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Quality Information Framework (QIF) – An Integrated Model for

Manufacturing Quality Information

Part 1: Overview and Fundamental Principles

QIF Working Group

Draft Approval Date: June 20, 2013
QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

DRAFT for ANSI balloting

Prepared and Published by:

Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium, Inc. (DMSC)
1350 Alsbury Blvd., #514
Burleson, Texas 76028
Tel: (817) 461-1092
email: [email protected]

www.QIFStandards.org

All rights reserved worldwide.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means
without permission in writing from the copyright owner

i QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

Copyright © 2013 by Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium, Inc. (DMSC)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................................... ii

Table of Figures .......................................................................................................................... v

Foreword.................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3

1 Scope ................................................................................................................................. 4

1.1 Contents of this document ........................................................................................... 4

1.2 Scope of the version 1.0 QIF information model .......................................................... 4

2 Conformance ...................................................................................................................... 6

3 Normative References ........................................................................................................ 7

4 Terms and Definitions ......................................................................................................... 8

4.1 Terms Defined in ANSI Y14.5M-2009 .......................................................................... 8

4.2 Terms Defined in ANSI/DMIS 105.2-2009, Part 1 ........................................................ 8

4.3 Terms Defined in XML Schema Part 0: Primer Second Edition, W3C Recommendation
28 October 2004..................................................................................................................... 9

4.4 Definitions from XML Schema Part 1: Structures Second Edition, W3C
Recommendation 28 October 2004 ........................................................................................ 9

4.5 New terms defined in this document ...........................................................................10

5 Symbols and Abbreviated Terms .......................................................................................16

6 Overview of the Quality Information Framework (QIF) information model...........................18

6.1 Purpose ......................................................................................................................18

6.2 Manufacturing quality workflow ...................................................................................18

6.3 QIF design requirements.............................................................................................21

6.4 QIF manufacturing functional requirements ................................................................21

6.5 QIF information model design guidelines ....................................................................22

6.6 Overview of file modularity ..........................................................................................23

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) ii

Copyright © 2013 by Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium, Inc. (DMSC)

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DRAFT for ANSI balloting

6.7 Data structures ...........................................................................................................24

6.7.1 Four aspects of features data ..............................................................................24

6.7.2 Four aspects of characteristics ............................................................................30
6.7.3 Relationships between the aspects ......................................................................34
6.8 Hierarchy of required information ................................................................................36

6.8.1 Example: Diameter Characteristic ........................................................................36

6.9 Two aspects of part and assembly information ...........................................................39

6.10 Handling assemblies of parts in QIF ...........................................................................40

6.11 Making connections between data objects ..................................................................40

6.12 Tracking information through the product lifecycle ......................................................43

6.12.1 UUIDs and QPIds ................................................................................................43

6.12.2 QMPlans data flow to results ...............................................................................43
6.12.3 Using QPIds in QIF ..............................................................................................44
6.13 Linking QIF to external models ...................................................................................45

6.14 QIF handling of transforms, transformations, and coordinate systems ........................47

6.14.1 Common Space ...................................................................................................47

6.14.2 Transformation matrix ..........................................................................................47
6.14.3 Transforms ..........................................................................................................52
6.14.4 Coordinate systems .............................................................................................52
6.15 Feature control frames ................................................................................................55

6.15.1 Geometric tolerance characteristic types .............................................................55

6.15.2 Tolerance zone size .............................................................................................56
6.15.3 Zone shape..........................................................................................................57
6.15.4 Zone extents ........................................................................................................57
6.15.5 Other Zone Modifiers ...........................................................................................58
6.15.6 Datum reference frames ......................................................................................59
6.16 QIF handling of units ...................................................................................................60

6.17 Modeling slots in QIF ..................................................................................................62

6.17.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................62

iii QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

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6.17.2 Internal and external ............................................................................................63

6.17.3 Location and size .................................................................................................63
6.17.4 End types.............................................................................................................65
6.17.5 Bottom types ........................................................................................................68
6.17.6 Taper ...................................................................................................................68
6.17.7 Draft.....................................................................................................................69
6.17.8 Feature actual ......................................................................................................69
6.18 Modeling threads in QIF ..............................................................................................70

6.18.1 Thread specification types ...................................................................................71

6.19 Feature actual determination ......................................................................................71

6.19.1 Checked and set features ....................................................................................71

6.19.2 Measurement and construction ............................................................................71
6.19.3 Measurement points ............................................................................................71
6.19.4 Construction methods ..........................................................................................72
6.20 Key characteristics - Encoding "balloon" numbers in QIF ............................................74

6.21 Notes ..........................................................................................................................75

7 Detailed requirements ........................................................................................................76

7.1 XML naming and design rules (NDR) ..........................................................................76

7.1.1 Naming conventions ............................................................................................77

7.1.2 Design rules .........................................................................................................77
7.1.3 Other naming and design items ...........................................................................78
7.2 Annotation conventions ...............................................................................................79

Annex A - Sample QIF Instance Files .......................................................................................81

Annex B - DMSC Volunteer Agreement ..................................................................................123

Annex C - Roadmap for next design phase of QIF .................................................................124

C-1 QIF Information Model ..................................................................................................124

C-2 Model-based quality metrology activity diagram ............................................................125

Annex D - Another view of QIF V1.0 workflow .........................................................................127

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) iv

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Bibliography ............................................................................................................................130

Table of Figures
Figure 1 – QIF version 1.0 architecture with QMPlans and QMResults ...................................... 5
Figure 2 – QIF Model-Based Quality Workflow..........................................................................20
Figure 3 – The reference connections among feature data objects in a QIF XML instance file.
Solid lines show required references, dashed lines show optional references. ..........................25
Figure 4 – A plate with four holes ..............................................................................................25
Figure 5 – A plate with four holes and GD&T ............................................................................26
Figure 6 – A plate with four holes with names. ..........................................................................29
Figure 7 – The reference connections among characteristic data objects in a QIF XML instance
file. ............................................................................................................................................32
Figure 8 – A plate with ballooned tolerances. ............................................................................33
Figure 9 – Transformation matrix example. ...............................................................................50
Figure 10 – An opposite lines feature with round closed ends. ..................................................64
Figure 11 – An opposite planes feature with flat closed ends. ...................................................65
Figure 12 – A slot with non-tangent round ends. .......................................................................66
Figure 13 – A flat-ended slot with rounded corners.. .................................................................67
Figure 14 – Opposite planes features with open ends. ..............................................................68
Figure 15 – A tapered slot. ........................................................................................................68
Figure 16 – A slot with draft.......................................................................................................69
Figure 17 – Threaded features. .................................................................................................70

v QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

Copyright © 2013 by Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium, Inc. (DMSC)

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Foreword
The Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium (DMSC, Inc.) is an American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards developing organization, as well as an A-
Liaison to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The mission of the DMSC is
to identify urgently needed standards in the field of dimensional metrology, and to promote,
foster, and encourage the development and interoperability of these standards, along with
related and supporting standards that will benefit the industry as a whole. More information
about the DMSC can be found at www.dmsc-inc.org.

The Quality Information Framework (QIF) was developed by domain experts from the
manufacturing quality community representing a wide variety of industries and quality
measurement needs. Contributors to this first version of the QIF standard include:

Main:
 Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technology
 Mitutoyo America
 National Institute of Standards and Technology
 Origin International Inc
 Validation Technologies.

Support:
 Capvidia
 DISCUS Software
 Hexagon Metrology
 IPI Solutions
 Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Systems,
 Metrosage
 PAS Technology
 Renishaw pfc
 Rolls-Royce.

More information about DMSC's QIF effort can be found at www.qifstandards.org.

This document was written jointly by the Quality Measurement Results (QMResults) Working
Group and Quality Measurement Plans (QMPlans) Working Group, approved and revised as
needed by the Quality Information Framework Working Group, and given final approval for ANSI
balloting by the DMSC’s Quality Measurement Standards (QMS) Committee.

This document is the first ever publicly balloted edition of a QIF standard. This version is solely
a product of the DMSC and its committees and working groups.

1 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

Copyright © 2013 by Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium, Inc. (DMSC)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

QIF consists of the following parts, under the general title Quality Information Framework (QIF)
— An Integrated Model for Manufacturing Quality Information:

Part 1: Overview and Fundamental Principles Version 1.0

Part 2: QIF Library Information Model and XML Schema Files Version 1.0

Part 3: Quality Measurement Plans (QMPlans) Information Model and XML Schema
Version 1.0

Part 4: Quality Measurement Results (QMResults) Information Model and XML Schema
Version 1.0

Additional QIF specification Parts and updated versions will be developed in future QIF phases
by the DMSC to complete the coverage of quality data application areas.

HTML-based data model viewers

DMSC will make available html-file based data dictionaries for the QMPlans schema and the
QMResults schema as aids to understanding QIF. These data dictionaries are non-normative
materials, but describe the normative content of the QIF data model. The html files facilitate
viewing of each complete data model, including Library content, using pictures and text. A user
has the ability, through an internet browser, to follow navigation links forward and backward
through the data model description using mouse clicks.

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 2

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Introduction
This Quality Information Framework (QIF) standard defines an integrated set of information
models which enable the effective exchange of metrology data throughout the entire
manufacturing quality measurement process – from product design to inspection planning to
execution to analysis. This part of the QIF standard introduces the purpose and design
approach behind QIF, as well as its content. The QIF information models are contained in files
written in the XML Schema Definition Language (XSDL). The models, for version 1.0, consist of
two application schema files plus a library of schema files containing information items used by
both applications. The Library is described in Part 2 of this standard. Part 3 of this standard
describes the Quality Measurement Plans (QMPlans) application model, which deals with plans
for quality measurement. The Quality Measurement Results (QMResults) application model
deals with the results of measurements and is described in Part 4.

The QIF models include quality characteristics and measurement features as defined in the
ASME Y14.5 specification and the Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard (DMIS). The QIF
standard covers a wide variety of use cases including dimensional metrology inspection, first
article inspection, reverse engineering, and discrete quality measurement.

3 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

Copyright © 2013 by Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium, Inc. (DMSC)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

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Quality Information Framework (QIF) - An Integrated Model for

Manufacturing Quality Information - Part 1: Overview and Fundamental
Principles

1 Scope
1.1 Contents of this document
This document describes the design approach used for implementing version 1.0 of the Quality
Information Framework (QIF) information model, including implementation practices for the
Extensible Markup Language (XML) Schema Definition Language (XSDL) schemas that define
the model. This document also describes the rules for reading and writing QIF instance files that
conform to the model.

The purpose of this Part is to orient potential users of QIF to the organization of the information
model to make their study of the details more rewarding and efficient. It should also help
solution providers and users to evaluate QIF for their uses, without needing to go to the lowest
technical details of the XML schemas. The information model narrative focuses on the approach
to modeling the core data structures of QIF, which model the content of ANSI/ASME Y14.5M-
1994, and the plans and results data elements defined in Dimensional Measuring Interface
Standard (DMIS) 5.2. The material on XML practices describes consistent design practices to
be used by QIF working groups who will be designing new schemas. It should also help data
processing experts to write code that writes and reads manufacturing quality data using the
XML schemas.

Other QIF documents describe all details of QIF information models, including data types, data
structures and semantics related to dimensional metrology and quality information workflow,
and embodiment of the model in XML schema definition language.

1.2 Scope of the version 1.0 QIF information model

Figure 1 shows a high level view of the QIF information model for Version 1.0 standardization.
At the core of the QIF architecture is the reusable QIF library which contains components that
are referenced by QMPlans and QMResults, thereby ensuring interoperability and extensibility.
Around the QIF library core Figure 1 shows the two QIF application information models,
QMPlans and QMResults, which are being progressed for this standard release. As illustrated,
each QIF Application reuses the QIF Library. For a more complete review of the roadmap of the
QIF applications refer to Annex C for the next design phase of QIF.

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 4

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Figure 1 – QIF version 1.0 architecture with QMPlans and QMResults

5 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

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2 Conformance
Software programs that implement this specification to write QIF XML instance files must:
 follow the rules of XML when writing QMPlans and QMResults instance files
 generate instance files that validate against the QMPlans schema or the QMResults
schema
 employ semantics of the information written that complies with the referenced standards
and with the QIF data dictionary in this specification.

Software programs that implement this specification to read QIF instance files must:
 be able to read any valid QIF XML instance file and extract all numerical and semantic
data correctly.

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 6

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3 Normative References
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For
dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

ANSI/DMIS 105.2, Part 1-2009, Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard, DMIS 5.2 Standard,
Part 1. Also available as ISO 22093:2011 Industrial automation systems and integration --
Physical device control -- Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard (DMIS)

ASME B1.7 - 2006, Screw Threads: Nomenclature, Definitions, and Letter Symbols

ASME Y14.36 - 1996, Surface Texture Symbols

ASME Y14.6 - 2001, Screw Thread Representation

ASME Y14.5M-1994 (reaffirmed 2004), Dimensioning and Tolerancing - Engineering Drawing

and Related Documentation Practices

ASME Y14.5-2009, Dimensioning and Tolerancing - Engineering Drawing and Related

Documentation Practices

ASME Y14.41 (2003), Digital Product Definition Data Practices

Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Fifth Edition), W3C Recommendation 26 November
2008

ISO/IEC 9834-8:2008. Information technology -- Open Systems Interconnection -- Procedures

for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities: Generation and registration of Universally
Unique Identifiers (UUIDs) and their use as ASN.1 Object Identifier components

ISO/IEC 11578:1996: "Information technology - Open System Interconnection - Remote

Procedure Call (RPC)”

ISO/IEC Guide 99:2007 (E/F) – International vocabulary of metrology – Basic and general
concepts and associated terms (VIM)

XML Schema Part 1: Structures Second Edition, W3C Recommendation 28 October 2004

XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes Second Edition, W3C Recommendation 28 October 2004

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4 Terms and Definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply

4.1 Terms Defined in ANSI Y14.5M-2009

4.1.1
feature
a physical portion of a part such as a surface, pin, hole, or slot or its representation on drawings,
in models, or in digital data files.

4.1.2
datum target
the designated points, lines, or areas that are used in establishing a datum. Datum targets are
used in establishing a datum reference frame.

4.2 Terms Defined in ANSI/DMIS 105.2-2009, Part 1

4.2.1
actual
referring to features or tolerances, the actuals are the results computed from measured or
constructed features. Actuals are determined by the measuring device and do not exist until a
measurement or construction has occurred.

4.2.2
dimensional measuring equipment (DME)
a class of equipment used to inspect parts and evaluate dimensions and tolerances. DME
includes, but is not limited to, coordinate measuring machines, video inspection equipment,
optical comparators, robotic measuring devices, theodolites, photogrammetry, and laser-based
measuring devices.

4.2.3
nominal
referring to a feature or tolerance, this is the "as-designed" value defined in the product
definition of the part. The nominal is known prior to measurement and is the value to which the
actuals are compared for computing out of tolerance conditions.

4.2.4
part coordinate system (PCS)
a datum reference frame associated with the part to be measured.

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4.3 Terms Defined in XML Schema Part 0: Primer Second Edition, W3C
Recommendation 28 October 2004
4.3.1
attribute
information represented as an XML attribute in an instance file, usually conforming to an
attribute declaration in an XML schema.

4.3.2
complexType
a value type that has elements or attributes.

4.3.3
element
information represented as an XML element in an instance file, usually conforming to an
element declaration in an XML schema.

4.3.4
instance file
a file containing an information set intended to conform to an XML schema.

4.4 Definitions from XML Schema Part 1: Structures Second Edition, W3C
Recommendation 28 October 2004
4.4.1
attribute information item (often shortened to "attribute")
information modeled using an attribute declaration in an XML schema.

4.4.2
element information item (often shortened to "element")
information modeled using an element declaration in an XML schema.

4.4.3
enumeration
a term indicating that a single indivisible value follows.

4.4.4
extension
a term in a complexType definition indicating that the type being defined is derived from a more
general type. Extension is the XSDL mechanism used in QIF for building hierarchies of complex
types. XSDL also provides for restrictions of complex types, but that is not used in QIF.

9 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

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4.4.5
key
a constraint requiring that selected data fields exist and be unique.
In XSDL, a key may require that a combination of data fields be unique, but QIF never uses
more than a single data field.

4.4.6
keyref
a constraint requiring that there is a match between two sets of values in an instance file.

4.4.7
schema (or XML schema)
a complete information model in the XML schema definition language. A schema is defined by
one or more schema files.

4.4.8
schema document (or schema file)
a file containing a well-formed XML schema declaration. Such a file does not necessarily
contain a complete information model; it may reference other schema files needed to make the
model complete.

4.4.9
simple type
a value type that is indivisible.
number example: 10
string example: 10 Downing Street in XSDL, list and union type are also simple, but they are
not used in QIF.

4.4.10
string
a data type that is a sequence of Unicode characters.

4.4.11
token
a string in which there is no leading or trailing white space, and the only white space occurring
between visible characters is a single space character.

4.5 New terms defined in this document

4.5.1
action
a plan element that gives information about what to measure or validate.

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4.5.2
action group
a plan element that organizes sets of actions. An action group can be an ordered group,
unordered group, one-of group, partially ordered group, or pick-some group.

4.5.3
action method
a prescription of how an action is to be performed. Actions with action methods form the core of
a measurement plan.

4.5.4
application area
one of the QIF workflow interface types, e.g., Plans, Results, and in the future, Statistics,
Resources, and Rules.

4.5.5
aspect
a particular quality of a characteristic, feature, or product. In QIF there are four aspects of
characteristics and features: definition, nominal, actual, and instance. Products have two
aspects: definition and instance.

4.5.6
assembly
a number of parts or combination thereof that are joined together to perform a specific function
and subject to disassembly without degradation of any of the parts.

4.5.7
attribute data
a result from a characteristic or property that is appraised only as to whether it does or does not
conform to a given requirement (for example, go/no-go, accept/reject, pass/fail, etc.).
[AS9102a]

4.5.8
attribute characteristic
a characteristic described using attribute data, or using data that do not have numerical values,
e.g., color, malleability.

4.5.9
bill of characteristics (BOC)
a list of all the characteristics applied to a product.

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4.5.10
characteristic
a control placed on an element of a feature such as its size, location or form and may be a
specification limit, a nominal with tolerance, a feature control frame, or some other numerical or
non-numerical control.

4.5.11
characteristic instance
a tolerance or specification applied to a feature or product that needs verification.

4.5.12
checked
refers to an actual feature or characteristic being measured directly or being constructed from
previously measured or constructed data.

