Essentials for NX Designers

Coordinate Systems and

Creating Datum Geometry To Support Design Intent
 o Introduction to NX CAD with basic Engineering Graphics
o Getting started with NX and NX Interface
Course Content: o
o
Coordinate systems and Datum Geometry
Creating and Constraining Sketches
o Sweeping Geometry
o Creating and Editing Geometric relationship With Formula
o Examine the Structure, Editing and Manipulating the Sketches
o Editing And Manipulating Sketches
o Trimming A Solid Body
o Creating and Editing shell features
o Creating And Editing Holes
o Copying And Mirroring Part Segments
o Blending And Chamfering Edges
o Modifying Geometry Of Imported Parts
o Loading and working with assemblies
o Adding And Positioning Parts In An Assembly
o Creating Simple Drawings
o Point options, Primitives and Pre-defined shapes
o Practice projects
Coordinate systems and Datum Geometry
Purpose Objectives
• This lesson introduces the coordinate systems Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able
that are used in NX. to:

• Describe the differences between the absolute

coordinate system (ACS) and the work
coordinate system (WCS).
• Move the WCS.
• Obtain geometry information relative to the
WCS.
• Create a datum plane, a datum axis and a
datum CSYS.
• Use datum features to position other features
Coordinate Systems
• There are different coordinate systems in NX. A three-axis symbol is used to identify a coordinate
system.
• The intersection of the axes is called the origin of the coordinate system.
• The coordinate values of the origin are
X = 0, Y = 0, and Z = 0.
Each axis line represents the positive direction
for that axis.
The coordinate systems available in NX CAD for design and model creation are:

• Absolute Coordinate System

• Work Coordinate System (WCS)

• Datum coordinate system

Absolute Coordinate System :
 There is one absolute coordinate system. It is not visible or movable. The
direction of the global coordinate system axes are the same as the View Triad
(shown below), but not its origin.
The Absolute coordinate system is a conceptual location and
orientation in model space. Think of the Absolute coordinate system as
X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 0. It is invisible and cannot be moved.
Absolute Coordinate System :
• Defines a fixed point and orientation in model space.
• Relates the location and orientation between different objects.
• An object positioned at the absolute coordinates of X = 1.0, Y = 1.0, and Z = 1.0 in one particular part
file, is in exactly the same absolute position in any other part file.
• The View Triad is a visual indicator that represents the orientation of the Absolute coordinate system
of the model.
• The View Triad is displayed in the lower-left corner of the graphics window.
• You can rotate a model around a specific axis on the View Triad.
Work Coordinate System (WCS) :

• There is one movable Work Coordinate System

• The Work Coordinate System (WCS) is a right hand Cartesian coordinate system, made up of the XC,
YC, and ZC axes that are 90 degrees apart from each other.
• The intersection of the axes is called the origin of the coordinate system.
• The origin has coordinate values of XC = 0, YC = 0, ZC = 0.
• The XC-YC plane of the WCS is called the work plane.

Use of WCS :

 Create primitives.
 Define a sketch plane.
 Create a fixed datum axis or plane.
WCS options :
 You can access WCS options from the Tools tab > Utility group or by choosing Menu >
Format > WCS on the menu bar.
Options available to manipulate the WCS include:
 WCS Dynamics overview :
 Use WCS Dynamics to manipulate the location and orientation of the WCS.
You can enter WCS Dynamics at any time and it supports the Undo
function.

1. Translation (arrow heads)

2. Rotation (small spheres)

3. Origin (large sphere)

Position the WCS
Move the WCS :
1. Turn on WCS Dynamics in one of these ways:

 Double-click the WCS.

 Choose Tools tab > Utilities group > WCS Dynamics.
2. Select the Origin handle on the WCS and drag it to the desired location.

3. Turn off WCS Dynamics in one of these ways:

 Press Esc.
 Click the middle mouse button.
 Choose Tools tab > Utilities group > WCS Dynamics
Move the WCS origin to a point :
• The example shows how to move the WCS origin to an end point on the geometry.
• 1. Turn on WCS Dynamics.
• 2. Select the Origin handle on the WCS.
• 3. On the Top Border bar, turn on End Point .
• 4. Drag the WCS to an end point on the geometry.
Move the WCS along an axis :
• 1. Turn on WCS Dynamics.
• 2. To select a direction, click an arrowhead on an axis handle.
• 3. Move the WCS along the selected axis in one of these ways:
• Drag the WCS to the desired location.
• In the on-screen input box, enter a Distance value and press Enter.
Rotate the WCS :

• 1. Turn on WCS Dynamics in one of these ways:

• Double-click the WCS.
• Choose Tools tab > Utilities group > WCS Dynamics .
• 2. Rotate the WCS to the desired angle in one of these ways:
• Place the cursor over any of the three spherical handles on the WCS, and drag to the desired angle.
• Enter values in the Angle and Snap boxes in the on-screen input box.
Reorient the WCS to an object :

• 1. Turn on WCS Dynamics.

