Table of Contents

Using the Edit Window .................................................................................................... 1

Using the Edit Window: Introduction ............................................................................ 1

Understanding Core Concepts .................................................................................... 1

Navigating the Edit Window ..................................................................................... 2

Understanding the Default Edit Window Colors and Formatting .............................. 3

Inserting Commands ................................................................................................ 7

Indenting Commands ............................................................................................... 7

Editing Values and IDs ............................................................................................. 9

Selecting Commands ............................................................................................. 10

Repositioning Commands ...................................................................................... 10

Deleting Commands............................................................................................... 11

Accessing Dialog Boxes......................................................................................... 11

Modifying the Edit Window's Headers and Footers ................................................ 11

Working in Summary Mode ....................................................................................... 16

Layout .................................................................................................................... 18

Editing a Measurement Routine from Summary Mode........................................... 20

Summary Mode Keyboard Functions ..................................................................... 25

Using the Peek Window ......................................................................................... 26

Working in Command Mode ...................................................................................... 28

Constructed Features............................................................................................. 29

Dimensions ............................................................................................................ 29

Statistical Data ....................................................................................................... 31

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 Table of Contents

Alignment ............................................................................................................... 31

Measured Features ................................................................................................ 32

Hits ......................................................................................................................... 32

Motion Commands ................................................................................................. 33

Move Commands ................................................................................................... 37

Sheet Metal Measurements ................................................................................... 37

Probe ..................................................................................................................... 38

Comments.............................................................................................................. 39

Trace Fields ........................................................................................................... 43

Expressions............................................................................................................ 43

Screen Captures .................................................................................................... 43

Global Commands ................................................................................................. 43

Command Mode Keyboard Functions .................................................................... 50

Working in DMIS Mode .............................................................................................. 53

Copying and Pasting Parameters .............................................................................. 53

Working with User-Defined Groups ........................................................................... 56

Inserting Groups..................................................................................................... 57

Editing Groups ....................................................................................................... 59

Removing Groups .................................................................................................. 60

Using Multiple Arm Mode with Groups ................................................................... 61

Performing Operations on Groups ......................................................................... 62

Using Feature Based Measurement .......................................................................... 63

Creating a Measurement Routine with FBM .......................................................... 64

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Using the Edit Window: Introduction

Executing a Measurement Routine with FBM ........................................................ 68

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Using the Edit Window
Using the Edit Window: Introduction

The Edit window in Command mode

One of the main tools that you can use to edit a measurement routine is the Edit
window. The Edit window houses all of the commands for the measurement routine.
You can perform editing operations such as cutting, copying, pasting, and modifying
existing text and commands. You can also use the Edit window to add new commands,
execute existing commands, display a command's information, and debug code.

To access the Edit window, select the View | Edit Window menu option.

This chapter covers the Edit window and how to edit measurement routines in general
in these topics:

• Understanding Core Concepts

• Working in Summary Mode
• Working in Command Mode
• Working in DMIS Mode
• Working with User-Defined Groups

Understanding Core Concepts

The Edit window allows you to easily access the current measurement routine. Changes
can be made to the measurement routine using only the Edit window, the dialog boxes,
or a combination of the Edit window with the applicable dialog boxes. The sections
below provide core concepts that can aid you in learning to use the Edit window.

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 Using the Edit Window

Navigating the Edit Window

The Edit window houses all the commands that make up your measurement routine.

You can change the display of the Edit window by switching between different modes.
PC-DMIS enables the two most common modes by default. These are Command mode
and Summary mode. You can enable a third mode, called DMIS mode, from the Setup
Options dialog box (Edit | Preferences | Setup).

• Summary mode - This mode provides a visual summary of your measurement

routine.
• Command mode - This mode shows a detailed code view of each command.
• DMIS mode - This mode shows a view similar to Command mode, but the code
language is written in the DMIS programming language. Also, you don't have all
the editing functionality that you have in Command mode.

You can click the appropriate icon on the Edit Window toolbar to switch between these
different modes.

In each mode, you can work with existing commands and add new commands, although
the capabilities of each mode and the methods of working with commands differ.
Commands can have both editable and non-editable fields. Editable fields are fields that
take a value. Some editable fields are called toggle fields and allow you to switch
between a predefined set of acceptable values.

• If you're in Command mode or DMIS mode, press Tab to move the cursor to the
next editable field. You know that you're on an editable field when the value is
highlighted in the highlight color (the default is yellow).
• If you're in Summary mode, right-click on an editable item, and from the shortcut
menu, select Edit and then Value/Expression Text. You can then type a new
value or select a value from a list.

Using the Edit Window Toolbar

The Edit Window toolbar lets you perform operations on your measurement routine
and switch between the different Edit window modes. For information on this toolbar,
see the "Edit Window Toolbar" topic in the "Using Toolbars" chapter.

Moving to a Feature Using the Graphic Display Window

To move the cursor to a specific feature's location in the Edit window, click on that
feature in the Graphic Display window while you hold down the Ctrl key.

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Understanding Core Concepts

Understanding the Default Edit Window Colors and

Formatting

Edit window in Command mode

PC-DMIS uses different background colors, command text colors, and text characters to
offset information in Command and DMIS modes. This coloring and text formatting may
seem somewhat confusing at first, especially if you are used to previous versions of PC-
DMIS and are suddenly barraged with a myriad of colors. However, rest easy; if you
don't like them, you can easily revert PC-DMIS to its coloring scheme used in previous
versions. For information on how to do this, see "Defining Edit Window Colors" in the
"Setting Your Preferences" chapter.

However, the colors and formatting are valuable tools that can increase your
productivity. The following describes these tools.

Background Colors

Different background colors help you know what commands are marked, unmarked,
have errors, are active, or are being stepped through. You can find the definitions for
these background colors in the Color Editor dialog box (Edit | Preferences | Edit
Window Colors) for the Edit window.

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 Using the Edit Window

Edit window background color information in the Edit window's Color Editor

Consider this example screen shot:

Edit window example showing the coloring scheme

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Understanding Core Concepts

A - A light-green background means the command has been marked for execution.

B - The light-blue background means the command has not yet been marked for
execution.

C - A slightly darker background color (either darker green for marked commands or
darker blue for unmarked commands) shows the current active command.

Command Text Colors

Black text - Any non-editable command text. You cannot change this text.

Blue text - Any editable command text.

Red text - For non-dimension commands, this indicates an error in the command text.
The command is skipped during measurement routine execution. Errors come from
unsupported commands, unsupported probe types, and syntax errors (usually while
working with expression or scripting commands). For dimension commands, red text
indicates that the dimension is out of tolerance.

If your measurement routine contains unsupported commands (commands in

red text), check it thoroughly before you execute it in Online mode. Since unsupported
commands are skipped during measurement routine execution, in some cases this
could cause a probe collision if you aren't careful.

Highlighted Text Shows the Active Command or Group

When you move your mouse over a command block, or command blocks that are
grouped together, the entire command block, or the entire group, is highlighted with a
slightly darker background color (see item C in the example above). This helps you
immediately see the extents of an entire command block. Doing this also makes the
command "active". This means you don't need to click on the command to operate on it.
For example, you can hover your mouse over a command and press F9. The
associated dialog box appears if one exists. To delete the command, you don't need to
select the entire command, just hover your mouse over it until it becomes active, and
press Delete. When editing large measurement routines, shaving off a mouse click here
and there can increase your productivity.

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 Using the Edit Window

"<" and ">" Characters Provide Enhanced Readability

The "<" and ">" characters group like values together, thereby more easily delineating
the different fields for various X, Y, Z and I, J, K values. These characters show where
these pairs begin and end. This enhances readability and makes it much easier to
locate needed values.

Popup Menu Provides an Additional Toggle Field Selection

While you can cycle through a list of available commands on a toggle field, you can also
hover your mouse over the darker blue text for a moment, and the background color
takes on a button-like quality. Click on the button to show a drop-down list from which
you can select the desired value for that toggle field.

Easier Filename Fields

Certain fields take filename values. If the file moves to a new location, there's an easier
way to update it than arduously retyping a long directory pathway. Instead, hover your
mouse over the field; the filename turns into a button. Clicking it displays a File Open
dialog box, allowing you to locate and update the file's location.

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Understanding Core Concepts

Inserting Commands
In many cases, commands are automatically inserted when you take measurements or
when you use dialog boxes to enter information. However, you can also add commands
directly from within the Edit window. Depending on what mode you're in, PC-DMIS gives
you different options:

• If you're in Command mode, you can type the first few letters of the command
and press Tab or Enter to insert new commands.
• If you're in Summary mode, you can right-click and select Add Command from
the shortcut menu to insert new commands. PC-DMIS displays a list of the
commands that you can add.
• If you're in DMIS mode, you can press Enter on a line to insert new commands. A
list appears from which you can select the appropriate DMIS command to add.

Indenting Commands
To improve the Edit window's readability, PC-DMIS automatically performs an indent
inside of supported code blocks, loops, and flow control pairs. This occurs whenever
you insert these types of commands into the Edit window.

Summary mode uses a fixed indent value. Command mode and DMIS mode use a two-
character default for the indent. You can modify the number of spaces with the
EWGroupIndent registry entry in the PC-DMIS Settings Editor.

This shows a list of commands that support indenting:

Supported Commands

• Alignment (ALIGNMENT/START and ALIGNMENT/END)

• Measure (MEAS/<FEATURE> and ENDMEAS for all measured features)
• GROUP and ENDGROUP
• LOOP/START and LOOP/END
• IF and END_IF
• ELSE_IF and END_ELSEIF
• ELSE and END_ELSE
• While and END_WHILE
• DO and UNTIL
• SELECT and END_Select
• CASE and END_CASE
• DEFAULT_CASE and END_DEFAULT_CASE

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 Using the Edit Window

The following examples show how nested indents appear in each Edit window mode
(Summary mode, Command mode, and DMIS mode):

Summary Mode Example

Nested loops in Summary mode

Command Mode Example

Nested loops in Command mode

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Understanding Core Concepts

Dmis Mode Example

Nested loops in DMIS mode

The Edit window can display a maximum of 256 characters on a single line,
including white space. This means many levels of nested commands can push the
innermost commands so far to the right that the Edit window cannot display their text.

Editing Values and IDs

You can use the Edit window to change a command's settings.

• If you're in Command or DMIS mode, press TAB to go to the editable field you
want to change. Either type in a new value or press F7 or F8 to cycle forward or
backward through a list of available values. You can also hold you mouse over a
toggle field and click the drop-down arrow to select from a pop-up list of available
values.
• If you're in Summary mode, right-click on the line you want to edit. PC-DMIS
displays a list from which you can choose a preexisting value or shows an edit
box into which you can type a new value.

If you edit a feature or dimension's ID using the Edit window, PC-DMIS asks if you want
to make this ID the default for that same feature or dimension type. If you click Yes,

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 Using the Edit Window

features or dimensions of that same type, when created later, will use the new ID as the
default. If you click No, then future IDs continue to use the current default value.

Selecting Commands
You can select most commands in any mode in PC-DMIS.

• In Summary mode, click on a collapsed group command to select the entire

command block. PC-DMIS also selects all of the data items associated with the
commands present in the group.
• In Command mode or DMIS mode, click the start of the command, hold down the
mouse, and then drag it until you highlight the entire command.

The Edit | Select All menu option selects the entire window's contents for editing
purposes.

As you select feature commands, PC-DMIS highlights those features in the Graphic
Display window in a light blue color. Also, in Command mode, this happens if you click
anywhere in a feature command. To change the highlight color, see "Highlight" under
"Changing Screen Colors" in the "Editing the CAD Display" chapter. Auto Plane features
also highlight the entire surface.

Repositioning Commands
You can reposition many commands in PC-DMIS. If you're in Summary, Command, or
DMIS mode, do the following to reposition a command:

1. Select the entire command block.

2. Select the Edit | Cut menu option to remove the command from its current
location.
3. Select the Edit | Paste menu option to place the command in its new location.

You can also use the Edit | Copy menu option to make a copy of a command and store
it in the Clipboard until you decide to paste the copy into another location.

For information on these and other standard edit commands, see "Using Standard Edit
Commands" in the "Editing a Measurement Routine" chapter.

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Understanding Core Concepts

Deleting Commands
To delete a command from the Edit window, select the command and press Delete.

You can restore any deleted command if you immediately click the Undo icon on the
Edit Window toolbar or if you press Alt + Backspace.

Accessing Dialog Boxes

When you edit features or commands, you may want to access dialog boxes associated
with a particular feature or command. To do this, when you are in one of the editing
modes, place the cursor on the feature or command block and then press F9. The
software opens the dialog box associated with the feature. You can then make any
changes in the dialog box itself. After you click OK or Apply, the software automatically
updates the Edit window with your changes.

On some commands, you can press F9 to access the dialog box only if PC-DMIS is in
Command mode.

Modifying the Edit Window's Headers and Footers

There are three data files that are used to format the header / footer text in the Edit
window. These files are LOGO.DAT, HEADER.DAT, and ELOGO.DAT. These files are
located in your PC-DMIS installation directory.

You can edit the Edit window's header or footer by making and saving changes to these
text files using a standard text editor (such as Notepad).

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 Using the Edit Window

To modify the header or footer of a generated report, not the Edit window's
header, you have these options that the "Reporting Measurement Results" chapter
covers:

1. Modify templates to control what gets displayed in the Report window. (See
"Modifying the Report's Header".)
2. Use LOGO.DAT, HEADER.DAT, and ELOGO.DAT files to a limited extent. (See
"Using .DAT Files in Generated Reports".)

The Edit Window's Header

There are two files you can modify to define the header in your Edit window.
LOGO.DAT and HEADER.DAT.

LOGO.DAT – This file defines the header for the very first page of the Edit window. You
can define a bitmap with your company's logo as well as specific date and time formats
for the first page.

Edit window's Header Formatting Example

The corresponding LOGO.DAT file is displayed below:

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Understanding Core Concepts

Logo.dat Example in Notepad

That PART NAME, REV NUMBER, SER NUMBER, and STATS COUNT are static
fields and cannot be changed in the LOGO.DAT file.

HEADER.DAT – This file is used to format page headers for all other pages.

The Edit Window's Footer

ELOGO.DAT is used to format a footer for the last page only of your Edit window.

Edit window's Footer Formatting Example

The corresponding ELOGO.DAT file is displayed below:

Elogo.dat Example in Notepad

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 Using the Edit Window

Edit Window Header and Footer Formatting Keywords

Following is a list of the available formatting keywords and their functions. You can
insert these keywords into the .dat files to have them displayed in a header or footer in
the Edit window.

The keywords are case sensitive.

#DATE
Inserts the current date.

#TIME
Inserts the current time.

#PAGE
Inserts the current page number. This is ideal for use in the HEADER.DAT file.

#TRn
Inserts both the name and the value of trace field n, where n is the trace field number.

#PARTN
Inserts the measurement routine name.

#DRWN
Inserts the revision number.

#SERIALN
Inserts the serial number.

#SEQUENCE
Inserts the sequence number.

#SHRINK
Inserts the scale factor.

#NMEAS
Inserts the total number of dimensions.

#NOUT
Inserts the total number of dimensions that are out of tolerance.

#ELAPSTIM
Inserts the time elapsed between start and end of execution. This is ideal for use in the
FOOTER.DAT file.

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Understanding Core Concepts

#BMP=bitmappath
Inserts a bitmap where bitmappath represents the full path pointing to the bitmap file (for
example, D:\Files\Bmp\Pcdhead.bmp).

Using Expressions and Tracefields to Customize Edit

Window Headers and Footers
You'll notice that the keywords themselves aren't customizable. For example the #DATE
keyword in the logo.dat file only gives you one way to display the date, in the mm-dd-
yyyy format. For example, in this format, May 5, 2018 is written as 5-5-2018 in your Edit
window's header or footer.

For more information on the elogo.dat, logo.dat, and header.dat files, and where to find
them, see the "Understanding Data Files" topic in this chapter.

The following example shows how you can use expressions and tracefields to change
the format of your date on the Edit window.

1. Type the following commands somewhere into your measurement routine:

ASSIGN/V1=SYSTEMDATE("MMM dd, yyyy")

This gives V1 the string value of your current date (for example, "May 05,
2018").

TRACEFIELD/DISPLAY,LIMIT=15;DATE:V1

This assigns V1 to the TRACEFIELD.

2. Assuming this is the first tracefield in your measurement routine, open up your
logo.dat file inside a text editor and modify the DATE= field so that it looks like
this:

DATE=#TR1

Notice that DATE field now references the first trace field by using #TR1.

3. Save and close your logo.dat file.

4. Access the Edit window. Assuming your Edit window is enabled to show headers
and footers, the header now uses the formatted system date that was stored in the V1
variable and subsequently in the first trace field.

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 Using the Edit Window

You can use trace fields and expressions to give you greater control over what you see
in the Edit window.

For information on trace fields, see the "Using Trace Fields" topic in the "Tracking
Statistical Data" chapter.

For information on expressions, see the "Using Expressions and Variables" chapter.

For information on modifying your report's headers or footers using .DAT files,
see "Using .DAT Files in Generated Reports".

For information on using templates and rules to modify your report, see "Modifying the
Report's Header".

Working in Summary Mode

Summary mode displays a summary of the measurement routine, as well as
measurement routine commands in different levels of detail. Through the interface, you
can also re-order and edit commands.

To place the Edit window in Summary mode, select View | Summary Mode from the
menu, or from the Edit Window toolbar, click the Summary Mode icon .

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Working in Summary Mode

Sample Summary mode

To place the Edit window in Summary mode (Preview), select View | Summary Mode
(Preview) from the menu, or from the Edit Window toolbar, click the Summary Mode

(Preview) icon .

Sample Summary mode (Preview)

PC-DMIS does not support Summary mode (Preview) on dual-arm systems.

Summary mode also appears when you create or edit a custom report. For more
information on custom reports, see "Creating Custom Reports" in the "Reporting
Measurement Results" chapter.

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 Using the Edit Window

Customizing the Main Display to Show XYZ Information

You can customize the main display of the Summary mode to show your features' XYZ
information in the header line. To do this, access the PC-DMIS Settings Editor, expand
the Option section, and set the ShowAdvancedSummaryText registry entry to 1. PC-
DMIS then displays the commands similar to the following:

Sample Summary mode with advanced summary text

For information on the Settings Editor, see the "Modifying Registry Entries" topic.

Layout
PC-DMIS's Summary mode layout is in the form of pieces of data. At the top level, PC-
DMIS displays command objects.

You can expand a group to view its data items by clicking the plus sign (+) to the left of
the group command. You can collapse a group by clicking the minus sign (-). You can
also expand and collapse a group by pressing the Right Arrow and Left Arrow keys,
respectively.

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Working in Summary Mode

Summary Mode Commands

Summary mode with commands

PC-DMIS displays most measurement routine commands at the top level. Some
commands, such as basic hits, location dimensions, and certain alignment commands,
appear under their parent object. Also:

• Each command has a unique icon associated with it to help you quickly identify
needed commands.
• If the command has an ID, PC-DMIS displays the ID before the command's
description.
• The Peek window displays a command's complete information.
• Commands that are marked to execute are black.
• Commands that are not marked to execute are gray.

