PowerINSPECT 2016

Quick Start Guide

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Contents
Starting PowerINSPECT for the first time 1
Create an inspection document 2
Navigating the PowerINSPECT screen............................................................... 4
Manipulating the CAD model .............................................................................. 7

Probe compensation 8
Automatic probe compensation .......................................................................... 9
Pre-touch point probe compensation ................................................................ 10

Aligning the part to the model 11

Stage 1: Create a geometric group ................................................................... 12
Stage 2: Create a probed plane ........................................................................ 13
Stage 3: Delay measurement ........................................................................... 16
Stage 4: Create two probed circles ................................................................... 16
Stage 5: Construct a line................................................................................... 18
Stage 6: Take points for the unmeasured features ........................................... 19
Stage 7: Create an alignment ........................................................................... 20

Inspecting the part 23

Measuring a cone ............................................................................................. 24
Measuring a slot ............................................................................................... 26
Inspecting a surface .......................................................................................... 30
Measuring the unmeasured items ..................................................................... 32
Optimizing an alignment ................................................................................... 35

Viewing measurement results 39

Displaying measurements in the CAD view ...................................................... 40
Displaying detailed feature information ............................................................. 43
The report ......................................................................................................... 46
Controlling the information included in a report ........................................ 48
Printing the report ..................................................................................... 50

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Contents • i

Starting PowerINSPECT
for the first time

When you first start PowerINSPECT, you must specify the

communication protocol used by the measuring device.
To select a protocol:
1 Double-click the PowerINSPECT icon on the desktop, or select
Start > All Programs > Delcam > PowerINSPECT > PowerINSPECT
2016.
The CMMDriver Configuration dialog is displayed:

2 Click the Select button.

3 In the Select Connection Protocol dialog, select the
communication protocol for your measuring device, and then
click OK.
4 In the CMMDriver Configuration dialog, click Close.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Starting PowerINSPECT for the first time • 1
Create an inspection
document

In PowerINSPECT, each part is inspected using an inspection

document. The document specifies the CAD model of the part (if
available); the features to be used to align the part with its CAD
model; the type of alignment to be used; and the features to be
measured on the part.
To create an inspection document for a part:

1 Select the File > New Document Wizard menu option or click
in the Main toolbar to display the New Document Wizard.
2 Select Measurement with a single CAD part to create an inspection
using a CAD model.
3 Click Next.

4 Click the New button.

5 In the Open dialog, select the model of the part you want to
inspect and click Open.

2 • Create an inspection document PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 For example, to use the sample model provided with
PowerINSPECT, select DemoBlock2008(CMM+Arm).ddz in the
Samples folder of your PowerINSPECT installation folder.
6 In the wizard, click Finish to open the document and display the
model in the CAD View tab. For example:

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Create an inspection document • 3

 Navigating the PowerINSPECT screen
When you have selected the CAD model you want to work with, it is
displayed in the PowerINSPECT screen together with the toolbars
and tabs you need to create, run and manage an inspection. For
example:

4 • Create an inspection document PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 Area Description
The Menu bar contains options that enable you to
import, edit and export data, to manipulate the
screen, to play the inspection sequence, and to
manage the configuration and tools available
within PowerINSPECT. Many of the options are
available in the toolbars and through keyboard
shortcuts.
The Main toolbar enables you to create and save
inspections; to choose the alignment you want to
use; and to run the sequence of items to be
measured.
The Machine toolbar enables you to connect to
and work with your measuring device. If this

toolbar is not displayed, click in the Main

toolbar.
The Sequence Tree tab contains the inspection
sequence. It specifies the items to be measured
and the order in which they are to be measured.
The CAD tab contains the details of the CAD
model you loaded.
The Machine tab enables you to view and
calibrate the measuring device to which
PowerINSPECT is connected.
The Graphics area contains several tabs that
enable you to view the model and your
measurement data:
 The CAD View tab displays the models loaded
in this inspection.
 The Info tab displays the details of the
currently selected item in the inspection
sequence.
 The Report tab displays an HTML report for all
the items in the inspection sequence.
 Other tabs, such as the Section View tab,
Dynamic Points tab, and Point Cloud tab
display the details for specific types of item
that can be added to the inspection sequence.
The CAD View toolbar enables you to manipulate
the model in the CAD View tab.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Create an inspection document • 5

