What’s New in NX | Advanced Modeling

Welcome to the latest episode of our What’s New in NX™ Software series. In this segment, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of Advanced Modeling, exploring the cutting-edge capabilities introduced in the December 2023 release of NX. These features are designed to elevate your design workflow to new heights.

Our spotlight today focuses on powerful tools to tool empowers you to create intricate and innovative shapes with precision with Advanced Shape Design. We’ll also focus on how to design more efficiently with NX Lattice Designer and cutout manual design iterations with Algorithmic Modeling. Keep reading below to learn about all things advanced modeling.

Advanced Shape Design

Streamlining 3D modeling with user-driven enhancements

In the dynamic world of 3D modeling, we’ve made significant advancements by incorporating user feedback into our curve command enhancements. These improvements have greatly accelerated the design process, allowing you to craft robust models with newfound speed and consistency.

Time-saving features and precision tools for advanced modeling

How can we help you save time in the design process? Well, we’ve streamlined workflows by introducing a Lock Aspect Ratio feature and refining character spacing within the Text command, eliminating unnecessary manual steps. This not only saves valuable time but also guarantees precision and uniformity in textual elements.

Real-time quality assurance

Having time-saving features is great, but if the end-product is not what you had in mind, then it really doesn’t save you any design time. To help you engineer more efficiently, modelers now have the power of on-screen maximum deviation indicators for Composite Curve and 3D Offset Curve when using the Advanced Fit Curve option. This instant feedback mechanism enables swift adjustments, ensuring curves of the highest caliber.

Enhanced customization and clarity

Now that you’re happy with the progress of your part, the options don’t just end there. Customization options have been taken to the next level. You can now personalize curve endpoint displays in terms of appearance and color and apply these preferences across all visible curves at once. This not only enhances visual clarity but also simplifies the differentiation of model elements.

Innovative curve on surface options

We’re thrilled to unveil a groundbreaking Line option for Curve on Surface, featuring two projection methods: Normal to surface and Geodesic. These methods provide modelers with the most precise and efficient curves, tailored to their specific needs. The Geodesic option calculates the shortest path on the surface, marking a significant leap forward in surface modeling.

Advanced Modeling with Lattice Designer

In the realm of engineering and design, innovative methods for crafting lattice structures are modernizing the way we approach material and product development. These unique lattice structures can be tailored for any application, which offers you, the user, unparalleled versatility and design efficiency.

Breakthrough with unit volume conformal lattice

The introduction of the new unit volume conformal lattice type marks a significant advancement in this field. This method fills a boundary volume with a lattice by utilizing Simcenter 3D hexahedral volumetric meshing, seamlessly morphing a unit cell to conform to the mesh. This ensures that the final structure is not only strong but also perfectly adapted to the volume it occupies.

Enhanced triangular lattice type

Improvements in user interface design have led to the enhancement of the Triangular lattice type. This approach combines the best aspects of Surface and Tetrahedral lattice types. It creates a lattice on faces by transforming mesh facet edges into rods, or it can fill a boundary volume with a lattice that uses these rods on the exterior while incorporating tetrahedron structures for stability.

Customization and control

Now, the last lattice enhancement to discuss is around greater control over lattice orientation, allowing you to align the structure with specific functional requirements. This level of customization ensures that the lattice will perform optimally under the desired conditions, making it a powerful tool in your arsenal.

Algorithmic Modeling

Bridge Curve

The Bridge Curve node in algorithmic modeling is crucial for adding bridge curves to shapes, which helps to form closed sections. This is best used for connecting curves smoothly and works well with other nodes to set strong rules. If you are creating complex curve-based geometry, this node is vital to your design process.

Offset region

The next node to discuss is the Offset Region node and it can offset closed areas within curves on flat surfaces or 3D objects, creating side walls. It’s smart enough to find nested loops in curves, often seen in lettering. It has an optional feature to clear up any confusion, making sure the result is the same type as the original. This node makes it easier and faster to create raised patterns from curves and has been improved for better text placement on objects.

2 & 3 Face blends

The new 2 & 3 Face Blends nodes have changed how blending details are added to rules. They help blend two or three groups of faces together. The 3-face Blend can handle multiple connected faces, a single sheet, or one face, and the result can be a sheet, solid, or multiple bodies, depending on what’s used. The 2-Face Blend can work with faces from different objects, possibly leading to several results. These nodes are very helpful for designing patterns in styling and industrial design, saving a lot of time that would go into making blends by hand.

Conclusion

As we conclude this exploration of the December 2023 release of NX, it’s clear that the feedback from you, our users, around Advanced Shape Design, NX Lattice Designer, and Algorithmic Modeling are helping us redefine the boundaries of design and engineering. Our continuous release cycle allows for constant innovation and efficiency improvements to help you exceed and continue to engineer incredible products.

Source: Siemens