Creating a Caliper

To create a Caliper feature:

  1. Select the Caliper option from the Insert | Gage menu. The Gage dialog box opens.

You can also access the Gage dialog box in these ways:

Gage dialog box

  1. Select the COP, COPOPER, or Mesh data object to use.

  2. In the Measurement Type area, select a type in the Fit Type list.

  3. Select an axis in the Axis list, and then select the Constrain or Offset option.

  4. In the Caliper Properties area, select the Circle or Rectangle shape option.

  5. Edit the current value, or select the appropriate values for the following options:

Circle-shaped caliper tip options

Example of a caliper created with different-sized start and end points

For non-planar surfaces, you should set the size to a larger value, such as 8-10 mm, to capture the high point. For planar surfaces, you can set it to a smaller value, such as 2 mm.

Rectangle shaped caliper tip options

For non-planar surfaces, you should set the width and height to a larger value, such as 8-10 mm, to capture the high point. For planar surfaces, you can set the width and height to a smaller value, such as 2 mm.

Changes to any of the Gage dialog box properties become the default values the next time the dialog box opens.

  1. From the Graphic Display window, click to define the start point. To remove the first selected point, press the Delete key.

  1. Move your cursor to the second location, and then click to define the end point. As you move the cursor, the length value updates in the Graphic Display window. If the selected object (COP or Mesh) contains data, the length that is shown is the measured value. If the selected object is empty, and a CAD model is used, the length value that is shown is the nominal value.

You can also enter the XYZ values for each in the Start Point and End Point XYZ boxes.

Caliper line thickness

You can set the thickness of the Caliper line through the OpenGL tab of the CAD and Graphic Setup dialog box (Edit | Graphic Display Window | OpenGL). For details, see the topic "Changing OpenGL Options" in the "Setting Your Preferences" chapter of the PC-DMIS Core documentation.

  1. Click Create to define the caliper and add it to the commands in the Edit window.