Abstract: A system is provided for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), including a user interface that comprises a workpiece inspection program simulation portion configurable to display a 3-D view of a workpiece; an editing user interface portion comprising an editable plan representation of a current workpiece feature inspection plan for the workpiece; and an editable alignment program plan representation for the workpiece. The system is configured with the editable alignment program plan representation being automatically responsive to editing operations, regardless of whether the editing operations are performed in the 3-D view or the editable plan representation. The editing operations include deleting or adding at least one workpiece feature to or from the editable alignment program plan representation.

Abstract: A method for filtering a measurement data set usable for specifying and/or verifying an internal feature of a workpiece, the method includes providing a measurement data set comprising a plurality of measurement points of the internal feature; providing an auxiliary feature representing an ideal estimate for the internal feature of the workpiece; mirroring each measurement point of the measurement data set on a boundary element of the auxiliary feature, thereby generating a first modified data set comprising a plurality of first modified measurement points; determining a convex hull of the first modified measurement points and projecting the first modified measurement points onto the determined convex hull, thereby generating a second modified data set comprising a plurality of second modified measurement points; and mirroring each second modified measurement point on the boundary element of the auxiliary feature, thereby generating a filtered measurement data set comprising a plurality of filtered measuremen

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining a two-point size of a workpiece includes receiving a set of measuring points of the workpiece, determining a longitudinal axis of the workpiece based on the set of measuring points, projecting at least a part of the set of measuring points into a projection plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to obtain a set of projection points, and determining a two-point size of the workpiece based on the projection point.

Abstract: A method for filtering a measurement data set usable for specifying and/or verifying an internal feature of a workpiece, the method includes providing a measurement data set comprising a plurality of measurement points of the internal feature; providing an auxiliary feature representing an ideal estimate for the internal feature of the workpiece; mirroring each measurement point of the measurement data set on a boundary element of the auxiliary feature, thereby generating a first modified data set comprising a plurality of first modified measurement points; determining a convex hull of the first modified measurement points and projecting the first modified measurement points onto the determined convex hull, thereby generating a second modified data set comprising a plurality of second modified measurement points; and mirroring each second modified measurement point on the boundary element of the auxiliary feature, thereby generating a filtered measurement data set comprising a plurality of filtered measuremen

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining a two-point size of a workpiece includes receiving a set of measuring points of the workpiece, determining a longitudinal axis of the workpiece based on the set of measuring points, projecting at least a part of the set of measuring points into a projection plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to obtain a set of projection points, and determining a two-point size of the workpiece based on the projection point.

Abstract: A system is provided for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine. The system includes a computer-aided design (CAD) file processing portion, a geometric relationship analyzer, an inspection motion path generation portion, and a user interface including an editable plan representation of a current workpiece feature inspection plan, a workpiece inspection program simulation portion configured to display a 3D view including geometric features and inspection operation representations, and a context sensitive menu portion. The context sensitive menu portion displays a context sensitive relational command menu that indicates a valid set of relational commands including relational feature or relational measurement commands operable to define a corresponding constructed feature or corresponding relational measurement operation to be included in the current workpiece feature inspection plan.

Abstract: A system is provided for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine. The system includes a computer aided design (CAD) file processing portion, an inspection motion path generation portion and a user interface. The user interface includes a workpiece inspection program simulation portion and auxiliary collision avoidance volume creation elements. The workpiece inspection program simulation portion displays a 3D view and the auxiliary collision avoidance volume creation elements are operable to create or define auxiliary collision avoidance volumes that are displayed in the 3D view. In various implementations, rather than requiring a user to model a physical object (e.g., as part of a workpiece or CMM) in a CAD file, the user may instead create and position an auxiliary collision avoidance volume at a location where the physical object is expected to be, so as to prevent collisions that could occur with the physical object.

Abstract: A system includes an environment for programming workpiece inspection operations for a coordinate measurement machine (CMM). The environment includes a user interface comprising a program simulation portion configured to display a 3D view of the workpiece and/or representations of inspection operations to be performed on the workpiece. The user interface further includes auxiliary collision avoidance volume (CAV) creation elements that create CAV's that are represented in the 3D view. The 3D CAVs and/or their representations have integrated graphical modification properties which are controllable in the user interface. The modification properties are activated by selection of a face of the CAV representation, without the explicit activation of a separate modification control element mode or tool. This results in a simplified and intuitive user interface. Users perform a constrained set graphical modifications in the 3D view using an input device, to modify a CAV.

Abstract: A system is provided for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine. The system includes a computer-aided design (CAD) file processing portion and a user interface including a workpiece inspection program simulation portion, an editing user interface portion, and a simulation status and control portion. The simulation status and control portion is configured to respond to selection of workpiece features or inspection operation representations (e.g., as selected in the workpiece inspection program simulation portion or editing user interface portion). The simulation status and control portion response to the selection includes altering a simulation status portion (e.g.

Abstract: A system is provided for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The system includes a computer-aided design (CAD) file processing portion and a user interface which includes an editing user interface portion and an execution time indicator. The CAD file processing portion analyzes an input CAD file to automatically determine workpiece features. The editing user interface portion includes an editable plan representation including an editable set of the workpiece features to be inspected. The execution time indicator is indicative of an estimated inspection program execution time for operating the CMM to execute a corresponding workpiece inspection program. The execution time indicator is automatically updated in response to a utilization of one of a first set of operations to modify the current workpiece feature inspection plan, so as to automatically indicate the estimated effect of the modification on the inspection program execution time.