Abstract: The present invention relates to an image measurement apparatus images an object to be measured, and measures dimensions and shape of the object to be measured based on an image of the object to be measured displayed on the touch-sensitive panel display. The apparatus comprising: an controller that identifies a command corresponding to a gesture contact-input with respect to the touch-sensitive panel display from a signal output from the touch-sensitive panel display in response to the gesture, and executes the command with respect to a part in the image measurement apparatus, the part being the target of the execution of such command. The gesture is a gesture performed in the state in which the simultaneous touch is made at two or more points.

Abstract: A method is provided for copying and pasting a set of machine vision part program operations when editing a part program in a machine vision inspection system. The method includes: a) selecting at least a first instruction representation at a copy location in a displayed part program representation; b) performing copy operations by executing a first subset of modification operations directed to elements that are specific to a first operating context at the copy location, to thereby generate a partially modified selected instruction representation and/or its underlying instruction code; c) defining a paste location in the displayed part program representation; and d) performing paste operations by executing a second subset of modification operations directed to elements that are specific to a second operating context at the paste location, to thereby generate and paste onto the paste location a fully modified selected instruction representation and/or its underlying instruction code.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a Tracking AutoFocus (TAF) portion of a machine vision inspection system including an imaging portion, a movable workpiece stage, a control portion, and graphical user interface (GUI). The TAF portion automatically adjusts a focus position of the imaging portion to focus at a Z height corresponding to a current surface height of the workpiece. The method includes providing the TAF portion, and providing TAF enable and disable operations, wherein: the TAF disable operations comprise a first set of TAF automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered by user-initiated operations that include changing the Z height, and the TAF disable operations may further comprise automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered based on at least one respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic exceeding a previously set TAF disable limit for that respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic.

Abstract: A system, a GUI and a method are provided that allow intuitive, flexible and robust editing of individually editable instructions generated by conversion operations applied to a defined step-and-repeat programming element in a machine vision inspection system. The method includes: a) Converting a defined step-and-repeat programming element to generate N independently-editable code blocks including an independently-editable substantial replication of a repeated operation block of the step-and-repeat element, each of code blocks executed at a respective location corresponding to a step and repeat location; b) Representing the code blocks in an editing GUI; and c) Eliminating the defined step-and-repeat programming element as an editable element. The defined step-and-repeat programming element may be represented in the editing GUI. The conversion operations may be initiated by a user activating a step and repeat conversion command directed to the defined step-and-repeat programming element.

Abstract: A method is provided for defining and utilizing an editing initialization block for a part program. The part program comprises a plurality of steps for taking measurements of a part and is displayed in an editing interface. An option is provided in the editing interface for selecting which steps are in an editing initialization block. After the part program has been saved, at a later time when the part program is recalled for editing, the editing initialization block may be run before additional steps are added to the part program. At least some of the data that would have been obtained by one or more of the initial part program steps that are not in the editing initialization block may be based on estimated data that is related to (e.g., modified based on) data determined from running the editing initialization block.

Abstract: A machine vision system program editing environment including synchronized selection and/or identification of related features in a plurality of different user interface windows is provided. In particular, one of the windows is an editing window where a part program representation is displayed for editing by a user. In one embodiment, a user may select data or another feature of interest in a window that is not the editing window (e.g., a results window, or graphical workpiece inspection feature display window) and the associated part program instruction representation is automatically highlighted and/or selected in the editing window. Conversely, a part program instruction representation may be selected by a user in the editing window and the associated results or feature in another window is automatically highlighted and/or selected. User interface navigation, rapid program quality assessment, and overall part program creation and editing efficiency are significantly enhanced in such an editing environment.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a Tracking AutoFocus (TAF) portion of a machine vision inspection system including an imaging portion, a movable workpiece stage, a control portion, and graphical user interface (GUI). The TAF portion automatically adjusts a focus position of the imaging portion to focus at a Z height corresponding to a current surface height of the workpiece. The method includes providing the TAF portion, and providing TAF enable and disable operations, wherein: the TAF disable operations comprise a first set of TAF automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered by user-initiated operations that include changing the Z height, and the TAF disable operations may further comprise automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered based on at least one respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic exceeding a previously set TAF disable limit for that respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic.