 Area Description
The View Options toolbar enables you to display
measurement information about features in the
inspection sequence.
The Mouse Context toolbar controls the way in
which the mouse interacts with the CAD view. It

includes the Wireframe Checker button,

which enables you to pick the geometric features
to be measured directly from the model.
The Features tab enables you to view and change
the details of items in the inspection sequence.
The Geometry Explorer tab displays the details of
features selected from the CAD model using the
Wireframe Checker.
The Item toolbar enables you to add items to the
inspection sequence. These items specify the
alignments to be used, the features to be
measured, custom actions to be performed, and
other operations, such as items that
automatically change the CAD view or that can
display information during the inspection.

6 • Create an inspection document PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 Manipulating the CAD model
PowerINSPECT provides several tools to enable you to move, rotate,
and resize the model displayed in the CAD view. These are located
in the CAD View toolbar on the right of the PowerINSPECT window.
Select:

to resize the model so that it just fits the CAD view.

to manipulate the CAD model using the left mouse button.

Click and select a button to choose whether you want to use
the mouse to zoom the model; to zoom on a selected area; to move
the model; or to rotate the model around a specified point.

to rotate the CAD model using the left mouse button. Click
and select a button to choose the axis and the direction of
rotation.

to choose the direction from which the model is displayed.

Click and select a button to choose view direction.
You can also change the CAD view using the mouse and keyboard:

To… Use…
Zoom in and out of the CAD
view
and
Zoom in on an area by
drawing a box around it
or or
Pan the CAD view
or
Rotate the CAD view in any
direction — a
transformation globe or
appears to show the
rotation direction

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Create an inspection document • 7

Probe compensation

PowerINSPECT provides two methods for determining the direction

of probe compensation:
 Automatic probe compensation (see page 9) calculates the
direction of compensation from the orientation of the probe when
the first point is taken. This method is used by default.
 Pre-touch point probe compensation (see page 10) calculates the
direction of compensation by taking a fresh-air point before
taking the first measurement point.

8 • Probe compensation PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 Automatic probe compensation
By default, PowerINSPECT automatically applies probe
compensation in the direction of the vector running from the stylus
tip to the last knuckle joint of the arm.

To use this method, you must ensure the probe is pointing at the
surface being measured when you take a point. The following
diagrams show how to position the probe:
 Correct orientation of the probe relative to the surface.

 Incorrect orientation of the probe relative to the surface.

 When probing inside features, the probe must point towards the
surface of the hole as near normal to the surface of the feature
as possible. For example:

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Probe compensation • 9

 Pre-touch point probe compensation
Pre-touch point probe compensation enables you to specify the
direction of probe compensation by taking a fresh-air point before
taking points on the part. Use it when you are unable to orientate
the probe towards the feature you want to measure.
The way in which you use pre-touch points depends on the item to
be probed:
 For geometric features, you must take a fresh air-point before
the first touch point on the feature.
 For inspection groups, you must take a fresh-air point before
each touch point in the group.
In both cases, PowerINSPECT determines the direction of probe
compensation by calculating the vector between the touch point and
the fresh-air point.
To use pre-touch points to determine the direction of probe
compensation:

1 Click to display the Machine toolbar.

2 Click to display the Co-ordinates dialog. For example:

3 Select to activate the pre-touch function.

4 Take a point on the fresh-air side of the first touch point.
5 Measure the feature as normal by taking the required number of
points on the part's surface.
When you have finished, deselect to deactivate the pre-touch
function.

10 • Probe compensation PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

Aligning the part to the
model

If you want to compare the measurements of the part with its

nominal values, you must first align it to the CAD model. This
matches the model to the part, and enables PowerINSPECT to
report whether measured features are in or out of tolerance.
You can create several different types of alignment in
PowerINSPECT; which one you choose depends on the part and
your requirements. This section describes how to create a
Geometric PLP alignment, which uses three geometric features, a
Plane, a Line and a Point, to fix the position of the part in the X, Y,
and Z axes. The following sections describe how to create these
items and how to use them to create an alignment.
Before starting, click below the Shading mode button in the
CAD View toolbar (on the right of the PowerINSPECT window), and
select the Show shaded and wireframe option.

