Glossary


 
! DIRECTORY Library directory.
 
$ DIRECTORY Library directory.
 
ABEND An abnormal ending to a user program caused by a user error, application program error, or system failure.
 
ABSOLUTE SYSTEM - A coordinate system in which all locations are dimensioned and programmed from a fixed or absolute zero point.
 
ADDRESSABLE POINT - Any position in the device space to which the display writer may be directed. These positions are specified by coordinates. Such addressable positions are finite in number and form a discrete grid over the device space.
 
ALPHANUMERIC KEYBOARD - The typewriter keyboard in the console on which the user keys in data to the system.
 
ANALYSIS BINARY FILE - In FEM under UFUN, this is the data file that accumulates binary data being output by the post processor (see UF5700).
 
ANGLE - In NX, an angle measured on the XY plane of a coordinate system is positive if the direction in which it is swept is counterclockwise, as viewed from the positive Z-axis side of the XY plane. An angle swept in the opposite direction is said to be negative.
 
BLANKED STATUS - Refers to an object (graphical or textual) being displayed (non-blanked) or not (blanked) on the graphics screen or message window.
 
BLOCKFONT - An NX character font which is the default font used for creating text in drafting entities and dimensions.
 
BOUNDED GEOMETRY - The geometry in which each defined object has finite boundaries.
 
CHARACTER STRING - A string or list of alphanumeric characters.
 
CONTINUITY - Continuity describes the behavior of curves and surfaces at their segment boundaries. The two types of continuity discussed below are mathematical continuity, denoted Cn, where n is some integer, and geometric continuity, denoted Gn. Quoting from the ICAD Surface Designer Reference manual, "C0 continuity implies that a common point exists between two adjacent segments (i.e., the segments are touching). C1 implies that there is a common point and the first derivatives of the polynomials (i.e., the tangent vectors) are the same. C2 implies that the first and second derivatives are the same. Geometric continuity is less strict than Cn continuity. G0 and C0 are equivalent, that is, the segments are positionally continuous. G1 implies that the tangent vectors are equal in direction, but not magnitude. G2 implies the curvature is the same, but the second derivatives are not."
 
CONVEX POLYGON - A polygon is convex if a line joining any two interior points of the polygon lies completely inside the polygon.
 
CLIPPING - Removing parts of display elements that lie outside physical bounds (e.g., a viewport or display surface) or logical bounds (e.g., a window).
 
COLOR - NX Color Workstations allow the usage of 15 basic colors on graphics screen: blue, green, cyan, red, magenta, yellow, white, olive, pink, brown, orange, purple, dark red, aquamarine, and grey.
 
CONIC - A curve which can be formed by intersecting a cone and a plane (includes parabola, hyperbola, ellipse).
 
CONTROL POINT - A specific location on an existing object. A line has three control points, both end points and the midpoint of the line. A spline has a control point at each knot point. An arc has two control points at each end.
 
COORDINATE - An ordered set of data values, either absolute or relative, which specifies a location in image space, model space, or device space.
 
COORDINATE SYSTEM - NX object type 45; system of axes used in specifying positions.
 
CROSSHAIR - Screen display of two intersecting perpendicular lines used for position indicator to define a reference point.
 
CSYS - See COORDINATE SYSTEM.
 
CURSOR - A movable, visible marker on a display surface used to indicate positions, select entities, etc. See CROSSHAIR.
 
CURVE - A curve in NX is any line, arc, conic, or spline.
 
CYCLE - In NX database, refers to reading entities in order of occurrence.
 
CYLINDER ENDPOINT - Points on axis of cylinder that define its length.
 
DATA BASE - A comprehensive collection of information referring to the entities that make up a part.
 
DATA TABLET - One of the three position indicator devices available in NX.
 
DATABASE SUBROUTINES - UFUN subroutines that allow user access to the NX. database.
 
DIRECTORY NAME - Name of a directory file.
 
DISPLAY - The entities you see on the screen.
 
DISPLAY BUFFER - A storage device or memory area that holds all display orders and coordinate data and/or the data needed for image graphics to generate a display image.
 
DISPLAY CONSOLE - A hardware complex consisting of at least one display device and usually one or more input devices such as an alphanumeric keyboard, function keys, or graphic input device.
 
DISPLAY DEVICE - A device capable of presenting display elements on a display surface. This term usually refers to a CRT but also includes such devices as plotters, microfilm recorders, and page printers.
 
EID - Entity Identifier (Tag). The term Entity Identifier is being replaced by Object Identifier.
 
