Table of Contents

Inserting Move Commands ............................................................................................. 1

Inserting Move Commands: Introduction ..................................................................... 1

Inserting a Move Point Command................................................................................ 1

Move ........................................................................................................................ 4

Offset Move .............................................................................................................. 5

Show Move in Machine Coordinates ........................................................................ 6

Store Move............................................................................................................... 6

OK to Move .............................................................................................................. 6

Learn During Execution............................................................................................ 6

Inserting a Clearance Plane ........................................................................................ 7

Inserting a Move Clear Plane Command ..................................................................... 8

Inserting a Move Circular Command ........................................................................... 9

Inserting a Move Sync Command .............................................................................. 10

Inserting a Move Sweep Command ........................................................................... 10

Inserting a Move All Command.................................................................................. 12

Inserting a Move Rotary Table Command ................................................................. 12

Inserting a Move Exclusion Zone Command ............................................................. 13

Defining a Move Exclusion Zone ............................................................................ 14

Move Exclusion Zones with Iterative Alignments ................................................... 16

Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically .................................................................. 17

Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically .............................................................. 17

Clearance Moves Menu Items................................................................................ 17

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 Table of Contents

Using Auto Insert Moves ........................................................................................ 20

Inserting a Clear Point Move ..................................................................................... 23

Inserting Clearance Moves with Collision Detection .................................................. 24

ii
Inserting Move Commands
Inserting Move Commands: Introduction
This chapter discusses the various move commands that you can place in your
measurement routine. Move commands provide you with the ability to alter the
movement of the probe between hits.

The main topics covered in this chapter reflect the move commands that you can insert
from the Insert | Move submenu and any other move commands. These topics include:

• Inserting a Move Point Command

• Inserting a Move Increment Command
• Inserting a Clearance Plane
• Inserting a Move Clear Plane Command
• Inserting a Move Circular Command
• Inserting a Move Sync Command
• Inserting a Move Sweep Command
• Inserting a Move All Command
• Inserting a Move Rotary Table Command
• Inserting a Move Exclusion Zone Command
• Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically
• Inserting a Clear Point Move
• Inserting Clearance Moves with Collision Detection

Inserting a Move Point Command

You can use the Move Point command to insert a move point into your measurement
routine. When PC-DMIS encounters this command, the probe moves to that XYZ
location.

To use this option, select Insert | Move | Move Point or Operation | Move To.

• On the Insert | Move menu, there are two Move Point commands. The first
Move Point automatically inserts a move point command at the current probe
location. You need to modify the XYZ values in the Edit window.
• If you selected Operation | Move To, or if you selected the second Insert |
Move | Move Point menu, PC-DMIS displays the Move Point dialog box. With

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 Inserting Move Commands

this dialog box, you can fill out the information before PC-DMIS inserts the
command.

If you attempt to insert the move point in a location that PC-DMIS does not allow, the
software asks you if you want to insert the move point at the next valid location.

The Edit window command line for a sample Move Point reads:

MOVE/POINT tog1,<x,y,z>

tog1 - This field displays either NORMAL or RELEARN.

x,y,z - These fields display the move point location. The location is always
displayed using the current part alignment's coordinates.

To change the values that appear in the Edit window, select the desired value and type
a new value, or press F9 on the command to open the Move point dialog box.

Move Point dialog box

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Inserting a Move Point Command

This dialog box provides you with a more user-friendly way of creating or editing the
MOVE/POINT command as well as additional options for the move point. These options
are discussed in the topics listed below.

When you insert a MOVE/POINT command, PC-DMIS automatically marks it for

execution.

Using Move Points While Animating

If you select this menu option during probe path animation with the CMM, PC-DMIS
always asks whether to insert the move before or after the current position. The current
position appears in the status bar.

Inserting Move Points from the Status Bar

You can also insert a move point can while the system is in Program mode. To insert it,
place the cursor on the status bar over the readouts and click the left mouse button.

Inserting Move Points from the Jog Box

You can press the PRINT button on the jog box (on Sharpe32 systems) while in Learn
mode to automatically insert a move into the measurement routine. The PrintButton
registry entry must be set to TRUE for this to work.

Moving In Only 1 or 2 Axes

In the Edit window in Command mode, you can set one of the axis values to blank
(which means that you completely delete the value) to give the axis a relative move of
zero during measurement routine execution. This essentially lets you have a hybrid
relative and absolute move point behavior using the MOVE/POINT command.