This shades the CAD model making it easier to see the surfaces and
features you are working with.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Aligning the part to the model • 11
 This example of creating an alignment is described for
demonstration purposes only. You can create all these items
in one click using the Plane, Circle, Circle PLP Alignment
button in the Simple Measures Wizard. For more information,
refer to the online help.

Stage 1: Create a geometric group

In PowerINSPECT, geometric items are stored in geometric groups.
These enable you to organize the inspection sequence, and to keep
related items together. The first step in aligning a part to its model
is to create a geometric group for the items used in the alignment.
To create a geometric group:

1 In the Item toolbar (see page 4), click the Geometric Group
button. The Geometric Group dialog is displayed.

This dialog specifies the name of the group. It also specifies

whether the measurements of the items it contains are to be
displayed in the CAD view; the default tolerances for items
created in the group; and the coordinate system relative to
which the measurement results are to be reported.
2 Click OK to accept the default settings for the group.

12 • Aligning the part to the model PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide
 The group is added to the inspection sequence and automatically
opened. The Active Group list at the top of the Sequence Tree
changes to display the name of the group, and the Item toolbar is
replaced with the Geometry toolbar, which enables you to add
geometric items to the inspection sequence.

Stage 2: Create a probed plane

The first item to be measured in a Geometric PLP Alignment is the
plane. In this example, it is used to specify the orientation of the
part's Z plane.
To create a probed plane:

1 In the Geometry toolbar, click to display the Planes pull-out

toolbar, which displays the different types of plane you can
create.
2 In the toolbar, click Probed Plane.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Aligning the part to the model • 13
 The Probed Plane dialog is displayed. Like the Geometric Group
dialog, it specifies the name of the item, the coordinate system
in which the results are reported and the measurement
tolerances for the item.

3 Click OK to accept the defaults.

14 • Aligning the part to the model PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide
 The Feature Probing dialog is displayed. It shows the name of the
geometric item you are probing; the diameter of the probe; the
number of points you have probed; and the minimum number of
probe points required to measure this feature.

4 Probe three points on the part, as shown:

5 When you have taken the third point, the background of the
point count changes from red to green to indicate you have

taken enough points to measure the plane. Click the button

with the mouse to accept the points.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Aligning the part to the model • 15
 Stage 3: Delay measurement
Instead of probing each item as you add it to the inspection
sequence, you can delay measurement until you have created an
item for all the features you want to measure.

To delay the measurement of items, click the Delay Measure

button on the Main toolbar. The button changes to . You can

now add several items to the sequence without stopping;
PowerINSPECT prompts you to take points only when you play the
inspection sequence (see page 19).

Stage 4: Create two probed circles

As well as specifying the items you want to inspect using the Item
toolbar, you can create items by selecting the features directly from
the CAD model. This example demonstrates how to create
inspection items for the two probed circles used in the alignment.
The centre of the first circle is used to determine the origin of the
alignment. The centre of the second circle is used to construct a line
in Stage 5 (see page 18).
To create two probed circles:

1 Select the Wireframe Checker button in the Mouse Context

toolbar at the bottom-right of the PowerINSPECT window.
2 Move the mouse pointer to the edge of the circle shown below.

16 • Aligning the part to the model PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide
 3 When the circle is highlighted in yellow, click the left mouse
button. The circle's nominals are displayed in the Geometry
Explorer tab.

4 In the Linked to list, select Plane 1 to associate the circle with the
plane you created in Stage 2.

5 Click to add the circle to the inspection sequence.

6 Move the mouse to the edge of the circle shown below, and
repeat steps 3 to 5 to create a second circle item.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Aligning the part to the model • 17
 Notice the symbols shown alongside the items you have added to
the inspection sequence.

indicates the item is unmeasured.

indicates the item is displayed in the CAD view.
indicates the item is used by other items in the sequence. You
cannot delete a referenced item until you have deleted the items
that use it.
7 Click the light-bulb symbol next to the plane item to hide it in the
CAD view.

