Journals

Introduction to Journaling. Full reference for creating/editing/replaying Journals is in the NX Help Library at: Fundamentals → Recording NX sessions → Journals.

Recording, Replaying and Editing a Journal

• Record: Developer tab → Journal group → Record. You're prompted for an output file. Each NX command that supports Journaling records the Common API calls needed to implement that command. The recorded language is a preference set via Preferences → User Interface → Journal tab.
• Playback: Developer tab → Journal group → Play, opens the Journal Manager dialog. Browse/select the Journal, click Run. You can also define menu items and toolbar buttons to execute Journals (see Executing NX Open Automation — Menu Items and Toolbars). Journal playback is currently limited to Python, Visual Basic .NET, and C# .NET on Windows.
• Edit: Use any text editor/IDE, or use Journal Manager → select Journal → Edit (built-in editor).

Journal Indicators

While recording, each NX command can display a marker indicating Journaling support: Full Journal Support or Partial Journal Support (partial means not all options of the command are recorded), shown for both menu items and toolbar buttons. If indicators aren't shown, enable them via the environment variable UGII_JOURNAL_INDICATOR.

Journal Fundamentals

• You can pick the recording language, but playback is limited to Python, VB.NET, and C#.NET on Windows. For other languages, use Journals only to generate code that you then compile/link into an application.
• A Journal cannot call methods in other Journals. If the problem is too large/complex for a single file, compile and link your Journals into an application instead.

Additional caveats for NX Open .NET journals

• The first Journal run must load the .NET libraries, so the first execution is slower.
• NX is not linked with all .NET libraries — calling a method outside the linked libraries causes an error.
• Supported .NET libraries for journaling:
  • mscorlib.dll
  • System.dll
  • System.Windows.Forms.dll
  • System.Drawing.dll
  • System.XML.dll
  • System.Data.dll
• Any .NET functionality outside these libraries will not replay from a Journal (e.g. client/server architecture needing System.Runtime.Remoting.dll) — such functionality requires compiling/linking your own application referencing the required library.

Related Topics

• Development Cycle Considerations
• Turning Journals Into Applications
• Compiling and linking Overview
• NX Open and redo
• Editing expressions