This feature only works fully in Command mode. If you use Summary mode to do this,
the field disappears from the Edit window. If you want to then set it back to a number
value, you need to set it in Command mode.

For example, suppose that you want to move in only two axes. Create an
Edge Point feature followed by a MOVE/POINT command. Execute the measurement
routine. Now, delete the X value of the command and execute the measurement routine
again. There won't be any X component in the move point motion, regardless of where
you take the edge point.

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 Inserting Move Commands

Move

Move area

The Move area contains XYZ boxes that display the X, Y, and Z nominal for the position
of the MOVE/POINT or the increment distance of the MOVE/INCREMENT command.

To change the X, Y, or Z value:

1. Select the value that you want to change.

2. Type a new value.

After you enter a new value, PC-DMIS draws the animated probe at the new location.
This location indicates the location of the stored move. When you click the Create
button, PC-DMIS inserts the Move command and positions the CMM to the location that
you specified. If you created an offset move, it updates the values in the XYZ boxes to
match the computed offset location.

The Cartesian/Polar icon switches the display of the X, Y, and Z values between
the Cartesian and Polar coordinate systems. The XYZ labels display RAH when you
switch to Polar.

The Read Pos button reads the current position of the probe and places those values in
the X, Y, and Z boxes. This is helpful if you have manually moved your probe to a new
location and you want to use its current position as your move point.

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Inserting a Move Point Command

Offset Move

Offset Move area

The Offset Move area lets you create move points offset from a selected CAD point or
from a selected feature's centroid.

Offset - This box determines the offset distance from the CAD point or feature
centroid. The unit of measurement is the same as your measurement routine. The
default is 50 mm or 1.96 inches.

Offset from CAD - If you select this option and click on the CAD, PC-DMIS
computes the move point at the selected point on the surface and offsets the
move point by the specified distance.

• If you clear the Offset Along Tip Vector check box, PC-DMIS creates the
move point offset away from the surface along the surface's normal vector.
• If you select the Offset Along Tip Vector check box, PC-DMIS creates
the move point in the direction of the probe tip's vector.

Offset from Feature - If you select this option and click on a feature, PC-DMIS
computes the move point by the offset distance at the feature's centroid.

• If you clear the Offset Along Tip Vector check box, PC-DMIS creates the
move point offset in the direction of the feature's vector.
• If you select the Offset Along Tip Vector check box, PC-DMIS creates
the move point in the direction of the probe tip's vector.

Offset Along Tip Vector - You can select this check box to offset the move point
along the active tip's vector. If you clear the check box, PC-DMIS offsets the move
point along either the CAD's surface vector or along the feature's vector.

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 Inserting Move Commands

Different feature types have different vectors. When the software offsets along
a vector of the feature, PC-DMIS uses the vector that gives the best representation of
being "outward" from the surface of the part.

Show Move in Machine Coordinates

• If you mark the Show Move In Machine Coordinates check box, PC-DMIS
displays the move point's location in the dialog box in machine coordinates.
• If you clear the Show Move In Machine Coordinates check box, PC-DMIS
displays the move point's location in the dialog box in the current part alignment's
coordinates.

This does not affect how the command appears; the command always appears with the
current part alignment's coordinates.

Store Move
If you mark the Store Move check box, PC-DMIS inserts the appropriate move
command (MOVE/POINT or MOVE/INCREMENT) for the given X, Y, Z values into the
measurement routine.

OK to Move
If you select the OK to Move check box, PC-DMIS immediately moves the probe to the
X, Y, Z position (or by the X,Y,Z increment amount) when you click OK or Create. This
allows you to position the CMM without storing the move.

This option fills in the X, Y, Z values with the current position of the probe.

Learn During Execution

If you mark the Learn During Execution check box, PC-DMIS moves to and relearns
the XYZ point location that appears in the Move Point dialog box during execution. You
must also mark the Store Move check box for this command to work. For information,
see "Store Move".

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Inserting a Clearance Plane

The Edit window command line for a move point that PC-DMIS relearns during
measurement routine execution would read:
MOVE/POINT, RELEARN

The Insert | Move | Move Increment menu option displays the Move Increment dialog
box. You can use this dialog box to define the move increment command before you
insert the command into your measurement routine.

Move Increment dialog box

When you click OK, PC-DMIS inserts the Move Increment command.