4.5.13
composite feature
a feature composed of two or more sub-features which act as a functional group and to which
shared characteristics may be applied.

4.5.14
constructed feature
a feature that is computed from other features. Contrast to a measured feature, which is
computed from measured point data.

4.5.15
datum definition
definition of a datum label and optionally, its association with datum targets or feature instances.

4.5.16
evaluation
refers to the process by which the status of a characteristic actual is determined from nominal,
actual and specification limit information.

4.5.17
event
an occurrence, usually unplanned, which may have an effect on the outcome of a measurement
or inspection operation and which should be recorded.

4.5.18
generic feature
a feature which can be referenced by a user-defined characteristic. Usually, this is a portion of
the surface of a part that is not correctly described by any other feature type.

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4.5.19
geometric characteristic
a concept characterizing the size, form, orientation or location of a feature or of a component of
a feature. Examples: diameter, flatness, parallelism, or position.

4.5.20
inspection
a measurement of characteristics on a physical part to determine whether the features are
within allowed tolerance, commonly in order to accept or reject the part.

4.5.21
key characteristic
a characteristic of a feature, material, process, or part whose variation has a significant
influence on product fit/function, safety/compliance, performance, service life, or
manufacturability. A key characteristic can be identified by a designator and have a criticality
class.

4.5.22
measurand
an object, quantity, property, or condition to be measured for a specific purpose. Two examples
of a measurand are the measurement of a shape feature to evaluate a specified characteristic
(for example tolerance) and the measurement of a shape feature to establish a datum (for
example primary datum) within the context of a datum reference frame. One could measure the
same feature differently or apply a different substitute feature data fitting algorithm

4.5.23
measure feature method
an action method for measuring a feature

4.5.24
measurement
an estimate of a dimension associated with a feature or features on a physical part generated
using a physical device.

4.5.25
measurement device
a hardware element that performs a measurement, or is used by an operator to perform a
measurement. A measurement device will typically have an accuracy statement as well as
calibration information. Measurement devices include CMMs and calipers.

4.5.26
measurement plan
a complete plan that contains information on for what and how to measure

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4.5.27
measurement resource
a class of things that facilitate or perform measurements. Things that facilitate measurement
include fixtures, sensors, tooling, rotary tables, software, jo-plugs, chemical solutions, ovens,
environmentally controlled rooms, etc.

4.5.28
non-dimensional quality data
data expressed as either attributes or variables, e.g., number of non-conformities like burrs or
dents, color of paint, etc.

4.5.29
notable event
a description of a planned or unplanned event that inspection processes should monitor and
should record if it occurs during inspection.

4.5.30
note
an explanatory or descriptive statement in natural language. In QIF, notes provide information in
addition to that which is formally modeled.

4.5.31
noted event
an event occurring and reported during inspection.

4.5.32
part
one item, or two or more items joined together, that is not normally subject to disassembly
without destruction or impairment of designed use.

4.5.33
plan element
an action or an action group. A combination of actions and action groups can be structured in a
directed hierarchical tree of actions.

4.5.34
plan note
descriptive information that applies to an entire measurement plan.

4.5.35
plan root
the top level plan element (an action or action group) of a measurement plan.

4.5.36
product

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a generic term for a part or an assembly

4.5.37
product and manufacturing information (PMI)
non-geometric attributes in 3D Computer Aided Design/Manufacturing/Inspection/Engineering
(CAD/CAM/CAI/CAE) systems necessary for manufacturing product components or
subsystems. PMI may include geometric dimensions & tolerances (GD&T), 3D annotation (text)
and dimensions, surface finish, and material specifications.

4.5.38
qualification
a check on or the refinement of the calibration of a measurement device performed using a
known artifact such as a tooling ball or gage block.

4.5.39
set
refers to an actual feature or characteristic being set to its nominal without any measurement
taking place.

4.5.40
traceability
meta information, classified in QIF as either measurement traceability, or manufacturing process
traceability. QIF instance files can include measurement traceability data directly. QIF uses
pointers in instance files to identify manufacturing processes that the measurements relate to.
The method of tracking the manufacturing processes is outside the scope of QIF.

4.5.41
work instruction
information that provides instructions about actions or action methods to be used in executing a
measurement plan.

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5 Symbols and Abbreviated Terms

ANSI American National Standards Institute

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers

CAD Computer-Aided Design

CAIPP Computer-Aided Inspection Process Planning

CAM Computer-Aided Machining

CMM Coordinate Measuring Machine

COTS Commercial Off-The-Shelf

DME Dimensional Measuring Equipment

DMIS Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard

DMSC Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium

DRF Datum Reference Frame

ERP Enterprise Resource Planning

GD&T Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

GUID Globally Unique Identifier

ISO International Organization for Standardization

MES Manufacturing Execution Systems

MRI Measurement Resources Information

MRP Materials Resource Planning

MSA Measurement Systems Analysis

PMI Product Manufacturing Information

QIF Quality Information Framework

QMPlans Quality Measurement Plans

QMResources Quality Measurement Resources

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QMResults Quality Measurement Results

QMRules Quality Measurement Rules

QMS Quality Measurement Standards (a DMSC committee)

QMStatistics Quality Measurement Statistics

R&R Repeatability and Reproducibility

SI The International Systems of Units

SPC Statistical Process Control

SQC Statistical Quality Control

STEP Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (ISO 10303)

UUID Universally Unique Identifier

XML eXtensible Markup Language

XSDL XML Schema Definition Language

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6 Overview of the Quality Information Framework (QIF) information

model
6.1 Purpose
The goal of the QIF specification is to facilitate interoperability of manufacturing quality data
between system software components. Solving the metrology interoperability problem will
benefit manufacturers by avoiding wasted resources spent on non-value-added costs of
translating data between the different components of manufacturing quality systems. Users
should gain flexibility in configuring quality systems and in choosing commercial components,
and achieve effortless and accurate flow of data within their factory walls as well as with
suppliers and customers. Solution providers should be able to eliminate their efforts previously
spent in data translations, and there should be increased opportunities to sell their products and
to improve and expand the features of their solution.

System wide interoperability is achieved by partitioning the information model between a QIF
Library of common, reusable components, and several information models for unique
application areas such as measurement plans (QMPlans) and measurement results
(QMResults). The reusable library components are referenced throughout the comprehensive
quality information model thereby ensuring interoperability and extensibility between any data
producer and consumer that implements the QIF formats in their software. A design principle of
schema file allocation is: data elements used in only one application area will be defined in that
area’s XML schema file. If a data element can be used in two or more applications areas, it will
be defined in the XML library schema files.

It is the goal of DMSC to write the QIF specifications such that conformity of commercial
software products can be assessed by a manufacturer or supplier (first party), a user or
purchaser (second party), or an independent body (third party). The ability of developers to test
against conformance criteria, and of users to evaluate products for conformance, are key to
establishing widespread interoperability of COTS software solutions.

6.2 Manufacturing quality workflow

The QIF V1.0 information model focuses on dimensional features and characteristics data, and
the application areas of inspection plans (QMPlans), and inspection results (QMResults)
reports. When fully developed, the scope of QIF will include 6 application areas. Annex C
describes the general design of these next-phase information models. This section focuses on
the narrower scope of the QIF version 1.0 information model, the first balloted public release.

The total scope of QIF is inspection information required to assess product quality, and also to
improve manufacturing processes and product design. The details of the QIF information model
are evolving as working groups move forward and incorporate more requirements.

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Figure 2 shows a Model-Based Quality Workflow activity diagram flowing from a product
definition as the primary input to the reporting and analysis of measurement results. The work
flow activities for a Quality Metrology Enterprise are contained in the light blue box and consists
of four major Quality Metrology Enterprise activities:
 Determine Measurement Requirements
 Define Measurement Process
 Execute Measurement Process
 Analyze & Report Quality Data

Between each pair of work activities there exists an interface in which information must be
exchanged.

From Figure 2, assuming that the activity of “Define Product” has already been performed, the
metrology work activity of “Determine Measurement Requirements” receives product definition
with PMI and key characteristic criticalities as input. Then based upon known quality
requirements and/or manufacturing process knowledge, measurement requirements are
determined as a set of measurement criteria also known as a bill of characteristic instances
(BOC). A characteristic instance is typically a tolerance or specification applied to a feature or
product that needs verification. This BOC constitutes a high level quality plan of “what” needs to
be inspected or verified. Next, given metrology resources and metrology knowledge, the
“Define Measurement Process” activity augments the set of measurement criteria by defining an
inspection plan on “how” to inspect or verify the bill of characteristic instances. This inspection
plan will then drive the activity of “Execute Measurement Process” via various measurement
resources which produces measurement results. Finally, the measurement results are
collected, analyzed, and reported via the activity of “Analyze & Report Quality Data”.

Because the interface between each pair of work activities requires information exchange, the
DMSC, with the QIF, have identified each work activity interface as a candidate for a digital
interoperability standard. QIF Version 1.0 addresses three digital interoperability interfaces:

 From “Determine Measurement Requirements” to “Define Measurement Process” with

QMPlans’ “whats”,
 From “Define Measurement Process” to “Execute Measurement Process” with QMPlans’
“hows” and
 From “Execute Measurement Process” to “Analyze & Report Quality Data” with
QMResults.

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Figure 2 – QIF Model-Based Quality Workflow

The QMPlans information model satisfies the data exchange needs from “Determine
Measurement Requirements” by generating a measurement scope that lists all of the features
and their characteristics and the actions required to measure/validate them. Furthermore the
QMPlan information model satisfies the data exchange needs from “Define Measurement
Process” by generating an inspection plan that describes the methods on how to
measure/validate the actions contained in the measurement scope.

The digital interface between Execute Measurement Process and the DME (dimensional
measurement equipment) has been satisfied by the Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard
(DMIS), ANSI/DMIS 105.2 Part 1-2009. DMIS can also be used as a numerical control part
program for DMEs such as coordinate measuring machine (CMM). For a more complete review
of the current and future roadmap of the data exchange needs and their planned QIF
Applications refer to Annex C for next design phase of QIF.

Quality information generated in QIF format can be used as input by many other quality and
manufacturing management components including, but not limited to, first article inspection plan
and report generation, statistical process control (SPC), materials resource planning (MRP),
measurement systems analysis (MSA), manufacturing execution systems (MES), and computer
aided manufacturing (CAM). Additional data flows are not shown because it is a design goal of
QIF to not constrain the architecture of systems that will exchange QIF data. The QIF

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specification only describes the content of the QIF library, and information models of each
application area. Users of QIF data may generate it, or consume it, in any manner that is useful.

6.3 QIF design requirements

There are three categories of requirements on the content of the QIF information model, and on
how the data are encoded for exchange:

 Business case functional requirements. The design of the QIF information model is
driven by the functional requirements of activities that import, process, and export
manufacturing quality data. Requirements are expressed via natural language rules,
scenarios, use case notation, identification of specifications and/or standards, and
examples. The DMSC began with a baseline requirement to model ANSI/ASME Y14.5-
1994, and the plans and results information in DMIS 5.2. The requirements list is
evolving as the members of the quality community identify more workflow requirements.
Functional requirements involve engineering data and workflow details, as well as
business case justifications and requirements.

 Interoperability requirements. This is primarily the requirement on the QIF standard,

that developers from different companies should be enabled, without cooperation, to
develop software applications that will successfully exchange QIF data packages. This
requirement is essential because solutions are developed globally by diverse
developers, but also because QIF information must flow between companies, between
original equipment manufacturers and contractors, and between primary vendors and
their subcontractors. Interoperability requirements are met primarily through complete
and accurate semantic annotations embedded within the XML schema files, and by
publishing specifications and usage documents. QIF also includes data structures that
allow writers of instance files to insert customized text data, which should only be used
when their data does not match a defined QIF enumerated data type.

 Computational requirements. These are good practices of computer science that lead
to efficient code and efficient use of computation resources. Examples include the use
of class inheritance, and schema design practices that minimize size of instance files.

6.4 QIF manufacturing functional requirements

Requirements that have been validated by inspection and examples in V1.0 include ASME
Y14.5-1994 and DMIS 5.2. Functional requirements met in QIF V1.0 include the following.

 Information requirements for QIF V1.0 encompass the principles of geometric

dimensioning and tolerancing as described in ANSI/ASME Y14.5-1994, as well as
workflow practices and quality management functions. Most of the requirements of the
2009 version are also met. DMSC plans to meet the full requirements of the 2009 version
in the near future.

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 QIF V1.0 encompasses all planning and results information defined in DMIS 5.2. QIF V1.0
also includes a small amount of tool and sensor data. DMIS data describing tools and
sensors in detail will be considered by a working group that will develop a model for quality
measurement resources in the future.

 QIF V1.0 instance files support all information defined for first article inspection reports as
defined in the standard AS9102a [1].

 The neutral data format specifications are accompanied by fully defined semantics derived
where applicable from other standards like DMIS 5.2, and AS9102a. The semantics
ensure that data cannot be misinterpreted between sender and receiver of QIF instance
files.

 Inspection results data (QMResults), can be used for both a reverse engineering process
where actual measurement data is stored without the presence of nominal information,
and for a conventional measurement process where inspection is planned using nominal
part feature data.

 QIF facilitates traceability of quality results to inspection and measurement processes,

including identification of measurement devices and operators, software applications, and
CAD models.

 QIF facilitates traceability of quality results to manufacturing processes by maintaining

links, so that inspection data can be used to monitor, control, and improve manufacturing
processes. The QIF scope includes support of manufacturing process and product
validation.

 QMResults data can be written to facilitate re-analysis of measured point data.

 QIF data supports quality systems based on model-based design, as well as systems that
implement 2D drawing-based processes.

6.5 QIF information model design guidelines

A QIF V1.0 design principle is to follow a decoupled normalized relationship model. As such,
many relations between data elements (also known as instanced types) in the QIF schemas are
made using identifiers rather than allowing a parent type to directly contain a child type (as you
would find in a strictly hierarchical model). Each “object” or “instanced type” that needs to be
referenced by another type is given a unique identification designator (id). The referencing
object may then establish a relation by calling out the id rather than redefining the entire data
element within itself. By decoupling the child from the parent we introduce the ability to reuse
components of the relationship without duplicating definitions. This concept of decoupling is
one of the pillars of QIF extensibility. It also leads to reducing instance file size compared to

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purely hierarchical design, and may lead to better data integrity because the risk of duplicating
errors is reduced.

The QIF models represent measurement feature and characteristic objects with four aspects:
instance, definition, nominal, and actual. The relationships between data objects of each aspect
type in an instance file are implemented using a relationship scheme described in more detail in
section 6.7. Because the scope of QIF covers the entire lifecycle of quality systems, the
aspects allow QIF instance files to describe nominal and measured GD&T quality data, as well
as express the relationships and other data generated during the workflow of planning,
execution, reporting, and analysis.

We will use the terms “data object” and “object” to mean a grouping of information in a QIF XML
instance file, defined by elements of the QIF information model.

6.6 Overview of file modularity

A complete model built using XML Schema Definition Language (XSDL) is called a "schema".
However, the complete model may consist of information items from several different schema
files. Typically, the complete model will be defined using a top level (or root) schema file which
will use subordinate schema files. In XSDL, using definitions in other files is indicated by an
"include" directive. The top level file "includes" subordinate files, and those subordinates may
"include" other subordinates.

QMPlans and QMResults are each a complete application schema. Their top-level schema files
are QMPlans.xsd and QMResults.xsd, respectively. Those files both include (directly or
indirectly) eight subordinate files collected in the QIF Library. The file hierarchy of QIF is as
follows:

QIFWorkingFiles (directory)
applications (directory)
QMPlans.xsd
QMResults.xsd
QIFLibrary (directory)
CharacteristicTypes.xsd
FeatureTypes.xsd
MeasurementResources.xsd
PrimitiveTypes.xsd
ProductTypes.xsd
QIFTypes.xsd
Traceability.xsd
Units.xsd

The QIF Library is modularized by grouping related type and element definitions together in a
schema file.
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Units.xsd deals only with units: length, angle, temperature, etc.

PrimitiveTypes.xsd covers miscellaneous information items such as PointType,

UnitVectorType, and TransformMatrixType that might to be found in CAD as well as in quality
measurement.

QIFTypes.xsd covers miscellaneous information items required in QIF but not likely to be found
outside of QIF. This includes, for example: QIFIdType, QIFReferenceType,
FeatureInstanceIdsType, and CompoundDatumType.

The other five schema files in the QIF Library each focus on a specific type of quality
information.

Characteristics.xsd deals with characteristics (e.g., CharacteristicBaseType and

AngularityCharacteristicNominalType), items used in describing characteristics (e.g.,
OrientationPlanarZoneType, LocationOnDrawingType and
CompositeSegmentActualBaseType), constraints on relationships between aspects of
characteristics (e.g., AngleCharacteristicInstanceToNominalKeyref), and substitution groups
for characteristics (e.g., the substitution group for the CharacteristicInstance element).

FeatureTypes.xsd covers dimensional metrology shape features (e.g.,

ArcFeatureNominalType and OppositePlanesFeatureDefinitionType), methods of
constructing features (e.g., OppositePlanesCopyType), constraints on relationships between
aspects of features (e.g., ConeFeatureInstanceToActualKeyref), and substitution groups for
features (e.g., the substitution group for the FeatureInstance element).

MeasurementResources.xsd deals with resources needed for dimensional measurement such

as a fixture, a caliper, a coordinate measuring machine, etc.

ProductTypes.xsd covers definitions and instances of parts and assemblies.

Traceability.xsd defines types that describe the circumstances of a quality measurement, such
as InspectionTraceabilityType, InspectionSoftwareItemsType, and EnvironmentType.

6.7 Data structures

6.7.1 Four aspects of features data
Feature information is defined in the QIF library using four aspects: definition, nominal, actual,
and instance. In a QIF instance file each feature data object has a unique identifier, and
relationships between objects are expressed by references to the identifiers as shown in Figure
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3. These four library data types were designed to express quality information beyond the scope
of solely inspection results reporting. The instance aspect, in particular, includes information
related to part design as well as information generated by planning activities.

Figure 3 – The reference connections among feature data objects in a QIF XML instance
file. Solid lines show required references, dashed lines show optional references.

The four aspects of feature data will be illustrated with the simple example of a plate with four
holes.

