{"id":7346,"date":"2023-05-05T11:39:48","date_gmt":"2023-05-05T15:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/?p=7346"},"modified":"2026-03-26T04:40:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:40:35","slug":"design-space-explorer-nx-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/design-space-explorer-nx-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Space Explorer: Part One | NX Tips and Tricks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Welcome back to the latest episode of our NX\u2122 software Tips and Tricks series. We\u2019re continuing to discuss the latest and greatest enhancements we have added to the December 2022 release of NX. In our previous episode, we looked at <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/topology-optimization-nx-tips-tricks\/\">Topology Optimization<\/a>; take a look if this is an area that you could benefit from!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this latest entry, we look at Design Space Explorer, a tool to significantly improve your ability to drive designs through simulation. This topic is split into two parts; we couldn\u2019t include the most important tips in one blog! Let\u2019s dive right in\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NX | Tips and Tricks | Topology Optimization: Part One\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i1N1XmEMlDk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-wide\" style=\"background-color:#00e6e6;color:#00e6e6\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(0,230,230) 0%,rgb(0,255,185) 100%)\"><strong>WHAT IS DESIGN SPACE EXPLORER?<\/strong><br>\u201c<em>Design Space Explorer is an optional add-on module you can implement into your workflow<\/em>\u00a0<em>that automatically explores broader design spaces to more rapidly discover better designs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Setting up a study in Design Space Explorer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Firstly, lets explore what is needed to be done to setup a study your chosen part. Throughout this blog, we\u2019ll be focusing on a coffee machine assembly, paying close attention to the coffee grinder.<br><br>There\u2019s an important step that needs to be taken before we can proceed. When the part has been opened in a new window, you need to select <strong><em>\u2018Study\u2019<\/em><\/strong> from the top of the screen under <strong>Design Space Explorer. <\/strong>Taking this step will create a new folder where the tests that are performed will be stored. It&#8217;s a neat workflow hack to ensure you can navigate the NX dashboard with ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(0,230,230) 0%,rgb(0,255,185) 100%)\"><strong>TOP TIP:<\/strong><br><em>This must be done anytime a new series of tests is performed on a part<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"289\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Accessing-Study-Design-Space-Explorer-cut-1024x289.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Accessing-Study-Design-Space-Explorer-cut-1024x289.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Accessing-Study-Design-Space-Explorer-cut-300x85.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Accessing-Study-Design-Space-Explorer-cut-768x217.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Accessing-Study-Design-Space-Explorer-cut-900x254.png 900w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Accessing-Study-Design-Space-Explorer-cut.png 1270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll also notice that the new study is now populated on the left-hand side of the screen under the <strong>Study Navigator <\/strong>section. Again, this is a great workflow hack to utilize; if you\u2019re conducting multiple studies of parts, having these parts available with one click will save you time when navigating the menus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-wide\" style=\"background-color:#00e6e6;color:#00e6e6\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Setting up variables, constraints objectives for your study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Onto the next step, where you can now start selecting your constraints ready for the final design studies. When you are selecting your objectives, be sure to select those that are reflective of angles for each individual part. Taking this into consideration will make it easier to properly produce counterweights, optimize volumes, determine proper materials, or determine the size of extruders and chamfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(0,230,230) 0%,rgb(0,255,185) 100%)\"><strong>A TOP TIP<\/strong><br><em>When selecting variables to test, we\u2019d recommend using the <strong>\u2018Continuous\u2019 <\/strong>option for varying parameter values. What you\u2019re doing at this point is establishing a range of values to test and determining the best design options for your parts. It\u2019s another workflow tip to conduct your design studies in a fraction of the time.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"970\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Varying-parameter-values.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Varying-parameter-values.png 970w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Varying-parameter-values-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Varying-parameter-values-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Varying-parameter-values-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Varying-parameter-values-900x900.png 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some important elements to look for when setting up your study, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>The baseline value<\/em><\/strong><br>When selecting your variables, if everything is done correctly, the baseline is automatically set to the current value of each parameter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>Range of values<\/em><\/strong><br>The range of values for each variable will appear on the right side of the Study Navigator. It\u2019s another handy feature to stay on top of the study that you\u2019re creating.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-wide\" style=\"background-color:#00e6e6;color:#00e6e6\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Running your study and evaluating the results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All of the previous steps taken means that you are now in the perfect position to run your study. Running your study is a fairly straightforward task; in the <strong>Design Space Explorer <\/strong>taskbar, select <strong>Run, name<\/strong> your study, specify the <strong>number of iterations<\/strong> you wish to run, and click <strong>OK.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that step completed, you will be given a comprehensive set of results, detailing the suitability of the different studies that you have ran. The results that you will be given are straightforward to understand; the row highlighted in green is the optimal design. The rows highlighted in white are additional successful designs, but are less efficient than the green study. The rows highlighted in red are unsuccessful designs. Being able to see these results will enable you to determine whether to implement a successful design, or whether further exploration and iterations are needed to find the ideal design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-1536x863.png 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-2048x1151.png 2048w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-395x222.png 395w, https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/DSE-results-900x506.png 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(0,230,230) 0%,rgb(0,255,185) 100%)\"><strong>TOP TIP<\/strong><br><em>You can also view the results of the study in a graph. To do so, click the<strong> \u2018Graph\u2019<\/strong> option from the top of the screen in the Design Space Explorer tab.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-wide\" style=\"background-color:#00e6e6;color:#00e6e6\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>And that concludes the first Design Space Explorer tips and tricks blog. Be sure to check back in the coming weeks for the second entry! In the meantime, check out the following content to continue your journey with NX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Design Space Explorer: Part One | NX Tips and Tricks | YouTube video<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NX | Tips and Tricks | Design Space Explorer: part one\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FPEz6TknbRc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/plm.sw.siemens.com\/en-US\/nx\/cad-cam-software-trials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Try NX free for 30 days \ud83c\udd93<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dex.siemens.com\/plm\/nx-cloud-connected-products?viewState=ListView&amp;cartID=&amp;portalUser=&amp;store=&amp;cclcl=en_US&amp;selected=plm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buy NX here \ud83d\udcb3<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/category\/tips-tricks\/\">Read about other tips and tricks on our NX design blog \ud83d\udcda<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to the latest episode of our NX\u2122 software Tips and Tricks series. We\u2019re continuing to discuss the latest&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69056,"featured_media":7352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spanish_translation":"","french_translation":"","german_translation":"","italian_translation":"","polish_translation":"","japanese_translation":"","chinese_translation":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[166,81,162,1],"tags":[6642,533,546],"industry":[],"product":[304],"coauthors":[549],"class_list":["post-7346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-tricks","category-featured","category-learning-resources","category-news","tag-design-space-explorer","tag-nxmakesitreal","tag-tips-and-tricks","product-nx"],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Blog_Header_DesignSpaceExplorer.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69056"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7346"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11362,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7346\/revisions\/11362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7346"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=7346"},{"taxonomy":"product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product?post=7346"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}