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What’s new in NX | June 2024 | AI-enabled & Generative Design

By Michael Hobson

In this year’s June premiere, we showed you some of the powerful AI-enabled and generative design capabilities in Siemens’ NX™ software, but we didn’t have time for everything. Read on to learn more about some of the main enhancements from the June 2024 release.

Tools like Topology Optimization, Lattice Designer and Implicit Modeling don’t just automate workflows. They can optimize your designs and create complex geometry beyond the capabilities of traditional CAD methods.

Watch the video to see these add-on modules in action as part of a generative design workflow or keep reading for more detail.

Topology Optimization – June 2024 enhancements

You can now watch the optimization process generate geometry live in the Graphics Window. This is a very intuitive way to assess the progress and choose a suitable point at which to conclude the optimization.

Just select Preview in the Solve Progress Monitor.

A screenshot of Siemen's NX CAD software showing the Topology Optimization add-on module and its new live preview functionality for watching generative design in action

Topology Optimization can now also automatically create blends between construction bodies and the design space based on the specified voxel size. Choose the Automatic transition blend option in the Construction Body dialog box.

You can also optimize for a wider range of manufacturing techniques. The Multi-Axis Tooling option in the Shape Constraint dialog box now supports 5-axis milling.

Implicit Modeling – June 2024 enhancements

We’ve added two new commands to Implicit Modeling in the June 2024 release:

  • Set Resolution – Use this to set the voxel size for any selected implicit bodies.
  • Unit Cell – This creates a triply periodic body with one body, for use by the Body Lattice command outside the Implicit Modeling task environment.

The Unite command also has some new functionality. You can now choose between three blend types between the target and tool bodies – Continuous, Circular or Angular.

Lattice Designer – June 2024 enhancements

When creating Voronoi lattices, you can now specify which pore size distribution to use.

Uniform, Variable and Gaussian pore distributions are all available.

A screenshot of NX CAD software showing the Voronoi lattice pore size distribution options in the Lattice Designer add-on module

The Filter Lattice command now gives you even more flexibility. You can filter rods by either thickness or ratio

There’s also the brand new Connect Dangling Rods command. This automatically connects the open ends of dangling rods to help avoid issues during additive manufacture.

A screenshot of NX CAD software showing the new Connect Dangling Rods command in the Lattice Designer add-on module

You can choose a maximum rod length, maximum number of rods per connection and use a closest or a random distribution.

Available now through Value-based Licensing

All of the add-on modules covered in this blog and video are available through Value-based Licensing. It’s a flexible, scalable and cost-effective way to add powerful and specialized capabilities to your NX software, as and when you need them.

If you’re using Value-based Licensing already, you can access these modules now using tokens from your token pool.

Learn more about Value-based-Licensing

Watch the full June 2024 NX premiere video

AI-enabled and generative design were a focus for this year’s premiere video but there are lots more to discover too.

Watch the full June 2024 NX premiere to learn about new features and enhancements covering NX Immersive Explorer, semiconductor and electronics design, AEC/BIM… the list goes on so see for yourself or read more here.

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/nx-design/new-nx-jun-2024-generative-design/