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CAD Synchronization Issues

I'm a new CMM user, having recently taken the PC-DMIS 101 training, and I'm having difficulty synchronizing my imported CAD with the machine. I've searched through the forum for similar issues, but nothing has helped yet. I may simply be skipping a step, as I'm inexperienced. Here's my issue:

I import a CAD (STEP) file into PC-DMIS, and it shows up on the cad view. I create features for an alignment (plane, cylinder, plane in this case) using the program mode by selecting points with the mouse, and then I create the alignment feature itself. When I execute the program, I move the stylus with the joystick to manually probe those features on the part. However, when I'm finished, the graphics of the features appear at different locations on the screen and don't "jump" to the CAD like I recall from training. If I try to run any other movements in DCC after that, I get an out-of-stroke error, since the targets (e.g., other features I programmed using the CAD) are far away from the probe-measured features, and the machine doesn't like that.

I've tried simple fixes like restarting the CMM, the computer, and the software a few times. I've also tried using an iterative alignment with a plane, line, and point, as well as other alignments. I also tried re-exporting the CAD from our CAD software and then re-importing it into PC-DMIS. I've considered that I could manually move the CAD by offsetting it, but that seems like a cheat that would work once and now for future files.

Am I way off base, or am I just missing a simple step? I'd appreciate any suggestions and help. Thanks!
Parents
  • The CAD's XYZ axes match the machines XYZ axes?

    Any chance that you leveled to a plane, but forgot to set the origin to that plane? The alignment should have 5 lines to be complete, something like:

    AE660PLANE_ALIGN=ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:A7,LIST=YES
    [COLOR=#FF0000]ALIGNMENT/LEVEL,ZPLUS,DATUM_A[/COLOR]
    ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,DCC_ORIGIN
    ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,DCC_ORIGIN
    [COLOR=#FF0000]ALIGNMENT/TRANS,ZAXIS,DATUM_A[/COLOR]
    ALIGNMENT/ROTATE,YPLUS,TO,DATUM_E,ABOUT,ZPLUS
    ALIGNMENT/END


    Did you do a CAD=PART? I write exclusively offline, and I don't have to do this, but sometimes....
Reply
  • The CAD's XYZ axes match the machines XYZ axes?

    Any chance that you leveled to a plane, but forgot to set the origin to that plane? The alignment should have 5 lines to be complete, something like:

    AE660PLANE_ALIGN=ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:A7,LIST=YES
    [COLOR=#FF0000]ALIGNMENT/LEVEL,ZPLUS,DATUM_A[/COLOR]
    ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,DCC_ORIGIN
    ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,DCC_ORIGIN
    [COLOR=#FF0000]ALIGNMENT/TRANS,ZAXIS,DATUM_A[/COLOR]
    ALIGNMENT/ROTATE,YPLUS,TO,DATUM_E,ABOUT,ZPLUS
    ALIGNMENT/END


    Did you do a CAD=PART? I write exclusively offline, and I don't have to do this, but sometimes....
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