Stage 5: Construct a line

In PowerINSPECT, you can create measurements from other items;
this is called constructing an item. This section describes how to
construct a line using the centres of the circles you created in Stage
4 (see page 16). The line is used to specify the positive direction for
the alignment's X axis.
To construct a line for the alignment:

1 In the Geometry toolbar, click the Lines button. In the Lines

pull-out toolbar, select the Line: Two Point button.

18 • Aligning the part to the model PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide
 The Line: Two Points dialog is displayed.

2 The line is created from the items selected in the Reference point
1 and Reference point 2 lists. In this case, the centres of the
circles are used as the start and end points of the line, and the
positive direction for the alignment's X axis runs from Reference
point 1 to Reference point 2.
3 Click OK to add the line to the inspection sequence.

Stage 6: Take points for the

unmeasured features
When you have selected the Delay Measure button in the Main
toolbar, PowerINSPECT does not prompt you to probe each feature
as it is created. Instead, when you are ready to measure the items
you have created, you must choose one of the play options in the
Main toolbar. You can select:

to measure the selected item in the sequence.

to measure all unmeasured items in the sequence.

to add points to the selected item in the sequence.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Aligning the part to the model • 19
 To measure all unmeasured items in the inspection sequence:

1 Click the Play All button on the Main toolbar. PowerINSPECT

prompts you to take the points for each unmeasured item (Circle
1 and Circle 2) in the order in which they appear in the sequence.
When you have completed the measurements, the symbols
shown alongside the measured items change.

indicates the item's results are within tolerance.

indicates one or more of the item's results are out-of-
tolerance.
2 If you want to remeasure an out-of-tolerance item, right-click its
entry in the inspection sequence and select Play Item from the
context menu; or select its entry in the sequence, and then click

the Play Item button in the Main toolbar.

Stage 7: Create an alignment

Geometric PLP alignments enable you to align a part to its model
using a plane, line, and point for which you know the nominal
coordinates. This type of alignment allows you to use any method of
creating the component items. It also allows you to modify the
alignment by amending the details of the geometric items or by
remeasuring them individually.
To create the alignment:

1 Click at the top of the Sequence Tree to close the geometric

group.

20 • Aligning the part to the model PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide
 The Active Group list changes to Definition to show you have
closed the group and are working at the top-level of the
inspection sequence. The in-tolerance icon is displayed on the
group to indicate the measurement status of the items it
contains.

2 In the Item toolbar, click to display the Alignment pull-out

toolbar, and then click the Geometric PLP button to create

an alignment. The Geometric PLP Alignment dialog is displayed:
 In the Plane area, Oriented normal is Z/Z+ to indicate the
positive direction of the Z axis is the same as the direction of
the specified plane's normal vector (up from the part).
 In the Line area, Orientated direction is X/X+ to indicate the
positive X direction is in the direction of the specified line.
 In the Point area, the XYZ boxes are set to the location of the
selected point item: Circle1::Centre.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Aligning the part to the model • 21
 3 In the Line area, select Line 1, then click OK. This creates the
alignment and adds it to the inspection sequence.

22 • Aligning the part to the model PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide
Inspecting the part

PowerINSPECT can measure 2D and 3D geometry as well as inspect

3D non-geometric surfaces. The following sections describe the
methods for:
 measuring a cone (see page 24);
 measuring a slot (see page 26);
 inspecting a surface (see page 30);
 optimizing the alignment (see page 35);
 displaying detailed feature information (see page 43);
 viewing the measurement results (see page 39);
 printing the report (see page 50).

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 23

 Measuring a cone
You measure a cone by probing a minimum of seven points evenly
spread across the cone surface. It is important to keep the axis of
the stylus as near normal to the surface of the feature as possible.
To measure a cone:

1 Make sure the Delay Measure button on the Main toolbar is

selected.
2 Create a geometric group (see page 12) to hold the new items to
be measured.

3 Select the Wireframe Checker button so you can pick

features from the CAD model.
4 To create 3D items using the Wireframe Checker, you must
change its picking mode. To do this, right-click the CAD view and
select Surface from the context menu, then left-click the CAD
view to close the menu.
5 In the CAD view, move the mouse over the cone to be
measured. When the cone is highlighted in yellow, click the left
mouse button. For example:

The cone is displayed in red, and its details are displayed in the
Geometry Explorer tab.

