NX CAM Customization

Tips and Tricks

Mark Rief
Product Manager
Manufacturing Engineering Solutions

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NX CAM Customization
Tips and Tricks

Mark Rief
Product Manager
May 2012

© Siemens AG 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

We will review some of the many ways you can

customize NX CAM for your users. First we will
show how to set up a maintainable environment
for your customizations. We will demonstrate how
to create and publish templates, including setting
default values, customizing the dialogs, and
changing the icons, pictures, and tool tips that pop
when you create an operation. We'll create and
edit a simple journal, and add it to a new tool bar
that we'll also create.

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Topics

 Customization Environment
 Template customization
 Icons and tooltips
 Setups
 Setup Library
 Assembly Templates
 File New
 Journaling and Automation
 Recording journals
 Generalizing to create API programs
 Selected objects, All objects, Wizard object
 Tool bars

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Setting up a safe environment for
customization

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Create a Safe Customization Environment

 Preserve the Out of the Box (OOTB) installation

 There are many ways to do this. I will show you one.
 Create a home folder for each release
 Copy the mach\resource folder to the home folder, remove read only
 Create a usertools\bitmaps folder in the home folder
 Create a usertools\startup folder in the home folder (toolbars, pax)
 Create a ugii_env.dat file in the folder (copy OOTB)
 Define variables to point to the folders you created
 Create/copy the shortcut to run NX
 Set the “Start In” folder to your home folder

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Tips on Environment Variables

 Decide where to define variables, and remember where:

 System
 ugii_env.dat file  Today
 Script or batch file
 When id doubt, check the syslog file

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The ugii_env.dat file

 Use ugii_env.dat to define ONLY the variables you are changing

 It will include the default file
 Never touch the ugii_env_ug.dat file.
 Start with a copy of the one in UGII_ROOT_DIR
 The system searches until if finds a ugii_env.dat file:
1. Defined by environment variable UGII_ENV_FILE.
2. ugii_env.dat file in the directory that UG is started from.  Today
3. ugii_env.dat file in the users home directory as specified by the HOME
environment variable.
4. ugii_env.dat in UGII_ROOT_DIR.

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 Sample Customization Environment

# Copy ugii_env.dat file to Shortcut “Start in:” folder

#
# Override any variables here.
# My resource area
# -----------------------------------------------------
UGII_CAM_RESOURCE_DIR=d:\users\rief\nx85\resource\
#
# My bitmaps
# -----------------------------------------------------
UGII_USER_DIR=d:\users\rief\nx85\usertools\
UGII_BITMAP_PATH=${UGII_USER_DIR}bitmaps

#
# Do not define any variables after the #include below. They
must be defined
# before the #include in order to override the NX defaults.
#
#if FILE ${UGII_BASE_DIR}\ugii\ugii_env_ug.dat
#include ${UGII_BASE_DIR}\ugii\ugii_env_ug.dat
#endif

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Test the customization environment

 Run NX from the shortcut

 Check the syslog

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Demo

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Plan Ahead for Updating to the next release

 Merge your changes in to the OOTB files

 Do not just move old files up from the last release – you will miss
 PR fixes and enhancements
 Seeing new functionality
 New environment variables
 Keep track of the changes you make
 Template Parts
 ASCII Tool Library
 If no class changes, use the upgrade program
 If you edit the classes, compare the tcl, def, dat files.

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A Brief Primer on CAM Objects
and Templates

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CAM Objects and
Inheritance

Setup

Program Tool Geometry Method

Output Machine MCS Stock

Grouping Turret Geometry Tolerance
Order Pocket Boundaries Feedrates
Tool Clearance Display

Operation
Tool
Generate
Path
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Some Basic Concepts and Terms

 Objects are operations, tools, geometry, methods, programs

 Every object in CAM is created from a template object (Type template)
 Template objects have:
 Default parameters
 Customized dialogs
 Attributes for the Create dialog
 Any object or group of objects can be reused as a template
 Setups are a collection of objects (Setup template)
 Initial starting point
 Can create assembly structure

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Object Creation

 Common Dialog for Programs, Tools, Geometry,

Methods, Operations
 Select Type (part)
 Select Subtype (object)
 Select Location (parent objects)
 4 for Operations, 1 for groups
 Objects are create from “Type” Templates
 Custom icons and tool tips based on templates
 Browse for testing, add to library and opt file when
ready

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Tool Libraries

 Tool libraries are an additional way to create tools

 Parameters come from the library
 Dialog comes from a template
 Library_dialogs.prt
 Includes UDEs

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Getting confused

 Don’t edit and use a template at the same time

 Always restart NX or…
 Edit in one place and copy/rename to the real place

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Demo – operation templates

Copy an OOTB template

Customize an operation
 Dialog – Customize, Customize From…
 Default values
 Picture in dialog
 Icon
 Tooltip attributes

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Add a new setup assembly to File
New