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 Using the Edit Window

Summary Mode Groups

Summary mode with groups (folder icons)

Groups appear with a folder icon in the Edit window. They are composed of a
command's similar data items.

Editing a Measurement Routine from Summary Mode

PC-DMIS gives you the ability to edit the measurement routine while in Summary mode.
With the provided interface, you can select, add, remove, copy, cut, paste, mark, and
unmark commands, as well as edit a command.

Selecting Commands
To select a command, either left-click with the mouse or use the Up and Down Arrow
keys to navigate to it.

• To select multiple commands, hold down the Ctrl key while you left-click.
• To select a group of items at once, select the first item in the block of objects,
hold down the Shift key, and select the last item in the block.

PC-DMIS highlights all of the selected items.

Adding Commands
In Summary mode, you can add commands to the measurement routine by using PC-
DMIS's standard menu options or a special shortcut menu.

1. To access the shortcut menu, right-click on a command item. For more

information on the items that are available, see "Summary Mode Command
Shortcut Menu" in the "Using Shortcut Keys and Shortcut Menus" appendix.

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Working in Summary Mode

2. From the shortcut menu, select Add Command. A scrollable list appears:

3. Select the command to add. Once you click it, the pop-up list disappears, and
PC-DMIS inserts the command into the Edit window. If you want to close the list
without adding a command, press Esc on your keyboard until the list closes.

PC-DMIS generally inserts the new command after the currently-selected item
in the expandable/collapsible list.

Removing Commands
To remove a command from a measurement routine, select an object and press the
Delete key. If a group command contains any sub-commands, those commands are
also deleted.

Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Commands

To copy or cut a command, do the following:

1. Select the desired command.

2. Choose the copy or cut command from any of these locations:

• The Edit window's Edit menu

• The keyboard (Ctrl + C for copy, and Ctrl + X for cut)
• The shortcut menu's Cut or Copy option that appears when you right-click
on the command

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 Using the Edit Window

If the command contains any sub-commands, PC-DMIS also cuts or copies

those commands.

To paste a command that you have cut or copied, do the following:

1. Select the command that precedes the command that you want to paste.
2. Choose the paste command from any of these locations:

• The Edit window's Edit menu

• The keyboard (Ctrl + V)
• The shortcut menu's Paste option that appears when you right-click on the
command

Dragging and Dropping Commands

While you can cut and paste commands to rearrange them in Summary mode, you can
also rearrange commands by dragging and dropping one or more contiguous
commands to a new location.

To drag and drop a command:

1. Select one or more contiguous commands in the Edit window.

2. Use the left mouse button, and drag the selected commands to a new location in
the Edit window.
3. Release the mouse button to move the selected command below the command
that was under the mouse pointer when you released the mouse button.

Marking and Unmarking Commands for Execution

To mark or unmark a command for execution in Summary mode, do the following:

1. Select the command in the Edit window.

2. Press F3 (or right-click on the desired command and from the shortcut menu,
choose Mark).

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Working in Summary Mode

Marking and Unmarking Commands for Execution in

Summary Mode (Preview)
To quickly and visually distinguish between individual commands that are marked and
not marked for execution in Summary mode (Preview), do the following:

1. Place the Edit window in Summary mode (Preview).

2. Open the desired measurement routine.
3. View the commands in the Edit window. An icon at the end of the line for a
command indicates if the command is marked or unmarked.
• Marked - This icon indicates that the command (or all of the commands
in a group command) is marked for execution. For example:

• Unmarked - This icon indicates that the command is not marked for
execution. For example:

• - This icon indicates that a group command contains both marked and
unmarked commands. For example:

4. You can do the following:

• To change a command from marked to unmarked, single-click the Marked
icon.
• To change a command from unmarked to marked, single-click the
Unmarked icon. If some commands are already marked and the group is
marked, all of the commands will be marked.
• To mark or unmark all of the commands in a group command, select the
group command, and press F3.
• Select the Peek Window icon ( ) to enable the Peek window. For more
information, see "Using the Peek Window".

When you execute your measurement routine, PC-DMIS does the following:

• It clears the Marked or Unmarked status of the related command.

• It displays an icon that indicates the execution status:

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 Using the Edit Window

• Executed - Indicates that PC-DMIS executed this command.

• Unexecuted - Indicates that PC-DMIS did not execute this command,
or the command does not apply to the current execution results. For
example, if PC-DMIS measured a LOC1 dimension with a CIR1 feature,
and the feature was later deleted, the dimension is in the measurement
routine.
• If the executed command is a dimension, the color is applied in Summary mode
(Preview).

For help with executing a measurement routine, see the topics in the "Executing
Measurement Routines" chapter.

If you want to cancel the execution, select the Reset button. PC-DMIS replaces the
execution icon with a Marked or an Unmarked icon.

When the execution is finished, PC-DMIS remains in the execution state and displays
this message:

"To reset the execution status of all commands, click the Reset button."

To reset the execution status, click the message's OK button and then click the
Reset button in the Edit window ( ). (An informational flashing hand points to the
Reset button.) PC-DMIS then replaces the execution icon with a Marked or an
Unmarked icon.

PC-DMIS remains in the execution state until you click the Reset button.

Editing from a Dialog Box

To edit a command via the dialog box specific to that command:

1. Select the command in the Edit window.

2. Double-click, press F9, or select Edit | Command (or, right-click on the
command and choose Edit from the pop-up menu) to open the appropriate
dialog box for the command. Be aware that in some cases, you can only edit a
command if PC-DMIS is in Command mode.

For commands that do not use a dialog box, F9 does nothing, and Edit | Command is
unavailable for selection.

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Working in Summary Mode

Summary Mode Keyboard Functions

The following list shows the available keyboard functions:

• Shift + Tab
Moves the insertion point up one line.
• Ctrl + Click on feature in Graphic Display window
Moves the insertion point to the corresponding command item in the Edit window.
• Ctrl + A
Selects all of the commands in the Edit window.
• Ctrl + C
Copies text or objects to the Clipboard.
• Ctrl + End
Moves the cursor to the end of the measurement routine.
• Ctrl + Home
Moves the cursor to the beginning of the measurement routine.
• Ctrl + Q
Displays the Execution dialog box and allows you to execute the measurement
routine.
• Ctrl + V
Pastes the Clipboard contents. If you selected a field that can take a value, it
pastes the text in that field. If a command has been cut or copied, it pastes the
command after the current selected command.
• Ctrl + X
Cuts any selected text from a field that can take a value and stores it in the
Clipboard. If you've selected a command, it cuts that command and stores it in
the Clipboard.
• Ctrl + Y
Displays the Execution dialog box and allows you to execute the measurement
routine at a specified location.
• Delete
Deletes any selected characters from a field that can take a value. If a command
or command block is selected, and you can normally delete it, this function
deletes it.
• Double-click
Double-click on a group item to display the Group dialog box.
• Down Arrow
Moves the insertion point down one line.

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 Using the Edit Window

• F3
Marks a single feature for execution. It also marks and unmarks multiple
selected commands.
• F9
Opens a dialog box for the currently selected command if a corresponding dialog
box exists for the command.
• Page Down
Moves the insertion point down one page.
• Page Up
Moves the insertion point up one page.
• Shift
Facilitates selecting a block of objects. Select something, hold Shift, and then
click again to select a range of objects.
• Tab
Moves the insertion point down one line.
• Up Arrow
Moves the insertion point up one line.
• Left Arrow
Collapses an expanded command or group.
• Right Arrow
Expands a collapsed command or group.
• Alt + Backspace
Undo. Undoes the last edit made.
• Shift + Backspace
Redo. Redoes the last undone edit.

Using the Peek Window

The Peek window displays a command's information when you hover over the
command in the Edit window. This feature enables you to quickly identify a command's
properties and become accustomed to the command's language.

The Peek window automatically updates with the properties of the command that you
point to. You do not need to click on the command to update the information in the Peek
window.

Hits do not appear for features in the Peek window. For a group, only the first line of the
commands in that particular group appears in the Peek window.

26
Working in Summary Mode

To use the Peek window, do the following:

1. Access the Edit window. For help, see "Using the Edit Window: Introduction".
2. Place the Edit window in Summary mode or Summary mode (Preview). For help,
see "Working in Summary Mode".
3. To enable the Peek window, mark the Show Peek Window check box on the
General tab in the Setup Options dialog box. (The Peek window is enabled by
default.) For help, see "Show Peek Window".

In Summary mode (Preview), you can also select the Peek Window icon
( ) in the Edit window to enable the Peek window.

4. To use the Peek window, position your mouse pointer over a command. The
Peek window will align to the center of the command.

If you move the mouse pointer, the Peek window becomes transparent with no
text in it. The transparent Peek window enables you to see the application through
it. The transparent window follows the mouse up and down the commands in the
Edit window until you stop and hover over a command. At this point, the Peek
window becomes active again and displays the command's information.

5. Execute your measurement routine.

In Summary mode (Preview), PC-DMIS displays an icon that indicates the

execution status. For more information, see "Marking and Unmarking Commands
in Summary Mode (Preview)".

6. To close the Peek window, do one of the following:

• Select a command.
• Close the Edit window.
• Move your mouse pointer to another area in PC-DMIS.
• Press any sequence of keys.
• In Summary mode (Preview), select the Peek Window icon.

Following is an example of an active Peek window in Summary mode:

27
 Using the Edit Window

Example of an active Peek window

Working in Command Mode

Command mode allows you to insert or edit a wide variety of PC-DMIS commands into
the Edit window and to work with the Edit window in a pure textual format. To place the
Edit window in Command mode, select View | Command Mode, or from the Edit
Window toolbar, click the Command Mode icon .