The Edit window command line for a Move Increment would read:
MOVE/INCREMENT, x, y, z

When PC-DMIS encounters this command, it moves the probe the indicated XYZ
distance (not an XYZ location as in a MOVE/POINT command). You must select the
Store Move check box for this command to appear in the Edit window.

For descriptions of the Move area and the Store Move and Ok to Move check boxes,
see the same topics under the Move Point dialog box above.

Inserting a Clearance Plane

The CLEARP command (Insert | Parameter Change | Clearance Planes) allows you to
define a clearance plane value for the current workplane. Clearance planes, in essence,
create an envelope around a part where the probe will always travel to when it moves
from one feature to another.

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 Inserting Move Commands

The Clearance Plane tab of the Parameters dialog box allows you to turn clearance
planes on globally. The CLEARP command only defines the clearance plane for the first
hit of a feature. To set additional clearance planes for a feature, open a new line at the
desired location, and type the command: CLEARP.

For an in-depth discussion on how to define and work with clearance planes, see
"Parameter Settings: Clearance Plane tab" in the "Setting Your Preferences" chapter.

Inserting a Move Clear Plane Command

The Insert | Move | Move Clearplane command allows you to insert the
MOVE/CLEARPLANE command between blocks and within features.

A MOVE/CLEARPLANE command works in conjunction with a preceding CLEARP/

command and a following motion command to move to a clearance plane. The
MOVE/CLEARPLANE command gives permission for the next move, measure, tip
selection, or auto feature command to move to the predefined clearance plane prior to
execution.

The probe remains at the clearance plane until a command is encountered that moves
the probe away from the clearance plane, such as a MEAS HIT, or MOVE/POINT
command. If you want the probe to move to the clearance plane before each hit of a
measured feature, then a MOVE/CLEARPLANE command must be inserted directly
before each HIT/ command.

PC-DMIS searches for the clearance plane definition. For this command to work, the
parameters must have already been set.

To set the parameters for a Clearplane command:

1. Access the Parameter Settings dialog box (Edit | Preferences | Parameters).

2. Select the Clearance Plane tab.
3. Type the distance for the Value box in the Active Plane area.
4. Type the distance for the clearance plane in the Value box of the Pass Through
area.
5. Select the Clearance Planes Active check box.
6. Click the OK button.

If the parameters have not been set, PC-DMIS displays an error message.

The Edit window command line for a sample Move Clearplane would read:
MOVE/CLEARPLANE

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Inserting a Move Circular Command

For an in-depth discussion on how to define and work with clearance planes, see
"Parameter Settings: Clearance Plane tab" in the "Setting Your Preferences" chapter.

Inserting a Move Circular Command

The Insert | Move | Move Circular option allows you to insert a MOVE/CIRCULAR
command at the cursor's location in the Edit window.

When PC-DMIS encounters this command, the probe follows a circular path when it
takes the next hit. It moves from one point to another in a circular fashion based on the
radius of the feature you are measuring.

By taking a circular path, the probe may avoid colliding with certain features that would
otherwise be in the way of the standard straight line path. For example, if you are
measuring a hole that has a square pin inside, that pin may block your probe path
unless you use Move Circular.

A - Circular path avoids inside feature

B - Normal path collides with inside feature
C - Probe Hits
D - Probe Path

Overall, this command has very specific uses, although using it to measure a pin
speeds up measurement somewhat since PC-DMIS doesn't have to move as far away
from its last hit.

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 Inserting Move Commands

Inserting a Move Sync Command

Multiple arm measurement routines have commands that control multiple arms. Each
machine executes these commands separately, keeping both arms moving.

The Insert | Move | Move Sync menu option allows you to insert a MOVE/SYNC
command into the Edit window.

Using this command on dual-arm machines allows you to synchronize the motion of the
arms. Whichever arm reaches the MOVE/SYNC command in the measurement routine
first will stop and wait until the other arm also arrives before they proceed together with
the rest of the measurement routine.

Inserting a Move Sweep Command

The Insert | Move | Move Sweep menu item inserts the following sweep block into the
Edit window.

SWEEPSTART/
MOVE/SWEEP
SWEEPEND/

Movement commands that inside of SWEEPSTART and SWEEPEND command block

cause the probe to move in all five axes simultaneously. This occurs if you are using a
PHS wrist for a Sharpe32Z controller. Three of these axes are the X, Y, and Z axes.
These are used when moving the machine itself. The other two axes refer to the probe's
AB angle movement.

