the expression in the assembly to test the

associativity.
Change the Work Part to ipe_block_assm.
Change the expression ipe_dia from .75 to 1.
Choose OK to update the parts.
The diameter of the pin and the hole are both driven by the expression in the
assembly. The block and pin will always fit when used together in this assembly.
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Partial Loading Issues
Partially loading components in an assembly conserves system memory by not

loading all data associated with the file. Only expressions and data required to
display the part are loaded. The rest of the feature data is not loaded.
When using interpart expressions, it is possible to edit the expressions defining

a feature in a partially loaded component. However, the affected geometry will
not update to reflect the changes until the part has been fully loaded.
Once the part is fully loaded, the changes made to the expressions are
immediately applied to update the features.
Resolving Interpart Expression References
When a part containing an IPE is loaded, the system looks for the name of the
expression in the referenced part. If the correct name is found, the system has
resolved the link.
If it is impossible for the link to be resolved, the system will notify the user,
delete the link, and assign the last known constant value. For example, suppose
you had the following expression in a component part file referencing an
expression in an assembly file.
If you were to delete the expression ipe_dia" within the assembly part file, the
expression in the component would revert to: ÉÉÉ
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9
dia=.75
ÉÉÉ
If you perform a Save As" on a part, any loaded part which references it will
rename the expression so the link is preserved. If the other parts are not loaded
at the time the Save As was performed, their expressions can be changed later
by using the Edit links function in the Edit Expressions dialog box.
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9-15
Tips and Recommended Practices

Before using interpart expressions, you should evaluate their downstream
impacts.
Do not start assigning IPEs just because you can. IPEs are powerful tools but
do complicate your assemblies and make them hard to understand. Keep things
simple and organized.
In general, IPEs should be used when the parts have a physical constraint and
are to be used in the same assembly. Although you can use IPEs with parts not
assembled together, it is not recommended.
TIP Consider setting up companyĆwide standards on how and when IPE's

are to be used. It is a good idea to have a naming convention such as
always using a prefix on the expression name such as ipe_dia". This
will make such an expression readily identifiable and the user will
know that it is being referenced.
Use of IPE locks is recommended for critical dimensions that the

designer wants to protect from being overridden by another part or
assembly.
You should not use overriding expressions on the same component

from different assemblies. This would cause the component to be
updated each time it was loaded by the different assemblies. For this
reason, IPEs should not be used for standard parts such as a bolt or
screw.
In general, it is a good practice to only edit IPE expressions when all

ÉÉÉ of the referenced parts are loaded so that the impact of the change
ÉÉÉ
9 can be immediately understood. This way you will not be creating any
ÉÉÉ traps for future users.
If a part fails to load because of an IPE change, the following will help you
troubleshoot the problem.
Suppress the feature that failed to update, then unsuppress it after you
have corrected the problem.
Close all other parts then open only the part causing the problem. The
part should load and allow you to investigate which expressions are
responsible. You can then lock the expressions and delete the offending
links.
EDS Unigraphics NX
SUMMARY Interpart expressions allow you to link the expressions

between components in an assembly. Whenever a change occurs to an
expression in one part file, the related expression in the other part file(s) will
change accordingly.
In this lesson you:
Created and applied interpart expressions.
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Offset Curves
Offset Curves
Lesson 10
PURPOSE This lesson will address the associative offset curve

functionality and illustrate its parametric qualities.
Create associative offset curves.

Edit associative offset curves.
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Offset Curves
Offset Curves
The Offset function allows you to create curves offset from existing lines, arcs,
conics, splines, and edges. The system computes points normal to the selected
parent curves and constructs the offset curves through these points. The offset
curves can either be associative or nonĆassociative. If associative curves are
created, a parameter for the offset distance is created relative to the parent
objects. You can access the Offset Curves function by choosing InsertCurve
OperationOffset
TIP The advantage of the Associate option provides automatic update of

wall thickness or other constant distance geometry used in swept
bodies, eliminating the need to constrain the curves in a sketch, and
greatly reducing the steps required to edit the distance between
geometry.
Curves can be offset within the plane defined by the selected geometry or to a
parallel plane by using the draft angle and height options. Multiple curves can
only be offset if they are coplanar and in a contiguous string (i.e., they must be
endĆtoĆend). The object types of the resulting curves are the same as their input
curves except for conics, which are offset as splines.
If you only select a line, you will need an additional point away from the line to
define the offset plane.
Information→Feature provides additional information on associative offset

curves, such as lists of parents and parameters used in the creation.
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Offset Curves
Procedure
Select the curve(s) or edge(s) to offset. A conehead vector in the plane of
the selected curves points toward the positive offset direction.
Define the offset parameters in the Offset Curves dialog box.
Choose OK (or Apply if you wish the dialog box to remain open).
Toggle to
determine
Offset method
of associative
or copy.
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Offset Curves
Offset by:
Distance offsets curves in the plane of the input curves.
Draft offsets curves in a plane parallel to the plane of the input curves
at a specified distance. A plane symbol marks the plane in which the
offset curves lie.
Law Curve offset curves at a distance defined by a law, which you
specify with the law subfunction.
Distance: The offset distance from the selected curves in the direction
indicated by the conehead vector. Negative distance values offset in the
opposite direction.
Draft Height The distance from the plane of the input curves to the plane
of the resulting offset curves.
Draft Angle The angle from the offset vector to a line normal to the
reference plane, where the input curves lie.
Below, is an example of offset curves created with the Draft offset method. The
Draft Height is 0.25, and the Draft Angle is 30°.
Top View
C1
C2 C4
C3
Original curve
Offset
Front View
.25
30
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Offset Curves
Trim: Methods for trimming or extending the offset curves to their

intersection points.
None: The offset curves will be neither trimmed nor filleted.
Extended Tangents: Extends the offset curves to their intersection
points.
Fillet: Constructs an arc tangent to the endpoint of each offset curve.
The radius of the arc is equal to the offset distance.
Trimming options are only available when applying the

offset methods of Distance or Draft.
Extended Tangents Fillet None
Curve tangents extend A fillet is Lines are offset

to intersection formed but not joined
Extend Factor: A multiple of the offset distance. It controls the length of

the offset tangent extension lines. This option is used only for Extended
Tangents trim when Associative Output is toggled OFF.
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Offset Curves
Extended Tangents extends the offset curves to their intersection points.

The length of the offset tangent extension lines is controlled by the
Extend Factor, which is a multiple of the offset distance. It is used for all
curves except lines, which are simply extended to the intersection points.
The figure below is an example that uses an Extend Factor.
Added line between endpoints.
Curves have extended to 0.2 max.
0.2
Extension max Original curves
0.4
Extension factor = 0.5
Added intersecting curve

tangent lines
Fillet constructs an arc tangent to the endpoint of each offset curve. The
radius of the arc is equal to the offset distance. The figure below shows an
offset created with this Trim Method. If you create repeated offsets (i.e.,
by choosing Apply without changing any inputs), the radius of the arc
increases each time by the offset distance.
Original curve
Offset
Group Objects: Lets you choose whether to group the offset curves
together.
Approx Tolerance: Determines the accuracy of the offset curve if the
input curve is a spline or conic.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Number of Copies allows you to construct multiple sets of offset curves.
10
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Each set is offset by the specified distance (according to the Offset
Method used) from the previous set.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Offset Curves
Reverse Direction: Reverses the positive offset direction of the conehead

vector.
Redisplay Reference: Objects: Lets you redisplay the direction vector and,
if you are using Offset by Draft, the plane symbol marking the offset
plane.
Associative Output: If this option is toggled ON, the offset curves are
associated to the input curves and defining data.
Input Curves: Lets you specify the disposition of the original curves.
Retain: Keeps the input curves when the offset curves are created.
Blank: Blanks the input curves when the offset curves are created.
Delete: Deletes the input curves when the offset curves are created.
This option is grayed out when Associative Output is toggled ON.
Replace: Acts like a move operation, where the input curve is moved to
the offset curve position. This option is grayed out when Associative
Output is toggled ON.
NOTE: The disposition instructions that you specify in the Input

Curves options only apply to curves, not edges or sketch curves,
which are always kept. You can use the Blank option with sketch
curves when Associative Output is toggled OFF.
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10
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10-7
Offset Curves
Activity 1 - Capturing Design Intent with Offset Curves

In this activity you will define the interior portion of a gasket using associative
offset curves. After opening the part file you will see that the outside profile of
the gasket has been created and extruded. Follow the instructions below to
create an inside profile that will update when the outside profile changes.
Step 1 Open dau_gasket and start the Modeling application.
Step 2 Create the associative offset curves.
Choose Offset Curves.

(Insert→Curve Operation→Offset)
Choose Solid Face, select the top face, and choose OK.
Choose OK.
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ÉÉÉ
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EDS Unigraphics NX
Offset Curves
Define the Offset Curve parameters as shown below.
The offset vector should be pointing into the solid body. If

needed, select Reverse Direction.
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10
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10-9
Offset Curves
Choose OK.
The offset curves are created.
Step 3 Extrude the offset curves.
Select the offset curves.
Choose OK.
Choose Trim To Face/Plane.
Choose Cycle Vector Direction and choose OK.
Select the bottom face for the trimming face and

choose OK twice.
Choose Subtract.
The gasket is complete.
Step 4 Edit the profile of the gasket.

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10
ÉÉÉ
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Choose Sketch.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Offset Curves
Activate the SKETCH_000 sketch.
Edit the dimensional constraints as illustrated below and

then choose OK.
Choose Finish.
Step 5 Edit the width of the gasket.
Choose the Model Navigator icon.
Double Click on the OFFSET_CURVE feature.
Change the Distance to .5 and choose OK.
The gasket cross section updates.
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10
Step 6 Close the Part; do not save.
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10-11
Offset Curves
SUMMARY Associative Offset Curves is a parametric tool you can use to

make new features from and parallel to existing edges.
In this lesson you:
Created associative curves using the Offset function.

Edited associative curves.
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EDS Unigraphics NX
Trim Body / Split Body
Trim Body / Split Body ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Lesson 11
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11
ÉÉÉ
PURPOSE The purpose of this lesson is to explain the difference between

the Trim Body and Split Body functionalities.
Identify the differences between the Trim Body and Split Body functions.
Define a solid body's contour by using the Trim Body functionality.
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11-1
ÉÉÉ Trim Body

ÉÉÉ
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11
ÉÉÉ This option lets you trim one or more target bodies using a face, datum plane,
or other geometry. You select which portion of the bodies you want to keep,
and the trimmed bodies take the shape of the trimming geometry. You can
access the Trim Body feature by choosing, InsertFeature OperationTrim.
To use the Trim Body option, follow these steps:
Choose Trim Body.

Select one or more target bodies, then choose OK.
Select a face or datum plane, or define other geometry, to trim the target
bodies. A vector is displayed. The portion of the target bodies in the direction of
the vector will be removed.
Choose to accept the direction of the vector or reverse it.
You must select at least one target body, even when there is only one possible
target displayed.
You can select a face or multiple faces if they belong to the same solid body or a
datum plane to trim the target bodies.
NOTE: When you trim a body using a face, the face must be large
enough to cut through the body completely. If it does not, the
following error message is displayed:
EDS Unigraphics NX
You can also use the menu to define the following alternative objects to trim the
ÉÉÉ
target bodies:
ÉÉÉ
Plane ÉÉÉ
11
ÉÉÉ
Cylinder
Sphere
Cone
Torus
Determining which portion of the target bodies to keep is done by the direction
of the normal vector. The vector points away from the body portion that will be
kept.
When the normal vector is displayed, a dialog box offers you two options:
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11-3
ÉÉÉ In the figure below the displayed direction is accepted. Notice that the resulting
ÉÉÉ body is the portion of the target body that the vector pointed away from.
ÉÉÉ
11
ÉÉÉ Defined plane
Accepted direction
If you are trimming a solid body, the trim operation will probably fail if:
A face of the trimming sheet is tangent to the face of the solid body.
The face of the solid body is coincident with any joint of adjacent faces of
the trimming sheet.
The selected trimming geometries are faces from different solid bodies.
EDS Unigraphics NX
The selected trimming geometries are disjointed (i.e., unconnected) faces

ÉÉÉ
from a solid body.
ÉÉÉ
The body to be trimmed
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11
ÉÉÉ
Tangent: shaded face of (cylinder)
trimming sheet and face of
the body to be trimmed
Trimming sheet
(multiĆfaceted)
ÇÇÇÇÇÇ
ÇÇÇÇÇÇ
ÇÇÇÇÇÇ
Coincident: joint of
trimming sheet and face
of the body to be trimmed
To resolve this problem, try the following.
Trim the sheets with curves and/or planes.
The Trim Body function does not affect or delete parametric information.
TIP To maintain associativity of the trim to the solid body; define the
trimming feature by one of the following methods:
Relative Datum Planes

Feature created through the use of the Geometry Linker
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11-5
ÉÉÉ Split Body

ÉÉÉ
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11
ÉÉÉ
This function is similar to the Trim Body function. It differs, however, in that
instead of trimming, it divides the target bodies and strips all parametric data.
To use the Split Body option, follow these steps:
Choose the Split Body icon or InsertFeature OperationSplit.
A warning dialog box is displayed (see Removal of Parameters section

below).
Choose OK.
Select one or more target bodies, then choose OK.
Select a face or datum plane, or define other geometry, to split the target
bodies.
This operation removes all parameters from the bodies that are created by the
split. The following warning is displayed when you first choose the icon:
If you do not want to remove the parameters from the body, you can choose
Cancel at that time. To continue with the split, choose OK. Notice that, once
you have selected OK, the warning message is not repeated if you choose the
Split Body icon again.
If, at the end of the split operation you change your mind, choose Edit→Undo
and the body's parameters will be restored.
You must select at least one target body, even when there is only one possible
target displayed.
EDS Unigraphics NX
You can select a face or datum plane to split the target bodies.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
NOTE: When you split a body using a face, the face must be large ÉÉÉ
11
ÉÉÉ
enough to cut through the body completely. If it is not, the following
error message is displayed:
You can also use the menu to define the following alternative objects to split
the target bodies:
Plane
Cylinder
Sphere
Cone
Torus
Only one pick is allowed for the selection of the Split Body. You will not be
given the opportunity to confirm your choice, nor can you "combine" faces to
define a multifaceted sheet. If this is required, you must extract and sew them
before performing the Split operation.
When the Split is performed you will see the following notification:
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11-7
ÉÉÉ If you are splitting a solid body, the split operation will probably fail if:
ÉÉÉ
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11
ÉÉÉ

The face being used to split the body is tangent to the face of the body.
The face of the body is coincident with any joint of adjacent faces of the
splitting sheet body.
The body to be
Tangent: shaded face of split (cylinder)
splitting sheet and face of the
body to be split
Splitting sheet
(multiĆfaceted)
ÇÇÇÇÇÇ
ÇÇÇÇÇÇ
Coincident: joint of
splitting sheet and face
of the body to be split
To resolve this problem, try the following.
Extract sheets from the solid body.

Trim the sheets with curves and/or planes.
Create any necessary caps and sew the sheet bodies into a solid body.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Activity 1 - Windshield Fluid Reservoir ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
In this activity, you will define the external shape of a windshield fluid reservoir
using functionality that was introduced in this lesson. ÉÉÉ
11
ÉÉÉ
Step 1 Open the inch seed part file and rename it
***_fluid_reservoir.
Step 2 Create a block feature.
Choose Block.
Enter:
X Length = 14.25
Y Length = 13.25
Z Length = 14
and locate at WCS 0,0,0.
Step 3 Import the moldline sheet solids.
The sheet solid that you are about to import, defines the inner fender well and
inside grill area.
Choose File→Import→Part.
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11-9
ÉÉÉ In the Import Part dialog box window set the options as
ÉÉÉ shown below and choose OK.
ÉÉÉ
11
ÉÉÉ
Select the dau_trim_sht1 part file and choose OK.
Indicate a destination point of WCS 0,0,0.
Step 4 Trim the block.
Choose InsertFeature OperationTrim.
Select the block as the target body and choose OK.
Select the imported sheet solid as the Trim Body.
Choose Reverse Default Direction.
The normals should point toward the WCS just before the block is trimmed.
Keep in mind that the normals will point to the portion of the solid that is to be
trimmed away.
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Make layer 1 the work layer and 81 invisible.

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ÉÉÉ
Step 5 Save and Close the part.
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11-11
ÉÉÉ
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11
ÉÉÉ
SUMMARY The Trim Body function removes a portion of the solid body,
but does not remove parametric data.
The Split Body function splits the target body and removes all parametric data.
In this lesson you:
Identified the difference between Trim Body and Split Body functions.
Defined a solid body's contour using the Trim Body function.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Face Operations
Lesson 12
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12
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
PURPOSE This lesson describes various face options you may use to
modify existing solid bodies and features.
Create an Offset Face Feature.

Create different Taper Features.
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12-1
Face Operations
Offset Face
You can use this option to offset one or more faces of a body along the face
normals. The Offset Face feature can be reached through InsertFeature
OperationOffset Face.
To offset faces, you must:
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Enter the Offset Value.
ÉÉÉ
Choose the Offset Selection Type.
ÉÉÉ Select the objects.
The offset distance can be positive or negative, providing the topology of the
body does not change. A positive offset distance is measured along a face
normal pointing away from the solid.
The Offset Faces function allows you to offset selected faces by using Offset
Faces or all the faces of a feature by using Offset Features. Offset Body will
offset all of the faces of the entire solid body provided existing features will
remain intact.
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Face Operations
When you choose Offset Faces, the following options are displayed:
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12
After you select the desired faces or body and choose OK, the faces are moved
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ÉÉÉ
and the body is updated.
Before After
Limitations
You cannot instance an offset feature.
Offset Faces fails when the offset would result in a selfĆintersecting face.
If you attempt to offset this inner

face and the offset would cause the
face to be selfĆintersecting, the
offset will fail.
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Face Operations
Activity 1 - Offset a Face

This activity demonstrates one possible situation where the Offset Face function
may be applied. You will create a bolt hole circle via the circular array
functionality. The part also needs to be clocked to a specific orientation. To
facilitate the orientation requirement, one of the holes in the circular array will
be edited to be slightly larger.
Step 1 Open the part file dau_offset1 and start the Modeling
ÉÉÉ
application.
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 2 Create the circular array.
Choose Instance.
Choose Circular Array.
Select SIMPLE_HOLE(9) and choose OK.
Enter: Number = 6
Angle = 360/6
Choose OK.
Choose Datum Axis.
Select the datum axis and choose OK.
Choose Cancel.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Step 3 Edit the size of one of the holes.
If the parametric value for one of the holes is changed, all of the holes in the
circular array would change. So, to accomplish our orientation intent, we will
add a parametric feature to the hole that is to control the clocking of the part.
Choose the InsertFeature OperationOffset Face.
Enter .0625 for the Offset Value and choose OK.
Choose Offset Faces.

