A woman in a factory on a computer with NX Product Template Studio open on her screen

Advanced CAD technology

Modeling technologies and automation

CAD automation tools organize product design workflows and collaboration, enabling efficiency and reuse, speeding up the time to market while enhancing product quality.

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Explore how NX is advancing generative technology

CIMdata explores NX capabilities for generative design, such as topology optimization and convergent modeling for lighter and stronger products.

A 3D rendering of a car made in NX. It has yellow rims on the wheels, a yellow frame allowing you to see the inside of the car, and black seats with a red exterior.

Modeling platform flexibility

Deliver greater innovation and higher quality at a lower cost. With NX 3D product design software, you can interchangeably use the most productive modeling approaches—from explicit solid and surface modeling to parametric and direct modeling and facet-based modeling.

Adaptive user interface

Leverage the NX personal assistant that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to track and learn from user actions. This feature predicts the NX commands you will likely use next based on the context of what you are currently doing. It then presents those commands on a compact adaptive user interface (UI) panel. For example, if you're doing something in sheet metal, it knows that a certain sequence of commands will be used and will provide them to you.

Dashboard of NX showing a part design.

Convergent Modeling

Perform faceted-based modeling without needing data conversion. By combining facet, surface and solid modeling in a single integrated environment, NX eliminates the need for reverse engineering. Simply model with topology optimization results directly. Compared with traditional modeling techniques, Convergent Modeling can be up to ten times faster.

A component showing the result of an NX Topology Optimization study.

Synchronous technology

Experience synchronous technology, a collection of simple, direct pull/push tools for editing and creating both 2D and 3D geometry.

Perform fast and intuitive modeling with NX—freely modify 3D geometry without needing to understand how models were constructed using simple push-and-pull methods. For greater versatility, you can use synchronous modeling interchangeably with all other CAD modeling tools—on NX models or geometry from any other source.

An example of NX Synchronous Modelling - Move Face, showing the original and new positions of a boss and blends.

CAD automation

Utilize the CAD automation tools in NX to improve the quality of product designs and to increase the speed at which a design is completed.

Equation-driven modeling

Certain functional surfaces and solids are most easily defined using mathematical equations. Functional examples include optical surfaces, cam profiles, airfoil geometry and any other geometry for which you can define the math. Using Convergent Modeling, equation-driven geometry can be specified using robust 3D plotting tools in Maple and then associatively incorporated into NX designs for further refinement.

Maple can easily handle algebraic math, differential and integral calculus, differential equations, linear algebra and much more. You’ll have complete control over the smoothness or resolution of equation-driven geometry created by Maple. Also, the intellectual property defined by Maple worksheets can easily remain managed within Teamcenter

 NX has a partnership with Maple software that allows equation driven modeling. The image shows a gerotor design tool with coordinate systems.

Topology optimization and generative engineering

Create and optimize a new generation of products by taking performance requirements into account from the start. Compressed schedules often force engineers to choose the first feasible design option. By mimicking nature's evolutionary approach, generative engineering empowers you to identify the best design sooner while reducing the number of iterations needed.

Automated calculations iterate until optimized geometry is achieved. The resulting organic shapes are lightweight and meet all performance requirements. NX allows you to automate the design exploration process.

Image shows a before and after example of part reduction on a bolted pipe assembly resulting from NX Topology Optimization.

Template-based design

Reduce costs, increase innovation and boost efficiency in product design by reusing design information and process knowledge.

Accelerate design, standardize product design processes, and maximize the time and cost savings of reuse in NX CAD. You can create templates from existing designs and reuse them for new designs. With simple drag-and-drop tools, quickly and easily create custom interfaces that control design inputs and engineering operations for templates.

With NX Product Templates, you can automate much more than design modeling. Incorporate product and manufacturing information, drawings, motion analysis, structural simulation and validation checking into the templates to automate and standardize engineering processes.

A machine tool head designed with an NX Product Template, image includes the template dialog.

Increase design efficiency with NX Feature Templates

Watch this Realize LIVE on-demand session to learn about using NX Feature Templates to enhance design workflows and increase efficiencies.

Feature Template menu in NX showing a template for a bracket hole pattern
Case study

JK Machining

Colorized cutaway graphic of a machine part
Case Study

Automation helps a machine shop thrive in a competitive marketplace

Company:JK Machining

Industry:Automotive & transportation

Location:Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States

Siemens Software:NX