Do away with manual alignments - use Readpoint

WOW......thanks for all the useful tips about read point alignments....I am going to be using them way more often now. Learn something new everyday on here.

Thanks alot guys and gals.

Readpoint alignments are a fantastic tool in PC-DMIS. Almost every part program I write that does not utilize a fixture, I use readpoint alignments exclusively. If you get your pre-alignment prehit/retract and movespeed set right and have detailed comments with photos and instructions, just about anyone can setup the part and run the programs.

I've used read point 12 years ago and also imported cad models with no operator involvement after starting the program. Now I can't remember how I did it. can anyone list a simple routine on how it's done. At what point should the Iges file be imported?

first thing.

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)

a bazillion ways for the CMM to sneak up on an unsuspecting part. (filtering out cave monkey antics to disrupt the process not so easy)
IMHO the KISS principle still the best.

CS1 =SCRIPT/FILENAME= N:\QA\CMMDATA\ALT\MAIN_MENU_part_num.BAS
FUNCTION/Main,SHOW=YES,,
STARTSCRIPT/
ENDSCRIPT/
Please help!!!!!
how can i use this and where should I start???? Thank you very much in adv.

I've used read point 12 years ago and also imported cad models with no operator involvement after starting the program. Now I can't remember how I did it. can anyone list a simple routine on how it's done. At what point should the Iges file be imported?

Align XYZ to your readpoint. set Prehit/retract high enough to stop crashes, Insert your DCC command, and start your first DCC alignment. (holes are easiest, but not required. Use sample hits.)Then adjust your Prehit/retract to what you wanna run in the program and do another alignment. (will take away from deviation caused by loading the part slightly off.) Roll on with measuring.

first thing.

yep, and set your orientation to match machine by transforming the Cad orientation.

like the way you worded that

So two questions for you guys that use read point alignments. 1st: can the read point alignment be used on parts that are set up with fixtures? ALL our parts use fixtures. 2nd: can the read point alignment be used with parts
that don't have any datum target points? So basically the DCC alignment will be made up.