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Select the cylindrical face of the hole shown below,
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ÉÉÉ
choose OK, and then Cancel the Offset Face dialog box.
Select this
cylindrical face.
The face is offset a value of .0625, but we actually wanted the hole to become
larger. The following step will remedy this.
Step 4 Edit the offset value.
Double Click the OFFSET feature (bottom of the list).
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12-5
Face Operations
Choose Feature Dialog.
Edit the value to -.0625 and choose OK two times.
The face is offset to the new value.
Step 5 Change the hole size of the bolt hole circle.
In the Model Navigator, doubleĆclick on any INSTANCE

ÉÉÉ

feature.
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choose Feature Dialog.
Change the .375 to .50 and choose OK two times.
Notice that all of the holes updated to the new size and that the hole with the
offset feature maintained its .0625 offset.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Taper
The Taper option lets you apply a taper to faces relative to a specified vector.
The Taper dialog box is shown in the figure below. The Taper dialog box is a
Selection Steps dialog box.
From Edges Tangent to Faces
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Faces
SplitĆline Taper
(Not covered in
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
this course)
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12-7
Face Operations
You can select one or more faces, edges, or individual features to be modified.
However, they must all be part of the same solid body.
Taper Direction and Angle
The taper vector (i.e., the draw direction) must be defined such that it is
oriented appropriately based on what you wish to taper. The taper angle is
applied relative to the vector direction. To help you visualize this concept,
imagine the vector in the center of the body pointing in the appropriate
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12
direction. A positive angle causes the system to taper the selected faces inward
(toward the vector or center of the body); a negative angle causes the system to
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
taper the selected faces outward (away from the vector).
Taper Reference Point
The taper reference point defines a point on the taper plane (which is normal
to the taper direction vector). The cross section of the body at the plane that
contains the reference point is unchanged by the taper operation.
The taper feature is associated to its reference point. For example, if you define
an edge endpoint as the reference point of a taper, the taper will update as
necessary if the edge is modified. If you delete the object used to define the
reference point (you receive a Notification message before this happens), the
taper uses the coordinates of the reference point's position when it was deleted.
If you wish, you can edit the taper feature to give it a new associative reference
point.
A reference point is not required for the From Edges or Tangent to Faces Taper
Types.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
In the illustration below, the same values were used in both cases. The direction
vector is along the positive Z axis and the taper angle is 10 degrees. The only
difference is the location of the reference point.
(The dashed lines represent

the original solid body)
Z
Reference Point Y
X
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ÉÉÉ
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Taper Plane
The figure below shows that if you taper the external and internal faces using
the same reference point and direction vector, the internal faces taper opposite
to the external faces. (In other words, in this example, the taper adds material
to the bottoms of both the internal and external faces.) If you want the internal
and external faces to taper in the same direction, you need to taper the internal
faces separate from the external faces.
Z
Y
X
(The dashed lines represent

the original solid body)
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12-9
Face Operations
Tapering From Edges
You can use the From Edges option to taper along a selected set of edges by a
specified angle. This option is particularly useful when the desired edges are
not contained in a plane normal to the direction vector.
The figure below illustrates how the taper emanates at the given angle from all
the selected edges.
ÉÉÉ
The upper edges are
selected
ÉÉÉ
12
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The angle is applied

uniformly through all the
selected edges
If you selected edges that are smooth, the faces that will be tapered are the
adjacent faces on the side in which the taper direction vector points, as shown
below. This figure also shows that if you select multiple edges, the taper may be
created with multiple faces.
This face will

These edges be altered
Direction are selected.
vector
Before After
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Face Operations
Variable Angle Tapers
Variable tapers may be created by using the Taper Type From Edges. After the
edges have been selected the taper is applied by specifying various taper angle
values at different points along the selected edges. Interpolated values will be
used between the points. See the example below.
Draw direction vector
Point 1 Selected
ÉÉÉ
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Angle = 0° edges
Point 4
Angle = 20° ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Point 3
Point 2 Angle = 20°
Angle = 10°
Before After
Isocline and Draft
Isocline - This is the default mode for the creation of all tapers. Taper surfaces
created in Isocline mode generally must satisfy whatever condition is specified
by the value of the taper Angle.
True Draft - Tapers created in the True Draft mode use a different geometry
definition for draft surfaces than that used by the Isocline mode. Taper surfaces
created in this mode are in some cases more accurate than those created using
Isocline. In addition, tapers created in True Draft mode are not required to
meet the conditions specified by the taper Angle. You can sometimes create a
taper using True Draft mode that you could not create using the Isocline mode.
The True Draft taper mode is available only with the From Edges Taper Type.
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12-11
Face Operations
Tapering Tangent to Faces
You can use the Tangent to Faces option to taper by a given draft angle, with
the draft being tangent to the faces you select. The angle is used to determine
isocline curves which will be used as reference objects. The taper faces are then
created on the side away from the direction vector as shown below.
Taper created tangent

Draw direction vector to selected face
ÉÉÉ
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12
Face selected
for taper Taper
ÉÉÉ
angle
ÉÉÉ
Before After
This taper type is particularly useful for moldings and castings, to compensate
for any possible underdraft.
Selection Steps
The Taper dialog box has four selection steps:
When the Faces to Taper step is active, you can select the faces involved
in the taper operation. If the Taper Method is Faces, select the face(s) that you
wish to taper. If the Taper Method is Tangent to Faces, select the face(s) whose
tangent faces you wish to taper.
You can select all the faces in a feature or body by setting the Collector to
Feature Faces or Body Faces, respectively. The other Collector options available
for this selection step are Faces, Region Faces, Tangent Faces, and More... .
More... will allow you to select other Collection Methods.
If the Taper Method is From Edges, Faces to Taper is grayed out.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
This step lets you select and deselect Reference Edges when the Taper
Type is From Edges. (It is grayed out for the other Taper Types.)
If the Collector option is Face Edges, all the edges of the selected face will be
selected. If you wish, you can reset the Collector to Chain Edges, Tangent
Edges, or More... ., and deselect edges or select additional edges.
When the Draw Direction step is active, you can define the taper
direction vector. The Axis Method options, which appear in the changeable ÉÉÉ
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12
window when the Draw Direction step is active, can help you define the vector.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Inferred Vector
Two Points
At Angle
Edge/Curve Vector
Face Normal
Plane Normal
Datum Axis
XC Axis
YC Axis
ZC Axis
Vector Constructor
Inferred Vector: the axis method works similarly to the Inferred Point method.
Two Points: Allows you to create a vector using two points.
At Angle: Will create a vector at an angle from the positive XC axis in the
XC-YC plane.
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12-13
Face Operations
Edge/Curve Vector: the direction vector is determined by the endpoints of a

curve or edge that you select.
Face Normal: you can select a planar face, whose face normal will be the
direction vector or you can select a cylindrical face, whose axis will be the
direction vector. If you want to reverse the direction vector, select Reverse
Draw Direction.
Plane Normal: Will use the Normal of any plane you select.
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12
Datum Axis: Will use an existing Datum Axis to determine the vector direction
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
and location.
XC Axis, YC Axis, ZC Axis: the direction vector is determined by the current

orientation of the respected WCS axis.
Vector Constructor: Works similar to the Point Constructor dialog box.
Reverse Draw Direction: Choose this option if you want to reverse the displayed
direction vector, .
When the Reference Point step is active, choose a point on the taper
plane to act as a reference point. The Reference Point step is required when the
Taper Method is Faces or SplitĆline Taper. It is grayed out for the other taper
methods.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
You can use the Point Method options to help you select the Reference Point.
The Point Method options appear in the changeable window, located under the
Selection Steps icons, in the Taper dialog box when the Reference Point step is
active.
Inferred Point
Cursor Location
Existing Point
End Point
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12
ÉÉÉ
Control Point
ÉÉÉ
Intersection Point
Arc/Ellipse/Sphere Center
Quadrant Point
Point on Curve/Edge
Point On Surface
Point Constructor
Other Options
Angle is the angle of the taper.
If Taper All Instances is toggled ON, a taper that you apply to one instance is
applied to all instances in the array. If Taper All Instances is toggled OFF, the
taper is applied only to the instance that you selected.
If the Taper Method is From Edges, you can choose Preview Faces to Taper
after selecting edges. This option highlights the faces that would be tapered if
you do not change the selected edges or the direction vector.
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12-15
Face Operations
If Confirm Upon Apply is toggled ON, after selecting Apply, you will be
presented with a confirmation dialog box as well as a preview of the applied
taper. This option also allows you to perform various analysis functions as well
as reverse the draw direction if the taper was applied in the wrong direction. If
the results are correct simply accept the results.
ÉÉÉ
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12
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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Face Operations
Editing Tapers
You can edit all the creation parameters that you used to create a taper, except
you cannot change the Taper Type.
Procedure
To create a taper, choose the Taper icon and follow these steps:
Enter the taper Angle. ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
12
Define the Taper Type. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select faces if the Taper Type is Faces or Tangent to Faces.
Select edges if the Taper Type is From Edges. You can see which faces will
be tapered by choosing Preview Faces to Taper.
The Collector options can aid you in the selection.

If necessary, define the taper direction vector with Reverse Draw
Direction.
The Axis Method options can help you define the vector.
Define a Reference Point if the Taper Type is Faces.
The Point Method options can help you define the point.
If you are applying the taper to an instance, decide whether you want to
Taper All Instances.
Confirm Upon Apply can be toggled ON to preview the result.
Choose OK or Apply to create the taper.
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12-17
Face Operations
Activity 2 - Taper Solid

This activity will help you understand how to define the taper plane direction
and reference point.
Design Intent
The part below is to be cast in zinc. Apply a 10 degree taper to all of the vertical
faces of the solid body, relative to the Parting Line. The current sizes of the
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
12
bottom of the part and the top of the pad should be maintained.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Step 1 Open the part dau_taper and start the Modeling
application.
Pad
Boss
Side Pull
Parting Line/Plane
Step 2 Examine the model by using InformationFeature.
Choose Information→Feature to review the features in this

model.
After reviewing the list of model features choose Cancel.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Step 3 Taper the planar faces of the block feature.
Choose the InsertFeature OperationTaper.
Enter 10 in the Angle field.
If necessary, set the taper type to Faces.
ÉÉÉ
Change the Collector to Feature Faces.
Select the large block feature in the graphic window. ÉÉÉ

12
Click MB2 to advance to the Draw Direction Selection Step.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Specify the taper direction by selecting a planar face that is
parallel to the XC-YC plane.
The Taper Direction Indicator needs to point up. If required,

choose Reverse Draw Direction.
Click MB2 to advance to the Reference Point Selection Step.
Select an endpoint on the bottom face of the block to define

the taper plane. Accept if required and choose Apply.
The taper is then applied to the block.
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12-19
Face Operations
Step 4 Taper the planar faces of the pad.
Verify that the Taper Angle field is still set to 10.
Set the taper type to From Edges.
Change the Collector to Face Edges.
Select the top face of the rectangular pad (the edges of the
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
12
face are selected).
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select the top face of the pad again; accept, if necessary, and
choose Apply.
The taper is then applied to the faces of the pad starting at the selected edges.
Notice that you did not need to define a taper point using this option.
Step 5 Taper the cylindrical face of the boss.
Choose Replace View→TFRĆTRI (MB3).
Set the taper type to Tangent to Faces.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Select the cylindrical face of the boss.
Select the top face of the rectangular pad, accept if

necessary, and choose Apply.
ÉÉÉ
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12
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Before After
Step 6 Taper the planar face of the boss.
Set the taper type to Faces.
Select the planar face of the boss.
Select the top face of the pad to define the taper direction.
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12-21
Face Operations
Select a point from one of the edges of the top face of the
block to define the taper plane, accept if necessary, and
choose Apply.
Select a point from

this face to define
the taper plane.
ÉÉÉ
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12
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 7 Taper the cylindrical face of the hole feature along its
axis, with an angle of 7 so that the diameter at the
outside face is unchanged.
Enter an angle of 7.
Set the Type to From Edges.
Select the edge of the hole that lies on the face of the block.
To define the draw direction, select any edge that is parallel

to the XC axis. Accept it, if necessary.
The draw direction vector needs to point in the +XC

direction. Choose Reverse Draw Direction as required.
Choose OK.
Notice the taper direction. This is because the taper is applied to the interior of
the part.
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Face Operations
The finished part should appear as shown below:
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ÉÉÉ
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Face Operations
Activity 3 - Internal & External Taper Directions

This activity will demonstrate the different taper directions relative to internal
and external features.
Step 1 Open the part dau_taper2 and start the Modeling

application.
Step 2 Create Two Tapers, Different Directions.

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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choose the InsertFeature OperationTaper.
Enter 15 for the Angle.
If necessary, set the Taper Type to From Edges.
Change the Collector to Face Edges.
Select and Accept the face as shown.
This face
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Select the same face again to specify a draw direction.
A vector appears indicating a taper direction pointing away

from the solid body.
Turn ON Confirm Upon Apply.
Choose Apply.
ÉÉÉ
Notice the difference in direction between the external and internal tapers.
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12
Choose Reject Result.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 3 Create Two Tapers, Same Direction.
Set the Taper Type to Faces.
Select the Block feature in the graphic window.
Click MB2 to advance to the Draw Direction selection step.
Notice that the face selected from Step 2 is still valid.
Click MB2 to advance to the Reference Point selection step.
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Face Operations
Select and accept, if necessary, the endpoint shown and

choose Apply.
Block
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12
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
This endpoint
If the outside taper appears as shown below, Accept the

results.
The Taper Type is still set to Faces.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Select the Rectangular Pocket feature in the graphic window;

accept, if necessary.
Specify the Draw Direction by selecting the face shown

below.
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12
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
This face
Choose Reverse Draw Direction to point the vector into the

solid.
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Face Operations
Select and accept, if necessary, the endpoint shown.
This endpoint
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12
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Choose OK.
Now the internal and external tapers are going in the same direction.
Step 4 Close the part, do not save.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Face Operations
Activity 4 - Creating a Windshield Fluid Reservoir

In this activity, you will continue to develop the windshield fluid reservoir using
functionality that was introduced in this lesson.
Step 1 Open the ***_fluid_reservoir part file or open the

dau_fluid_reservoir part file and then saveĆas
***_fluid_reservoir. Start the Modeling application.
Step 2 Apply a variable taper along two edges. ÉÉÉ

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12
Choose InsertFeature OperationTaper.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Set the Taper Type to From Edges.
Select the two edges shown below.
Select these
two edges.
Select the top face to define the draw direction.
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Face Operations
The face normal is displayed (pointing up). Since the design intent is for the
faces to taper out, we need to change the draw direction.
Choose Reverse Draw Direction.
Choose the Variable Angle Point Selection Step.
The Reference Point Selection Step changes to the

Variable Angle Point Selection Step when the Taper Type
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is set to From Edges. The icons do not change.
ÉÉÉ
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Specify the first point by selecting the end point as shown
below and accept if necessary.
Select this
end point.
Enter a Variable Angle of 4. (Do Not Press Enter.)
Specify the second point by selecting the end point as shown

Select this
end point.
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Face Operations
Specify the third point by selecting the end point as shown

below and accept as required.
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Select this
ÉÉÉ
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end point.
Choose Modify Point.
With % Arclength toggled ON, enter 65 and choose OK.
Specify the fourth point by selecting the end point as shown

Select this
end point.
Enter a Variable Angle of 15 and choose OK.
Step 3 Create the filler hole.
Choose the InsertForm FeatureBoss.
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Face Operations
Select the top face as the placement face.
Enter:
Diameter = 2
Height = 1.5
Taper Angle =0
and choose OK.
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Position the boss as shown below.
ÉÉÉ
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Step 4 Create the blends.
Choose the InsertFeature OperationEdge Blend.
Enter a Default Radius of 1.5.
Toggle Add Tangent Edges to ON.
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Face Operations
Select and accept the edges shown below and choose Apply.
Select these
edges.
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ÉÉÉ
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Apply the blends shown below.
Apply a .375
blend to these
tangent edges.
Apply a 1.5
blend to these
tangent edges.
Change the Default Radius to .5.
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Face Operations
Select the edge at the base of the boss feature and choose
OK.
Step 5 Hollow the solid body.
Choose Hollow.
Enter a Default Thickness of .08.
ÉÉÉ
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Select the planar face of the boss feature, (top of the boss) to
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
be pierced and choose OK twice.
Step 6 Create a lip on the filler hole.
Choose Extrude.
Select the edge shown below and choose OK.
Select the
outside edge.
Choose Direction & Distance.
Choose Cycle Vector Direction to point the vector down and

choose OK.
Enter:
Start Distance 0
End Distance .125
First Offset 0
Second Offset .06
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Face Operations
Choose OK.
Choose Unite.
Select the solid body as the target solid.
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ÉÉÉ
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Step 7 Review the solid body.
Shade the solid body using the right mouse button.
Choose View→Operation→Section.
Choose the More Options>> button.
Choose the Specify Arbitrary Planes button.
Choose Principal Plane.
Choose XC Constant.
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Face Operations
Choose OK to accept the 0 (zero) value.
Toggle Show Cap to ON.
Move the Primary Plane and Secondary Plane sliders to

inspect the interior of the reservoir.
The part may also be rotated in the viewing mode.
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ÉÉÉ
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Step 8 Save the part and close it.
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Face Operations
SUMMARY The Offset Feature allows the user to move a face, multiple
faces, or an entire body in a direction based on the face's normal.
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12
ÉÉÉ
The taper functionality allows the user to change the orientation of one or more ÉÉÉ
faces of a solid body. Creating draft for cast parts would be one application for
this parametric feature.
In this lesson you:
Created an Offset Feature.

Created Taper features.
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Face Operations
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EDS Unigraphics NX
Variable Radius and Cliff Edge Blends

Lesson 13
PURPOSE The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to the Variable

Radius and Cliff Edge blend functionality.
ÉÉÉ
Create and edit a Variable Radius Blend.
ÉÉÉ
Identify Automatic and Constrained Cliff Edge blends. ÉÉÉ
13
ÉÉÉ
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Variable Radius Blends
You can create a variable radius blend by specifying multiple points along
selected edges and entering a radius at each point. This creates a blend whose
radius varies as specified.
A tolerance is used to approximate the variable radius blend. The system uses
the smallest of these three tolerances:
Tolerance in the Edge Blend dialog box

Distance Tolerance in the Modeling Preferences dialog box
The smallest entered radius of the variable radius blend divided by ten,
unless the radius is zero
If the blend fails, tighten the tolerance. If the blend takes a long time to
generate, loosen the tolerance.
ÉÉÉ To create a variable radius blend, you should:

ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ

Choose Edge Blend.
Ensure that Allow Variable and Setback is toggled on.
Select the desired edges to blend.
Select a point location on an edge where you want the radius to vary.
Modify the point location as necessary.
Enter the variable radius for the selected point.
Continue by selecting point locations and editing location and radius as
required.
If you select on an edge that is not highlighted, that edge is selected. If you
select on an edge that is highlighted, a point is created on that edge. You can
then change the position of the point, if you wish. You can create points at any
time while selecting the desired edges to blend.
The Point Method options (Infer, Cursor Location, Existing Point, End Point,
Control Point, Arc/Ellipse Center, Quadrant Point, and Point Subfunction) can
help you create points.
EDS Unigraphics NX
You can change the position of a point to any other position along the edge it is
on by choosing Modify Point. This brings up the Modify Point dialog box, where
you can enter a new value for Arclength, %Arclength, or use a slider to move
the point. The dialog box also has a Reset button to return the point to its
original position.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
If you want to change the location of a point from one selected edge to another, ÉÉÉ
13
select the point in the dialog box listing, choose Respecify Edge, and select the ÉÉÉ
new edge.
NOTE: The new edge must be one that was selected for blending.
If you wish to change a selected edge to another edge, you can deselect the
edge by holding down the <Shift> key while selecting it. Then select the
desired edge.
You can delete a point by selecting it in the graphics window or in the scroll
window in the Edge Blend dialog box, then choosing Remove Point.
After you select a point, the Variable Radius option is highlighted. Enter the
desired radius. The value you enter for the point radius must be positive at the
endpoints.
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Once you have selected all desired edges and selected all desired point
locations for varying radii, choose OK and the blend is created.
(At each point, a

Specified points
radius is applied)
ÉÉÉ Selected edge
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
Tips and Techniques
Every selected edge needs at least two radii (one for each endpoint). If you do
not declare enough information to create the blend, the system infers
information for you depending on other selected geometry.
The following can help you understand what the system does if you do not
declare enough information:
If you indicate only one point and corresponding radius for a selected
edge, the system creates a constant radius blend for that edge.
If you do not give a point and radius to a selected edge, the system uses
the default radius to create the blend for that edge.
The following are some rules you should follow to produce the desired blends:
EDS Unigraphics NX
To produce a linearly varying blend, you must define a different radius at

each end of an edge.
Linearly varying blend

Radius 1
Radius 2
If you must perform blends that will blend away entire faces, blend only
one edge at a time.
These faces will be

blended away
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ÉÉÉ
Result
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If you select an open loop set of edges and supply radii only to the two
open endpoints, the blend will vary continuously from endpoint to
endpoint, as shown below.
Radius (R=.4) assigned at

this endpoint Radius (R=.1) assigned
2 at this endpoint
1
No radius
assigned at
shared points
Result 2
2 1 1
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ÉÉÉ
Top view Iso view
You can create a variable radius blend with the radii value of zero at one of the
selected vertices.
Zero radius blends
EDS Unigraphics NX
Activity 1 - Creating a Variable Radius Blend

In this activity, you will apply a variable blend along series of tangent edges.
Step 1 Open the part file dau_blend_frame and start the

Modeling application.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
Step 2 Create a variable radius blend.
Choose Edge Blend.
Ensure that Allow Variable and Setback is toggle on.
Set Filter to Edge.
If necessary, toggle Add Tangent Edges to on.
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Select the edge shown below and, if necessary, accept it.
Select this edge.
All of the tangent edges are selected.
Zoom in on the model and select the same edge as before.
ÉÉÉ Choose the Modify Point button.