Figure 4 – A plate with four holes

This plate with holes can exist in several contexts: it may be a 2D drawing, it may be a 3D CAD
model, it may be a CMM inspection plan or program, it may be an actual physical part, it may be
a CMM results report, or it may exist as all of the above. Regardless, in QIF the four holes
would be considered as cylinder features. In the CAD or drawing contexts, nominal information
for these cylinders will exist. In the physical part context actual information about the cylinders
can exist if they are measured. So naturally, one would assume that QIF would only need to
contain objects that define feature nominal and feature actual information. Such a simple
approach can result in the redundant expression of data and may not mirror the design intent.

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Figure 5 – A plate with four holes and GD&T

The design of the plate shown in Figure 5 illustrates that some nominal information about the
holes is shared and some is not. Each cylinder has a unique nominal location defined by basic
dimensions but all have a shared nominal diameter. QIF therefore splits the nominal information
between a shareable feature definition and a non-shareable feature nominal.

A feature definition data object is intended to be reusable, in that it includes information (e.g.,
cylinder: diameter), that is independent of a specific instance of the feature (e.g., a specific hole
in our example). A single feature definition can be referenced by many nominal feature objects.
Only nominal feature objects may reference feature definition objects.

In the example, the cylinder definition with the shared diameter of the holes might look like this
in a QIF XML instance file:

A feature nominal data object adds additional feature information to the feature definition by
defining information unique to a particular instance of a feature. For example, an instance of the
CylinderFeatureDefinitionType provides the diameter for a cylinder, while an instance of the
CylinderFeatureNominalType references the CylinderFeatureDefinitionType, and gives the
location point and the axis vector and optional target points on a specific cylinder on a part to be
measured.

If a part is measured then each cylinder will have unique location and size information. No
feature actual data can be shared among feature instances.

The four holes in the example would have four feature nominals in a QIF XML file:

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Each has a unique id and specifies a unique location but each references the same feature
definition.

A feature actual data object provides feature information that has been measured or
constructed. For example, a CylinderFeatureActualType will contain the actual location,
orientation, and size of a cylinder. For an inspection that has been programmed from CAD data,
QIF instance files may also include a related nominal feature object (which in turn, has a related
feature definition object), with a reference linking the two. For feature actual data generated
during a reverse engineering process, a QIF XML instance file may not contain nominal feature
data. Thus, feature actual objects might reference a feature nominal object but do not
necessarily have to do so.

The four holes when measured might look like this in a QIF XML instance file:

<CylinderFeatureActual id="27">
<FeatureNominalId>23</FeatureNominalId>
<Axis>
<AxisPoint> <X>40.002</X> <Y>39.994</Y> <Z>0</Z> </AxisPoint >
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<Direction> -0.001 <J>0</J> <K>1</K> </Direction>

</Axis>
<Diameter>10.003</Diameter>
</CylinderFeatureActual>
<CylinderFeatureActual id="28">
<FeatureNominalId>24</FeatureNominalId>
<Axis>
<AxisPoint> <X>39.967</X> <Y>10.011</Y> <Z>0</Z> </AxisPoint >
<Direction> 0.009 <J>-0.009</J> <K>0.999</K> </Direction>
</Axis>
<Diameter>10.005</Diameter>
</CylinderFeatureActual>
<CylinderFeatureActual id="29">
<FeatureNominalId>25</FeatureNominalId >
<Axis>
<AxisPoint> <X>10.002</X> <Y>10.013</Y> <Z>0</Z> </AxisPoint >
<Direction> 0.001 <J>0</J> <K>1</K> </Direction>
</Axis>
<Diameter>9.996</Diameter>
</CylinderFeatureActual>
<CylinderFeatureActual id="30">
<FeatureNominalId>26</FeatureNominalId>
<Axis>
<AxisPoint> <X>9.987</X> <Y>40.013</Y> <Z>0</Z> </AxisPoint >
<Direction> 0 <J>-0.004</J> <K>1</K> </Direction>
</Axis>
<Diameter>10.007</Diameter>
</CylinderFeatureActual>

Each references the corresponding cylinder nominal and each has a unique measurement
result.

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Figure 6 – A plate with four holes with names.

A feature instance data object represents an instance of a feature at any stage of the
metrology process - before or after a feature has been measured. The feature instance data
object provides: the name assigned to the feature (as in Figure 6), optional links to upstream
CAD data, reference to a part definition object ID, and a reference to either a nominal feature
object or an actual feature object. If an actual feature is referenced, the corresponding nominal
feature (if there is one) may be found through the actual feature object.

If a feature is measured several times, it is expected that a feature instance data object will be
defined for each measurement, and will reference a different actual feature data object for each
measurement. Some other examples of workflow that cause instantiation of a feature instance
object include: any process at any time that requires a named feature, planning inspection of a
part, free-form measurement of a part for reverse engineering purposes, bringing a legacy CMM
report into QIF, or mining a legacy CMM program for nominal features and characteristics.

A QIF XML instance file with measured results might have feature instances like:

<CylinderFeatureInstance id="31">
<FeatureActualId>27</FeatureActualId>
<FeatureName>Hole_1</FeatureName>
<QPId>53CD7B18-CACF-4735-8053-BC032824E51F</QPId>
…
</CylinderFeatureInstance>
<CylinderFeatureInstance id="32">
<FeatureActualId>28</FeatureActualId>
<FeatureName>Hole_2</FeatureName>
<QPId>EF4BE48A-5502-4c95-BBF5-504F76ACEA58</QPId>
…
</CylinderFeatureInstance>
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Each instance references a single actual and assigns a feature name (the ellipses … indicate
extra required elements outside the scope of this simple example).

6.7.2 Four aspects of characteristics

As with features, characteristics have four aspects defined in the QIF library: definition, nominal,
actual, and instance. Data objects of each aspect type can be linked in a QIF XML instance file
to express the semantics of GD&T and quality workflow using the scheme described in section
6.5. As with features, the aspects cover a quality workflow scope wider than solely results
reporting.

The characteristic definition is the part of a characteristic that can be shared among different
characteristics. An example would be a standard diameter tolerance; one manufacturer, for
instance, has a standard diameter tolerance for sheet metal parts of (+.25/-.04) mm regardless
of the diameter. As another example, one often sees tolerances specified for dimensions based
on the number of decimal places: dimensions to one decimal place are ±.2 mm, those to two
decimal places are ±.05 mm, etc. Such tolerances can be called “box tolerances” because they
often appear in a box at the corner of a print and often take the form:

Unless otherwise
specified

X.X ±.2 mm

X.XX ±.05 mm

X.XXX ±.005 mm

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In the example shown in Figure 5, a QIF XML instance file representation of the diameter
tolerance as a characteristic definition might look like:

<DiameterCharacteristicDefinition id="40">
<Tolerance>
<MaxValue>0.005</MaxValue>
<MinValue>-0.005</MinValue>
<DefinedAsLimit>false</DefinedAsLimit>
</Tolerance>
</DiameterCharacteristicDefinition>

The characteristic nominal is that part of a characteristic that is not shared among different
characteristics, not to be confused with sharing a characteristic among several features. An
example would be a diameter tolerance for a set of holes in a pattern all with the same
diameter. That shared diameter becomes the target value in the nominal characteristic. Very
often, each characteristic definition will only be referenced by a single characteristic nominal,
the pair together representing one call-out on a print such as the diameter with tolerance in
Figure 5.

In the example, an instance file containing the diameter characteristic nominal might look like:

This single diameter characteristic nominal can be shared among the four holes.

The characteristic actual is the evaluation of the characteristic based on feature measurement
data. There will be one characteristic actual for each measured characteristic. Just as with
feature actual information, there is no shareable information among characteristic actuals.

For the example, an instance file with actuals might look like:

<DiameterCharacteristicActual id="42">
<Status>
<CharacteristicStatusEnum>PASS</CharacteristicStatusEnum>
</Status>
<CharacteristicNominalId>40</CharacteristicNominalId>
<Value>10.003</Value>
</DiameterCharacteristicActual>
<DiameterCharacteristicActual id="43">
<Status>
<CharacteristicStatusEnum>PASS</CharacteristicStatusEnum>
</Status>
<CharacteristicNominalId>40</CharacteristicNominalId>
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The characteristic instance is the mechanism used to apply a tolerance to an individual

feature. Our plate with holes would have one characteristic instance for each hole because each
hole will have an individual tolerance condition.

Figure 7 – The reference connections among characteristic data objects in a QIF XML
instance file.

Before measurement, each instance would reference the single shared characteristic nominal,
and in turn that characteristic nominal would reference a single characteristic definition which
may or may not be referenced by other characteristic nominals. After measurement, each
instance would reference a unique characteristic actual which in turn references the shared
characteristic nominal which references the characteristic definition.

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Figure 8 – A plate with ballooned tolerances.

The idea of a characteristic instance may at first seem a bit redundant but it allows for a unique
identifying name, or key characteristic identifier to be assigned on a per-feature basis. Our
diameter tolerance might be “ballooned” on the print (as in Figure 8) as key characteristic
number 1, then each characteristic instance could be labeled with key characteristics of 1A, 1B,
1C or 1_1, 1_2, 1_3 depending on company standards.

From the example, here is what a QIF XML instance file with key characteristics might look like:

<DiameterCharacteristicNominal id="41">
<CharacteristicDefinitionId>40</CharacteristicDefinitionId>
<TargetValue>10</TargetValue>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>1</Designator>
</KeyCharacteristic>
</DiameterCharacteristicNominal>
…
<DiameterCharacteristicInstance id="70">
<Name>Hole_1_diam</Name>
<QPId>11F781AF-543C-44c6-B8FB-87503DA19C8A</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>1_1</Designator>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<CharacteristicActualId>42</CharacteristicActualId>
</DiameterCharacteristicInstance>
<DiameterCharacteristicInstance id="71">
<Name>Hole_2_diam</Name>
<QPId>AFA7218B-1134-475f-97B6-1BCEB1DB5AEB</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>1_2</Designator>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<CharacteristicActualId>43</CharacteristicActualId>
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</DiameterCharacteristicInstance>
<DiameterCharacteristicInstance id="72">
<Name>Hole_3_diam</Name>
<QPId>983A78C0-6F38-4414-B472-2DC12FD6CD8A</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>1_3</Designator>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<CharacteristicActualId>44</CharacteristicActualId>
</DiameterCharacteristicInstance>
<DiameterCharacteristicInstance id="73">
<Name>Hole_4_diam</Name>
<QPId>8C777387-838A-42d6-9EEE-99555DED6683</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>1_4</Designator>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<CharacteristicActualId>45</CharacteristicActualId>
</DiameterCharacteristicInstance>

The optional KeyCharacteristic element on the characteristic nominal defines the shared key
characteristic designator (balloon number) from the call-out and the KeyCharacteristic
elements on each characteristic instance define the individual key characteristic designators for
the diameter of the four individual holes.

6.7.3 Relationships between the aspects

The four aspects of characteristics are instantiated in the global Characteristics element of
type CharacteristicApectsListsType. This type has an element for listing instances of each
aspect: CharacteristicDefinitions, CharacteristicNominals, CharacteristicActuals and
CharacteristicInstances. Of the four, only the CharacteristicActuals element is optional
because measured data does not exist until after measurement.

To traverse all characteristics in a QIF XML instance file, the starting point would be the
CharacteristicInstances sub-element of the Characteristics element.

The four aspects of features are similarly instantiated in the global Features element of type
FeatureAspectsListsType. This type has an element for listing instances of each aspect:
FeatureDefinitions, FeatureNominals, FeatureActuals and FeatureInstances. Of the four,
only the FeatureInstances element is not optional. Measured data does not exist until after
measurement and only measured data may exist in a reverse-engineering use case.

To traverse all features in a QIF XML instance file, the starting point would be the
FeatureInstances sub-element of the Features element.

6.7.3.1 Connecting characteristics and features

The connections among the four aspects for both characteristic aspects as a group and feature
aspects as a group has been discussed earlier. In general, the instance either references a
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nominal or an actual, the actual references a nominal, and the nominal references the definition.
The connection between characteristics and features is accomplished with the
FeatureInstanceIds element on the CharacteristicInstanceBaseType from which all
characteristic instance types are derived.

The FeatureInstanceIds element allows a characteristic instance to reference the feature

instance or feature instances of the feature or features to which it applies. To determine the
characteristic-feature relationships in a QIF instance file, the starting point would be the
CharacteristicInstances sub-element of the Characteristics element.

From the example, in a QIF XML instance file containing both characteristics and features, the
connections between characteristics and features might look like this:

(Key characteristic designators have been removed in the above example.)

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6.8 Hierarchy of required information

The QIF information model contains many optional data elements. Sometimes these elements
represent data for special cases which do not arise in most applications. But mostly, data
elements have been made optional to allow for a variety of use-cases while avoiding the
possibility of the necessity to create fake or dummy data for a required data element that is
outside the scope of a particular use case. For example, a caliper can only measure the size of
an actual cylinder feature so required XYZ center location and IJK vector orientation elements
for the actual cylinder would be outside the scope of the caliper-based use case.

There are situations where different use cases require that all data elements of a QIF type be
optional. A caliper can measure the size of a hole but not the location or orientation, and a
manual CMM with a conical hard probe can measure the location and orientation but not the
size of a hole. Therefore, the location, orientation and size are all optional elements of the actual
cylinder in QIF. The presence of such optional data in the QIF information model in no way
indicates that the optional data is unimportant.

Wherever possible, data elements in QIF that are co-requisite are placed together in a data type
so that all the data that is required is mandatory. An element of that data type may be optional.
The result is that either all or none of the data is present. The QIF feature and characteristic
aspects which isolate sharable information like size from non-sharable information like location
sometimes result in co-requisite information appearing in two different data types. In such cases
the annotation describing the data type will make reference to any co-requisite data elements.

The hierarchies of required information for various aspects of the QIF information model are
discussed in the individual sections pertaining to those aspects.

6.8.1 Example: Diameter Characteristic

Consider the measurement of the diameter of a hole. The diameter might have a nominal
representation and an associated tolerance which needs to be evaluated: or the diameter might
be measured for the purposes of reverse engineering. Several examples are provided to
illustrate how various levels of detail can be accommodated in QIF.

Common to the examples where a diameter is specified with a tolerance are the characteristic
nominal and definition. Consider the diameter specification from Figure 8: . The
tolerance is contained in the characteristic definition:

<DiameterCharacteristicDefinition id="40">
<Tolerance>
<MaxValue>0.005</MaxValue>
<MinValue>-0.005</MinValue>
<DefinedAsLimit>false</DefinedAsLimit>
</Tolerance>
</DiameterCharacteristicDefinition>

and the nominal is contained in the characteristic nominal

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<DiameterCharacteristicNominal id="41">
<CharacteristicDefinitionId>40</CharacteristicDefinitionId>
<TargetValue>10</TargetValue>
</DiameterCharacteristicNominal>
as described in section 6.7.2.

6.8.1.1 Measurement with a hard gage

Suppose that a hard gage is used to determine the tolerance condition. The gage consists of
two pins: a smaller pin which must fit in the hole and a larger pin that must not. The result of the
inspection is a simple pass/fail evaluation.

The actual results of the measurement might appear as follows in a QIF XML instance file:

The actual diameter is not known and the optional Value element does not appear in the
instance file.

6.8.1.2 Measurement with a caliper

If the same hole is measured with a caliper not only can the tolerance condition be determined
but the actual diameter is available.

The actual results of the measurement might appear as follows in a QIF XML instance file:

6.8.1.3 Measurement with a coordinate measuring machine

If the same hole is measured with a coordinate measuring machine then even more data about
the size can become available. In addition to the actual best-fit diameter, the minimum and
maximum diameters might be reported.

The actual results of the measurement might appear as follows in a QIF XML instance file:

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6.8.1.4 Reverse engineering

If the same hole is measured with a caliper but no nominal information or tolerance information
is available then the measurement results must be captured as a feature rather than as a
characteristic.

The actual results of the measurement might appear as follows in a QIF XML instance file:

Note that the optional FeatureNominalId element is not present.

6.8.1.5 Limit dimensions

A characteristic may be described by specification limits like  in which case the
example diameter characteristic defintion might appear as follows in a QIF XML instance file:

Because the size is defined by the limits, the target nominal diameter need not be specified, in
which case the example diameter characteristic nominal might appear as follows in a QIF XML
instance file:

Note that the optional TargetValue element is not present.

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6.8.1.6 Basic dimensions

A characteristic may be described with a basic dimension like , a nominal without tolerance
limits. If a basic diameter is to be measured then the diameter characteristic defintion might
appear as follows in a QIF XML instance file:

<DiameterCharacteristicDefinition id="40">
<NonTolerance>MEASURED</NonTolerance>
</DiameterCharacteristicDefinition>

The diameter characteristic nominal target value would specify the basic dimension:

The diameter might be measured with a caliper but with no specification limits, no tolerance
evalution can be performed. The results of a measurement of a basic diameter might appear as
follows in a QIF XML instance file:

<DiameterCharacteristicActual id="42">
<Status>
<CharacteristicStatusEnum>BASIC</CharacteristicStatusEnum>
</Status>
<CharacteristicNominalId>40</CharacteristicNominalId>
<Value>10.003</Value>
</DiameterCharacteristicActual>

6.9 Two aspects of part and assembly information

A part is a physical object that contains one or more features. An assembly is two or more parts
connected together. An assembly may also be viewed as a single part and have, for example,
characteristics relating to features that include surfaces of different components.

Parts and assemblies are grouped together in the Products element of the QMPlans and
QMResults models. The Products element has two sub-elements, Parts and Assemblies.
They, in turn, each have sub-elements for two aspects, definition and instance, with the obvious
names PartDefinitions, PartInstances, AssemblyDefinitions, and AssemblyInstances.

A PartDefinition element describes a nominal part. Its elements are Name, QPId,
ModelNumber, Description, Notes, Version, Material(s), FeatureNominalIds,
SecurityClassification, ExportControlClassification, and PartGeometryDefinitionsId (a
reference to a set of representations of the part that may include items such as drawings and
CAD files).
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A PartInstance element describes an actual part. Its elements are SerialNumber, QPId,
Notes, AdditionalChanges, Transform, FeatureInstanceIds, Status (e.g., pass, fail, rework,
etc.), Traceability, and PartDefinitionId.

An AssemblyDefinition element describes a nominal assembly. It has the same elements as

PartDefinition, except that:

 the PartGeometryDefinitionsId element is replaced by an

AssemblyGeometryDefinitionsId element,
 the ProductDefinitionIds element is added, giving the ids of definitions of parts and
subassemblies in the assembly.