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Inserting a Move Sweep Command

This command only functions with a continuous type wrist (CW43, CW43Light,
or PHS) and only with a Renishaw SP600 or Wolf & Beck OTM3 laser probe. Probe
devices such as those from Perceptron may also function. However, since SP600s
aren't usually sold with infinitely indexing wrist devices, this functionality is very much
limited to the OTM3 laser probe.

Movement in these five axes takes place simultaneously. This differs from a PH9 wrist,
which must first move the machine in the X, Y, and Z axes. Then, when the machine
stops, the probe orientation (AB angles) moves.

Suppose your current CMM 's position is 10, 10, 10 (in X, Y, and Z), and your
wrist's orientation (AB position) is 0, 0. Next, suppose you wanted to move the CMM to
20, 20, 20 and the probe's orientation to 0, 180. A PHS wrist using Move Sweep
commands, could accomplish both movements simultaneously. A PH9 wrist, however,
would first move the CMM and then the wrist orientation.

For comparison:

• A PH9 wrist is able to move between 0º to 110º in the A axis and +180º to -180º
in the B axis.
• A PHS wrist is able to move between -180º and +180º in both the A and B axes
at .1 degree increments.

Advantages of using MOVE/SWEEP commands include:

• A much more fluid movement. This makes it easier to measure hard to reach
features.
• Saved time. You don't need to wait for the CMM's ram and arm to move to the X,
Y, and Z location before changing the Probe's orientation.
• A slight improvement in accuracy from reduced vibration.

PC-DMIS requires at least three MOVE/SWEEP commands between the

SWEEPSTART/ and SWEEPEND/ command block. These move commands are essential
to generate the elliptical movement path.

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 Inserting Move Commands

Inserting a Move All Command

The MOVE/ALL command will function with any motorized probe head - continuous or indexing -
and any probe combination.

The Insert | Move | Move All menu option inserts a MOVE/ALL command into the Edit
window.

A MOVE/ALL command is the same as a MOVE/POINT command combined with a TIP /

command. This command has the benefit of rotating the probe head together with
machine movement.

When using a wrist device (PHS, CW43L, or CW43) this movement is synchronized
such that the wrist's AB movement will start and end its motion at the same time that the
machine starts and ends the X,Y, and Z movement.

When using this command with an indexable wrist such as a PH10M, this movement
cannot be synchronized and will occur at an unspecified time during the machine
movement (depending on time delays in the signal processing of the electronic
hardware). Because of this, the AB wrist movement may not always complete by the
time the machine performs the X, Y, and Z move.

The Edit window command looks like this:

MOVE/ALL,X,Y,Z,TIP=T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0

• X,Y,Z allow you to specify the X, Y, and Z coordinates to which to move the
probe.
• TIP= T1A0B0 shows the AB wrist movement to perform.
• SHANKIJK = IJK allows you to specify the shank 's vector.
• ANGLE=0 specifies the theoretical angle.

Note that the probe head angle is usually be a predefined TIP position.

Inserting a Move Rotary Table Command

The Insert | Move | Move Rotary Table menu item allows you insert a MOVE/ROTAB
command at the cursor's current location.

Command line in the Edit window:

MOVE/ROTAB,angle,DIRECTION,feature

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Inserting a Move Exclusion Zone Command

Command line with a stacked configuration:

MOVE/ROTAB, angle, DIRECTION, angle2, DIRECTION2,feature

Direction = determines the direction of the table rotation. The available options are:

Clockwise
Rotates the table in a clockwise direction until it reaches the angle entered in the
Rotate Table Angle box.

Counterclockwise
Rotates the table in a counterclockwise direction until it reaches the angle entered
in the Rotate Table Angle box.

Shortest
Rotates taking the shortest route (either clockwise or counterclockwise) until it
reaches the angle entered in the Rotate Table Angle box.

angle and angle2 = the relative offset angle used to rotate the table.

feature = the feature or alignment to which that the table will rotate to.

When PC-DMIS encounters this command, it rotates the table to a position determined
by whichever MOVE/ROTAB command is active. If both an angle and a feature are
defined, PC-DMIS rotates to an angle which is the sum of the angle to rotate the defined
feature to +Z and the offset angle.

Consider a measurement routine that has multiple different MOVE/ROTAB

commands. If you click on a particular portion of the measurement routine and select
the Move Rotary Table menu option, PC-DMIS rotates the table to the position
determined by whichever MOVE/ROTAB command is active at that point in the
measurement routine.