ÉÉÉ

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ÉÉÉ
Move the slider back and forth and observe how the asterisk
moves along the selected edge.
Move the slider so that the asterisk is located on the

endpoint shown below, and then choose OK.
This endpoint
Enter 1.12 in the Variable Radius text box,

(do not press Enter or choose OK).
EDS Unigraphics NX
Select the edge shown below and, if necessary, accept it.
Select this edge.
Choose the Modify Point button.
Ensure that % Arclength is toggled ON and, if necessary,

enter 50.
Choose OK. ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ

In the Variable Radius text box, the previously entered value, 1.12, is still there.
This is the value needed for this point, so no change is required. You will
ÉÉÉ
13
ÉÉÉ
proceed by selecting the next point to apply a variable radius to.
Select the edge shown below, accept it if necessary.
Select this edge.
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Move the slider so that the asterisk is located on the

This endpoint.
Enter .5 in the Variable Radius text box.
Select the same edge again.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Choose the Modify Point button.
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ÉÉÉ Move the slider so that the asterisk is located on the
This endpoint.
In the Variable Radius text box, the previously entered value, .5, is still there.
This is the value needed for this point, so no change is required. You will
proceed by selecting the next point to apply a variable radius to.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Select the edge shown below and accept it.
Select this edge.
Ensure that Arclength is toggled ON and enter 1.5;

choose OK.
Enter 1.12 in the Variable Radius text box.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select the endpoint as shown below. ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
Select this endpoint.
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Choose OK to create the blend; the last point will have the
same variable radius assigned to it as the previous point.
Step 3 Edit one of the variable radii.
Select the new blend feature on the solid body.
With the cursor on the blend feature, click MB3 and choose
ÉÉÉ Edit Parameters.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
Select pt3 R= .5 in the Edge Blend dialog box.
Enter a % Arclength value of 20 and choose OK.
Edit the variable radius of pt3 from .5 to 1.75 and choose OK

two times to apply the change.
Step 4 Close the part, do not save.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Cliff Edge Blends
You can create two types of cliff edge blends: automatic (Edge Blend) and
constrained (Cliff Edge). For example, the blend below on the left has been
created with the automatic cliffĆedge option (by default), The block feature's
width parameters is then edited so that the block becomes wider, the system
simply reapplies a rolling ball radius of the same value, as illustrated on the
right. Since the cliff edge was created automatically a full blend is created.
However, if the blend had been created using Cliff Edge the system would
respond with the Edit During Update dialog box.
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ÉÉÉ
To create a constrained Cliff Edge blend:
Select the desired blend edge.

Select the desired cliff edge.
Enter a value into the Default Radius field.
Continue selecting or choose OK or Apply to create the blend.
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SUMMARY Unigraphics Variable Radius and Cliff Edge Blend options

allow specific design solutions when you need to create unique edge shapes.
You can create a variable radius blend by specifying multiple points along
selected edges and entering a radius at each point. Cliff Edge blends can be
created through the Edge Blend feature.
In this lesson you:
Created and edited a Variable Radius blend.

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EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Mating Conditions
Lesson 14
PURPOSE At the heart of assembly modeling is the ability to establish

parametric relationships between components. You can relate the locations and
orientations of components to each other by defining mating conditions in an
assembly.
Define mating conditions.

Reposition components.
ÉÉÉ
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Mating Conditions
Mating Conditions
General Concepts
By applying mating conditions to components in an assembly, you establish

parametric, positional relationships between objects in them.
These relationships are termed mating constraints.
Example:
If you aligned the cylindrical face of a bolt to the
cylindrical face of a hole in a block and then moved
the hole, the bolt would automatically move with it.
A mating condition is made up of one or more mating constraints. There are

eight types of constraints: Mate, Align, Angle, Parallel, Perpendicular, Center,
Distance and Tangent.
Mating Condition
Mating Constraints(8)
Mate Angle Perpendicular Distance
ÉÉÉ Align Parallel Center Tangent
ÉÉÉ
14
ÉÉÉ A mated component does not need to be fully constrained to be functional.
FROM / TO
When selecting objects to mate, the cue line will be directing you to select
FROM and TO objects. The FROM object is part of the component that is
going to move to a new position. The TO object is part of the component that is
remaining in its present location.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
The Mate Constraint
When applying the Mate constraint to components using planar faces and
datum planes, the objects will be oriented so that their normals are parallel and
point in opposite directions. The components will not necessarily have physical
contact but will be coplanar. By definition, a face normal in a solid body points
away from the solid.
Selected FROM" face

on the component to be
mated
The shaded surfaces
are now constrained to
be coplanar.
Selected TO" face on the

component to mate to
When mating asymmetrical faces, i.e. cylindrical to cylindrical, spherical to

spherical, the radii must be the same; conical to conical, the taper must be the
same.
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ÉÉÉ
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Mating Conditions
The Mate constraint can also be used to position an edge or curve object of a
component with a planar object, (planar faces and datum planes), of another
component. A vector will be determined from the edge or curve object, the
objects will be oriented so that the vector and the planar object lie on the same
plane.
This face
This curve selected for
selected for This curve is now located
the TO.
the FROM. on a plane that passes
through the shaded face.
FROM Component object is

made up of a block, line, and arc.
This vector, which is normal

This face and centered to the arc is now
selected for located on a plane that passes
the TO. through the shaded face.
This curve selected
for the FROM.
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ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
The Align Constraint

When applying the Align constraint to components using planar objects of
(planar faces and datum planes), the objects will be oriented so that their
normals are parallel and point in the same direction. The components will not
necessarily have physical contact but will be coplanar.
FROM" face
TO" face
When aligning asymmetrical faces, i.e. cylindrical to cylindrical, spherical to

spherical, or conical to conical, the radii and/or taper do not have to be the
same.
FROM" face
TO" face
The Align constraint can also be used to position an edge or curve object of a ÉÉÉ
component with a planar object, (planar faces and datum planes), of another ÉÉÉ
14
component. A vector will be determined from the edge or curve object, the
objects will be oriented so that the vector and the planar object lie on the same
ÉÉÉ
plane, (same behavior as with mate constraint).
Using the CSYS Filter
The Align constraint allows the use of existing coordinate systems for
FROM/TO selection objects. When using the CSYS, the user selects the
FROM CSYS and then immediately selects the TO CSYS. This constraint will
remove all DOFs between the two respective components.
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Mating Conditions
The Angle Constraint
Use the Angle constraint when you need to control specific angles between
objects of components.
The example below illustrates an angle constraint that is being applied in

conjunction with two other constraints. The two planar faces of the blocks must
always be coplanar by virtue of the Mate constraint. The pivot for the Angle
constraint is a function of the Align constraint that is applied to the two edges.
First:
The top face of the large block
and the bottom face of the small
block have Mate a constraint.
Third: Second:
The two shaded faces These two edges have
have an Angle
ÉÉÉ
an Align constraint.
constraint of 30
ÉÉÉ
14
degrees.
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
The Parallel Constraint
Use the Parallel constraint when you need to establish parallelism between
objects of components. Objects that have surface normals associated to them
will be oriented parallel based on those normals.
When applying the Parallel constraint to position a planar object of a

component, (planar faces and datum planes), with an edge or curve object of
another component; a vector will be determined from the edge or curve object,
that vector and the planar object's normal will then become parallel.
This curve is now

This curve This face selected parallel to the normal
selected for for the TO. of the shaded face.
the FROM.

This curve selected

for the FROM.
ÉÉÉ
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14
ÉÉÉ
This vector is now
This face parallel to the normal
selected for of the shaded face.
the TO.
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Mating Conditions
The Perpendicular Constraint
Use the Perpendicular constraint when you need to establish perpendicularity

between objects of components. Objects that have surface normals associated to
them will be oriented perpendicular based on those normals.
When applying the Perpendicular constraint to position a planar object of a

component, (planar faces and datum planes), with an edge or curve object of
another component; a vector will be determined from the edge or curve object,
that vector and the planar object's normal will then become perpendicular.
This curve is now

This curve This face selected perpendicular to the
selected for for the TO. normal of the shaded face.
the FROM.

This face
This vector is now
selected for
perpendicular to the
This curve selected the TO.
normal of the shaded
ÉÉÉ
for the FROM. face.
ÉÉÉ
14
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
The Center Constraint
The center constraint may be used to center 1 or 2 objects of a component to 1

or 2 objects of another component. See the examples below.
Center Objects
1 to 1
Selections
This face This face

selected for selected for
the FROM. the TO.
Center Objects Top View Top View

1 to 2
Selections
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
This face
selected for 14
ÉÉÉ
These two shaded faces
the FROM. are selected for the TO
and Second TO.
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Mating Conditions
Center Objects
Top View Top View
2 to 2
Selections
These two shaded faces are

selected for the FROM and
Second FROM.
These two shaded faces
are selected for the TO
and Second TO.
Procedure:
Choose the Center constraint.
Set the Object filter.
Set the number of objects to use (Center Objects).
Select the objects as instructed on the cue line.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
The Distance Constraint
This constraint allows the user to define distance between two geometric
entities. The sign (+/-) of the dimension controls which side of the surface the
solution is on.
The Tangent Constraint
The tangent constraint defines a physical contact between two geometric

entities. There can be multiple solutions to a tangent constraint. To allow the
user to specify which solution is desired, a help point will be computed from the
pick position on the surface and used to find a unique solution to the tangent
constraint.
The following are some examples of tangent constraints:
Point on Surface.
Line tangent to Surface.
Plane tangent to Sphere.
Plane tangent to Cylinder.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
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Mating Conditions
Constraint / Object Matrix

The below table is available as a tear out in the back of the book.
Point Line Circle Plane CylindriĆ Spherical Conical Toroidial

cal Face Face Face Face
Mate
Point Align
Distance
Mate
Align
Line Mate Angle
Align Parallel
(Datum Axis) Distance Perpend.
Center
Distance
Mate Mate
Align Align
Mate
Angle Angle
Align
Parallel Parallel
Circle Center
Perpend. Perpend.
Distance
Center Center
Tangent
Distance Distance
Tangent Tangent
Mate
Mate Mate
Align
Align Align
Plane Mate Angle
Angle Angle
Align Parallel
Parallel Parallel
(Planar Face) Center Perpend.
Perpend. Perpend.
(Datum Plane) Distance Center
Center Center
Distance
Distance Distance
Tangent
Mate Mate Mate Mate
Align Align Align Align
Mate
Angle Angle Angle Angle
Align
Cylindrical Parallel Parallel Parallel Parallel
Center
ÉÉÉ
Face Perpend. Perpend. Perpend. Perpend.
Distance
Center Center Center Center
ÉÉÉ
14
Tangent
Distance Distance Distance Distance
ÉÉÉ Mate
Align
Tangent Tangent Tangent Tangent
Mate
Align
Mate
Align
Mate
Align
Mate
Align
Mate
Align
Spherical
Center Center Center Center Center Center
Face
Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance
Tangent Tangent Tangent Tangent Tangent Tangent
Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate
Conical Align Align Align Align Align Align Align
Face Center Center Center Center Center Center Center
Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance
Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate
Toroidial Align Align Align Align Align Align Align Align
Face Center Center Center Center Center Center Center Center
Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance Distance
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
The Mating Conditions Dialog Box
Mating conditions are applied from the Mating Conditions dialog box and can
be accessed by choosing AssembliesComponentsMate Component.
Mating Conditions
Tree Listing
Constraint
Types
Selection
Types
Expression
ÉÉÉ
Name
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14
Expression
Value
ÉÉÉ
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Mating Conditions
Defining Mating Constraints

Choose the type of constraint you want to apply.
Select the filter type.
The system prompts you to select an object FROM component to be mated
(component you are moving").
The system prompts you to select an object on component to mate TO
(component that will remain stationary). Select the desired object.
Choose:
Preview then Apply
or
OK to accept the constraint and dismiss the dialog box window.
Vary Constraints
The Vary Constraints option can be used to reposition the active component in
the mating dialog. When repositioning a component, the applied mating
constraints may limit the freedom of movement. This dialog box has similar
functions to the Reposition Component dialog box. A different component can
be selected and repositioned by choosing the Selects Component icon.
Select Finished
Components Selection
ÉÉÉ
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14
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Degree of Freedom Indicators
The system may display temporary arrows indicating remaining Degrees of

Freedom. The Show Degrees of Freedom option may be toggled to turn on and
off the display of these arrows.
A Mate constraint applied to the faces shown, constrains the small

block in the direction normal to the faces. The small block is still free
to translate and rotate in a plane parallel to the faces.
Preview
The Preview option becomes active after all the objects have been correctly
selected for a constraint. This option lets you preview the solution by actually
moving the component based on the existing constraints. Additional constraints
may then be applied. After previewing the constraint, choose Apply or OK to
accept the constraint or continue creating another constraint. If the constraint
is not as desired, choose Unpreview and use the marching icons to define
different FROM and TO faces.
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ÉÉÉ
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Mating Conditions
List Errors
If there are no degree of freedom indicators visible and the Show Current
Solution option is unavailable, you may have tried to define an invalid mating
constraint. This will activate the List Errors button. Choosing it will present
information concerning the error status. The constraint must be deleted and
recreated.
The OK, Apply, and Cancel Buttons

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
14 The OK button should be selected only after all constraints have been applied.
ÉÉÉ This will save" the mating condition (and its constraints) and dismiss the
dialog box.
The Apply button will apply the constraint and the Mating Conditions dialog
box will remain open.
The Cancel button will dismiss the dialog box and not save any of the
constraints you added.
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Mating Conditions
Tree Listing
The Mating Conditions Tree Listing list all of the assemblies mating conditions
and constraints. Several options and viewing preferences may be controlled
from the Listing Tree. See the illustration below.
Mating Condition
expanded to display
constraints
Mating
Condition
Mating
Constraint
Mating Constraint
Mating Popup Menu
Constraint
suppression
toggle
Constraint Suppress/Unsuppress Toggle Ć Controls the suppression status of the

selected constraint.
A suppressed mating constraint is ignored during geometric edits.

If a mating constraint is being unsuppressed, the mating condition must
be solved again.
Mating Constraint Popup Menu

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The mating constraints popup menu is activated by placing the cursor on a
mating constraint and pressing MB3.
ÉÉÉ
Alternate Solution Ć Produces any other solution that is applicable to the
selected constraint.
Convert To Ć Allows the constraint to be changed to another applicable
constraint, i.e. Mate to Distance.
Delete Ć Removes the selected mating constraint.
Rename Ć Allows the renaming of a mating constraint.
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Mating Conditions
Mating Condition Popup Menu
The mating condition popup menu is activated by placing the cursor on a

mating condition and pressing MB3.
Mating Condition Highlighting

Popup Menu Conditions
Mating
Condition
suppression
toggle
Highlight/Unhighlight Ć will highlight or unhighlight the current condition.
From Ć Highlights the FROM object for all constraints of the selected
condition.
To Ć Highlights the TO object for all constraints of selected condition.
With/Without Direction Ć Controls the display of the objects normal or
vector.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Show/Remove Degrees of Freedom Ć Controls the display of the remaining
14 Degrees of Freedom (DOF).
ÉÉÉ
Suppress/Unsuppress Ć Controls the suppression status of the selected
condition. Can also be performed by using the suppression toggle in front of the
condition name.
A suppressed mating condition is ignored during geometric edits.

No error messages will be displayed for suppressed mating conditions.
If you modify a component creating a failed constraint, that constraint
must be deleted before the mating condition can be unsuppressed.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Delete Ć Removes the selected mating condition.
Rename Ć Allows the renaming of a mating condition.
Remember Constraints Ć Mating constraints may be saved for a selected mating

condition within the assembly part file. This allows learned" or automatic
mating when the same component is added to the assembly again.
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Mating Conditions
Repositioning Components
The Repositioning functionality may be used on a component object that: does
not have any mating conditions, the mating conditions have been suppressed, or
the component object is partially constrained. If the component is partially
constrained then its mating constraints will be enforced within the reposition
function. To Reposition a component choose the Reposition Component icon or
choose AssembliesComponentsReposition Components from the
assemblies toolbar.
Reposition Component Dialog

Repositioning can be accomplished in the Reposition Component dialog box by:
Point to Point Translation
Translate
Rotating about a point
Rotating about a line
Reposition
Rotating between axes
Rotating between points
Rotate About a Point Rotate About a Line
Translate Reposition
Point to Point Rotate

Between Axes
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Rotate Between
14 Points
ÉÉÉ
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Mating Conditions
Move Objects or Move Handles Only

These are radio buttons that let you specify whether you want the objects to
move along with the handles (e.g., so you can rotate the component about a
specific point or axis, or translate along a specific vector). If desired, you could
move the handle only.
Distance or Angle
The Distance or Angle input field lets you define a distance (or angle) for
movement.
Snap Increment
Snap Increment allows snapping to "wholeĆmultiple" distances when dragging

handles.
Point Method
Provides options to let you define points as needed when moving the
component object(s) using the handle method. This option is active if the
handle origin is active.
Vector Method
Provides options to let you define vectors as needed when moving the
component object(s) using the handle method. This option is active if one of the
handle's three vectors is selected.
ÉÉÉ
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Snap Handles to WCS ÉÉÉ
Provides a means for moving the handles to the origin and orientation of the
current WCS.
Motion Animation
This slider lets you specify how finely the motion is animated (from Fine to
Coarse) during the motion that you have defined.
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Mating Conditions
Collision Mode
Collision Mode allows you choose whether to check the clearance using no
objects (i.e., OFF), faceted representations of objects, or first the facets and
then the solids (if loaded).
Stop on Collision
Stop on Collision is only active when Collision Mode is set to Quick Facet or
Facet/Solid. When toggled ON, this option will stop the animation when a
collision occurs. When toggled OFF, the colliding objects will highlight but the
motion will not stop.
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EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Repositioning Components by Dragging
Components can be repositioned by the use of drag handles for quickness and
ease.
When the Reposition Component dialog box is displayed, the graphics screen
displays a set of handles that can be used to drag the component.
The handles can be:
Dragged after selecting one handle (i.e., hold MB1 down while moving
the handle).
Translated by selecting the origin handle and then selecting a point.
Transformed so the handles are aligned to a coordinate system.
For example:
Selecting the filled square origin will allow you translate to a point by ÉÉÉ
picking a point.
ÉÉÉ
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Selecting the filled square origin and dragging will translate the ÉÉÉ
component.
Selecting an open circle (on each axis) will allow you to translate the
component along the axis.
Selecting an filled circle will allow you to rotate the component around an
axis.
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Mating Conditions
Activity 1 - Mating the Nut Cracker Components

In this activity, you will assign mating constraints to components of a nut
cracker assembly. The component part files have already been added to an
assembly. In consideration of the class time constraint, the smasher plate, base,
mount, ramrod, and hinges have already had mate conditions applied to them.
Design Intent: There will be associative relationships between component part

files, so that any changes in size and shape of individual component part files
will cause the assembly to update.
Step 1 Open the part, dau_nut_cracker_assm and start/verify

the Modeling and Assembly applications..
Shaft
Arm
Crank
Smasher Plate
Ramrod
Link
Hinges
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
14 Base
ÉÉÉ Mount
Step 2 Change the display of the Hidden Edges to visible for

easier recognition of faces.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Step 3 Assign mating conditions between the Base and the Shaft.
Choose AssembliesComponentsReposition Component

or by choose the Reposition Component icon from the
Assemblies toolbar.
Select the Shaft component and click the middle mouse

button (MB2).
Select the square drag handle (origin) and holding down

MB1, drag the crank to the location shown below, release
MB1, and choose OK.
Cancel the Reposition dialog box (MB2) and Fit the view.
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Shaft
Choose Mate Component.
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Mating Conditions
Choose Center.
Notice that the From Selection icon is active.
The cue line reads:

Select object FROM component to be mated.
Select the face of the shaft component as shown below.
Select this face.
The selection step advances to To and the cue line reads:

Select object on component to mate TO.
Select the cylindrical face of the Mount component as shown

below and choose Preview.
Select this face.
ÉÉÉ
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14
ÉÉÉ Choose Apply.
The constraint is applied and the selection step returns to
From.
Choose Distance.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Select the face of the Shaft component as shown below.
Select this face.
Select the face of the Mount component as shown below and

key in an offset value of 1.5, and then choose Preview.
Select this face.
Choose Apply and then Cancel.
Step 4 Assign mating conditions between the Shaft and the

Crank components.
Choose Reposition Component.
Select the crank component and click the middle mouse

ÉÉÉ
button (MB2).
ÉÉÉ
14
Rotate and translate the crank component to the ÉÉÉ
approximate location and orientation shown using the
reposition handles.
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Mating Conditions
NOTE: If you do not have the exact location, it doesn't matter.

The mating conditions will define its position in the next step.
Choose Align.
Select the face of the Crank component as shown below.
1st Select this face

to define the FROM.
2nd Select the end

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
face of the shaft to
14 define the TO.
ÉÉÉ Select the face of the Shaft component as shown above and
choose Preview.
The shaft is oriented to meet the constraint although it has

not been applied yet.
Choose Apply.
The previous constraint has now been applied.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Choose Center.
Select the cylindrical face of the Crank component as shown

below.

to define the FROM.
2nd Select this face
to define the TO.
Select the cylindrical face of the Shaft component as shown

above and choose Preview and then choose Apply.
Choose Parallel.
Select the internal planar face of the crank as shown below.
ÉÉÉ
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14
ÉÉÉ
Select this face to

define the FROM.
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Mating Conditions
Select the planar face on the Shaft component as shown

below and then choose Preview.
Select this face to

define the TO.
The shaft and crank are oriented to reflect the constraint.
If the planar faces are 180° out of sync choose Alternate

Solution and then choose OK. If the planar faces are
oriented properly, choose OK until the Mating Conditions
dialog box is dismissed.
Step 5 Reposition the crank component to see the effect of the

mating conditions applied so far.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
14 Select the crank component and choose OK.
ÉÉÉ Select the square drag handle (origin) and, holding down
MB1, drag the crank around in a circular motion and verify
that the shaft rotates. Choose MB2 to cancel the dialog box.
Step 6 Assign mating conditions between the Shaft and Arm

components.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Select the arm and choose OK.
Select the square drag handle and holding down MB1, drag
the Arm closer to the assembly and choose MB2.
Choose Center.
Select the cylindrical face of the Arm component as shown

below. You may have a different orientation of the arm.
1st Select this cylindrical

face to define the FROM.
2nd Select this cylindrical

face to define the TO.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select the cylindrical face of the Shaft component as shown
above and choose Preview and then choose Apply. 14
ÉÉÉ
Choose Distance.
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Mating Conditions
Select the face of the Arm component for the FROM

selection as shown below.

to define the FROM.
2nd Select this

Select the face of the Shaft component for the TO selection

as shown above, enter an offset value of -.25, and then press
Enter.
Choose Apply.
Choose Parallel.
Select the internal planar face of the Arm component as

shown below.
Select this
planar face.
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ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Select the planar face of the Shaft component as shown

below and then choose Preview.
Select this
planar face.
If the planar faces are 180° out of sync choose

Alternate Solution and then choose Apply. If the planar faces
are oriented properly, choose Apply.
Cancel the Mating Conditions dialog box.
Step 7 Reposition the crank component to see the effect of the

mating conditions applied so far.
Select the crank component and choose OK.
Select the square drag handle (origin) and holding down

MB1, drag the crank around in a circular motion and verify
that the shaft and the arm rotate.
ÉÉÉ
Choose MB2 to cancel the repositioning.
ÉÉÉ
14
ÉÉÉ
Step 8 Assign mating conditions between the Arm and Link
components.
Choose Center.
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Mating Conditions
Select the faces as directed in the illustration below.
1st
Select this cylindrical
2nd
Choose Apply to apply the constraints.
Set the Center Objects filter to 2 to 2.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
14
ÉÉÉ Note that in the following constraint you will be selecting 4 faces.
FROM Second TO
TO Second FROM
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Select the faces as directed below.
The orientation of your components may differ than the

illustrations below.
1st
Select this face to
define the FROM.
2nd
Select this face to
define the TO.
3rd
Select this face to define
the Second FROM.
ÉÉÉ
4th ÉÉÉ
14
Select this face to
define the Second TO. ÉÉÉ
Choose Apply.
Set the Center Objects filter to 1 to 1.
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Mating Conditions
Select the faces as directed in the illustration below.
2nd
1st
Choose Apply.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
14 Cancel the Mating Constraints dialog box.
ÉÉÉ
Step 9 Visually verify the mating constraints.
Orient the view to the Trimetric view (MB3).
Shade the model (MB3).
Choose Reposition.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Select the crank component and accept with MB2.
Drag the crank around using the handles.
Notice how the different component move within the constraints that have been
assigned to them.
The assembly can be rotated while using the reposition drag function.
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Mating Conditions
Activity 2 - Remember Constraints

In this activity, you will assign mating constraints to components of a
sub-assembly and top-level assembly. The mating constraints will then be
saved using the Remember Constraints function and then additional
components of the same name will be added by taking advantage of the
learned" constraints.
Step 1 Open the part, dau_rem_const_assm and start/verify the

Modeling and Assembly applications..
Step 2 Examine the assembly.
Choose the Assembly Navigator icon.
bracket
chassis
ÉÉÉ Step 3 Add hardware to the bracket and save the mating
ÉÉÉ
14 constraints.
ÉÉÉ Make dau_rem_const_brkt the Displayed Part.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
Choose the Add Existing Component icon.
Choose the Choose Part File button.
Select dau_rem_const_nut and choose MB2.
Change the Reference Set to BODY.
Change the Positioning option to Mate and choose MB2.
Mate the mounting flange of the clinch nut to one of the

bracket inside surfaces.
Center the collar of the clinch nut into one of the holes on
the mate" surface.
mounting
flange
collar
bracket inside
surfaces
ÉÉÉ
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14
ÉÉÉ
Apply the constraints.
Place the cursor over the Mating Condition name, choose

MB3 and then Remember Constraints.
Choose OK in the Mating condition remembered message

window.
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Mating Conditions
Choose OK to dismiss the Mating Conditions dialog box.
Step 4 Add the remaining hardware using the learned" mating

constraints.
Choose the Add Existing Component icon again.
Choose dau_rem_const_nut from the Select Part dialog box

and choose MB2.
Ensure the Reference Set is set to BODY and the Positioning

option is set to Mate, then choose MB2.
The Place Component dialog box appears and the CUE line now prompts you
to Select the object on the component to mate TO. All of the FROM" faces, as
well as the types of mating constraints, have been saved with the Remember
Constraints function. The arrow in the Place Component dialog box defines
which Mating Constraint you are identifying the TO face for.
Defines which
is the active
constraint
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EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
The existing FROM face for the Mate constraint is already

highlighted in the Component Preview window. Select one of
the bracket inside surfaces to mate TO.
bracket inside
surface
The Mate constraint is now solved, which is noted by the checkmark. Notice the
clinch nut has rotated automatically in the Component Preview window to show
a better orientation of the FROM face.
ÉÉÉ
Select the appropriate hole to Center the clinch nut into and ÉÉÉ
14
choose MB2. ÉÉÉ
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Mating Conditions
Add two more clinch nuts to fill the two remaining holes.
The part should look like the following image when finished.
CHALLENGE: Return to dau_rem_const_assm and add the part

dau_rem_const_screw using the appropriate mating conditions to secure the
bracket to the chassis. Use the Remember Constraints function to add the
remaining screws to the assembly.
Step 5 Close all parts, do not save.
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EDS Unigraphics NX
Mating Conditions
SUMMARY Drag handles are a new and extremely efficient way to

reposition components. This lesson teaches the use of drag handles to
reposition components. It also covers mating constraints. By applying mating
conditions to components, you were able to relate their locations and
orientations in an assembly.
In this lesson you:
Defined mating conditions.

Repositioned components.
Added components using Remember Constraints.
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Mating Conditions
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Component Arrays
Component Arrays
Lesson 15
PURPOSE Time and effort can be saved by applying component arrays

and feature base component arrays. These features capitalize on the parametric
and associative characteristics already present in assembly models.
Create a Circular Component array.

Apply the From Feature ISET function.
Edit a circular array.
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Component Arrays
Component Arrays
You can use the Component Arrays options to create and edit linear and
circular arrays of components in an assembly based on a template component.
Creating a Component Array
A component array can be defined in one of two ways
As the component is added to the assembly by changing the Multiple Add

option to Array, or
After the component has been added to the assembly by choosing
Assemblies Components Create Array.
The Create Component Array dialog box allows you to define the type and
name of the array to create.
Linear is a linear array of components where you specify the number of

components, the spacing between them, and a direction reference.
Circular is a circular array of components where you specify the number of

components, the angle between them, and an axis.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The From Feature ISET provides a means to quickly generate a pattern of
components with corresponding mating conditions based on an instance array
15
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
in a component part.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Component Arrays
Editing a Component Array
Component Arrays can be edited by choosing Assemblies Edit Component

Arrays.
The Edit Array Parameters option can be used to change the number of
components, spacing, or direction reference for a linear or circular array. Other
options are available to rename and delete arrays.
TIP The number of components and spacing values are stored as

expressions. They can also be edited from the expression editor by
choosing ToolsExpression.
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Component Arrays
Activity 1 - Creating a Circular Component Array

In this activity, you will create a component array to define three additional
locator blocks.
Step 1 Open dau_fixture_assm2 and start the Modeling

Step 2 Display the datum axis which will define the axis of the
array.
Choose Format→Layer Settings.
Step 3 Create a component array of locator blocks.
Choose Create Component Array.
Select dau_locator from the Assembly Navigator and then

OK.
Choose Circular from the Create Component Array dialog

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
box and choose OK.
15
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Toggle the Datum Axis option ON in the dialog box.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Component Arrays
Select the datum axis from the graphics area.
Enter a Total Number of 4, an Angle of 90 and choose OK.
The three additional locators are added to the assembly.
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Component Arrays
FeatureĆBased Component Arrays
In many cases it is necessary to associate an array of components to a

corresponding array of features in another component of the assembly (i.e.
bolts associated to a hole pattern). This can be accomplished by using the
From Feature ISET option in the Create Component Array dialog box.
The Template Component
Component arrays produce occurrences of a template"component object.

These occurrences are all associated to the template component. Any changes
made to the original component are reflected in the occurrences of the
component.
The template component defines certain properties for any newly generated
occurrences within the array which include:
component part
color
layer
name
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Component Arrays
Component Arrays and Mating Conditions
When using the From Feature ISET option, mating constraints will be
generated for the new occurrences based on those of the template component.
If the constraint has been applied to an object belonging to a feature used to

create the instance array, the constraint will be duplicated for each occurrence
of the component.
Because the component array uses the mating constraints of the template
component, you must assign mating constraints to the template before creating
the ISET component array.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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Component Arrays
FeatureĆBased Array Associativity
If the number of features in an instance set is changed, the components in the

array associated to those features will also change (added or deleted).
Furthermore, if a feature in an instance set is removed entirely as a result of a

modeling change, the corresponding component in the array will also be
removed.
Template" component
New template"
component
Hole is removed
from array.
If the deleted component was the template", the system assigns a new
template from the remaining components in the array.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Component Arrays
Activity 2 - Creating Feature ISET Component Arrays

In this activity, you will create a component array for a washer and a hex bolt
based on the circular feature instance array of holes in the yoke. This is possible
because the template washer and hex bolt will be mated to one of the instance
array holes.
Step 1 Open the dau_valve_assm_2 part file and start the

Modeling application. Verify the Assemblies application is
ON.
Yoke
Step 2 Add a washer.
Add the dau_washer part using the BODY reference set and
the Mate Positioning option.
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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Component Arrays
Mate the bottom face of the washer to the top face of the
yoke.
First select the bottom

(FROM") face of the washer
to mate
Second select the

top (TO") face of
the yoke
Center the cylindrical face of the washer to the hole in the

yoke. (This is necessary so that you can later create a
component array of bolts and washers associated to the
instance array of hole features in the yoke).
First select the interior cylindrical

(FROM") face of washer
Second select the

cylindrical (TO")
face of the hole.
Choose Preview and OK twice.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Component Arrays
Step 3 Add a hex bolt.
Add the dau_hex_bolt part using the BODY reference set

and the Mate Positioning option.
Mate the bottom face of the bolt head to the top face of the
washer.
First select the

bottom (FROM")
face of the bolt head
to mate
Second select
the top (TO")
face of the
washer
Center the cylindrical face of the bolt to the hole in the yoke
(Again, this is necessary so that you can later create a
component array of bolts and washers associated to the
instance array of hole features in the yoke).
First select the cylindrical

(FROM") face of the bolt
Second select the

cylindrical (TO") face of
the hole
Choose Preview and OK twice.

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Component Arrays
Choose Cancel.
Step 4 Create the component array.
Choose Create Component Array.
Choose the dau_hex_bolt and the dau_washer from the

Assembly Navigator and OK.
TIP Use the Ctrl key while selecting the second component from the
Assembly Navigator.
If necessary, choose the From Feature ISET option.
Choose OK.
A component array of washers and hex_bolts is generated based on the

placement of the hole instance set of the yoke.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Component Arrays
Step 5 Verify that new mating conditions were generated.
Choose Mating Conditions.
Note that you now have mating conditions for all of the occurrences of the
hex_bolts and washers.
Choose Cancel to dismiss the dialog box.
Step 6 Edit the bolt hole pattern in the Yoke.
Make dau_valve_yoke the work part.
Select one of the hole features of the bolt hole pattern and
accept it.
Choose Instance Array Dialog.
Change the values as follows:
Number = 8
Angle = 360/8
Choose OK three times.
Make dau_valve_assm_2 the Work Part.
Notice how the quantity of fasteners has updated to meet the design change.
To complete this edit, the bolt hole pattern in the valve_housing would also be
changed.
Step 7 Close the assembly; do not save. ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
15
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
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Component Arrays
SUMMARY Component arrays take advantage of existing parametric data

and can save time in adding component part files to an assembly.
In this lesson you:
Created a circular component array.

Applied the From Feature ISET function.
Edited a circular array.
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Part Families ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Lesson 16
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
PURPOSE Part Families provide a method to quickly define a family of

similar parts based on a single template part. In this lesson you will create a
part family to generate a family of standard parts.
Demonstrate an understanding of the capabilities and concepts of Part

Families.
Define a Part Family for a standard part.
Create Family Member parts from a template part.
Add a Part Family member to an assembly.
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Part Families
ÉÉÉ Capabilities and General Concepts

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ Part Families provide you with a fast way to generate a family of similar parts.
Each family member is based on a single template part, which can be a piece
part or an assembly.
You are able to specify properties which may vary between family members.
These properties may be expression values, attribute values, or optional
features, for example.
The Unigraphics spreadsheet is used to define the members of the family and
their values for each of these properties. Changes to the template part can be
propagated to all parts which are members of that family.
Common Uses
The most common use for Part Families is to aid in the creation of a library of
standard parts, such as bolts or washers.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Terminology ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
There are some terms that are specific to the Family of Parts functions, as
explained below.
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Template part - A Unigraphics part file constructed in such a way as to allow a
family of parts to be built based on it.
Family table - A table created from the template part, in the Unigraphics
spreadsheet function, that describes the various attributes of the template part
that you can change when you create a family member.
Family member - A readĆonly part file created from, and associated with, a
template part and family table.
Part Family - The template part, family table, and family member parts.
General Procedure
Create a template part.
In the template part, define the attributes that will be used in the family.
Create and save a family table in the spreadsheet, defining the various
configurations of the family members.
Choose Part Family→Create Parts in the family table (spreadsheet).
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Part Families
ÉÉÉ Part Families Dialog Box

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
The Part Families dialog box is accessed in the Modeling application by
choosing Tools→Part Families from the main menu bar.
You can use the areas in the upper portion of the Part Families dialog box to
specify the columns in the Part Families spreadsheet.
Option menu for

Attribute Classes
Available
columns
Chosen
columns
Chosen
columns
Available Columns
The Available Columns list box shows you the items available in the current
part to be defined as columns in the family table spreadsheet. Only the items of
the class shown on the option button are displayed.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Attribute Classes
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
You can select from six different attribute classes when defining the columns in
the part family spreadsheet. You can later change the values of these attributes ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
in the spreadsheet to define parts with different configurations. The available
classes are:
Attributes - You can use part attributes and their values for a family.
Components - (For assembly template parts) You can replace a specified
component with a different component, or you can remove it altogether
by leaving the spreadsheet entry blank.
Expressions - You can supply values for expressions when the family
member is created. Only constant expressions can be used.
Mirror - If you have a mirror body in your part, a part family member
can use the base body, by entering a value of No in the spreadsheet, or
the mirrored body, by entering a value of Yes.
Density - This option presents a list of all the named solid bodies in the
part, allowing you to assign a density to each one. When the family
member is created, you can specify a density and it will be applied to all
bodies with that name. Use EditProperties to assign a name to the
body.
Features - Features may be suppressed, by entering a value of No in the
spreadsheet, or not suppressed, by entering a value of Yes.
Add Column
To add a column to the Chosen Columns list, select its name in the Available
Columns list, then choose Add Column.
Chosen Columns
The Chosen Columns list box shows you the items that have been selected for
the part family. Each item in this list represents one column in the spreadsheet.
Remove Column
To remove a column from the Chosen Columns list, select its name from the list
and choose Remove Column.
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16-5
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Create
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
This option invokes the spreadsheet for a new family of parts after you specify
the columns.
Edit
This option invokes an existing spreadsheet for editing.
Delete
This option deletes the spreadsheet, which deletes the entire family of parts.
NOTE: If the deleted part family has any member parts that have
been created, they will revert to being ordinary Unigraphics part
files.
Resume
After control has been transferred to Unigraphics to verify or create a part, you
must choose Resume to return control to the spreadsheet.
Cancel
This option cancels any edits made to the spreadsheet after the last save, and
returns control to Unigraphics. Therefore, if you edit the spreadsheet, then do
a verify to check the edits, you can choose Cancel to leave the family table as it
was before the edits.
TIP When migrating to a new version of Unigraphics, you must first

update and save all part families and members before adding the
members to an assembly.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
The Part Family Spreadsheet ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Choosing the Create button invokes the spreadsheet. While the spreadsheet is ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
active, Unigraphics is inactive.
Unix platforms will need to use the Xess spreadsheet, which is the default
setting. Windows platforms will need to change to the Excel spreadsheet under
PreferencesSpreadsheet.
The first column in the spreadsheet will have a header for Part_Name. The
rows below it are for entering the part name of all the family members.
The other columns have headers corresponding to the properties you chose.
The second row is filled in with the values that exist in the template part for the
properties chosen. The rest of the family can be defined by simply typing in the
appropriate values in the spreadsheet.
When you are in the spreadsheet, there are several options available in the Part
Family pullĆdown menu.
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16-7
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Verify Part

