Manipulate the WCS

Estimated time to complete this lesson: 24 - 37 minutes. In this lesson, you will learn how to manipulate the work coordinate system (WCS). In this lesson you will: Move, rotate, reorient, and reposition the dynamic WCS. Emphasize and display a grid on a work plane.

The WCS
In this part of the lesson, you will learn to: Work more with the Selection Bar. Use the various "handles" on the dynamic WCS to rotate it and to move it to any location on the part or in modeling space. Align the WCS with edges on the part. Modify a snap value. Modify the rotation value. Find the "absolute coordinate system". Translate the WCS.

The WCS
The Work Coordinate System (WCS) is used for construction when you want to determine orientations and angles of features.

Each axis is a different color to help you orient it in modeling space. All coordinate systems in NX are right-hand rule coordinate systems.

Open the part

Open wcs.

Click here for information about toolbar customization for this course. Change to Static Wireframe .

Turn on the display of the WCS

The WCS is not currently displayed. Click Display WCS to turn it on.

The WCS appears at the lower left hand corner of the part.

The WCS was used to define the location and origin of the sketch and extrude features.

The handles on the Dynamic WCS

Click WCS Dynamics .

The WCS is now displayed with its various handles. 1. 2. 3. 4. The square at the origin of the WCS is the Origin handle. Each colored axis is an Axis handle. The conehead at the end of each axis is a Translation handle. The solid circles on the arcs between each set of axes are the rotation handles.

Use these handles to move and rotate the WCS to any location on the part or in modeling space.

The Dynamic WCS

Click WCS Dynamics .

The WCS changes into its Dynamic WCS display.

Selection Bar Snap Point

Snap Point options control the locations the cursor snaps to. Set these options for commands that use individual points, for example, Sketch or Measure. When you start an option that supports the Snap Point tool, the system automatically enables the Snap Point pull-down menu and opens the Snap Point toolbar. The Snap Point toolbar enables you to turn specific inferencing options on and off, it also offers access to the full Point Constructor dialog box.

You will learn more about these icons as you go through this lesson. If you do not see the Selection Bar, you will need to display it. Right-click anywhere in the toolbar area. Click Selection Bar.

Dynamically move the WCS

You want to move the WCS to a location 50 mm along its positive XC axis and 25 mm in front of the part (that is, along its negative YC axis).

Click Point Constructor

The Point Constructor dialog box is displayed.

Select the point location in modeling space

You will move the WCS to a location that is 50 mm along the positive XC field and 25 mm in front of the part. This will center the WCS in front of the part.

Enter the following values in the Coordinates section of the Point Constructor dialog box: XC = 50. YC = 25 (negative 25) Leave the ZC field set to zero. OK the dialog box. The WCS has been moved to the location you defined. Turn off WCS Dynamics .

Dynamically display the WCS

The WCS can also be moved "manually" to any position on the current XC-YC plane. Since you did not key in a ZC value on the Point Constructor, the WCS is still on the original XC-YC plane. Move the cursor over the WCS. The WCS highlights.

Double-click on the pre-highlighted WCS. It turns into the Dynamic WCS. Notice that the WCS Dynamics icon on the toolbar has also been turned on.

Dynamically drag the WCS to another location on the plane

Move the cursor over the Origin handle. The Origin handle preselects, and the cursor changes into a "dragable" cursor. Also, the "Move In Any Direction" symbol appears near it.

With the cursor over the Origin handle, click and hold, then drag the cursor to a location away from the part. If you looked at a front view of the part, you would see that the WCS has remained on the XC-YC plane.

Control points on edges

Normally you will want to move the WCS to a specific location on a part rather than keying in a specific distance from its current location. You can select control points on each edge you see in a wireframe image. You will see control points at these locations on edges or curves when you highlight an edge.

The Point Constructor dialog box will let you filter for a specific type of point.

Select an end point to move the WCS

You need to have the WCS placed at the top front left corner of the part. You also want to keep it in its current orientation (with its XC axis parallel with the long side of the part).

On the Snap Point portion of the Selection Bar, turn off all icons except Enable Snap Point and End Point.

Place the cursor over the Origin handle of the Dynamic WCS. Click, then drag the origin of the WCS to an endpoint at the top front corner of the part. When the system detects one of the endpoints at this corner, it displays the cursor as a "Snap To Point" cursor and you see an "End Point" symbol next to it.

