Help aligning to a part (yes, another one of these posts)

Have you tried the iterative alignment?

There must be datums of some kind.
Are you using them?
As noted above, an iterative alignment will be required here eventually, but you need to start with something for datums.

I am not kidding when I say there are zero datums called on the drawing.

Also for the iterative alignment would I take a bunch of circles and set 3 of them for the level, 2 for the rotate, etc etc?

I've never used it either

I did try checking the Iterate and re-pierce CAD check box in the Best fit window..

Use the iterative at the beginning of the program to 'align the part'. On parts that have no datums (and some that do have datums); I'll use the iterative alignment after I have picked the desire points on the CAD. Are you famialiar with iterative alignment?

Use the iterative at the beginning of the program to 'align the part'. On parts that have no datums (and some that do have datums); I'll use the iterative alignment after I have picked the desire points on the CAD. Are you famialiar with iterative alignment?

Honestly I'm not but I can try to fumble my way through it. I've been reading the help file about it and what I don't get is how is it different than just constructing a plane with the first 3 points then leveling to that, then constructing a line with the next two, then aligning to that yadda yadda yadda.

Is there a difference?

Thanks

Should look something like this.

An iterative is not dependant upon plane, line, point alignment. It uses the points to 'align' the part to the CAD in 'space'. Every successive iteration of the alignment points 'brings the part' closer to the alignment of the CAD.

Check this post out:
http://www.pcdmisforum.com/showthread.php?31756-Iterative-alignment-and-using-XactMeasure&highlight=iterative+alignment

I'll look back at it again in the morning but I tried doing an iterative alignment with 7 points for the sake of simplicity since it is my first time using them but when I run it I get "Iterative Alignment Error".

Here's a copy of my code. It's super basic right now because I didn't want to bother with formatting if I couldn't even get it to work.



STARTUP =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:USE_PART_SETUP,LIST=YES
ALIGNMENT/END
MODE/MANUAL
FORMAT/TEXT,OPTIONS, ,HEADINGS,SYMBOLS, ;NOM,TOL,MEAS,DEV,OUTTOL, ,
LOADPROBE/1_20MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
MODE/DCC
PREHIT/0.25
RETRACT/0.25
MOVESPEED/ 100
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
Please Edit Comment Text!

READPT =FEAT/POINT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<0,0,0>,<0,0,1>
ACTL/<11.709,13.5271,-21.0958>,<0,0,1>
READPOINT/

A1 =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:STARTUP,LIST=YES
ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,READPT
ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,READPT
ALIGNMENT/TRANS,ZAXIS,READPT
ALIGNMENT/END

PNT3 =FEAT/CONTACT/VECTOR POINT/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<-2.1566,3.4425,-2.152>,<-0.4509742,0.6723364,0.5870145>
ACTL/<-2.1792,3.4761,-2.1225>,<-0.4509742,0.6723364,0.5870145>
TARG/<-2.1566,3.4425,-2.152>,<-0.4509742,0.6723364,0.5870145>
SNAP=NO
SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=YES
AVOIDANCE MOVE=BOTH,DISTANCE=0.1
SHOW HITS=NO

PNT4 =FEAT/CONTACT/VECTOR POINT/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<2.1777,3.3911,-2.1103>,<0.4560141,0.6614828,0.595392>
ACTL/<2.2045,3.43,-2.0751>,<0.4560141,0.6614828,0.595392>
TARG/<2.1777,3.3911,-2.1103>,<0.4560141,0.6614828,0.595392>
SNAP=NO
SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=YES
AVOIDANCE MOVE=BOTH,DISTANCE=0.1
SHOW HITS=NO

PNT5 =FEAT/CONTACT/VECTOR POINT/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<2.2314,-4.2262,-2.0748>,<0.4917774,-0.5882308,0.6419809>
ACTL/<2.1827,-4.1682,-2.1382>,<0.4917774,-0.5882308,0.6419809>
TARG/<2.2314,-4.2262,-2.0748>,<0.4917774,-0.5882308,0.6419809>
SNAP=NO
SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=YES
AVOIDANCE MOVE=BOTH,DISTANCE=0.1
SHOW HITS=NO

PNT6 =FEAT/CONTACT/VECTOR POINT/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<-2.3049,-4.2477,-2.1529>,<-0.5097194,-0.5907573,0.6254534>
ACTL/<-2.2564,-4.1916,-2.2125>,<-0.5097194,-0.5907573,0.6254534>
TARG/<-2.3049,-4.2477,-2.1529>,<-0.5097194,-0.5907573,0.6254534>
SNAP=NO
SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=YES
AVOIDANCE MOVE=BOTH,DISTANCE=0.1
SHOW HITS=NO

PNT7 =FEAT/CONTACT/VECTOR POINT/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<0,-4.2924,-1.2712>,<-0.0001995,-0.5963138,0.8027514>
ACTL/<0,-4.2289,-1.3571>,<-0.0001995,-0.5963138,0.8027514>
TARG/<0,-4.2924,-1.2712>,<-0.0001995,-0.5963138,0.8027514>
SNAP=NO
SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=YES
AVOIDANCE MOVE=BOTH,DISTANCE=0.1
SHOW HITS=NO

PNT8 =FEAT/CONTACT/VECTOR POINT/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<0,3.805,-1.7027>,<-0.000035,0.7337419,0.6794284>
ACTL/<0,3.8497,-1.6611>,<-0.000035,0.7337419,0.6794284>
TARG/<0,3.805,-1.7027>,<-0.000035,0.7337419,0.6794284>
SNAP=NO
SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=YES
AVOIDANCE MOVE=BOTH,DISTANCE=0.1
SHOW HITS=NO

PNT9 =FEAT/CONTACT/VECTOR POINT/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN
THEO/<-0.0191,0.0061,0.0031>,<-0.0020774,0.055976,0.99843>
ACTL/<-0.019,0.0043,-0.0247>,<-0.0020774,0.055976,0.99843>
TARG/<-0.0191,0.0061,0.0031>,<-0.0020774,0.055976,0.99843>
SNAP=NO
SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=YES
AVOIDANCE MOVE=BOTH,DISTANCE=0.1
SHOW HITS=NO

A2 =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:A1,LIST=YES
ALIGNMENT/ITERATE
PNT TARGET RAD=0.1969,START LABEL=,FIXTURE TOL=0,ERROR LABEL=
MEAS ALL FEAT=NO,LEVEL AXIS=ZAXIS,ROTATE AXIS=YAXIS,ORIGIN AXIS=XAXIS
LEVEL=PNT3,PNT4,PNT5,PNT6,,
ROTATE=PNT7,PNT8,,
ORIGIN=PNT9,,
ALIGNMENT/END

Edited for clarity.

-Daniel

Don't use read point!
Start with collecting points from the cad for the initial manual iteration followed by a tighter DCC iterative alignment.