Using the Inspection module

• This module is also part of the Advanced Design Module, that comprises all Legacy Modules into one module.

• Activating the Inspection Module will automatically load a customize file: ins_customize should it be available. This file is located in the directory: C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo Elements\Direct Modeling [version]\personality\sd_customize\INSPECTION.

The Inspection module relies on annotations (dimensions) that are assigned to a group. For a detailed description of groups, see 3D Documentation.

To prepare a measurement plan, click Inspection and then, in the Measurement Plan group, click Prepare. The Prepare Measurements dialog box opens. The Prepare Measurements dialog box lets you prepare and manipulate a group of measurement annotations. The available options are:

• Group: Use this command to specify the group of measurement annotations to be processed. This selection is performed by clicking a group in the group browser. This selection is exclusive to the selection by the docuplane. The Docuplane button allows you to use the documentation plane to be processed. This selection is performed by clicking a docu plane within the structure browser, or by clicking a docuplane in the viewport.

• Annotation: Use this command to specify the annotation to be prepared. Only annotations in the specified group may be selected. An annotation may be selected either by specifying it in the viewport or in the measurement browser (which shows all annotations of a group by showing their index number) or by specifying the (owner) unique index number associated with every annotation. When an annotation is selected it is highlighted (and any previous highlight is removed) together with its associated measurement points are highlighted and their index number is displayed in the viewport next to the measurement point (with feedback methods).

• Seq No.: Use this command to modify the order in which measurements are to be taken. The initial (default) ordering is controlled by the sequence in which measurement annotations were added into a group. After selecting an annotation, the current sequence value is displayed for that annotation. To change the sequence, enter an integer of value greater than 1. If a value is entered that is greater than the maximum allowed, it will be placed last in the sequence and assigned the corresponding value. It is also possible to change the sequence of any annotation by dragging and dropping the desired annotation from within the measurement browser.

• >> and <<: These buttons let you cycle rapidly through the annotations in the selected group. This functionality has several uses:

◦ It allows you to quickly visualize the measurement sequence since, by pressing this button, the annotations are highlighted in their measurement order.

◦ It also allows you to quickly set the measurement points for all unassigned measurement annotations (when the unassigned method is selected).

• Up and Down: These buttons let you cycle through the annotations contained within subgroups of the specified measurement plan. These buttons are only available when the active annotation is a subgroup. Using the Down button allows measurement preparation to process the annotations contained within the subgroup. Using the Up button returns you one level up within the subgroup hierarchy.

• Ref1 and Ref2: These radio buttons are applicable only to 3D annotations. These buttons control to which of the annotation's references the measurement points apply. GD&T tolerances (PM Location, PM Angle, Datums, and Geometric Tolerances), only control a single target (one or more faces) and therefore, always default to Ref2.

• Mode: Use this button for editing measurement points. The available options are:

• The Shared toggle button controls whether the defined measurement points are specific to the selected measurement annotation or are shared with all other measurement annotations with the same reference element (even if an annotation is in two groups (plans), points will be shared). If the set of shared points is edited, all annotations referencing the shared set are affected. By default, measurement points are shared since it is generally envisaged that most measurements to a common reference element will share points. However, you can specify that any measurement has its own independent set of measurement points (for example, because a manual method does not require the same points as a set of CMM measurements).

If there are 3 tolerances pointing to the same func_feat, they have the choice to create one set of measurement points or they can create three different sets of measurement points.

• The Clear button clears the measurement points from the currently selected group. A warning is issued if the measurement points are shared.

The following functionality is available when you click Advanced in the Prepare Measurements dialog box or in the Navigate Measurement Plan dialog box:

• Comment: Use this button to append additional measurement information for the inspection engineer to view.

• Method: Use this button to control which measurement annotations are shown in the viewport when the dialog is active:

◦ Unassigned specifies that only measurement annotations whose measurement points have not been defined are visible. This option is particularly useful for quickly identifying new annotations for which measurement points must be specified.

• Skip: Use this toggle button to exclude a measurement annotation from the measurement plan. This is useful if the group contains annotations which are not for measurement. By default, annotations are not skipped. However, in some instances the system may automatically mark annotations as skipped if they do not meet minimum measurement requirements (for example, when annotations do not have a defined tolerance value, or they are a basic tolerance, or they belong to the wrong owner).

• Standard: Use this radio button to reset the standard (default) coordinate system.

• User defined: Use this radio button to define your own coordinate system.

• Coord Sys: Use this button specify the (optional) coordinate system for the point data in the CSV file. If the coordinate system is not specified, default (global) is used. This option is useful when exporting data relative to a coordinate system required by the measuring device. Each group or subgroup can have its own coordinate system thereby allowing each step of the measurement plan to be exported relative to that coordinate system.