The main features or commands that you can add to the Edit window include:

• Constructed Features
• Dimensions
• Statistical Data
• Alignment
• Measured Features
• Hits
• Motion Commands
• Move Commands
• Sheet Metal Measurements
• Probe
• Comments
• Trace Fields
• Expressions

28
Working in Command Mode

• Screen Captures
• Global Commands
• Command Mode Keyboard Functions

PC-DMIS also provides some keyboard functions that you can use while the Edit
window is in Command Mode. These are discussed in "Command Mode Keyboard
Functions". Similarly, you can access several shortcut menu items by right-clicking on
the commands within Command Mode. See "Command Mode Shortcut Menu" in the
"Using Shortcut Keys and Shortcut Menus" appendix.

You can also determine which commands get displayed in Command mode. See
"Command Mode Display Options" in the "Setting Your Preferences" chapter for
additional information.

Constructed Features
PC-DMIS allows you to create specified features from existing features. Additional
information including specific rules for constructing features can be found in the
"Constructing New Features from Existing Features" chapter.

PC-DMIS supports the construction of the following features:

• POINT
• CIRCLE
• ELLIPSE
• SPHERE
• LINE
• CONE
• CYLINDER
• PLANE
• SLOT
• CURVE
• SURFACE
• FEATURE SET
• GAUSSIAN FILTER SET

Dimensions
Dimension commands allow you to dimension features or the relationship between
features. Additional information regarding the calculation of dimensions can be found in
the "Using Legacy Dimensions" chapter.

29
 Using the Edit Window

Dimension Format
Only if a dimension is marked for printing does the data appear on the inspection report.
The FORMAT command allows you to create more than one dimensional format within a
measurement routine. This allows you to show or hide the information that stored in any
dimension that follows the FORMAT command.

For example, for some dimensions, you may not want the nominals printed, such as
with certain types of zone tolerances that always have a nominal of zero. In these
cases, you can hide the NOM field. Later in the measurement routine you might want to
display the nominals for a different type of dimension, such as Location or Position. The
FORMAT command lets you control these manipulations.

The default FORMAT command prints out all of the columns and column headings. It
also creates the statistics XSTATS11.TMP file.

For details on the locations of PC-DMIS files, see "Understanding File

Locations".

 To hide an item, move your pointer over a field, once it turns into region you can
click, select the empty item at the bottom of the list of options.
 To show an item, type it in the field and press Tab.

You can also press F8 or F7 to toggle the field values.

Command line in the Edit window:

FORMAT/TEXT,OPTIONS, ,HEADINGS,SYMBOLS,
;NOM,TOL,MEAS,DEV,OUTTOL, ,

TEXT = This field controls whether or not additional text appears in the dimension's
command block.

HEADINGS = This field controls whether the dimensions that follow the FORMAT
command will have column headings above the numbers.

OPTIONS = This field controls whether or not option fields are displayed. These options
include the following:

GRAPH = This shows or hides graphical analysis of the dimension.

30
Working in Command Mode

TEXT = This shows or hides textual analysis of the dimension

MULT = This sets the multiplier for deviation arrows and tolerance zone used
in the Graphic Display window. This is only used if GRAPH = YES.

OUTPUT = This determines where to send dimensional output. Options are

statistics, report, both statistics and report, or none.

ID = This shows or hides the dimension's ID in the header.

SYMBOL = This field controls whether the deviation symbols will be printed. This field
can be toggled on or off. A blank field indicates that this command is off.

SD = This shows or hides the dimension's standard deviation value.

NOM,TOL,MEAS,MAXMIN,DEV,OUTTOL,DEVANG = These fields appear after the

semi-colon character (;). They control which columns get printed for dimensions
following the FORMAT command. You can toggle any combination of these columns on
or off. They can also be displayed in any order. Simply type the desired command in the
order needed. (The order will be numerically displayed in the Parameters Dimension
dialog box.)

For more information consult the "Using Legacy Dimensions" chapter.

Available Dimensions
To edit these dimensions, view their individual sections in the "Using Legacy
Dimensions" chapter.

Analysis
To edit the Analysis information, see the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

Statistical Data
To include and edit statistical data, see the "Tracking Statistical Data" chapter.

Alignment
The Alignment option allows you to recall or create a new coordinate system.

31
 Using the Edit Window

Alignment Commands
For more information on how to use these alignment commands in the Edit window, see
the individual topics in the "Creating and Using Alignments" chapter.

CAD Equals Part

For more information on how to use the CAD Equals Part command in the Edit window,
see "Equating CAD to Measured Part Data" in the "Creating and Using Alignments"
chapter.

Equate Alignment
For more information on how to use Equate Alignment command in the Edit window,
see "Equating an Alignment" in the "Creating and Using Alignments" chapter.

Measured Features
You can insert commands that create the following measured features:

• Measured Point
• Measured Line
• Measured Plane
• Measured Sphere
• Measured Cylinder
• Measured Cone
• Measured Circle

These features, along with information about measured features in general, are
discussed in the "Creating Measured Features" chapter.

Hits
This command targets the location for actual touches by the probe.

32
Working in Command Mode

Basic Hit
HIT/BASIC,x,y,z,i,j,k,x,y,z,USE_THEO=YES/NO

This is the simplest hit format. See "Understanding the Command Format" in the
"Creating Measured Features" chapter for more information.

Sheet Metal Hits

HIT/type,x,y,z,i,j,k,x,y,z

type = VECTOR, SURFACE, EDGE, CORNER, ANGLE

There are five available types of sheet metal hits. The Sheet Metal package must be
installed for this option to be available. (See "Sheet Metal Measurements".)

Adding Hit Lines

To add a hit line, place the cursor in the desired location and press the Enter key. Begin
by typing the command HIT. Press the Tab key. PC-DMIS adds the new line depending
on where the cursor is located. If the cursor is in the middle of a command, a new line is
created below the current line. If the cursor is placed anywhere within the first four lines
PC-DMIS creates the new line immediately after the measured line.

Deleting Blank Lines

To delete a blank line press the Down Arrow or Enter key. The line may also be
highlighted and deleted. (See "Command Mode Keyboard Functions".)

Motion Commands
The various Motion commands control the movement of the machine. All but the
FASTPROBEMODE command are discussed in greater detail in the "Parameter
Settings: Motion tab" and the "Parameter Settings: Optional Motion tab" topics of the
"Setting Your Preferences" chapter.

33
 Using the Edit Window

Mode = MANUAL / DCC

MODE/MANUAL (or DCC )

This command allows you to select between manual and DCC mode.

Prehit Distance
PREHIT/nnn.nnnn

This command determines the distance away from the theoretical hit location on the
surface where PC-DMIS begins to search for the part. The machine travels at touch
speed while traversing this distance to search for the part.

nnn.nnnn represents a number value for the machine prehit distance.

For additional information, see the "Prehit Distance" topic in the "Setting your
Preferences" chapter.

Move Speed
MOVESPEED/nnn.nnnn

nnn.nnnn represents a number value for the speed. This command changes the point
to point positioning speed of the CMM. Depending on the state of the Display absolute
speeds check box in the Part/Machine tab of the Setup Options dialog box (Edit |
Preferences | Setup), this is either an absolute speed (mm/sec) or a percentage of the
machine's total speed capability.

Touch Speed
TOUCHSPEED/nnn.nnnn

nnn.nnnn represents a number value for the speed. This command changes the speed
at which the CMM takes hits. Depending on the state of the Display absolute speeds
check box in the Part/Machine tab of the Setup Options dialog box (Edit |

34
Working in Command Mode

Preferences | Setup), this is either an absolute speed (mm/sec) or a percentage of the

machine's total speed capability.

Scan Speed
SCANSPEED/nnn.nnnn

nnn.nnnn represents a number value for the speed. This command changes the speed
at which the CMM scans the part. Depending on the state of the Display absolute
speeds check box in the Part/Machine tab of the Setup Options dialog box (Edit |
Preferences | Setup), this is either an absolute speed (mm/sec) or a percentage of the
machine's total speed capability.

Retract Distance
RETRACT/nnn.nnnn

nnn.nnnn represents a number value for the distance. This command determines the
distance the machine will move away from the actual hit location before going from
"Touch Speed" to "Move Speed".

Some controllers do not retract on their own. In these cases, PC-DMIS issues
the move to do the retract, and the distance is based on ball surface to the part's
theoretical hit location. If the controller does do the retract, the distance may be
calculated either from the ball surface or the ball center to either the theoretical or
measured hit location, depending on the particular controller.

Check Distance
CHECK/nnn.nnnn,p.pp

This command determines the distance in inches or millimeters (depending on the

system of measurement that was initially set up for the particular measurement routine)
past the theoretical hit location that the machine will continue to search for the surface
of the part until it determines the surface is not there.

35
 Using the Edit Window

nnn.nnnn:
This represents the check distance

p.pp:
This represents the percentage of the total check distance that PC-DMIS moves when
performing a Find Hole operation. The default value is 1 which means 100% of the
check distance. Thus .1=10%, .2=20%, .3=30% etc. This only functions with Find Hole
operations.

• If PC-DMIS finds a surface within the specified check distance, it takes a hit.
• If no surface is found, PC-DMIS displays an error message that it has encountered an
unexpected end of move.

If .3 inches is entered as the check distance, PC-DMIS moves .3 inches past

the theoretical surface, searching for a surface on which to make the hit.

For additional information, see the example in the "Check Distance" topic in the "Setting
your Preferences" chapter.

