Synchronizing with NX

You can use option values to drive NX part expression values from variant items. For variant items, the option values are fixed and hence the geometry of the CAD design also remains fixed. You cannot synchronize generic item modules with NX, as the value may change each time a variant rule is specified. To enable synchronization, choose the corresponding customer default in NX. When you create a variant item, Teamcenter performs a Save As operation. For correct synchronization with NX, use Business Modeler IDE to set your deep copy rules for Save As on the appropriate item type so that Teamcenter copies the UGMASTER dataset as an object, not as reference. Set the Business Modeler IDE rules for deep copies so that, when you choose the Save As command for an item revision, the following are copied as objects: UGMaster datasets UGPart datasets Altreps (Optional) UGScenario datasets (Optional) DirectModel datasets To create JT files for modular piece parts and view them in Teamcenter, you must create the corresponding variant items and persistently store the JT files for the different geometry. You can drive piece part geometry from an assembly using the options presented to the assembly from the piece parts. To do this, set the value of the option on the assembly, which sets the option on the piece part in the generic structure. You then create a variant item for the assembly, which has an option and a value, and the value is the same as for the assembly. You now create a variant item with the corresponding option value, and substitute it into the assembly for the generic part. There is now an implicit link through the variant item structure.

Note Creating a variant item of an assembly does not automatically create variant items of the piece parts in the assembly. You must manually or automatically create variant items throughout the structure, as described in the previous paragraph. The synchronization process matches the option and expression names, so you must take care to ensure they are identical and note the following points: Names are case sensitive Do not use spaces in option names as expressions cannot accept spaces. Do not use underscores.

Caution NX does not indicate if an expression is synchronized with Teamcenter. If the expression value is changed manually in NX, the manual value is overwritten next time the part is loaded from Teamcenter. You can use naming conventions as an indication of synchronization. You can optionally create a special item type for variant items. If you do this, ensure the type is set to the base type, not the variant item type.