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
The family member whose row is selected is theoretically" created and you are
given a message to let you know whether it is possible to create a part with the
current configuration of attribute values. During this process, control is
transferred back to Unigraphics. To continue, choose Resume on the Part
Families dialog box to return to the spreadsheet.
Update Parts
This option works in two ways:
If no rows are selected in the spreadsheet
The system searches for each member of the family, using the current search
rules.
For each member it finds, it checks to see if that member is out of date with
respect to the current definition, which includes both geometry changes to the
template part and changes to the definition in the family table.
If the member is out of date, the system will update(recreate and save) the
member part. The updated member part will be saved over the existing part if
possible. If the member part was write protected, the new member part is saved
to the directory specified under File→Options→Save Options. An update
report is also generated.
If any rows are selected in the spreadsheet
The system searches for the selected members of the family, as above. However,
it will not check to see if the member is out of date. It will simply create and
save the new version and, following the same rules as above, either save it to the
current location or to the directory specified on the Save Options dialog box.
This option is offered primarily to cope with changes that may not be detected.
An example would be attaching a name to a face. In this case, the model is not
modified and the system does not detect that the member part is out of date.
NOTE: When you choose Update Parts, the family (i.e., the
spreadsheet) is saved. The template part itself, however, is not
saved. It is recommended that when you edit a template part or the
spreadsheet, you update the associated family members as well,
since you are not notified that an update is needed when a family
member part file is subsequently loaded.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Create Parts ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
The family member whose row is selected is actually created and saved as a part ÉÉÉ16
file. During the creation of the part, control is transferred back to Unigraphics ÉÉÉ
and the Information window lets you know whether the part was successfully
created and saved. To continue, choose Resume on the Part Families dialog box
to return to the spreadsheet.
NOTE: The created parts are saved in the directory specified under
FileOptionsSave Options.
Save Family
This option saves the spreadsheet data and returns you to Unigraphics.
NOTE: Save Family and Create Parts will save the family
(spreadsheet) but the template part file is not saved.
Cancel
Returns you to Unigraphics without saving any changes made to the

spreadsheet.
Creating Family Members
Once you have defined the family members, you can create the actual part files
in one of two ways.
Use the Create Parts in the family table (spreadsheet), or

Choose a template part when adding a component to an assembly (Edit
Structure→Add). The family member part file is created, saved, and
added to the assembly.
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16-9
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Activity 1 - Creating a Family of Standard Parts-Excel

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16 Unix users go to Activity 2.
ÉÉÉ Probably the most common use of Part Families is to define a standard library
part that has many variations.
In this activity, you will create a part family for a hex bolt which has variations
in head size and length. You will also use the feature attribute to suppress and
unsuppress holes for safety wire. The template part has already been created for
you.
Step 1 Open the part dau_hexbolt_fam and rename

***_hexbolt_fam.
Step 2 Choose ApplicationModeling and verify that the

Assemblies application is enabled.
Step 3 Define the columns for the Family Table.
Choose Tools→Part Families from the main menu bar.
Select the bolt_dia expression from the top window of the

Part Families dialog box.
Choose the Add Column button.
Option menu
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Select the head_dia expression from the top window of the

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
NOTE: Instead of choosing, Add Column, you could just doubleĆclick
on the expression, i.e. head_dia.
DoubleĆclick on the head_height expression from the top

window of the Part Families dialog box.
DoubleĆclick on the length expression from the top window

of the Part Families dialog box.
Change the option menu at the top of the dialog box from
Expressions to Features.
DoubleĆclick on WIRE_HOLES[0](23)/SIMPLE_HOLE(23)
from the top list of the Part Families dialog box.
NOTE: The order in which you select the attributes determines the
order of columns in the spreadsheet.
Step 4 Create the family table.
Choose the Create button from the bottom portion of the

To expedite filling in the spreadsheet, you will import a text file that has been
created for you.
In the spreadsheet application choose FileOpen.
Set the Files of type: to Text Files (*.prn *.txt; *.csv).
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16-11
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Change the Look in: to point to the parts directory.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
DoubleĆclick on the dau_hexbolt_fam text file.
In the Text Import wizard, choose Finish.
In the dau_hexbolt_fam.txt spread sheet, select cell A:1 and

drag the cursor to cell F:12.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
All of the cells that have text are now highlighted.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Cell A:1
Cell F:12
Choose EditCopy.
Choose WindowWorksheet in Part Family Ć ***_HEX . . .
In the ***_HEXBOLT_FAM spread sheet, select cell A:2.
Choose EditPaste.
Step 5 Verify a family member
Select a cell in row 13.
From the spreadsheet menu bar choose

PartFamily→Verify Part.
The Unigraphics session becomes active and the family member is displayed in
the graphics window.
Notice that the safety wire holes are not present; in this family member the hole
feature is suppressed.
Choose Resume in the Part Families dialog box.
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16-13
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Step 6 Save the Part Family and the template part.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
PartFamily→Save Family.
NOTE: The Save Family option internally stores the spreadsheet

data within the template part file. It does not save the template
part file itself.
From the Unigraphics menu bar choose File→Save to save

the template part file containing the spreadsheet data.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Activity 2 - Creating a Family of Standard Parts-Xess ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Windows users skip this activity.
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Probably the most common use of Part Families is to define a standard library
part that has many variations.
In this activity, you will create a part family for a hex bolt which has variations
in head size and length. You will also use the feature attribute to suppress and
unsuppress holes for safety wire. The template part has already been created for
you.
Step 1 Open the part dau_hexbolt_fam and rename

***_hexbolt_fam.
Step 2 Choose ApplicationModeling and verify that the

Assemblies application is enabled.
Step 3 Define the columns for the Family Table.
Choose Tools→Part Families from the main menu bar.
Select the bolt_dia expression from the top window of the

Option menu
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16-15
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Select the head_dia expression from the top window of the
ÉÉÉ Part Families dialog box.
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ Choose the Add Column button.
NOTE: Instead of choosing, Add Column, you could just doubleĆclick

on the expression, i.e. head_dia.
DoubleĆclick on the head_height expression from the top

window of the Part Families dialog box.
DoubleĆclick on the length expression from the top window

of the Part Families dialog box.
Change the option menu at the top of the dialog box from
Expressions to Features.
Select the WIRE_HOLES(0)(23)/SIMPLE_HOLE(23) from

the top list of the Part Families dialog box.
NOTE: The order in which you select the attributes determines the
order of columns in the spreadsheet.
Step 4 Create the family table.
Choose the Create button from the bottom portion of the

To expedite filling in the spreadsheet, you will import a text file that has been
created for you.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
With MB1 select cell A2 as shown below.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Select
this cell.
From the Spreadsheet menu, choose File→Import.
From your parts directory, select the dau_hexbolt_fam.txt

file and choose OK.
Step 5 Verify a family member
Select a cell in row 13.

PartFamily→Verify Part.
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16-17
Part Families
ÉÉÉ The Unigraphics session becomes active and the family member is displayed in
ÉÉÉ the graphics window.
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ Notice that the safety wire holes are not present; in this family member the hole
feature is suppressed.
Choose Resume in the Part Families dialog box.
Step 6 Save the Part Family and the template part.

PartFamily→Save Family.
NOTE: The Save Family option internally stores the spreadsheet

data within the template part file. It does not save the template
part file itself.
Step 7 From the Unigraphics menu bar choose FileSave to

save the template part file containing the spreadsheet
data.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Adding Part Family Members to an Assembly ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
When selecting a part family template part to add as a component to an
assembly, the Select Family Member dialog box is displayed. The Matching
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Members list box shows you any family members that have already been
created, whether they are components of the current assembly or not.
Family Attributes
(spreadsheet
columns)
Selection
Criteria
Family members
that meet the
criteria
You use this dialog box to choose which member of the part family to add to the
assembly, in one of several ways:
If you know the name of the family member you wish to use, choose the
name from the Matching Members list.
Enter the name in the Part Name text field.
Use the other options on to define selection criteria based on the values
of Family Attributes.
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16-19
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Selection Criteria

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
This section lets you narrow down the list of available family members by
specifying acceptable values of family attributes.
The shoulderbolt_fam part family has a total of ten members which are all
initially listed in the Matching Members list box. This list can be reduced by
selecting a family attribute and a value that meets your requirements.
When you select a family attribute, its name is inserted in the Selection Criteria
text field and all its possible values are listed in the Valid Values list box.
When length"
is selected ...
...its name is
inserted in the
text field, ...
... and its possible

values are listed in
the Valid Values
list box.
TIP You can also enter an expression in the Selection Criteria text field to
specify a range of values, or relate it to another expression (including
interpart expressions)(e.g. length>.75 && length<1.5).
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
You can select a value from the Valid Values list or enter the value in the
ÉÉÉ
Selection Criteria text field. The other values will move to the Invalid Values
ÉÉÉ
list box and the Matching Members list box changes to show only those family
members that meet the criteria. ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Whatever method of selection you use, your design intent is saved with the
component. This can be useful for design iterations that may require the use of
a different family member.
If you know the name of the part to add, you can enter it in the Part Name text
field. If you wish to add the template part itself, choose the Select Template
button.
EDS
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16-21
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Obtaining Information on Family Members

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ toOnceobtain
a family member has been added to an assembly there are different ways
information about it.
Family Of Parts Report
Choosing Assemblies→Reports→Family Report will display a listing of

components with applicable part family information. It indicates whether the
Displayed Part is a part family member or a template.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Activity 3 - Adding a Standard Part to an Assembly ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
Step 1 Choose FileOptionsLoad Options and make sure the
Load Method is set to From Directory.
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Step 2 Open dau_fixture_bolt_up.
Step 3 Add a hex bolt family member to the assembly.
Select the ***_hexbolt_fam as the part to add and choose

OK.
Select bolt_dia from the Family Attributes section of the

Select Family Member dialog box.
Choose .5 from the Valid Values section.
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16-23
Part Families
ÉÉÉ Choose WIRE_HOLES[0] . . . from the Family Attributes

ÉÉÉ section.
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ Choose YES from the Valid Values section.
Select hex_hd_8_Y in the Matching Members list and choose

OK.
TIP When the selection is narrowed down to only one part, you can
choose OK. If more than one part meets the criteria you can simply
select it from the Matching Members section.
The family member part is now created based on the selection criteria and the
template part.
Use the BODY reference set and change the Positioning

option to Mate. Apply mating conditions and locate the bolt
as shown below.
Choose OK.
Step 4 Add another hex bolt family member to the assembly.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Part Families
Select the ***_hexbolt_fam as the part to add and choose

ÉÉÉ
OK.
ÉÉÉ
If you know the family member name, it can be selected from the Matching
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
Members list.
Select hex_hd_5_N and choose OK.
Use the BODY reference set and the Mate Positioning

option. Using the mating conditions, locate the bolt in one of
the remaining holes.
Step 5 Add another hex_hd_5_N to the remaining hole.
CHALLENGE: Use the Remember Constraints function, in the

Mating Conditions dialog box, before adding the second hex
bolt.
Step 6 Close the ***_hexbolt_fam and dau_fixture_bolt_up part

files without saving.
EDS
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16-25
Part Families
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
16
ÉÉÉ
SUMMARY Part families allow you to quickly generate a family of similar

parts based on a single template part. You utilized Part Families to define
standard parts.
In this lesson you:
Demonstrated an understanding of the capabilities and concepts of Part

Families.
Defined a Part Family for a standard part.
Created Family Member parts from a template part.
Added a Part Family member to an assembly.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Revisions and Substitutions

Lesson 17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
PURPOSE After creating an assembly, you may have to revise or substitute
an existing component and change the name of the component part. In this
lesson you will investigate the different methods to revise components and the
assemblies that use them.
Revise a component and an assembly using

Save Part As.
Interrogate the modifications made to features of a part.
Identify the Load Options that search for revised components.
Substitute components in an existing assembly.
Apply Alternate mating conditions when substituting components.
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17-1
File Versioning/Revisions
There are many different ways to track revisions to a component after it has
been released. One of the most common methods is to reflect the revision in
the part name.
In this lesson, we will assume that if a component of an assembly is revised,

then the assembly will also be revised. For many applications, however, this is
not mandatory.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
Tracking Revisions By Part Number
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The most common way of keeping track of the legacy data for a part is to save
the part with a new name and then make changes to that new file. This method
is very efficient because you can easily identify the version of a loaded part from
the name.
It usually includes the revision letter or number. For example, a part named
123Ća indicates an A" revision on part 123. Once the new version of the part is
released, the old version could be archived.
There are several advantages to this method.
Advantages
Easy to create the change. Use Save As" on the affected components.
No file protection problem because owner performs the Save As".
The old and new parts can reside in the same directory.
The legacy information is accessed (if on line) by retrieving the older
revision assembly or component part.
Easy to track revisions on the shop floor when looking at numbered parts.
File versioning rules can be implemented to enable the system to always
get the latest version of the file.
Disadvantages
If file versioning rules are enabled, two versions of the component part
cannot be open at the same time.
Associated information could be lost if components are substituted and
file versioning is not used.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Revising a Component and Assembly Using Save Part

As.
When revisions are incorporated into part names, an easy way to revise a
component is to save the component with the new name while it is the work
part. This can be accomplished by choosing File→Save As.
Many companies, however, require that an assembly also be revised whenever a

change is made to the form, fit, or function of one of its components. In this
case, you would also be required to save each of the assemblies in the tree that
reference the component. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
To accommodate this requirement, when you perform a File→Save As on a ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
component part in a native operating system, a Session Where Used Report is
immediately displayed, listing any loaded assemblies that reference the
component. After specifying a new name for the component, the system will
also prompt you to enter a new name for each of the listed assemblies.
The system displays the new part names in the Information window and allows
you to cancel the operation before actually saving the parts.
EDS
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17-3
The Part Modification Dialog Box

The Part Modifications dialog box allows you to access information pertaining
to modifications to components of an assembly. You can access it by choosing
Information→Part→Modifications.
The top portion of the dialog box lists the displayed assembly and its loaded
components. The lower list displays the version and time/date information for
the part highlighted in the upper list.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Lists the displayed
assembly and
loaded components
Lists information for verĆ

Version numbers
and date/time sions that meet criteria
stamps for the relative to the version
highlighted part highlighted above.
above.
Specify types of
objects to obtain
information on.
Specify object to
highlight in
graphics display
Once the part, version selection criteria, and object types are specified, you can
choose OK or Apply to display the information.
EDS Unigraphics NX
In the example below, feature object information is displayed for all versions of
a part.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The listing includes an object number for each feature, the version in which the
feature was last modified, the version in which the feature was created, and the
feature name.
An object number can be entered or the Previous and Next buttons can be
chosen from the dialog box to highlight the features in the graphics display.
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17-5
Additional Assembly Reports
Earlier in this lesson you saw how the Information→Part→Modifications option

was useful to track modifications to parts in an assembly.
There are other reporting tools available to help you understand how a
particular assembly has changed over time.
List Components (discussed earlier)
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
Update Report
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ

Where Used
Session Where Used
Update Report
This report indicates which components were updated (changed) as the

assembly is opened.
TIP An update report can automatically be generated every time an

assembly is opened by choosing PreferencesAssemblies and toggling
the Display Update Report option to ON.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Where Used
This option will search directories and list the assemblies that reference a
specified part. This is useful to determine what impact a pending design change
may have on other assemblies.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
What directories
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
to search for the
parts.
List only next level

assemblies or all
assemblies.
TIP A Where Used report may take considerable time to execute. It is

recommended that you search through as few directories and parts as
possible.
Session Where Used
This option will list only the loaded assemblies that reference a specified part.
This report is automatically generated when you perform a File→Save As on a

component part while the assembly is loaded.
EDS
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17-7
Activity 1 - Revising Components Using Save As"

In this activity, you will revise components and an assembly using File→Save As.
ROLLER_ASSM
MOUNTING_BRACKET ROLLER ROLLER_PIN
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ ROLLER_ASSMĆA
MOUNTING_BRACKETĆA ROLLERĆA ROLLER_PIN
Step 1 Open the part dau_roller_assm from the parts directory

and save as ***_roller_assm.
Step 2 Open the Assembly Navigator and pin open to help you
verify the changes to the assembly structure.
Step 3 Edit the mounting bracket geometry.
Make dau_mounting_bracket the Work Part.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Choose Modeling.
Change the diameter of the holes in the instance array (e.g.

INSTANCE[0]) to .20.
Choose OK until the holes update in the graphics display.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
.20 dia
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 4 Revise the mounting bracket and assembly.

Choose File→Save As.
The system automatically displays a Session Where Used Report to tell you
which loaded assemblies are referencing the mounting_bracket.
Enter ***_mounting_bracketĆa as the new part file name

and press Enter.
NOTE: Read the Cue Line! At this point the system will also
prompt you to perform a File"Save As for each of the loaded
assemblies that reference the mounting bracket, if desired.
Since you changed the form, fit or function of the part, enter
***_roller_assmĆa as the name for the revised assembly and
press Enter.
The system displays an Do you want the Save As to continue?" message
allowing you to cancel if you had made a mistake. The listing window will also
reflect the specified action and show the directory paths and filenames you
entered.
EDS
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17-9
Select OK to continue with the Save As.
***_ROLLER_ASSMĆA
***_MOUNTING_BRACKETĆA DAU_ROLLER DAU_ROLLER_PIN
Next, you will revise the roller due to a change to the anodizing specification.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
This change will not alter the form, fit, or function of the component so you will
not revise the assembly.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Step 5 Revise the roller.
Change the Work Part to dau_roller.
Perform a Save As on the component and give it a new name

of ***_rollerĆa and press Enter.
Choose Cancel to prevent the system from revising the

assembly.
Choose OK to proceed with the Save As.
The SaveAs Report" informs you that the assembly that references the revised
component (roller_assmĆa) was not renamed and will reference the new
component (rollerĆa) if it is saved.
Choose OK.
***_ROLLER_ASSMĆA
***_MOUNTING_BRACKETĆA ***_ROLLERĆA DAU_ROLLER_PIN
EDS Unigraphics NX
Step 6 Make ***_roller_assmĆa the Work Part and Save it.
Step 7 Look at all prior modifications to the features in the

mounting bracket.
Choose Information→Part→Modifications.
Choose ***_mounting_bracketĆa from the list of parts in the

upper portion of the dialog box. Select it even if it is already
highlighted.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
Make sure Loaded Version is highlighted in the list of
versions in the lower portion of the dialog box. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Change the Criteria option to At or Before. (You will be
listing all modifications at or before the loaded version).
Choose the Specify Object Types button.
Select Feature from the list of object types and OK.
Choose Apply.
An Information window appears and lists all features in the mounting bracket
and the versions in which they were created and last modified.
Choose Next, in the Part Modifications window, to cycle

through the features in the mounting bracket.
The next feature will highlight in the graphics window and its Object Number
will appear in the dialog box and in the Status area. You can refer to the
Information window to determine when the feature was created and last
modified.
Choose Next in the Part Modifications dialog box a few more

times and choose Cancel when you are finished.
Step 8 Close all parts. Do not Save any parts.
EDS
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17-11
Load Options and Revisioning
If your revision process entails moving parts to a different directories, you need
to have a means of telling the system where to find them.
Using load options, you can specify the directories to search for components as
an assembly is loading and the order in which to search them. If the system is
unable to locate a component, you may specify whether to continue or abort the
loading.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Use search directories to
find components when
opening an assembly.
Will present a error
message and not open
the assembly if a
component is not found.
When ON, latest

version of component
Expands dialog is loaded based on
box to define versioning rules.
search
directories.
Saves the settings

TO a defaults file.
Specify the name of Restores settings

the defaults file when FROM a defaults file
saving and restoring
EDS Unigraphics NX
To avoid having to enter the same search directories for every session, you can
use the Save button to store the load options in a text file. The text file can later
be retrieved using the Restore button.
The default name for the text file is load_options.def. You can specify a
different name for the text file when you save and restore by first toggling
Specify Load Options File to ON.
When you start a Unigraphics session, the system automatically restores the
load_options.def file from the current directory. A different defaults file can be
specified in your .ugii_env file. ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
If no load_options.def file exists in the directory from which Unigraphics is
started, the system will use the default options listed below:
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
SearchPath: /current_dir...
LoadOption: Load_From_DirLoad
FailOption: Abort
LoadLatest: No
The system uses the load options settings when you are performing the
following assemblies functions:
Opening an assembly.
Substituting a subĆassembly.
Replacing a reference set in a subĆassembly with one that includes
different components.
Generating a Where Used" report.
Load Options do not affect the actual part you are opening (the assembly).
They only apply to component parts that need to be loaded when opening an
assembly that references them.
NOTE: The Load Latest toggle will only be available if

versioning rules are established in the ug_english.def or
ug_metric.def files. This is discussed in the appendices.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
17-13
Defining Search Directories
The Define Search Directories button expands the Load Options dialog box so
that you can add or remove search directories. Options are also available to
change the order of the directory list.
/home/users/smith...
List of current search /projectx/common...
ÉÉÉ
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17
directories
Three dots includes