Using Fast Probe Mode

Use the Insert | Parameter Change | Probe | Fast Probe Mode menu item to insert a
FASTPROBEMODE/OFF command into the Edit window. To enable Fast Probe Mode,
after you insert this command, highlight OFF and press F8 to change it to ON.

This probing mode applies to analog scanning probes when taking individual hits rather
than scanning. When it is ON, it provides a significant reduction in the time required to
take individual hits. The biggest reduction in time occurs when the probe retracts from
the part.

Some probe types (such as the SP25) do not support Fast Probe Mode. Some
machines do not support Fast Probe Mode regardless of the probe type. If you have a
measurement routine with the FASTPROBEMODE/ON command in it, but your probe type
or machine does not support it, the command does nothing.

36
Working in Command Mode

Move Commands
The commands listed below provide you with the ability to alter the movement of the
probe between hits.

MOVE/POINT
MOVE/INCREMENT
MOVE/CLEARPLANE
MOVE/CIRCULAR
MOVE/SYNC
MOVE/SWEEP
MOVE/ROTAB
MOVE/EXCLUSIVE_ZONE

These are described in the "Inserting Move Commands" chapter.

Sheet Metal Measurements

Sheet metal measurements, also known as "Auto Features", are available only as an
added option to the basic PC-DMIS geometric software package. (See the "Creating
Auto Features" chapter.) This option provides you with several alternate choices for
taking hits. The various sheet metal features are listed below. When applicable,
Number of Hits, Number of Rows, Spacer, and Indent values can be updated. The
required minimum number will be indicated as the default.

The following sheet metal measurements are available:

• Auto Vector Point

• Auto Line
• Auto Plane
• Auto Circle
• Auto Ellipse
• Auto Notch Slot
• Auto Round Slot
• Auto Angle Point
• Auto Corner Point
• Auto Edge Point
• Auto High Point

37
 Using the Edit Window

• Auto Surface Point

• Auto Square Slot
• Auto Cylinder
• Auto Cone
• Auto Sphere

Probe
The following commands allow you to access options that affect the probe. These
commands allow you to change the active tip in a probe cluster or change the position
of the rotating probe head. Probe compensation can also be turned on or off as needed.

Load Probe
LOADPROBE/<probe name>

In the Load Probe command, <probe name> represents a user editable field that allows
you to load a file of qualified probe tips to be used within the measurement routine. For
example, LOADPROBE/TESASTAR loads a probe named TESASTAR.

Probe Comp
PROBECOM/ON (or OFF)

The Probe Comp command allows you to turn probe compensation on or off. It is
considered ON if the command is displayed in the Edit window.

Read Point
F_ID= FEAT/ POINT, TOG1
THEO/ x, y, z, i, j, k
ACTL/ x, y, z, i, j, k
READPOINT

The Read Point command creates a point feature at the current location of the probe.
PC-DMIS then stores the values of the point that is read.

38
Working in Command Mode

If you execute this type of point feature in Offline mode and the feature follows a
MODE/MANUAL command, it copies the theoretical vector and position to the measured
vector and position; otherwise, the value comes from the current probe position.

See "Creating a ReadPoint from the Probe's Position" in the "Creating Generic
Features" chapter for additional information.

Tip
The tip command tells PC-DMIS to use the specified probe tip.

TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0

The SHANKIJK is just another vector form of specifying the A and B angles for the
tip.
The ANGLE specifies the angle that the tip transformation matrix is rotated about the
shank vector.

Comments
This option allows you to display comments during the execution of the measurement
routine, or to send the comments to the inspection report. These comments are created
using the Insert | Report Command | Comment menu option. The Show
Comments option also allows you to add, edit, or delete operator notes and inspection
report comments within the Edit window. The COMMENT command switches between the
options OPER, REPORT, YESNO, $$, INPUT, and READOUTS.

When typing your comment text directly into the Edit window in Command mode,
PC-DMIS interprets the first Enter key that you press as an additional text line in your
comment. If you want to type a new command following your comment, press Enter
twice at the end of your comment text.

When you open a measurement routine that was saved from a later version, any
commands that are not supported in the current version will show up as DOC
comments.

For more information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

39
 Using the Edit Window

Operator
This option displays a message to the operator when the measurement routine is
executed. Type the command COMMENT/OPER in the desired location of the Edit
window. Type in the desired text you want to display to the operator, and press Enter.
You can also access this option by selecting Insert | Report Command | Comment
from the menu bar to show the Comment dialog box. Then select Operator.

When the operator executes the measurement routine with this command, a message
displays the comment to the operator.

Pressing the F9 key while the cursor is in a COMMENT/OPER command line displays the
Comments dialog box allowing you to alter the displayed message.

Command line in the Edit window:

COMMENT/OPER,NO,Full Screen=YES,
comment text

For more information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

Report
This option sends text to the inspection report when the measurement routine is
executed. Type the command COMMENT/REPT in the desired location of the Edit
window. Type in the desired text, and press Enter. You can also access this option by
selecting Insert | Report Command | Comment from the menu bar to show the
Comment dialog box. Then select Report.

When the operator executes the measurement routine, these messages are not
displayed during execution. However, they are sent to the inspection report.

Pressing the F9 key while the cursor is in a COMMENT/REPT command line displays the
Comments dialog box allowing you to alter the displayed message.

Command line in the Edit window:

COMMENT/REPT,
comment text

For more information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

40
Working in Command Mode

Input
This option is similar to Operator in that it allows you to display text when executing a
measurement routine. In addition to displaying a message, a comment box appears so
the operator can type information that is then written to the inspection report.

Type the command COMMENT/INPUT in the desired location of the Edit window. Type
in the desired text. The input from the operator is assigned to the Comment ID and is
accessible via an expression reference (such as C1.INPUT for example).

You can also access this option by selecting Insert | Report Command | Comment
from the menu bar to show the Comment dialog box. Then select Report.

Pressing the F9 key while the cursor is in a COMMENT/INPUT command line displays
display the Comments dialog box, allowing you to alter the displayed message.

Command line in the Edit window:

comment ID=COMMENT/INPUT,NO,Full Screen=NO,
comment text

For more information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

$$ (Document)
This option provides you with the ability to document (add programmer comments to)
the internal measurement routine. It will not display any text when executing the
measurement routine. Visually, this command does not have the usual COMMENT
prefix to the command in the Edit window. This is done to help the comment stand out
inside the Edit window.

Command line in the Edit window:

$$ NO,
comment text

To type a document comment directly into the Edit window:

1. Type COMMENT and press Tab. PC-DMIS highlights the OPER field.
2. Type $$ and press Tab or Enter.

You can also access this option by selecting Insert | Report Command | Comment
from the menu bar to show the Comment dialog box. Then select Document.

41
 Using the Edit Window

When you open a measurement routine that was saved from a later version into the
current version, any commands that are not supported in the current version show up as
DOC comments. See "Save As" in the "Using Basic File Options" chapter.

For more information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

Yes / No
This option displays message box with a question and YES / NO buttons when the
measurement routine is executed. Type the command COMMENT/YESNO in the desired
location of the Edit window. Type in the desired question you want to display to the
operator, and press Enter. You can also access this option by selecting Insert | Report
Command | Comment from the menu bar to show the Comment dialog box. Then
select Yes / No.

The response to the YES / NO question appears in the measurement routine. The text
'YES' or 'NO' is associated with the comment identification and is available in any
expression via a reference to the Comment ID (such as C1.INPUT for example).

Command line in the Edit window

comment ID = COMMENT/YESNO,NO,Full Screen=NO,
comment text

For more information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

Readouts
This option allows you to display text inside the Probe Readouts window when the
measurement routine is executed. Type the comment COMMENT/READOUTS in the
desired location of the Edit window. Type in the desired text you want to display in the
Probe Readouts window, and press Enter. You can also access this option by selecting
Insert | Report Command | Comment from the menu bar to show the Comment
dialog box. Then select Readouts.

Pressing the F9 key while the cursor is in a COMMENT/READOUTS command line

displays the Comments dialog box allowing you to alter the displayed message.

The Edit window command line for this option reads:

COMMENT/READOUTS,
comment text

42
Working in Command Mode

For more information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

Trace Fields
PC-DMIS uses trace fields to send additional information into your statistical
database along with your measurement results. The Insert | Statistics Command |
Trace Field menu option opens the Trace Field dialog box.

For more information about the trace field, see "Using Trace Fields".

Expressions
You can insert expressions into most of PC-DMIS's editable fields. See the "Using
Expressions and Variables" chapter.

Screen Captures
You can insert a DISPLAY/METAFILE command to insert screen captures of the
Graphic Display window into your report. See the "Inserting Screen Captures" topic in
the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

Global Commands
The table below defines the list of global commands available in the Edit window. While
you cannot alter these commands, the Edit window does allow you to select the minor
commands following these major commands.

To select the minor commands, do the following:

1. Press the Tab key to select the minor command in the Edit window.
2. Press F7 or F8. This toggles through the available choices.

This list serves as a comprehensive summary of the commands that can be added to a
measurement routine. See each specific section for more information as necessary.

43
 Using the Edit Window

The maximum number of characters that PC-DMIS can manage within any
line of the Edit window is 280.