• 2. Select one of the WCS axes.
• 3. Select a object, such as an edge, to which you want to align the WCS.
• 4. (Optional) Specify a vector.
• a. Click Vector Constructor on the WCS dialog bar.
• b. Select a option from the Type list, or click on a object in the graphics
• window.
Datum coordinate system :

Uses for reference objects in a datum CSYS

To Define:
• Placement faces, constraints, and position of sketches and features.
• Vector directions for features.
• Critical product locations in model space and control them with translation and rotation parameters.
• Constraints to position parts in an assembly.
Applications for a datum CSYS
• A datum CSYS can be used for:

• Creating features in a detailed part.

• You can use a datum CSYS to help define the location and orientation of features. This is useful when
there are no convenient edges and faces or when you need to control the location of features with
multiple translation and angle parameters.
Defining critical locations in a product assembly:

• Using an aerospace example, you can create a datum CSYS at the absolute origin to define the
vehicle coordinate system. You can create another datum CSYS to define the wing coordinate system.
You can then use the wing coordinate system as reference to design and position the parts in the
wing assembly structure.
Activities: Creating datum geometry to support design intent.

In the Creating datum geometry to support design intent section, do

the activity:

• Create datum planes to support design intent.

Datum Axis:

• Use the Datum Axis command to define linear reference objects to help you create other objects,
such as datum planes, revolved features, extruded features, and circular arrays.
Datum Axis:

• Datum axes can be associative or non-associative.

Associative datum axes

• Associative datum axes reference curves, faces, edges, points, and other datums.
• You can create relative datum axes across multiple bodies.
• Associative datum axes are listed in the Part Navigator as Datum Axis
• entries.

Non-associative datum axes

• Non-associative datum axes do not reference other geometry. Use any of the datum axis
• methods to create fixed datum axes by clearing the Associative box in the Datum Axis dialog box.
• Non-associative datum axes are listed in the Part Navigator as Fixed Datum Axis entries.
Datum axis types:

Inferred — Determines the best datum axis type to use based on objects you select.

XC–Axis — Creates a fixed datum axis on the XC-axis of the Work Coordinate System (WCS).
YC–Axis — Creates a fixed datum axis on the YC-axis of the WCS.
ZC–Axis — Creates a fixed datum axis on the ZC-axis of the WCS.

Point and Direction — Creates a datum axis from a specified point in a specified direction.

Two Points — Creates a datum axis by defining two points through which the axis passes.

On Curve Vector — Creates a datum axis tangent, normal, or binomial to a point on

a curve or edge, or perpendicular or parallel to another object.
Intersection — Creates a datum axis at the intersection of two planar faces,
datum planes, or planes.

Curve/Face Axis — Creates a datum axis on a linear curve or edge, or the

axis of a cylindrical or conical face or torus.

Fixed — Available only when editing a datum axis.

Any datum axis created using the YC-Axis, XC-Axis, or ZC-Axis, or any of
the other relative types used with the Associative check box cleared, appear
as the Fixed type during an edit.
Datum axis options:

• Reverse Direction – Cycle through the possible directions for the axis normal.

• Associative – Clear this check box to create a fixed datum axis.

Applications for datum axes:

Datum axes can be used to:

• Define an axis of rotation for revolved features.

• Define an axis of rotation for circular arrays.

• Define an associative datum plane.

• Provide a directional reference.

• Serve as a target for feature positioning dimensions.

Review: Impact of coordinate systems on parts

• Which Coordinate System is a mobile coordinate system?

• Work Coordinate System
• What are the ways the WCS may be manipulated?
• Rotate, Orient, Origin, Dynamics
• What type of datum plane is related to other geometric objects?
• Associative datum planes
• When selecting datum planes, where must they be selected?
• On one of the edges
• If a datum plane is being used, can it be deleted to reduce the number of objects in the part file without affecting
anything else?
• No
• 6.How can you delete a datum plane?
• Select the item and choose Menu→Edit→Delete; select the datum plane and click the delete icon; select the datum
plane and press the delete key.
Summary: Impact of coordinate systems on parts

• In this lesson you:

• Identified the difference between the absolute coordinate system and the work coordinate system.
• Relocated, rotated, and reoriented the WCS.
• Obtained geometry information relative to the WCS.