Help with OLE Automation

Just reading through this whole post for my own interest and I was thinking the same thing about this needing to be done for each and every program. I really have no coding skills. But, if I were looking to make a generic program to grab all this information, the first thing I would do is set some ground rules for the CMM programmers. Tell them that for all dimensions that need to be tracked or added to spc, they must be the only dimensions named a specific way and only that way. This would make your job a little easier. They need to work with you, not cause more issues. I agree though with DJAMS that if it can be done much easier with a purchased software then do it that way. Forgive my intrusion.

Here's a script for exporting all legacy dimensions (no FCF) in a program to a CSV formatted text file. Maybe it can give you some ideas?

Note that some dimensions (LOCATION and POSITION) show up as multiple commands when looping through the program code:

- a dimension START command (with the name, but no data)
- one command for each axis that you dimension (X, Y, Z etc.) (with the data, but no name)
- a dimension END command

' ================================================================
' The export file format:
' FeatType,FeatName,ValueID,Meas,Theo,Dev,-Tol,+Tol,OutTol,Comment
' ================================================================
'
' Change history
'
' 2005-11-16       PCDMIS bugs With True position:
'
'                  We can have OutTol <> 0 (very small number) even when Deviation = 0, also
'                  Deviation can be a very small number (looks like conversion artifacts Single <--> Double)
'
'                  If Abs(Dev) < 0.00005 Set elDev = 0 Else Set elDev = Deviation
'                  If Abs(OutTol) < 0.00005 Set elOutTol = 0 Else Set elOutTol = OutTol
'
' 	           True Position can have Nominal = 0, Measured = 0 but Deviation <> 0
'		   Solved by setting elAct = Nominal + elDev
'
'    Note: This script does *not* handle FCF dimensions
' ================================================================
'
Dim elType As String
Dim elName As String
Dim elValueType As String
Dim elAct As Double
Dim elNom As Double
Dim elDev As Double
Dim elMtol As Double
Dim elPtol As Double
Dim elOutTol As Double
Dim elComment As String
Dim elStarted As Integer

' ================================================================

Sub ClearRecord
  elType = "type"
  elName = "name"
  elValueType = "valuetype"
  elAct = 0
  elNom = 0
  elDev = 0
  elMtol = 0
  elPtol = 0
  elOutTol = 0
  elComment = ""
End Sub

Sub PrintLine(FileNum%)
  If elStarted Then
    Print #FileNum, elType; ","; elName; ","; elValueType; ","; elAct; ","; elNom; ","; elDev; "," ; elMtol; ","; elPtol; ","; elOutTol; ","; elComment
    elStarted = 0
  End If
End Sub

Sub ExportAsCSV(FileName$)

  Dim DmisApp As Object
  Dim DmisPart As Object
  Dim DmisCommands As Object
  Dim DmisCommand As Object
  Dim DmisDimension As Object

  Dim ix As Integer
  Dim fNum As Integer
  Dim ID As String
  Dim State As Integer
  Dim DoOutput As Integer

  fNum = FreeFile
  Open FileName$ For Output As fNum
  ' 2005-11-17
  Print #fNum, "' FeatType,FeatName,ValueID,Meas,Theo,Dev,-Tol,+Tol,OutTol,Comment"
	' ----------
  Set DmisApp = CreateObject("PCDLRN.Application")
  Set DmisPart = DmisApp.ActivePartProgram
  Set DmisCommands = DmisPart.Commands

  elStarted = 0
  State = 1

  For ix = 1 To DmisCommands.Count

    Set DmisCommand = DmisCommands(ix)

    If DmisCommand.IsDimension Then

      Set DmisDimension = DmisCommand.DimensionCommand

      Select Case State

        Case 1 '  Normal Case

            If (DmisDimension.OutputMode <> DIMOUTPUT_NONE) Then
              DoOutput = 1
            Else
              DoOutput = 0
            End If

            ID = DmisDimension.ID

            If (DmisCommand.Type = DIMENSION_TRUE_START_POSITION) Then
              State = 2
            ElseIf (DmisCommand.Type = DIMENSION_START_LOCATION) Then
              State = 3
            End If

            If (DoOutput = 1) And (State = 1) Then

              PrintLine(fNum)
              ClearRecord
              elType = DmisCommand.TypeDescription
              elName = ID
              ' 2005-11-17
              If DmisDimension.AxisLetter = "D" Then
                  elValueType = "DIAM"
              Elseif DmisDimension.AxisLetter = "R" Then
                  elValueType = "RAD"
              Else
                elValueType = DmisDimension.AxisLetter
              End If
              ' ---------
              elNom = DmisDimension.Nominal
              ' 2005-11-16
              If (Abs(DmisDimension.Deviation) > 0.00005) Then
	              elDev = DmisDimension.Deviation
              Else
              	elDev = 0
              End If
              elAct = DmisDimension.Nominal + elDev
              ' ---------
              elMtol = -DmisDimension.Minus
              elPtol = DmisDimension.Plus
              ' 2005-11-16
              If (Abs(DmisDimension.OutTol) > 0.00005) Then
	              elOutTol = DmisDimension.OutTol
              Else
              	elOutTol = 0
              End If
              ' ---------
              elComment = ""
              elStarted = 1