MAJOR COMMAND MINOR COMMAND

2DANGLE (see "Dimensioning

A
Angle")

2DDISTANCE (see
M
"Dimensioning Distance")

3DANGLE (see "Dimensioning

A
Angle")

3DDISTANCE (see
M
"Dimensioning Distance")

ALIGNMENT (see the BF2D, BF3D, ITERATE, LEVEL, ROTATE,

"Creating and Using TRANS, ROTATE_OFFSET, TRANS_OFFSET,
Alignments") RECALL, RECALL_EXTERNAL

ANGULARITY (see
M
"Dimensioning Angularity")

ANALYSISVIEW (see
"Analysis area")

ARRAY INDICES (see

"Arrays")

ASSIGN (see "Using Variables

with Expressions")

ATTACH (see "IDs for features

within subroutines, basic
scripts, or external routines")

VECTOR POINT, SURFACE POINT, EDGE

AUTO (see "Sheet Metal
POINT, CORNER POINT, ANGLE POINT, HIGH
Measurements")
POINT, SPHERE, CIRCLE, CYLINDER,

44
Working in Command Mode

SQUARE SLOT, ROUND SLOT, CONE,

ELLIPSE, NOTCH, CONE

AUTOTRIGGER (see
"Parameter Settings: Probe
Trigger Options tab")

CAD EQUALS PART (see

"CAD Equals Part")

CALCULATION

CALLSUB (see "Calling a

Subroutine")

CASE (see "Case / End Case")

CHECK (see "Check

Distance")

CLEARP (see "Parameter

Settings: Clearance Plane "WORK PLANE VALUE"
tab")

CLAMP (see "Clamping

Value")

COLUMN132 (see
"Dimensions")

COMMENT (see "Comments") OPER, REPORT

CONCENTRICITY (see
M
"Dimensioning Concentricity")

CONST (see "Constructed CIRCLE, CONE, CURVE, CYLINDER, ELLIPSE,

Features") LINE, PLANE, POINT, SET, SURFACE, SPHERE

CIRCULARITY (see
"Dimensioning Circularity")

CYLINDRICITY (see
"Dimensioning Cylindricity")

45
 Using the Edit Window

DEFAULT_CASE (See
"Default Case / End Default
Case")

DISPLAY (see "Screen

METAFILE
Captures")

DO (see "Do / Until")

ELSE (see "Else / End Else")

END_ELSEIF (See "Else If /

End Else If")

ELSE_IF (see "Else If / End

Else If")

END_CASE (see "Case / End

Case")

END_DEFAULTCASE (see
"Default Case / End Default
Case")

END_ELSE (see "Else / End

Else")

END_IF (see "If / End If")

END_SELECT (see "Select /

End Select")

END WHILE (see "While / End

While")

ENDSUB (see "Branching with

Subroutines")

EQUATE (see "Equate

Alignment")

EXTERNALCOMMAND (see
"Inserting External Objects")

46
Working in Command Mode

OPEN, MOVE, EXISTS, DIALOG, DELETE,

COPY, CLOSE, WRITE_CHARACTER,
FILE (see "Using File Input / WRITE_BLOCK, WRITELINE, SAVE_POSITION,
Output") REWIND, RECALL_POSITION, READ_UPTO,
READ_CHARACTER, READ_BLOCK,
READLINE

FLATNESS (see
M
"Dimensioning Flatness")

FLY (see "Machine area")

FORMFEED (see "Inserting a

Form Feed Command")

FORMAT (see "Dimension

HEADINGS,STATS
Format")

GAPONLY (see "Dimensioning

ON
Location")

POINT, PLANE, NONE, LINE, CYLINDER,

GENERIC (see "Creating a
CONE, CIRCLE, SQUARE_SLOT, SPHERE,
Generic Feature")
ROUNDSLOT

GO TO (see "Jumping to a
Label Using GoTo")

BASIC, ANGLE, VECTOR, SURFACE, EDGE,

HIT (see "Hits")
CORNER

IF (see "If / End If")

KEYIN (see "Dimensioning

M
through Keyboard Input")

LABEL (see "Using Labels")

LEITZPROBE

LOADPROBE (see "Load

"FILE NAME"
Probe")

47
 Using the Edit Window

LOCATION (see
A, D, M, PA, PR, R, T, X, Y, Z
"Dimensioning Location")

LOOP (see "Creating a Loop") START, END

MEAS (see "Measured CIRCLE, CONE, CURVE, CYLINDER, LINE,

Features") PLANE, POINT, SET, SLOT, SPHERE

MODE (see "Probe Mode

DCC, MANUAL
Toolbar")

MOVE (see "Move POINT, ROTAB, CIRCULAR, CLEARPLANE,

Commands") INCREMENT, PH9 (X,Y,Z)

MOVESPEED (see "Move

% of overall machine speed
Speed")

ONERROR (see "Branching

Unexpected_hit, probe_miss
on an Error")

OPTIONMOTION (see
"Parameter Settings: Probe
Options tab")

PARALLELISM (see
M
"Dimensioning Parallelism")

PD

PERPENDICULARITY (see
"Dimensioning M
Perpendicularity")

POSITION (see "Dimensioning

A, D, M, PA, PR, R, T, V, X, Y, Z
Position")

PREHIT (see "Prehit

"distance"
Distance")

PROBECOMP (see "Probe

"ON, OFF"
Comp")

PROFILE (see "Dimensioning

48
Working in Command Mode

Profile - Line or Surface")

END "ends the measurement routine at the

ROUTINE
command's location"

READPOINT (see "Read

"xyz value of probe location"
Point")

RECALL (see "Recalling an VIEWSET, ALIGNMENT

Existing Alignment") (INTERNAL/EXTERNAL)

RETRACT (see "Retract

"distance"
Distance")

RETROLINEARONLY (see
ON, OFF
"Location Options")

RMEAS (see "Setting Up

Relative Measure (RMEAS)")

RS

RT

RUNOUT (see "Dimensioning

M
Runout - Circular or Total")

SAVE (see "Saving an

ALIGNMENT
Alignment")

SCANSPEED (see "Scan

% of overall machine speed
Speed %")

SCRIPT (see "Inserting BASIC

Scripts")

SELECT (see "Select / End

Select")

STATS (see the "Tracking

ON, OFF
Statistical Data")

49
 Using the Edit Window

STRAIGHTNESS (see
M
"Dimensioning Straightness")

SUBROUTINE (see
"Branching with Subroutines")

TIP (see "Tip") "file name"

TEMPCOMP (see
"Compensating for
Temperature")

TOUCHSPEED (see "Touch

"% of overall machine speed"
Speed %")

TRACEFIELD (see "Trace

(field name : value)
Fields")

UNTIL (see "Do / Until")

WHILE (see "While / End

While")

WORKPLANE (see "Settings

TOP, BACK, BOTTOM, FRONT, LEFT, RIGHT
Toolbar")

Command Mode Keyboard Functions

The following list shows the various keyboard functions available within the Edit
window's Command Mode.

• Alt + F3
Displays the Search dialog box.
• Shift + Tab or Ctrl + Left Arrow
Moves the cursor backward to the last editable field.
• Ctrl
Hold Ctlr and click on a feature in the Graphic Display window to move the cursor
to the corresponding feature line in the Edit window. Hold Ctrl and double-click
on a feature to select the entire feature.
• Ctrl + A
Selects and highlights all the text in the Edit window.

50
Working in Command Mode

• Ctrl + C
Copies text or objects to the Clipboard. If you highlight text from a single field,
that text is copied to the Clipboard. If more than one field is highlighted, then the
entire object is copied to the Clipboard.
• Ctrl + E
Executes selected features (or the feature with the cursor).
• Ctrl + End
Moves the cursor to the end of the measurement routine.
• Ctrl + Tab
Minimizes or restores the Edit window.
• Ctrl + Home
Moves the cursor to the beginning of the measurement routine.
• Ctrl + Page Down
Moves the cursor to the end of the file.
• Ctrl + Page Up
Moves the cursor to the beginning of the file.
• Ctrl + Q
Displays the Execution dialog box so you can execute the measurement routine.
• Ctrl + T
Assigns the current command to the selected active arm.
• Ctrl + V
Pastes the Clipboard's contents at the insertion point. If you only copied text, this
attempts to paste the text. If you copied an entire object to the Clipboard, this
attempts to paste the entire object. In the latter case, if the insertion point is in the
first column of the Edit window on the first line of a command, the Clipboard
object is placed before this object. In all other cases, the insertion is after the
object.
• Ctrl + X
Cuts any highlighted characters.
• Ctrl + Y
Displays the Execution dialog box and resumes a paused execution.
• Delete or Backspace
Deletes any highlighted characters. If nothing is highlighted, then both keystrokes
function as in a normal editor.
• Double-click
Highlights the editable field that the cursor is on.
• Down Arrow
Moves the cursor down one line.
• F1
Displays the Help topic for the command.

51
 Using the Edit Window

• F2
Inserts an expression.
• F3
Marks a single feature for execution. Multiple features can be marked
simultaneously by highlighting them before selecting this command.
• F4
Prints the entire contents of the Edit window.
• F5
Displays the Setup Options dialog box.
• F6
Displays the Change all the fonts dialog box.
• F7
If the cursor is placed in a toggle field, this key switches the entry in the field
forward to the next entry in the alphabetical list of allowed entries. If the end of
allowed entries is reached, it cycles to the beginning of the list.
• F8
If the cursor is placed in a toggle field, this key switches the entry in the field
backward to the previous entry in the alphabetical list of allowed entries. If the
beginning of allowed entries is reached, it cycles to the end of the list.
• F9
Opens the dialog box for the command on which the cursor is residing when the
you press this key.
• F10
Displays the Parameter Settings dialog box.
• F12
Displays the Fixture Setup dialog box.
• Left Arrow
Moves the cursor left one character.
• Page Down
Moves the cursor down one page.
• Page Up
Moves the cursor up one page.
• Right Arrow
Moves the cursor right one character.
• Shift
If you hold Shift and an arrow key is pressed, the text is highlighted as the cursor
moves. Holding Shift and double-clicking on a start block or end block selects the
entire command block.
• Shift + F10
Displays the Jump To dialog box.