/projectx/release
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
subdirectories in
search
Enter new directory

to add to list
Removes selected
directory from list
Add the entered
directory to list
Moves highlighted
directory down in list
Moves highlighted
directory up in list
A low level of configuration control can be imposed by separating file versions

into specific directories. Because the directories are searched in the order
shown, paths can be defined to ensure that you are accessing the appropriate
version of a part.
In the example listing above, the system first looks for each component in the
user's home directory and subdirectories (/home/users/smith...), then a common
project directory (/projectx/common...), and finally, the release directory
(/projectx/release).
TIP The order of the directories can dramatically affect the time it takes
to open an assembly. If possible, you should include smaller
directories with the most components first and larger directories with
fewer components last.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Partial Loading Issues
There are some issues relating to revisions which should be considered when
using partial loading.
Sharing Components
Assume you are working in a concurrent engineering environment and have a

loaded assembly that contains a partially loaded component owned by another
user. If that user modifies and saves that component part to disk, your loaded
assembly will become out of date.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
Now, if you perform an operation in your assembly that requires that the shared ÉÉÉ
part be fully loaded (i.e. making it the work part to interrogate a feature), you
will receive a message informing you that the part is not in sync with the one on
disk and the part will automatically be reĆopened with the new version.
/class/assembly/t01/activities/mounting_bracket
If the component had been fully loaded, an error message would not be
received until an attempt is made to save the part.
Legacy Parts
When loading an assembly that was last saved in a prior release, the system will
automatically convert fully loaded components to the current version and
recognize them as being modified.
Normally, when you save an assembly, the system will also save the fully loaded
components that have been modified. Because the partially loaded components
were not updated to the new version, they will not be saved.
EDS
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17-15
Closing Assembly Component Parts
The File→Close→Selected Parts option lets you selectively close (unload)

components in an assembly.
The upper section of the dialog box lets you specify what component parts to
close and the lower section lets you specify how they will be closed.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17 List all loaded
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
component parts
or top level only
Close only parts

selected or whole
assembly tree
If on, you will not

be warned if a Close all parts
selected part has in the session
been modified
If the component part you are closing (unloading) has been modified while it
was the work part, you will be asked if you really want to close the part.
If you agree to close (unload) the component part, you will lose the
modifications you made to the part and the changes won't be reflected in the
piece part file stored on disk.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Reopening Component Parts
In a concurrent engineering environment, one designer may be working on a

loaded assembly which references a component part that another designer is
simultaneously modifying.
The File→Close→Reopen Selected Parts option lets you selectively update

loaded components with their counterparts on disk. It can be utilized in the
following situation.
1 Early in the morning, Designer A starts working on ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
17
an assembly that references comp3.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
assembly
comp.1 comp.2 comp.3
2 Later in the morning, while Designer A is still working on

the assembly, Designer B revises comp3 and saves it.
File→Save
comp.3
Updated part is saved to disk
3 At lunchtime, Designer A reopens comp3 while the

assembly is still open.
File→Close→Reopen Selected Parts : comp3
assembly
comp.1 comp.2 comp.3
The reopen command updates comp3 from disk, and it

will contain the edits made earlier by Designer B.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
17-17
The top portion of the Reopen Part dialog box lets you specify what component
will be reopened. The bottom portion of the dialog box lets you specify how the
component will be reopened.
List of loaded
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
components that
can be reopened.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
If on, you will not be
warned if selected part
Specifies whether has been modified before
reopen should it is loaded from disk.
affect part or whole
assembly
Reopens all parts in

session that have
been changed on
disk.
After you reopen the parts, an Information window will list the names of the
parts, their status before they were reopened, and their status after they were
reopened.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Substituting Components
As you are going through design iterations and revising your assembly, it may be
necessary to replace an existing component with a different part. In other
words, you will want to change the pointer in the assembly so that it references
another a component part which is located at the same origin and orientation.
NOTE: A component substitution can destroy the relationship

between the component and any associated data such as
dimensions, mating conditions, and WAVE interpart references.
There are some situations in which this can be avoided that will be ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
discussed later.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
There are three different ways to substitute a component which will be
discussed in this lesson.
AssembliesComponentsSubstitute Component
Use the Open As toggle in the Reopen Part dialog box.
Use Open→Component As option in the Assembly Navigator popĆup
menu.
The Unique Identifier (UID)
When the system finds a component with the correct name, it performs a
second check before loading it.
There is an internal file identifier, referred to as a UID (Unique IDentifier),

that ensures that the component that has been found is the genuine article, or
at least a copy of it.
A new UID is not assigned (and thus, associativity is maintained) in the

following cases:
When you copy or move the file in the operating system.

When you save the file into another directory using the same name.
When you perform a File→Save As, as with a Seedpart.
EDS
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17-19
Allow Substitution
When you open an assembly and the system finds a component that happens to
have the same name but a different UID, the opening will fail unless Allow
Substitution has been toggled on in the Load Options dialog box.
ÉÉÉ
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17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The Allow Substitution option enables a component to be loaded into an

assembly even though it has a different UID, or history. It could be a
completely different part created by another user.
EDS Unigraphics NX
NOTE: If the new component has no common history (different

UID) with the substituted component, data in the assembly will lose
its associativity to the original component (mating constraints,
WAVE interpart references, etc.).
Substituting Components Using Substitute
Components may be substituted using the Substitute Component option under

Assemblies→Components.
ÉÉÉ
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17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
If the replacement part has a common history with the original part (same
UID), associativity is maintained.
The Remove and Add operation is a nonĆassociative operation, regardless of the

of the history (UID) of the parts involved. Mating conditions and WAVE
interpart references will be lost.
If the current part and the replacement part have the same UID, associativity
can be preserved if the Maintain Mating option is used. All mating conditions
and WAVE interpart references will be maintained assuming the relevant
geometry exists in both parts. All drafting objects will revert to their retain
annotation state and all Manufacturing data associativity will be lost.
If the parts involved have different UIDs, Mating Condition associativity can
still be maintained if Alternates are defined for them (Alternates are addressed
later in this lesson).
EDS
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17-21
The Substitute option allows you to assign a name, reference set, and layer
option for the new component as it is substituted.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
NOTE: To substitute a component with a part that has a different

UID, Allow Substitution must be toggled ON in the Load Options.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Substituting Components Using Reopen
A loaded component can also be replaced with another part by choosing

File→Close→Reopen Selected Parts and using the Open As option.
List of loaded
components ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The component part to be replaced must be selected from the list. After
choosing OK, the system will ask you to select the unloaded replacement part.
If the replacement part has a common history with the original part (same
UID), associativity is maintained.
If the replacement part does not have a common history (different UID),
associativity is lost.
NOTE: To Reopen a component with a part that has a different

UID, Allow Substitution must be toggled ON in the Load Options.
EDS
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17-23
Substituting Components Using the Assembly

Navigator
An unloaded component can be replaced using Open→Component As in the

popĆup menu of the Assembly Navigator.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
As in the case of the reopening a part, if the replacement part has a common
history with the part you are replacing (the same UID), associativity is
maintained. Otherwise, associativity is lost.
NOTE: Once again, to replace a component with a part that has a

different UID, Allow Substitution must be toggled ON in the Load
Options.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Activity 2 - Substituting Components

Design Intent: Suppose another designer has copied a caster fork component
part (using File→Save As), renamed it to casterĆforkĆmod, and modified it. Now
you are required to incorporate this modified fork into your assembly.
In this activity you will substitute this new fork into your caster assembly using
the three different methods described earlier and note the effect on component
associativity.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 1 Open the part dau_caster_2_assm.
Step 2 Replace the caster fork using the Substitute and Maintain
Mating options.
Choose Assemblies→Components→Substitute Component.
Select the green dau_caster_2_fork from the screen or the

Assembly Navigator. Choose OK.
Choose Maintain Mating.
Select Choose Part File, select dau_casterĆforkĆmod from the

parts directory and choose OK.
The Substitute Component dialog box will allow you to specify information
about the new component similar to the Add Existing Part dialog box.
EDS
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17-25
Choose OK to accept the defaults.
The fork is replaced and mating conditions are maintained because

casterĆforkĆmod is a version of casterĆfork (same UID).
Step 3 Close All Parts without saving any of them.
Step 4 Open dau_caster_2_assm again.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17 Step 5 Replace the caster fork using Reopen.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Choose File→Close→Reopen Selected Parts.
Toggle Open As to ON.
Choose dau_caster_2_fork from the list of loaded parts and

OK.
Select dau_casterĆforkĆmod from the parts directory, then

OK.
The fork is replaced and mating conditions are maintained because

casterĆforkĆmod is a version of casterĆfork (same UID).
Step 7 Open the caster assembly again without loading any

components.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Set the Load Components option to No Components and

choose OK.
Open dau_caster_2_assm.
NOTE: You will not see anything in the graphics area because
No Components was specified in the Load Options.
Step 8 Replace the fork using the Assembly Navigator.
In the assembly navigator, select the dau_caster_2_fork node ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
17
with Mouse Button 3 and choose Open→Component As.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select Choose Part File and select the part

dau_caster-fork-mod from the parts directory and choose
OK.
Select the dau_caster_2_assm node in the Assembly

Navigator and choose Open→Assembly with Mouse Button
3.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
17-27
Note again that all associativity is maintained! You can choose

Information→Assemblies→Mating Conditions to verify this.
Step 10 Open the caster assembly again and load all components.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
Set the Load Components option to All Components and
choose OK.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ Open dau_caster_2_assm.
Step 11 Replace the caster fork again using the Substitute and
Remove and Add options.
Choose Assemblies→Components→Substitute Component.
Select dau_caster_2_fork from the screen or from the

Assembly Navigator as the component to be replaced and
choose OK.
A warning message will appear to remind you that you will lose associative links
when you remove and add a component.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Choose Remove and Add.
Select Choose Part File, select dau_casterĆforkĆmod from the

parts directory, and choose OK.
The Substitute Component dialog box will allow you to specify information
about the new component similar to the Add Existing Part dialog box.
Choose OK to accept the defaults.
An Update Failure List appears indicating that all mating constraints involving ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
the fork have been deleted..
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choose OK.
NOTE: The substitute component will use the origin and

orientation of the original component.
Step 12 Close All Parts without saving them.
EDS
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17-29
Alternate Mating Conditions
You may have a situation in which you are required to substitute a part in an
assembly that is mated with many other components. If the replacement part is
not a version of the part you are replacing (different UID), you will lose all of
the mating constraints involving this part and would be forced to recreate them.
By defining mating Alternates, you can substitute a part in an assembly while

maintaining the mating conditions, regardless of the part history.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17 To accomplish this, you must Define alternates in the assembly for the
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
component you will be replacing by choosing
Assemblies→ComponentsDefine Mating Alternates. This is done by
interactively assigning a name to the objects (faces, datums, edges) used in the
mating constraints for that component.
You can then assign the same names to the corresponding objects in the new
replacement part using Format→Attribute→Name. When you substitute, the
new part will inherit the existing mating conditions and maintain the
associativity regardless of the part history or the substitution method used
(Reopen, Open Component As, or Substitute with the Maintain Mating
option).
If the objects in the replacement part are not named ahead of time, you can use
the Verify option to perform the substitution by interactively selecting objects in
the new component that correspond to those used in the mating constraints of
the existing component.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Defining Alternates
The Define Names dialog box allows you to identify the objects that are used in
the mating constraints of the component you will be replacing.
The dialog box lists the mating conditions of the part you are replacing and the
constraints of the selected condition. The system highlights the object used for
the selected constraint and prompts you to enter a name for it.
List all constraints or

only those that have
ÉÉÉ
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17
not yet been identified
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Mating
Conditions
Constraints of
highlighted
condition
Enter
Name
After a name is entered, you will continue to be prompted to enter names for
objects in the other constraints until all objects have been identified.
EDS
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17-31
Activity 3 - Defining and Verifying Alternates

In this activity, you are required to substitute a shaft used in the freewheel
assembly of a bicycle with a reĆdesigned shaft from a different supplier. The
new shaft was created from scratch and has a different part history so
substituting it directly will result in a loss of nine associative mating constraints
(five sprockets and four spacers are mated to the existing shaft).
In order to preserve the mating constraints you will Define and Verify
Alternates.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Step 1 Open the part dau_freewheel_assm from the parts
directory. Start the Modeling application and verify the
Assemblies application is ON.
Part you will replace
Shaft
Step 2 Define Alternates for the existing shaft.
Choose AssembliesComponents→Define Mating

Alternates.
In the assembly navigator, select dau_fwĆshaft as the

component to be replaced and OK.
The Define Names dialog box will display the mating conditions and constraints
involving the shaft and prompt you to enter a name for the cylindrical face used
for aligning the other components.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Enter cyl in the Name in Component text field and press

Enter.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
If the shaft was partially loaded, the system will now fully load it. The next
object used in a constraint is the datum plane.
EDS
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17-33
Enter plane and press Enter.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
The last object used in a mating constraint involving the shaft is the planar face
to which the largest sprocket is mated.
Enter face and press Enter.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Next, you will get a message box reminding you that all of the mating conditions
have been labelled.
Choose OK to dismiss the message. ÉÉÉ

ÉÉÉ
17
Since the new component does not have the corresponding objects named, you ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
will use the Verify option to substitute the component.
Step 3 Substitute the new component using Verify Alternates.
Choose Assemblies→Components→Verify Mating

Alternates.
In the assembly navigator, select dau_fwĆshaft as the

component to be replaced and OK.
Select Choose Part File and select dau_fwĆnewshaft from the

parts directory as the replacement part and choose OK.
Indicate a position for the new shaft away from the assembly.
Indicate Position for

new part
EDS
All Rights Reserved
17-35
If necessary, choose OK in the Mating Conditions dialog box.

It will not be used to verify alternates.
Now you will be prompted to select the objects in the replacement part that
correspond to the named objects in the existing part.
Select the cylindrical face shown below on the replacement

part to correspond with the object named CYL.
ÉÉÉ
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17
CYL
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Select the datum plane shown to correspond with the object

named PLANE.
PLANE
Select the planar face shown to correspond with the object

named FACE.
FACE
EDS Unigraphics NX
When all objects have been verified, you will see the statement Solution Ć
Mating Condition Solved at the bottom of the Verify Names dialog box.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
Choose OK.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Choose OK to proceed with the substitution.
Choose OK to accept the Substitute defaults.
The component is substituted and all mating constraints are maintained.
Step 4 Close All Parts without saving them.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
17-37
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
17
SUMMARY After creating an assembly, you may have to revise or
substitute a component and change the name to the component part. In this
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
lesson, you used different methods to revise components and the assemblies
that use them.
In this lesson you:
Revised a component and an assembly using Save Part As.

Interrogated the modifications made to features of a part.
Identified the Load Options that search for revised components.
Substituted components in an existing assembly.
Applied Alternate mating conditions when substituting components.
EDS Unigraphics NX
Additional Projects
Additional Projects ÉÉÉ

Appendix A
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ
EDS Design Applications Using

All Rights Reserved Unigraphics Student Manual
A-1
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 1
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ
Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

A-2 Unigraphics Student Manual All Rights Reserved
Additional Projects
Project 2 ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-3
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 3
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-5
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 4
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-7
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
Project 5 ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-9
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 6
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
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ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-11
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
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ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-13
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 8
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-15
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 9
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-17
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 10
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-19
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 11
ÉÉÉ
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A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
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A
ÉÉÉ

A-21
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 12
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A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
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A
ÉÉÉ

A-23
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 13
ÉÉÉ
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A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
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ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

A-25
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 14
ÉÉÉ
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A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
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A
ÉÉÉ

A-27
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 15
ÉÉÉ
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A
ÉÉÉ

Additional Projects
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A
ÉÉÉ

A-29
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 16
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A
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Additional Projects
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A
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A-31
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 17
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A
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Additional Projects
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A
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A-33
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 18
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A
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Additional Projects
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A
ÉÉÉ

A-35
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Project 19
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ Inassembly
this project, you can practice BottomĆUp Assembly Modeling to create an
for a plastic phone.
All existing piece parts are in the plastic subdirectory.

Create any new parts in your d## directory.
Add mating conditions.

Additional Projects
Step 1 Create a subĆassembly for the bottom portion of the

ÉÉÉ
phone using the piece parts shown below.
ÉÉÉ
dau_flipfone_subassm_bottom
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ
dau_flipfone_back_bottom
dau_flipfone_front_bottom
dau_flipfone_pad_bottom

A-37
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ Step 2 Create a subĆassembly for the top portion of the phone
ÉÉÉ using the piece parts shown below.
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ dau_flipfone_subassm_top
dau_flipfone_back_top
dau_flipfone_front_top
dau_flipfone_pad_top

Additional Projects
Step 3 Create the top level assembly using the two

ÉÉÉ
subĆassemblies and the piece parts shown.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ
dau_flipfone_antenna
dau_flipfone_subassm_top
dau_flipfone_cap
dau_flipfone_hinge
dau_flipfone_cap
dau_flipfone_subassm_bottom

A-39
Additional Projects
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
A
ÉÉÉ

System Topics
System Topics
Appendix B
There are utilities and customization files which affect the interface and
behavior of the assembly functionality. This appendix covers these topics which
would normally be the responsibility of a system administrator.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
B
ÉÉÉ

B-1
System Topics
Enabling Interpart Modeling
By default, Interpart Expressions, the Wave Geometry Linker, and the

Promotion of Bodies feature are disabled. These options can be enabled in
either of the two customer defaults files (ug_english.def and ug_metric.def).
The following line in the ug_english.def and ug_metric.def files controls the
availability of Interpart Expressions and the Wave Geometry Linker. Valid
options for this setting are yes and no.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
B Assemblies_AllowInterPart: yes
ÉÉÉ The following line controls the availability of the Promotion of Bodies feature.
Valid options are yes and no.
Assemblies_AllowPromotions: yes
The default setting for the Delay Interpart Updates toggle can also be defined
in these files. Valid options are on and off.
Assemblies_InitialUpdateDelay: off

B-2 Unigraphics Student Manual All Rights Reserved
System Topics
File Versioning
Versioning rules will enable the system to load the latest version of components
in any assembly based on a file naming scheme established at your company.
When the rules are defined in the customer defaults file, the Load Latest"
option must also be turned on in the load options.
To define the versioning rules, you must define the portion of the filename that
is the core (never changes) and which portion is the revision.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
B
Regular Expressions
ÉÉÉ
Version rules are defined using a modified form of Regular Expressions". It is
beyond the scope of this class to teach regular expression formatting.
There are several Special Characters" that may be used in the format of your
version rules. They are listed below.
? = 0 or 1
* = 0 or more
+ = 1 or more
. = Any Character
| = Or (As in this or that)
() = Define a section
[] = Define a set
- = Range
The use of Sets is crucial to your ability to establish correct version rules. A few
examples are shown below.
[a-z0-9] = One lower case letter or number

[a-z0-9]+ = One or more lower case letters or numbers
in any order
[a-z]+[0-9]+ = One or more lower case letters
followed by one or more numbers
[a-hj-np-z] = Any lower case letter except i and o
[mejx] = Any one of these letters

B-3
System Topics
File Versioning Example
In the following example, the part names consist of a core section of lower case
letters followed by an underscore and a revision section defined by a revision
number. Below are three versions of the same part.
abc_1.prt
abc_2.prt
abc_3.prt
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
B
To define the rules that describe the above naming convention, the customer
ÉÉÉ defaults files (ug_english.def and ug_metric.def) must be modified. These files
contain a section reserved for Part Name Versions where five lines must be
changed. Here is an example of how it would need to be set up for a specific
versioning scheme.
Assemblies_PartNameFormat: You must specify the format of the part name in

terms of regular expression pattern matching. Each set of Parentheses
represents a section.
Assemblies_PartNameFormat: ([a-z]+_)([0-9])
The first section is ([a-z]+_). The [a-z] is any lower case letter and the
+" means that one or more letters are allowed. The _" means that the
letters will always be followed by an underscore character.
The next section ([0-9]) is any number and that there can be only one digit.
(If you wanted to allow more digits, you would follow it with a +".)
Assemblies_PartNameSubstitution: This determines what portion of the file is

the core portion of the file name (does not change). Based on the pairs of
parentheses, you enter two backslashes and the section number.
Assemblies_PartNameSubstitution: \\1
The first section is the core portion of the filename, it will never change.
Assemblies_PartNameMatch: Specify which section of the file name must

match and which section may vary. This is a bit repetitive, but necessary.

