Any Unigraphics users?

[Cammotion]

Just wondering if there are any Unigraphics folks here. Our company uses NX3, and going to NX4 very soon.

From a modeling standpoint, it's very powerful. We also CAM with it, and while it's powerful there too, it has a learning curve that's nearly vertical! I'm hoping it won't take too long to be able to find my way through the maze and be able to make some toolpath. It sure ain't like the Surfcam/Mastercam programming I'm used to! OK, rant off!

[kaye7877]

I've been using UG for a while, but have never made a CNC program with it even though I have the manufacturing module. So, I would be of no help in that area. It is a goal of mine to learn to do CNC programming with it and have investigate the training classes. Certainly too much to tackly by myself.

[Scott_bob]

Same here... This is Not a program to self teach. Like you I have the SurfCam, MasterCam, EdgeCam (to name a few) background, and just could not get myself up that steep learning curve without training. Even the training materials available from UGS has poor quality documentation. Unbelievable with todays word processors. There is just no excuse for unreadable graphics in their documentation. I had to use my glasses and I still could just barely make out the text in their graphic illustrations.

Awesome software though, very expensive, but there is nothing better out there, if you can get it to work for you...

[Cammotion]

Scott_bob and Kaye7877, I agree about the learning UG on your own. I went throught the CAST training that comes with NX3, plus some additional training from a third party vendor which is very similar to CAST, and I got enough info to ask educated questions of the more experienced folks in the department!

Having some experience with Solidworks helps a lot in the modeling side, but CAMing I need help with. Fortunately, the guys I work with are willing to help, because THEY needed help too!

[Brian Kidd]

I also use UG NX3 (been using UG since version 9) and most of it actually has been self taught. I've taken a class here and there but for the most part it's been on the job training for me. I use it for modelling and modifiying customer data to prepare to build investment casting patterns on our Stereolithograpy machines. Although I've never used it to CAM anything (we don't have the CAM module) I am going to use the software to model parts that I will mill on my IH CNC but using a third party CAM software (right now I just have MESHCAM).

B.Kidd

[camster]

I have been using UG for the past 23+ years. Started with UG I in 1983. It has helped to keep me employed since then. Currenty working for iKS (Formerly Cadpo) Most of my focus is on CAM and UG Post.

[Brian Kidd]

Originally Posted by camster I have been using UG for the past 23+ years. Started with UG I in 1983. It has helped to keep me employed since then. Currenty working for iKS (Formerly Cadpo) Most of my focus is on CAM and UG Post.

Back then wasn't it Mcauto or something like that from McDonnell Douglas? We had some tooling vendors that ran it back in about that era, we were running GE's CALMA for our main CAD program until GE and PRATT went to UG then gave us some licenses.

B.KIdd

[Cammotion]

Originally Posted by camster I have been using UG for the past 23+ years. Started with UG I in 1983. It has helped to keep me employed since then. Currenty working for iKS (Formerly Cadpo) Most of my focus is on CAM and UG Post.

Camster, that's a long time with a software package! It's good to hear from you folks with experience. I've been learning for about 10 years now, although I'm just starting with NX3. Coming from a largely Surfcam background (with some Mastercam before that), it is taking some time to get into camming with UG.

I have gone through the CAST system in the areas I thought were most important, i.e., modeling, sketching, feature modeling and some others, then on to the manufacturing lessons. I've done basically the same courses from Cadpo's "I get it" site. After having done all that, it's still hard to remember all the stuff I did! I will say however, that the repetitiveness of doing all that does make a lot of the info stick to this hard head trained to think in terms of the other systems.

I will be going for an instructor led course at one of UG's training sites soon, and I'm looking forward to that. I'm hopeing I will get things somewhat "smoothed out", and will become productive in UG camming. Do you know of any other resources or sites for discussing and learning? I know that the real learning comes from being "baptized by fire" so to speak, but I'm always looking for other sources of information. Thanks for reading,

Bill

[camster]

Bill,

Do you have a web key login to the UG bbsnotes?

[Cammotion]

Originally Posted by camster Bill, Do you have a web key login to the UG bbsnotes?

Camster, I'm not sure. Is it a matter of going to the UGS site and registering, or is that set up by my workplace through their site license? What's available there?

Bill

[camster]

If you have the Sold to id you can do it yourself other wise you will need your sys admin to assist. It is something you, or your company are already paying for. It does not cost anything extra to sign up.

[Cammotion]

Originally Posted by camster If you have the Sold to id you can do it yourself other wise you will need your sys admin to assist. It is something you, or your company are already paying for. It does not cost anything extra to sign up.

Great, thanks for the info. I will look into it tomorrow. Always looking for good tips and tricks!

Bill