• Reposition Options: Use this button to reposition the Inspection coordinate system.

• Face Points: Lets you select anywhere on the design model. You can specify specific locations on the specified references. Using catch methods, accurate locations can be selected. Any location that does not lie on the specified reference face is automatically projected to that face.

• Face Point Set: Lets you specify a set of equally-spaced measurement points on the selected reference face. Face point sets allows two types of inputs: total number of points, or distribution of points along the U-V direction of the reference face. Use Request Pts to specify the total number of points required. The system calculates a set of points best meeting your requirements. There is no guarantee that the requested number of points can be created.

For best results, use even number values. Also, although you may request 10 points, the system may only be able to generate 8 points which lie within the boundary of the face.

The second method allows you to enter the number of desired points along the U-V directions. This option allows you to specify a greater density of points along a specified direction and provides a greater deal of control in specifying the distribution of points.

• Feature Points: Lets you specify measurement points which are defined by the location of existing feature points.

If you request a number of points that cannot be equally distributed over the face, the system rounds the number up or down. In the previous example, 7 points would be rounded to 8!

When a measurement point is deleted, the remaining measurement point indices remain the same but their sequence is automatically renumbered (the number in parentheses and column #N in the browser). Once a measurement point is deleted, the associated index will not be reused again. This is done to guarantee that a unique index is assigned to each created measurement point.

• Panel A displays the index points and the fixed points associated with that annotation. It also shows sequence order of the measurement plan and shows structures when subgroups are involved with the measurement plan. It can be used to modify the order of the sequence of the measurement plan using drag and drop actions. Drag and drop actions are available both within the panel A and panel B. Sequence of measurement points can also be specified within the measurement browser.

• Panel B displays the coordinates of the fixed points together with fixed-point related data.

Once the measurement plan has been prepared, it should be validated before being exported. The validation process verifies measurement plan components such as point on face tests, geometry synchronization with the measurement plan, annotation checks, and so on.

To validate a measurement plan, click Inspection and then, in the Check & Store group, click Validate. The Validate Measurement Plan dialog box opens. Select the measurement group by double-clicking it in the browser. Click Apply to generate the validation report (in HTML format) showing what has passed and what has failed. Any groups or annotations that are not valid, should be fixed (go back to the Prepare Measurements dialog box).

Click Inspection and then, in the Measurement Plan group, click, Enter Data. The Enter Measurement Data dialog box opens. The Enter Measurement Data dialog box is similar in content and functionality to the Prepare Measurements dialog box with the additional commands:

• Result: This is where the actual measured values made on the manufactured model are entered. You can enter a result for each measurement point.

• Inspctn Pt: This is where the XYZ coordinates of the inspected point on the manufactured model are entered. These are the coordinates of the result!

• The check boxes located on the left-hand side of the Result and Inspctn Pt buttons can be used to delete data that you have entered. Click the appropriate check box off to delete entered data.

• Data can also be directly entered within the measurement browser by double-clicking the corresponding browser field.

• < and >: Use these buttons to advance to next measurement point. Notice how the columns in the Measurement Browser with the result and inspected point data you enter.

If a result and an inspected point are supplied, the result takes precedence during evaluation when displaying results. It is not required that both a result and inspected point be supplied (although they may). For some tolerance types, a result must be specified for evaluation. All tolerance types other than plus/minus distance must supply a result.

When preparation of a measurement plan is complete, it can be exported to an external file. The external file should only be generated if the plan passes validation.

To export a measurement plan, click Inspection and then, in the Check & Store group, click Export CSV. The Export Measurement Plan dialog box opens. Select the measurement group by double-clicking it in the browser. Specify any options described below and click OK to export the file. The system displays an export report telling you if the export operation has been successful. You can now load the CSV file into Excel and edit the plan.

• Sample: Defines which part the CSV file refers to when there are shared parts. (You create a measurement plan and then create a shared part.) If you are not working with shared parts, this field is blank.

• CSV File: Specifies the path and filename of the destination export file. Do not change the filename extension (CSV).

• Link Shared Data: Use this toggle button to link all shared measurement points within the CSV file (default is on). If switched off, all measurement points are exported as independent sets of points.

When exporting a CSV file, this option should not be set if it is planned to combine several CSV files at a later date for evaluation. This ensures that each line of the CSV file can be read without reliance on other parts of the file which may or may not exist after manipulating the CSV file. The disadvantage of not using the Link Shared Data option is that the CSV files become much larger in size. If there is no plan to manipulate CSV files at a later stage, you are recommended to switch on Link Shared Data.