Enhancement of Feature Group Functionality in NX CAD Software

Abstract

Manufacturing companies are driven by increasing pressure to develop innovative products in shorter time frames, while maintaining high levels of quality. Even with mature, capable 3D CAD technology, many companies have failed to significantly improve their design processes, and the benefits of lower costs and shorter cycle times remain elusive.

Transformation of product development begins with the design process, which fuels the entire product lifecycle from simulation and analysis through tooling design, manufacturing, assembly, service and support. NX from Siemens PLM Software delivers next-generation design tools and technologies that help companies transform product development.

In view of this, this thesis deals with enhancing the feature group functionality in NX to arrange parts into logical groups of features for better visualization and use. It is also a project goal to make Feature Groups easier to populate. This project will also provide the ability to organize features in an equivalent (or better) way on the Part Navigator. Also we facilitate moving of Feature Groups in Part Navigator to achieve the desired part structure without having to be concerned about timestamp compatibility. The concept of Active Feature Groups and Floating Feature Groups is introduced in this thesis wherein the user will find it easier to place or move features in existing Feature Groups. Also the user interface related to this process and the working is explained in detail to demonstrate the enhancement in Feature Group functionality.