ELLIPSE - In NX, a subset of CONIC object.
 
END POINT - An end point of a curve or an existing point.
 
OBJECT (GEOMETRIC) - One of the non-textual entities (objects) in NX, including points, lines, arcs, conics, splines, and surfaces.
 
OBJECT (TEXTUAL) - One of the non-geometric entities in NX, including notes, labels, ID symbols, cross-hatching, and dimensions.
 
OBJECT - Records describing data in the CAD/CAM database are organized into structures called entities.
 
OBJECT ATTRIBUTE - A parameter of an object added by the user.
 
OBJECT DENSITY - Refers to relative graphical line or character line density (width); normal, heavy, or light.
 
OBJECT FONT - Refers to type of line used in graphical line display; solid, dashed, phantom, or centerline.
 
OBJECT NAME - A 30 character name associated with an object.
 
OBJECT SUBTYPE - Subclass of object type such as an open or closed cubic spline.
 
OBJECT TYPE - NX object types are numbers corresponding to point, line, arc, etc.
 
FEM - Finite Element Modelling, the NX program product is known as GFEM.
 
FILE - A group or unit of logically related data which is labeled, or "named," and associated with a specific space. In NX, parts, patterns, GRIP source, GRIP intermediate, GRIP execution, and font object data are all stored as files.
 
FILE MANAGER SUBROUTINES - UFUN subroutines that allow an applications programmer to write their own programs to perform file management programs.
 
FONT OBJECT LIBRARY - An NX library containing font object files. Each file includes the necessary information for displaying a particular character font. The font object library can be accessed only through the font management option in NX.
 
FONT TABLE - An ordered list of font names representing the character fonts available for the current part.
 
FONTS (CHARACTER) - A set of characters designed in a certain size, width, and spacing.
 
FONTS (LINE) - Various styles of lines, such as solid or dashed.
 
GENERAL SPLINE - In NX, a subset of SPLINE object.
 
GEOMETRIC MODEL - A mathematical, graphical, or logical representation of shape and spatially related elements of real or conceived physical objects.
 
GFEM - GRAPHICS FINITE ELEMENT MODULE.
 
GRAPHIC INPUT - The interactive process of identifying a location on the display surface and providing coordinate data to the application program.
 
GRIP - GRaphics Interactive Programming, a high-level language that provides the user with an optional means of operating the system. Almost any operation which can be performed interactively in NX can also be performed by executing the commands of a GRIP program. It performs mathematical computations, includes branching and looping capabilities, and allows the use of separately compiled subprograms.
 
GROUP - Logical set of NX entities. (1) A procedure for conjoining selected entities so that they can be treated as a single object. (2) A collection of selected entities that are treated as a single object.
 
HYPERBOLA - In NX, a subset of CONIC object.
 
IMAGE - The display of a part that the user sees on the screen.
 
INTENSITY LEVEL - One of the discrete levels of brightness of the light emitted by a CRT, usually under program control.
 
INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS - The use of a display console in the interactive mode, usually involving CRT displays.
 
INTERACTIVE MODE - A method of operation that allows on-line, man-machine communication. Commonly used to enter data and to direct the course of a program.
 
INTERACTIVE STEP - An individual menu in a sequence of menus used in performing an NX function which requires a response.
 
KNOT POINT - One of the points defining a spline.
 
LAYER - A "page" in or a partition of a part. Layers are analogous to the transparent material used by conventional designers. For example, the user, may create all geometry on one layer, all text and dimensions on a second, and tool paths on a third.
 
LINE DENSITY - The relative width or intensity of the image of a visible line (e.g. light, normal, or heavy).
 
LINE FONT - One of the attributes of a visible line (e.g. solid, dashed, dotted, or dot-dash).
 
LINE TYPE - A Synonym for Line Font
 
MAPPING FUNCTION - A transformation which converts the elements of one representational system into another. The systems may be coordinate systems or logical data structures; e.g. model space to image space, window to view port.
 
MATRIX - NX object type 55; an array comprised of rows and columns.
 
MENU - A list of options appearing in a window that allows user to select the next program action by indicating one or more choices with an input device.
 
MODEL SPACE - Absolute coordinates (no WCS). The coordinate system of the model. May be more than two-dimensional.
 
MODULE - (1) A basic group of programs and routines associated with a specific mode of graphics operation (e.g., NX module or GFEM module). (2) A modular software routine which performs a single function only.
 
OBJECT- One of the non-textual objects (entities) in NX, including points, lines, arcs, conics, splines, and surfaces.
 