52
Working in DMIS Mode

• Tab + Ctrl + Right Arrow

Moves the cursor forward to the next editable field.
• Up Arrow
Moves the cursor up one line.
• - (minus key) or Alt + -
Removes the last hit from the hit buffer.
• End
Inserts the measured feature into the measurement routine.

Working in DMIS Mode

DMIS mode displays the Edit window commands in DMIS format. This means you can
use the DMIS syntax to edit your measurement routines. To place the Edit window in
DMIS mode, select View | DMIS Mode, or from the Edit Window toolbar, click the
DMIS Mode icon ( ).

Most of the commands and features that you can add to your measurement routine from
Command mode, you can also add from DMIS mode. For information on how to insert
or edit commands in DMIS mode, see "Understanding Core Concepts".

For information on DMIS, see http://www.dmisstandards.org.

Copying and Pasting Parameters

The Copy Parameters and Paste Parameters functions help you copy parameters from
one feature or dimension and paste them to another feature(s) or dimension(s) in the
Edit window. For example, you can copy and paste the following:

• Feature parameters, such as NUMHITS and DEPTH

• Dimension parameters, such as OUTPUT, TEXT, and tolerances

Nominal values, basic hit values, and vector component values are not parameters;
therefore, you cannot copy and paste them.

Copying a Parameter

1. Use one of the following methods to select the parameter(s) that you want to
copy:

53
 Using the Edit Window

• To select a single parameter, click anywhere on it or highlight it. For

example:

Command mode

Summary mode

• To select multiple, continuous parameters for a single feature, click on the

first parameter and then drag your mouse while holding the mouse button.
For example:

Command mode

• To select a complete feature to copy all of its parameters, hold down the
Ctrl key and then drag your mouse. For example:

54
Copying and Pasting Parameters

Command mode

Summary mode

2. Use one of the following methods to copy the selected parameter(s):

• Press Ctrl+Alt+C.
• Right-click and select Copy Parameters on the shortcut menu.
• Select Edit | Copy Parameters.

Pasting a Parameter

1. Use one of the following methods to select the feature to paste the copied
parameter(s) to:
• To select a single feature, click anywhere on the feature or dimension.
• To select multiple, continuous features, click on the first feature and then
drag your mouse while holding the mouse button. For example:

Command mode

55
 Using the Edit Window

• To select multiple, non-continuous features, click anywhere on the feature,

and then hold down the Ctrl key while clicking each non-continuous
feature. For example:

Command mode

2. Use one of the following methods to paste the selected parameter(s):

• Press Ctrl+Alt+V.
• Right-click and select Paste Parameters on the shortcut menu.
• Select Edit | Paste Parameters.

Working with User-Defined Groups

PC-DMIS lets you group contiguous Edit window commands together and place them
inside of a user-defined GROUP / ENDGROUP command pair (in DMIS mode, groups
appear as DMISEW commands).

Grouped commands help simplify user interaction with a measurement routine by

enabling you to apply operations on all commands inside the group, by applying them to
the group itself. In addition, the measurement routine is visually less busy, enabling you
to better visualize the overall structure of the measurement routine.

For example, suppose you have several hundred points in your measurement routine
from a scan that you want to hide to make the overall structure of the measurement
routine more visible and easier to work with. You can select all of the point commands
as long as they are all in one list, and then select the Insert | Group menu item to group
those commands together. In any mode of the Edit window, you can then show or hide
the commands inside of the group as needed.

56
Working with User-Defined Groups

For example, in the images below, the left Edit window shows a group with the points
expanded (A). The right Edit window shows a group with the points collapsed (B).

Groups appear in this format inside the Edit window in Command mode:

GRP1 = GROUP/SHOWALLPARAMS = YES

... commands inside the group are listed

... between the two commands

ENDGROUP/

SHOWALLPARAMS = This toggle field let you show or hide commands inside of
the group in Command mode or DMIS mode. By default, this command is set to
YES, which shows all of the commands within the group. If you set it to NO,
commands inside the group still exist, but are hidden.

Inserting Groups
When you insert your first group command into a measurement routine, PC-DMIS gives
the command a default name of "GRP1" in Command mode and DMIS mode, and

57
 Using the Edit Window

"GRP1 = GROUP" in Summary mode. PC-DMIS then increments the number in the ID
for each additional group. To easily modify the name of the group to something more
descriptive, type a new ID in Command or DMIS mode, or press F9 and edit the
GROUP command that way.

There are several different ways to insert groups into a measurement routine:

• Insert | Group menu item - This menu item inserts the GROUP and ENDGROUP
commands. If you selected multiple commands before you selected this menu
item, they would be placed inside of the group. In Command and DMIS modes,
this means that the GROUP command would precede the very first selected
command, and the ENDGROUP command would follow the last selected
command. If you don't have any commands selected, PC-DMIS displays a dialog
box that asks if you want to insert the command pair without any features inside
it. This menu item works in any mode of the Edit window.
• Right-click shortcut menu - Right-click inside Command or DMIS mode, and
select Group from the shortcut menu. If you selected multiple commands before
you selected this menu item, they would be placed inside of the group. In
Command and DMIS modes, this means that the GROUP command precedes the
very first selected command, and the ENDGROUP command follows the last
selected command.
• Summary mode - Right-click inside Summary mode, and select Add Command.
From the list of commands that appears, select Group. This option inserts an
empty GROUP / ENDGROUP command pair. Groups appear as folders inside
Summary mode. Commands appear indented inside those folders. You can
expand or collapse these groups by clicking on the plus (+) and (-) buttons,
respectively. The ENDGROUP is hidden in Summary mode.
• Type the command - In Command or DMIS mode, type GROUP, and press Enter
or Tab. PC-DMIS inserts an empty GROUP / ENDGROUP command pair.

PC-DMIS makes the Group menu item unavailable for selection if you try to
group something that is not allowed, such as attempting to only group a portion of a
command's block.

Feature Based Measurement

If your PC-DMIS license is programmed with the Feature Based Measurement (FBM)
module, you will see an extended group command. For example:

58
Working with User-Defined Groups

Example of FBM extended group command

PC-DMIS extends the GROUP command when you use the command with FBM. The
group header displays an additional choice for execution control. For complete
information, see "Using Feature Based Measurement".

Editing Groups
To edit a group in the Edit window, modify it directly in the Edit window directly. You can
also press F9 on the GROUP command, or double-click on the command, and use the
Group dialog box:

Group dialog box

• Group ID - Use this box to change the group's ID.

• Show Group area - If you select Yes, it sets the SHOWALLPARAMS registry entry
to TRUE in the PC-DMIS Settings Editor. If you select No, it sets the
SHOWALLPARAMS registry entry to FALSE.
• Execution Control area - This area of the dialog box is available only when the
Feature Based Measurement (FBM) option is enabled on your LMS license or
portlock. This area determines how PC-DMIS will execute the commands in a
group. For more information, see "Using Feature Based Measurement".
• As Marked - If you select As Marked, PC-DMIS executes all of the
marked features. PC-DMIS skips all of the non-marked commands.

59
 Using the Edit Window

• FBM Check - At the time of execution, PC-DMIS determines if a feature or

dimension is marked in the group. If it finds a marked feature or
dimension, it executes the entire group according to its marking status. If
PC-DMIS determines that no feature or dimension is marked, it skips the
entire group.
• All Always - PC-DMIS always marks and executes the entire group and
its nested subgroups. There may be several situations where the PC-
DMIS application programmer would like to always measure certain
features.

Removing Groups
Removing Only Group Commands

To remove the GROUP / ENDGROUP commands, but retain the group's contents, do one
of the following:

• In the Edit window in Command mode, ensure that all the items in the group are
visible, select either the GROUP or ENDGROUP command (but not the entire
group), and press Delete on your keyboard.
• In the Edit window in Summary mode, expand the group, right-click on the GROUP
command, and either select Delete from the shortcut menu or press Delete on
your keyboard.

Removing both Group Commands and Contents

To remove the GROUP / ENDGROUP command and its contents, do one of the following:

• In the Edit window in Command mode, hide all of the features in the group, select
the GROUP and ENDGROUP commands (ensure that you select both commands),
and press Delete on your keyboard.
• In the Edit window in Summary mode, collapse the group, right-click on the
GROUP command, and either select Delete from the shortcut menu or press
Delete on your keyboard.

If the items in the group are visible, you need to select the entire GROUP / ENDGROUP
command block before you remove it.

60
Working with User-Defined Groups

Using Multiple Arm Mode with Groups

In Command mode or DMIS mode, groups that contain commands set for execution by
a specific arm will have the same red and/or green Multiple Arm Mode margin markings
as those commands.

If all the commands in a group are tied to one arm, the GROUP command also has the
same margin color markings. If you then change the arm mode of the GROUP command,
all commands inside switch their margin color markings to the other arm.

If one or more commands are tied to both arms, the GROUP command also has the
same margin color markings as both arms.

For information on Multiple Arm Mode, see the "Using Multiple Arm Mode" chapter.

61
 Using the Edit Window

Performing Operations on Groups

In general, all operations that can be performed on a single command in the Edit
window, when performed on a group, are performed on every item contained within the
group.

The various operations you can perform on a group are described in detail below. Most
are taken from the Command mode's shortcut menu. Right-click in the Command mode
to see this shortcut menu. This shortcut menu is discussed in the "Command Mode
Shortcut Menu" topic in the "Using Shortcut Keys and Shortcut Menus" chapter. The
information below only applies to how this menu works with GROUP commands or
features inside of groups.