An AssemblyInstance element describes an actual assembly. It has the same elements as

PartInstance, except that:

 the PartDefinitionId is replaced by an AssemblyDefinitionId,

 a SequencedProductInstanceIds element is added, giving the ids of the components
of the AssemblyInstance in order.

6.10 Handling assemblies of parts in QIF

The AS9102a First Article Inspection standard requires the tracking of inspection results for
assemblies; that is, inspected objects that may comprise more than one discrete part. To
describe this condition the QIF information model defines substitution group elements for
PartDefinition and PartInstance that describe assemblies, or types AssemblyDefinitionType
and AssemblyInstanceType. The Assembly types reuse or extend the Part definitions in a
recursive way. Thus a Part can be a single physical object, possibly with unique serial number,
or the QIF instance file may contain a substitution of several assembly elements, each of which
extends the properties of the PartInstanceType by adding a SequencedPartsInstances
element. A SequencedAssemblyPartInstance contains a sequence ordinal paired with a
PartInstanceId. The sequence ordinal may indicate order of inspection or may be used as an
index to group related part information in blocks 15, 16, 17, and 18 on AS9102a Form 1.
Individual parts in an assembly may make reference to their own individual PartTraceability
elements.

6.11 Making connections between data objects

In QIF instance files, many connections between objects are made using an identifier and a
reference to the identifier. For example the connection from a feature instance to a feature
actual is made by putting an identifier in the feature actual and a reference to the identifier in the
feature instance. All identifiers in the QIF schemas are of type QIFIdType. All references to
identifiers are of type QIFReferenceType. Both QIFIdType and QIFReferenceType are
unsigned positive integers without leading zeros. For example, 1 and 3079 are valid, but 001
and +3079 are not.

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In a QIF XML instance file, the reference contains the same symbol as the identifier of the
object being referenced. For example, if the value of the id attribute of an instance of
CylinderFeatureActualType is 53 then the value of the FeatureActualId element of an
instance of CylinderFeatureInstanceType that uses that feature actual is also 53.

QIF seeks to ensure that connections made using identifiers and references join the correct
types of objects. For example, a reference from a cylinder feature instance to its actual must
identify a cylinder feature actual, not any other type of object such as a transformation or a cone
feature definition.

To ensure that identifier/reference pairs make matches between objects of the correct types, the
QIF schemas contain several hundred key/keyref pairs, one for each identifier/reference pair.
Key and keyref are standard parts of the XML schema definition language. Readily available
XML instance file checkers will check whether or not key/keyref constraints are satisfied in an
instance file governed by an XML schema. A detailed description of how key and keyref work
may be found in books about the XML schema language such as [2]. In simplistic terms, a
key/keyref pair locates two places in an (upside down) tree of objects that must contain identical
information items. The two places are identified by describing the two paths that go downward
to them from a common starting point. The key/keyref pair is located in a schema file at the
common starting point.

For example, the CylinderFeatureInstanceToActualKeyref:

 is located in the Features element (the common starting point)
 references the CylinderFeatureActualKey
 has the xpath FeatureInstances/CylinderFeatureInstance, and
 has the field FeatureActualId.

The CylinderFeatureActualKey:
 is also located in the Features element (the common starting point)
 has the xpath FeatureActuals/CylinderFeatureActual, and
 has the field @id (the @ sign means the field is an attribute rather than an element).

This sounds complex, but if we look at an instance file, it's fairly straightforward. Here is a
snippet from an abbreviated QMResults instance file.

<MeasurementResults ...>
...
<Features>
<FeatureActuals>
...
<CylinderFeatureActual id="53">
<FeatureNominalId>26</FeatureNominalId>
<Axis> ... </Axis>
<Diameter>2.5</Diameter>
</CylinderFeatureActual>
<CylinderFeatureActual id="54">
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<FeatureInstances>
<CylinderFeatureInstance id="31">
<FeatureActualId>53</FeatureActualId>
<FeatureName>top inner cylinder</FeatureName>
...
</CylinderFeatureInstance>
<CylinderFeatureInstance id="32">
<FeatureActualId>54</FeatureActualId>
<FeatureName>'dial' outer cylinder</FeatureName>
...
</CylinderFeatureInstance>
</FeatureInstances>
</Features>
...
<MeasurementResults ...>

When a key/keyref checking system reads this instance file and comes to the <Features>
part, it knows it needs to check the CylinderFeatureActualKey and the
CylinderFeatureInstanceToActualKeyref (since they are located in the Features element). To
check the key, the checker follows every FeatureActuals/CylinderFeatureActual path down to
the id attribute. In the snippet above, there are two such paths, one ending in “53”, the other
ending in “54”. The checker puts the two ids into a collection of ids of CylinderFeatureActuals,
checking to make sure that each of these is different from those already in the collection. To
check the keyref, the checker follows every FeatureInstances/CylinderFeatureInstance path
down to the FeatureActualId element. In the snippet above, there are two such paths with
elements, one with the value 53, the other with value 54. The checker checks that each of the
values is in its collection of ids of CylinderFeatureActuals. The snippet above passes these
checks.

The key/keyref pair mechanism is very good at catching errors in matching identifiers and
references, but it is not foolproof. In all cases, when there are many objects of the same type,
no automated check (such as key/keyref) will know which one is intended. For example, if an
instance file has several instances of CylinderFeatureActualType and several instances of
CylinderFeatureInstanceType (as in the snippet above), only the builder of the instance file
will know which actual (53 or 54 in the snippet) is supposed to go with which instance. In other
cases, there is no way to define a key that discriminates between similar types of object

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because they are mixed together at the same location (in a set of transformations containing
both actual transformations and nominal transformations, for example).

6.12 Tracking information through the product lifecycle

QIF is constructed to enable a seamless flow of information from upstream applications to
downstream applications and to enable tracking information through a product’s lifecycle.

6.12.1 UUIDs and QPIds

The primary mechanism used by QIF for identifying the same information in different places is
the use of a persistent universally unique identifier (UUID), as standardized in ISO/IEC 9834-8.
UUIDs have that name because the chances of generating two that are the same anywhere in
our part of the universe are vanishingly small. Computer libraries for generating UUIDs
conforming to the standard are widely available in many computer languages.

Using UUIDs, non-communicating systems can identify information uniquely. That information
can be combined later into a single application or database without needing to resolve identifier
conflicts.

As a number, a UUID is a 128 bit unsigned integer. As a text string in an instance file, a UUID is
represented by 32 hexadecimal digits displayed in five groups separated by hyphens in the form
8-4-4-4-12 for a total of 36 characters (32 alphanumeric characters and four hyphens). An
example of a UUID string is 550e8400-e29b-0518-a716-445664449c0b. The letters a through e
are hexadecimal digits representing the numbers 10 through 15. Either lower case letters or
upper case letters may be used in QIF for those digits.

The null UUID, which is equivalent in practice to no UUID since it is not unique, is one that has
all 128 bits set to zero. In text form, that is written 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.

UUIDS used in QIF are called QPIds (pronounced “cupids”), a short form of QIF Persistent
Identifier. Where a QPId is used to identify a file or element, its data type is QPIdType, and it
must be created by a well known UUID generator. Where a QPId is used to reference a file or
element, its data type is QPIdReferenceType, and it must match an existing QPId.

6.12.2 QMPlans data flow to results

Version 1.0 of QIF has two applications, QMPlans and QMResults. QMPlans is upstream from
QMResults. A QMResults instance file can certainly be generated in the absence of a
previously built QMPlans file. However, if a QMPlans file exists prior to the measurement
execution, then a significant portion (on the order of 80 percent) of the contents of the
corresponding QMResults file can be obtained from the QMPlans file.

The following items may normally be transcribed directly from a QMPlans file to a corresponding
QMResults file:

 file units.

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 datum definitions and datum reference frames.

 measurement resources (to the extent the resources in the plan were used).

 product geometry definitions.

 part and assembly definitions.

 part and assembly instances, if they exist in the QMPlans file.

 feature definitions, nominals, and instances. The pointer in each feature instance to the
corresponding feature nominal will generally need to be reset to point at the feature
actual which is added in the QMResults file.

 characteristic definitions, nominals, and instances. The pointer in each characteristic

instance to the corresponding characteristic nominal will generally need to be replaced
by a pointer that points at the characteristic actual which is added in the QMResults file.

6.12.3 Using QPIds in QIF

To provide a method of uniquely identifying QMPlans and QMResults instance files, instance
files are required to have QPIds. QMPlans has ThisPlanInstanceFileQPid as one of the
elements of MeasurementPlan. QMResults has ThisResultsInstanceFileQPid as one of the
elements of MeasurementResults. A QMResults instance file can reference the plan file used
in creating the results by using the QPId of the plan file as the value of the
ReferencedQMPlanInstanceQPId element of the InspectionTraceability element of
MeasurementResults. If a detailed plan (specifying what to inspect and how to inspect) is
being generated from a more general plan (specifying only what to inspect), the same method
may be used to reference the general plan from the detailed plan (although the
InspectionTraceability element is in the MeasurementPlan in this case). Different versions of
an instance file must have different QPIds.

To help in tracking information from a QMPlans file to a QMResults file, a QPId element has
been placed in the FeatureInstanceBaseType, the CharacteristicInstanceBaseType, and the
ProductInstanceBaseType. Of course the derived types of those base types inherit the QPId
element, so all 29 instantiable feature instance types have it, all 37 instantiable characteristic
instance types have it, PartInstanceType has it, and AssemblyInstanceType has it.

The type of the QPId element is QPIdType, as described earlier.

When an application is creating a QMResults file related to a QMPlans file and wants to
maintain a correspondence between the two, each characteristic instance in the results file
should be given the same QPId as the corresponding characteristic instance in the plans file –
and similarly for feature instances, part instances, and assembly instances. Since
corresponding instances can be tracked using the QPId, other corresponding items the instance
points to, such as a nominal characteristic can be matched up using the ids in the files.

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The use of QPIds has been minimized in QIF so as to avoid making files large and to avoid
putting a burden on QIF users. If experience shows that QPId elements are needed in more
places, more may be added in future versions of QIF.

6.13 Linking QIF to external models

The QIF design provides for connecting information items in external models to features and
characteristics in a QMPlans or QMResults instance file. The external models must have names
that identify them uniquely, and the information items in the models must have identifiers that
are unique within each model.

Each part and assembly in a QIF instance file may correspond to multiple external models, for
example, a CAD file and two drawings.

In the case of CAD models, the identifiers in the model must be at least minimally persistent in
the sense that each time a given file is loaded into a system that can handle it, the same
identifier should be attached to each information item as is attached any other time the file is
loaded. For other types of model, this sort of minimal persistence is automatic.

QIF supports the following types of external models for parts and assemblies:

Parts
PrintedPartDrawingType
DigitalPartDrawingType
SimpleDigitalPartDesignModelType
AdvancedDigitalPartDesignModelType
PhysicalPartModelType

Assemblies
PrintedPartDrawingType
DigitalPartDrawingType
SimpleDigitalPartDesignModelType
AdvancedDigitalPartDesignModelType
PhysicalPartModelType
PrintedAssemblyDrawingType
DigitalAssemblyDrawingType
DigitalAssemblyDesignModelType
PhysicalAssemblyModelType

Assembly model types include the part model types since once an assembly is assembled, it
may be regarded as a part with features and characteristics that are not features or
characteristics of any individual component of the assembly.

To connect CAD entities to QIF features and characteristics, the CAD entities must be identified,
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and the association from a feature or characteristic to one or more CAD entities must be made.

Identifying CAD entities is done in the ProductGeometriesDefinitions section of a QMPlans or

QMResults file. That section contains a PartGeometriesDefinitions section for parts and an
AssemblyGeometriesDefinitions section for assemblies. Both of those are optional. The
PartGeometriesDefinitions section contains a separate PartGeometryDefinitions section for
each part. The PartGeometryDefinitions section identifies the part and describes one or more
models of the part. Each model of the part is given an id. For each information item in the model
that is to be referenced elsewhere in the file, a ModelAndEntity is defined and given an id.
Each ModelAndEntity gives the identifier by which the information item is known in the model
file. That identifier is created by the creator of the model, not the author of the QIF file, and the
identifier must identify the information item unambiguously for that particular model. It may
happen that the same identifier is used for different information items in two different models of
the same part, but each ModelAndEntity is part of the information about a specific model and
identifies an item inside the model, so there is no confusion.

An abbreviated ProductGeometriesDefinitions section from a QIF instance file is shown

below. It has a PartGeometriesDefinitions section but no AssemblyGeometriesDefinitions
section. There is only one part, and only one model (with id 64) is shown for that part. The
model is for the part whose PartDefinitionId is 12. The snippet shows two ModelAndEntitys
(with ids 68 and 69). One of those refers to the ModelEntityId "TopDistanceRightPlane", and
the other refers to the ModelEntityId "TopDistanceLeftPlane".

<ProductGeometriesDefinitions>
<PartGeometriesDefinitions>
<PartGeometryDefinitions id="51">
...
<AdvancedDigitalPartDesignModel id="64">
<FileName>ANC101CAD</FileName>
<ModelEntities>
<ModelAndEntity id="68">
<ModelEntityId>TopDistanceRightPlane</ModelEntityId>
</ModelAndEntity>
<ModelAndEntity id="69">
<ModelEntityId>TopDistanceLeftPlane</ModelEntityId>
</ModelAndEntity>
</ModelEntities>
<Format>
<OtherDigitalModelFormat>xxx</OtherDigitalModelFormat>
</Format>
</AdvancedDigitalPartDesignModel>
<PartDefinitionId>12</PartDefinitionId>
</PartGeometryDefinitions>
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</PartGeometriesDefinitions>
</ProductGeometriesDefinitions>

The association from a feature to one or more CAD entities is made in the Features section of a
QIF instance file (and similarly for characteristics). This is done by listing the
ModelAndEntityIds that correspond to each feature instance. Here is a snippet from a QIF
instance file in which a single opposite planes feature references the planes in the preceding
snippet.

<Features>
...
<FeatureInstances>
...
<OppositePlanesFeatureInstance id="34">
<FeatureActualId>56</FeatureActualId>
<ModelAndEntityIds>
<ModelAndEntityId>68</ModelAndEntityId>
<ModelAndEntityId>69</ModelAndEntityId>
</ModelAndEntityIds>
<FeatureName>upper body width parallel planes</FeatureName>
...
</OppositePlanesFeatureInstance>
...
</FeatureInstances>
</Features>

From each ModelAndEntityId, a ModelAndEntity may be found, and from that the model may
be found, and the entity inside that model may be identified. To do anything further with the
information, the CAD model must be available.

6.14 QIF handling of transforms, transformations, and coordinate systems

6.14.1 Common Space
In QIF, the locations and orientations of all features, both nominal and actual, are defined in a
single, three-dimensional, right-handed, Cartesian coordinate space referred to as common
space. This common space is analogous to the common, global or world coordinate system in a
CAD system: it is the de facto Cartesian coordinate space to which all other Cartesian spaces
are related.

6.14.2 Transformation matrix

A transformation matrix is used to map (X, Y, Z) coordinates and (I, J, K) unit vectors in the
global, common space to and from other, local Cartesian coordinate spaces. In QIF a
transformation matrix takes the form of a 4 by 3 matrix where the four rows define real number

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triplets representing the orientation and origin of the local space defined in terms of the common
coordinate space axis system.

A transformation matrix is defined by the TransformMatrixType which has four elements

defining the four rows of the 4x3 matrix:

XDirection: a unit vector defining the IJK direction of the local X-axis direction in the
common space.
YDirection: a unit vector defining the IJK direction of the local Y-axis direction in the
common space.
ZDirection: a unit vector defining the IJK direction of the local Z-axis direction in the
common space.
Origin: a point defining the local origin in the common space.

The three vectors defined by the XDirection, YDirection and ZDirection elements are
orthonormal: each is of unit length and each is perpendicular to the other two. Furthermore they
are right-handed in the sense that the right-hand vector cross product of the vector defined by
the XDirection element with the vector defined by the YDirection element is equal to the vector
defined by ZDirection element, the right-hand vector cross product of the vector defined by the
YDirection element with the vector defined by the ZDirection element is equal to the vector
defined by XDirection element, and the right-hand vector cross product of the vector defined by
the ZDirection element with the vector defined by the XDirection element is equal to the vector
defined by YDirection element. Or in short:

|XDirection| = 1

|YDirection| = 1

|ZDirection| = 1

XDirection . YDirection = 0

YDirection . ZDirection = 0

ZDirection . XDirection = 0

XDirection x YDirection = ZDirection

YDirection x ZDirection = XDirection

ZDirection x XDirection = YDirection

This results in a transformation which can translate and rotate but neither skew nor scale axis
systems. The first three rows of the 4x3 matrix represent a 3x3 rotation matrix and the last row
of the 4x3 matrix represents a vector offset.

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To map (or transform) a point in a local space with coordinates (x, y, z) to a point in the common
space with coordinates (X, Y, Z) where the local space is defined by the transformation matrix:

 Xi Xj Xk 

 Yi Yj Yk 

 Zi Zj Zk 

 Ox Oy Oz 

the following calculations are used:

X = (Xi)x + (Yi)y + (Zi)z + Ox,

Y = (Xj)x + (Yj)y + (Zj)z + Oy, (1)

Z = (Xk)x + (Yk)y + (Zk)z + Oz.

The mapping of vectors between common and local spaces is similar. To map the vector with
components (i, j, k) in local space to the vector with components (I, J, K) in common space the
following calculations are used:

I = (Xi)i + (Yi)j + (Zi)k,

J = (Xj)i + (Yj)j + (Zj)k, (2)

K = (Xk)i + (Yk)j + (Zk)k.

Conversely, to map points from common space into local space the inverse transformation is
used. To map the point (X, Y, Z) in common space to the point (x, y, z) in local space the
following calculations are used:

x = (Xi) (X-Ox) + (Xj) (Y-Oy) + (Xk) (Z-Oz),

y = (Yi) (X-Ox) + (Yj) (Y-Oy) + (Yk) (Z-Oz), (3)

x = (Zi) (X-Ox) + (Zj) (Y-Oy) + (Zk) (Z-Oz).

And to map the vector (I, J, K) in common space to the vector (i, j, k) in local space the following
calculations are used:

i = (Xi)I + (Xj)J + (Xk)K,

j = (Yi)I + (Yj)J + (Yk)K, (4)

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k = (Zi)I + (Zj)J + (Zk)K.