24 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 6 Click the button to add the cone to the inspection sequence.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 25

 Measuring a slot
Slots are 2D pieces of geometry so they need to be associated with,
or referenced to, a plane. You must probe a minimum of six points
to measure them.
To measure a slot:
1 To enable 2D feature picking, right-click the CAD view and select
Wireframe from the context menu. Left-click the CAD view to
close the menu.
2 In the CAD view, move the mouse over the slot to be measured.
For example:

3 When the slot is highlighted, click the left mouse button to select
it. The slot's details are displayed in the Geometry Explorer tab.
4 In the Linked to list of the Geometry Explorer tab, select New
Probed Plane. This creates a new reference plane for the slot.

26 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 27
 5 Click the button to create the item. The slot and the plane
are added to the inspection sequence.

28 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 6 Double-click the Slot 1 icon in the inspection sequence to display
details of the item and check that the new probed plane is shown
in the Reference Plane list.

7 Click Cancel to close the dialog.

In the inspection sequence, the symbol is shown on the Plane
2 item to indicate the plane is referenced by other items in the
sequence.

8 Click to close the geometric group.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 29

 Inspecting a surface
Surface inspection groups enable you to inspect non-geometric
surfaces on a part, and to compare the results with the CAD model.
You can display the results in the CAD view using the Inspection
Point Display options in the View Options toolbar, or view detailed
information about each point using the Report and Info tabs.
To create a surface inspection group:
1 In the Item toolbar (see page 4), click the Inspection Groups
button to display the pull-out toolbar, then click the On the fly
Surface Points button.

30 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 The Inspection Group: Surface Points dialog is displayed. It
enables you to specify the type of points to be taken, the method
to be used to take the points, the naming rules for the points,
tolerances and so on.

2 Ensure the Output in report check box is selected. This enables

you to display the measurements as labels in the CAD view (see
page 40), and in the report (see page 46).
3 By default, you must measure a minimum of six points for a
surface inspection group, but you can change this value to suit
the surface you want to measure. Enter 8 in the Minimum points
box to specify the minimum number of points to be measured on
this surface.
4 Click OK to add the group to the inspection sequence.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 31

 Measuring the unmeasured items
There are now several unmeasured items in the inspection
sequence.
To measure these items:

1 Click the Play All button on the Main toolbar. This causes
PowerINSPECT to play all the unmeasured items. The Feature
Probing dialog is displayed for the first unmeasured item in the
inspection sequence.

2 Take at least seven points from the cone. Click to accept

the points.
You are prompted to measure the reference plane you created
for the slot.

3 Take three points on the plane and click to accept the

points.

32 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 You are prompted to measure the slot.

4 Take at least six points from the slot and then accept them.
The Surface Points on the Fly dialog is displayed for the surface
inspection group.

5 Take a point on the irregular sloping surface on the top of the

part. PowerINSPECT compares it against the CAD model and
updates the dialog, for example:

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 33

 The dL value shows the distance from the point to the nominal
surface; the dX, dY, and dZ values show the deviations of the
measured location from the nominal in the X, Y and Z axes.

6 Take at least eight points and then click the button with the
mouse or press the red button on the arm to accept them.
PowerINSPECT returns to the CAD view, and displays a coloured
spot for each point in the surface inspection group. For example:

The colour of each spot indicates whether it is within the

tolerance specified for the inspection group:
 Red spots are above the high tolerance.
 Blue spots are below the low tolerance.
 Green spots are within tolerance.
7 To view the measurements for each point in the inspection
group, click to the left of the group's entry in the inspection
sequence. The sequence lists each point, its deviation and a
tolerance indicator. For example:

34 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 indicates the point is above the high tolerance.
indicates the point is below the low tolerance.
indicates the point is within tolerance.
If points are out-of-tolerance, you can attempt to improve the
alignment by adding a best fit item to the inspection sequence (see
page 35).

