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Script to Generate Raw Point Data

Ichtus
A nearby Community College has a Romer absolute arm that has been setting unused for several years. I recently retired from an engineering career and have volunteered to get the arm up and running so the students can learn some basic concepts about CMM. The school has lost their USB key license for the PC-DMIS software and it will be several months before they look at budgets and getting the software might not make the cut.

I would like to get something very basic going just so the students can try the arm. My thought was to create a simple script that would allow the student to digitize several points and then save them to a text file. They could then import those points into their CAD software and generate features off the points. From there they could generate an stl file and print something with their 3D printer. So the lesson would be more related to reverse engineering as opposed to part validation.

A simple script that would just collect a bunch of points seems like it would be easy to create. No need to create any alignments or other features, just capture a series of raw point locations. I've got some experience with programming, but not with DMIS. It would be great if someone had had a script that would do this?

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
  • If you´re going to do it without PC-DMIS I would start by talking with the manufacturer about drivers/software interfaces.
  • here's my script to CSV export measured values from measured or DCC features including all hit points. Maybe it will help.


    Dim PCDapp As Object
    Dim PCDpart As Object
    Dim Cmds As Object
    Dim Cmd As Object
    Dim FCmd As Object
    Dim fs As Object
    Dim oPointData As Object
    Dim oHitData As Object

    Dim x#, y#, z#, x2#, y2#, z2#, x3#, y3#, z3#
    Dim i#, j#, k#, i2#, j2#, k2#
    Dim d#, l#, h#, a#, w#
    Dim hitXYZ#(3), hitNum%, numhits%
    Dim CmdID$, Batch$, Num$, FileTime$, FileName$, FilePath$
    Dim Spc$, AlgnID$

    Sub Main

    Set PCDapp = CreateObject("PCDLRN.Application")
    Set oPointData = CreateObject("PCDLRN.PointData")
    Set oHitData = CreateObject("PCDLRN.PointData")
    Set PCDpart = PCDapp.ActivePartProgram
    Set Cmds = PCDpart.Commands

    Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

    FilePath = PCDpart.Path & "\data"

    If Not(fs.FolderExists (FilePath)) Then
    retval = fs.CreateFolder(FilePath)
    End If

    FileTime = Format(Now, "ddmmyyhhnn")
    FileName = FilePath & FileTime & ".csv"

    Open FileName For Append As #1
    Close #1

    Open FileName For Output As #1

    For Each Cmd In Cmds

    If Cmd.IsAlignment And Cmd.ID <> "" Then
    AlgnID = Cmd.ID
    End If

    If Cmd.Type = RECALL_ALIGN Then
    AlgnID = cmd.GetText(REF_ID, 0)
    End If

    If Cmd.IsFeature Or Cmd.IsScan Then
    If Cmd.ID <> "" Then
    If Cmd.IsDCCFeature Or Cmd.IsMeasuredFeature Or Cmd.IsScan Then
    CmdID = Cmd.ID
    Set FCmd = Cmd.FeatureCommand

    retval = FCmd.GetData(oPointData, FDATA_CENTROID, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    x = oPointData.X
    y = oPointData.Y
    z = oPointData.Z

    retval = FCmd.GetData(oPointData, FDATA_VECTOR, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    i = oPointData.I
    j = oPointData.J
    k = oPointData.K

    Select Case Cmd.Feature

    Case F_CIRCLE
    d = FCmd.MeasDiam
    If FCmd.MeasHeight <> 0 Then
    h = FCmd.MeasHeight
    End If

    Case F_CONE
    a = FCmd.MeasAngle
    d = FCmd.MeasDiam
    l = FCmd.MeasLength

    Case F_CYLINDER
    d = FCmd.MeasDiam
    l = FCmd.MeasLength

    Case F_ELLIPSE
    l = FCmd.MeasMajorAxis
    w = FCmd.MeasMinorAxis
    retval = FCmd.GetData(oPointData, FDATA_SLOT_VECTOR, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    i2 = oPointData.I
    j2 = oPointData.J
    k2 = oPointData.K

    Case F_LINE
    l = FCmd.MeasLength
    retval = FCmd.GetData(oPointData, FDATA_SURFACE_VECTOR, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    i2 = oPointData.I
    j2 = oPointData.J
    k2 = oPointData.K
    retval = FCmd.GetData(oPointData, FDATA_STARTPOINT, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    x2 = oPointData.X
    y2 = oPointData.Y
    z2 = oPointData.Z
    retval = FCmd.GetData(oPointData, FDATA_ENDPOINT, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    x3 = oPointData.X
    y3 = oPointData.Y
    z3 = oPointData.Z