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Setup Libraries

 History
 Introduced in NX 1, Palettes in NX 2, File New access in NX 6
 List of setup templates is in a library, not an opt file
 Why?
 Setups are classified and organized
 Each setup can have a unique set of type templates, which is used
whenever the setup is opened. No need to change configuration or template
set.
 Assemblies can be created automatically
 Setup assemblies can use File New to access

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Setup Classification with Libraries

 Classify setups with

NX libraries
 Associate type templates
with setups, not .opt file
 Setup reference is stored
in the part, not session
 Library is in resource\template_dir\template.dat
 Optional – use configuration cam_library.dat
• LIBRARY_SETUP_TEMPLATE

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Configuration file

• Cam_library.dat contains this line

…
LIBRARY_SETUP_TEMPLATE,
${UGII_CAM_LIBRARY_TEMPLATE_DIR}template.def,
${UGII_CAM_LIBRARY_TEMPLATE_DIR}template.tcl

• Do not switch between library mode and regular mode

• If you use setup libraries, add this to cam_general,
or change the default to cam_library
• Cam_library.dat also classifies output files.
…
LIBRARY_CAM_OUTPUT,
${UGII_CAM_LIBRARY_TEMPLATE_DIR}cam_output.def,
${UGII_CAM_LIBRARY_TEMPLATE_DIR}cam_output.tcl

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Setup Assemblies

 Setup template part is an assembly

 Contains a target component
 Can contain other geometry and components
 Mating conditions
 Creating a setup for your part
 Open the part you want to machine
 New part with a setup is created
 Your work part is now a component (replaces the target)
 Setup templates provided for General and CAM Express
 General uses mill_planar_assy.prt mill_planar_target.prt
 New Template includes machine

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 Creating your own setup assembly

 Create an assembly
 Create setup in the top level part
 Add components
 Assign attribute to target component
 CAM_COMPONENT_TYPE=Target
 File  Export  Setup Template
 Assign attributes
 Select Type templates
 Entry will be added to template.dat

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Manually Editing the Setup Library -
resource\template_dir\template.dat
 For each setup in the library
 LIBRF is a unique identifier
 Stored in the setup
 Inch 0-100, Metric 101-200, User 201+
 TMPL_CLASS identifies the complete class hierarchy of the template
 Sorted by functionality AND by units (for Palettes)
 SETUP_TEMP is the complete path for the setup template part file
 TYPE_TEMP is a list of type template associated with SETUP_TEMP
 Replaces the opt file
 Restored using LIBRF
 ATT1 is attribute 1 (description), used only for selection
 ATT2 is attribute 2 (units), used only for selection

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 What’s in the Setup Library File?
LIBRF TMPL_CLASS SETUP_TEMP

# Inch 001 - 100

DATA | 001| general.| ${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_planar.prt|
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_planar.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_contour.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_multi-axis.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}drill.prt TYPE_TEMP
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}hole_making.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}turning.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}wire_edm.prt| General | Inch
…
# Inch palette for NX2 ATT1 ATT2
DATA | 001| inch.| ${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_planar.prt|
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_planar.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_contour.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_multi-axis.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}drill.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}hole_making.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}turning.prt
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}wire_edm.prt| General | Inch
#
# Metric 101 - 200
…
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 File New

 Add your own .pax file with your

setup assemblies to
UGII_USER_DIR\startup
 Read all the help, or just copy
what we do 
 CAM is different that the other
templates
 Only Master Model
 Must be a library setup
assembly

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 Sample File New .pax file entry

<Presentation name="Manufacturing Templates" bitmap="sheet_and_block.bmp"

FileNewTab="Manufacturing" application="All" UsesMasterModel="Yes"/>

<PaletteEntry id="d1">
<References/>
<Presentation name="My Test Setup" description="What a Great Demo Setup">
<PreviewImage type="UGPart"
location="${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_planar_assy.jpg"/>
</Presentation>
<ObjectData class="CamTemplate“>
<Filename>
${UGII_CAM_TEMPLATE_PART_ENGLISH_DIR}mill_planar_assy.prt</Filename>

<Configuration>${UGII_CAM_CONFIG_DIR}cam_library.dat</Configuration>
<LibraryClassPath>GENERAL</LibraryClassPath>
<Units>English</Units>
<UsesMasterModel>Yes</UsesMasterModel>
</ObjectData>
</PaletteEntry>
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Journals and Toolbars

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Journaling and Automation

 Journaling = recording a program

 Better than Macros
 Basis of an automation program

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Toolbars

 Make your programs easy for the user to find

 Toolbars can be created and maintained two ways
 Text file - .tbr
 Load automatically from UGII_USER_DIR\startup
 Load manually with customize
 Better for sharing and maintenance
 Interactively
 Create with customize
 Save with a role
 Easier for individual users

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Toolbars

 Toolbar buttons can have many actions

 Built in NX menu command
 Look in the syslog or .men files.
 Your own program
 Vb, Grip, Macro
 System commands

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Demonstration

 Make a toolbar
 Make a program to edit selected tools
 Add to a toolbar

 Program to set attributes

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 Thank You!
www.siemens.com/plm

Siemens PLM Connection 2012

Las Vegas, NV
May 7-10

#PLMCONX

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