Optimizing an alignment
When you have measured one or more inspection, section or point
cloud groups, you can use Best Fit items to optimize the alignment
of the part with the CAD model. PowerINSPECT compares the points
of selected groups to the nominals and adjusts the alignment using
one of five fitting methods.
To optimize the alignment:

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 35

 1 In the Item toolbar (see page 4), click the BestFit button.
The Edit Bestfit Definition dialog is displayed.

2 To use the inspection group you created to optimize the

alignment, select its entry in the Available items list, and click
to move it to the Selected items list.
3 In the Fitting type list, select Best Fit - ignore tolerance band. This
adjusts the original alignment so as to minimize the deviations of
the group points.
4 In the Method list, select Translation and Rotation.

36 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 5 Click OK to add the Best Fit item to the inspection sequence. Like
alignments, the Best Fit icon includes axes. This indicates that
Best Fit items are treated in the same way as alignments.

6 Right-click the BestFit item in the inspection sequence, and then

select Play Item from the context menu.
The Best Fit Analyser dialog is displayed. For each step of the
analyser, the mean and standard deviation for the points used in
the calculation, and the rotations and translations applied to the
alignment are shown. The analyser also specifies the maximum
number of times that the calculation is to be repeated, and a
threshold for the analysis.
For example:

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Inspecting the part • 37

 7 Click Go Step to calculate the best fit. A graphical representation
of the points' deviations is shown. The green line shows the
measurement results before the best fit calculation; the red line
shows the results after the best fit is applied.

8 If you want to change the scale of the graph, click . Click the
button again to revert to the original scale.
9 When you are satisfied with the results of the optimization, click
OK to close the dialog and apply the best fit.
PowerINSPECT automatically uses this optimized alignment,
instead of the original alignment on which it is based, when
reporting results.

38 • Inspecting the part PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

Viewing measurement
results

When you have inspected a part, PowerINSPECT provides several

ways to view your results. This section describes how to:
 Display measurements in the CAD view (see page 40).
 View detailed information for an item (see page 43).
 View and print a report (see page 46).

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Viewing measurement results • 39

 Displaying measurements in the CAD
view
The Show/Hide Labels button in the View Options toolbar enables you
to display the measurement details of geometric items in the CAD
view. The labels that are displayed depend on the state of the
Sequence Tree: if the Tree is displaying the Definition level of the
inspection sequence, all measured items are shown in the CAD
view; if a group is open in the Tree, only the labels of items in that
group are shown.
To display labels for geometric items:
1 Display the Definition level of the inspection sequence.
2 In the View Options toolbar on the right of the PowerINSPECT

window, select the Show/Hide Labels button. Labels are

displayed for all the items that can be seen in the CAD view. For
example:

The measurements associated with each item are displayed in

labels, together with an arrow that identifies the feature the item
refers to. If you have chosen to compare an item's
measurements with its nominals, the labels can also display the
nominals, and the values are colour coded to indicate each
measurement's status:
 Green indicates the value is within tolerance.

40 • Viewing measurement results PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

  Red indicates the value is above tolerance.
 Blue indicates the value is below tolerance.
 Black indicates the value is not measured (such as for
constructed items) or the value has not been compared with
its nominal.
The label borders are also colour coded. When some of an item's
measurements are above tolerance and some of the
measurements are below tolerance, the label border is displayed
as a mixture of colours.
3 By default, PowerINSPECT automatically positions the labels
around the CAD view. To position the labels manually:
a Click below the Show/Hide Labels button, and select

Show manual labels .

b Left-click and hold a label, drag it to a new position, and
release the mouse button.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Viewing measurement results • 41

 4 In Show manual labels mode, you can also size the labels and
choose the columns and rows that are displayed. To do this, click

in the View Options toolbar, or right-click a label, and select

Label Settings from the context menu. The Session Label Settings
dialog is displayed.

5 The dialog enables you to select the data that is displayed in

labels and to apply limited formatting. Experiment with changing
the settings in this dialog to see the effect on the labels.
6 When you have finished, click Default to return the dialog to its
original settings, then click OK to close the dialog.

42 • Viewing measurement results PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 Displaying detailed feature information
In addition to viewing measurement information in the CAD view,
you can see all an item's measurements using the Info tab. The tab
contains the following areas:

Area Information displayed

Information The datum or alignment relative to which the
item measurements are reported.
Links Any sequence items used by the selected
item. In the following example, the slot is
measured by projecting it onto Plane 4.
Parameters The parameters controlling the measurement
of the item.
Properties The position and size of the feature, the
tolerance values, and the deviation and error
values (as seen in the report). The area also
displays the form value of the item when
appropriate.
Exported Items The properties that can be used by other
items in the inspection sequence.
List of probed The positions, vectors, and deviation from
points form for each probed point. The Used column
indicates whether the point is included in the
item's measurement calculations.