    Case F_SLOT
    d = FCmd.MeasDiam
    h = FCmd.MeasHeight
    l = FCmd.MeasLength
    retval = FCmd.GetData(oPointData, FDATA_SLOT_VECTOR, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    i2 = oPointData.I
    j2 = oPointData.J
    k2 = oPointData.K

    Case F_SPHERE
    d = FCmd.MeasDiam

    End Select

    'x = Format(x, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'y = Format(y, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'z = Format(z, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'x2 = Format(x2, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'y2 = Format(y2, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'z2 = Format(z2, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'x3 = Format(x3, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'y3 = Format(y3, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'z3 = Format(z3, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'i = Format(i, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'j = Format(j, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'k = Format(k, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'i2 = Format(i2, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'j2 = Format(j2, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'k2 = Format(k2, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'd = Format(d, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'l = Format(l, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'h = Format(h, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    'a = Format(a, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    ' w = Format(w, "0.00000;-0.00000")

    Call WriteToFile

    numhits = FCmd.NumHits
    If numhits > 0 Then
    For hitNum = 1 To numhits
    Set oHitData = FCmd.GetHit(hitNum, FHITDATA_CENTROID, FDATA_MEAS, FDATA_PART, AlgnID, PLANE_TOP)
    hitXYZ#(1) = oHitData.X 'Format(oHitData.X, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    hitXYZ#(2) = oHitData.Y 'Format(oHitData.Y, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    hitXYZ#(3) = oHitData.Z 'Format(oHitData.Z, "0.00000;-0.00000")
    Write #1, hitNum, hitXYZ(1), hitXYZ(2), hitXYZ(3)
    Next hitNum
    End If
    End If
    End If
    End If
    Next Cmd

    Close #1

    Call csvSave

    Set PCDapp = Nothing
    Set PCDpart = Nothing
    Set Cmds = Nothing
    Set Cmd = Nothing
    Set FCmd = Nothing
    Set fs = Nothing
    Set oPointData = Nothing
    Set oHitData = Nothing

    End Sub

    Function csvSave

    Dim xlApp As Object
    Dim xlWorkbooks As Object
    Dim xlWorkbook As Object

    Set xlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
    Set xlWorkbooks = xlApp.Workbooks
    Set xlWorkbook = xlWorkbooks.Open(FileName)

    xlWorkBook.Save
    xlWorkbook.Close
    Set xlWorkbook = Nothing
    xlWorkbooks.Close
    Set xlWorkbooks = Nothing
    xlApp.Quit
    Set xlApp = Nothing
    End Function

    Function WriteToFile

    Spc = ""
    Select Case Cmd.Feature

    Case F_CIRCLE
    If FCmd.TheoHeight = 0 Then
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, d
    Else
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, d, h
    End If

    Case F_CONE
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, d, Spc, l, Spc, a

    Case F_CYLINDER
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, d, Spc, l

    Case F_ELLIPSE
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, Spc, Spc, l, w, Spc, i2, j2, k2

    Case F_LINE
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, Spc, Spc, l, Spc, Spc, i2, j2, k2, x2, y2, z2, x3, y3, z3

    Case F_SLOT
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, d, h, l, Spc, Spc, i2, j2, k2

    Case F_SPHERE
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k, d

    Case Else
    Write #1, CmdID, x, y, z, i, j, k

    End Select

    End Function
  • Can they run PC-DMIS or not? If not, then you are looking at building an app that captures the communication from the Romer arm and converting that to points. A sizeable endeavour, I might add...
  • Maybe look into the Romer software and see what's available there. I know that some measurements can be done, but I don't know if there's a way to export the data.

    I don't think the Romer software is depending on the PC-DMIS portlock.
  • Thanks everyone!

    I'm pretty sure we can't run PC-DMIS, which is why I just wanted to capture point data. I think I have a work around. There are some diagnostics scripts in the RDS library. If I run one of those I notice that it creates an output file with a bunch of information, including the raw values of the measured data. I can write a Perl script that will parse out the measured point information. The only shortcoming is that they only capture nine points at a time. At least it's a start.

    Thanks again!
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