ppknoop (Mechanical)

(OP)
29 Jun 13 15:24
Why they switched to a ribbon interface? I hate the ribbon interface. In solid edge the ribbon sucks.
I think that a lot of user are disapointed.

source:
http://www.cadalyst.com/collaboration/product-life...

naeng (Industrial)29 Jun 13 16:33

I hope it will be like in solidworks and it will possible choose between ribbon interface and standard interface, i
don´t like the ribbon interface too.
JohnRBaker (Mechanical)29 Jun 13 21:11
Unlike most other applications using a Windows-style 'ribbon' interface, the NX 9.0 implementation will
be fully customizable. This customization can be accomplishable either using the normal interactive
customization tools and saving the changes in a Role or by creating/editing the 'Ribbon Tab' and 'Ribbon
Group' files, roughly equivalent to the old 'Menu' and 'Toolbar' files. In fact, if you've done extensive UI editing
in pre-NX 9.0 versions of NX using 'Menu' (.men) and 'Toolbar' (.tbr) files, there will even be tools which will
convert these into 'Ribbon Tab' (.rtb) and 'Ribbon Group' (.grb) files so that you can at least get a starting
place based on your past file-based customizations.

Now I'm hoping that perhaps some of the people who have been involved in the beta testing of NX 9.0 or who
has attended one of the Siemens PLM Connections meetings either here in the US or in Europe, will volunteer
their views and opinions of what they've experienced or seen with respect to the new 'Ribbon' interface. I think
it would be useful if some of the comments about the NX 9.0 'Ribbon' interface came from average users
who've actually seen the inteface rather than either people like me, who's obviously biased, or from people
who have not yet even seen NX 9.0 and therefore are commenting based only on their experience with other
products.

But before anyone goes completely postal, there will be an option to run NX using the so-called 'classic'
interface, at least for the next couple of NX releases. However, those days will be numbered since ALL future
functionality will be designed for locating them in the product interface based on what would be best for a
'Ribbon-style' interface and NOT necessarily for a menu/toolbar style interface (and resources will NOT be
wasted spending a lot of time trying to optimize BOTH interfaces as part of these future functionality projects).
This means that over time the menu/toolbar interface will start to suffer from a sort of software 'arthritis' as
less and less care will be taken to keep up with the mainline changes being made to the 'Ribbon' interface.

Anyway, we welcome your questions as well as you concerns, but we would like you to hold off on your final
judgment until you've actually had a chance to use NX 9.0. And just so that we know the time frame that we're
talking about here, NX 9.0 is planned to be released in about 90 days or so.

Cubalibre00 (Mechanical)30 Jun 13 05:43

First,
you can use Ribbon Interface or decide to stay in old style.
Siemens PLM hasn't removed nothing, only added.
Second,
I like very very very very very very very very very very very much this ribbon interface style.
I use NX9 every day and I'm very satisfied, better then the old interface.
In NX8.5 with advanced role, you can see 170 command.
With NX9 as standard interface, you can access to 320 command.
Before to judge, try it.
Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC9.1

NeilMGW (Industrial)30 Jun 13 11:32

So pleased to hear this, I've felt for a long time that NX had outgrown it's UI - only Alias being worse in my
experience.

No chance of a screenshot then? :)

loki3000 (Mechanical)30 Jun 13 14:58
eh, catia v5 is not all that good too.
JohnRBaker (Mechanical)30 Jun 13 15:51
Here is what NX 9.0 will look like. This is the out-of-the-box presentation for the Modeling 'Home' tab:

ppknoop (Mechanical)
(OP)
30 Jun 13 15:56
It is good to hear that the ribbon interface is fully customizable and that there will be an option to run nx with
the classic interface. If the ‘ribbon’ implementation is different and better than Solid Edge, than is it maybe not
so bad at all. I’m looking forward to use nx9 over 90days.
asrura1 (Mechanical)30 Jun 13 20:47
I like Ribbon UI in general, but have mixed feeling about it in CAD software.

I used SolidWorks for a number of year and when they added the Ribbon UI, it was not too bad. You still have
the "classic" top bar where some functions are always present regardless of which Ribbon tab you are on.

When I used Solid Edge, I find their implementation of Ribbon UI to be HORRIBLE. It was just not intuitive and
did not "flow" for me even after 2 years. I curse it every time I need to switch between windows inside Solid
Edge because the function to switch windows is under the first tab and the last tab (if my recollection is
correct). So, if I am in some other tab and need to switch to another window, I have to go to the first tab first.
It was extremely annoying.

