If the set of feature commands does not form a valid alignment, the alignment is not created. In addition, PC-DMIS shows one or more of these error messages:
"Unsupported feature combination!" - This message means the selected combination of features does not define a well-formed alignment.
"<FEATURE> is invalid!" - This message means the feature represented by <FEATURE> has errors in its definition; this usually occurs with a line measured on a surface where the line's line direction vector and the surface's normal vector are not perpendicular.
"<FEATURE> is not valid as the alignment second feature!" - This message means the feature represented by <FEATURE> cannot be used as the second feature in the alignment, due to its vector direction or its origin location.
"<FEATURE> is not valid as the alignment third feature!" - This message means the feature represented by <FEATURE> cannot be used as the third feature in the alignment, due to its vector direction or its origin location.
"Alignment error!" - This message indicates a general QuickAlign or Auto-align error.
If PC-DMIS creates the alignment, but it has problems with its degrees of freedom, PC-DMIS shows one of the following warning messages:
"<FEATURE> is not used. All DOFs constrained by first two features." - This message means that all six degrees of freedom (DOF) are already constrained by first two features used to define the alignment; so the third feature isn't used to constrain any of the DOF.
"Not all 6 DOFs constrained" - This message means that the three features used to define the alignment, do not constrain the six DOF, even though PC-DMIS creates a valid alignment.
QuickAlign determines if an axial feature is in a given plane by checking if the vector of the feature (such as a circle, cylinder, cone, or line) is within +/- 5 degrees of the axis or vector of the primary feature.
QuickAlign determines if an axial feature can be used for rotation by checking if it is more than 45 degrees from the primary feature vector.