Using the Measurement Strategy Editor

Select Edit | Preferences | Measurement Strategy Editor to access the Measurement Strategy Editor (MSE) application. By default, PC-DMIS shows the MSE for CMM configurations. For portable configurations, it hides the MSE.

If the MSE is not available, you can enable it with the Use Measurement Strategy Editor check box from the Setup Options dialog box, General tab. For more information, see "Use Measurement Strategy Editor" in this chapter.

You can use the MSE to modify the settings for all the auto features. You can store the modified settings as strategies and as custom groups.

Measurement Strategy Editor

How the MSE Works

You can use the MSE to modify the settings for all auto feature and then store them as strategies and custom groups. Strategies are specific to each feature. Groups contain any modified settings for all the features.

The MSE saves the settings for each custom group in text files. These text files use the XML format. Each text file has the group name as its name with an .msexml filename extension. Whenever you delete a group, PC-DMIS deletes the corresponding .msexml file.

PC-DMIS stores these files in the C:\ProgramData\Hexagon\PC-DMIS\2020.2 folder.

When you set a group of settings as the default (and at other times discussed in "About Default Settings" below), the MSE writes those settings into the registry for PC-DMIS auto features to use.

When you create auto features, PC-DMIS takes into account the current probe mode (DCC or Manual) and the current sensor type (Touch-trigger or Analog). It then uses the appropriate settings for that mode or type. For example, a circle feature that you insert after a DCC mode command can have a different number of hits than one that you insert after a Manual mode command.

Touch-trigger and Analog probes only work in DCC mode. Scan strategies only work in DCC mode.

The MSE does not yet manage Laser and Vision parameters.

About Default Settings

You can use the MSE to modify the default settings (number of hits, depth, void detection, strategy types, and so on) for all auto feature types. By default, PC-DMIS writes these changes to the registry whenever you modify and then save settings in the Measurement Strategy Editor.

If your default settings don't update, mark the Use Measurement Strategy Widget check box from the General tab of the Setup Options dialog box (F5). The measurement strategy widget applies modifications into the registry. If that check box is cleared, the MSE stores your changes only in the .msexml files. For information, see "Using the Measurement Strategy Widget" in the "Creating Auto Features" chapter.

PC-DMIS queries the registry and uses those settings when you create an auto feature.

You can also update the registry for a specific setting if you modify that setting in the Auto Feature dialog box or in the Edit window command.

PC-DMIS updates the registry with the settings stored in the default MSE group whenever you do one of the following:

Save a change to the default group of settings with the MSE.
Change to a new probe mode (such as from Manual to DCC) in the Edit window.
Change to a new probe type in the Edit window.

How to Use the MSE

Select Edit | Preferences | Measurement Strategy Editor to access the Measurement Strategy Editor application. You can position the application and resize the window height as needed.
Choose the desired Probe Mode and the Sensor Type.
From the Unit option, decide the units that you want to see in the application (mm or in).
From the toolbar on the left, you can scroll up and down and then select an auto feature to modify its settings.
Modify a feature's default settings for that group. (You can also define strategies. For information, see "Creating or Modifying Strategies" below.) By default, PC-DMIS decides what features to send to the Measurement Strategy Widget but you can override that with the switches to the right of each setting ().
Once you're done modifying one feature, if you like, click to another feature. The application temporarily stores your modifications as you click between the different features.
Continue to modify the settings as needed.
Save your changes. This also inserts your settings as defaults into PC-DMIS.

To save the current settings for the feature to the current selected group of settings, click Save. If you attempt to save the settings in Factory Defaults, the software opens the Group Name input box. You can type a name to save your group of settings under a different group name.
To save your changes to a new group of settings, click Save As. The software opens the Group Name input box. Type a name to save your group of settings under the new group name.

Save as many groups of settings as you want.
From the Group list, choose the group of settings you intend to use most frequently, and click Set Group as Default. This tells PC-DMIS to use those settings as the new default settings.
Click Close to close the MSE.
Create your auto features.

Creating or Modifying Strategies

Each feature in the MSE has one or more internal strategies that come with PC-DMIS. You can modify settings for these strategies or you can create a custom strategy.

