Welcome to the October edition of our Ask an Applied Engineer series! Each month, our engineers answer your most pressing questions. Whether you’re troubleshooting software challenges or seeking industry advice, our team is here to help you succeed.
Submit your questions here and get a response from an Applied CAx engineer.
This month, we’re answering questions about advanced controls in NX and what users can build with Mendix.
Question #1
Q: I used SolidWorks in school, but I’m learning NX. I’m finding that NX requires many more explicit inputs, like datums, even for basic parts. In SolidWorks, I relied more on geometry, like faces or origins. Why does NX use this advanced control, and how does it help me with design intent?
A: You’ve hit on a key philosophical difference between NX and many other CAD systems. NX is designed for advanced control and robust modeling, essential for highly complex and scalable designs in the aerospace and automotive industries.
Here’s why you’re seeing that difference:
- Explicit Control and Datums: While datums are optional, they are a powerful tool in NX. Using explicit datums (planes, axes, and points) makes your design clear and independent of surrounding geometry, resulting in a more robust and predictable model. If you need to reposition complex feature sets or copy them to other parts, datums make this process easier.
- WAVE Technology: NX’s WAVE technology lets you create associative links between parts. This is crucial for large-scale, top-down design, allowing you to manage the propagation of design changes across complex assemblies effectively.
- Handling Complexity: NX’s methods, including its emphasis on explicit control, are geared toward building reliable, scalable models that can evolve with complex design needs, which is why it’s so well-suited for huge assemblies.
Answered by Michael Grant, Design & Manufacturing Services Manager at Applied CAx
Question #2
Q: What types of applications can engineers and business users realistically build with Mendix?
A: The range is fantastically broad. I’ve seen examples of teams using Mendix to automate shop floor operations, build supplier portals, extend PLM with lightweight apps, and even deliver customer-facing interfaces. Because the tools are visual and approachable, business users can create smaller apps on their own without a significant investment in a software development department.
Answered by Chris Ochs, Software Engineer at Applied CAx
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