This menu option is only available if your LMS license or portlock is configured for rotary
tables.

Inserting a Move Exclusion Zone

Command
The Insert | Move | Exclusion Zone menu option allows you to insert a move exclusion
zone so that the two arms on a dual arm system don't collide with each other.

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 Inserting Move Commands

Selecting this option opens the Move Exclusion Zone dialog box.

Move Exclusion Zone dialog box

You can use this dialog box to insert a MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE command into the Edit
window.

The MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE command applies to either the Arm1 or the Arm2.

Before PC-DMIS executes this command, it makes sure that the arm assigned to the
command has not already requested an exclusive move zone that overlaps with the
new request.

If there is a conflict of movement, the MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE command waits until

the arm assigned to the command has released the commanded volume, and then it
proceeds to execute the motion commands listed below the MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE
command.

Defining a Move Exclusion Zone

There are some things to keep in mind when you define an exclusion zone (Insert |
Move | Exclusion Zone menu option):

• There needs to be a MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE command before each section of

motion commands in the measurement routine that commands either arm into
the overlapping region of the dual arm volume. The MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE
command should define a 3D box around all the motion that is about to be
commanded in the overlapped area of the dual-arm CMM.
• There must be an MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=OFF command after the probe has
been withdrawn from the overlapped part of the dual-arm CMM.

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Inserting a Move Exclusion Zone Command

For example, if you want each arm to check a common sphere using automatic sphere
commands, you should set up the measurement routine like this:

MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=ON (for Arm 1)

AUTO/SPHERE (for Arm 1)
MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=OFF (for Arm 1)
MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=ON (for Arm 2)
AUTO/SPHERE (for Arm 2)
MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=OFF (for Arm 2)

The following steps describe how to define the exclusion zone.

Step 1 Enable the Exclusion Zone

Select the Use exclusion zone check box. This allows you to edit the X, Y, and Z
values under the Corner point #1 and Corner point #2 options.

Alternately, if you click on an already inserted MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE command in

the Edit window and press the F9 key, the Move Exclusion Zone dialog box opens,
and you are able to select or deselect this check box.

• If this box is selected when you click the OK button, PC-DMIS will display the
following command in the Edit window:
MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=ON, CORNER1=x,y,z,CORNER2=x,y,z
• If this box is not selected when you click the OK button, PC-DMIS will display the
following command in the Edit window:
MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=OFF

Step 2 Enter Corner Point Values

Type the X, Y, and Z values for Corner point #1 and Corner point #2. You can read in
the probe's current into the selected corner point by clicking the Read Position button.

Defining two corners sets up the exclusion zone; be sure to select the corner points that
will correctly define the exclusion zone. The two points (corner 1 and corner 2)
represent two corners that are diagonal from each other.

A rectangular zone can be created in 3D space from two points if you use the current
coordinate system to create the sides. A combination of different parts of the two points
can construct the eight points needed to form the rectangular area.

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 Inserting Move Commands

First corner = X1, Y1, Z1

Second corner = X2, Y2, Z2
Third corner = X1, Y1, Z2
Forth corner = X1, Y2, Z1
Fifth corner = X1, Y2, Z2
Sixth corner = X2, Y1, Z1
Seventh corner = X2, Y1, Z2
Eight corner = X2, Y2, Z1

Step 3 Click OK

Finish defining the Exclusion Zone by clicking the OK button. PC-DMIS then places the
defined information into the Edit window, which reads:
MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE=TOG1,CORNER1=X,Y,Z,CORNER2=X,Y,Z

TOG1
This defines whether the exclusion zone is in effect or not. This toggle field
switches between ON and OFF.

X, Y, Z
These coordinates define the corner points used to form the exclusion zone.

To close the dialog box without making any changes to your measurement routine, click
the Cancel button.

Move Exclusion Zones with Iterative Alignments

If you use exclusion zones (Insert | Move | Exclusion Zone) with iterative alignments,
PC-DMIS automatically computes the starting and ending lines of the measurement
routine that are to be re-executed. This means that PC-DMIS ends execution at the last
feature used as part of the iterative alignment. This could prevent an arm from releasing
the exclusion zone to the other arm, which thereby stops the measurement routine.

To resolve this, insert a start label for the iterative alignment. PC-DMIS executes from
the label to the command just in front of the iterative alignment, which causes the arms
to release the exclusion zone.

