Verifying CAD Information

CAD Verify dialog box

You can use the View | CAD Verify menu item to verify that the CAD model is accurate based on the CAD native coordinate system. PC-DMIS displays a CAD Verify dialog box that allows you to perform different operations on the CAD model imported into the Graphic Display window. You can easily resize the CAD Verify dialog box to a larger size as needed.

The dialog box contains the following areas and items:

Input area

This area specifies the XYZ position and the IJK vector associated with it which are used to verify the CAD model. PC-DMIS disables the IJK Vector boxes if the Point projection option is selected.

Options area

This area determines what operation PC-DMIS performs on the CAD model. You can also specify options that control the behavior of the operations and the resulting output. The input point and vector in these options refer to the information entered into the Input area.

Point Projection - This projects the input point onto the CAD model. A closest distance algorithm is used to project the point.

Ray pierce - This option pierces the CAD model using a line. The input point and vector define the line.

Plane cut - This option intersects the CAD model using a plane. The input point defines a point on the plane and the vector specifies the plane's normal vector. For surfaces, only the surface boundaries are intersected with the plane.

Boundaries - This check box determines whether or not surface boundaries are used. If you select this check box and the CAD entity is a surface, only the surface boundaries are used. This does not affect curve geometry.

All results - This check box determines whether or not to get results for all the CAD entities in the model. If you don't select this check box, only the "best" result is displayed. The best result depends on the operation selected.

Farthest Along Vector - This option displays the intersection point farthest along the ray vector.

Closest to Point - This option displays the intersection point closest to the input point.

Resolution - This box controls the precision of the result. The result remains within the resolution value. The minimum resolution is 0.0000001.

For Direct CAD Interface models, the precision only affects the number of displayed decimal places. The actual CAD system controls the precision of the operations and cannot be modified from within PC-DMIS.

Tolerance -This box defines a tolerance value to limit the display to only those items that fall within the specified limits.

Output Vector - This area controls the displayed vector for surface boundaries and curves. (For surface points within its boundaries, the displayed vector is always the surface normal.)

Input CAD area

This area lets you choose the CAD entities you want tested.

Entire CAD Model - This check box determines whether PC-DMIS tests the entire CAD model or only selected CAD entities.

Points - This check box tests for all points on the entire CAD model.

Curves - This check box tests for all curves on the entire CAD model.

Surfaces - This check box tests for all surfaces on the entire CAD model.

All - This check box tests for all points, curves, and surfaces on the entire CAD model.

Sequence / Source Sequence - These boxes let you define a single CAD entity. You can fill in these boxes and then click the Select CAD Object button. PC-DMIS turns the item red and causes it to flash a few times.

Alternately, you can test multiple CAD entities by selecting them one at a time from the Graphic Display window, or by box-selecting a group of entities.

Output area

The Output area contains the results of the verification in a table format with points making up the rows. PC-DMIS displays all the points in the Graphic Display window. Selected points from this list are highlighted in the Graphic Display window. To update the information in the Output area, select a new option and press TAB.

This list describes the column headings in the Output area:

Point - This column shows the resulting CAD point from the input point and the CAD.

Vector - This column shows the resulting CAD vector from the input point and the CAD.

Result - This can be either Hit or Miss.

For Point projection,

For Ray pierce,

For Plane cut,

Sequence - This column shows which CAD entity the point is on. The sequence is a unique identifier assigned to each CAD entity.

Distance - This column shows the distance between the input point and the output point.

Copy to Clipboard

This button copies the Output area's results to the Windows Clipboard. If you selected specific points, only information for those points is copied. Otherwise, the entire output is copied.