OFFSET CURVES - A group of entities (lines, arcs, etc.) that have been constructed at a specified distance from an identical group.
 
ORIGIN - A reference point whose coordinates are all zero. The absolute origin has display device coordinates equal to zero. A relative origin is any logical origin specified by the user.
 
PARABOLA - In NX, a subset of CONIC object.
 
PART FILE - The filed part database.
 
PART, OR MODEL - A collection of NX entities which together may represent some object or structure.
 
PASSWORD - A unique character string which the operator must supply to meet security requirements before gaining access to certain data or functions.
 
PATHNAME - The treelike hierarchy of directories for locating files.
 
PERIODIC - A curve is said to be periodic if it is closed with its start and end points being the same and with the tangents at the start and end points being equal. A face is said to be periodic if it is closed with its start and end edges being the same and with the tangents at the start and end edges being equal.
 
POSITION INDICATOR - A hardware device used to control the screen cursor. The position indicators available in NX are thumbwheels, data tablet, digitizer, and joystick.
 
POST ANALYSIS - In FEM, this processor refers to stress analysis postprocessor.
 
PROMPT MESSAGE - A message or menu written to display device informing user of possible actions.
 
PROMPTING - Any method of informing the user of possible actions. In graphics, this is often done by displaying messages or a menu on the display surface or by lighting program function keys, etc.
 
QUEUE - A waiting list for the use of some system resource, such as the CPU or an input/output device.
 
RADIANS - Unit of angular measurement. ( 2p RADIANS = 360 degrees).
 
REPAINT - A function which causes the system to redraw the entire display on the viewing screen.
 
RUBBER-BANDING - A technique for moving the common vertex of a set of straight lines while the other endpoints remain fixed.
 
RULED SURFACE - A surface characterized or generated by straight lines connecting corresponding points on two curves.
 
SCALING - Resizing a graphics display to accomplish a specific operation or to clarify or enlarge specific areas of the display.
 
SCREEN CURSOR - A marker on the screen which the user moves around using some position indicator device. Used for indicating positions, selecting entities, etc. (See CURSOR).
 
SCROLLING - The continuous vertical or horizontal movement of the display elements within a viewport. As a new piece of data appears at one edge of the viewport, the old piece disappears at the opposite edge.
 
SELECTIVE ERASE - Removal of one or more specified display items without affecting the remainder of the display image.
 
SEM - Surface Edge Marker.
 
SILHOUETTE - In NX, the display of a surface, when not defined by an edge curve.
 
SPLINE - A smooth, free-form curve defined by input points and possibly by additional vector constraints.
 
STRING - A character string.
 
STRING ARRAY - An array of character strings.
 
SUBDIRECTORY - Directory file included within another directory file.
 
SURFACE - In NX, a surface of revolution, tabulated cylinder, ruled surface, developable surface, fillet surface, and sculptured surface, bounded plane, cylinder, cone, sphere, or plane.
 
SURFACE GRID COUNTS - Number of lines used in surface display.
 
TAG - Entity Identifier.
 
TERMINAL - A device, usually equipped with a keyboard and some kind of display, capable of sending and receiving information over a communication channel.
 
TRIM - To shorten or extend a curve.
 
Open C API - A subsystem of the NX system that allows unique programming modifications to the basic NX system.
 
NX - The main CAD/CAM system.
 
UNBLANKED ELEMENT - A visible display element. (Contrast with BLANKED ELEMENT.)
 
VECTOR - Straight line segment.
 
VIEWING PLANE - A logical output surface represented in two dimensions. The model space is projected onto the viewing plane and can be extended to a three-dimensional viewing volume.
 
VIEWING SCREEN - The screen of the cathode ray tube (CRT) which is used by the System for graphics display.
 
WCS - See Work Coordinate System.
 
WINDOW - An area on the display screen, specified by the user, in which an image or view is displayed.
 
WINDOWING - The technique of scrolling specific portions of the work area on a large scale to reposition the visual display.
 
WIRE FRAME MODEL - A kind of data model in which an object is represented by its boundaries; e.g. edges and vertices.
 
WORK COORDINATE SYSTEM - (WCS); the coordinate system singled out by the user for use in construction, verification, etc. The coordinates of the WCS are called work coordinates and are denoted by XC, YC, and ZC. The XC-YC plane is called the work plane.
 
WORK PLANE - (See WORK COORDINATE SYSTEM.)
 
ZOOMING - Scaling all elements of a viewport to give the appearance of having moved toward or away from a point or object of interest.