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I need help using PC Dmis to reverse engineer parts

smitrock63
I had the short class, and could do a few alignemnts and such, but, everytime I go to use our Romer Arm with PC Dmis I almost cringe. This software seems very difficult to learn to use. I would like to be able to set a part down on the table, digitize it, and use that data and bring it into Solidworks for model creation.

What am I missing? I mean, I've owned a manufacturing company, I've ran almost every CAD / Modeling package ever made, have a Eng. Degree, but, I can't seem to reverse engineer a part using PC Dmis!!

Help!!!

Thanks,
  • Yeah, PC-DMIS has a bit of a learning curve.

    Does your arm have the laser scanner? Can SolidWorks make solid data from a point cloud? I don't think any version of PC-DMIS can merge, nurb or create surfaces.

    If you have the laser scanner, you could just laser scan the whole part and export the COP, but you will need something to convert from points to surfaces.
  • We don't have the laser scanner. We bought a 7525 romer arm (demo model) and it came with PC-Dmis. We had a instructor come and teach us some simple set-ups, but again, the approach was more towards inspection than reverse-engineering (my main use, and the actual intended use for this). The RA 7525 came with 3 tips.

    Regarding Solidworks, I don't need surfaces, or, at least what Solidworks would call a surface. I need to be able to gather geometry and export that to an IGES. I've actually sucessfully did this before, in fact, I exported planes, circles, spheres, cylinders, lines, and brought that data into solidworks and used it to create a part model. BUT, it was difficult to do and I kind of stumbled around to get it to work.
  • What I would like to see is a few examples; perhaps two different parts that had different features, and then a step by step process using the software / arm to digitize the part and export the file into a IGES. I can handle everything from Solidworks, I just can't gather the data and make a file of it.
  • Ohh, and btw, thank you for your help. I appreciate your reply.
  • Probing is more difficult on the front end than laser scanning.

    The first thing with probing is that you need to align to the workpiece.

    Once you've done that, go through and create your features. In some cases, working with discreet points will be easier than creating 2D features. Most 3D features you should be able to create with little hassle (cylinders, cones, spheres). 2D features require a work plane or sample hits to capture.

    Once you have your features, IGS exports pretty decently in my experience.

    If you had some specific questions, I could probably give you some more specific answers.
  • I have written the above out in a IGES, STEP. The IGES will open, however, none of the points from the "scan" points are included in the file. Only the planes are shown in solidworks.
  • I have written the above out in a IGES, STEP. The IGES will open, however, none of the points from the "scan" points are included in the file. Only the planes are shown in solidworks.

    When you export, did you check "Scans as points"?

    If that doesn't work, then in PC-DMIS, break your scans into discreet points. (Which I don't recall how to do without setting it to scan as points on creation.)
  • When you export, did you check "Scans as points"?

    If that doesn't work, then in PC-DMIS, break your scans into discreet points. (Which I don't recall how to do without setting it to scan as points on creation.)

    Yes I checked "Scans as Points". Won't open as a IGES, Step 203 or 214, or XYZ. I will try using PC-DMIS to break the scans next.
  • I had the short class, and could do a few alignemnts and such, but, everytime I go to use our Romer Arm with PC Dmis I almost cringe. This software seems very difficult to learn to use. I would like to be able to set a part down on the table, digitize it, and use that data and bring it into Solidworks for model creation.

    What am I missing? I mean, I've owned a manufacturing company, I've ran almost every CAD / Modeling package ever made, have a Eng. Degree, but, I can't seem to reverse engineer a part using PC Dmis!!

    Help!!!

    Thanks,

    There is your problem.....lol

    Couldn't resist...its possible the settings in SW are part of the problem, check your import settings in SW
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