System Topics
Assemblies_PartNameMatch: \\1([0-9])
The portion of the filename that must match is in the first section. The
portion that is allowed to vary may be any number.
Assemblies_VersionSubstitution: Which portion of the version section is

actually the version. This is also determined by sets of parenthesis in the
revision section.
Assemblies_VersionSubstitution: \\1
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
B
In the version section, the first set of parenthesis indicates version.
ÉÉÉ
Assemblies_VersionType: The versioning scheme being used. Available choices
are; MILITARY, NUMERIC, REVERSE_NUMERIC, ALPHABETIC,
REVERSE_ALPHABETIC, ALPHANUMERIC.
Assemblies_VersionType: NUMERIC
A number sequence starting with 1 and progressing to larger numbers.
NOTE: In an ALPHANUMERIC sort, versioning will sort letters

before numbers. This is a different than most normal sort
algorithms.
Quantifiers can be specified to allow only a certain number of characters.

Instead of using [0-9][0-9][0-9] to represent three digits, it can be written
with a quantifier as [0-9]{3} The list of quantifiers is shown below.
{n,m} At least n and no more than m

{n,} At least n
{,m} May have 0, but no more than m
{m} Exactly m

B-5
System Topics
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
B
ÉÉÉ

Appendix C
The following pages list the various operators that may be used in expressions.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
C
ÉÉÉ

C-1
Operators
There are several types of operators that you may use in the expression
language.
Arithmetic Operators Example

+ Addition p2 = p5 + p3
– Subtraction and Negative Sign p2 = p5 – p3
* Multiplication p2 = p5 * p3
/ Division p2 = p5 / p3
% Modulus p2 =p5 % p3
^ Exponential p2 = p5^2
= Assignment p2 = p5
Other Operators
> Greater Than
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
< Less Than
ÉÉÉ
C >= Greater Than or Equal
ÉÉÉ <=
==
Less Than or Equal
Equal
!= Not Equal
! Negate
&& Logical AND
|| Logical OR

C-2 Unigraphics Student Manual All Rights Reserved
Precedence and Associativity
In the table below, operators in the same row have equal precedence while
operators in the following rows have less precedence.
Precedence and Associativity

Operators Associativity
^ Right to Left
- (change sign)
* / % Left to Right
+ -
> < >= <=
== !=
&&
||
ÉÉÉ
= Right to Left
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
When using operators with the same precedence in an equation without C
parameters, use leftĆtoĆright or the rightĆtoĆleft rule from the table. For
example: ÉÉÉ
X = 90 - 10 + 30 X = 90 - (10 + 30)
X = 110 (not 50) X = 50

C-3
BuiltĆin Functions
You may also use the builtĆin functions in expressions. BuiltĆin functions
include trigonometric, exponential, and factorial functions. Functions are also
provided for unit conversion.
BuiltĆin Functions for Unit Conversion

Name Description
cm cm(x) converts x from centimeters into the default units of the part file.
ft ft(x) converts x from feet into the default units of the part file.
grd grd(x) converts x from gradients to degrees.
in in(x) converts x from inches into the default units of the part file.
km km(x) converts x from kilometers into the default units of the part file.
mc mc(x) converts x from microns into the default units of the part file.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
min min(x) converts x from minutes into degrees.
ÉÉÉ
C
ÉÉÉ
ml
mm
ml(x) converts x from mils into the default units of the part file.
mm(x) converts x from millimeters into the default units of the part file.
mtr mtr(x) converts x from meters into the default units of the part file.
sec sec(x) converts x from seconds into degrees.
yd yd(x) converts x from yards into the default units of the part file.
Scientific Notation
You can also enter a statement in scientific notation. The value you enter must
contain a positive or negative sign. For example, you can enter:
2e+5 which is the same as the value 200000
2e-5 which is the same as the value .00002

BuiltĆin Functions Available in the System

Name Description
abs Absolute Value, abs(x) = |x|

acos Arc Cosine, acos(x) = arc cos(x), (result in radians)
asin Arc Sine, asin(x) = arc sin(x), (result in radians)
atan Arc Tangent, atan(x) = arc tan(x), (result in radians)
atan2 Arc Tangent, atan2(x, y) = arc tan(x / y), (result in radians)
ceil Ceiling, ceil(x) = smallest integer greater than or equal to x
cos Cosine, cos(x) = cos(x), (x must be in degrees)

cosh Hyperbolic Cosine, cosh(x) = cosh(x)
deg Degree Conversion, deg(x) converts x from radians to degrees.
exp Exponential, exp(x) = ex
fact Factorial, fact(x) = x!

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
C
floor Floor, floor(x) = largest integer less than or equal to x
hypot Hypotenuse, hypot(x, y) = √x2 + y2

ÉÉÉ
log Natural Logarithm, log(x) = ln (x) = loge (x)
log10 Common Logarithm, log10(x) = log10(x)
pi() pi (value=3.14159265358979)
rad Radian Conversion, rad(x) converts x from degrees to radians
sin Sine, sin(x) = sin(x), (x must be in degrees)
sinh Hyperbolic Sine, sinh(x) = sinh(x)
sqrt Square Root, sqrt (x) = √x
tan Tangent, tan(x) = tan(x), (x must be in degrees)
tanh Hyperbolic Tangent, tanh(x) = tanh(x)
trnc Truncate, trnc(x) removes any fractional portion (all digits to the right of
the decimal point) from the number x

C-5
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
C
ÉÉÉ

Glossary
Glossary
ABS - Absolute coordinate system.
Absolute Coordinate System - Coordinate system in which all geometry is

located from a fixed or absolute zero point.
active view - One of up to 49 views per layout in which you can directly work.
angle - In Unigraphics, an angle measured on the XĆY plane of a coordinate

system is positive if the direction that it is swept is counterclockwise as viewed
from the positive Z axis side of the XĆY plane. An angle swept in the opposite
direction is said to be negative.
arc - An incomplete circle; sometimes used interchangeably with the term

circle."
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It is a set of

8Ćbit binary numbers representing the alphabet, punctuation, numerals, and
other special symbols used in text representation and communications protocol.
aspect ratio - The ratio of length to height which represents the change in size
of a symbol from its original.
assembly - A collection of piece parts and subĆassemblies representing a

product. In Unigraphics, an assembly is a part file which contains components.
assembly part - A Unigraphics part file which is a userĆdefined, structured

ÉÉÉ
combination of subĆassemblies, components and/or objects.
ÉÉÉ
GL
associativity - The ability to tie together (link) separate pieces of information

ÉÉÉ
to aid in automating the design, drafting, and manufacture of parts in
Unigraphics.
attributes - Pieces of information that can be associated with Unigraphics

geometry and parts such as assigning a name to an object.
block font - A Unigraphics character font which is the default font used for
creating text in drafting objects and dimensions.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
Design Applications Using GL-1
Glossary
body - Class of objects containing sheets and solids (see solid body and sheet
body).
bottomĆup modeling - Modeling technique where component parts are

designed and edited in isolation of their usage within some higher level
assembly. All assemblies using the component are automatically updated when
opened to reflect the geometric edits made at the piece part level.
boundary - A set of geometric objects that describes the containment of a part

from a vantage point.
CAD/CAM - Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing.
category, layer - A name assigned to a layer, or group of layers. A category, if

descriptive of the type of data found on the layers to which it is assigned, will
assist the user in identifying and managing data in a part file.
chaining - A method of selecting a sequence of curves which are joined

endĆtoĆend.
circle - A complete and closed arc, sometimes used interchangeably with the
term arc."
component - A collection of objects, similar to a group, in an assembly part. A

component may be a subĆassembly consisting of other, lower level components.
component part - The part file or master" pointed to by a component within

an assembly. The actual geometry is stored in the component part and
ÉÉÉ referenced, not copied, by the assembly. A separate Unigraphics part file that
ÉÉÉ
GL
the system associates with a component object in the assembly part.
ÉÉÉ cone direction - Defines the cone direction using the Vector Subfunction.
cone origin - Defines the base origin using the Point Subfunction.
half angle - The half vertex angle defines the angle formed by the axis of the
cone and its side.
constraints - Refer to the methods you can use to refine and limit your sketch.
The methods of constraining a sketch are geometric and dimensional.

GL-2 Unigraphics Student Manual All Rights Reserved
Glossary
construction points - Points used to create a spline. Construction points may

be used as poles (control vertices), defining points, or data points. See POLES,
DEFINING POINTS, and DATA POINTS.
control point - Represents a specific location on an existing object. A line has

three control points: both end points and the midpoint of the line. The control
point for a closed circle is its center, while the control points for an open arc are
its end and midpoints. A spline has a control point at each knot point. A control
point is a position on existing geometry. Any of the following points: 1. Existing
Points 2. Endpoints of conics 3. Endpoints and midpoints of open arcs 4. Center
points of circles 5. Midpoints and endpoints of lines 6. Endpoints of splines.
convert curve - A method of creating a bĆcurve in which curves (lines, arcs,

conics or splines) may be selected for conversion into a bĆcurve.
Coordinate System - A system of axes used in specifying positions (CSYS).
counterclockwise - The rightĆhand rule determines the counterĆ clockwise

direction. If the thumb is aligned with the ZC axis and pointing in the positive
direction, counterclockwise is defined as the direction the fingers would move
from the positive XC axis to the positive YC axis.
current layout - The layout currently displayed on the screen. Layout data is
kept in an intermediate storage area until it is saved.
curve - A curve in Unigraphics is any line, arc, conic, spline or bĆcurve. A

geometric object; this may refer to a line, an arc, a conic, or a spline.
defaults - Assumed values when they are not specifically defined.

ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
GL
defining points - Spline construction points. Splines created using defining
points are forced to pass through the points. These points are guaranteed to be
ÉÉÉ
on the spline.
degreeĆofĆfreedom arrows - ArrowĆlike indicators that show areas that require

more information to fully constrain a sketch.
design in context - The ability to directly edit component geometry as it is

displayed in the assembly. Geometry from other components can be selected to
aid in the modeling. Also referred to as edit in place.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
Glossary
dimensional constraint - This is a scalar value or expression which limits the

measure of some geometric object such as the length of a line, the radius of an
arc, or the distance between two points.
directory - A hierarchical file organization structure which contains a list of

filenames together with information for locating those files.
displayed part - The part currently displayed in the graphics window.
edit in place - See design in context.
emphasize work part - A color coding option which helps distinguish geometry
in the work part from geometry in other parts within the same assembly.
endpoint - An endpoint of a curve or an existing point.
expression - An arithmetic or conditional statement that has a value.

Expressions are used to control dimensions and the relationships between
dimensions of a model.
face - A region on the outside of a body enclosed by edges.
feature - An allĆencompassing term which refers to all solids, bodies, and

primitives.
file - A group or unit of logically related data which is labeled or named" and
associated with a specified space. In Unigraphics, parts, and patterns are a few
ÉÉÉ types of files.
ÉÉÉ
GL
ÉÉÉ filtering - See object filtering.
font box - A rectangle or box" composed of dashed line objects. The font box
defines the size, width and spacing of characters belonging to a particular font.
font, character - A set of characters designed at a certain size, width and

spacing.
font, line - Various styles of lines and curves, such as solid, dashed, etc.

Glossary
free form feature - A body of zero thickness. (see body and sheet body)
generator curve - A contiguous set of curves, either open or closed, that can be
swept or revolved to create a body.
geometric constraint - A relationship between one or more geometric objects

that forces a limitation. For example, two lines that are perpendicular or
parallel specifies a geometric constraint.
grid - A rectangular array of implied points used to accurately align locations

which are entered by using the screen position" option.
guide curve - A set of contiguous curves that define a path for a sweep
operation.
virtual intersection - Intersection formed by extending two line segments that

do not touch to the position that they cross. The line segments must be
nonĆparallel and coplanar.
inflection - A point on a spline where the curve changes from concave to

convex, or vice versa.
interactive step - An individual menu in a sequence of menus used in

performing a Unigraphics function.
isometric view (TfrĆISO) - Isometric view orientation - one where equal

distances along the coordinate axes are also equal to the view plane. One of the
axes is vertical.
ÉÉÉ
knot points - The defining points of a spline. Points along a BĆspline, ÉÉÉ
GL
representing the endpoints of each spline segment. ÉÉÉ
layer - A layer is a partition of a part. Layers are analogous to the transparent
material used by conventional designers. For example, the user may create all
geometry on one layer, all text and dimensions on a second, and tool paths on a
third.
layout - A collection of viewports or window areas, in which views are

displayed. The standard layouts in Unigraphics include one, two, four or six
viewports.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
Glossary
layouts - Standard layouts are available to the user. These include:

L1 - Single View,
L2 - Two Views,
L3 - Two Views,
L4 - Four Views,
L6 - Six Views.
Information window - The window used in listing operations, such as Info.
loaded part - Any part currently opened and in memory. Parts are loaded
explicitly using the File→Open option and implicitly when they are used in an
assembly being opened.
menu - A list of options from which the user makes a selection.
model space - The coordinate system of a newly created part. This is also
referred to as the absolute coordinate system." Any other coordinate system
may be thought of as a rotation and/or translation of the absolute coordinate
system.
name, expression - - The name of an expression is the single variable on the

left hand side of the expression. All expression names must be unique in a part
file. Each expression can have only one name. See expression.
objects - All geometry within the Unigraphics environment.
offset face - A Unigraphics surface type created by projecting (offsetting)

points along all the normals of a selected surface at a specified distance to
create a true" offset.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
GL options - A number of various alternatives (functions, modes, parameters, etc.)
ÉÉÉ from among which the user can choose.
origin - The point X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 0 for any particular coordinate system.
parametric design - Concept used to define and control the relationships

between the features of a model. Concept where the features of the model are
defined by parameters.
part - A Unigraphics file containing a .prt extension. It may be a piece part

containing model geometry, a subĆassembly, or a topĆlevel assembly.

Glossary
part or model - A collection of Unigraphics objects which together may

represent some object or structure.
partially loaded part - A component part which, for performance reasons, has
not been fully loaded. Only those portions of the component part necessary to
render the higher level assembly are initially loaded (the reference set).
point set - A distribution of points on a curve between two bounding points on

that curve.
Point Subfunction Menu - A list of options (methods) by which positions can

be specified in Unigraphics.
readĆonly part - A part for which the user does not have write access privilege.
real time dynamics - Produces smooth pan, zoom, and rotation of a part,
though placing great demand on the CPU.
Refresh - A function which causes the system to refresh the display list on the
viewing screen. This removes temporary display items and fills in holes left by
Blank or Delete.
rightĆhand rule, conventional - The rightĆhand rule is used to determine the

orientation of a coordinate system. If the origin of the coordinate system is in
the palm of the right fist, with the back of the hand lying on a table, the
outward extension of the index finger corresponds to the positive Y axis, the
upward extension of the middle finger corresponds to the positive Z axis, and
the outward extension of the thumb corresponds to the positive X axis.
rightĆhand rule for rotation - The rightĆhand rule for rotation is used to
ÉÉÉ
associate vectors with directions of rotation. When the thumb is extended and
ÉÉÉ
GL
ÉÉÉ
aligned with a given vector, the curled fingers determine the associated
direction of rotation. Conversely, when the curled fingers are held so as to
indicate a given direction of rotation, the extended thumb determines the
associated vector.
screen cursor (cursor) - A marker on the screen which the user moves around
using some position indicator device. Used for indicating positions, selecting
objects, etc. Takes the form of a fullĆscreen cross.
sheet - A object consisting of one or more faces not enclosing a volume. A

body of zeroĆthickness. Also called sheet body.)
EDS
All Rights Reserved
Glossary
sketch - A collection of geometric objects that closely approximates the outline

of a particular design. You refine your sketch with dimensional and geometric
constraints until you achieve a precise representation of your design. The
sketch can then be extruded or revolved to obtain a 3D object or feature.
Sketch Coordinate System (SCS) - The SCS is a coordinate system which

corresponds to the plane of the sketch. When a sketch is created the WCS is
changed to the SCS of the new sketch.
solid body - An enclosed volume. A type of body (see Body).
spline - A smooth freeĆform curve.
stored layout - The last saved version of a layout.
stored view - The last saved version of a view.
string - A contiguous series of lines and/or arcs connected at their end points.
subĆassembly - A part which both contains components and is itself used as a

component in higherĆlevel assemblies.
surface - The underlying geometry used to define a face on a sheet body. A

surface is always a sheet but a sheet is not necessarily a surface (see sheet
body). The underlying geometry used to define the shape of a face on a sheet.
system - The Unigraphics System.
temporary part - An empty part which is optionally created for any component
ÉÉÉ parts which cannot be found in the process of opening an assembly.
ÉÉÉ
GL
ÉÉÉ topĆdown modeling - Modeling technique where component parts can be
created and edited while working at the assembly level. Geometric changes
made at the assembly level are automatically reflected in the individual
component part when saved.
trim - To shorten or extend a curve.
trimetric view (TfrĆTri) - A viewing orientation which provides you with an

excellent view of the principal axes. In Unigraphics II, the trimetric view has the
ZĆaxis vertical. The measure along the XĆaxis is 7/8 of the measure along Z, and
the measure along the YĆaxis is 3/4 of the measure along Z.

