NXcustom - Windows Customization for Siemens NX

An unofficial tool designed to centralize the deployment and maintenance of company standards and best practices for Siemens NX CAD/CAM/CAE software across your organization.

📋 Overview

NXcustom provides a unified framework for deploying custom NX configurations to multiple users without modifying core NX installation files. This approach safeguards your customizations during NX updates and uninstalls.

Key Benefits

• ✅ Centralized Configuration - Manage company standards from one location
• ✅ Network-Friendly - Deploy from mapped network drives to all users
• ✅ Version Independent - Compatible with NX 2206 and newer
• ✅ Non-Invasive - No modifications to NX installation directories
• ✅ Multi-Environment - Support for managed and native modes
• ✅ Easy Migration - Simplified upgrade path for new NX versions

🚀 Quick Start

1. Extract the NXcustom archive to a network location or local drive
2. Copy the library template and rename it for your NX version (e.g., NX2412library)
3. Run NXstart.bat from the NXstartup folder
4. Customize environment variables, defaults, and resources as needed

For detailed instructions, see Getting Started.

📦 What Can NXcustom Manage?

• Customer Defaults - Site, group, and user-level preferences
• Environment Variables - Centralized configuration via .dat files
• Manufacturing Resources - CAM and CMM customizations
• Plugins - Custom NX extensions and tools
• Libraries & Templates - Custom part templates and libraries
• Ribbons & Menus - Custom UI configurations
• Drafting Standards - Company-wide drawing standards

📚 Documentation

Document	Purpose
Getting Started	Installation and initial setup
Configuration Guide	Detailed configuration options
Command Line Arguments	NXstart.bat usage reference

🏢 Supported Applications

NXcustom can launch and customize:

• NX (with and without Group-level customer defaults)
• CAM Express or SE CAM Pro
• NX Viewer
• Solid Edge CAM Pro
• Machine Knowledge Editor (MKE) - up to NX2212
• Power Drafting
• Teamcenter Integration for NX (TCIN)

⚙️ System Requirements

• NX Version: 2206 or newer
• Operating System: Windows
• Path Requirements: No spaces or special characters in NXcustom path
• Network: Optional - can be deployed locally or on network drives

⚡ Key Features

Single vs. Multiple Versions

Support multiple NX versions simultaneously on the same machine with version-specific configurations.

Presets & Defaults

Set default arguments in NXstart.conf and allow/restrict user overrides.

Hooks & Custom Scripts

Execute custom scripts at specific points in the startup process without modifying core scripts.

Environment Variable Management

Centralized control via NX_env.dat with automatic fallback to NX defaults.

Teamcenter Integration

Seamless integration with Teamcenter Rich Client and Active Workspace.

📋 Important Notes

⚠️ Special Characters: Avoid special characters (&, %, $, #, @, !, *, brackets) in NXcustom paths.

⚠️ Path Spaces: While NXcustom attempts to handle spaces, it's recommended to avoid them.

⚠️ Use Drive Letters: If NXcustom is to be located on a shared file server, be sure users are accessing via a mapped network drive where all users have the same drive letter and path to NXcustom.

📞 Support & Contact

⚠️ IMPORTANT: This is an unofficial tool and has NO official Siemens support.

Be sure to reference documentation as a first resort for support. You may also reach out on the Siemens Community for community-based support.

📄 License & Disclaimer

See DISCLAIMER.md for important legal information.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions and improvements are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.