Do away with manual alignments - use Readpoint

Readpoints are great, as long as the operator positions the probe correctly before the readpoint command is read. (simple, I know, but I was very surprized the first time that didn't happen...even using pictures
with circles and arrows and a paragraph...) I open up an auto vector point dialog box, type in the desired values for the point in the x, y, z, i, j, and k fields. Then I do an alignment to make those exact values
I entered, correct for the part. (it doesn't matter where the hit is taken as long as it is reasonably close to the entered values.) Then I back off my prehit/retract a little and let the CMM measure a convenient feature to give
the machine a better handle on where the part actually is. All the suggestions for squaring up a part apply here for this to work well. If the program is being written 'online', you will have to insert a DCC MODE
command before the auto vector point so you can actually turn the dialog box on, then move the 'dcc mode' command to a place after this 'first hit' so the program won't just take off when you hit execute.
Then you can scatter parts across the CMM table (as long as they are reasonably squared up) copy and paste your program, for what ever the part count is. Then, go back to the beginning of the program and
take '1st hits' for each part. Recall the appropriate hit for each part in the appropriate alignment and you are in business. Try it, you'll like it. (of course there are move point/clearplane considerations to move
from part to part)

Readpoints are great, as long as the operator positions the probe correctly before the readpoint command is read. (simple, I know, but I was very surprized the first time that didn't happen...even using pictures
with circles and arrows and a paragraph...) I open up an auto vector point dialog box, type in the desired values for the point in the x, y, z, i, j, and k fields. Then I do an alignment to make those exact values
I entered, correct for the part. (it doesn't matter where the hit is taken as long as it is reasonably close to the entered values.) Then I back off my prehit/retract a little and let the CMM measure a convenient feature to give
the machine a better handle on where the part actually is. All the suggestions for squaring up a part apply here for this to work well. If the program is being written 'online', you will have to insert a DCC MODE
command before the auto vector point so you can actually turn the dialog box on, then move the 'dcc mode' command to a place after this 'first hit' so the program won't just take off when you hit execute.
Then you can scatter parts across the CMM table (as long as they are reasonably squared up) copy and paste your program, for what ever the part count is. Then, go back to the beginning of the program and
take '1st hits' for each part. Recall the appropriate hit for each part in the appropriate alignment and you are in business. Try it, you'll like it. (of course there are move point/clearplane considerations to move
from part to part)