See "Start Label" under "Description of the Iterative Alignment Dialog Box" for
information on how to use a start label with iterative alignments.

16
Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically

Inserting Clearance Moves

Automatically
Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically
Once you import or create features and perform a path optimization, you need to ensure
that your probe won't collide with your part during measurement. PC-DMIS contains
menu options in the Operation | Graphic Display Window | Clearance Moves
submenu that insert clearance moves automatically as MOVE/POINT commands to help
avoid unintentional collisions with the part. These menu items under the Clearance
Moves submenu are discussed below.

For more information on how to detect collisions, see "Detecting Collisions" in the
"Editing the CAD Display" chapter.

Clearance Moves Menu Items

These are the menu items under the Operation | Graphic Display Window |
Clearance Moves submenu:

Auto Insert Moves

The Auto Insert Moves menu option (Operation | Graphic Display Window |
Clearance Moves | Auto Insert Moves) opens the Auto Insert Moves dialog box. You
can use this dialog box to add clearance moves (MOVE/POINT commands) between all
features or between selected features. For information on how to do this, see the "Using
Auto Insert Moves" topic below.

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 Inserting Move Commands

Auto Create Clearance Moves dialog box

When you click OK, PC-DMIS inserts the MOVE/POINT commands.

PC-DMIS does not place move commands prior to the first feature; make sure
there is a clear path between the probe's start position and the first feature.

All features - PC-DMIS places the move commands between all features.

Selected features - PC-DMIS places the move commands between a range of two
features that you can select from this area. The Starting feature and Ending feature
lists beneath this option show the features. (You can also select the two features from
the Edit window before you open this dialog box.)

Maximum move length - This value defines the maximum length of a move. This value
is in mm or inches, based on the measurement routine's units. This means any
MOVE/POINT commands that the algorithm calculates to move the probe from one
location to another cannot exceed this value.

PC-DMIS attempts to go directly to the next feature, but compensates for collisions by
inserting clearance move commands. It continues this process until it defines a collision
free path to the next feature. More than one move command may be inserted between
features. The higher the value, the lower the amount of time PC-DMIS spends
calculating these moves. The recommended value is 100 mm (3.93 inches).

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Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically

Delete existing moves - This determines whether to delete any pre-existing move
commands in the measurement routine.

For dual-arm measurement routines, PC-DMIS inserts

MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE commands as needed to guard against the two arms
colliding during execution.

Advanced Settings

Minimum Solution time (sec) - This value is the minimum number of seconds that the
algorithm uses to plan a move between two feature commands. A higher value
increases the accuracy of the move, but it also increases the computation time. The
recommended value is 1 second.

Maximum solution time (sec) - This value is the maximum number of seconds that the
algorithm uses to plan a move between two feature commands. A higher value
increases the accuracy of the move, but it also increases the computation time. The
recommended value is 3 seconds.

Bounding box offset - This value defines the range of space that the algorithm uses to
calculate its moves. This value is in mm or inches, based on the measurement routine's
units.

If you load in an animated machine, the software changes this to match the machine's
working volume. If you don't use an animated machine, the software adds this value to
the CAD model's existing bounding box offsets. The recommended value is 1000 mm
(39.3 inches).

Within Feature

This menu item (Operation | Graphic Display Window | Clearance Moves | Within
Feature) only works in QuickFeatures mode. If the menu item is selected with a check
box and you create a QuickFeature, PC-DMIS checks the probe path inside the feature
and adds clearance moves as needed within the feature. This is different from the With
Feature Creation menu item below, which adds clearance moves between features.

With Feature Creation

You can choose With Feature Creation menu item (Operation | Graphic Display
Window | Clearance Moves | With Feature Creation) to enable it or disable it. The
menu item shows checkmark when enabled.

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 Inserting Move Commands

With this menu item enabled, PC-DMIS uses a simple algorithm to automatically insert
MOVE/POINT commands as you add features to the measurement routine. The angle
between the features must be within a range of 30 to 150 degrees. The algorithm
cannot solve anything outside this range. For example, two circle features at different
depths but on the same face, results in a 0 degree angle between them and can't be
solved. When inserting the move commands, this menu item behaves similarly to the
Auto Insert Moves dialog box and uses one feature above and below the newly
inserted feature as the start and end features. This menu item also uses the distance
defined in the CollisionMoveClearanceInMM registry entry.