Snap the dynamic WCS to a selected point

Now you will move the WCS to the center of the arc in the top face of the part, while keeping the WCS in its current orientation.

On the Snap Point portion of the Selection Bar, turn on Arc Center

Now you are limited to selecting ONLY the arc centers of circular edges on this part and end points. Move the selection cursor over the top circular edge of the counterbore hole feature, then select the arc center.

The WCS moves to the arc center point. Deselect Arc Center .

Align an axis of the WCS with an edge

The direction of the WCS axes can be important. For example, a procedure could require the XC axis to be parallel to the top angled edge of the Chamfer.

First define the axis you want to change. Select the XC axis of the Dynamic WCS. Select near the right side of the angled edge at the back left of the part. The WCS instantly rotates so that the XC axis is now parallel with the edge you selected.

Flip the WCS 180 degrees

You can flip the WCS to have the XC axis pointing in the opposite direction.

Double-click on the conehead at the end of the XC axis.

The WCS instantly flips around the ZC axis. This rotating action also displays a "dynamic input box" near the end of the XC axis.

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Drag a handle to rotate the WCS

Move the cursor over the rotation handle (the solid circle) between the XC axis and the YC axis. The handle highlights, and the cursor changes into the dragable cursor and a "rotate" symbol appears near it.

Click then drag the cursor around the WCS. (It will jump in 45 degree increments to each new orientation.)

Modify the Snap Value

Modifications to the snap value controls the degree to which the WCS will snap when you drag the rotation handle. The dynamic input box should still be up. If it is not, just rotate the WCS a little more. Click twice in the Snap value of the dynamic input box so that you select all of the characters. Type 10 then press Enter. Now, select the same rotate handle and rotate the WCS some more. This time the WCS snaps in 10 degree increments as it rotates around the ZC axis.

Rotate the WCS to a specific angle

You can rotate the dynamic WCS to any specific angle by keying in a value. Right now the rotation handle between the XC and YC axis is highlighted. So the system assumes that you want to rotate the dynamic WCS around the ZC axis. Double-click in the Angle field to give the entire field focus. Type 25 and press Enter.

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Notice that the dynamic WCS rotated.

The Absolute Coordinate System

The Absolute Coordinate System is the coordinate system from which all objects are referenced. Because this coordinate system is a fixed coordinate system, the locations and orientations of every object in NX modeling space are related back to its origin. The Absolute Coordinate System (or "Absolute CSYS") also provides a common frame of reference between part files. This means that an absolute position at X=1, Y=1, and Z=1 in one part file is the same location in any other part file. There are other types of coordinate systems that you will work with occasionally, but the working coordinate system and the absolute coordinate system are the two you will refer to most often. It is possible to quickly identify the absolute 0,0,0 location of this part. If necessary, display Set WCS to Absolute Click Set WCS to Absolute . on the Utility toolbar.

The WCS appears at the absolute CSYS.

The View Triad

The View Triad is drawn into the view and represents the orientation of the model's absolute coordinate system relative to the view, or the orientation of the model in space. View Triad is located in the lower left corner of all views in the graphics window.

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View Triad is enabled using PreferencesVisualizationView/Screen and select Show View Triad. Interaction with the View Triad also provides functionality to lock dynamic rotation about a specific model coordinate system axis.

Translate the WCS along an axis

Sometimes you need to move the WCS along an edge a certain distance. For example, you might need to have the WCS placed at a location along the top front edge that is 25 mm from the left side of the part.

Since there is no control point at this location, you can drag the WCS along that edge after you place it at a control point. Click WCS Dynamics .

Move the dynamic WCS to the control point (end point) at the top front corner on the left side of the part.

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Drag (translate) the WCS

Select the translation handle (the conehead) at the end of the XC axis. The dynamic input box appears, displaying fields for the translation values Distance and Snap. Also, the cursor turns into the Move cursor and a symbol for movement along an edge appears.

Drag the WCS along its XC axis until the Distance value is 25.

Click the middle mouse button to OK the current position of the WCS. Tip: You can also just type the distance value directly into the input box.

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Remember, you are actually translating the dynamic WCS along an axis, not an edge. Close all parts.

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