6.14.2.1 Transformation matrix example

Figure 9 shows a part with two Cartesian axis systems for the common space and a local
space. The Cartesian coordinates and axis vector direction of a hole center are shown in both
the common and local spaces.

Figure 9 – Transformation matrix example.

The origin of the local space in common space coordinates is (Ox = 5.5179, Oy = 0.5000, Oz =
3.0000). The X-axis of the local space in terms of common space is (Xi = 0.8660, Xj = 0.0000, Xk
= -0.5000), the Y-axis of the local space in terms of common space is (Yi = 0.0000, Yj = 1.0000,
Yk = 0.0000), and the Z-axis of the local space in terms of common space is (Zi = 0.5000, Zj =
0.0000, Zk = 0.8660) giving the 4x3 transformation matrix:

 0.8660 0.0000 -0.5000

 0.0000 1.0000 0.0000

 0.5000 0.0000 0.8660

 5.5179 0.5000 3.0000

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To transform the hole center in local coordinates (2.000, 2.000, 1.000) to coordinates in the
common space the formula set (1) is used:

X = (0.8660)(2.0000) + (0.0000)(2.0000) + (0.5000)(1.000) + 5.5179 = 7.7500

Y = (0.0000)(2.0000) + (1.0000)(2.0000) + (0.0000)(1.000) + 0.5000 = 2.5000

Z = (-0.5000)(2.0000) + (0.0000)(2.0000) + (0.8660)(1.000) + 3.0000 = 2.8660

To transform the hole axis vector in local coordinates (0.000, 0.000, 1.000) to coordinates in the
common space the formula set (2) is used:

I = (0.8660)(0.0000) + (0.0000)(0.0000) + (0.5000)(1.000) = 0.5000

J = (0.0000)(0.0000) + (1.0000)(0.0000) + (0.0000)(1.000) = 0.0000

K = (-0.5000)(0.0000) + (0.0000)(0.0000) + (0.8660)(1.000) = 0.8660

The transform of the hole center from common space coordinates (7.7500, 2.500, 2.8660) to
local coordinates uses formula set (3):

x = (0.8660)(7.7500-5.5179) + (0.0000)(2.5000-0.5000) + (-0.5000)(2.8660-3.0000) = 2.0000

y = (0.0000)(7.7500-5.5179) + (1.0000)(2.5000-0.5000) + (0.0000)(2.8660-3.0000) = 2.0000

z = (0.5000)(7.7500-5.5179) + (0.0000)(2.5000-0.5000) + (0.8660)(2.8660-3.0000) = 1.0000

And the transform of the hole axis vector from common space coordinates (0.5000, 0.0000,
0.8660) to local coordinates uses formula set (4):

i = (0.8660)(0.5000) + (0.0000)(0.0000) + (-0.5000)(0.8660) = 0.0000

j = (0.0000)(0.5000) + (1.0000)(0.0000) + (0.0000)(0.8660) = 0.0000

k = (0.5000)(0.5000) + (0.0000)(0.0000) + (0.8660)(0.8660) = 1.0000

The example transformation matrix might appear as follows in a QIF XML instance file:

<XDirection>
0.8660254037844
<J>0</J>
<K>-0.5</K>
</XDirection>
<YDirection>
0
<J>1</J>
<K>0</K>
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</YDirection>
<ZDirection>
0.5
<J>0</J>
<K>0.8660254037844</K>
</ZDirection>
<Origin>
<X>5.5179491924311</X>
<Y>0.5</Y>
<Z>3</Z>
</Origin>

Which is equivalent to:

<XDirection> 0.8660254037844 <J>0</J> <K>-0.5</K> </XDirection>

6.14.3 Transforms
The TransformType is derived from the TransformMatrixType and so contains the 4x3
transformation matrix information but in addition has an id attribute, and Name, Notes and
ModelAndEntityIds elements.

The id attribute allows the transform to be referenced and therefore allows a single
transformation matrix to be shared by several objects.

The optional Name, Notes and ModelAndEntityIds elements allow for the transform to be
identified, have arbitrary text information added, and to be associated with a transform or
coordinate system in a CAD model respectively.

6.14.4 Coordinate systems

The CoordinateSystemType defines a coordinate axis system on a measurement device. A
coordinate system on a measurement device typically involves aligning actual features on a real
part to their nominal counterparts either using a holding fixture that physically interfaces with the
actual alignment features, or by measuring the alignment features and performing the alignment
mathematics in software.

In addition to aligning actual features to their nominal counterparts a coordinate system on a

measurement device establishes a coordinate axis system and coordinate origin associated
with the alignment. This results in two transformation matrices: one which defines the axis

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system on the nominal part with respect to the common space, and one which defines the axis
system on the actual part with respect to the common space.

A single coordinate system can coincide with the common space. This coordinate system can
be identified with the optional CommonCoordinateSystemId element of the
CoordinateSystemListType.

6.14.4.1 Nominal and actual transforms

The CoordinateSystemType has optional elements, NominalTransform and
ActualTransform both of TransformMatrixType, which hold the nominal and actual versions
of the transformation matrix. The meaning of and differences between these two matrices is
perhaps best illustrated by example.

The example in Figure 9 shows two Cartesian axis systems. In the context of QIF, if these two
axis systems are established by aligning to actual features, they can become coordinate
systems. The coordinate system labelled “common” is established by a set of actual part
features and coincides with the common space. Both the nominal and actual transformation
matrices for this coordinate system will be the identity rotation matrix with a (0, 0, 0) origin
offset:

If the coordinate system labelled “local” is established by a different set of actual features from
that used to establish the coordinate system labelled “common” then (unless the actual part is a
perfect representation of the nominal part) the actual transformation will not exactly match the
nominal transformation:

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<XDirection> 0.867865 <J>0.009721</J> <K>-0.496705</K> </XDirection>

6.14.4.2 Alignment operations

A coordinate system on a measurement device is established using nominal and actual features
by performing a set of alignment operations. This set is represented in the
CoordinateSystemType by the AlignmentOperations element, which is of
AlignmentOperationsType. The AlignmentOperationsType is a list of AlignmentOperation
elements, each of which is nominally of AlignmentOperationBaseType. However, the
AlignmentOperation element is the head of a substitution group of elements (described in the
following subsection) that are of more specific types of alignment operation. Elements that are
members of the substitution group must be used instead of AlignmentOperation elements. All
of the more specific alignment operation types derive from the AlignmentOperationBaseType
which has the required element SequenceNumber used to order alignment operations.

Any number of alignment operations can exist in a coordinate system. Only the transformation
matrices (nominal and actual) of the accumulated effect of all alignment operations is stored on
the coordinate system. If the transformation matrix information is required for the individual
steps in a real alignment process, then a QIF coordinate system instance must be generated for
each step.

6.14.4.2.1 Alignment operation types

The PrimaryAlignment element (which is of PrimaryAlignmentOperationType) is used to
describe an alignment operation where a coordinate axis is made to align exactly with an
alignment feature normal or axis.

The SecondaryAlignment element (which is of SecondaryAlignmentOperationType) is used

to describe an alignment operation where a coordinate axis is made to align with an alignment
feature normal or axis as exactly as possible with the constraint that a previously defined
primary axis remains unchanged. In best practice the feature normal or axis of the secondary
alignment feature is often nominally orthogonal to the primary axis but need not be so as long
as it is not parallel to the primary axis.

The ActualOffset element (which is of ActualOffsetAlignmentOperationType) is used to

describe the establishment of coordinate origins based on the location of alignment features.

The NominalOffset element (which is of NominalOffsetAlignmentOperationType) is used to

describe the offset of a coordinate origin by a nominal numerical value.

The NominalRotation element (which is of NominalRotationAlignmentOperationType) is

used to describe the rotation about a coordinate axis by a nominal numerical angle.

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The DatumPrecedence element (which is of DatumPrecedenceAlignmentOperationType) is

used to describe an alignment based on datum precedence and degrees-of-freedom rule.

The BestFitAlignment element (which is of BestFitAlignmentOperationType) is used to

describe a best-fit alignment from a set of alignment features.

The Machine element (which is of MachineCoordinateSystemOperationType) is used to

describe a switch to the integral coordinate system of a measurement device.

6.15 Feature control frames

A feature control frame like  typically consists of several components: the
characteristic type defined by the GD&T symbol ; the tolerance zone size with zone shape,
material condition and other modifiers ; and a datum reference frame consisting of
datum labels with material condition or material boundary modifiers . Feature
control frames for form tolerances do not include a datum reference frame. The meaning of the
feature control frame can be further refined using other symbols, notes or leader line modifiers
like .

6.15.1 Geometric tolerance characteristic types

The GD&T symbol contained in the leftmost box of the feature control frame of a geometric
tolerance defines which QIF types are to be used to describe the characteristic. The defined
types follow; XXX in a type name represents Definition, Nominal, Actual, or Instance,

Form characteristics:

 CircularityCharacteristicXXXType

 CylindricityCharacteristicXXXType

 FlatnessCharacteristicXXXType

 StraightnessCharacteristicXXXType

Location characteristics:

 ConcentricityCharacteristicXXXType

 PositionCharacteristicXXXType

 SymmetryCharacteristicXXXType

Orientation characteristics:

 AngularityCharacteristicXXXType

 ParallelismCharacteristicXXXType

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 PerpendicularityCharacteristicXXXType

Profile charactertistics:

 LineProfileCharacteristicXXXType

 SurfaceProfileCharacteristicXXXType

Runout charactertistics:

 CircularRunoutCharacteristicXXXType

 TotalRunoutCharacteristicXXXType

In addition there is a PointProfileCharacteristicXXXType to implement a vector tolerance at a

single measured point. Several point profile characteristics can be placed in a characteristic
grouping to be evaluated simultaneously.

6.15.2 Tolerance zone size

The size of the tolerance zone is defined in the definition base type for all geometric tolerance
characteristics: GeometricCharacteristicDefinitionBaseType.

Depending on the characteristic type, the size of the tolerance zone may be subject to a bonus
tolerance. This is indicated in the feature control frame by the use of a material condition
modifier symbol which indicates the material condition at which the tolerance zone applies.
When a particular characteristic type allows for the use of a material condition modifier, the
required MaterialCondition element must be used. The MaterialCondition element can have
one of four values:

REGARDLESS (RFS) when the  symbol appears after the tolerance

LEAST (LMC) when the  symbol appears after the tolerance

MAXIMUM (MMC) when the  symbol appears after the tolerance

NONE when no material condition modifier symbol appears after

the tolerance

In the case of orientation characteristics, the amount of bonus applied to the tolerance zone
may be limited by defining the maximum tolerance size in the feature control frame. For
example the size of the perpendicularity tolerance zone in  is limited to
.075 regardless of the available bonus. In QIF the optional MaximumToleranceValue is used to
indicate the maximum size of an orientation characteristic tolerance zone.
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A tolerance zone which varies in size must use the optional ZoneLimit element to define the
limiting points for the variable tolerance zone. The tolerance zone starts with a value of
ToleranceValue at the FromPoint and changes linearly in size to the value of
ToPointToleranceValue at the ToPoint.

6.15.3 Zone shape

The shape of the tolerance zone is defined by symbols preceding the tolerance zone size in the
feature control frame. These fall into three broad categories:


 Diametrical (cylindrical)



 Spherical


 Non-diametrical

The orientation of a tolerance zone implied by the orientation of the feature to which a feature
control frame is applied, or by the placement of a feature control frame on a drawing, or by a
combination of the two, can be explicitly defined by the optional ZoneOrientationVector
element.

The application of a position characteristic diametrical zone to an elongated feature like the
round ends of a slot is indicated with the optional ElongatedZone element.

The application of a position characteristic non-diametrical zone to the boundary of a feature by

use of a  note on the feature control frame is indicated with the optional
BoundaryZone element.

A position characteristic diametrical or non-diametrical zone may apply to either a three-

dimensional feature or to a two-dimensional feature (a planar section of a real three-dimensional
feature). The dimensionality of the zone is defined by the optional Dimensionality element. A
spherical zone is always three dimensional; so when used on a spherical zone the value of the
Dimensionality element is fixed.

6.15.4 Zone extents

The extents of the tolerance zone in a feature control frame are naturally defined by the extents
of the feature to which the feature control frame applies. This default behavior can be modified
in the following ways: using a projected tolerance zone, defining the upper disposition of the
tolerance zone, using chain lines on a drawing to define the extents of the tolerance zone, using

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a note like and point identifiers on the drawing, using other standard notes, or using a
leader line modifier like .

The use of a projected tolerance zone indicated by the  symbol in a feature control frame, is
defined by the optional ProjectedToleranceZone element. Regardless of whether the length of
the projected tolerance zone is defined numerically in the feature control frame or as a
dimension on the drawing, the ProjectedToleranceZone element defines the length of the
projected tolerance zone.

A profile characteristic tolerance zone is by default centered on the nominal feature to which it is
applied. This behavior may be modified by chain lines on the drawing or by using the upper
disposition symbol  in the feature control frame. Both these methods are defined by the
optional OuterDisposition element which defines the size of the tolerance zone outside the
material which can vary from zero to the whole tolerance zone.

Zone limits defined by chain lines or by identified points used in notes like  are both
implemented in QIF with the optional ZoneLimit element. This element contains two sub-
elements: FromPoint and ToPoint which together define the extents of the tolerance zone. The
plane in which the zone limits are defined is given by the NormalDirection element which is the
vector normal to the drawing view. Any ambiguity about the path to follow between the from-
point and to-point around the part is removed by the StartDirection element. When the from-
point and to-point are identified by labels on a drawing for use in a  style note the optional
Name sub-element on the FromPoint and ToPoint elements is used.

Standard feature control frame notes or leader line modifiers which control the zone extents are
handled by various optional elements in QIF:

 EachElement element

 EachRadialElement element

 or  ExtentType element with ExtentEnum sub-element set to

ALLAROUND ALLAROUND

 ExtentType element with ExtentEnum sub-element set to

ALLOVER
ALLOVER

6.15.5 Other Zone Modifiers

Other tolerance zone modifiers defined by GD&T symbols are shown below with their
corresponding optional QIF element:

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 statistical tolerance StatisticalCharacteristic

 free state FreeState

6.15.6 Datum reference frames

The datum reference frame is defined by the required DatumReferenceFrameId element on all
geometric tolerance characteristic types except for form characteristics. Because the same
datum reference frame may be found in several feature control frames, a datum reference frame
is instantiated from the DatumReferenceFrameType with a QIF id, placed in the
DatumReferenceFrames element, and referenced by the feature control frame via its QIF id.

The datum reference frame which the DatumReferenceFrameId element references contains a
hierarchy of information to define datum labels, material condition or boundary modifiers and
datum precedence. In cases where a non-form geometric tolerance characteristic has no datum
reference frame, the DatumReferenceFrameId element must still be present but the datum
reference frame it references will be empty.

6.15.6.1 Datum Definitions

A datum definition defines a datum label and optionally associates it with datum targets or
feature instances. Because datum definitions can be shared among several datum reference
frames or used in coordinate systems they are instantiated from the DatumDefinitionType with
a QIF id, placed in the DatumDefinitions element, and referenced by their ids.

The datum label is defined by the DatumLabel element. This is typically meant to be a single
datum identifier like  used to identify a datum feature on a part. Compound datums like
 that use two or more datum identifiers are only found in feature control frames and are
handled in QIF with the CompoundDatumType. In practice, a compound datum may be
handled with the CompoundFeatureXXXType or as a constructed feature, in which case a
datum label like  may be assigned to the compound feature.

The optional FeatureInstanceIds element is used to reference the feature or features which
comprise the datum. The optional DatumTargetIds element is used to reference the datum
target or targets associated with the datum.

6.15.6.2 Datum with precedence

The DatumWithPrecedenceType is the mechanism by which a datum reference frame is
composed of datums. Each framed box in a datum reference frame corresponds to a Datum
element of type DatumWithPrecedenceType.

The DatumWithPrecedenceType has the required Precedence element which is used to order
datums, simple or compound, or datum features into a datum reference frame. The first datum
in a datum reference frame will use the PrecedenceEnum element with a value set to
PRIMARY, the second datum will used SECONDARY, the third TERTIARY, etc.
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If a simple datum like  is used, then the SimpleDatum element of DatumType is chosen
which references the QIF id of a datum definition with the DatumDefinitionId element. The
MaterialModifier element is used to apply a material condition or material boundary modifier to
the datum. And the ReferencedComponent defines whether it is the actual or nominal
component of the datum feature associated with the datum that is used.

For a compound datum like the CompoundDatum element of CompoundDatumType is

chosen. The CompoundDatumType has two or more Datum elements of
SequencedDatumType which are used to order simple datums of type DatumType.

The DatumWithPrecedenceType also supports a datum feature without a datum definition and
therefore no datum label. Such a construct will never be seen in a feature control frame. It is
included in QIF to handle DMIS and other languages which allow a reference directly to a datum
feature. For example, in DMIS:

T(PERP1)=TOL/PERP,0.05,FA(PLANE1)

As opposed to:

DATDEF/DAT(A),FA(PLANE1)

T(PERP1)=TOL/PERP,0.05,DAT(A)

When using a feature actual as a datum feature, the ActualDatumFeature element is chosen.
When using a feature nominal as a datum feature the NominalDatumFeature element is
chosen. Both reference the QIF id of a feature instance but only the ActualDatumFeature
allows for a material condition modifier.

6.15.6.3 Datum reference frame type

The DatumReferenceFrameType can have zero to five Datum elements of type
DatumWithPrecedenceType.

The case where zero Datum elements are present corresponds to a feature control frame with
no datum reference frame, like .

The DatumReferenceFrameType can optionally reference a coordinate system with the

CoordinateSystemId element. The coordinate system referenced by its QIF id can optionally
contain nominal and actual transformations. These are not to be confused with the
DRFTransformActualId which is a reference to a transform which represents the change in the
actual coordinate system associated with a mobile datum reference frame.

6.16 QIF handling of units

The QIF design seeks to handle units simply and unambiguously in instance files, especially to
allow quantities to appear without explicit units specified for each value. QIF uses a scheme
where primary/default and alternate units are specified once in an instance file. Quantities using
the default units for length, angle, or temperature can occur in instance files without an explicit
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attribute giving the name of the unit. Alternate units can be assigned to individual quantities by
including an attribute giving the name of the unit. All unit names must be unique for a given unit
type.