The QuickFeatures menu item activates a new algorithm to generate safe clearance
moves as you add QuickFeatures. Automatic safe moves between features that use
different probe tip angles are not yet supported. You must manually define those
moves.

This functions only in Offline mode.

With Collision Detection

The With Collision Detection menu item is not supported for QuickFeatures.

The With Feature Creation menu item (Operation | Graphic Display Window |
Clearance Moves | With Feature Creation) must be selected for this to become
enabled. The menu item shows checkmark when enabled.

If you enable the With Collision Detection menu item, the software extends the
functionality of With Feature Creation so that you aren't limited by the angle restrictions
between features. PC-DMIS uses the collision detection algorithm to detect collisions
instead of the simple algorithm. It provides clearance moves between the range of
features. For each collision found, it then inserts the appropriate clearance moves.

Using Auto Insert Moves

This procedure helps you insert safe clearance moves for your probe between all
features or some features in your measurement routine. This procedure uses
information discussed in the "Auto Insert Moves" subtopic in the "Clearance Moves
Menu Items" topic above. Refer to that subtopic if you need more information on
anything in this procedure.

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Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically

1. Choose Operation | Graphic Display Window | Clearance Moves | Auto

Insert Moves. The software opens the Auto Insert Moves dialog box.

Auto Insert Moves dialog box

2. From the Auto Insert Moves dialog box, define whether to insert moves
between All features or between a range of Selected features.
3. If you choose Selected features, define a range between two features. Use the
Starting feature and Ending feature lists to choose the two features.
4. If you want a different maximum distance value for your moves, you can modify
the default Maximum Move Length value. The higher the value, the lower the
amount of time PC-DMIS spends calculating these moves.
5. If you want to delete all existing moves in your measurement routine before this
routine inserts new move commands, move the Delete existing moves switch to
on.
6. If you need to make changes to the Advanced Settings, expand Advanced
Settings, and make your changes.
7. Click OK to start the move insertion process. The software's algorithm calculates
and generates safe moves between the features. Once it finishes, it shows a
Safe Moves Insertion Report dialog box.

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 Inserting Move Commands

You can press ESC at any time during the generation process to cancel
the process and remove any moves the software inserted.

8. From the Safe Moves Insertion Report dialog box, hover you pointer over the
items to review the results. Then click OK to close the dialog box.

Safe Moves Insertion Report dialog box

If the Safe Moves Insertion Report failed to find a solution between

features, you may need to increase the Bounding box offset size under
Advanced Settings. You may also need to increase the solution times. You can
do that by increasing the Minimum solution time (sec) and Maximum solution
time (sec) values.

If the results say you have an invalid start or target command position, this may be
due to an incorrect probe tip assigned to measure those commands.

Diagram of MOVE/POINT Calculations

This diagram shows where PC-DMIS calculates a MOVE/POINT command between two
hits:

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Inserting a Clear Point Move

 Hit1 - The last hit

 P1 - Offset point from Hit1 in vector direction
 Hit2 - The new hit
 P2 - Offset point from Hit2 in vector direction. This is the created MOVE/POINT.
 Yellow Plane - The plane through P1
 Blue Plane - The plane through P2
 P1’ - Projected P1 in the vector direction of P2
 P2’ - Projected P2 in the vector direction of P1
 PS - Symmetry Point between P1’ and P2’: This is the new move point.

If the angle between the vector of Hit1 and the vector of Hit2 is bigger then 150°, no
move point is needed.

Inserting a Clear Point Move

The Insert | Move | Clear Point menu option inserts a MOVE/CLEARPOINT command
into the Edit window. This command, when executed, moves to the clear point position
that is defined in the Clear Point tab of the Parameter Settings dialog box. In addition,
it uses the move sequence defined in the Clear Point tab to control the form of the
move. See the "Parameter Settings: Clear Point tab" topic in the "Setting Your
Preferences" chapter.

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 Inserting Move Commands

Inserting Clearance Moves with Collision

Detection
When marked, the Operations | Graphic Display window | Clearance Moves | With
Collision Detection menu item adjusts the auto feature path line preview from the
previous feature to the current feature to avoid possible collisions between the two
features. When you create the auto feature, PC-DMIS automatically inserts one or more
MOVE/POINT commands into your measurement routine to avoid the collision. See
"Show Hit Targets Toggle" in the "Creating Auto Features" chapter where the auto
feature path line previews are discussed.

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