            End If

        Case 2 '  True Position

            If (DoOutput = 1) Then
              PrintLine(fNum)
              ClearRecord
              elType = DmisCommand.TypeDescription
              elName = ID
              ' 2005-11-17
              If DmisDimension.AxisLetter = "D" Then
                  elValueType = "DIAM"
              Elseif DmisDimension.AxisLetter = "R" Then
                  elValueType = "RAD"
              Else
                elValueType = DmisDimension.AxisLetter
              End If
              ' ---------
              elNom = DmisDimension.Nominal
              ' 2005-11-16
              If (Abs(DmisDimension.Deviation) > 0.00005) Then
	              elDev = DmisDimension.Deviation
              Else
              	elDev = 0
              End If
              elAct = DmisDimension.Nominal + elDev
              ' ---------
              elMtol = -DmisDimension.Minus
              elPtol = DmisDimension.Plus
              ' 2005-11-16
              If (Abs(DmisDimension.OutTol) > 0.00005) Then
	              elOutTol = DmisDimension.OutTol
              Else
              	elOutTol = 0
              End If
              ' ---------
              elComment = ""
              elStarted = 1
            End If

        Case 3 '  Location

            If (DoOutput = 1) Then
              PrintLine(fNum)
              ClearRecord
              elType = DmisCommand.TypeDescription
              elName = ID
              ' 2005-11-17
              If DmisDimension.AxisLetter = "D" Then
                  elValueType = "DIAM"
              Elseif DmisDimension.AxisLetter = "R" Then
                  elValueType = "RAD"
              Else
                elValueType = DmisDimension.AxisLetter
              End If
              ' ---------
              elNom = DmisDimension.Nominal
              ' 2005-11-16
              If (Abs(DmisDimension.Deviation) > 0.00005) Then
	              elDev = DmisDimension.Deviation
              Else
              	elDev = 0
              End If
              elAct = DmisDimension.Nominal + elDev
              ' ---------
              elMtol = -DmisDimension.Minus
              elPtol = DmisDimension.Plus
              ' 2005-11-16
              If (Abs(DmisDimension.OutTol) > 0.00005) Then
	              elOutTol = DmisDimension.OutTol
              Else
              	elOutTol = 0
              End If
              ' ---------
              elComment = ""
              elStarted = 1
            End If

      End Select

      Set DmisDimension = Nothing

    ElseIf (DmisCommand.Type = DIMENSION_TRUE_END_POSITION) Then

      State = 1

    ElseIf (DmisCommand.Type = DIMENSION_END_LOCATION) Then

      State = 1

    End If

    Set DmisCommand = Nothing

  Next ix

  Set DmisCommands = Nothing
  Set DmisPart = Nothing
  Set DmisApp = Nothing

  PrintLine(fNum)

  Close #fNum
  Print "Klart"
End Sub

Sub Main(FileName$)
  'ExportAsCSV(FileName$) ' For deployment
  ExportAsCSV("EXPORT.TXT") ' For testing
End Sub

Adding FCF dimensions to this is non-trivial, and nearly doubles the script size...

There are 2 styles of reporting dimensions.

legacy (for lack of a better description, traditional style, x,y,z, diameters etc) and FCF (feature control frame)

if I were looking to make a generic program to grab all this information, the first thing I would do is set some ground rules for the CMM programmers. Tell them that for all dimensions that need to be tracked or added to spc, they must be the only dimensions named a specific way and only that way.

No need to complicate things and reinvent exiting wheels. Every dimension has a 'print flag' which can be NONE, REPORT, STATS, BOTH. That's the "DmisDimension.OutputMode" that my script above checks (although that script writes to a file everything which doesn't have the flag "NONE", no discrimination between REPORT/STATS/BOTH).

If/when the programs have this flag correctly set for all dimensions it's easy. Those that are flagged STATS or BOTH are the ones that should be sent on, irrespective of their name.

The SPC system may place restrictions on names, too, but that shouldn't concern this script.

(Unless I have completely misunderstood something)

If (ObjDimCmd.Type = DIMENSION_TRUE_END_POSITION) Then

Maybe?

Try

If (ObjDimCmd.Type = DIMENSION_END_TRUE_POSITION) Then

If (ObjDimCmd.Type = DIMENSION_TRUE_END_POSITION) Then

Maybe?

Try

If (ObjDimCmd.Type = DIMENSION_END_TRUE_POSITION) Then