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From Geopak to PCDmis

RBHouse
My company is currently running a retro-fit Mitutoyo that still has Geopak on it. At any moment the Geopak could die. I have been given the task of training all the inspectors how to use PCDmis. Problem is I am new to it myself, and I have never operated the CMM using the Geopak software. I have used alot of information on site to get through most situations. After training a couple of inspectors, they would like to find a way to run it somewhat like the Geopak runs. Ex. Position the probe at an approximate center of a hole at the depth you want to check it at, hit the circle key, tell it how many hits, etc..Basically, do an Auto circle without making a full blown program with alignments an such. We mostly just do round stuff that we can't check any other way. Can PCDmis do this? Or any other suggestions?

Thanks for any input on this subject,
Ron
  • As I had to transit programs from Geopak, I was convinced it was best to stay with Mitutoyo (and I realize this site is devoted to PC-DMIS). The main reason was that the programs have some similarities with MCosmos, the later version, if you will, of Geopak. What helped a lot, too, was that I was able to print the programs from Microsoft Word (or Wordpad), and us them as a guide to creation in MCosmos. You could do that with the other programs, as well yet with slightly more difficulty. If I recall, the file to print is the one with the ".P" extension. Access is gained through DOS. You can also copy the files to a Windows PC, and print from there.
  • As I had to transit programs from Geopak, I was convinced it was best to stay with Mitutoyo (and I realize this site is devoted to PC-DMIS). The main reason was that the programs have some similarities with MCosmos, the later version, if you will, of Geopak. What helped a lot, too, was that I was able to print the programs from Microsoft Word (or Wordpad), and us them as a guide to creation in MCosmos. You could do that with the other programs, as well yet with slightly more difficulty. If I recall, the file to print is the one with the ".P" extension. Access is gained through DOS. You can also copy the files to a Windows PC, and print from there.

    Thanks very much,

    Could you explain how to copy the files to a windows PC.......
    The programmer for Geopak doesn't have the best english and when I asked her to back up all the programs I got the I need time I need time yada yada excuse.
    Anyway, I've been trying to figure out how to back up the programs just in case the computer crashes(step 1), could you help there too?

    (step 2) Copying the programs to another windows PC sounds like a good idea too.\

    any help really would be great.
    thanks
  • As others have stated you can do a readpoint, make sure you place a operator comment before the read point something like " place the tip inside the ID as close to the center as you can, about .100 below the surface "
    Then create a circle auto or measured and that's it. Not the best method but it does exactly as you want.

    Operator Comment
    Read point
    Alignment with XYZ zero on the read point
    Measured or auto Circle.
    Dimension

    You will still need an alignment bit its an easy one. Only XYZ orgin. Once you have creayed that program, just do save as and create many more programs with different sizes and hits.


    Or if you want to do it right measure it as a cylinder and level to it.

    Ps. To get the readpoint, just simply start typing readp then clcik tab and it should create a readpoint.
  • As others have stated you can do a readpoint, make sure you place a operator comment before the read point something like " place the tip inside the ID as close to the center as you can, about .100 below the surface "
    Then create a circle auto or measured and that's it. Not the best method but it does exactly as you want.

    Operator Comment
    Read point
    Alignment with XYZ zero on the read point
    Measured or auto Circle.
    Dimension

    You will still need an alignment bit its an easy one. Only XYZ orgin. Once you have creayed that program, just do save as and create many more programs with different sizes and hits.


    Or if you want to do it right measure it as a cylinder and level to it.

    Ps. To get the readpoint, just simply start typing readp then clcik tab and it should create a readpoint.


    Thanks for the reply, but I don't think it has anything to do with the top above.


    I was looking for instructions on backing up the programs, ie saving them all. Or as another member mentioned transferring them to another windows PC.
    If you could help with those questions that'd be great.
  • Back in the day (2004 specifically), our old IBM PS2 quit (DOS) that ran our Geopak cmm. I physically remounted the hard-drive into an IBM Series 80 machine that had an older version of Windows on it and just copied the program folders over. Ran just fine until years later we upgraded to MCosmos with a new PC.

    We had to use only certain IBM PC's because the GPIB card was for an MCA slot, not ISA or PCI (even though we probably could have tracked down a PCI interface card, but hey I had just found several functional Series 80 computers on the curb so it was a freebie with just a little time invested.

    Just keep in mind DOS based CMM software is dated (functional but dated). There are many productivity gains that can be had by weaning off of them and transitioning into new software.


    (for actually backing up, either copy the directory over or print out hard copies)
  • Does anyone know of any conversion software that will convert old 3D Geopak(v5.41 running on windows 95) to PC-DMIS(1st choice) or Calypso(2nd option)??

    If only it was that easy! I'm starting to transfer a bunch of old MeasureMax programs to PC-DMIS. I've found that the best way to do this is to print out the old program on paper, the re-create each motion and measurement in DMIS, cross that line off, and move onto the next move. Takes a long time, but the boss is happy when the new program runs just like the old one, whether it made sense that way or not (especially when he wrote the original program..).
  • Back in the day (2004 specifically), our old IBM PS2 quit (DOS) that ran our Geopak cmm. I physically remounted the hard-drive into an IBM Series 80 machine that had an older version of Windows on it and just copied the program folders over. Ran just fine until years later we upgraded to MCosmos with a new PC.

    We had to use only certain IBM PC's because the GPIB card was for an MCA slot, not ISA or PCI (even though we probably could have tracked down a PCI interface card, but hey I had just found several functional Series 80 computers on the curb so it was a freebie with just a little time invested.

    Just keep in mind DOS based CMM software is dated (functional but dated). There are many productivity gains that can be had by weaning off of them and transitioning into new software.


    (for actually backing up, either copy the directory over or print out hard copies)

    Thanks for the good suggestion. I'll definitely pass this on to IT.
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