Currently, I am using NX and I felt at home with the UI. But I have to say, SolidWork's UI is the best out of all
three. Not sure what SolidWorks is like, now. The last version I used was 2010 but I suspect it hasn't changed
much...it is a dying software thanks to Dassault.

Anyway, I think NX's UI team should study SolidWork's implementation of the Ribbon interface closely but they
probably already did :)
JohnRBaker (Mechanical)30 Jun 13 21:27
While using the 'Ribbon' UI, NX 9.0 will also have a 'menu' style optional path to all of the functions based on
the 'classic' menu scheme. We expect that existing users who migrate to using the Ribbon UI will still find this
menu useful for accessing functions based on their experience with older versions of NX. However, totally new
user will probably be more likely to use the full Ribbon, and it's various secondary 'galleries' to find the
necessary funtions.

Here is what that 'menu' scheme looks like:

While this is what one of the NX 9.0 Ribbon's 'More' gallery will look like:
And remember, if you use any of these functions on a regular basis, you can use Customize to move them up
onto the Ribbon itself where you can optionally show them as a large icon with text, a small icon with text or
just a simple small icon without text. or as medium icons without text in an on-ribbon gallery:
JohnRBaker (Mechanical)30 Jun 13 21:59
Note that there will also be a quick way (without even having to go into Customize) to copy frequently used
items, either temporarily or permanently, to one of the so-called 'side-bars', which you could think of as a sprt
of fixed toolbars (which can be toggled ON/OFF):

And these can be just as easily removed or moved to one of the other 'side-bars':
Also there will still be something that we used to call the 'Selection Bar' where you can place popular functions
as well as what's called the 'Quick Access Bar' across the top of the NX window where we've also added a full-
time direct access to the 'Command Finder' something that people have been asking for since we introduced
this feature:
asrura1 (Mechanical)30 Jun 13 23:41
Looks great! I am glad there is a Menu for accessing functions the classic way.

Just one question about the screenshots. On the very top, where filename is usually displayed, there is a
button called "Window". Is it for switching between windows in NX? If it is, then I probably won't use the
classical UI and stick with Ribbon UI...if we ever upgrade to NX 9.

Thanks for the screenshots!

JohnRBaker (Mechanical)1 Jul 13 00:29
The 'Window' button that you see in the NX 9.0 image is the same 'Window' button that you have on the menu
bar in the classic NX interface, it lets you switch the display from one open part in your session to another.
PeterCrookall (Mechanical)1 Jul 13 02:56
As an old user of NX I have kept my Roles from version to version.

I too feared the Ribbon Bar.

I like it.
Lots more room as icons can be of different sizes.

I find I have to use command finder often but am using it less and less.
moog2 (Mechanical)1 Jul 13 03:58
I've also used solid edge and hated their ribbon bar, hopefully NX will do it much better, but I may those to
use the classic style
NeilMGW (Industrial)1 Jul 13 06:19
Much better - glad to see there's still a full screen option too
SDETERS (Agricultural)1 Jul 13 08:52
HOw does this affect the full screen mode? Or does this toolbar stay the same?
zmedwael (Aerospace)1 Jul 13 08:57
What's new for Advanced simulation Module ?
DHuskic (Computer)1 Jul 13 10:59
How versatile are journals between major NX releases? We are currently running 7.5 and have some serious
man hours put into some of our custom journals. Would there be any upgrades in the software between
releases that would impede our journals from working in the newer NX's?

HercalloY (Automotive)11 Jul 13 23:04

I think my main gripes with Ribbon 'anything' is that there are three main aspects that really annoy me.

1) You are limited to using the top of the screen only. No matter where your cursor is... you have to move it all
the way to the top to enter a command. As opposed to what i can do now... I have the ability to have buttons
all around my UI. The most used ones (like sketching for example) are on the side where my cursor seems to
usually "sit". And it just seems to help/be more usable/be less annoying.

2) You are forced to click more to achieve the same. You have to click two (and sometimes three) times to
start a command as opposed to what i can do now.... ONCE! This is really frustrating to me. I don't care how
flashy the UI is. If it requires more clicks to do the same thing.. its annoying. Don't get me wrong.. i'm not a
big proponent of clicks=productivity. Because this isn't the case. It's simply frustrating as a user to be able to
achieve any command with one click... and then have to use multiple clicks just to start a command like as if
you are forced to use a pull-down menu for EVERYTHING but lack the organizational benefits of the pull-down
menu system (because most Ribbon UI's are poorly grouped and have been painful in that regard also).

