Identifying cutting and non-cutting geometry

Use to identify cutting and non-cutting geometries, or to assign cutting geometry colors, in a tool component part file.

NX identifies the tool component cutting and non-cutting geometries, as they are defined in the NX tool component part file, using one of the following attributes, in the following order: Body, Color, and Feature Group.

Tip

It is recommended that you assign only a single activity, such as a cutting activity only, a non-cutting activity only, or a combination of both, to the attributes in a tool component part file.

Opening the tool component part file in NX, you can review the following tool component attributes to make sure they are properly prepared for later automatic processes:

• Body

When you name a body of the tool component part file CUT, the body component is identified as the cutting geometry. The remaining components are identified as non-cutting geometry.

• Color

Items with the color Light Gray are identified as the cutting geometry. All other colors are identified as non-cutting geometry. Specific colors can be assigned to the cutting geometry in the tool component part file.

Colors that are defined in the DIN Standard

Color for CUT: 80% Gray (Light Gray) ± 1 %

Valid Red/Green/Blue (RGB) values: Red: 204 Green: 204 Blue: 204 Note The RGB values must be between 202 and 206.

Color for NOCUT: 50% Gray (Medium Gray) ± 1 %

Valid Red/Green/Blue (RGB) values: Red: 125 Green: 125 Blue: 125 Note The RGB values must be between 125 and 129.

Colors in NX The following are colors used in the default NX color palette and are within the tolerance range that is defined in the DIN standard:

Color for CUT: Light Gray

Valid Red/Green/Blue (RGB) values: Red: 204 Green: 204 Blue: 204

Color for NOCUT: Medium Gray

Valid Red/Green/Blue (RGB) values: Red: 125 Green: 125 Blue: 125

Note Depending on the color palette being used, some colors may have a different appearance, such as when NX imports a STEP file, a similar matching color from the NX color palette is used.

• Feature Group

The two feature groups include the following:

The feature group CUT defines the cutting geometry.

NX identifies a cutting feature group when a space character is added before the word CUT in the name of the cutting feature group, such as add feature group name-space character-CUT.

The remaining components are identified as non-cutting geometry.

Note Below is an example of a component, such as a drill, that includes cutting and non-cutting geometries.

• Validation

Using the Machine Tool Builder you can verify that the cutting and non-cutting geometries are identified properly for the tool assembly. Tip Selecting the CUTTING and NON_CUTTING attributes highlights the corresponding geometry, as in the following examples: