Create Features

Support directly creating point, line and plane.

Datum can be set after creating the feature:
You can right-click on that feature group in the left-side tree view and select Set as datum. This will set it as the reference for checking parallelism and perpendicularity in GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) inspection.

Note

• By directly creating feature methods, you can specify features as reference features or measured features; if you Define the Feature as Reference Feature, then you can extract the measured feature to generate feature pairs before importing at least one measured model.
• After enabling Auto Extract Measured Features in Setting > Feature at the top right corner, the software will automatically extract the corresponding measured feature after creating any reference feature.
• After creating a feature, click in the right Properties panel to highlight the object in the left tree view and the 3D scene.

Point

In the Create Features toolbar, click Point to expand the drop-down list, where you can select CMM, Anchor, Extreme Position and Numerically creation methods.

CMM

Simulate the rectangle, probe and disk contact methods of an actual Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) probe¹ to create point features.

Note

• Before creating point features using the CMM method, please import a reference model or a measured model.
• If you choose the submode as rectangle, please ensure there exists at least one created plane, which can not be vertical with the search direction.

The steps for creating point features through CMM as well as extracting measured features are as follows:

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1. Select CMM in the drop-down list of Point to open the corresponding window.
2. Select a submode:
   • Rectangle: Select a created plane as the constraint plane, customize the search depth (mm), length (mm) and width (mm), select a direction (point normal / X axis / Y axis / customize), and define the feature as Reference Feature.
   • Probe or Disk: Select a direction (point normal / customize), customize the search radius (mm) and search depth (mm), and define the feature as Reference Feature.

3. After completing relevant settings, you can click on the model in the 3D scene to create points; then click Apply to save the reference point feature, and the reference point object will be displayed in the feature module in the left-side tree view.

   Note

   If you check Extract Measured Feature (you can enable Auto Extract Measured Features in Setting > Feature), then the corresponding measured feature will be the automatically extracted after you create a reference point feature.

4. Right-click on that point feature group in the left-side tree view, select Extract Measured Feature and determine the measured model on which the feature will be extracted.

5. In the Point window, select an align mode and click Apply to create the corresponding measured point feature.
6. The measured point object will be displayed in the corresponding point feature group in the left-side tree view.

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Anchor

Directly anchor points on the model to create point features.

Note

Before creating point features using the anchor method, please import a reference model or a measured model.

The steps for creating point features through anchor as well as extracting measured features are as follows:

1. Select Anchor in the drop-down list of Point to enable the anchor tool.
2. Click on the model in the 3D scene to create, define the feature as Reference Feature and click Apply in the Anchor window to save the reference point feature, and the reference point object will be displayed in the feature module in the left-side tree view.

Note

If you check Extract Measured Feature (you can enable Auto Extract Measured Features in Setting > Feature), then the corresponding measured feature will be the automatically extracted after you create a reference point feature.

1. Right-click on that point feature group in the left-side tree view, select Extract Measured Feature and determine the measured model on which the feature will be extracted.
2. In the Point window, select an align mode and edit parameters including max distance, and click Apply to create the corresponding measured point feature.
3. The measured point object will be displayed in the corresponding point feature group in the left-side tree view.

Extreme Position

Usually, when inspecting irregular workpieces, it is necessary to measure distances between two extreme positions. In such cases, you can use this feature to create point features at the extreme positions.

Note

Before creating point features using the extreme position method, please import a reference model.

The steps for creating point features through extreme position as well as extracting measured features are as follows:

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1. Select Extreme Position in the drop-down list of Point to enable the extreme position tool.
2. Click on the CAD model in the 3D scene to pick a surface where the extreme position points need to be created, and this surface wil be determined as the calculation region.
3. Select direction in the window of Extreme Position:
   • Pick specified direction: support customizing direction or selecting X / Y / Z axis, and define the feature as Reference Feature.
   • Pick line: select a created line feature and define the feature as Reference Feature.

4. After completing relevant settings, click Preview to preview the extreme position point to be created; Then click Confirm to save the reference point feature, and the reference point object will be displayed in the feature module in the left-side tree view.

   Note

   If you check Extract Measured Feature (you can enable Auto Extract Measured Features in Setting > Feature), then the corresponding measured feature will be the automatically extracted after you create a reference point feature.

5. Right-click on that point feature group in the left-side tree view, select Extract Measured Feature and determine the measured model on which the feature will be extracted.

6. In the Point window, select an align mode and edit parameters including max distance, and click Apply to create the corresponding measured point feature.
7. The measured point object will be displayed in the corresponding point feature group in the left-side tree view.

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Numerically

Customize the coordinates of points to create point features.

The steps for creating point features numerically as well as extracting measured features are as follows:

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1. Select Numerically in the drop-down list of Point to open the corresponding window.
2. Input X coordinate, Y coordinate and Z coordinate and define the feature as Reference Feature.

3. After completing relevant settings, you can preview the point feature in the 3D scene; then click Confirm to save the reference point feature, and the reference point object will be displayed in the feature module in the left-side tree view.

   Note

   If you check Extract Measured Feature (you can enable Auto Extract Measured Features in Setting > Feature), then the corresponding measured feature will be the automatically extracted after you create a reference point feature.

4. Right-click on that point feature group in the left-side tree view, select Extract Measured Feature and determine the measured model on which the feature will be extracted.

5. In the Point window, select an align mode and click Apply to create the corresponding measured point feature.
6. The measured point object will be displayed in the corresponding point feature group in the left-side tree view.

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Line

In the Create Features toolbar, click Line to expand the drop-down list, where you can select Numerically creation method.

Note

Before creating line features, please import a reference model.

The steps for creating line features as well as extracting measured features are as follows:

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1. Select Numerically in the drop-down list of Line to open the corresponding window.
2. Select a method:
   • Position & Direction: Customizing the start position X / Y / Z, direction and length, and define the feature as Reference Feature.
   • Start & End position: Customizing the X / Y / Z of start & end position, and define the feature as Reference Feature.

3. Click Confirm to save the reference line feature, and the reference line object will be displayed in the feature module in the left-side tree view.

   Note

   If you check Extract Measured Feature (you can enable Auto Extract Measured Features in Setting > Feature), then the corresponding measured feature will be the automatically extracted after you create a reference line feature.

4. Right-click on that line feature group in the left-side tree view, select Extract Measured Feature and determine the measured model on which the feature will be extracted.

5. In the Line window, select an align mode, edit parameters including max distance and boundary exclusion distance, as well as set eliminate noise, and click Apply to create the corresponding measured line feature.
6. The measured line object will be displayed in the corresponding line feature group in the left-side tree view.

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Plane

In the Create Features toolbar, click Plane to expand the drop-down list, where you can pick Single / Multiple plane on CAD model.

Note

Before creating plane features, please import a reference model.

The steps for creating plane features as well as extracting measured features are as follows:

1. In the drop-down list of Plane, select Pick on CAD Model > Single Plane / Multiple Planeto enable the plane feature creation tool.

2. Click on the highlighted plane of the model in the 3D scene to create, define the feature as Reference Feature and click Confirm in the window of Single Plane / Multiple Plane to save the reference plane feature, and the reference plane object will be displayed in the feature module in the left-side tree view.

   Note

   • If you select multiple plane, only multiple planes in one plane can be selected.
   • If you check Extract Measured Feature (you can enable Auto Extract Measured Features in Setting > Feature), then the corresponding measured feature will be the automatically extracted after you create a reference plane feature.

3. Right-click on that plane feature group in the left-side tree view, select Extract Measured Feature and determine the measured model on which the feature will be extracted.

4. In the Plane window, select an align mode, edit parameters including max distance and boundary exclusion distance, as well as set eliminate noise, and click Apply to create the corresponding measured plane feature.
5. The measured plane object will be displayed in the corresponding line feature group in the left-side tree view.

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1. A CMM probing system generally consists of a probe head and a touch-trigger probe. The probe makes slight contact with the surface of the measured workpiece, and by measuring the position of the probe in a three-dimensional coordinate system, the coordinates of the measurement points on the workpiece are obtained. ↩