Shortcut Menu Operations on Groups

• Select Command - When the group is collapsed and you choose Select
Command, PC-DMIS selects every command contained in the group as a block.
When the group is expanded, Select Command selects only the GROUP
command itself.
• Select Block - This menu item selects every command contained in the group as
a block, regardless of the expanded/collapsed state of the group.
• Execute From Cursor (Ctrl + U) - This doesn't change from the usual operation.
• Execute Block (Ctrl + L) - If you select a block, PC-DMIS only executes the
block. If you selected a group as the block, then PC-DMIS executes the group.
• Jump To (Ctrl + J) - This doesn't change from the usual operation.
• Jump Back (Alt + J) - This doesn't change from the usual operation.
• Edit (F9) - When the cursor is positioned on the GROUP command, a Group
dialog box appears. You can modify the group's ID and display state. If you
select Edit on the ENDGROUP command, nothing happens.
• Mark (F3) - If you place the cursor on the GROUP command and select this
menu item, all items contained within the group are Marked or Unmarked as a
whole. If you have any unmarked commands within the group when you select
this menu item, those commands become marked, and all other commands
remain marked. If all commands within the group are already marked when you
select Mark (F3), all commands become unmarked. The color of the GROUP
command reflects the marked state of the commands contained within the group.
If at least one command within the group is marked for execution, then the group
displays as marked for execution. If no command is marked, then the group
displays as unmarked.
• Delete - This menu item only appears on the Summary mode shortcut menu. If
you select a GROUP command and then select Delete, PC-DMIS deletes the

62
Using Feature Based Measurement

GROUP and ENDGROUP commands and everything in between. You cannot

undo a GROUP deletion.
• Group - If you select an existing GROUP command and then select the Group
menu item, PC-DMIS creates a new GROUP command and nests the selected
group inside it.
• Collapse Groups - This doesn't change from the usual operation.
• Expand Groups - This doesn't change from the usual operation.
• Set as Start Point - This doesn't change from the usual operation.
• Cut - Removes the GROUP command and ENDGROUP command. All items
stored inside the group remain in the measurement routine.
• Copy and Paste - This copies and pastes a GROUP / ENDGROUP pair and
everything inside the group.

Other Group Operations

• File | Partial Execution | Execute Feature (Ctrl + E) - Selecting this menu item
while selecting the GROUP command executes all features inside the group.
• Flow Control Statements - The ID can be used to control the flow of
measurement routine execution, similar to how you can send execution flow to a
LABEL command. You can use GOTO or IF_GOTO flow control commands to
send the execution flow to a group based on defined conditions. For example:

IF_GOTO/VAR > 0, GOTO = GRP1

or

GOTO/GRP1

Using Feature Based Measurement

The Feature Based Measurement (FBM) method is an optional feature in PC-DMIS.
FBM functionality is only available if your PC-DMIS license is programmed with the
Feature Based Measurement module.

FBM offers collision-free measurement of any dimension in a measurement routine.

Mini routines provide the user interface that enables you to execute a measurement
routine that you create with the FBM method. Sub mini routines provide the facility to
create the structure to measure tool-based, cell-based, and operation-based features
from the measurement routine.

FBM is useful in situations where you want to do the following:

63
 Using the Edit Window

• Create a measurement routine for a complete, manufactured part and still be

able to use the same measurement routine to measure the part, or a single
feature, after each operation
• Quickly measure only selected features; for example, you may want to change
tools on a fully-automated manufacturing line
• Run a partial measurement routine

FBM has two parts:

1. Creating a measurement routine with FBM

2. Executing a measurement routine with FBM

Creating a Measurement Routine with FBM

To provide a collision-free path for measurement, you need to create the measurement
routine with Feature Based Measurement (FBM) concepts. FBM is tightly coupled with
the GROUP command. Following is an example of a measurement routine where all
measured features and dimensions are placed in groups. (Collapsed groups are
shown.)

64
Using Feature Based Measurement

Example of a measurement routine with groups

Group Command Concepts

PC-DMIS extends the GROUP command when you use the command with FBM. For
example:

Example of group commands with FBM

65
 Using the Edit Window

The group header displays an additional choice for execution control. Three options are
available in the group control:

• ALL ALWAYS - PC-DMIS always marks and executes the entire group and its
nested subgroups. There may be several situations where the PC-DMIS
application programmer would like to always measure certain features.
• AS MARKED - The FBM marking method marks the commands in the
measurement routine to measure the selected dimensions. All parent features of
every dimension are selected, and any required alignment is marked. If you
select AS MARKED, PC-DMIS executes all of the marked features. PC-DMIS
skips all of the non-marked commands.
• FBM CHECK - At the time of execution, PC-DMIS determines if a feature or
dimension is marked in the group. If it finds a marked feature or dimension, it
executes the entire group according to its marking status. If PC-DMIS determines
that no feature or dimension is marked, it skips the entire group.

For information about inserting groups into a PC-DMIS measurement routine, see
"Inserting Groups".

FBM Concepts

Each group can measure features on a given face of a part. There may be move points
at the beginning of the group. These move points position the tip on top of the face of
interest. You can now use any method in PC-DMIS to measure all of the features on
this face. When all measurements are completed, the probe moves back to a position
from where it can safely move to any other group.

The move points at the beginning and end of the group compare to the entry and exit of
a car on a highway. Here we enter the group and position the tip for measurement of
any feature on that face, and after the measurement is complete, we position the tip
such that it can move to any other face or tool changer if required.

You can use nested groups in cases where additional move points may be required to
measure features without collision. For example:

66
Using Feature Based Measurement

Example of nested groups

To measure the planes on the V groove, you would create a nested group. This nested
group has an entry and exit move point in front of the V groove. This ensures collision-
free measurement of the planes in the groove.

You can create dimensions in the group where they are measured, or create them in a
separate group. You can also group dimensions according to an operation, cell, or
manufacturing tool. This may help you select a complete group of dimensions to
measure any operation.

If a tip or tool change is required for measurement, then they should be done within the
group. Each group should ensure that the required probe and tip are selected.

If datum feature reference letters are assigned to the datum features, that assignment
should be within the group that measures the features.

Alignment Concepts

Carefully consider how you create alignments. For FBM, you select a dimension to
report, and FBM marks the related features.

FBM marks all of the features that are required to create the appropriate alignment. In
PC-DMIS, alignments can be based on the recall of a previous alignment. In those
cases, FBM also looks at those alignment dependencies and marks everything that is
required to create the recalled alignment as well.

If an alignment constrains all 6 Degrees of Freedom (DOF), it is recommended to recall

the STARTUP alignment rather than the previous one. This breaks the dependency
chain, and only the necessary features are measured.

Measurement Routine Variables

PC-DMIS may use variables to measure a family of parts. FBM supports variables.

67
 Using the Edit Window

It is recommended that you define and use the variable in same group in which the
feature is measured.

If you need variables (character strings or numbers) for any reason, you may want to
define them in a START_GROUP command at the beginning of the measurement routine.
Mark this group as EXECUTION CONTROL=ALL ALWAYS. You can place anything that
must be executed (such as non-motion commands, trace fields, and generating strings
for output file names) in the START_GROUP command.

Commands Outside of Groups

You can create commands outside of a group. Any command that exists outside of all
groups (that is, it does not belong to a group) has a "global scope". PC-DMIS always
executes these commands according to their marked status.

Executing a Measurement Routine with FBM

Mini routines facilitate the execution of a measurement routine with Feature Based
Measurement (FBM). For complete information about mini routines, see "Mini
Routines".

To execute a partial mini routine with FBM, do the following:

1. Create the mini routine with the required dimensions. For help, see "Mini
Routines".
2. Select FBM in the Mode list in the Mini Routines dialog box.
3. To mark the features and dimensions that will be measured, click the Show
Marked button. The features and dimensions will be marked in the Edit window.
4. To start the measurement, click the Execute button.

PC-DMIS executes a measurement routine with FBM as follows:

1. PC-DMIS marks the complete measurement routine.

2. PC-DMIS unmarks all features and dimensions.
3. PC-DMIS marks all of the selected dimensions with the Parent mode
dependency. This marks all of the required dimensions and features. It also
marks all features on which they are dependent.
4. PC-DMIS marks all of the groups for which the execution control is set to ALL
ALWAYS.
5. When PC-DMIS executes a measurement routine that has groups for which the
execution control is set to FBM CHECK, PC-DMIS determines if any features or
dimensions in the group need to be measured.

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Using Feature Based Measurement

• If a group does not have any marked features or dimensions, PC-DMIS

does not execute the measurement routine. It also does not execute any
other commands in the group (such as move points and tip change
commands), whether or not they are marked.
• If a group has marked features, PC-DMIS executes the group, as marked
by the mini routine.

6. For groups for which the execution control is set to AS MARKED, PC-DMIS
completely executes the group according to the normal marking rule.

Important Notes

• Mini routines provide a way to measure selected dimensions and features

without alignment dependency.
• Be careful if you use the With Alignment Dependencies check box in the Mini
Routines dialog box. If you select the check box, it is important to "recall" the
necessary alignment at the beginning of every group to ensure that PC-DMIS
uses the correct alignment to measure all features.

This functionality is provided for certain industries that may want to quickly re-
measure certain dimensions after they measure the complete part without moving
the part from its fixture.

• Any command that exists outside of all groups (that is, it does not belong to a
group) has a "global scope". PC-DMIS always executes these commands
according to their marked status.
• Nested groups follow the same execution rules. If an inner group contains a
measurement command, PC-DMIS also executes its outer group.

For example, suppose you have GROUP A and GROUP B. GROUP B is nested
inside GROUP A. If execution control is set to FBM CHECK for both GROUP
commands, but only GROUP B has features or a marked dimension, GROUP A
also executes its marked commands.

69