Glossary
Unigraphics - A computer based graphics system for computerĆaided design,

drafting, manufacturing, and engineering produced by UGS.
units - The unit of measure in which you may work when constructing in
Unigraphics. Upon log on, you may define the unit of measure as inches or
millimeters.
upgraded component - A component which was originally created preĆV10 but

has been opened in V10 and upgraded to remove the duplicate geometry.
version - A term which identifies the state of a part with respect to a series of
modifications that have been made to the part since its creation.
view - A particular display of the model. View parameters include view

orientation matrix; center; scale; X,Y and Z clipping bounds; perspective
vector; drawing reference point and scale. Eight standard views are available to
the user: Top, Front, Right, Left, Bottom, Back, TfrĆISO (topĆfrontĆright
isometric), and TfrĆTri (topĆfrontĆright trimetric).
view dependent edit - A mode in which the user can edit a part in the current
work view only.
view dependent modifications - Modifications to the display of geometry in a

particular view. These include erase from view and modify color, font and
width.
view dependent geometry - Geometry created within a particular view. It will

only be displayed in that view.
ÉÉÉ
WCS - Work Coordinate System.
ÉÉÉ
GL
WCS, work plane - The WCS (Work Coordinate System) is the coordinate
ÉÉÉ
system singled out by the user for use in construction, verification, etc. The
coordinates of the WCS are called work coordinates and are denoted by XC,
YC, ZC. The XCĆYC plane is called the work plane.
Work Coordinate System - See WCS.
work layer - The layer on which geometry is being constructed. You may create
objects on only one layer at a time.
EDS
All Rights Reserved
Glossary
work part - The part in which you create and edit geometry. The work part can
be your displayed part or any component part which is contained in your
displayed assembly part. When displaying a piece part, the work part is always
the same as the displayed part.
work view - The view in which work is being performed. When the creation
mode is view dependent, any construction and view dependent editing that is
performed will occur only in the current work view.
XC axis - XĆaxis of the work coordinate system.
YC axis - YĆaxis of the work coordinate system.
ZC axis - ZĆaxis of the work coordinate system.
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
GL
ÉÉÉ

Index
Index
A Arc, GL-1
ASCII, GL-1
ABS, GL-1 Aspect Ratio, GL-1
Absolute Coordinate System, GL-1 Assemblies, GL-1
application, 6-2
Active View, GL-1
check clearances, 6-28
Activities component properties, 6-21
Activating and Using the Assembly Navigator, open by proximity, 6-33
6-14 pulldown menu, 6-3
Add Objects to Sketch, 1-36 reports
Adding Geometric Constraints to the Project, update, 17-6
1-28 where used, 17-7
Applying Design Intent, 1-47 toolbar, 6-4
Applying the Copy/Paste Feature, 5-20 top-down , 8-3
Auto Creating Geometric Constraints, 1-43 working in context within, 8-11
Constraining Tangent Curves, 1-49 Assembly Modeling, interpart modeling, 8-27
Constraining the Perimeter of a Sketch, 1-56
Controlling Heat Transfer in a Cooling Pipe, 1-60 Assembly Navigator, pop-up menu, 6-10
Copying a Sketch, 5-24 Associativity, C-3, GL-1
Creating a Family of Standard Parts - Excel,
Attribute, GL-1
16-10
Creating a Family of Standard Parts - Xess,
16-15
Creating a Mirror Feature, 5-12 B
Creating a Windshield Fluid Reservoir, 12-29
Blend, tips and techniques, 13-4
Creating Interpart Expressions, 9-9
Designing in Context of an Assembly, 8-16 Body, GL-2
Dragging Sketch Objects, 2-14 Bottom-Up Modeling, GL-2
Edit Defining Strings, 3-5
Editing a Link, 8-41 Boundary, GL-2
Editing the Adjustment Angle, 1-16 Broken Links, 8-39
Editing the Timestamp of a Link, 8-46 BuiltĆin, Functions, C-4
In-Process Parts, 8-31
Internal & External Taper Directions, 12-24
Load Options and Reference Sets, 7-35
Mass Replacement of Reference Sets, 7-24
C
Mating Conditions, Remember Constraints, Calculator Capabilities, 4-3
14-38
Mating the Nut Cracker Components, 14-24 Category, Layer, GL-2
Rect. Instance Arrays & Mirrored Body, 5-4 Chaining, GL-2
Replacing Reference Sets in an Assembly, 7-19
Check clearances, 6-28
Substituting Components, 17-25
ÉÉÉ
Suppressing and Deleting Sketches, 3-10 Circle, GL-2
Taper Solid, 12-18
ÉÉÉ
Cliff Edge Blends, 13-13
Wave Geometry Linker - Mirror Body, 8-34
IN
ÉÉÉ
Component, GL-2
Windshield Fluid Reservoir, 11-9
Part, GL-2
Angle, GL-1 properties, 6-21
ÉÉÉ
EDS Design Applications Using IN-1
Index
Components, create new, 8-5 Endpoint, GL-4

Conditional, Expressions, 4-11 Expressions, GL-4
Calculator Capabilities, 4-3
Conditional Expressions, 4-10
interpart, concepts of, 9-2
Cone Names, GL-6
Direction, GL-2 overriding, 9-4
Origin, GL-2 referencing, 9-3
Constraints, GL-2
Geometric, 1-2, 1-7, 1-19, 1-26, 3-4
geometric F
displaying, 1-23
removing, 1-23 Face, GL-4
Construction Points, GL-3 Features, GL-4
Control Point, GL-3 File, GL-4
Convert, Curves to BĆCurves, GL-3 File Versioning, B-3
Coordinate Systems, GL-3 Filtering, GL-4

Sketch, GL-8 Font
Box, GL-4
Counterclockwise, GL-3
Character, GL-4
Current Layout, GL-3 Line, GL-4
Cursor, GL-7 Free Form Feature, GL-5
Curve, GL-3
G
D Generator Curve, GL-5
Defaults, GL-3 Geometric Constraint, GL-5
Defining Points, GL-3 Geometry Linker, geometry types, 8-14
DegreeĆofĆfreedom Arrows, 1-2, GL-3 Grid, GL-5
Delete, Expressions, 4-6 Guide Curve, GL-5
Deleting Parent Geometry, 8-39
Design in Context, GL-3 H
Dimension Constraints, GL-4
Half Angle, GL-2
Dimensions, 1-4
Direction, Cone, GL-2
Directory, GL-4 I
Displayed Part, GL-4 Implementation of Design Standards, class
standards, -5
Inflection, GL-5
E Instance, create, mirror body, 5-2, 5-9, 5-17
Edit in Place, GL-4 Interpart Expressions, 9-2
ÉÉÉ
overriding, 9-4
Editing Links, 8-38
partial loading and , 9-15
ÉÉÉ
IN
At Timestamp, 8-38 referencing, 9-3
ÉÉÉ
Break Link, 8-39
resolving references, 9-15
ÉÉÉ
Emphasize Work Part, GL-4 tips and recommended practices, 9-16

IN-2 Unigraphics Student Manual EDS
Unigraphics NX
All Rights Reserved
Index
Interpart Modeling, 8-27 Operators, C-2

enabling, B-2 Origin, Cone, GL-2
Interpart modeling
mold/die parts and, 8-29
weldments, 8-30 P
Introduction, -1
Parametric Design, GL-6
Part, GL-6, GL-7
K Part Families
adding members to assembly, 16-19
Knot Points, GL-5 concepts, 16-2
creating family members, 16-9
dialog, 16-4
L procedure for creating, 16-3
pull-down menu, 16-7
Layer, GL-5 spreadsheet, 16-7
terminology, 16-3
Layout, GL-5, GL-6 update parts, 16-8
Listing Expressions, 4-6 Part files
Listing Window, GL-6 dau_angleadjbrckt_1, 1-11
dau_bbqcover_1, 3-5
Load Options
dau_blend_frame, 13-7
Allow Substitution, 17-20
dau_caster_2_assm, 17-25
defaults file, 17-13
dau_express, 4-7
partial loading
dau_fixture_assm, 8-8
interpart expressions and, 9-15
dau_fixture_bolt_up, 16-23
sharing components, 17-15
dau_fluid_reservoir, 12-29
using legacy parts, 17-15
dau_frame_1, 2-31
reference sets, 7-34
dau_freewheel_assm, 17-32
Loaded Part, GL-6 dau_hexbolt_fam, 16-10, 16-15
dau_hole_punch_assm, 6-14
dau_iges_1, 1-36
M dau_perim_1, 1-60
dau_pipevise, 1-43
Mating Conditions dau_roller_assm, 17-8
Show Current Solution, 14-15 dau_seedpart_in, 1-47, 4-22
Show Mating Error , 14-16 dau_skt_perimeter, 1-56
dau_straightslot_1, 1-49
Menu, GL-6 dau_switchbase_1, 2-50
Mirror Body, create, 5-2, 5-9, 5-17 dau_taper, 12-18
dau_taper2, 12-24
Model, GL-7
dau_vise_assm, 7-25
Model Space, GL-6
Part files - New
Molded parts, forged, 8-29 ***_angleadjbrckt_1, 1-11, 1-28
***_bbqcover_1, 3-5
***_fluid_reservoir, 12-29
O ***_frame_1, 2-31
***_geo_express, 4-22
Object, GL-6
Offset, curve, 10-2
***_hexbolt_fam, 16-10
***_roller_assm, 17-8
***_straightslot_1, 1-49
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
IN
Offset Surface, GL-6
Open by Proximity, 6-33
***_switchbase_1, 2-50
Partially Loaded Part, GL-7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Index
Point Set, GL-7 Spline, GL-8

Point Subfunction, GL-7 Stored Layout, GL-8
Precedence, C-3 Stored View, GL-8
Promotion of Bodies, enabling, B-2 String, GL-8
Properties, component, 6-21 SubĆassembly, GL-8
Substituting components, 17-19
Allow Substitution Load Option, 17-20
R using Open Component As, 17-24
using Reopen , 17-23
ReadĆOnly Part, GL-7 using Substitute, 17-21
Real Time Dynamics, GL-7 Surface, GL-8
Reference Sets System, GL-8
creation of, 7-9
default, 7-4
deleting, 7-33
editing, 7-32
T
empty reference set, 7-5 Tables, BuiltĆin Constants and Functions, C-4
information on, 7-11
Temporary Part, GL-8
load options, 7-34
origin and orientation of, 7-10 TfrĆISO, GL-5
renaming, 7-33 TfrĆTri, GL-8
replacing, 7-15
simplified assembly, 7-6 Top-Down Modeling, GL-8
sub-assemblies, 7-23 Trim, GL-8
uses of, 7-2
Refresh, GL-7
Rename, Expressions, 4-6
U
Reports Unigraphics, GL-9
family of parts, 16-22 Unique Identifier (UID), 17-19
update, 17-6
where used, 17-7 Units, GL-9
Revisions, 17-2 Upgrade, Component, GL-9

load options and, 17-12
tracking by part number, 17-2
unique identifier (UID) and, 17-19 V
using Save As, 17-3
Variable Radius Blends, 13-2
Right Hand Rule, GL-7
Version, GL-9
Rotation, GL-7
Versioning Rules, B-3
View, GL-9
S Isometric, GL-5
Trimetric, GL-8
SCS, GL-8 Work, GL-10
Sheet, GL-7
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
IN
Sketch, GL-8
constraining of, 1-1, 1-4, 2-1, 3-1
Coordinate System, GL-8 WCS, GL-9
W
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Sketching in Context, 8-12
Solid Body, GL-8
Weldments, 8-30
Work Layer, GL-9

Unigraphics NX
All Rights Reserved
Index
Work Part, GL-10

Y
YCĆAxis, GL-10
X Z
XCĆAxis, GL-10 ZCĆAxis, GL-10
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
IN
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Index
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
IN
ÉÉÉ
ÉÉÉ
Unigraphics NX
All Rights Reserved
Reference Chart Tear Outs
These tear out reference charts are provided for your convenience.


Student Profile
Design Applications Using Unigraphics
Name Date
Employer
U.S. citizen? Yes / No
When is your planned departure time?________________am/pm
Please answer the following questions as honestly as you can. We are concerned about providing training that
meets your needs. If you have any additional comments please write them on the back of this form.
1. Job title:
2. Current responsibilities:
3. How long have you held these responsibilities? Years ______ Months ______
4. How long have you been working with CAD/CAM/CAE systems? Years ______
5. What other CAD/CAM/CAE systems are you familiar with?
6. Are you currently using Unigraphics? _______ Version _______ Hours per week?
7. What is the function of your CAD/CAM/CAE system (documentation, modeling, analysis,
translation interface, etc.)?
8. What do you model in your Unigraphics part files (castings, assemblies, floor plans, etc.)?
9. Please list other completed CAD/CAM/CAE courses and the provider including Unigraphics CBT
and CAST:
Course Provider
10. Please check the box that best describes your current skill level in the various Unigraphics
disciplines listed below.
none novice intermediate advanced future use

Wireframe Modeling
Solid Modeling
Parametric Modeling
Drafting
Assemblies
Manufacturing

Additional Comments

Course Agenda
Day 1 Monday Morning

Introduction & Overview
Lesson 1. Constraining Sketch
Afternoon
Lesson 2. Sketch Management
Workbook Section 1 Project Description & Moldline Sketch
Day 2 Tuesday Morning

Lesson 3. Additional Sketch Techniques
Lesson 4. Expressions
Afternoon
Lesson 5. Duplicating Features
Workbook Section 2 Creating the Bottom Housing
Lesson 6. Assembly Functions
Day 3 Wednesday Morning

Lesson 7. Reference Sets
Workbook Section 3 Creating the Assembly Part File
Lesson 8. Top–Down Assembly Modeling
Afternoon
Lesson 9. Interpart Expressions
Lesson 10. Offset Curves
Workbook Section 4 Creating the Upper Housing
Workbook Section 5 Creating the Impeller Part 1

Day 4 Thursday Morning
Lesson 11. Trim & Split Body
Lesson 12. Face Operations
Lesson 13. Variable & Cliff Edge Blends
Afternoon
Lesson 14. Mating Conditions
Workbook Section 9 Creating the Shaft Sub_Assembly
Day 5 Friday Morning

Lesson 15. Component Arrays
Lesson 16. Part Families
Workbook Section 10 Adding Hardware to the Assembly
Afternoon
Lesson 17. Revisions & Substitutions
Workbook Section 11 Editing the Assembly Part File
Workbook Section 12 Applying a Rev. to the Assy.

Class Layers and Categories
The following layer and category standards will be followed in this class.
Model Geometry
Object Type Layer Assignment Category Name

Solid Geometry 1-20 SOLIDS
InterĆpart Modeling 15-20 LINKED_OBJECTS
Sketch Geometry 21-40 SKETCHES
Curve Geometry 41-60 CURVES
Reference Geometry 61-80 DATUMS
Sheet Bodies 81-100 SHEETS
Drafting Objects

Drawing Borders 101-110 FORMATS
Engineering Disciplines

Mechanism Tools 121-130 MECH
Finite Element Meshes 131-150 CAE
and Engr. Tools
Manufacturing 151-180 MFG
Quality Tools 181-190 QA


Line, Arc, and Circle Creation Methods
Line Creation
Note: When numbered picks are shown, this is
usually not the only way the line may be created.
Line between two points Select two points
Line through a point and Define the first point

Y
horizontal, vertical, or at an Define second point within
angle to the WCS 1 X the Snap Angle setting or
Enter the desired angle
and press <Tab>.
Line through a point and Define a point

1
parallel, perpendicular, or Select a line
at an angle to a line 2 Select limiting point/object
[May also select line,
then point]
2
1
Line through a point and 2 Select a point

tangent or normal to a curve 1 Select a curve
Select limiting point/object
(if necessary)
Line tangent or perpendicular Select two curves

to two curves
2
Line tangent to a curve and Select two curves
parallel or perpendicular to 1 Select limiting point/object
a line
A bisector line Select two lines

Arc and Circle Creation
Note: When numbered picks are shown, this is usually
not the only way the arc or circle can be created.
Start point, end point, 2 3 Define first point
point on arc Define second point
1 Define third point
Start point, end point, 3 Define first point

2
tangent object Define second point
1 Select tangent object
Start point, tangent object, Define start point

end point 1
Select tangent object
3
2
Define end point
Arc center, start point, Define first point

end point 2 Define second point
3
Define third point
1
Circle center, point on circle 2 Define first point

Define second point
1
Circle center, tangent object Define point

Select tangent object
2
1

Hot Key Chart
Hot Key Function Hot Key Function

CtrlĆA Assembly Navigator CtrlĆN File, New
CtrlĆB Edit, Blank CtrlĆO File, Open
CtrlĆC Copy CtrlĆP File, Plot
CtrlĆD Delete CtrlĆQ
CtrlĆE Tools, Expression CtrlĆR View, Operation, Rotate (full
menu)
CtrlĆF Fit View CtrlĆS File, Save
CtrlĆG Grip Execute CtrlĆT Edit, Transform
CtrlĆH CtrlĆU Execute User Function
CtrlĆI Information, Object CtrlĆV Paste
CtrlĆJ Edit, Object Display CtrlĆW Application, Gateway
CtrlĆK CtrlĆX Cut
CtrlĆL Format, Layer Settings CtrlĆY
CtrlĆM Application, Modeling CtrlĆZ Edit, Undo

CtrlĆShiftĆA File, Save As CtrlĆShiftĆN Format, Layout, New
CtrlĆShiftĆB Edit, Blank, Reverse Blank CtrlĆShiftĆO Format, Layout, Open
All
CtrlĆShiftĆC View, Curvature Graph CtrlĆShiftĆP Tools, Macro, Playback
CtrlĆShiftĆD CtrlĆShiftĆQ Quick Shaded Image
CtrlĆShiftĆE CtrlĆShiftĆR Tools, Macro, Record
CtrlĆShiftĆF Format, Layout, Fit All CtrlĆShiftĆS Toolsm Macro, Step
Views
CtrlĆShiftĆG Debug Grip CtrlĆShiftĆT Preferences, Selection
CtrlĆShiftĆH High Quality Image CtrlĆShiftĆU Edit, Blank, Unblank All
Of Part
CtrlĆShiftĆI CtrlĆShiftĆV Format, Visible In View
CtrlĆShiftĆJ Preferences, Object CtrlĆShiftĆW
CtrlĆShiftĆK Edit, Blank, Unblank SeĆ CtrlĆShiftĆX
lected
CtrlĆShiftĆL CtrlĆShiftĆY
CtrlĆShiftĆM Model Navigator CtrlĆShiftĆZ View, Operation, Zoom
(full menu)
AltĆTab Toggles Application CtrlĆAltĆB Tools, Boundary

AltĆF4 Closes Active Window CtrlĆAltĆC Tools, CLSF
F1 Help on Context CtrlĆAltĆM Application ManufacturĆ
ing
F3 View Current Dialog CtrlĆAltĆN Tools, Unisim
F4 Information Window CtrlĆAltĆW Application Assemblies
F5 Refresh CtrlĆAltĆX Tools, Lathe Cross-SecĆ
tion
F6 Quick Zoom
F7 Quick Rotate

Training Course Evaluation
Name (Optional) Date
Instructor Location Unigraphics NX
Please give your honest opinion about the training you have received during this class. Provide additional
comments on the reverse side of this evaluation form.
Please check the box if you would like your comments, regarding the training you just received, featured in our
training publications. We will contact you if more information is needed.
Hotel Accommodations (if applicable) Hotel name
What was your overall impression of this hotel? Poor 2 3 4 5 6 7
Facilities - How would you rate the training facilities? Poor 2 3 4 5 6 7
Instruction - How would you rate the instruction? Poor 2 3 4 5 6 7
Was the instructor knowledgeable of the subject? Poor 2 3 4 5 6 7

Comments
1. Were the course objectives clearly defined and were they met? Yes No
Please explain:
2. Were concepts effectively communicated so that you understand how to apply the software? Yes
No Please explain:
3. How well prepared do you now feel to use the functions covered in this course in your day to day
activities? Please explain:
4. Were the student activities effective in learning Unigraphics? Yes No

Please explain:
over

5. Was the workbook activity effective in reinforcing the concepts taught? Yes No
Please explain:
6. What additional topics related to parametric design would you like to see covered in this course?
Please explain:
7. Do you have any other suggestions on how the course could be improved? Yes No
Please explain:
8. In order to continually improve our courseware a post class survey is conducted; would you be
willing to participate in this survey. (If you checked this box, make sure that your name is on this sheet.)
Course - What was your overall impression? Poor 2 3 4 5 6 7

Additional Comments


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UNIGRAPHICS

DESIGN APPLICATIONS USING

2002 Electronic Data Systems Corporation. All rights reserved.

Restricted Rights Legend

Warranties and Liabilities

Design Applications Using Unigraphics Student Manual Publication History:

Constraining Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Constraint Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24

Constraint Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

ii Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

Additional Sketching Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Copy/Paste Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17

Assembly Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

iv Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

Part File Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26

Reference Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Top Down Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

vi Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

Trim Body / Split Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Face Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1

Variable Radius and Cliff Edge Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1

Mating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1

The Parallel Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-7

Component Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-1

viii Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

Activity 2 - Creating Feature ISET Component Arrays . . 15-9

Where Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-7

Additional Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

x Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

System Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Expression Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

(This Page Intentionally Left Blank)

xii Design Applications Using EDS Unigraphics NX

Designers, Engineers, and CAD/CAM managers who have a need to create

Create an offset face

Practical Applications of Unigraphics course

Basic understanding of parametric/explicit modeling, and the Master Model

Working knowledge of the following:

How to Use This Manual

The general format for lesson content is:

Step 1 Open part file dau_topic_1.

From the menu bar, select File

Double-click on the parts sub-directory.

Select the file dau_topic_1 and choose OK.

Obviously, it is always necessary for students to consider the classroom situation

Classroom System Information

Student Login: Username:

About Part File Naming

In order to facilitate the identification of design models without requiring the

part name revision

identifier configuration extension

Class Part File Naming

This course utilizes the following filenaming standard:

underscore unique identifier number

course identifier underscore delimiter extension

TIP Once a seed part is established, it should be writeĆprotected to avoid

Expression Name Intended Use

These expressions could be entered by the user in each file or could be a

The following colors are preset to indicate different object types:

Object Valid colors

Points and Coordinate Systems White

Unigraphics utilizes a toolbar interface which is customizable for each user.