Primary and alternate units are specified in a QIF instance file, such as a QMResults instance
file, by using the FileUnits element defined in Units.xsd. The FileUnits element specifies a
primary unit for each of the unit types used in the instance file, and optional alternate units. The
three primary units types used in QMResults are angle, length, and temperature. Quantities
expressed in the primary units can be written in an instance file without any explicit mention of a
unit. If any quantity of a given unit type appears in an instance file, the corresponding unit type
must appear in the PrimaryUnits or the OtherUnits of the FileUnits. Common XML file
checkers will signal an error if this rule is violated.

For example, an instance file might give a diameter as follows:

If the LengthUnit in the PrimaryUnits is millimeter, the line above would mean that the
diameter is 7.5 millimeters. This association occurs because the Diameter element is of
LengthValueType in the schema.

The default unit for all unit types is the SI unit (meter, radian, kelvin, etc.). If it is desired to have
a primary unit type not be a SI unit, a UnitConversion element must be included in the
declaration of the primary unit. The UnitConversion element gives an Offset and a
multiplication Factor that may be used to convert values of the primary unit type to values in
terms of SI units.

For example, the meter is the SI unit for length. If a user wants to use the millimeter as the
primary length unit in an instance file, the user puts the following lines into the FileUnits portion
of the instance file:

<PrimaryUnits>
<LengthUnit>
<SIUnitName>meter</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>millimeter</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>0.001</Factor>
<Offset>0</Offset>
</UnitConversion>
</LengthUnit>
...
</PrimaryUnits>

In the FileUnits portion of the instance file, wherever a unit is declared, the name of the SI unit
may be given regardless of whether it is the primary unit or not. If the UnitConversion is not
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included in the instance file, the UnitName just serves as an alias for the SI unit. For example if
the unit type is LengthUnit, the SIUnitName must be meter if it is used, but the UnitName
might be meter or m, or anything else the user likes. If the UnitConversion is included in the
instance file, naming the SI unit makes it clear what units result from applying the conversion.
The conversion is always accomplished using the equation:

SI = ((X plus Offset) times Factor)

where SI is the value in SI units, and X is the value in declared units.

The FileUnits element also includes an OtherUnits sub-element for specifying alternate units.
For example, a LengthUnit named inch could be defined in the OtherUnits element as follows:

<OtherUnits>
<LengthUnit>
<SIUnitName>meter</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>inch</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>0.0254</Factor>
<Offset>0</Offset>
</UnitConversion>
</LengthUnit>
...
</OtherUnits>

If a quantity in an instance file is represented using an alternate unit, the name of the unit type
must be given. If the definition for inch just given is used in an instance file, a diameter of 5
inches in an instance file would be expressed as follows:

6.17 Modeling slots in QIF

6.17.1 Introduction
The QIF library contains two feature types, opposite lines feature defined by the
OppositeLinesFeatureXXXType and opposite planes feature defined by the
OppositePlanesFeatureXXXType, which are designed to accommodate a variety of real
features commonly referred to as slots, grooves, ribs, webs or blocks. These features have the
following characteristics in common: they are features of size with a center-line or center-plane
about which two straight or flat sides are symmetrically opposed (the use of complex draft on an
opposite planes feature may affect strict symmetry). Collectively these two feature types will be
referred to as opposite sides features.

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If the sides of a real feature are not flat, then the extruded cross section feature defined by the
ExtrudedCrossSectionFeatureXXXType would be a more appropriate QIF feature for
representing the real feature. The opposite lines feature might still be a suitable representation
of a planar section of such a feature provided the criterion of symmetrically opposed straight
sides is met.

The relationship between the opposite lines feature and the opposite planes feature is much like
the relationship between a circle and a cylinder: the opposite lines feature is a two-dimensional
planar section of a real feature and the opposite planes feature is a three-dimensional
representation of a real feature.

6.17.2 Internal and external

An opposite sides feature can be either internal or external as indicated by the value of the
required InternalExternal element. An internal feature is one defined by the removal of material
from the bulk of a part. The center-line/plane of the feature will typically be in open space with
the surface normal vectors of the opposite sides pointing generally in the direction of the center-
line/plane. These real features are commonly referred to as slots or grooves. Conversely, an
external feature is one defined by the bulk of a part. The center-line/plane of the feature will
typically be inside the material of the part with the surface normal vectors of the opposite sides
pointing generally in the direction away from the center-line/plane. These real features are
commonly referred to as ribs, webs or blocks.

6.17.3 Location and size

The location and orientation of an opposite lines feature is defined by the center-line
represented by a center-point and the axis unit vector defined by the StartPoint and Vector
elements respectively of the required CenterLine element, and a unit vector representing the
normal of the plane in which the feature lies defined by the required Normal element. The size
of the opposite lines feature is given by the required Width element which applies in a direction
perpendicular to the center-line axis in the plane of the feature. The feature may also have a
length defined by the optional Length element which applies in the direction of the center-line
axis.

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Figure 10 – An opposite lines feature with round closed ends.

Figure 10 shows the relationship between the CenterLine element which defines both the
location and the orientation of the axis of the round-ended slot, and the Normal element which
defines the plane in which the feature lies.

The location and orientation of an opposite planes feature is defined by the center-plane defined
by a center-point and the center-plane’s normal unit vector given by the Point and Normal
elements of the required CenterPlane element. The size of the opposite planes feature is
defined by the required Width element which applies in the direction along the center-plane
normal vector. The feature may also have a length defined by the optional Length element
which applies in the direction of the co-requisite LengthVector element. Furthermore, the
feature may have a depth defined by the optional Depth element which applies in the direction
of the co-requisite DepthVector element.

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Figure 11 – An opposite planes feature with flat closed ends.

Figure 11 shows the relationship of the CenterPlane element with sub-elements Point and
Normal which define the orientation of the main sides of a flat-ended slot. In order to define the
orientation of the ends of the slot, the optional LengthVector element must be specified (not
shown in Figure 11). The LengthVector element would have the same orientation as the
CenterLine in Figure 10.

For both opposite lines and opposite planes features with closed ends the length is from the
material boundary at one end to the material boundary at the other end measured along the
center-line vector or along the length vector in the center-plane. The length is not between
radius centers when a feature has rounded ends. When a feature has one or two open ends
then the length can be the distance to a virtual material boundary equivalent to the real material
boundary created by placing a flat block over the open end, or it can be an indication of the
measureable region of the feature. In all cases the length is symmetrically disposed about the
center-point of the feature.

6.17.4 End types

The opposite sides feature types also have an end-type as defined by the required EndType
element, a choice between one of the enumerated values of the SlotEndEnum element: either
ROUND, FLAT, OPEN or UNDEFINED, and a user-defined string in the OtherSlotEnd element.
If the end-type of the opposite sides feature is unknown then the UNDEFINED enumerated end-
type is used. If the end-type is known but not covered by any of the enumerated end-types, then
a string is used to describe the end-type.

Figure 10 and Figure 11 show examples of the ROUND and FLAT end types respectively.
Figure 14 below shows an example of the OPEN end type (upper right).
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The shape of the ends of a ROUND and FLAT opposite sides feature can be further modified by
using the optional EndRadius1 and EndRadius2 elements which apply in the directions against
and along the center-line axis/length vector respectively. The default condition for round-ended
features is to have a circular end tangent to both sides (the actual ends may be described by
circular arcs for opposite lines or by cylindrical or conical segments for opposite planes but in a
cross-section at any depth the circular ends will be tangent to both sides). By using the end radii
elements, circular cross-section ends that are not tangent to the sides can be specified. The
size of the end is given by the EndRadius element which must be larger than the radius of a
tangent end. Whether the end expands beyond the width like a dumbbell shape or not is given
by the value of the optional Expanded element.

Figure 12 – A slot with non-tangent round ends.

Figure 12 shows a round-ended slot with non-tangent ends. The relationship between the ends
modified by the EndRadius1 and EndRadius2 elements and the LengthVector or CenterLine
elements is shown. In the example the values of the two end radii are equal, but one is
expanded and the other is not. The center of the slot is midway between the extremes of the
slots in the axis direction, and not at the midpoint of the center of the circular ends.

For flat ended opposite sides features the end radii can be used to apply a fillet radius to an
otherwise flat end. The end radius must be small enough to leave a portion of the flat end.

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Figure 13 – A flat-ended slot with rounded corners..

Figure 13 shows a flat-ended slot with rounded corners. In the example the two end radii values
are equal (and both must be smaller than half the width of the slot).

An opposite sides feature may have one closed end and one open end. The presence of a
single open end is indicated by the optional SingleOpenEnd element. In the case of an
opposite lines feature the center-line axis must point towards the open end, and for the opposite
planes feature the co-requisite LengthVector element points toward the open end.

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Figure 14 – Opposite planes features with open ends.

Figure 14 shows two slots with open ends. The lower left slot would have end type ROUND and
use the optional SingleOpenEnd element. The arrow shows the direction of the LengthVector
element towards the open end. The upper right slot would have end type OPEN because both
ends of the slot are open.

6.17.5 Bottom types

The opposite planes feature can also define a bottom type with the optional Bottom element, a
choice between one of the enumerated values of the BottomEnum element: either BLIND,
THROUGH or UNDEFINED, and a user-defined string in the OtherBottom element. If the
bottom-type of the opposite planes feature is unknown then the UNDEFINED enumerated
bottom-type is used. If the bottom-type is known but not covered by any of the enumerated
bottom-types, then a string is used to describe the bottom-type.

The slot in the lower left of Figure 14 is an example of the THROUGH bottom type; the slot in
the upper right is an example of the BLIND bottom type.

6.17.6 Taper
An opposite sides feature may be tapered. If the optional TaperAngle element is populated with
a non-zero value then the width of the opposite sides feature changes along the center-line
vector/length vector. The sign of the taper angle defines whether the feature gets larger in the
direction of the vector (positive) or gets smaller in the direction of the vector (negative). When
an opposite sides feature is tapered the width applies at the center-point.

Figure 15 – A tapered slot.

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Figure 15 shows the relationship between the taper angle and the center line or length vector of
a tapered slot. The example shows a slot with a ROUND end type. The center of the slot is
midway between the extremes of the slots in the axis direction, and not at the midpoint of the
center of the circular ends.

6.17.7 Draft
The opposite planes feature may have a draft angle defined by the optional DraftAngle
element. A positive draft angle means the feature will open up (get larger) in the direction
defined by the co-requisite DepthVector element or the co-requisite DraftVector element, a
negative draft angle means the feature will close up (get smaller). When an opposite planes
feature is drafted the width and length apply at the center-point. The DraftVector element
overrides the DepthVector element when the draft vector is not perpendicular to the length
vector, the axis vector, or both.

Figure 16 – A slot with draft.

Figure 16 shows the relationship between the draft angle and the center plane of a slot with
draft.

6.17.8 Feature actual

The above descriptions of required, optional and co-requisite data were particular to nominal
opposite sides features. All data elements for actual features are optional to handle different use
cases.

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In addition to actual elements which correspond directly with nominal elements like actual width
and length corresponding with nominal width and length respectively, there are actual data
elements for minimum and maximum of size values.

6.18 Modeling threads in QIF

Features and characteristics often have elements that essentially define the same information.
For example a cylinder has a nominal Diameter element on the
CylinderFeatureDefinitionType and a diameter characteristic has a nominal TargetValue via
the LinearCharacteristicNominalBaseType from which
DiameterNominalCharacteristicType derives. Both the diameter and the target value are
nominal representations of the size of the feature. Most often these two values will be identical
but use cases exist where the manufacturing size and the tolerance evaluation size might be
different. For example if a diameter has a specified size of 10.0 +0.5/-0.0 and the manufacturing
process targeted the nominal value of 10.0 any undersize variation would result in an out of
tolerance condition.

Figure 17 – Threaded features.

This is not the case with threaded features. A hole is not threaded to one specification and
inspected to another. Also, unlike a simple diameter, the data associated with a thread
specification is quite complex as shown in Figure 17. To allow the sharing of thread specification
data the threaded feature defined by the ThreadedFeatureDefinitionType and the thread
characteristic defined by the ThreadCharacteristicDefinitionType both have an element
ThreadSpecificationId which references an instance of ThreadSpecificationType contained
in a list of ThreadSpecificationsType.

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6.18.1 Thread specification types

The ThreadSpecificationType provides a choice between three elements:
SingleLeadSpecification of SingleLeadSpecificationType, MultiLeadSpecification of
MultiLeadSpecificationType, and TextThreadSpecification of
TextThreadSpecificationType. The single lead and multi-lead types allow for the unambiguous
capturing of detailed information in their elements, some of which resolve to enumerations
based on industry standards. If these pre-defined data containers are not sufficient to capture a
thread specification then that specification may be entered as a simple text string via the
TextSpecification element of TextThreadSpecificationType.

6.19 Feature actual determination

The feature nominal is a representation of the design intent. The feature actual is determined
from an actual physical part. The QIF information model allows for different levels of detail for
the information related to how a feature actual is determined.

6.19.1 Checked and set features

At the most elementary level, the QIF information model distinguishes between a feature actual
which is checked and one which is set. A feature called out on a print may not be measurable.
For example, a circle representing a region on the surface of a part in which a fixture net pad
interferes is not measurable. But because the feature appears on a printed part drawing there
may be the requirement for that feature to be reported. To accomplish this, the feature actual is
set to its nominal value. More commonly, a feature will be checked by a measurement device or
otherwise be evaluated using measurement data.

For a set feature, the Set element of the DeterminationMode element on the feature instance
is chosen. If the feature is checked then the Checked element of the DeterminationMode
element on the feature instance is chosen. The differentiation between set and checked
features is the only required information from the DeterminationMode element.

6.19.2 Measurement and construction

More information about how a feature is checked can be added optionally with the
CheckDetails element. A checked feature can be either measured or constructed. A measured
feature is evaluated using data collected directly for that feature by a measurement device. A
constructed feature is evaluated using data previously collected for other features referred to as
base features.

For a measured feature, the Measured element of the CheckDetails element is chosen. For a
constructed feature, the Constructed element of the CheckDetails element is chosen.

6.19.3 Measurement points

Details on the points used for measuring a feature can be added optionally with the PointList
element. This element contains an ordered list of nominal target points with optional information
about the measurement device and sensor used to collect each point.

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6.19.4 Construction methods

Further detail about a feature construction can be optionally added by choosing between the
construction methods for a given feature type.

Common to all construction methods is the optional NominalsCalculated element. This

Boolean element is used and set to true when feature nominals are calculated from the
nominals of the set of base features rather than being specified directly. This may come about if
a generic macro or subroutine is used to perform a feature construction where both the feature
nominal and feature actual are determined from the input base features.

A base feature used in a construction is a reference to another feature instance by its id in the
FeatureInstanceId element. In addition the referenced component of the base feature is
identified by the ReferencedComponent element. Usually the actual component, but
sometimes the nominal component, of a base feature is used in the construction of the feature
actual. This is not to be confused with the concept of calculated nominals, where the nominal
components of all base features are used to calculate the feature nominal.

The recompensated construction method references the measurement points of a base feature
rather than the base feature itself. The BaseFeaturePointList element identifies an ordered list
of measurement points on referenced base features. These points are identified by a single
point index, a range of point indexes, or all the points on the specified base feature. Point
indexes are integers that begin at 1 for the first point in a measurement point list.

The individual construction methods are described in FeatureTypes.xsd. The description

includes the number and types of base feature references required for the particular
construction types.

The descriptions of the various construction methods can be found in Part 2: QIF Library -
Information Model and XML Schema Files. Some construction method types are similar; these
methods are clarified and differentiated in the following sections.

6.19.4.1 Best-fit and recompensated construction methods

Common to many feature types are the best-fit construction method indicated by choosing the
BestFit element in the Constructed element, and the recompensated construction method
indicated by choosing the Recompensated element in the Constructed element. Both
methods use a substitute feature fitting algorithm to determine the feature actual from point
data. In the case of best-fit construction the point data is that from point reducible base features.
The point-reduced data is compensated for probe size and a substitute feature algorithm may
have been applied, such as determining the center of a circle. For recompensated construction
the point data is uncompensated raw measurement points from base features. The result is that
a recompensated constructed feature will be the same as if it were measured with the same
points.

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6.19.4.2 Extract and from-scan construction methods

The extract construction method indicated by choosing the Extract element in the Constructed
element and from-scan indicated by choosing the FromScan element in the Constructed
element are both used to determine a feature actual from a set of measurement points. These
two methods are similar to the recompensated construction method in that all three create the
feature actual using a substitute feature algorithm on raw uncompensated point data from base
features. But the extract and from-scan construction methods differ from the recompensated
construction method in that even though the base feature can be identified, the point indexes on
that feature cannot because the feature is typically measured with a scanning device resulting in
a large point set variable in both size and density.

Both the extract and from-scan construction methods use a subset of points from the base
feature. This subset is determined by the nominal extents of the feature being constructed.
Therefore, the feature being constructed must be naturally bounded (e.g., an arc) or explicitly
bounded (e.g., a plane with a polyline boundary).

The extract construction method is used when the dimensionality of the base feature and the
feature being constructed are the same. Two-dimensional features can be extracted from a two-
dimensional scan curve in the same plane; arcs and lines can be extracted from a planar curve
scan inside a filleted pocket because the arcs and lines are coincident with the base feature.
Similarly, three-dimensional features can be extracted from a three-dimensional scan surface. In
both cases, the measurement points used in the construction are those inside the limits on the
bounded feature.

But when a two-dimensional feature is derived from the measurement points a three-
dimensional scanned surface the feature being constructed may not be coincident with the
scanned data. As a result, search windows must be used to extend the two-dimensional feature
out of its plane in order to capture point data sufficient to determine the feature actual. The from-
scan construction methods have elements like SearchRadius which allow for the definition of
the search windows. (Some three dimensional feature types also have a from-scan construction
method to be compatible with the DMIS 5.2 CONST (Input format 15) statement.)

6.19.4.3 Copy, cast, and transform construction methods

The copy,cast and transform construction methods perform the similar operation of copying
actual data from one feature actual to another feature actual. The NominalsCalculated element
is used to control the copying of nominal feature data.

In the case of the copy construction method the base feature and the feature being constructed
must be of the same type and all the actual data elements from the base feature are copied
unchanged to the feature being constructed. If the NominalsCalculated element is present and
set to true then the nominal data elements are similarly copied from the base feature to the
feature being constructed.

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In the case of the cast construction method the base feature and the feature being constructed
are not of the same type and all the actual data elements from the base feature may or may not
have corresponding data elements in the feature being constructed. Only those actual data
elements shared between the two feature types are copied unchanged from the base feature to
the feature being constructed. If the NominalsCalculated element is present and set to true
then any shared nominal data elements are similarly copied from the base feature to the feature
being constructed.

