Expressions are a versatile way to control model parameters in your design, and now you have more customization options and increased usability with the newly redesigned expressions system in NX 11.
You will notice improvements in three key areas: - Entering expressions
- Changing expressions
- Sorting expressions
Entering expressions is fast and streamlined with the new enhancements you get in NX 11. A spreadsheet-like format allows you to enter values in cells or copy and paste directly from Microsoft Excel. When you begin to type a string, NX anticipates your intent and automatically fills in the value for you.
Additionally, dimensions and units update automatically with the default setting. So, say you have parameters for both time and distance; now you want to create speed. Once you enter the formula distance/time, the dimensionality automatically changes to velocity and the units change to mm/sec.
Finally, a big pain point for users in the past came from errors. Error checking in NX 11 eliminates this problem; now when you attempt to create a parameter that already exists, you get an error message. Error checking prevents you from doing things that aren’t allowed by the system.
Changing expressions is easier for you in NX 11 as well. You simply click on a cell to edit it, and you can even edit multiple expressions at one time. Any expressions that reference the one you changed will update automatically to reflect the new value. You will also notice that now when you change an expression, two colors appear: Dark orange indicates changed expressions and light orange indicates any affected expressions.
NX 11 also gives you added controls for sorting expressions to help you maintain readability and usability for downstream use. Advanced filtering allows you to sort columns by any number of options: Name, formula, value, expression type, source, comment, and feature type. Filter visible expressions by groups to show only the active ones you’re currently working on, for example. This level of customization makes it easier to work with.
Thanks for watching. Scott
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