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Program without a model or a part?

So we have a part that's due out Tuesday I believe.  My supervisor (who's a machinist, not a CMM operator) wants me to start writing a program so I can check it as soon as it's done so he can immediately ship it out.  The problem is, I don't have a model and he says there isn't time to get one from the customer and that I don't need one anyway because the previous inspector wrote programs without models.  As far as I know though, he was given an actual part.  I don't know how I'm supposed to write a routine if I have nothing to probe.  I know I can create auto features with keyed-in nominals after my alignment, but what do I align to if I don't have anything?  Where's my origin coming from?  Am I being too needy by asking for either a part or a model?

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  • Who made the machine program? Did they use a model? You could start a program offline. Yes you can create autofeatues in manual mode and then align to them for your alignment. Then repeat them in DCC mode. You could get enough programed to give you a head start but ultimately you need a physical part after that to complete it.

  • No one has made the machine program yet.  This is a weldment that we're drilling holes in.  I'm supposed to check the part as it is and then scribe on it exactly where for them to drill the holes.  The order is only for one piece and we were only given one piece, so it has to be right.  No pressure.  I'll try to create the auto features from nothing and then align to them, but I don't foresee this going very well. 

  • You can enter the norminals of auto features and measured features without CAD and prepare all alignments based on them. If you have the drawing available, then it should be possible to write this program offline.

    by the way
    Even if it doesn't help you much in the short term:
    It's not that trivial because Hexagon offers a course for offline programming with and without CAD that lasts one week.