In the case of the transform construction method the base feature and the feature being
constructed must be of the same type and all the actual data elements from the base feature
are copied to the feature being constructed. All location and orientation elements are
transformed by the actual transform matrix of the specified coordinate system. All size, form,
and other dimensional data remain unchanged. If the NominalsCalculated element is present
and set to true then the nominal data elements are similarly copied from the base feature to the
feature being constructed with the nominal location and orientation data being transformed by
the nominal transform matrix of the specified coordinate system.

6.20 Key characteristics - Encoding "balloon" numbers in QIF

Figure 8 shows a plate with ballooned tolerances. Characteristics that are key to a
manufacturing process or to a part’s usability are often indicated on a drawing with an identifier
in a circle or another shape. These balloon numbers are accommodated in QIF with the concept
of a key characteristic.

The key characteristic, defined by the KeyCharacteristicType, performs two tasks. First, the
required Designator element captures the balloon number. Second, the optional Criticality
element is used to indicate the level of importance of the characteristic. This is a user-defined
token and may have any value. Examples include MAJOR, MINOR and KEY.

An element KeyCharacteristic of KeyCharacteristicType can be found in three locations in

the characteristics aspect hierarchy: on the definition, on the nominal and on the instance. This
allows for the sharing of a key characteristic designator among several instances of a
characteristic.

In Figure 8 the balloon number “1” is shared by the four holes in much the same way that the
nominal diameter is shared. This relationship can be shown by using the optional
KeyCharacteristic element on the characteristic nominal. This is the normal location for
indicating the key characteristic designator and criticality except in special circumstances.

When the key characteristic designator is shared among several instances and it is necessary
to assign augmented labels or balloon numbers to each instance, this is accomplished with the
KeyCharacteristic element on the characteristic instance. A balloon number of “1” may result in
individual key characteristic designators like 1_1, 1_2, etc.; 1A, 1B, etc.; or 1.1, 1.2, etc.
depending on company standards.

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When a box tolerance is used (like that shown in 6.7.2) and such a tolerance is ballooned then,
in practice, that designator may be shared among several different characteristics and even
different characteristic types. In this case, the KeyCharacteristic element on the characteristic
definition is used. If the designator spans several different characteristic types then the same
key characteristic must be re-defined for each characteristic types; QIF does not allow for
characteristic definitions to be shared among characteristics of different types.

6.21 Notes
The QIF information model makes it possible for users to insert notes in many places in
QMPlans and QMResults instance files.

Notes are intended to be used to convey important information in natural language that is not
representable elsewhere in the QIF model. Items that can be represented in the model (the
nominal diameter of a circle, for example) should not be put into notes.

The three types describing notes are:

InspectionNoteType - a string with a QIF id for referencing.

InspectionNotesType - a list of InspectionNote elements, each of which is of

InspectionNoteType.

NotesType - a list of elements, each of which is either Note (a string containing the text of the
note) or NoteId (the QIF id of an InspectionNote).

In the QMPlans and QMResults application schemas there is a top-level InspectionNotes

element of InspectionNotesType (i.e., it's a list of InspectionNotes). Notes in the list can be
referenced from any Notes element anywhere a Notes element occurs. The notes in this list do
not apply automatically to anything. A note in the list applies only if it is referenced. A note that
applies at several places in a QMPlans or QMResults instance file should be placed in this list
and referenced from each place where it applies. Only notes that are in the list can be
referenced from elsewhere. This is ensured, first, by the fact that only notes in the list have QIF
ids to be referenced, and, second by a key/keyref constraint that checks that every reference to
a note is the QIF id of a note in the list.

Also at the top level there is an element (PlanNotes or ResultsNotes) of NotesType. This is
the place to put notes (or references to notes) that apply to the plan or results file as a whole. A
great deal of information can be put into the InspectionTraceability element of a plan or results
file. The PlanNotes or ResultsNotes should not contain information that can be put into
InspectionTraceability.

Notes elements of NotesType occur in the following types in the following QIFLibrary XML
schema files.
CharacteristicTypes.xsd
CharacteristicBaseType (hence in any aspect of any characteristic)
FeatureTypes.xsd
FeatureBaseType (hence in any aspect of any feature)
MeasurementResources.xsd
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TemperatureType
QualificationType
ProductTypes.xsd
ProductDefinitionBaseType (hence in any PartDefinition or AssemblyDefinition)
ProductInstanceBaseType (hence in any PartInstance or AssemblyInstance)
QIFTypes.xsd
TransformInstanceType
CoordinateSystemType
Traceability.xsd
EnvironmentType

7 Detailed requirements
7.1 XML naming and design rules (NDR)
XML technology was chosen for QIF encoding because the basic XML specifications are
supported as open, public domain, royalty-free standards, and because XML technology is very
widely used.

The QIF information model is built using the XML Schema Definition Language
(XSDL). That language was chosen because:

 XSDL has adequate expressive power for the basic structure of the model. It includes
the ability to define complex types with attributes and elements.
 XSDL allows more specialized complex types to be derived from less specialized
complex types, so that type hierarchies can be defined.
 XSDL has built-in data types and the ability to specialize them.
 XSDL permits the modular construction of models via an "include" capability.
 XSDL has a default instance file format (XML) with a set of rules for determining if an
instance file conforms to a model. Moreover, XML instance files are human-readable as
well as machine-readable.
 XSDL enables the model builder to define constraints that extend the rules for
determining whether an instance file conforms to a model.
 XSDL is a widely accepted language, and the XML file format of instance files is even
more widely accepted.
 Tools for determining whether a model is syntactically correct and consistent and
whether a given instance file conforms to a given model are available free or for a
moderate price.

Tools for generating computer code that may be incorporated in an application from a model
built in XSDL are available free or for a moderate price, thus lowering the cost of
implementation.

QIF uses all the capabilities of XSDL just mentioned:

 Nearly 1000 complex types are defined.

 Derivation hierarchies are built up to five levels deep.
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 Over 40 specialized data types are defined.

 The two QIF models are each built from nine modules.
 QIF includes hundreds of key and keyref constraints.

In this section, the prefix xs: is used to indicate terms that are part of the XML schema definition
language (XSDL). The xs: prefix is also used in the schema files. The term xs:type used here is
not part of XSDL but means either xs:complexType or xs:simpleType.

7.1.1 Naming conventions

Certain naming conventions have been used in the development of the QIF XML schemas.

Names are descriptive and formed by concatenation without abbreviation. The one exception to
the rule against abbreviation is that "identifier" is shortened everywhere it appears to "id" or "Id".
All concatenated words in a name except possibly the first start with an upper case letter. The
rules for the case of the first letter of the first word are:

 All names of XML items except xs:attribute names start with an upper case letter. This
includes names for xs:type, xs:element, xs:key, and xs:keyref. Example xs:type name:
ArcFeatureNominalType
 xs:attribute names start with a lower case letter. Example xs:attribute name: id
 All xs:type names end in "Type".
 All xs:key names end in "Key".
 All xs:keyref names end in "Keyref".
 All names of instantiable feature xs:types end in "FeatureInstanceType",
"FeatureDefinitionType", "FeatureNominalType", or "FeatureActualType".
 All names of instantiable characteristic xs:types end in "CharacteristicInstanceType",
"CharacteristicDefinitionType", "CharacteristicNominalType", or
"CharacteristicActualType".
 All names of enumerated xs:types end in "EnumType".
 Almost all names of xs:types that are parent xs:types not intended to be instantiated end
in "BaseType".
 To a great extent, the names of xs:elements are formed from the name of the xs:type of
the xs:element by removing the "Type" at the end. For example, the name of the
xs:element whose xs:type is PlaneFeatureNominalType is PlaneFeatureNominal.

The name of an xs:element that is a reference to a QIF id almost always ends in "Id" and is
always of QIFReferenceType. If the value of an xs:element is a list of ids, the xs:element name
almost always ends in "Ids".

7.1.2 Design rules

A number of design rules have been followed in building the QIF schema files.

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 All xs:type definitions are declared globally, i.e., as direct children of an xs:schema. In
other words, no xs:type definition is embedded inside another xs:type definition or inside
an xs:element. This convention is commonly called using the venetian blind pattern.
 Although the names of QIF xs:elements and xs:types are very descriptive, the precise
meaning almost always requires explanation. The XML schema definition language
includes an xs:documentation node type that may be used to put documentation into a
schema. Documentation nodes must be preserved by XML tools. Comments may also
be inserted in schema files but are not necessarily preserved by XML tools. Further
details of documentation are given in section 7.2.
 All xs:types not intended to be instantiated are made abstract so as to be explicitly non-
instantiable.
 When an xs:element is (or could be) declared to be of an abstract xs:type, there are
three ways under the W3C rules in which the xs:element can be declared and instances
of it put into instance files.
o First, in the schema file, the xs:element may be declared to be of the abstract
xs:type. In an instance file, instances of it may use the xs:element name for the
abstract xs:type followed by an xs:type declaration identifying one of the derived
types.
o Second, in the schema file, rather than having a single xs:element declaration,
an xs:choice of xs:elements of the various instantiable derived types may be
used instead. In an instance file, one of the xs:elements in the xs:choice is used.
o Third, in the schema file, the xs:element may be declared globally to be of the
abstract xs:type and made to be the head of a substitution group. The
instantiable derived xs:types are used as the xs:types for the other xs:elements
in that substitution group. The xs:element for the abstract xs:type is then used via
"ref" elsewhere in the schema file. In an instance file, the xs:element for a
member of the substitution group headed by the abstract type is used.

The first method can make writing key/keyref constraints difficult since (1) those
constraints are expressed using xs:element names, (2) the constraints need to
distinguish among xs:types, and (3) the same xs:element name is used with different
xs:types. It also requires the instance file to be more verbose (because the xs:type
declaration is needed). Hence, the first method is not used in QIF.

The second and third methods have a different xs:type for each xs:element name, so
they support writing key/keyref constraints. The third method is used overwhelmingly but
not exclusively in QIF. The second method is used in two or three places.

 QIF intends to use the namespace "qif". The uniform resource identifier (URI) for the QIF
namespace is: qif="http://www.qifstandards.org". The schema files in version 1.0 of QIF,
however, do not use a namespace.

7.1.3 Other naming and design items

XML instance files that conform to QIF must follow the rules for the conformance of instance
files to XML schemas as defined by the W3C.

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7.2 Annotation conventions

A great number of annotations (xs:annotation) containing documentation (xs:documentation)
have been included in the QIF schema files in order to explain the full meaning of the QIF
models. The meanings of the documentation nodes are essential parts of the model, not merely
suggestions that may be taken or not. The documentation nodes have been prepared according
the following conventions:

 Every schema file has a documentation node near the top that provides a general
description of the file.

 Every xs:type has a documentation node.

 Every xs:element outside of a substitution group has a documentation node.

 The xs:element at the head of every substitution group has a documentation node.

 Every different sort of xs:key and xs:keyref has a documentation node. In the case of
features and characteristics, the xs:keys and xs:keyrefs occur in large (over 25) batches
that are very similar. For these batches, only the first member is documented.

 Only one documentation node is used under an annotation node, unless there is an
exceptional reason to include more than one.

 The text of each documentation node consists of one or more complete sentences. The
text can stand alone without the context of the XML schema code. The name of the
schema file, attribute, type, element, key, or keyref is repeated in the sentence.

 All abstract types are annotated as abstract. QIF BaseTypes are always abstract.

 If an element has multiple pieces of information, then "defines" or "gives" is used to

describe the element. If the element is one piece of information (even if it has
substructure), then "is" is used.

 When an element has maxOccurs=”0”, that indicates the element is optional. In this case,
the word “optional” immediately precedes the name of the element in the documentation.

 When an element has maxOccurs="unbounded", or maxOccurs=”N” (where N is an

integer that is 2 or greater) there may be more than one such element in an instance file.
In these cases, the usage is "Each XXX element defines" rather than "The XXX element
defines". Note: The default for elements is exactly one.

 If an attribute is optional, which is the default for attributes, the word “optional”
immediately precedes the attribute name in the documentation.

 If an attribute has use=”required”, that means the attribute is required. In this case, the
word “required” immediately precedes the attribute name in the documentation.

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 If a type is a list of specific values, the word "enumerated" or "enumerates" is always in

the annotation, e.g., "The optional, enumerated TimeDescription element describes the
time relative to the inspection, at which the environment data is measured."

 Individual enumeration values in an enumerated type do not have documentation nodes,

but if the meaning of the values is not obvious, either they are explained in the
documentation node of the type, or a reference is given to a document giving the
meanings.

 Documentation nodes do not describe structural aspects of the information model.

 When text notes can assist people in reading and understanding the schema file, text
describing the file structure is placed in XML comments.

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Annex A - Sample QIF Instance Files

(informative)

Two QIF instance files are included as inline text in this annex. They apply to the sample part
drawing in Figure A.1.

Figure A.1 – A sample part drawing

The features and ballooned characteristics called-out in Figure A.1 can be described fully and
unambiguously in a QMPlans instance file along with other traceability and measurement
information.

File QMPLAN_SAMPLE.XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no" ?>

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<ThisPlanInstanceFileQPId>9fcebcb6-99da-44f9-b997-
2ba76fd438dd</ThisPlanInstanceFileQPId>
<FileUnits>
<PrimaryUnits>
<AngleUnit>
<SIUnitName>radian</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>degree</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>0.017453292519943</Factor>
</UnitConversion>
</AngleUnit>
<LengthUnit>
<SIUnitName>meter</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>mm</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>0.001</Factor>
</UnitConversion>
</LengthUnit>
<TemperatureUnit>
<SIUnitName>kelvin</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>celsius</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>1</Factor>
<Offset>273.14999999999998</Offset>
</UnitConversion>
</TemperatureUnit>
</PrimaryUnits>
</FileUnits>

<InspectionTraceability>
<InspectingOrganization>
<Name>Origin International</Name>
<Address>
<StreetNumber>72</StreetNumber>
<Street>Baynards Lane</Street>
<Town>Richmond Hill</Town>
<Region>Ontario</Region>
<PostalCode>L4C 9B8</PostalCode>
<FacsimileNumber>416 410 8313</FacsimileNumber>
<TelephoneNumber>1-800-269-2509</TelephoneNumber>
<ElectronicMailAddress>[email protected]</ElectronicMailAddress>
</Address>
</InspectingOrganization>
<SupplierCode>North_Fab</SupplierCode>
<PurchaseOrderNumber>PO123456</PurchaseOrderNumber>
<ProductInstanceIds>
<PartInstanceId>2</PartInstanceId>

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</ProductInstanceIds>
<ReportNumber>QIF 1</ReportNumber>
<InspectionScope>DETAIL</InspectionScope>
<InspectionMode>FAI_Full</InspectionMode>
<ReportPreparer>
<Name>John Doe</Name>
<EmployeeId>123-456</EmployeeId>
</ReportPreparer>
<ReportPreparationDate>2013-07-15T13:23:30</ReportPreparationDate>
<FormalStandard>
<FormalStandardEnum>ASME-Y14.5-1994</FormalStandardEnum>
</FormalStandard>
</InspectionTraceability>

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<FeatureNominalId>59</FeatureNominalId>
<FeatureName>REFCIRC1</FeatureName>
<QPId>6443f863-c559-42f2-b62a-48c0172d3395</QPId>
<InternalExternal>NOT_APPLICABLE</InternalExternal>
<DeterminationMode>
<Set/>
</DeterminationMode>
</CircleFeatureInstance>
</FeatureInstances>
</Features>

2 Y 774.310 774.270 0.200 -0.200 0.040 ----|*---

3 Z 944.840 945.003 0.200 -0.200 -0.163 *---|----

SURF2 POINT (SURFACE)

ACTUAL NOMINAL UPR-TOL LWR-TOL BONUS DEV ERROR **

X 2537.170 2536.495 0.675

Y 783.380 782.806 0.574

Z 920.020 920.002 0.018

4 *V -0.886 0.000 1.000 -0.500 -0.886 -0.386

TRIM1 EDGE POINT (TRIM)

ACTUAL NOMINAL UPR-TOL LWR-TOL BONUS DEV ERROR

X 2460.720 2460.710 0.010

Y 770.620 770.605 0.015

Z 944.980 944.994 -0.014

5 V -0.020 0.000 2.000 -2.000 -0.020 ---*|----

HOLE1 CIRCLE

ACTUAL NOMINAL UPR-TOL LWR-TOL BONUS DEV ERROR **

X 2434.010 2433.975 0.035

Z 889.980 890.050 -0.070

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6 *D 9.499 10.000 0.400 -0.400 0.000 -0.501 -0.101

7 P 0.897 0.000 1.000 1.000 0.897 |---*

HOLE2 CIRCLE

ACTUAL NOMINAL UPR-TOL LWR-TOL BONUS DEV ERROR **

X 2496.390 2496.251 0.139

Z 938.090 938.272 -0.182

8 D 10.200 10.000 0.400 -0.400 0.200 ----|-*--

9 *P 1.138 0.000 1.000 1.138 0.138

REFCIRC1 SET DIMENSION

ACTUAL NOMINAL UPR-TOL LWR-TOL BONUS DEV ERROR

X 2506.637 2506.637 0.000

Y 792.999 792.999 0.000

Z 912.645 912.645 0.000

10 D 30.000 30.000 SET 0.000

DIST1 DISTANCE BETWEEN

ACTUAL NOMINAL UPR-TOL LWR-TOL BONUS DEV ERROR

11 S 81.221 81.209 0.500 -0.500 0.012 ----|*---

The actual information contained in such a report can be merged with information in the original
inspection plan to produce a QMResults instance file.
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File QMRESULTS_SAMPLE.XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no" ?>

<FileUnits>
<PrimaryUnits>
<AngleUnit>
<SIUnitName>radian</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>degree</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>0.017453292519943</Factor>
</UnitConversion>
</AngleUnit>
<LengthUnit>
<SIUnitName>meter</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>mm</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>0.001</Factor>
</UnitConversion>
</LengthUnit>
<TemperatureUnit>
<SIUnitName>kelvin</SIUnitName>
<UnitName>celsius</UnitName>
<UnitConversion>
<Factor>1</Factor>
<Offset>273.14999999999998</Offset>
</UnitConversion>
</TemperatureUnit>
</PrimaryUnits>
</FileUnits>