Abstract: A machine vision system program editing environment includes near real time context generation. Rather than requiring execution of all preceding instructions of a part program in order to generate a realistic context for subsequent edits, surrogate data operations using previously saved data replace execution of certain sets of instructions. The surrogate data may be saved during the actual execution of operations that are recorded in a part program. An edit mode of execution substitutes that data as a surrogate for executing the operations that would otherwise generate that data. Significant time savings may be achieved for context generation, such that editing occurs within an operating context which may be repeatedly refreshed for accuracy in near real time. This supports convenient program modification by relatively unskilled users, using the native user interface of the machine vision system, rather than difficult to use text-based or graphical object-based editing environments.

Abstract: A method is provided for copying and pasting a set of machine vision part program operations when editing a part program in a machine vision inspection system. The method includes: a) selecting at least a first instruction representation at a copy location in a displayed part program representation; b) performing copy operations by executing a first subset of modification operations directed to elements that are specific to a first operating context at the copy location, to thereby generate a partially modified selected instruction representation and/or its underlying instruction code; c) defining a paste location in the displayed part program representation; and d) performing paste operations by executing a second subset of modification operations directed to elements that are specific to a second operating context at the paste location, to thereby generate and paste onto the paste location a fully modified selected instruction representation and/or its underlying instruction code.

Abstract: A system, a GUI and a method are provided that allow intuitive, flexible and robust editing of individually editable instructions generated by conversion operations applied to a defined step-and-repeat programming element in a machine vision inspection system. The method includes: a) Converting a defined step-and-repeat programming element to generate N independently-editable code blocks including an independently-editable substantial replication of a repeated operation block of the step-and-repeat element, each of code blocks executed at a respective location corresponding to a step and repeat location; b) Representing the code blocks in an editing GUI; and c) Eliminating the defined step-and-repeat programming element as an editable element. The defined step-and-repeat programming element may be represented in the editing GUI. The conversion operations may be initiated by a user activating a step and repeat conversion command directed to the defined step-and-repeat programming element.

Abstract: A machine vision system program editing environment includes near real time context generation. Rather than requiring execution of all preceding instructions of a part program in order to generate a realistic context for subsequent edits, surrogate data operations using previously saved data replace execution of certain sets of instructions. The surrogate data may be saved during the actual execution of operations that are recorded in a part program. An edit mode of execution substitutes that data as a surrogate for executing the operations that would otherwise generate that data. Significant time savings may be achieved for context generation, such that editing occurs within an operating context which may be repeatedly refreshed for accuracy in near real time. This supports convenient program modification by relatively unskilled users, using the native user interface of the machine vision system, rather than difficult to use text-based or graphical object-based editing environments.

Abstract: A method is provided for defining and utilizing an editing initialization block for a part program. The part program comprises a plurality of steps for taking measurements of a part and is displayed in an editing interface. An option is provided in the editing interface for selecting which steps are in an editing initialization block. After the part program has been saved, at a later time when the part program is recalled for editing, the editing initialization block may be run before additional steps are added to the part program. At least some of the data that would have been obtained by one or more of the initial part program steps that are not in the editing initialization block may be based on estimated data that is related to (e.g., modified based on) data determined from running the editing initialization block.

Abstract: A method is provided for programming step and repeat operations of a machine vision inspection system. The machine vision inspection system includes an imaging portion, a stage for holding one or more workpieces in a field of view (FOV) of the imaging portion, a control portion, and a graphical user interface (GUI). According to the method, a user operates the machine vision inspection system to define a set of inspection operations to be performed on a first configuration of workpiece features. The user also operates the GUI to display a step and repeat dialog box, in which he defines a first plurality of parameters defining a set of default step and repeat locations for performing the defined set of inspection operations. The user further operates the GUI to define a set of inspection step and repeat locations, which is a subset of the defined set of default step and repeat locations, where the inspection operations are to be actually performed.

Abstract: A method is provided for programming step and repeat operations of a machine vision inspection system. The machine vision inspection system includes an imaging portion, a stage for holding one or more workpieces in a field of view (FOV) of the imaging portion, a control portion, and a graphical user interface (GUI). According to the method, a user operates the machine vision inspection system to define a set of inspection operations to be performed on a first configuration of workpiece features. The user also operates the GUI to display a step and repeat dialog box, in which he defines a first plurality of parameters defining a set of default step and repeat locations for performing the defined set of inspection operations. The user further operates the GUI to define a set of inspection step and repeat locations, which is a subset of the defined set of default step and repeat locations, where the inspection operations are to be actually performed.