From the MSE, under Strategy, choose the strategy to modify. If you want to create a new strategy for the feature, click New, and type the strategy name.
Make modifications as usual to the feature's settings.
When you click Save or Save As for the group, PC-DMIS also saves the current settings for the feature to the current selected strategy.
Create as many strategies as you want.
From the Strategy list, choose the strategy you intend to use most frequently, and click Set Strategy as Default.
Create your auto features.

You can select the strategy to use when you create or edit features with the Measurement Strategy Widget.

How to Attach a Scan Adaptive Strategy to a Supported Feature

From the Probe Mode list, choose DCC.
From the Sensor Type list, choose Analog.
From the toolbar on the left, select the feature to modify (High Point, Circle, Plane, Line, Cylinder, or Cone).
From the Strategy Type list, select the desired internal measurement strategy.
Beneath the Strategy Type list, click Set Strategy as Default. Only the strategy that you set as default is assigned to that feature. If you don't set the strategy as the default, the software uses TTP_STRATEGY.
Click Save to update the .msexml file and to use the defined settings for that feature.

Description of the MSE

Group - This shows an alphabetized list of all your saved strategies along with the original settings. When you first use the Measurement Strategy Editor, this list only shows Factory Defaults because you haven't yet saved any new groups. This list grows as you use Save As to create more groups. Each group in the Group list stores its settings in a .msexml file of the same name. The software stores them in the C:\ProgramData\Hexagon\PC-DMIS\<version> folder, where <version> is your version of PC-DMIS.

Delete Group () - This button deletes the selected group from the database and selects the top-most item in the Group list. This also deletes the associated .msexml file. You cannot delete the Factory Defaults group. A green check mark indicates when the operation finishes.

Set Group as Default - Sets the selected group as the default group when you next use the Measurement Strategy Editor. A green check mark appears in the Group list to indicate the default group. This also sets the default group in the Measurement Strategy toolbar. For more information see, "Measurement Strategy Toolbar" in the "Using Toolbars" chapter.

Restore Default Values - Restores the values for the selected group to their stored defaults. If you add a feature to the Edit window and press F9 on that feature and make changes to it, the software writes those changes to the registry. This means the software uses those changes as the new default for that feature type and not what's in the selected group. The Restore Default Values button restores your default settings on the feature to match the settings stored within the selected group.

Probe Mode - For a traditional CMM, this list shows Manual and DCC (Direct Computer Control). With this list, you can save settings according to machine type, either a manual CMM or a CMM capable of DCC motion.

Sensor Type - Determines the type of sensor. The application only shows settings that the selected sensor type can use. For a traditional CMM, this shows Touch Trigger and Analog. A touch-trigger sensor or probe records hits based on discrete hits. An analog sensor or probe remains in contact with the part and records hits based on time and distance as it scans.

Strategy - Sets the strategy to modify. This list initially shows a default strategy for the feature and sensor type. A green check mark appears in the Strategy list to indicate the default strategy. You can select a strategy to modify it, or you can click New to create a custom strategy. When you save the settings to a group, PC-DMIS also saves the current settings for the feature to the current selected strategy.

Strategy Type - This list does not appear at first. It only appears if, under Sensor Type, you choose Analog and then you select a supported feature (High Point, Circle, Plane, Line, Cylinder, or Cone). It allows you to choose an internal strategy. These strategies provide predefined ways to measure that feature, and they provide additional parameters that you can modify. You can select one of these internal strategies and use it as a base for your own custom strategy. These internal strategies may also hide parameters that don't make sense in that context (such as Number of Hits for a continuous contact probe).

Features Toolbar - The toolbar down the left side contains all the auto features. When you select an auto feature, its settings appear in the window.

Settings - This topic does not cover the individual settings for each auto feature. You can find those in the Auto Feature documentation. Many auto feature settings have a switch to the right ( Switch ). You can turn a switch on to have that setting appear in the Measurement Strategy Widget. You can turn a switch off to hide that setting from the widget.

Unit - If this shows mm, the application displays values in millimeters. If it shows in, the application displays values in inches. The server always stores its settings in millimeters.

Save - This button saves all the defaults settings for all the features in the current group to the PC-DMIS registry. This also saves the settings for each feature to each feature's current selected strategy. You cannot overwrite the original factory defaults. If Group shows Factory Defaults, a Group Name input box appears so you can save the modifications as a new group of settings.

Save As - A Group Name input box always appears so you can save the group as a new set.

Close - Closes the MSE application. If you haven't saved your changes, PC-DMIS asks if you want to save them.