To use the Info tab:

1 Click the Info tab at the bottom of the PowerINSPECT window.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Viewing measurement results • 43

 2 In the inspection sequence, select the item for which you want to
display the details. For example:

As with labels, when the measurements are compared to the

item's nominals, different colours are used to indicate whether
the measurements are above (red text), below (blue text) or
within tolerance (green text).

44 • Viewing measurement results PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 3 To display the details of the probed points used to measure the
feature, select the List of the probed points check box. For
example:

To specify the location relative to which the values are

measured, select an entry in the drop-down list.

To print the contents of the Info tab, click on the Main

toolbar.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Viewing measurement results • 45

 The report
The Report tab enables you to create a detailed breakdown of the
measurements for all items in an inspection. You can display the
information using the report templates supplied with
PowerINSPECT, or you can create your own templates and use
different layouts for different applications.
To display the measurement results in a report, click the Report tab
at the bottom of the PowerINSPECT window:

The measurement results are displayed. Use the scroll bar on the
right of the report to display all the details.

46 • Viewing measurement results PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide

 Reports can be made customizable. This enables you to specify
inspection-specific information, such as the part number and the
name of the person who carried out the inspection.
To customize your report:
1 Select the Measures > Parameters menu option.
2 In the Measure Parameters dialog, click the Report tab.

3 Click the Browse button, select HTML in the Open File dialog,
followed by the folder in which the template is located, and then
select the .pxm file for the required template. Click the Open
button.
4 Click Reset to defaults to refresh the report screen and extract the
variables into the report header.
5 Change the text in the Value column as required.
6 Select the Save as default parameters check box to set the
currently selected template as the default.
7 Click OK to close the dialog and update the report.
8 Display the report again, and check it contains the changes you
made.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Viewing measurement results • 47

 Controlling the information included in a report
PowerINSPECT offers total flexibility in the display of geometric
groups and the attributes of features within a group. All geometric
items, with the exception of planes, are displayed by default, and so
are the major attributes of the displayed items.

Each CAD View Report item is displayed in the inspection

report, as well as in the Info tab (see page 43).

Excluding features contained in a geometric group

You can exclude items from the report using the item's dialog.
Similarly, you can exclude all the items in a group using the group's
dialog.
For example, to exclude a geometric group from the report:
1 Select Geometric Group 1 in the inspection sequence, and click

the button at the top of the Sequence Tree. The Geometric

Group dialog is displayed.

2 Deselect the Output in report check box to exclude all features in

the group from the report.
3 Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog.

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 Excluding measurements contained in a feature
In addition to excluding whole items from the report, you can
exclude individual measurements. This is useful if you want to
highlight only the important measurements for an item.
For example, to exclude measurements from a circle:
1 Double-click Circle 1 in the inspection sequence. The Probed
Circle dialog is displayed.

2 In the Centre area, deselect the Output in report check box to the
right of the Z coordinate to exclude the coordinate from the
report and the circle's label in the CAD view.
Alternatively, to exclude all the Centre coordinates, click the
Output in report button. The icon changes to . Click the
button again to reinstate the measurement in the report.

PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide Viewing measurement results • 49

 PowerINSPECT ignores excluded measurements when
determining whether an item is in- or out-of-tolerance. This
can affect the status icon shown in the inspection sequence
and the border colour of the item's label.
3 When you have made your selections, click the Apply button to
save your changes and leave the dialog open.

Deselecting the Output in report check box for a

measurement also excludes it from the item's label. You
can confirm whether a measurement is included in the
report by clicking the Show/Hide Labels button in the View
Options toolbar, and checking the item's label (see page
40) in the CAD view.
4 Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog.

Printing the report

To print the results displayed in the Report tab:

1 Click to open the Print Manager dialog.

2 Select the required printer and click the Print button.
The results are output to the selected printer using the currently
selected report template.

50 • Viewing measurement results PowerINSPECT 2016 Quick Start Guide