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<TelephoneNumber>1-800-269-2509</TelephoneNumber>
<ElectronicMailAddress>[email protected]</ElectronicMailAddress>
</Address>
</InspectingOrganization>
<SupplierCode>North_Fab</SupplierCode>
<PurchaseOrderNumber>PO123456</PurchaseOrderNumber>
<ProductInstanceIds>
<PartInstanceId>2</PartInstanceId>
</ProductInstanceIds>
<ReportNumber>QIF 1</ReportNumber>
<InspectionScope>DETAIL</InspectionScope>
<InspectionMode>FAI_Full</InspectionMode>
<ReportPreparer>
<Name>John Doe</Name>
<EmployeeId>123-456</EmployeeId>
</ReportPreparer>
<ReportPreparationDate>2013-07-15T13:23:59</ReportPreparationDate>
<ReferencedQMPlanInstanceQPId>9fcebcb6-99da-44f9-b997-
2ba76fd438dd</ReferencedQMPlanInstanceQPId>
<FormalStandard>
<FormalStandardEnum>ASME-Y14.5-1994</FormalStandardEnum>
</FormalStandard>
</InspectionTraceability>

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<DatumDefinitionId>36</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>NONE</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>PRIMARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>37</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>NONE</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>SECONDARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>38</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>NONE</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>TERTIARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
</DatumReferenceFrame>
<DatumReferenceFrame id="51">
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>36</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>NONE</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>PRIMARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>37</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>MAXIMUM</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>

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<PrecedenceEnum>SECONDARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>38</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>MAXIMUM</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>TERTIARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
</DatumReferenceFrame>
<DatumReferenceFrame id="66">
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>36</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>NONE</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>PRIMARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>67</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>LEAST</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>SECONDARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
<Datum>
<SimpleDatum>
<DatumDefinitionId>68</DatumDefinitionId>
<MaterialModifier>LEAST</MaterialModifier>
<ReferencedComponent>ACTUAL</ReferencedComponent>
</SimpleDatum>
<Precedence>
<PrecedenceEnum>TERTIARY</PrecedenceEnum>
</Precedence>
</Datum>
</DatumReferenceFrame>
</DatumReferenceFrames>

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<MeasurementResources>
<MeasurementDevices>
<MeasurementDevice id="12">
<Name>CMM</Name>
</MeasurementDevice>
<MeasurementDevice id="54">
<Name>GAGE PINS</Name>
</MeasurementDevice>
<MeasurementDevice id="63">
<Name>CALIPERS</Name>
</MeasurementDevice>
</MeasurementDevices>
</MeasurementResources>

<ProductGeometriesDefinitions>
<PartGeometriesDefinitions>
<PartGeometryDefinitions id="84">
<PrintedPartDrawing id="3">
<Name>Sheet2_Solid4</Name>
<DrawingNumber>FABCO_58972368</DrawingNumber>
<DrawingVersion>1.2.0.198</DrawingVersion>
<AdditionalChanges>EC1.02</AdditionalChanges>
<Location>Cabinet 17, Drawer 3</Location>
<Description>Sample QIF elements</Description>
</PrintedPartDrawing>
<PartDefinitionId>1</PartDefinitionId>
</PartGeometryDefinitions>
</PartGeometriesDefinitions>
</ProductGeometriesDefinitions>

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<Status>
<InspectionStatusEnum>FAIL</InspectionStatusEnum>
</Status>
<Traceability>
<ManufacturingProcessReference>Press
49</ManufacturingProcessReference>
</Traceability>
<PartDefinitionId>1</PartDefinitionId>
</PartInstance>
</PartInstances>
</Parts>
<RootPartDefinitionId>1</RootPartDefinitionId>
<RootPartInstanceId>2</RootPartInstanceId>
</Products>

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</AdjacentNormal>
</EdgePointFeatureNominal>
<PointFeatureNominal id="15">
<FeatureDefinitionId>14</FeatureDefinitionId>
<Location>
<X>2466.729248046875</X>
<Y>774.26989746093795</Y>
<Z>945.00274658203091</Z>
</Location>
<Normal>
0.731520704665031
<J>0.146124942551</J>
<K>-0.665976696146977</K>
</Normal>
</PointFeatureNominal>
<PointFeatureNominal id="31">
<FeatureDefinitionId>30</FeatureDefinitionId>
<Location>
<X>2536.494873046875</X>
<Y>782.80621337890568</Y>
<Z>920.00219726562511</Z>
</Location>
<Normal>
-0.7609260410224
<J>-0.648538030188332</J>
<K>-0.019747999732021</K>
</Normal>
</PointFeatureNominal>
<CircleFeatureNominal id="43">
<FeatureDefinitionId>42</FeatureDefinitionId>
<Normal>
0.055815021663966
<J>-0.907624351305543</J>
<K>-0.416056150385791</K>
</Normal>
<Location>
<X>2433.974609375</X>
<Y>800.617431640625</Y>
<Z>890.04962158203102</Z>
</Location>
</CircleFeatureNominal>
<CircleFeatureNominal id="57">
<FeatureDefinitionId>56</FeatureDefinitionId>
<Normal>
0.041855011743973
<J>-0.909169210310978</J>
<K>-0.414318120547998</K>

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</Normal>
<Location>
<X>2496.25146484375</X>
<Y>780.84259033203102</Y>
<Z>938.27227783203102</Z>
</Location>
</CircleFeatureNominal>
<CircleFeatureNominal id="73">
<FeatureDefinitionId>72</FeatureDefinitionId>
<Normal>
0.041846787761187
<J>-0.909189553580246</J>
<K>-0.414274307693132</K>
</Normal>
<Location>
<X>2506.6367225154331</X>
<Y>792.99912448828434</Y>
<Z>912.64467696908582</Z>
</Location>
</CircleFeatureNominal>
</FeatureNominals>
<FeatureActuals>
<EdgePointFeatureActual id="7">
<FeatureNominalId>5</FeatureNominalId>
<Location>
<X>2460.7199999999998</X>
<Y>770.62</Y>
<Z>944.98000000000002</Z>
</Location>
<Normal>
-0.735465884156759
<J>-0.307902932144912</J>
<K>0.603560864882807</K>
</Normal>
</EdgePointFeatureActual>
<PointFeatureActual id="17">
<FeatureNominalId>15</FeatureNominalId>
<Location>
<X>2466.9000000000001</X>
<Y>774.30999999999995</Y>
<Z>944.84000000000003</Z>
</Location>
</PointFeatureActual>
<PointFeatureActual id="33">
<FeatureNominalId>31</FeatureNominalId>
<Location>
<X>2537.1700000000001</X>

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<Note>A limit coordinate tolerance</Note>

</Notes>
<Name>3</Name>
<QPId>92de9383-78d1-42fc-8b05-17f110dd41f2</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>3</Designator>
<Criticality>MAJOR</Criticality>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>16</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceId>12</MeasurementDeviceId>
</MeasurementDeviceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>29</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>D3</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</LengthCoordinateCharacteristicInstance>
<PointProfileCharacteristicInstance id="40">
<Notes>
<Note>An offset profile zone +1.0/-0.5 to ABC</Note>
</Notes>
<Name>4</Name>
<QPId>7ad19cce-458a-4d0a-9436-6a2d2683b018</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>4</Designator>
<Criticality>CRITICAL</Criticality>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>32</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceId>12</MeasurementDeviceId>
</MeasurementDeviceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>41</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>B3</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</PointProfileCharacteristicInstance>
<DiameterCharacteristicInstance id="48">
<Notes>
<Note>A bi-directional diameter tolerance</Note>

119 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

</Notes>
<Name>6</Name>
<QPId>4e609ab8-7d1c-4317-9b16-5fea194f9d7e</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>6</Designator>
<Criticality>MINOR</Criticality>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>44</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceId>12</MeasurementDeviceId>
</MeasurementDeviceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>49</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>C1</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</DiameterCharacteristicInstance>
<PositionCharacteristicInstance id="53">
<Notes>
<Note>MMC diametrical position to AB(m)C(m)</Note>
</Notes>
<Name>7</Name>
<QPId>4438e85a-441a-420f-93d8-c6ed52fae87e</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>7</Designator>
<Criticality>CRITICAL</Criticality>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>44</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceId>54</MeasurementDeviceId>
</MeasurementDeviceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>55</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>C1</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</PositionCharacteristicInstance>
<DiameterCharacteristicInstance id="62">
<Notes>
<Note>Limit diameter tolerance with caliper </Note>
</Notes>

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 120

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DRAFT for ANSI balloting

<Name>8</Name>
<QPId>a5a0d3a2-e6c4-4be9-93fe-18ba95d8372c</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>8</Designator>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>58</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceId>63</MeasurementDeviceId>
</MeasurementDeviceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>64</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>C3</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</DiameterCharacteristicInstance>
<PositionCharacteristicInstance id="70">
<Notes>
<Note>RFS position to AD(l)E(l)</Note>
</Notes>
<Name>9</Name>
<QPId>c79e4f25-f235-4886-88a3-b8a2eeaba096</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>9</Designator>
<Criticality>MINOR</Criticality>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>58</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceId>12</MeasurementDeviceId>
</MeasurementDeviceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>71</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>C3</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</PositionCharacteristicInstance>
<DiameterCharacteristicInstance id="78">
<Name>10</Name>
<QPId>ee9bb7c3-31fb-40a4-841d-4f1b9fc885bd</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>10</Designator>
<Criticality>REF</Criticality>

121 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>74</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>79</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>B2</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</DiameterCharacteristicInstance>
<DistanceBetweenCharacteristicInstance id="82">
<Notes>
<Note>Distance between HOLE1 and HOLE2</Note>
</Notes>
<Name>DIST1</Name>
<QPId>3e6797f5-b443-4b15-9108-055190223837</QPId>
<KeyCharacteristic>
<Designator>11</Designator>
<Criticality>MINOR</Criticality>
</KeyCharacteristic>
<FeatureInstanceIds>
<FeatureInstanceId>58</FeatureInstanceId>
<FeatureInstanceId>44</FeatureInstanceId>
</FeatureInstanceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceIds>
<MeasurementDeviceId>12</MeasurementDeviceId>
</MeasurementDeviceIds>
<CharacteristicActualId>83</CharacteristicActualId>
<LocationOnDrawing>
<DrawingId>3</DrawingId>
<SheetNumber>SHEET1</SheetNumber>
<DrawingZone>B2</DrawingZone>
</LocationOnDrawing>
</DistanceBetweenCharacteristicInstance>
</CharacteristicInstances>
</Characteristics>

</MeasurementResults>

* end of sample file *

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 122

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

DRAFT for ANSI balloting

Annex B - DMSC Volunteer Agreement

(informative)

DMSC volunteer agreement: “You hereby agree, by your participation in any activity of this
standards committee (including committee meeting attendance, email exchanges, phone
conversations, or document generation), that you will not disclose any corporate confidential
information or corporate trade secrets either verbally or in writing. Furthermore, any
information disclosed to you in any activity of this standards committee, or disclosed to you in
documents produced by this committee, will be provided to you for the sole purpose of
establishing an industry-wide standard pursuant to the procedures prescribed by ANSI and
ISO. You therefore agree not to use this information, or to collaborate in its use, in any manner
that might suggest you have any proprietary rights to such information, such as rights to a
patent, trademark, or copyright.”

123 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

Annex C - Roadmap for next design phase of QIF

(informative)

C-1 QIF Information Model

Figure C.1 shows a high level view of the future roadmap of the QIF Applications information
models, as the QIF Metrology Life Saver diagram. At its core is the reusable QIF Library which
contains components that are referenced throughout the comprehensive quality information
model thereby ensuring interoperability and extensibility. Around the QIF Lifesaver core are the
QIF application areas. The two major QIF application areas being progressed for this standard
release are the QMPlans model and the QMResults model, both of which reuse the QIF Library
information.

In calendar year 2013 the DMSC's QMDirectives Working Group began developing the Product
Definition with Product and Manufacturing Information (PDPMI) information model. The PDPMI
information model will transfer digital model-based product definition with PMI data using
information items in the QIF Library (for example, feature, characteristic, and product). Once
that PDPMI information has been represented in XML using information items in the QIF
Library, QMPlans and other applications will be able to take advantage of it. However this does
not preclude a QMPlans system from using the PDPMI information directly or require that a
PDPMI XML file be the Model-Based Definition used by a plan.

The QMResources information model will include hardware and software resources available,
either serial-number specific, or generic, that can be harnessed to meet the inspection
requirements.

The QMRules information model will include, for each possible feature type on a part, the
information elements required to fully specify and constrain the measurement on that feature
type. The information elements will include things like measurement point density, measurement
path constraints, sensor types, and measurement throughput constraints

The QMStatistics scope will include summary statistics, typically from multiple parts and
features, of quality measurements of dimensional and non-dimensional entities. Subjects out of
scope include individual raw measurement values.

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 124

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

DRAFT for ANSI balloting

Figure C.1 – QIF Information Architecture

C-2 Model-based quality metrology activity diagram

Figure C.2 shows a Model-Based Quality Metrology activity flow diagram. New QIF interfaces
identified include: PDPMI (Product Definition with Product & Manufacturing Information (PMI)),
QMResources, QMRules, and QMStatistics. An additional interface that the DMSC has
identified for modernization is the current Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard (DMIS).

This diagram is very similar to Figure 2, except that some of the information flow arrows have
been replaced by one of the four future QIF information specifications.

The activity that generates QMResources is not shown, but can be named as Define
Measurement Resources. This activity defines hardware and software resources available,
either serial-number specific, or generic, that can be harnessed to meet the inspection
requirements. The scope of the QMResources application area includes:
 definition of resources both hardware and software,
 DMEs,
 application software,
 fixtures,
 go-no-go gages,
 manual instruments.
The QMResources data format can be used to specify resources in context of an inspection
plan, or the resources actually used in an inspection.

125 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

The activity that generates QMRules is not shown, but can be named as Define Measurement
Rules. This activity generates e.g., practices required by a company at the inspection level.
QMRules information model scope: For each possible feature type on a part, QMRules will
define the information elements required to fully specify and constrain the measurement on that
feature type. The information elements will include things like measurement point density,
measurement path constraints, sensor types, and measurement throughput constraints.
Information areas that are in scope include:
 Product measurement path and sampling method for each product feature type
 Product measurement constraints and requirements
 Rule ID and corporate ownership
 Throughput constraints

Figure C.2 – QIF Model-Based Quality Workflow

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 126

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

DRAFT for ANSI balloting

Annex D - Another view of QIF V1.0 workflow

(informative)

This workflow model is an example of possible QIF workflow, and portrays a slightly different
view than shown in Figure 1. QIF was designed to not restrict information flow architecture;
usage can be determined by users. However the content of QMPlans and QMResults instance
files is rigidly defined by their information models and the rules in the XML schema files. We
model a manufacturing quality system in six components as shown in Figure D.1. Product
Definition, Quality Requirements Definition, Measurement Planning, Measurement
Programming, Measurement Execution, and Quality Results Analysis and Reporting. Figure D.1
shows an example of data flow using QIF formats.

Figure D.1. Example of QIF V1.0 Workflow. The QIF Library defines data elements that may
be shared among the application areas QMPlans and QMResults. DMIS is not a QIF
specification, but QIF has been harmonized with DMIS to ensure that QMPlans can express all
data needed to generate DMIS files, and that all data defined in DMIS can be expressed using
QMResults instance files.

Product Definition generates a part design, typically using computer aided design (CAD)
software. The part design may contain PMI.

Quality Requirements Definition adds additional PMI to the part design data if needed. PMI
commonly includes information such as material, surface texture, roughness, color, hardness,
and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) information. GD&T includes associations
between geometric elements of the product and dimensions, tolerances, and datums.

127 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

The Measurement Planning activity takes into consideration the availability of quality
measurement resources and rules, to generate measurement plans formatted according to the
QMPlans information model. These high level plans identify the measurement features and
their characteristics. The plans may also specify the measuring sequence and resources to be
used, but are not required to do so. The QIF Part 3 document describes the QMPlans
information model in detail. In general, the scope of the QMPlans application area includes all
product characteristic and quality management information required by quality measurement
programs to be executed on quality measurement equipment. QMPlans V1.0 consists of
product characteristics, features, and associated tolerance values and does not include all
information necessary to create a quality program; QMPlans V1.0 does not include information
on measurement rules. Information that is in scope for QMPlans V1.0 includes:
 Dimensional product information, e.g., geometric features, measurement features,
nominal dimensions, measurement features, and tolerance values
 Non-dimensional product information, e.g., product IDs, customer information, key
contact, temperature, reflectance, and malleability
 Product characteristics
 Traceability values and pointers
 Work instructions
 CAD entity relationships

The Measurement Programming activity assigns inspection operations to specific resources and
generates programs that are compatible with those resources. The programs are machine-level
measurement programs, formatted according to DMIS or some other measurement
programming language, that provide detailed measurement operation information (e.g., probing
points, scanning routes).

An example of user defined flow of QIF information not shown in Figure D.1 is the direct use by
a human inspector of a QMPlans file to inspect a part. The operator makes the decisions of
Measurement Programming like selecting the inspection device (e.g., caliper, fixtures, go-no go
gages) and generating the inspection details (e.g., number of points, placement of
measurements).

Part inspection is carried out by the Measurement Execution activity, whose responsibility is
typically to interpret the machine-level measurement programs, give equipment level commands
to specific coordinate measuring machine (CMM) control units, collect point data, fit features to
data, and output feature and characteristic data formatted according to the QMResults
information model. Measurement Execution can also include software solutions that issue
instructions to human operators using calipers, go/no-go gauges, and specialized inspection
equipment, and generate results data in QMResults format. Actual measurement values may
be numerical or non-numerical. Measurement results may include not only raw measurement
values, but also summary statistical or derived results (e.g., cylinder radius with standard
deviation). Measurement results may also include description of the algorithmic means (e.g.,
QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 128

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

DRAFT for ANSI balloting

least squares) by which the derived results are calculated. All necessary nominal (as designed)
target values may also be included to allow reanalysis. Any other information relevant to the
measurements is also in scope. This includes information such as the shift, the equipment
operator’s name, a description of the item measured, the date and time of the measurement,
etc.

129 QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013)

QIF v1.0 Quality Information Framework

Draft for ANSI balloting

Bibliography
[1] SAE AS9102a (2004-01), Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirement

[2] Walmsley, Priscilla., 2002. Definitive XML Schema. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ,
USA.

QIF v1.0 – Proposed (ANSI/QIF Part 1 – 2013) 130

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