And finally...

3) I can have as many (or as few) commands showing and all be a single press away. This allows me to have
great tool/command discovery and flexibility and not 'forget' that i have this tool or that tool at my disposal
even if i rarely use it. All while taking up stuff all screen real estate.
Now i'm all for UI change for the better. But the Ribbon is (thus far) seems to only cater to Joe Sheep that
doesn't care about computers. He's just there to stuff around and make a pretty picture for his boss or
daughter while the real users have to put up with it simply because its new. An example of "new" UI elements
for the better are the radial style toolbars or the pop-up selection toolbars. Those things are great UI additions.
They give you options and don't take away functionality or abilities.

By the looks of it Siemen's are at least looking at the Ribbon style with a bit more professionalism and making
it more usable/customizable/etc. And although i will give it a fair go because of this aspect (which most Ribbon
UI's don't even deserve they are that limited!) i still feel that when all is said and done it wont really be any
better... just different and not quite as good.

Sometimes a change is nice even if its the same functionality because, lets face it, we sometimes get sick of
the monotony. But i haven't got sick of hitting toolbar buttons yet. Especially when i have the power and
flexibility to customise them in the ways i can now.

I see a few people mention SW's ribbon attempt. I loath it just like all the others. for the points mentioned
above (but not limited to). Nothing beats what i current am able to do with normal toolbars. Its got nothing to
do with having use toolbars for a long time and nothing to do with "not wanting to change". I'll change if its
worthy of such. Just like i took to pop-up selection toolbars like a duck to water. If its not annoying and is a
useful addition i'll eat it up! I just don't think the ribbon is a design that is this. Or at the very least won't be
without a lot more additions and development. And having to trundle through this stage when you're already
at a great stage... doesn't seem worth it. And not when i think about teh fundamental design design of the
Ribbon tyle which means MANY commands won't be selectable without at least two clicks. And thats a real
annoying thing from a usable point of view.

But we'll see!

JohnRBaker (Mechanical)12 Jul 13 00:31
Perhaps you missed where I mentioned earlier that you'll have the option of placing commonly used items on
so-called 'Border Bars', such as I did here...
...with many of the Freeform Surfacing functions placed on the 'Left Border Bar', which I can access without
having to leave the Modeling 'Home' Ribbon. In addition to the 'Quick-Access Bar' along the top of the screen,
where you can also add and remove items, and the 'Top Border Bar', which is being used as the new 'Selection
Bar' but where you can add and remove additional icons, there are also 'Left' (as seen above), 'Bottom' and
'Right' border bars. Note that these 'border bars' are application specific, meaning that you can have one set of
icons defined while you're working in Modeling and a different set when creating Drawings or when defining
tool paths or when creating Sheet Metal parts.

When you get your chance to look at NX 9.0 I suspect that you'll find many more ways to leverage the various
UI schemes and customization options than you what you expecting, particularly if you're current perception of
Ribbon interfaces are the result of looking at what other vendors have offered in the past.

John R. Baker, P.E.

Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

HercalloY (Automotive)12 Jul 13 00:44

John,

No i never missed where you mentioned that. I was simply stating things that i have found with all ribbon style
UI's to date. And like i said... we will see. I will give it a go. And i think Siemen's are giving it the extra options
it needs to be even considered a step forward. I have more trust in you guys than any other CAD developer at
this point in time.

But i'm not going to blindly agree without thorough scrutiny because marketing/PR teams rarely (if ever) have
my best interests as intentions. As you stated earlier... the Siemen's team don't want to be seen as being left
behind so they change because of this. Not necessarily because this is a more effective or less frustrating
interface to use. :)
Millimeter (Mechanical)12 Jul 13 03:42
I agree about the NX's functionality had outgrown the current interface.
Also, the J. R. Baker's clarifications and reasons had been very useful.
Beyond that this interface looks awesome, exist the necessity (IMHO) to put some "personal" order among so
many icons. And the use of tabs (ribbon) help to this goal.
JohnRBaker (Mechanical)16 Jul 13 12:02
For those of you who have made comments, good or bad, about the new NX 9.0 'ribbon' interface, we would
like to take some of this discussion off-line if possible. Could you please contact me via email (just place a
couple of periods in the logical place in my 'handle' and add what you'ed expect the Siemens 'address' to be
and I should get it OK)? Thanks in advance.